Kerry "I never thought he was the brightest bulb in the Democratic Party," he told Malzberg.
Is this from a Republican from a right winger? No it's the Village Voice
Hentoff: Kerry's 'Regime Change' Outburst 'Incomprehensible'
Republicans aren't the only ones who think presidential hopeful Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., may have committed political suicide by attacking President Bush with a call for "regime change" in America as well as Iraq.
"I found [Kerry's comment] incomprehensible," observed renowned civil libertarian writer Nat Hentoff, in comments to WABC Radio's Steve Malzberg on Sunday.
"It was a colossal misreading - not only of the country - but of his own chances to win the presidency," Hentoff said, predicting, "That one will be used against him."
The Village Voice columnist said the idea of using a politically toxic phrase like "regime change" probably came from "one of those vastly overpaid consultants" on Kerry's staff who recommended that his boss do something dramatic to counter the antiwar campaign of former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean.
Though Dean is too far left to win even the Democratic Party nomination, he's likely to be competitive in nearby New Hampshire's Democratic primary - which Kerry needs to win to certify his front-runner status.
Even before Kerry decided to compare the president of the United States to Saddam Hussein, Hentoff wasn't particularly impressed with the Bay State pol.
"I never thought he was the brightest bulb in the Democratic Party," he told Malzberg.
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