"Rally 'round the flag, Kerry"

John Kerry, Ralph Nader, Ted Kennedy political cartoon.

May 21, 2004...

Nader Bombshell:
"Kerry & I talked about Iraq"

Ralph Nader is telling a different tale than Kerry regarding their 70-minute meeting on Wednesday. At issue is the subject of Iraq. In wide-spread news reports, Kerry’s aides are quoted as saying Iraq did not come up during the meeting. Nader disagrees. According to the Union Leader:

Immediately after Wednesday's meeting, aides to Kerry said Iraq had not come up during the meeting, but Nader said Thursday he had raised it and recommended that Kerry develop and enunciate an exit strategy to sharpen his differences with President Bush.

"I told him you've got to look at it from the point of view of mainstream Iraqis and how they can be persuaded to separate themselves from the insurgents," Nader said in a brief telephone interview. He added that he urged a policy that sets a firm date for a U.S. "military and corporate withdrawal" from Iraq, coupled with internationally sanctioned elections, the promise of more humanitarian assistance and international peacekeepers.

"I said you need to give the public an exit strategy," Nader said. "Bush doesn't have an exit strategy. He (Kerry) said I have an exit strategy and I'll be talking about it more."

Currently, Kerry and Nader disagree about Iraq. Nader favors the cut and run withdrawal of all U.S. forces. As of today, Kerry opposes withdrawal prior to stabilization. With other Democrats crying, “Cut and run,” it seems unlikely the chronic flip-flopper Kerry will suddenly stand firm under pressure.

And how about American sentiment? Here’s a revealing comment from columnist Tony Blankley:

“A general once said of his own troops that he didn't know what the enemy thinks of them, ‘but they scare the hell out of me.’  I get that same queasy feeling observing about half of American public opinion and the politicians and journalists who try to shape it. . . . (L)ess than three years after America began to face down the greatest threat yet to our national survival, not only has half the country given up the fight, but they have closed their eyes to the danger.”