Bush Aides Say They Were Not Surprised By Kerry Reaction
Senior strategists for President Bush were not surprised by John Kerry's attack on the Republican ticket this morning. They said they have seen the pattern before: "The Democrats tend to overreact when they decide to hit back," said one top Bush strategist.
They contended the Democratic strategy all goes back to 1988, when George H.W. Bush's campaigned with slashing attacks against Democrat Michael Dukakis, charging that he was weak on defense and a card-carrying liberal, and Dukakis failed to strike back in a forceful or timely manner. The Republicans claimed that the Demcrats took a lesson from that race, but have since turned it into overreaction. "They overdo it – and that's what Kerry did this morning," said the GOP strategist. The Bush insiders say that Kerry made himself look like a whiner and a victim this morning rather than a tough commander-in-chief. –Kenneth T. Walsh, U.S. News
