Kerry: McCain's attacks on Obama 'disgraceful'
Dems' 2004 nominee also calls Palin pick 'just wrong'
Posted: Thursday, October 16, 2008
AMES, Iowa -- John Kerry, the Democrats' presidential nominee in 2004, told an Iowa crowd Wednesday that Republican John McCain's campaign has suffered a meltdown in recent days as he tries to "destroy the character of Barack Obama with untruths."
"Americans want to move forward. They don't want that kind of negativity," Kerry said during an appearance on the Iowa State University campus.
The McCain campaign has run ads linking Obama to 1960s radical William Ayers and tried to keep the story in front of voters in the final weeks of the campaign.
Kerry toured the state Wednesday on behalf of Obama, a state he knows well after winning the Iowa caucuses in 2004.
Kerry said he learned lessons about not hitting back when he was criticized during the 2004 race when the Swiftboat Veterans for Truth group tried to question his Vietnam War record.
"First of all, if they're telling any lie about you, you cannot take for granted that people know the truth, even if it's been out there," Kerry said, praising Obama's steps to defend himself so far.
Kerry also blasted McCain and running mate Sarah Palin, saying the atmosphere they have stirred up at their rallies is "disgraceful and unacceptable."
Critics have pointed to crowd members at McCain-Palin events making angry comments about Obama and have argued the candidates have done little to tone down the rhetoric. Some Obama supporters have felt the comments were racial in nature, but Kerry rejected the idea that Obama would lose the election because of race.
"There are some parts of the country where, obviously, there is capacity for people to be stuck in the past and go out and vote on race, and I feel sorry for them," Kerry said. "But I really will feel sorry for them when we see what I think is going to happen -- that the broad cross-section of people in this nation embrace this historic candidacy."
Kerry used his appearance to criticize McCain's selection of Palin, a first-term Alaska governor, as his running mate.
"You're supposed to pick somebody who's ready, and just the notion that somebody who has zero, zero, foreign policy and national security experience should fill those shoes -- it's just wrong," Kerry said.
Republican National Committee spokesman Chris Taylor declined to comment directly on Kerry's criticisms and said McCain continues to look ahead to Nov. 4.
"Our volunteers are energized, ready to go, and on Election Day, we expect our voters to reject Barack Obama and his far-left plans," Taylor said.
Charlotte Eby can be reached at 515-243-0138 or chareby@aol.com.
Log on to siouxcityjournal.com to watch a video of John Kerry's stop in Ames.
"Americans want to move forward. They don't want that kind of negativity," Kerry said during an appearance on the Iowa State University campus.
The McCain campaign has run ads linking Obama to 1960s radical William Ayers and tried to keep the story in front of voters in the final weeks of the campaign.
Kerry toured the state Wednesday on behalf of Obama, a state he knows well after winning the Iowa caucuses in 2004.
Kerry said he learned lessons about not hitting back when he was criticized during the 2004 race when the Swiftboat Veterans for Truth group tried to question his Vietnam War record.
"First of all, if they're telling any lie about you, you cannot take for granted that people know the truth, even if it's been out there," Kerry said, praising Obama's steps to defend himself so far.
Kerry also blasted McCain and running mate Sarah Palin, saying the atmosphere they have stirred up at their rallies is "disgraceful and unacceptable."
Critics have pointed to crowd members at McCain-Palin events making angry comments about Obama and have argued the candidates have done little to tone down the rhetoric. Some Obama supporters have felt the comments were racial in nature, but Kerry rejected the idea that Obama would lose the election because of race.
"There are some parts of the country where, obviously, there is capacity for people to be stuck in the past and go out and vote on race, and I feel sorry for them," Kerry said. "But I really will feel sorry for them when we see what I think is going to happen -- that the broad cross-section of people in this nation embrace this historic candidacy."
Kerry used his appearance to criticize McCain's selection of Palin, a first-term Alaska governor, as his running mate.
"You're supposed to pick somebody who's ready, and just the notion that somebody who has zero, zero, foreign policy and national security experience should fill those shoes -- it's just wrong," Kerry said.
Republican National Committee spokesman Chris Taylor declined to comment directly on Kerry's criticisms and said McCain continues to look ahead to Nov. 4.
"Our volunteers are energized, ready to go, and on Election Day, we expect our voters to reject Barack Obama and his far-left plans," Taylor said.
Charlotte Eby can be reached at 515-243-0138 or chareby@aol.com.
Log on to siouxcityjournal.com to watch a video of John Kerry's stop in Ames.
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lll wrote on Oct 17, 2008 6:58 AM:
bloozman wrote on Oct 16, 2008 10:11 AM:
so wrote on Oct 16, 2008 8:05 AM:
Thank you. "