John Kerry Tomorrow: at the American Legion

[newsguyatl]

from a campaign aide:

Here’s what we’re talking about tomorrow. Its pretty tough

Kerry will speak before the American Legion in Nashville tomorrow.

Earlier this week, President Bush admitted that he miscalculated in the war in Iraq. Kerry will expand on the President’s comments, offering a tough critique about the way the President handled the war in Iraq. Kerry will focus on the president’s decision to go to war without a plan to win the peace, his failure to properly equip the troops for the mission, or listen to experts about the needs of the military on the ground.

Kerry will discuss his plan to turn the President’s “catastrophic success” in Iraq into a real success. And taking issue with Bush’s claim that we can’t win the war on terror, Kerry will lay out his strategy for doing so.

John Kerry has chosen a tough place to make this tough critique.

But with over 150,000 men and women serving our country in Iraq and Afghanistan, John Kerry believes that they deserve an honest assessment about where we are now and what we must to do succeed.

Despite the American Legion’s more conservative membership, he’s going to tell it like it is, and take it as it comes. That’s what real leadership is.

[maine_raptor]

1. There maybe a complication with Kerry's appearance

Nashvile media has been saturated with Swift Boat ads, both the 2nd one, and a new one distorting Kerry's 1971 medal toss and debate with O'Neil on the Cavat Show.

Scarbourgh, et al talking about it on RNCNBC

[redstateblues]

2. I am in Nashville- How Do I Find out About What To Do?

I am a Kerry and MoveOn Contributor- no one has contacted me about showing my support- whassup?

[Gloria]

3. If he doesn't use this opportunity to go after the slander of himself and

all vets, I will be extremely disappointed....and feel even worse about all the missed opportunities.....This is the place to reestablished his stature as a leader.

Please...these plans alone are not the way to recover from all the negative press and ads esp. if the perception that you are passive is currently festering....

[vickie]

4. This is a good first step. His Iraq stance has been hard for some

voters to grasp and a clarification of this in his own words is very important in how he campaigns going forward. I can't wait to hear this. It sounds as though he's prepared for a less than warm welcome - and that's o.k., too.

He's a real man and real men take their lumps, dust themselves off and move forward - without looking back. (They don't have prescreened audiences, with prescreened questions and loyalty oaths.)