Lieberman Praises Bush, Chides Kerry
Dave Eberhart, NewsMax.com
Friday, Oct. 15, 2004
Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman took the unusual step of praising President Bush while chiding John Kerry during a campaign stop in Florida Wednesday.
Lieberman, with just three weeks left before the election, praised Bush strongly for his support of Israel, America’s lone democratic ally in the Mid-East.
"We are dealing with a president who's had a record of strong, consistent support for Israel. You can't say otherwise,” Lieberman told an audience of 600 near Delray Beach, Fla, the Palm Beach Post reported in editions Thursday.
Lieberman also added that any criticism of Bush vis-à-vis Israel would be “unjustified.”
After the speech, the paper said Lieberman spoke to reporters and suggested that “Bush appears to have made inroads with Jewish voters, who voted Democratic by an estimated 4-to-1 margin in 2000.”
But Lieberman indicated Kerry’s support among Jews may be softer, and he chided the Democratic nominee for not coming out more strongly for Israel.
“And I think John Kerry, to reassure people, has to himself be explicit" rather than having surrogates deliver the message, the Post quoted Lieberman as saying.
Lieberman alluded to worries among Jews about Kerry’s position on Israel. Lieberman bluntly revealed that he has asked the Kerry campaign to have John Kerry himself discuss his views on Israel because "only John Kerry can eliminate those doubts."
Lieberman made clear he is still staunchly supporting Kerry for president.
"I am here to tell you that John Kerry has also been a strong and consistent supporter of Israel and will continue that fight as president," Lieberman said, noting Kerry’s commitment to health care, the environment, education and his position on Supreme Court appointments.
But, unusual and strong praise from Sen. Lieberman, one of the party’s leading moderates, is sure to rock the Kerry campaign as the election moves into the ninth inning.
Jewish-Americans concerned with Israel’s security have good reason to worry about Kerry, who once called Arafat a “statesman” and sharply criticized Israel for building a barrier wall to protect itself from suicide bombers.
In an October 2003 speech to the Arab American Institute in Michigan, Kerry referred to Israel’s controversial security barrier as an impediment to peace:
"I know how disheartened Palestinians are by the decision to build the barrier off the Green Line – cutting deep into Palestinian areas. We don’t need another barrier to peace. Provocative and counterproductive measures only harm Israelis’ security over the long term, increase the hardships to the Palestinian people, and make the process of negotiating an eventual settlement that much harder."
After Israel’s supporters cried foul, Kerry quickly modified his position, saying his real was to the route of the fence.
Nowadays, Kerry carefully describes the barrier as a "legitimate act of self-defense."
Lieberman’s gentle criticism of Kerry is not the first time the pair have butted heads over security and other matters.
Lieberman had vigorously opposed Kerry during the heated Democratic primaries.
Unlike Kerry and Edwards who eventually became critics of President’s Bush invasion of Iraq, Lieberman has been a stalwart supporter of the President’s efforts to liberate Iraq and build democracy there.
While still a candidate in the primary season, Lieberman had plenty in the way of the negative to say against candidate Kerry:
Lieberman said that Kerry played politics with the support of the troops. “‘If everyone had voted the way John Kerry did, the money would not have been there to support our troops,’ said Lieberman (D-Conn.). ‘I didn’t duck it. I didn’t play politics. I voted to support our troops.’“ (Andrew Miga and David R. Guarino, “Iraq Viewpoint Dominates Dem Detroit Debate,” Boston Herald, 10/27/03)
Lieberman Said Kerry’s Statements On The Use Of Force Authorization Were “Unbelievable.” “I thought that John Kerry’s statement in his announcement address - that he voted for the resolution just to threaten Saddam Hussein - was unbelievable. It was clearly an authorization for President Bush to use force against Saddam. ... I don’t get it. He’s been criticizing Howard Dean for lacking experience to lead America in the world today.” (Glen Johnson And Anne E. Kornblut, “Democrats Rip Bush In 8-Way Debate,” The Boston Globe, 9/5/03)
Lieberman: Kerry not “mainstream.” "Lieberman said Kerry is not a ‘mainstream Democrat,’ saying, ‘Just look at his record, look at what the Republicans are already saying about him.’" (Andrew J. Manuse and David R. Guarino, “On A Roll: Kerry Takes Big Win South,” Boston Herald, 1/28/04)
Lieberman accused Kerry of making “protectionist statements.” “Lieberman signaled that Kerry may feel heat in the next few days by pointing to Kerry’s position on the Iraq war, to what he said was his rival’s opposition to further tax cuts and to ‘protectionist statements’ on trade.” (Dan Balz, “Debate Looms Large for Democrats,” The Washington Post, 1/22/04)
Lieberman: How did Kerry vote to send troops to Iraq, and then oppose funding them? “Well, I do, and I’ve said that about John before. I don’t know how you can vote to authorize the war, enabling the president to send troops to Iraq, and then vote against the $87 billion … which is mostly going to support those troops.” (CNN’s “Paula Zahn Now,” 11/4/03)
Lieberman: Kerry is inconsistent. “I want to say obviously I respect John Kerry’s military service to our country, but that’s not what this is about. This is about the votes that he’s cast that I believe are inconsistent. In fact, what do we look back and wonder about our time in Vietnam? We didn’t support our troops. If everyone had voted the way John Kerry did, the money wouldn’t have been there to support our troops.” (Fox News/Congressional Black Caucus Democrat Candidate Debate, Detroit, MI, 10/26/03)
Lieberman called Kerry’s message on Iraq “ambivalent.” “If John Kerry or anyone else who voted for the war resolution thinks that they were misled in a way that makes them think they voted the wrong way in supporting the war, they have an obligation to say exactly what--what--in what way they were misled. Otherwise, they’re sending, again, a message that I would call ambivalent.” (CBS, “Face The Nation,” 8/31/03)
Lieberman: Kerry is “for and against.” “Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) and Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.) are pro-war while Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) voted for it but then swung back and forth, prompting Lieberman to jab that some are ‘both for and against.’“ (Deborah Orin, “Dems At War-With One Another,” New York Post, 4/10/03)
Lieberman: Can’t figure out Kerry’s stance on Iraq. “I don’t know how John Kerry and John Edwards can say that they supported the war but then oppose the funding of the troops who went to fight the war that the resolution that they supported authorized.” (Fox News/Congressional Black Caucus Democrat Candidate Debate, Detroit, MI, 10/26/03)
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