Kerry Slams McCain's "Myth Of A Maverick"

2004 Democratic Nominee Says He Doesn't Recognize Man He Once Considered As A Running Mate

(AP)  Sen. John Kerry, the one-time presidential nominee whose campaign crumbled under attacks on his military service and consistency, told fellow Democrats on Wednesday that he doesn't recognize Republican John McCain a man he once considered as a running mate.

Kerry, his party's pick in 2004 who failed to defeat incumbent President Bush, said McCain's changed positions on the Republicans' tax cuts, climate change bills and immigration leave him shaken. Kerry paraphrased himself, telling the Democratic National Convention delegates: "Are you kidding? Talk about being for it before you're against it."

Kerry, a McCain friend for almost 22 years and fellow Vietnam War veteran, collaborated with the Arizonan in the 1990s on a Senate investigation of prisoners or war. The two enjoyed a close relationship and Kerry considered McCain as a vice presidential pick; he eventually chose North Carolina Sen. John Edwards.

Their ties have since dissolved as they have sparred on the current war in Iraq and Kerry has said McCain is a flip-flopper - a charge that hounded Kerry's campaign.

"To those who still believe in the myth of a maverick instead of the reality of a politician, I say, let's compare Senator McCain to candidate McCain," Kerry said.

"Let me tell you, before he ever debates Barack Obama, John McCain should finish the debate with himself."

Kerry's loss was, in part, to an independent group's attacks on him. The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ran ads that misled voters about Kerry's own military service. His campaign was slow to react, and by the time they did, many voters believed Kerry lied about his war record.

McCain denounced those ads and defended his one-time friend. Four years later, some of the same folks have returned with ads critical of Obama's ties to a 1960s radical; McCain has refused to denounce them.

With a nod to his own failures, Kerry said "no one can question Barack Obama's patriotism."

Kerry also painted McCain as a warmonger who marched with Bush into Iraq. Quoting a New York Times profile of McCain, Kerry quoted McCain telling troops aboard an aircraft carrier just months after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks: "Next up, Baghdad."

[n0morerepubl]

MCCAIN WILL LOSE THE ELECTION AND HIS SENATE SEAT

[grammawhamma]

John Kerry LMAO!!!

[displeased]

trrrorislam5, you''re going to be sooo disappointed when Obama wins. And BTW, intelligent people know better than to believe your senseless babbling.

[johngress]

I look at Mc Cain and I see........George Bush..... They have a lot in common.... like their scholastic aptitude. Bush was a C student and McCain finished 790 out of 795 at the Naval Academy. I guess Republicans worship mediocrity and failure.

[n0morerepubl]

I am g@y and proud of it!

Posted by trrrorislam5


MAYBE YOU SHOULDN''T BE TELLING EVERYONE THAT - JUST TELL EVERYONE YOUR A REPUBLICAN

[brianbwb-2009]

"Negative campaigning should be illegal, especially if the information is false and misleading." Posted by Displeased

In Singapore, if you have something negative to say about government officials, they won''t stop you, and they won''t throw you in jail, but you better have ironclad proof, because they will audit you, to determine how much money you have, then sue you into bankruptcy.

That is a good idea for the candidates, they could raise a lot of cash for their campaigns that way.

[realpatriot1]

trrrisalm5,

You are one ignorant ***!

How do you impeach someone who hasn''t been elected to office?

You are just the kind of person the McCain camp is looking for, a "Real American" no doubt!

[antoniof123]

Flip flop flip flop,

first of all if you are a fish it is bad but if you are a public servant (notice servant many slave) you had better do what the voters tell you to do.

Of course if you flip flop to stand with party line and put that above country you are really in trouble.

[carlylaine]

Displeased...check out votesmart.com...there you''ll get all of the words any has uttered and it''s for public record....no politics...just check it out..

[vranger]

For the guys who posted the poll data:

Not quite sure what planet you are on. Obama went into his convention with a 3 point edge.

Polls during the convention now show a dead heat, or McCain up by a point. Obama lost ground, probably mainly due to adding the lame, discredited Biden to the ticket.

Most importantly, unless Obama gains ground in certain close states, if the election were held today and state polls are correct, McCain already has the electoral votes to prevail.

The problem is that for weeks McCain has been the one gaining ground in the close states, and he WILL get both a VP bump and a convention bump, as his VP choices are somewhat more exciting than Obama''s were.

Why has the DNC organized such a strident "knock McCain" instead of "pump up Obama" tone in their convention? They are worried to death, and in a panic.