Ok, I've been urging it, suggesting strategies, "gently" criticizing the Kerry campaign on this. But I'm reaching Digby frustration levels on the failure of the Kerry campaign to speak strongly to this issue. He MUST do so. Sure the American people have lost confidence in Bush, but it's time for Kerry to start moving towards gaining their confidence on Iraq and the War on Terror.
Digby says it well - "It's one thing for Kerry to allow Bush to swing in the wind on the pre-9/11 stuff. Let the widows and the whistleblowers take that on. The less partisanship the better. But, Iraq is something else entirely. Iraq is a crisis and an ongoing problem and it isn't enough for it to be seen blowing up on television. Kerry has got to convince people that Bush is the problem and that he can fix it. Instead, he's acting clueless and disengaged. . . ."
http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2004_04_04_digbysblog_archive.html#108148988937188506
More Digby - ". . . I sincerely hope that they are not planning to re-run the 2002 midterm campaign because we will lose again. A tie goes to the codpiece. You can't ignore national security. Not only is it a more glamorous subject for the news media to cover, it is also a clearer demonstration of presidential leadership. With a war going on, a presidential candidate simply has to meet it head on or look like a sissy even if the other guy is self-destructing.
The Salon article linked above says:
A Kerry spokesman told Salon on Thursday that it's incumbent on Bush -- not Kerry -- to address the crisis in Iraq. "What has the president said about this?" the Kerry spokesman asked. "He needs to explain what his policy is, what his plan is to address what's going on right now. But he's been down on his ranch in Crawford. The spotlight isn't on John Kerry. The spotlight needs to be on Bush. He's the president, and he's the person who has carved out these policies."
Bullshit. The spotlight may "need" to be on Bush, but Americans want to know what the alternative thinks is the problem and what he thinks needs to be done. This is a total pussy response and it is simply not good enough. And it isn't just the campaign flack. . . "
Of course I agree.