Sen Kerry on Imus

[globalvillage]

Anyone watching this?

It's pretty funny so far. They roasted him good, but it was expected.
"Bill Clinton" begging him to run again.
I love that they played "Big John" going to commercial.

[fedupinBushcountry]

1. You beat me to it

Just posted it too. hope someone tapes it, I have to go to work.

[globalvillage]

2. He's getting Imus back pretty good.

Time to explain the Face the Nation quote.

edit - with sexy glasses. Read more, Senator.

[globalvillage]

3. Damn, he's freaking brilliant.

This is a great forum for Sen Kerry to explain his position. And Imus is giving him plenty of time to do it.
Excellent.

[ProSense]

4. Kerry is the man

What a great interview. Breaking down the Bush Administration's incompetence. Wrong choices since day one. Love that piece he read from the WP about the terrorizing of Iraqis in their homes.

Also: if we knew then what we know now, there wouldn't have been a vote.

[ProSense]

5. Here's the WP article Kerry quoted

Check out the title:


In One Night, Iraqi Turns From Friend to Foe
Man Who Supported U.S. Occupation Calls Americans 'the Devil' After Alleged Raid on His House

By Jackie Spinner
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, January 23, 2005; Page A20

snip...

Often, soldiers on raids find illegal weapons, ringleaders and vital information that can prevent more attacks. But often, the raids turn up little and leave hard feelings among civilians who resent foreign soldiers bursting into their homes, breaking doors and gates and pointing guns at their heads. They resent these men catching their wives and daughters in their bedclothes. They resent them barking orders, telling them to get on the ground, invading their homes, emptying drawers and turning over mattresses.

On the night of Jan. 5, Imaad and his mother, Um Imaad -- both of whom declined to give their full names for fear of retribution -- were watching a movie in the living room. As in most other parts of the capital for the past two months, their Adhimiya neighborhood has electricity about two hours a day. So the generators outside were humming at about 9 that night, and the television was turned up so they could hear.

Imaad said they were startled by a loud banging at the door. He went quickly to open it. When he did, Imaad said, there were about a dozen U.S. soldiers standing with their guns pointed at his head.

Imaad and his mother said the soldiers rushed in, ordering them to sit together while they searched the house. "You look poor," Imaad recalled one of the soldiers saying. "Why?"

Imaad answered in English: "I have not been able to find a job, although I'm a graduate of the College of Arts." His heart was pounding, Imaad said. His mother, a chatty widow who adores her son, sat next to him, shaking.

The soldiers went to search his bedroom. He heard laughing, and then they called for him, he said. Imaad went to his room and saw that the soldiers had found several magazines he kept hidden from his mother. They had pictures of girls in swimsuits and erotic poses. Imaad said the soldiers spread the magazines on his bed and put his Koran in the middle.

"This is a good match," Imaad said one of the soldiers told him.

"It was a nightmare," he said. "I will never forget those bad soldiers when they put the Koran among the magazines."


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A29400-2005Jan22.html


Like Kerry stated, it's also a cultural thing.

[karynnj]

6. For those who missed it, WT2 has a great summary on DU-P

I think it's legitimate to cross post this because it's not designed to gang up or anything bad.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2300844

[_dynamicdems]

7. This was great! Really cute. Sometimes I want to smack Imus along

side the head for the stuff he says about Senator Kerry, but I suppose it is coming from the perspective of a friend.

Didn't JK something about getting snowed in. Oh no!

[Mass]

8. Given the snow falling here, it would not be surprising if he is in Boston

I just hate snow.

[_dynamicdems]

9. Isn't Imus live? And that's in New York.

I'd rather see him grounded than flying in a snowstorm. I hate stuff too (snow).

[karynnj]

10. He might have to take Amtrack

The show is out of Secacus, NJ, which is just across the river. If he wanted he could take a train from there to Penn Station (NYC) and then Amtrack to Boston as long as the trains are running. (Imagine how surprised the people would be.)

[_dynamicdems]

12. LOL! That would be something!

:rofl: Too cute.

[TayTay]

15. He said he might get snowed in.

Well, just wait it out. Is it snowing in NYC? It sounds like it should end by mid-day there. It should end here by early evening.)

Ah, go somewhere, take a stack of magazines or books, get some hot chocolate and unwind. That's what snow days are for. (Oh, it helps if you can have a fire going in the fireplace, but whatever.) There is noting you can do about the weather, just enjoy it. (Hey, it is beautiful, you must admit. It covers up the sins of fall very well. I guess I don't have to worry about that ugly patch of dirt in the back yard my dog dug up until next spring. It's all covered up now.)

He's scheduled for Philly on Sunday, maybe he'll go west and hang out in Pittsburgh till then. Then hit Philly on Sunday and then come home to Boston then back to DC Monday for the Senate session next week. (Geez, on second thought, he's too busy to sit up reading magazines and drinking tea all day. I guess only us lazy people do that.)

[globalvillage]

11. They're replaying clips from the interview.

Lots of them.
OK, I like Imus again. He annoys me on a regular basis, but today, he's A-OK.

