Kerry enlists political brawler

[MGKrebs]

WASHINGTON — John Kerry has brought veteran political operative John Sasso into his campaign, the clearest sign yet that the Democratic nominee intends to take off the gloves against President Bush.

Few Kerry advisers have the kind of bare-knuckle experience Sasso, who had been serving as general chairman of the Democratic National Committee, has gained from nearly a quarter-century in Boston politics.

"He is the Democratic Lee Atwater,"

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/election/0904nation/08sasso.html

[trotsky]

1. There is no Democratic Lee Atwater.

Lee was a horrible, despicable human being until his near-deathbed conversion. The Democrats truly have NO ONE as nasty as he was at his peak.

[MidwestTransplant]

7. He had a deathbed conversion?

Can you explain?

[cyr330]

11. He apologized

Lee Atwater was the Pit Bull who worked on George H. W. Bush's 1988 campaign against Michael Dukakis. Atwater was the author of the infamous "Willie Horton" television ads that suggested that Dukakis was responsible for putting a killer back on the streets to continue killing. Needless to say, Dukakis lost the election big time. Atwater recanted on his deathbed (dying from an inoperable brain tumor) and apologized for all the ugly politics he had practiced during his career. That's it in a nutshell.

[MidwestTransplant]

12. Interesting, thanks.

[MGKrebs]

13. And Sasso was Dukakis' campaign mgr.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

17. I believe it was in his book prior to being on his deathbed but after

being diagnosed.

[hurley]

2. hmmmm I wonder if Sasso is going to be a ragin nolins boy.

[hurley]

4. I mean it would be very cool to watch him in action.

[hurley]

5. See if he unplugs and gets down and dirty.

[Larkspur]

3. You mean former Sen. Torricelli isn't dirty enough to help Kerry fight

Bush?

And whatever happened to that pro-Kerry 527 group -- Americans for Jobs and Healthcare? They ran some mean stuff against Howard Dean. They should have been ready for Bush or were they just a bushleague Democratic group?

[hurley]

6. I dont know.

[Julien Sorel]

8. I think the key there

was the example Howard set in "fighting back." He did such an excellent job that Torricelli slunk from the battlefield properly chastised, never to return. If only Kerry, while rolling over the indomitable Dean, had learned the lesson of "fighting back" from him.

Despite his economy class stature, old Howard is casting his shadow over this election like a giant.

[CWebster]

9. The shadowy 'fixer" , Michael Whouley

who Kerry employed for Iowa, might be another prudent choice.

[napi21]

10. Shoud I be concerned about Sasso?

I can't place this guy, so I googled his name to see if I could find a picture or some info to jog my memory. Most of what I found was he was Lt Gov for Dukakis and some past campaigns he screwed up, like Joe Biden and Dukakis. It also said he was a pretty dirty player. I hove no problem with the Dirty player ID, that's what Kerry has to do. I am concerned about his link to 2 failed campaigns though. I actually believe Dean's loss can partly be blamed on Joe Trippi, and he was a mgr, for a failed campaign too.

[Mike L]

14. Carville is now on Kerry's staff. Why listen to anyone else?

[comsymp]

15. Where'd you get that? Link?

All I've read has indicated that Carville has NO formal role in the K-E Campaign.
For instance:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x769693

No doubt that he's "helping", just like the Clintons and nearly every elected Dem in the US- that doesn't mean he's on staff, tho.

[Mike L]

16. NYT

"Several of Mr. Clinton's former campaign advisers, including James Carville and Paul Begala, joined the Kerry team last week, and on Saturday night after he entered the hospital, Mr. Clinton spoke to Mr. Kerry by telephone for 90 minutes, discussing campaign message and strategy for the weeks ahead. "

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/07/politics/campaign/07dems.html

[Mike L]

18. Boston Globe

"With the addition of Clintonistas Joe Lockhart, Joel Johnson, and Doug Sosnik -- and greater anticipated participation by consultants James Carville and Paul Begala and pollster Stanley Greenberg -- they describe a series of competing camps.

There's the old infrastructure of former Ted Kennedy staffers Cahill and Stephanie Cutter plus consultants Bob Shrum, Tad Devine, and Mike Donilon; there are the new Clinton recruits; and there are Kerry's longtime Boston advisers."

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2004/09/08/whos_in_charge_of_the_kerry_campaign/

[comsymp]

19. Thanks for the clarification

Just keep in mind that "greater anticipated participation" doesn't equal "on Kerry's staff."

Of course, either formally or informally, we obviously agree that Carville's participation is a +.