Earth to Powerline: Who cares?
This pathetic smear is making the rounds of the Republican blogs tonight. In the latest, Powerline interpreted this photo-shoot as a slap in the face of Kerry:
An ABC News reporter said the incident occurred Tuesday outside of the Old Senate Chamber as members of the new Democratic leadership, of which Kerry is not a part, left the chamber en route to the Ohio Clock Corridor to discuss leadership elections, the incoming majority's agenda and Iraq.
The ABC reporter said Kerry left the room behind Democratic Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.; Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill.; Caucus Secretary Patty Murray, D-Wash.; and Caucus Vice-Chair Schumer, D-N.Y. However, when Schumer noticed Kerry, D-N.Y., walking behind him, he turned and said something to the Massachusetts senator that caused him to stop.
Kerry waited for the Democratic leaders to walk ahead and then ducked between two statues. The ABC reporter speculated that Schumer may have told Kerry to stay clear of the leadership shot.
So, big deal -- if Kerry is not in the Senate leadership and the leaders wanted their pictures taken together, what is the problem? I or anybody else would have done the same thing even if they had not asked. If that is the best they can do, I am encouraged.
They pull these smears because, being Conservatives, that is all they know how to do. Even after they have lost the last election, they still offer no new ideas, no new solutions, and only the same old politics as usual. And they still cannot explain the Noble Cause for which our men in uniform died even as Iraq is on the verge of breaking up and dragging the Middle East into a general conflict.
We were in the wrong war at the wrong place. We should redeploy our troops so that we can give ourselves a chance to find Bin Laden. Then, we should get out of the Middle East completely, identify and break up any other terrorist networks out there before they ever get going, regardless of who it would hurt, and get on with the business of getting us off of foreign oil and getting into alternative fuels. It is completely nonsensical for the Republicans to waste our valuable time with this ridiculous smear when they have completely failed to protect us from 9/11.