Friday, 5 March 2004 - 5:39 PM EST

Name: Tony

It's good to see Kerry not cave to the left, but let's not go overboard. His position on this issue isn't exactly new, nor is it unpopular. Kerry's position won't cost him any votes, and may actually garner some. I may agree with him on this, but it doesn't make me think he's any less smarmy and shallow.

Friday, 5 March 2004 - 11:18 PM EST

Name: Marc

But he is pandering to the right people, at least. Howard Dean talked about 9/11 conspiracy theories on a national radio show.

Saturday, 6 March 2004 - 2:17 AM EST

Name: Sean

That's the most broad way to answer that question. Anyway, I would have followed that question up with observing media conglomeration that allows Stern to get kicked off six stations at one time and what he plans to do about reinstating locally grown radio.

That might be more controversial than waffling on defending Howard Stern, though...

Saturday, 6 March 2004 - 9:34 AM EST

Name: Tony

Dean was still running in the primary. Kerry's got swing states on his mind these days in a way that Dean never did. The thing with Kerry is, I don't think he believes in anything. I think if Shrum had told him he needed to shore up liberals by coming out for Stern, he would have done it. He's a hairdo.

Monday, 8 March 2004 - 11:27 AM EST

Name: Ken Shepherd
Home Page: http://kenshepherd.blogspot.com

His tune would probably been different had Bush made comments on Stern to that effect. Seems Kerry's operating principle in this campaign is to be anti-Bush on everything, even when Bush is right and a broad bipartisan consensus knows it.

Just look at Kerry on Haiti. He should use Haiti as a "Sister Souljah" moment to tell the Congressional Black Caucus to shut their yappers and support the Administration on this one b/c there IS no good guy in Haiti.

Jean-Betrand Aristide was democratically elected but then proceeded to abuse human rights and to rule by fiat, dismantling any and all checks and balances on his power. He was a thug who sowed the seeds of the rebelliion against him. To use the US Marines as his rent-an-army to beat back a rebellion would have been an unwise use of American force. It was the best policy to tell Aristide, "we can't protect you. You're best to leave the country." Aristide took that advice and now he's backtracking and alleging he was "kidnapped," which is patently ridiculous.

That doesn't matter to the Aristide-coddling CBC, however, and Kerry, rather than risk pissing off the black vote (which, Kerry should realize is not energized about Haiti anyway), is signing off on the idiotic demands of the CBC here.

Look, I don't expect Kerry to agree with Bush on most things, particularly in foreign policy. But honestly, there are some areas of foreign policy, like this one, where you have to give the Bush Administration credit, not take cheap shots, and promise to, if elected, continue to eschew Aristide and urge for fresh leadership that won't hoard power thuggishly once elected.

Monday, 8 March 2004 - 1:05 PM EST

Name: Sean

I, for one, support Kerry's (and Bush's) right to a "Sista Souljah" moment.

Tuesday, 9 March 2004 - 2:31 PM EST

Name: Marc

and Kerry, rather than risk pissing off the black vote (which, Kerry should realize is not energized about Haiti anyway)

That's a good point. Mainstream American blacks are usually hostile to Caribbean and African immigrants, whom they see as sellouts for "acting white" (getting an education, starting businesses).