An interesting item in today’s Globe:
First it was US Senator Edward M. Kennedy who was quickly steamed about Patrick. Now Massachusetts’ other US senator, John F. Kerry, is burning over Patrick’s public posturing at his expense.
As Kerry licked his wounds in self-exile last week, Patrick, at a gubernatorial debate in Boston, was telling Massachusetts voters that the senator’s much-maligned attempt at humor was “dumb.” …
A senior Democratic source said Kerry and his staff were quite unhappy over Patrick’s statement….
Although it hasn’t stopped him from working hard for Patrick’s election, Kennedy, through intermediaries, has let the candidate know that he is none too happy to see Patrick touting his strong support for the Cape Wind project to place 120 turbines in Nantucket Sound. Patrick has pointed to his support of the project to demonstrate he is free from the influence of his political allies.
According to the conventional wisdom playbook, the worst thing Deval Patrick could have done in trying to get himself elected Governor is to annoy Ted Kennedy and John Kerry (and the party establishment in the process), both of whom (especially Kennedy) are quite popular in this state and have well-established organizations, both of whom can raise lots of money, and both of whom have fat campaign accounts.
And yet, Patrick’s been calling them like he sees them. He thinks Kennedy’s wrong on Cape Wind, and he has been saying so from the get-go. He thinks Kerry’s remark was “dumb,” and he said so in a televised debate. Contrast his response on Kerry with Kerry Healey’s dreadful performance when asked about Mitt Romney’s incessant Mass.-bashing.
IMHO, Patrick’s right on both Cape Wind and Kerry’s joke, for what that’s worth. But the more important point is that he hasn’t felt the need to back off of or moderate his positions for fear of annoying the big boys. And this augurs well for the future, if Patrick wins on Tuesday. No, I don’t expect a Governor Patrick to pick unnecessary fights with Sal & Trav just to prove that he can — that would be pointless. But I do hope and expect that when he thinks they’re wrong, he’ll say so loudly and proudly, and that he’ll move aggressively to advance his own agenda regardless of how closely it lines up with theirs. So far, I’ve seen nothing that makes me question those expectations (all the silly talk about the “closed door meeting” notwithstanding).
with Patrick’s response the other night, too, and agree that his willingness to part company with the “elders” is a good sign for the future. Patrick’s candor may not always play well with the Party faithful, but, in general, people understand that reasonable people can disagree and that such disagreement doesn’t preclude fruitful and meaningful working relationships.
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At this moment, Patrick is arguably more popular than either Ted or John, probably the most popular man in Massachusetts not named Brady or Papi. He has the capital to be independent as the Democratic nominee for Governor up 20+ in the polls. Honestly, Patrick can say anything he wants (within reason) – I mean what are Ted and John going to do, support Grace Ross? If Barack Obama is flying in twice in the last two weeks to make appearences with Deval, it is an indication that Deval probably can do more to help Ted and John’s favorability with Mass voters at this point in time than vice versa. Deval’s star is on the rise, and Ted and John have peaked.
Just like Kerry Healey refused to condemn Romney’s smearing of Massachusetts (even when give a public opportunity by Alison King during a debate), John Kerry chose not to confront George Bush when he constantly smeared Massachusetts during the 2004 election.
…how valid that Globe story really is.
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I know Kennedy and Patrick disagree on Cape Wind — and I think Patrick is on the right side here — but, Kennedy has been a real trooper during this election campaign. He has enthusiastically supported Patrick, stumped for him, raised money, had a huge fundraiser at his home, etc.
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In my opinion, Kennedy has been around long enough to know that no two people ever agree on everything.
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Kudos to Deval for his independence. That’s one of the things I most admire about him, and I agree that it will serve him well. But, I think Kennedy has been terrific in his support of Deval, and I am grateful to him for that.
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As far as the Kerry thing, Deval handled that question just as he should have. He wasn’t demonizing Kerry, just the dumb comment Kerry made. Kerry even said it was dumb. If Kerry or his staff is upset about that, too bad. Deval, by the way, said on the op-ed page of today’s Globe that he was proud to have supported Kerry in ’04.
Deval Patrick could have made a self-serving comment about John Kerry’s gaffe just like many other Democrats running for office have in the last week. He didn’t, and that is to his credit. By all accounts Kerry’s comments were dumb. To have defended them would have bene even dumber. Patrick very wisely deflected Kerry’s miscue by saying that Kerry himself knew it was dumb and thereby suggesting that it was not a serious reflection on Kerry’s character and that we should just move on. This is the way good leadership works.
I won’t comment further–Just wanted to state that I disagree with this.
John Kerry was attacked for mentioning the intellectual embarrassment of soldiers that have, by the standards of even the US military, committed horrible war crimes. Isn’t soldier England an example of how bright these people are? John Kerry has opened our eyes before to the horrors inflicted by the US military. He is one of those responsible for the end of the Vietnam war. This time he was backed into a corner for a joke that was more truth than what anyone wants to believe now. Next year at this time most of the country will be on his side. Bashing him works to support the Republicans and their illegal war.
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So, Ted Kennedy stood up against making the Sound look like the Southeast Expressway in Boston. He is saving peoples’ property values and the environment. If these windmills are so great, put them in Boston. Ted is doing what a leader should be doing watching out for his constituents. He should be praised.
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This infighting only serves the Republicans.
So this Wendy S. Child just signed on before writing a post that totally misrepresents what John Kerry did (he botched a joke) and indirectly repeats right-wing talking points that Kerry condemns the troops as war criminals.
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Either that, or Wendy is real and is so far on the fringe to believe that that stress and isolated consquences of combat paints ALL US troops with the broad brush of being war criminals.
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Whether you are a troll or really believe your fringe drool, your comments seemed to be designed to fuel the “Democrats hate America” crap spewed by the right.
Don’t make personal attacks. It just makes you look like you don’t have good arguments to offer in refutation of the points. And I know you, of all people, have good arguments FS.
…is to ignore them. So that is why I did not directly address the points.
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But if you insist…Wendy’s frame is that our troops are war criminals and Kerry meant what he said. This is tired old left rhetoric that does two things: first it strengthens the right’s position that the “left hates the troops”.
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But more importantly, it plays into a stereotype of our soldiers–and Americans in general–as ruthless killers. I’ve been fortunate enough to have worked for Wesley Clark’s campaign in 03/4 and interacted with many former military people for the first time in my life and was pleasantly surprised by the level of professional, integrity and humanity they showed. Just look at the quality of congressional candidates the Fighting Dems represents. And I’m hoping that former Clark aide Eric Massa is elected on Tuesday.
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Most military people Ive dealt with have an Eisenhowerian global view of things (like beware of the military industrial complex) and can be a key part of the Democratic coalition, giving us the credibility we need with American voters as being strong on national security. Wendy, with her point of view, would not let the Fighting Dems be part of our efforts. If it were a choice between the Fighting Dems and Wendys rhetoric, Im with the Fighting Dems.
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At a deeper level Wendy is ignorant of the real causes of the atrocities committed by American soldiers in Iraq and perpetuates myths that will result in our society condemning all returning soldiers and ignoring those who need of our help to recover from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. War is hell and normal people react in very abnormal ways and very bad things happen. History proves that. We must punish soldiers that kill inadvertently and sadly that does not often happen–again, history proves that.
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But as the recent Boston Globe series points out, a significant amount of troops–up to 1/3–will have symptoms related to PTSD caused by the stress of war. They will suffer from depression, anxiety, ECT and will self medicateabusing drugs and alcoholwhich will result in domestic abuse, suicides and worse. Our troops do not deserve to be labeled as war criminals as Wendy contends, but they too are victims of the war. They need our help not condemnation. To condemn them as she does is the sentence another generation of veterans to willful neglect. We should have learned from history that invading Iraq was going to work. Wendy wants to complete the full cycle of history and condemn the soldier pawns to life of societal neglectbecause they are war criminals.
