Democrats
are afraid the people are going to find out about John Kerry's Senate record.
That's the only way you can explain their incessant accusations that Republicans
are being mean and angry when they merely discuss his record.
The idea that
Democrats have been selling is that a factual airing of their default presidential
candidate's record is dirty politics.
Following Sen. Zel Miller's convention
speech, the cable shows were flooded with handwringing liberals beside themselves
over the "meanness" of Miller's remarks. The newspapers followed with "news" stories
and editorials registering the same complaint.
The Associated Press reported,
"Republicans are satisfying their convention delegates with an angry vision of
the presidential race and attacks on Democratic nominee John Kerry, but it won't
play well with voters in the closing weeks of the campaign, Democrats said Thursday."
Sen. Edwards told "Today" show anchor Matt Lauer, "What we heard from the
Republicans in that hall last night was an enormous amount of anger." Edwards
called the GOP criticisms of John Kerry "completely over the top" and said they
made him mad. Watch that anger there, Senator.
I don't deny that Zel Miller
delivered his remarks with a healthy flavor of righteous indignation at a party
that has left him and other conservative Democrats, a party whose presidential
candidate is the most liberal senator in America with an abominable record on
defense.
Senator Miller has a right to be upset. We're in the middle of
a war, and his party has selected a man who has made a career of emasculating
our intelligence services and our military readiness. We are not playing games
here.
That's why I was incredulous when Chris Matthews asked Miller last
night how his speech was going to further the goal of promoting harmony among
the parties and the people (my crude paraphrase). These conventions are not about
promoting national harmony, but the business of selecting candidates who can lead
the nation in these exceedingly dangerous times.
But Chris Matthews' question
reveals the liberal mindset. They act more interested in advancing the Rodney
King credo: "Why can't we all just get along?" than in adopting proactive policies
to safeguard our national security. That explains why John Kerry is always so
preoccupied with currying the favor of French and German leaders.
But the
dirty little secret is that Democrats just pay empty lip service to promoting
harmony. They've been sniping at President Bush for four years now, and it has
been petty, nasty, mean-spirited and, yes, angry.
Their real gambit was
to keep the public's eye off John Kerry's Senate record. Their bizarre premise
has been that Kerry's allegedly distinguished combat record alone qualifies him
to be commander in chief -- no matter what he has done since.
Putting aside
damning questions about Kerry's Vietnam service and his anti-war crusade thereafter,
it is simply ridiculous to say that one's ostensible heroism of 35 years ago justifies
a gag order on his record ever since.
Yet that's what Chris Matthews implied
when he said, "The idea that (Kerry) is going to shoot spitballs in defense of
a country that he risked his life to defend some years ago is a personal attack
on the guy." Then he asked Sen. Miller: "Do you believe … Senator, truthfully,
that John Kerry wants to defend the country with spitballs? Do you believe that?"
Of course he believes that, Chris, which is why he said it. And he cited
Kerry's Senate record to prove it. And it is not a personal attack, unless you
consider the accurate depiction of Kerry's anti-defense record a personal attack.
What are personal attacks are when Sen. Kerry, during his convention speech,
said he will not mislead the nation into war and will restore trust to the office.
And it's a personal attack for Matthews to suggest that Sen. Miller is lying --
saying something he doesn't believe to pander to the GOP audience. But he does
believe it, Chris, or he wouldn't even be speaking at the GOP convention.
People
should be very suspicious that Kerry put all his presidential eggs in his Vietnam
basket, especially since that basket is so full of holes. We have a right to know
what Sen. Kerry is hiding? I'm talking about his Senate career here. Why is he
trying to cover it up?
Nothing could be more preposterous than for Democrats
to cry foul when the Republicans are merely trying to publicize the truth about
Sen. Kerry's voting record. If that's dirty politics, then Democrats must think
Kerry's Senate record is shameful. And they're right.
To read more of David
Limbaugh's essays, visit his web-site: DavidLimbaugh.com
*
* *
Senate
Record - Bruce Bartlett, October 5, 2004
Bruce
Bartlett is a senior fellow at the National
Center for Policy Analysis
* * *
To read the texts
of all the GOP convention speeches, and also see the videos of the speakers,
Visit
GOPConvention.com/rewind
*
* *
Kerry's Flip Flop Olympics: http://www.GeorgeWBush.com/Olympics
*
* *
