BushCheney2004

Tuesday, August 31, 2004

Meeting Angie Harmon

I thought I should share with you some brief comments regarding meeting Angie Harmon (see picture below):

She was gracious, charming and quite conversational. Her stunning beauty only added to her allure. As a celebrity, this party had enough firepower that she could have reasonably expected to not have to do the "fan" thing and endulge us in photos or similar. She was generous to a fault and engaged the many attendees in conversation as much as they engaged her. It would have been impossible to come away from that event without a growing respect and admiration for a woman whose beauty is only surpassed by her intellect and graciousness. After meeting her, I am unendingly proud to share membership with her in our Republican Party.
- posted by KP @ Tuesday, August 31, 2004 |

Priorities

OK, so I have been fortunate enough to attend a few parties this week, but last night I was at a special reception for Rudy Giuliani (who needs no introduction) and got to shake his hand and thank him for all he has done. I met Bernard Kerik who risked his life throughout his career keeping the streets of New York safe and then starting from scratch the new Iraqi police force. And I met many others. But whose photo was the only one I remembered to ask for?

The lovely and beautiful Angie Harmon. Having missed so many others, this one seemed to keep me sated for the night.

However, I did finally come down from my school-boy crush long enough to snap a few photos of some others in the room.

Former House member and now MSNBC host, Joe Scarborough

Pollster Frank Luntz

and my good friend Eric Beach and me pimping well into the night.

- posted by KP @ Tuesday, August 31, 2004 |

Monday, August 30, 2004

Blogging the NRO Gathering at Turtle Bay

First we have me and my old fraternity brother Rich Lowry. Next I saw Kate O'Beirne sitting next to John Miller chatting with some Cornerites (sorry for the glare)

(I am only kidding about Rich Lowry. I met him for the first time tonight but the photo looks like two old frat brothers getting back together)

It was neat to bump into Senator Rick Santorum there as well.

Many more photos from Turtle Bay to come.

Right now I am supposed to meet up for cigars with Mator Rudy Guiliani, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Governor George Pataki among others. Hopefully they will let me take some photos!!!!
- posted by KP @ Monday, August 30, 2004 |

Photo Blogging the Parties Around the Convention

Last night I was at "R the Party" hosted by the Bush twins. Here is a photo of some of the young, hip Republicans: Brian, Krista and Violet

Next is Isiah, me and Lindsay from "Rock the Vote"

And the last photo I have (so far) is Katie from Toronto representing "Republicans Abroad" and me

We have many other to come!
- posted by KP @ Monday, August 30, 2004 |

Sunday, August 29, 2004

Kerry Supporters get Violent in Washington State

Check out the video CJ mentioned in the comments section of my post below. The peaceful Bush protestor is assaulted by the Kerry supporter in clear view of the camera and then the cops move in an arrest the thug.

As we at Blogs for Bush know all to well, from personal experiences, violent responses by Kerry supporters happens all too often.

But we're the "war mongers" . . . yeah right.
- posted by KP @ Sunday, August 29, 2004 |

Inside the Kerry Campaign Playbook – Don’t let the Truth Get in the Way

Often campaigns have to be in so many places at so many times that the casual political observer may question a campaign’s tactics or statements. The one thing I grudgingly admit, though, is when the casual observer has these concerns they usually don’t understand the tactics and methodologies these sophisiticated campaigns employ to achieve their goals (the "method to the madness", if you will).

I think, however, that I have uncovered one of the Kerry campaign’s bedrock strategies that is apparently driving the comments, actions and policies of its principal and surrogates: The truth is irrelevant, when there is an expedient political point to score.

Check out John Kerry in Florida on his voting record (can you freaking believe he actually brought that up! Lol) regarding relations with Cuba:

John Kerry had just pumped up a huge crowd in downtown West Palm Beach, promising to make the state a battleground for his quest to oust President Bush, when a local television journalist posed the question that any candidate with Florida ambitions should expect:

What will you do about Cuba?

As the presumptive Democratic nominee, Kerry was ready with the bravado appropriate for a challenger who knows that every answer carries magnified importance in the state that put President Bush into office by just 537 votes.

"I'm pretty tough on Castro, because I think he's running one of the last vestiges of a Stalinist secret police government in the world," Kerry told WPLG-ABC 10 reporter Michael Putney in an interview to be aired at 11:30 this morning.

Then, reaching back eight years to one of the more significant efforts to toughen sanctions on the communist island, Kerry volunteered: "And I voted for the Helms-Burton legislation to be tough on companies that deal with him."

It seemed the correct answer in a year in which Democratic strategists think they can make a play for at least a portion of the important Cuban-American vote -- as they did in 1996 when more than three in 10 backed President Clinton's reelection after he signed the sanctions measure written by Sen. Jesse Helms and Rep. Dan Burton.
There is only one problem: Kerry voted against it.

