Politics: Kerry's Mistakes

There's a saying about "giving a man enough rope to hang himself." John Kerry made a few comments last night that could unravel rather ugly on him in the days ahead.

The first was his comment on a "global test" before taking action. This gets back to his "asking the world for a permission slip" theme. Is that leading, or following? Is that putting the interests of America and American lives at the top of the agenda? I think the GOP might exploit his opinion on this. This is the kind of sound bite that leaves a nasty aftertaste in people's minds. President Bush came back that his first priority is making America safer. That requires tough decisions. Kerry seems to not want to make decisions. He'd take a poll. Ask the UN what they think.

Next, his calling for unilateral disarmament via cancelling the research into a bunker busting nuclear program. Kerry claimed that nuclear proliferation was his worst fear, yet the kinds of weapons systems to combat his fears he would ban.

Of course, many flips and flops in his presentation last night. For example, he whined about the $200 billion spent in Iraq. Not only did he get the amount wrong (it's over $100 billion), he contradicted an earlier statement where he called for spending "whatever it takes" in Iraq. (Maybe the flip-flopping has been played too much already, but I don't see how anyone can take this guy seriously.)

Bush's best retort to Kerry all night was when he said "that's absurd" in one of the follow-ups. Much of Kerry's presentation was absurd, so I understand why the President looked a bit frustrated trying to debate this guy.