Several media reports dissected John Kerry's appearance on ABC's Good Morning America yesterday, in which he again attempted to explain his position on the Iraq war. The NBC Nightly News reported Kerry "attempted to clarify his position on the war," saying that although "he stands by his vote to authorize a confrontation with Saddam, Kerry said today he thinks the war was wrong." But the Bush campaign "condemned that as another Kerry flip-flop." The Washington Times reports Kerry said "the most widely lampooned gaffe of his campaign – when he said he voted for a bill funding the war in Iraq before he voted against it – was 'one of those inarticulate moments' that occurred when he was 'dead tired.'" The Times notes the "statement was made during a Huntington, W.Va., rally in the middle of the day, not 'late in the evening'" as Kerry claimed yesterday. The New York Times says Kerry aides "suggested that if Mr. Bush accused him of inconsistency in Thursday's debate, Mr. Kerry might retort that the president had 'consistently been wrong' on foreign policy and national security, particularly on Iraq."
Kerry Camp Believes Criticism Of Bush Iraq Policy Is Working.
According to CNN's Inside Politics, "Kerry advisers believe the Senator's escalating criticism of the President's Iraq policy is working, despite recent polling that shows voters still believe President Bush is better able to handle the issue." Kerry strategists "say Mr. Bush will be on the defensive in the debate, while their candidate convinces voters he can be a stronger commander in chief."
Cheney Questions Kerry's Judgment On Iraq.
Vice President Cheney yesterday said the US "needed to act in Iraq, and he questioned whether John Kerry would have the commitment or judgment to make such decisions," according to the AP. Cheney said, "The idea that somehow we could pull back and simply sit behind our oceans and not aggressively be going after the terrorists and those who sponsor terrorists, I think misreads the situation completely." The Minneapolis Star Tribune notes Cheney said "Kerry has 'a pre-9/11 mindset' and lacks both the necessary conviction and judgment to successfully wage war against terrorism."
