JK: "I would not have gone to war." Clear enough for ya?

[choie]

Over the past several weeks I've seen many Democrats still perpetrating the vicious meme that Kerry is only BushLite. This is primarily due to their misinterpretation of Kerry's war stance, when they parse his every statement so that he appears to be pro-war. I've seen dozens and dozens of posts across the WWW like, "See? JK only says he'd have done things 'differently' ... everyone knows that means he'd still have gone to war! And this makes him a rat-bastard DINO who's no better than Crazy-As-Zell! That's it, I'm voting for Nader or writing in Howennisley Dekucinlark!!!!111"

(Before you freak out -- until Kerry got the nod, I was a Clark supporter, with Kucinich my choice if this were an ideal world.)

Well, today on Good Morning America, Kerry basically told doubters to STFU. Okay, not really, but hopefully that'll be the result once they read his unqualified, easy-to-understand statement:

"We should not have gone to war knowing the information that we know today," Kerry told ABC. "Knowing there was no imminent threat to America, knowing there were no weapons of mass destruction, knowing there was no connection of Saddam Hussein to Al Qaida, I would not have gone to war. That's plain and simple."

It sure is, John. For many of us it was plain before, but thank God he's said it in terms even a Naderite can understand. I would not have gone to war.

Can we NOW put this tired argument to rest, take the oh-so-cliched clothespins off the noses, and CHEER OUR BOY ON TO VICTORY????

Whew. Rant over. That is all.

(Sorry to sound bitchy, especially as a newbie, but goshdarnit, this has frustrated me for months and months now. Don't hate me!)

[mrbassman03]

1. No! Kerry said he wouldn't! No, he did!

Watch for the attack ads...

[KC21304]

2. And if anyone wants to read his speech to the Senate

before the vote, they will see this is exactly what he said then. NO WAR if NO IMMINENT threat !

[choie]

3. Amen!

Seriously, that speech was AMAZING and could not have been clearer. Is it too hard to read the man's own words before judging him?

Busheviks obviously don't bother reading their guy's statements. I imagine that we can do a little better with ours.

[newyawker99]

4. Hi choie!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[choie]

5. Thanks!

And a big shoutout to my fellow NYC sister! :) :hi:

[eridani]

6. You are missing the most important thing of all.

The real reason for the war was a permanent military presence in Iraq, and everyone seriously antiwar knows that. Kerry has specifically disavowed this policy. There is no more important message you can give to the antiwar voter.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/07/politics/campaign/07campaign.html?pagewanted=all&position=

Asked his timetable for pulling troops out of Iraq, Mr. Kerry told a few hundred people in Canonsburg, Pa.: "My goal would be to get them home in my first term. And I believe that can be done." He said he would make it clear that "we do not have long-term designs to maintain bases and troops in Iraq."