Kerry On Imus

John Kerry called in to the new Don Imus show and delivered a few chuckles as well as some thoughts about his recent back and forth with T. Boone Pickens.

First, a chuckle - per Kerry, the true mark of patriotism is "keeping faith with those who wore the uniform".  This is welcome news to the killers in the army of Ghengis Khan.

Now, back to business - the first topic Imus raised was the Pickens-Kerry dispute over the wager originally proposed by Pickens (earlier coverage with plenty of background links includes my first post, second post, and the LA Times).

Kerry argued that Pickens was weaseling away from his original proposal to pay $1 million dollars to anyone who can prove that anything the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth said about Kerry was false.  Imus was sympathetic to this view, as am I, so Pickens is losing on that PR front.

Kerry more or less said that since this sounded like easy money his intention was to send to Pickens the proof that *one* claim made by the SBVT was false and then await a check for $1 million to go to the Parlayzed Veterans fund.  That is pretty crafty by Kerry - proving just one claim is false ought to be easy, and Kerry can present this as simply trying to raise money for a good cause, rather than attempting to fully rebut the many allegations made by the SBVT.

However!  Eventually Kerry claimed he could prove that *everything* the SBVT said was false.  Bring it on!

Left unasked, and unanswered - what is Kerry waiting for?  I exhort him to send his proof on one point (if that is really all he can muster) to Thomas Lipscomb, Bruce Kesler, or Capt. Ed Morrissey.  All are familiar with the Swift Boat controversies and have street cred with the right, so if they rule for Kerry they will be believed in a way that a puff piece in the Boston Globe will not be.  One would think that this would put a lot more pressure on Pickens than Kerry will generate by dropping a package in the mail and waiting around for a response and is more likely to produce the $1 million dollar check.  Since it is for a good cause I am confident Kerry will be forthcoming with his evidence.  Sort of confident.  A little.

Finally, can someone find a producer for the Imus show?  At the conclusion of their chat Imus evidently thought he and Kerry were done but Kerry thought Imus had asked one more question (and he had).  Consequently, while Kerry rattled on about why he would not endorse a Democratic Presidential candidate right away, Imus was talking over him about the next spot; eventually, Kerry was just cut off while still speaking and we went to a commercial.  Pretty rude - do they know he he is?

LAST LAUGH:  In the context of Romney's upcoming speech on his Mormon faith Kerry talked about religion in American politics.  His insight - the most important thing is to be authentic and be who you are.  Geez, as if Romney needs lessons in authenticity from John Kerry!

COME ONE COME ALL:  Hey, that million dollar offer is not restricted to John Kerry.

Comments

[clarice]

He's mentally ill. You know it. I know it. Luckily he finds very rich women who don't know or don't mind that.

[kim]

I don't think John O'Neill wanted anybody impugning his witnesses, so he made pretty sure they were right. I still don't think Kerry can win this bet without losing overall. Pickens has been around this kind of game a lot more than has Kerry.
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[MarkD]

Kerry is a lesson in authenticity.

It is scary that millions of my fellow citizens thought he was the better alternative on election day.

[kim]

I think they mind once they know, C.
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[kim]

Just like Hillary minded once she knew.
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[kim]

Smart too late. The sadder, Budweiser, girl.
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[sammler]

There are some things money can't buy -- like access to the perks of a senator's family. For everything else, there's the Heinz fortune.

[Elliott]

Kerry argued that Pickens was weaseling away from his original proposal...

How certain are we that Pickens did not stipulate at the American Spectator dinner that his challenge applied only to the advertisements of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth?

[boris]

Imus was sympathetic to this view, as am I, so Pickens is losing on that PR front.

If the ads were true the other stuff doesn't matter. If restricting the bet to the ads is considered weaseling OUT of the bet that pretty much establishes that the ads were true.

One thing for TM to consider that an OUT. For Kerry to consider that an OUT means he indirectly affirms their truth.

[clarice]

We don't. I was there in the front row and didn't take down the challenge--or even hear it word for word. But I do remember in a post-election documentary, a key Kerry worker said they didn't respond to the ads because they were essentially true.

[clarice]

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2007/12/post_74.html

[Other Tom]

I assume that by "weaseling," Kerry is referring to Pickens's demand that Kerry produce all of his records, journals and films. Pickens would have been better advised simply to say, "OK, submit your proof, and if it's valid I'll write the check."

