Here we go with "The Note." "Abe" is going to be a biggy today.
War of Words
When Is an Aircraft Carrier Not an Aircraft Carrier?
By Mark Halperin, Marc Ambinder, David Chalian & Brooke Brower.
[ABCNEWS.com]
W A S H I N G T O N May 1
As the top gun President swaggers towards Mideast peace and takes center stage with a nationally televised address from aboard an aircraft carrier (thus stoking the gender gap like you wouldn't believe),...the Democrats continue to prep for Saturday's first-in-the-nation presidential debate, and to display more machismo than is typically found at a Ron Kaufman poker game.
The group picture of the nine Democratic contenders from the CDF joint appearance that graces the cover of the current issue of Columbia's weekly give-away paper, Free Times, shows a lot of smiling faces, but Note the Dean and Kerry body language and it's pretty clear that there was some foreshadowing going on. LINK
The New York Daily News' Joely-on-the-spot, Herr Siegel, writes that Howard Dean was talking tough during a trip through New York City yesterday, where he addressed a union forum on health care and the Daily News ed board. LINK
Dean stressed his own positives and his rivals' negatives:
"Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, the doctor-turned-politician running for President, offered a diagnosis yesterday of the other top Democrats in the race: 'They need a backbone transplant.'"
To which Chris Lehane, unimpressed that the Canadian military never once crossed the border when Dean headed the Vermont National Guard, responded to Siegel: "John Kerry was awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts for his service to his country. I really don't think that Howard Dean wants to get into a compare and contrast on courage and backbone."
"During a whirlwind day in New York City, Dean threw more of the rhetorical elbows that have begun to annoy his rivals for the party's nomination."
Siegel reports that Dean emphasized his impressive first quarter fundraising, his poll strength in New Hampshire, and his uncompromising strategy: "'The only way to beat this President is to go right at him, say, 'This is where I disagree with him, this is why," he said."
Dean also reiterated his objections to the war in Iraq, despite the apparent success of the conflict, Noting "'(i)t remains to be seen'" if his stance affects his chances.
"'The only way to beat George Bush is to be as very direct and clear as he is. The reason people like George Bush has not much to do with his policies. It has to do with the fact he has a clear, unambiguous message.'"
REST AT:http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/US/TheNote.html |
