Democrat desperation

It's hard to imagine how much worse it can get for the Kerry and the Democrats. Whatever the source of Senator Kerry's orangish hue, you have to admit it's kinda funny looking. The late night talk shows certainly haven't wasted any time making jokes. Lynne Cheney got in a quick reference to Kerry's tan which seemed pretty mild to me.

During a campaign stop with her husband, a group of volunteers moved into the crowd with microphones for the question-and-answer period. Vice President Dick Cheney told supporters to look for the people with dark orange shirts. When Cheney paused as if searching for the words to describe the shade of orange, Lynne Cheney said, "How about John Kerry's suntan?" The remark drew a big laugh from the crowd and the vice president.

So far, so good. Doesn't sound like any kind of partisanship or attack on his character - just an interesting coincidence that gave people a giggle. Now read the response from the Dems:

Responding to her comments, Kerry campaign spokesman Bill Burton said, "Is Mrs. Cheney jealous considering how hard it is to get sun in the undisclosed location with her husband Dick? Or is she distracted over how red-in-the-face George Bush should be considering his failed presidency?"

Hello! Where did that come from? Are we a little touchy here? Can't even laugh at yourselves? I'm not sure if bitterness is a campaign strategy, or just a continuing theme among liberals. I fail to see how their response improves their position. How much nicer to have seen a response like this:

Responding to her comments, Kerry campaign spokesman Bill Burton wryly replied, "We selected orange for the debates after extensive polling. Blue was preferred by focus groups, but caused problems with the cameras." He also noted, "The spray-on tan treatment should fade to a more natural tone in time for the debate."

Respond to a joke with a joke, right? The counterattack just makes Kerry (or his minions) appear to have the personality and sense of humor of a stick. We already have Al Gore - we don't need another National Tree. To say it another way (though he was talking about a different situation):

Bush spokesman Scott Stanzel said, "Humor is an effective way to be persuasive without being corrosive. Americans appreciate humor and leaders who don't take themselves so seriously."

"Persuasive without being corrosive" - what a concept. Liberals take note: you really do catch more flies with honey than vinegar. If the RNC is poking fun at Kerry, it's at least partly deserved. His platform hasn't exactly been one you would call "clear". Even when he tries to explain himself, he just ends up making it worse. Take, for example, his now-infamous quote of "I actually voted for the $87 billion before I voted against it." Kerry's explanation:

"I had one of those inarticulate moments, late in the evening when I was dead-tired in the primaries, and I didn't say something very clearly," Kerry said on ABC's "Good Morning America."

The problem with this is that the fateful quote was made at a noontime rally. What really has me concerned is that the Kerry campaign seems to be in take-no-prisonors mode, striking out on any front they can think of. The insults last week of the Iraqi President don't inspire me to think of him as a Commander-In-Chief, coalition-builder type. In fairness, Kerry didn't make the comments himself, but this comment and others like it indicate that Kerry accepts this treatment. Why would we expect that he won't staff his presidential cabinet the same way he's staffed his campaign? Furthermore, Kerry has shown clearly and stated publicly that he'll say whatever he needs to say to get elected. When he was fighting against Howard Dean, he modeled himself as the anti-war candidate. Now that Dean is out of the picture, he's more willing to support the war. That's not called taking a position - it's called playing the field.