[karynnj]

14. He also made some comments after Kerry left

about how Kerry was like he was on the show. Funny, witty, and you could say anything to him without him getting uptight. That he was not at all like he was portrayed last year and that he needed to show more of this side of him. (ignoring that that Kerry WAS there at every rally.) He mentioned also what a nice guy Marvin was.

[globalvillage]

16. For Imus, the criticisms were mild.

I get pissed when people trash the Senator, but today, it was all in good fun.
And MSNBC is still covering this morning's interview.

edit - They just said they will have more of Sen Kerry's interview coming up. I hope they replay it all day. He really was great.

[karynnj]

18. I took them as compliments not even mild compliments

He really was saying he is a genuinely nice guy; real and unpretensious. This means more than if Inus said he was brilliant on foreign policy - as Imus has no credibility on this. I was actually more surprised that Charles very strongly re-enforced what Kerry said on the need to change the policy and said that he knew what Kerry meant. (I had always seen him as RW)

[_dynamicdems]

24. Charles did seem to be taking Kerry's side. He genuinely seemed

to like Senator Kerry and that surprised me too because he hasn't been very supportive in the past. I was watching to see reactions and they all seemed positive.

[globalvillage]

17. One of them said Imus still had some of Sen Kerry's

*stuff* on his face. LOL. Sorry, but that was pretty good.
They do get a bit crude for cable news.
I really don't think Imus let him off easy, but I knew something like that was going to be said.

[globalvillage]

13. Sent my thanks to Imus

[e-mail]

[ProSense]

19. Haha! Haha ! Hahahahahaha!

John Kerry Blames Rush Limbaugh for Iraq Blooper
NewsMax.com, FL - 59 minutes ago
Failed presidential candidate John Kerry blamed top conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh Friday morning for the uproar over his claim that US troops were ...


:rofl: won't :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: post :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: link!

[globalvillage]

20. Transcript is up

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9877442/

[_dynamicdems]

25. Great! Thanks! It was great to watch, but the transcripts are always good

to read afterward.

[MH1]

21. Darn, missed it! But found the transcript:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9877442/

I wish they posted video of Imus. But I can tell he was great, thanks to you guys!

[beachmom]

22. I taped it, and just got to watch it.

Here are some thoughts:

1. Imus was right when he said later that Kerry should stay away from Sunday programs and do more things that showcase what he is REALLY like. I mean, when I saw him on FTN, I was underwhelmed, and even if intellectually his remarks were on the money, he was too stilted in that format. In contrast, he was just plain awesome on Imus, and it wasn't like it was softball questions. He had to be quick and witty, and he succeeded in spades. And, you know, he's not much of a morning person so imagine if this had been in the afternoon . . .

2. He did an excellent job defending his "terrorizing" remarks, citing that WP article referenced above. That was a funny moment when he put his glasses on to read, and Imus said "oh, we love it when you read to us". Then he said it was only people like Rush Limbaugh giving him a hard time, considering it was the military who said this in the first place.

3. It was the first time that he said that losing the election "hurt" (personally) before going into his usual answer that he feels most bad about the direction the country is going. I think this is why he is hugging people more and putting his heart on his sleeve when talking to people now. It feels better when you can share your pain with others. Based on that incident that Douglas Brinkley recounted about when the Senator met some supporters (I think they were janitors) and merely bowed to them even when they wanted to give him a hug, I think he has changed and is more willing (and, in fact, wants) to reach out to people. I know, I know -- you guys said that he was always quite personable, but I still say there is a change.

4. He was just funny and light with Imus. Of course, he knows Imus, unlike many of the other reporters where I don't think he is as comfortable with. The problem with JK is that he's not a phony, and he can't act as if he's at ease unless he's really at ease. His non-phoniness comes out best on Imus or a radio call in show or simply talking to voters. Now how the hell he can duplicate that on other MSM outlets I don't know. But I'm really serious when I say he was a million times better on Imus than FTN. (okay, this is kind of repeating point #1, but I can't emphasize it enough).

5. He talked about the War on Terror as a war within Islam. I am very interested in this subject and thought he was excellent on this. I look forward to hearing more in the future.

6. I think I'll watch it again, that's how good he was!!!

[ginnyinWI]

23. a really good interview

Lots of smiles, joking around. I agree, he needs more of this side of him in the media. How about Letterman? Leno doesn't deserve him though. And he needs to be seen at a variety of public events--not only on Cspan. But the media needs to be motivated somehow.

He recapped some of the stuff from yesterday's speech, which was good. Totally reasonable to trust the Iraqis, with our support, to police their own country. We are making more of a mess by being there, especially thanks to the ineptitude of our civilian leadership! It was a hard task in any case, but they made it worse by blithely assuming it would be so easy.

The reality is that we now are going to have to show them rather than tell them our good intentions. And that's why a phased withdrawal will be so important.

[jenndar]

26. I always like when Imus interviews JK

because Imus really seems to get him. Yes, some of Imus' jabs make me cringe, but on the whole I find him less insulting than some of the other media hacks who sort of seem to be dancing around the Senator, saying, "Check out how tough and hard-hitting I am!" without actually engaging in any meaningful discussion.