Now that is just a little, inconvenient fact that shouldn’t get in the way of the Kerry campaign, now should it?

Of course, the “nuanced” politician left it to his surrogates to explain that he actually supported the legislation before he voted against it. So I guess the take-away is, if you want a commander-in-chief who will give you lip service support but then leave you high and dry when he has to vote on it, John Kerry is your man. Not only have we heard this before ("I actually voted for the $87 billion before I voted against it" which was to fund our troops in Iraq) but the Kerry-Cuba lie has been furthered by Kerry for months! Check out this post from March of 2004 that exhaustively blows away Kerry's lie.

But this "lie so long as its expediant" tactic also applies to surrogates like former Democrat TX Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes. He has come out trying to boost the claim that Bush used political connections to avoid service in Vietnam. Per Associated Press:

"I got a young man named George W. Bush into the National Guard when I was lieutenant governor of Texas" - former Democrat TX Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes

Just one TEENY problem with Barnes' claim for the Kerry campaign..... George Bush joined the Texas Air National Guard in May, 1968 and Barnes was not elected Lt. Governor until 1969. Bush's enlistment in 1968 per MSNBC and here is Barnes' bio (Barnes is coincidentally a long-time Dem activist and one of Kerry's top fund-raisers).

And per CNN there were waiting lists for some positions in the TANG, but no waiting list for F-102 pilots, only "a handful of applicants willing and qualified" for those slots:

...while Bush's unit in Texas had a waiting list for many spots, he was accepted because he was one of a handful of applicants willing and qualified to spend more than a year in active training flying F-102 jets.

The truth is irrelevant, when there is an expedient political point to score.

Update: Here is the video of Barnes stating he got Bush into the NG "when I was lieutenant governor of Texas" (elected 1969, Bush signed up in 1968)
- posted by KP @ Sunday, August 29, 2004 |

Kerry's Doctored Medals Raising Questions

Ralph Peters wrote a great op-ed a few days ago that seems awfully prescient in opining that people of true accomplishment and valor let their actions speak for themselves in his (not Bush friendly) column titled, "Real Hereos Don't Shout":

There are three big problems with Kerry from the standpoint of those who are proud of their military service. And one of those reservations has been overlooked entirely by the parade of talking heads, so few of whom have served in uniform themselves.

John Kerry lied. Without remorse. To advance his budding political career. He tarnished the reputation of his comrades when the military was out of vogue.

Now, three decades later, camouflage is back in the fall fashion line-up. Suddenly, Kerry's proud of his service, portraying himself as a war hero.

But it doesn't work that way. You can't trash those who served in front of Congress and the American people, spend your senatorial career voting against our nation's security interests, then expect vets to love you when you abruptly change your tune.

...

Finally — and this is the one the pundits have trouble grasping, given the self-promoting nature of today's culture — real heroes don't call themselves heroes. Honorable soldiers or sailors don't brag. They let their deeds speak for themselves. Some of the most off-putting words any veteran can utter are "I'm a war hero."

Real heroes (and I've been honored to know some) never portray their service in grandiose terms, telling TV cameras that they're reporting for duty. Real heroes may be proud of the sacrifices they offered, but they don't shout for attention.

This is so profoundly a part of the military code of behavior that it cannot be over-emphasized. The rule is that those who brag about being heroes usually aren't heroes at all. Bragging is for drunks at the end of the bar, not for real vets. And certainly not for anyone who wishes to trade on his service to become our commander-in-chief.

There is a growing "uneasy" feeling many independant voters have watching Kerry "report for duty!" knowing there is something 'just-not-right' about Kerry's version of things.

Bit by bit as independant groups (even our own biased media!) are beginning to question Kerry's official records and the doctoring of his medals, Kerry's shouting to anyone who would listen that he was a war hero is beginning to unravel as he has apparently gamed the system with the self-inflicted wound for the first Purple Heart, doctored his Silver Star to serve his "I'm better than you" persona:

[A]n official Defense Department document summarizing Kerry's military career posted on johnkerry.com, includes a "Silver Star with combat V."

But according to a U.S. Navy spokesman, "Kerry's record is incorrect. The Navy has never issued a 'combat V' to anyone for a Silver Star."

Naval regulations do not allow for the use of a "combat V" for the Silver Star, the third-highest decoration the Navy awards. None of the other services has ever granted a Silver Star "combat V," either.

Who knows what else in the hundreds of pages Kerry has yet to release from his Navy records? All I know, is I agree with Ralph Peters that heroes don't shout and John Kerry has been "shouting" about his supposed valor for decades after spitting on true men and women of valor after he came back from Vietnam.
- posted by KP @ Sunday, August 29, 2004 |

Saturday, August 28, 2004

Let The Convention Begin!