[PeterUK]

Is the reason John Fauntleroy Kerry is tardy in producing his proof, is that the error is so inconsequential as to be derisory?

"They said I dress to the right,but I don't I dress to the left,ask my tailor."

[PaulL]

Kerry is now claiming he can prove *everything* that the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth said was false?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!

That is a really good one. Thanks, Tom.

Sounds like Imus didn't press Kerry on anything. Maybe he's still emasculated after the fallout from the nappy-headed hos comment.

[PeterUK]

"Sounds like Imus didn't press Kerry on anything."

Not necessary,Kerry is a self igniter,the less you say the more he babbles.

[TM]

If the ads were true the other stuff doesn't matter. If restricting the bet to the ads is considered weaseling OUT of the bet that pretty much establishes that the ads were true.

Well, asking Kerry to put up a million of his own and hand over his records were also new conditions.

[clarice]

That's true--but I bet if Kerry protested the counter bet--Pickens would drop it. As for the records, were you under the assumption that a typo or misspelling would do? If not, it seems to me there's a question of proof. But I admit I'm biased.

[kim]

I would like Kerry to call Pickens a weasel every day for the rest of their joint lives. I would pray in his direction if he did.
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[kim]

Teresa is not so sure that there is no such thing as bad publicity.
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[boris]

asking Kerry to put up a million of his own ands hand over his records were also new conditions

Asking for the counter mil didn't seem like a condition to me.

As to the records ... Pickens didn't specify just Kerry so anybody could win the bet using already available info. I take that "new" condition to be the standard for entering "new" info. Otherwise what's to stop Kerry from introducing one of his secret details that is either fabricated or misleading without context?

[PeterUK]

"Well, asking Kerry to put up a million of his own and hand over his records were also new conditions."

John Fauntleroy Kerry did not have to take up the challenge,it wasn't directed specifically at him.Perhaps if it had been some lowly expert Pickens wouldn't have required them to put up,but with a billionaire's toyboy a deposit is in order.

[Sara]

When you make a bet, don't you set conditions for what constitutes a win. If you bet the Red Sox will beat the Yankees in the 7th game of the World Series, do you lose the bet if the Yankees are ahead in the 2nd inning? Or do you lose the bet if the Yankees are ahead in the 2nd and the game is called for a rainout? No, of course not, you insist the bet is for a complete game that goes in the record book as a legally completed game.

You cannot disprove something is true when you only have 2 innings worth of documentation and the other side has all nine innings, but won't reveal the same knowledge to you. If they replay a rainout and the Red Sox are ahead in the 9th inning, do you ignore that and accept the rainout score based on only 2 innings from the day before.

Pickens laid down the challenge and set the rules. He wants to know what happened in innings 3 thru 9 before he accepts that the other side did or did not win.

[Bingo]

I would be surprised to learn that the $1 Mill hasn't ALREADY been deposited into the Vet's charity by Pickens. Were I him, I would have done that from the git go then let Kerry play his games.

[lcs]

Imus cut Kerry off on purpose when Kerry dissed him with "I am not like you Imus".

[lcs]

Imus cut Kerry off on purpose when Kerry dissed him with "I am not like you Imus".

[dick]

OT:

Interesting link from Instapundit about the Illinois governor. Apparently the governor meets so many people he can't remember and they let him get away with it. Scooter Libby meets more in a busy day and is forced to respond even after he can't remember. I guess if you are a LLL dem you can get away with it.

AP EXCLUSIVE: Blagojevich and extortion.
posted at 11:03 PM by Glenn Reynolds Permalink

[dick]

OT:

Interesting link from Instapundit about the Illinois governor. Apparently the governor meets so many people he can't remember and they let him get away with it. Scooter Libby meets more in a busy day and is forced to respond even after he can't remember. I guess if you are a LLL dem you can get away with it.

AP EXCLUSIVE: Blagojevich and extortion.
posted at 11:03 PM by Glenn Reynolds Permalink

[Dave]

Finally, can someone find a producer for the Imus show?

At least do something about the I-Man Nose-Whistle™ that lasts for the duration of every interview.

[kim]

Bingo, what wouldn't surprise you, doesn't surprise me.
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