Give 'em Hell, Kerry!

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
by Hugh Conrad

Dear Sen. Kerry,

When Harry Truman was running for president in 1948, the polling groups quit taking samples in September because they were so certain that Republican Tom Dewey was going to win in a landslide. However, Harry put on the gloves, laid body blows to Tom Dewey, and placed some sucker punches on the aristocrat, pulling off the greatest upset in presidential election history.

Senator, while your role and that of Truman are reversed, you have been too nice, but the upset is still possible. Yes, you and the 527s have to start hitting Mr. Bush in his "cajones."

Here are some of the words that you must utter over and over and over in the next four weeks:

Bush Administration Corruption

"The Republicans have given us the three most corrupt administrations in history. The Harding administration, the Nixon administration, and the Bush II administration."

Repeat over and over.

"The Bush administration scandals: The Abu Ghraib Scandal, the Valerie Plume Scandal, the Salem Chalabi Scandal, the Defense Department Neocon Leak to Iran Scandal." (Use those photos of Abu Graid in your ads!)

National Security Advisor

"I will name a National Security Advisor who is intelligent enough to understand this statement: "Bin Laden determined to strike within the U.S."

Dead or Alive

"You promised to capture the leading terrorist in the world, 'Dead of alive.' Where is Osama bin Laden, Mr. Bush? Why can't you utter his name today?'"

Bush's economic policies

"Bush is the 21st Century version of Herbert Hoover."

"Bush says that we have turned the corner. He is right. We are heading back to 1929 when the stock market crashed."

"Republicans have created the worst economic situations in American history. After eight years of Harding and Coolidge (and Hoover), the stock market crashed, leading to the Great Depression. After 12 years of Reagan and Bush, we had the largest deficit in history. After each of those, people elected Democrats, FDR and Bill Clinton, leading to prosperity."

Dumb

"What we need in the White House are 'A' students, not a guy who loafed his way through college, boozed his way through the National Guard, doesn't read newspapers, and could not find Afghanistan on the map in 2000. We also an 'A' student as vice-president, not one who flunked out of college."

Iraq Policy

"The other side wants specifics about my Iraq policy. Here is what I propose to do on Jan. 21, 2005 about Iraq. I will ask former President Clinton -- when his health is back on track -- to travel to the Middle East as my Ambassador at Large to try and get the peace talks in that area moving again. I will also ask former Gen. Wesley Clark to be my ambassador to Iraq. He will travel there and consult with our military leaders, trying to come up with a strategy to end the insurgency. Then I will ask former Sec. of State Madeline Albright to travel to Europe and the Middle East to talk with foreign leaders who currently despise us. She will try to undo the damage that has been done by the arrogance of this administration."

Mideast Roadmap to Peace

"To follow a roadmap, you need a leader. This administration has done nothing to lead the Mideast peace process. You are not a leader, Mr. Bush, and we are on the verge of losing our grip on the entire Middle East."

Values

Doin' hard time in Gitmo

"If Bill Clinton were president and did what George Bush has done -- entered an illegal, unjust war, with no WMD or nuclear threat; took the economy from the largest surplus in history to the largest deficit in history; made the U.S. the most hated and despised country in history; he would currently be doing hard time in Gitmo -- with no access to a lawyer."

The Buck stops anywhere but here

After the greatest security failure in American history in 9-11, and the worst foreign policy debacle in American history (no WMD in Iraq), no one has been fired. The blame for this was never taken by the president. I ask the American people to fire this president. I will fire people when they make egregious mistakes, and I will follow Harry Truman's admonition that 'The Buck Stops Here.'"

Flip-Flopper-in-Chief for the Ages

"Mr. Bush likes to use the words 'flip-flopper.' Well, let me tell you why this guy is the 'Flip-Flopper-in-Chief for the Ages.' "

Flip

• "We can't win the war on terrorism; Oops, we can win it."
• "We'll get Osama bin Laden, dead or alive." "Oops" ... He's not as important as Saddam.
• "Saddam Hussein has some of the most lethal weapons ever devised by mankind" ... "Oops, cannot find them, but he had Weapons of Mass Destruction Program Making Capability."
• "We must get Saddam Hussein before the smoking gun becomes a Mushroom Cloud." "Oops. No nuclear, no WMD, nothing but a paper trail."
• "I will release all of the data regarding my National Guard service." "Oops, where are all these documents coming from?"
• "A department of homeland security is unnecessary" ... "Oops, Karl says I better create a new department."
• "Condoleeza Rice cannot testify before the 9-11 Commission, Executive Privilege" ... "Oops, Condi can testify."

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION