The ghost following Kerry

The ghost following Kerry

Last December, Dean was derided by the political establishment on both sides of the aisle when he said that the capture of Saddam Hussein "has not made America safer." At the time, Kerry said Dean's statement "is still more proof that all the advisers in the world can't give Howard Dean the military and foreign policy experience, leadership skills, or diplomatic temperament necessary to lead this country through dangerous times." On Monday at NYU, Kerry put himself firmly in Dean territory when he said of Hussein's removal from power and subsequent capture, "We have traded a dictator for a chaos that has left America less secure."

For Kerry, the ghost of Howard Dean, presidential candidate, speaks truth. The war with Iraq was a mistake, and it is making this country -- and the world -- less secure. Acknowledging that is a sign of leadership.

Sigh... Well, I guess half a loaf... But remember, he's ELECTABLE!

Oh, to transplant the exitement, the wheels-about-to-rock-off buzz that was The Dean Thing... that was FUN. Kerry just feels like Necessary Work. Which I hope will get done.

What it REALLY feels like... it feels like an arranged marriage, where the parents intervened, split us up from Our True Love, and shotgunned us to the person who would cement the family alliance. Or maybe it doesn't, I have no frame of reference for that. But it's a good line anyway.