The influx of Republican Convention Bloggers has begun. Matt Margolis has landed safely in Manhattan and Scott Sala from Slant Point has popped over to my place for a beverage and some good pre-Convention fun. Check out the photo of these three handsome guys (L to R: Kevin Patrick, Scott Sala and Matt Margolis at my apartment):

If you would like to join in any of our fun this convention week, feel free to e-mail me at kevin at blogsforbush.com (Obviously substitute @ for "at"). Matt and Scott are credentialed bloggers and I will be participating in most of the official and unofficial events. Tonight we are catching the 10:30pm "Capital Steps" show at BB Kings.

Monday evening, we are going to the post convention "W is for Women" party at Pressure.

There will be many other events so feel free to join us!
- posted by KP @ Saturday, August 28, 2004 |

Imitation: The Sincerest Form of Flattery

John Kerry's official campaign blog has taken a page right out of 'Blogs for Bush'. Be sure to click on the PDF link and look at all of the contortions the Kerry campaign must do to connect George W. Bush to the Swift Boat Vterans. Notice also, how many of their "connections" dead-end before reaching the SBVfT or start without being linked too closely with Bush.

The Kerry campaign has gotten more and more desperate by the day. Yesterday was the sophomoric stunt of sending Max Cleland (a brave man, but a bad Senator -- check his voting record, that's what the GOP ran against) down to Crawford, TX for the Bush-league (pun intended) stunt of calling for an end to the SBVfT's ads that are hammering the Kerry campaign.

Today Kerry called for weekly debates, clearly evidencing that he sees Bush pulling ahead and has to try and get as many bites at the apple as he can before the campaign is too far gone. The Bush campaign puts that request properly in perspective:

"There will be a time for debates after the convention, and during the next few weeks, John Kerry should take the time to finish the debates with himself," responded Bush-Cheney spokesman Steve Schmidt.

"This election presents a clear choice to the American people between a president who is moving America forward and a senator who has taken every side of almost every issue," he said.

These are not actions from a candidate in a position of strength but of a candidate in a position of weakness and Kerry's campaign knows it.
- posted by KP @ Saturday, August 28, 2004 |

20 Questions for John Kerry

Be sure to check out Peter Kirsanow's great column on questions John Kerry should be asked (if we had a responsible press):

Here are only a few of the questions Kerry hasn't adequately addressed. They don't even have anything to do with swift boats. There are no "gotcha" questions. They're posed in a respectful manner. In fact, many are softballs.

1. The Bush campaign maintains that you spent 20 years in the Senate with no signature legislative achievements. What do you consider to be the five most important pieces of legislation that you've authored?

a. What's the most important piece of legislation regarding intelligence you've authored?

b. What's the most important piece of antiterrorism legislation you've authored?

c. What's the most important piece of health-care legislation you've authored?

d. What's the most important piece of education legislation you've authored?

2. You'd agree that on paper, Dick Cheney's experience and qualifications dwarf those of your running mate. Why would John Edwards make a better president during the war on terror than Dick Cheney?

And 18 others of equal weight that john Kerry hasn't been asked by our "issues-focused" press. Be sure to read the whole thing.
- posted by KP @ Saturday, August 28, 2004 |

Wednesday, August 25, 2004

Did the Kerry Campaign Just Reference This Blog?

ABC News' Noted Now provides the Kerry campaign's reaction to the resignation of Bush's campaign attorney Ben Ginsberg:

KERRY CAMPAIGN REACTS: "The sudden resignation of Bush's top lawyer doesn't end the extensive web of connections between George Bush and the group trying to smear John Kerry's military record. In fact, it only confirms the extent of those connections," Kerry campaign manager Mary Beth Cahill says in statement.

Feudian slip? Maybe, maybe not. I report, you decide.

And in the linked piece above is a unique section you don't see to much reported about (unless you are reading blogs):

The Kerry campaign used the same lawyer as America Coming Together, an independent political group that has been running attack ads against Bush, the New York Times said.

The lawyer cited by the Times, Robert Bauer of the Washington law firm Perkins Coie, had ``a limited role'' in the campaign during the primaries and doesn't work for it now, Kerry spokesman Phil Singer. Singer said he didn't know when Bauer stopped working for the campaign. Bauer didn't return calls to his office.

In addition, attorney Joe Sandler said he works for both the Democratic National Committee and MoveOn.org., a group running advertisements criticizing Bush. Sandler declined to discuss his dual role, referring questions to the DNC.

But the log in the Kerry campaign is being conveniently ignored due to the splinter in the Bush campaign's eye.
- posted by KP @ Wednesday, August 25, 2004 |

Monday, August 23, 2004

Kerry's Blog Shows More Links Between His Campaign and MoveOn.org

You can't make these things up. Check out John Kerry's own blog for the latest in links to this tangled web they weaved in their effort to deceive:

The East Bay for Kerry/MoveOn House party on December 7th combined the forces of two grass-roots organizations based in San Francisco East Bay Area. We had 200 guests eating, drinking, and watching the MoveOn Documentary “Uncovered” featuring Joseph Wilson and Rand Beers from the Kerry campaign.