We should have learned from history that invading Iraq was NOT going to work. Wendy wants to complete the full cycle of history and condemn the soldier pawns to life of societal neglectbecause they are war criminals.
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You can deal with the little typos.
Actually Frank, I thought Wendy was on the verge of getting at the core of this issue: the institutionalized class privilege that currently operates to populate our military ranks.
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Kerry botched a joke. But in what particular way did he botch the joke?
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Ever read the Psychopathology of Everyday Life?
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In botching his joke, Kerry spoke about the fundamental truth of military recruitment: those who cannot afford access to higher education populate our armed forces.
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The major exception to that, of course, is the elite class that comes from the military academies. And where do the applicants come from for the military academies? I don’t have specific figures, but the majority of those applications come from the kids of middle class families. Not the upper class, not the poor.
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Kerry created an uproar because he spoke the truth about class in this country and EVERYONE, even Kerry, who knows which side his bread is buttered on, is backing away from it.
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Yes, Kerry came out with both guns ablazin, and then backed down. But he should have had the guts to use the moment to direct peoples attention to class. Nope, time to disavow it.
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Interesting article today about why there is no peace movement as in the days of Vietnam. Why is there no movement? Because middle class kids are not getting drafted to get their asses shot off in the middle of nowhere.
…but Wendy do not come close to the “core” of the issue. Instead she chose to “blame the troops”. I tend to agree with you on the class aspect of the volunteer military. However, I know some folks who are a whole lot smarter than me–General Wesley Clark–being one, who feel a volunteer military is the only way to go, becuase they will be more committed. Interestingly, Charlie Rangel, a Korean War vet and a major supporter of Clark’s Presidental race, is the biggest advocate for the draft–for the same reason you mentioned (middle and upper class investment). It would be interesting to hear those two discuss this very issue.
I’ve been reading this blog for a few days after a friend recommended it as a supporter of the Democratic party in Massachusetts and something to do with my computer. When I saw all the bashing of Democratic non-Patrick candidates, I felt I should pipe in my two-cents worth. Obviously that was wrong. Please erase (if that is possible) my comments. I didn’t know how this all works.
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Obviously our philosophies are opposite and I mean to cause no anguish. Best of luck to you and your (and my) candidate.
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And, I may be old, but I don’t think I look like a troll. ;o)
…you seem to think our troops are stupid and war criminals. I answered that point above.
To paint all soldiers with the brush of Lyndie England and such is a complete disgrace to the vast majority of the group who risk their lives every day. You should be ashamed.
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If a few black or Hispanic people commit crime, all blacks and Hispanics must be horrible criminals, no? If some women don’t drive so well, surely all women should have their licenses revoked…? If occasionally a college student gets too drunk and makes an as of his or herself, surely all college students are assholes…?
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You get (I hope) my point. This type of framing is idiotic at best and dangerous at worst.
Kerry and Kennedy have done more for the left in this country than IMHO any candidate for Governor can hope to achieve.
Like voting for this stupid war? Oh, that’s right, everyone else did so it was OK to vote for it before voting against it. No need to pay attention to the weapons inspectors or the constituents who were pointing out the lies.
I think not.
However, politics is very much a “what have you done for me lately” game. And we all know that, at times, actual accomplishments/faliures of elected officials are irrelevent to much of the general electorate. In terms of image, Deval is the star of the Massachusetts Democratic Party.
with his opposition to Cape Wind, so I don’t see how that hurts Deval. I also don’t think that Kerry is all that well liked.
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No one is really going to care.
If it was a real controversy it wouldn’t be buried in the “campaign trail”. I think the Globe is considering the race a foregone conclusion that they have to keep drumming up interest in for a couple days.
I saw staffers from Kerry’s Boston office at the Deval Rally in Lowell yesterday. He helped arrange for the press and for the event.
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Ahm, this is a non issue. I don’t trust the Globe on this and I think they are making mountains out of molehills.