Kerry reappears, ending rise in polls.

Has Chris Lehane joined the Bush campaign?  The Bushies can do mindless, counterproductive "rapid response" too! On Sunday, Bush spokesman Steve Schmidt denounced Sen. Kerry for going "beyond the bounds of acceptable discourse" and engaging in "a sad exploitation of scripture for political attack." Kerry's sin? He'd visited a black church and given a speech that cited the Bible!

"The scriptures say, 'What does it profit my brethren if some say he has faith but does not have works?' " Kerry said, roughly quoting James 2:14.

Isn't this standard, by-the-numbers Democratic church politicking? Every Democratic candidate of the past five decades has given this sort of speech, no? ... Schmidt's Lehanism almost certainly helped Kerry by a) making Kerry seem religious and willing to inject God into "the public square;" and b) focusing press attention on a line of anti-Bush attack--'Whatever happened to compassionate conservatism?'--that has some bite. ...  10:38 A.M.

Yes, I'm from California and I'm Stupid! I was in Washington last week and was again convinced, as I always am, that a) I can't live there, because I can't breathe there (I'm not being metaphorical. It's a swamp. The pollen and mold trigger some sort of heavy, pre-asthmatic allergic reaction); and  b)Unless you live there you miss out on at least one layer of complication that underlies what the rest of the world--even the attentive googling world--perceives as going on there. Did you know that Dick Cheney doesn't like Condi Rice? I didn't! That could explain the uncoordinated, discordant nature of their attacks on Richard Clarke last week. ... [But the distance gives you perspective-ed. Perspective. Yeah! That's the ticket. People on the moon have perspective.] 1:57 A.M.

Senator Kerry's campaign got a boost yesterday with the news that the candidate would undergo elective shoulder surgery and be unable to campaign for four days while he recovers. ... Is it just a coincidence that Kerry's return to the campaign trail last Thursday corresponded precisely to the sharp reversal of his previously rising fortunes in the Rassmussen robo-tracking poll? ... Democrats demand more elective surgery for Kerry and more ambitious elective surgery for Kerry, with longer recuperation periods! .. . We wouldn't want him to assume the presidency in anything less than perfect shape. ... 1:36 A.M.

Sunday, March 28, 2004

'I'm non-partisan. I vote for Bush's opponents in both parties': Richard Clarke was asked by Tim Russert today whether he voted for Bush in the last election:

MR. RUSSERT:  Did you vote for George Bush in 2000?

MR. CLARKE:  No, I did not.

MR. RUSSERT:  You voted for Al Gore.

MR. CLARKE:  Yes, I did.

MR. RUSSERT:  In 2004 you'll vote for John Kerry?

MR. CLARKE:  I'm not going to endorse John Kerry.  That's what the White House wants me to do.  And they want to say I'm part of the Kerry campaign. I've already pledged I'm not part of the Kerry campaign and I will not serve in the Kerry administration.

MR. RUSSERT:  Will you vote for him?

MR. CLARKE:  That's my business.

Alert reader T.B. emails, "My ears nearly fell off when I heard Dick Clarke say he voted for Al Gore on Meet the Press today, since I thought I heard him say he voted for Bush on Thursday. Turns out I was wrong."  What Clarke actually said to the 9/11 commission was:

CLARKE: Last time I had to declare my party loyalty, it was to vote in the Virginia primary for president of the United States in the year 2000. And I asked for a Republican ballot.