The Moose has always believed that the Donkey must get in touch with his inner Scoop Jackson to win national elections. John Kerry took an important step in that direction yesterday.
The Moose has long maintained that there was an opportunity for Kerry to move to the President’s right on national security. The dilemma was how to do this without alienating the lefties in the party.
We now all know that this Administration has profoundly bungled the post-war period in Iraq. In fact, the Moose has reason to believe that this view is widely held in Republican circles. Partisan concerns prevent all but a few Republicans from speaking the truth about Iraq. We will know more about this after the election.
In the final days of this campaign, it is imperative that John Kerry makes it crystal clear that there is no substitute for victory in Iraq. Although it is increasingly questionable whether Iraq should have been a priority target in the war against terror, the United States cannot allow a failed state in that critical region.
That is why the Moose was heartened by Kerry’s speech yesterday on “Succeeding in Iraq and Winning Against Terror.” Kerry stated -
“America is fighting… and must win... two wars. The war in Iraq. And the war on terror. “
The beauty of this statement is that Kerry is embracing the hawks and not offending the doves. He goes on to again attack Bush from the left and the right for failing to nail Zarqawi -
“A CIA report found no clear link between Saddam's regime and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the terrorist behind the beheadings of Americans in Iraq and now an al Qaeda ally. Before the war, the administration claimed that Zarqawi’s presence in Iraq was proof of an Al Qaeda-Saddam collaboration. That was wrong.
This is brilliant politics. Kerry connects with his inner Scoop while not offending Democratic doves.
In fact, Zarqawi was operating out of a no-man’s land in North Eastern Iraq… next to territory controlled by America’s Kurdish allies… not by Saddam. He and his terrorist allies were reportedly producing Ricin, a horrific biological weapon. We could have… but did not… take them out. That was a terrible mistake that this administration has never explained.”
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