When Teresa Heinz-Kerry arrived, she handed me a pin that read in the center: “Asses of Evil” with “Bush”, “Cheney”, “Rumsfeld” and “Ashcroft” surrounding it.

[John Kerry] also spoke about the recent Bush Thanksgiving visit to our military in Iraq, carrying a platter laden down with a fake turkey, smiling for a photo op.

Click here for link

What ever happened to Joseph Wilson's association with the Kerry campaign?

Also they mention a PBS producer working on that documentary. Shouldn't the publically funded PBS be non-partisan and does anyone want to check to see if this producer use PBS equipment for this partisan effort?

Maybe even Kerry's own blog is part of the evil Republican attack machine?

UPDATE: The DNC is boasting about partnering with these 527s (scroll to the bottom of the link, just above Quote of the Week):

The Democratic Party is partnering with MoveOn.org, People for the American Way, Campaign for America's Future, and dozens of other groups representing millions of Americans to organize a massive public mobilization. On Wednesday, May 14, join us by calling and emailing your representatives in Congress to let them know that the majority of Americans oppose more irresponsible tax cuts that go overwhelmingly to the wealthiest sliver of Americans.

Look now before they doctor their website like they did restorehonesty.com...

Update II: Jay Caruso adds more color to the 527 connection in the above graphic and the Cracker Barrel Philosopher over at the Country Store finds a nice photo of MoveOn.org's Zack Exley with Democratic Senator Frank Leahy and the DNC's Chief Operating Officer Josh Wachs. Of course they "only" coordinated on the petition drive, not any campaign activity for Kerry (wink, wink)... Of course, it was only a few months later that Exley officially joined the Kerry campaign, but I'd bet he never coordinates his efforts with his former organization. (sarcasm meter off).

Update III: OK, 67 trackbacks deserves an update. (Great job everyone!). Many fellow bloggers have done the diligence we used to trust traditional media to perform. Here is a great sampling:

» The Templar Pundit itemizes individuals directly related to the Kerry campaign and active (with over $77 million for these alone) in the anti-Bush 527s.

» N.Z. Bear at The Truth Laid Bear had a prescient post on 527s sharing lawyers with both campaigns -- even though most press led with damning headlines against the Bush campaign and either didn't mention Kerry's connections or buried deep in the story.

» Kevin Patrick (hey, that's me!) digs up some nice photos (compliments of the DNC) showing MoveOn.org's arm-in-arm coordination with the Kerry campaign as far back as December 2003.

» Lynxx Pherrett of Assume the Position shows John Kerry trying to have it both ways in his misdirection of accusations regarding his links to 527s.

» Captain Ed over at Captain's Quarters has his usual thorough research on Kerry's links to the 527s

You can also check out the "Blogs for Bush" Kerry 527 connections or check out any of the amazing trackbacks from the original post!
- posted by KP @ Monday, August 23, 2004 |

Please Nominate "Blogs For Bush" for Best Republican Party Coverage Blog

The Washington Post is soliciting nominations for best blogs in a variety of categories.

"Blogs for Bush" has done remarkable things in such a short time and I would like to ask everyone to nominate this blog as the Best Republican Party Coverage blog (or nominate us in any category you'd like) in the Washington Post's survey.

As an unaffiliated blog, there is no bankroll like the professionals, or full-time bloggers (all of us actually have full-time jobs NOT related to journalism -- as a point of reference, I am a corporate bond analyst on Wall Street).

The many services provided by this blog like Carnival of the Bush Bloggers, Wictory Wednesday, the DNQ Watch during the Convention in Boston, Letters to the Editor Friday (what ever happened to that guy?) and so much more.

Please help promote Matt's phenomenal effort by nominating "Blogs for Bush" today! Thanks in advance.
- posted by KP @ Monday, August 23, 2004 |

Blow-by-Blow -- The Kerry Campaign's Month of Incompetence

This is the post of the day.

Chris Lynch goes through the August calendar itemizing the daily mis-steps in the Kerry campaign. It is an absoutlely fantastic post that juxtaposes the Drudge-like headline bombshells we see in the New York Times versus how these headlines panned out upon further scrutiny.

Glenn Reynolds likes the August 12th entry. I love the August 2, 5, 6 (both entries), 10, 17 and 22 entries. Check out the link and choose your own!

Be sure to read the whole thing. Hat tip, Instapundit.
- posted by KP @ Monday, August 23, 2004 |

Revising History -- John Kerry Style (Part II)

Early I posted about the selective editing on the John Kerry Website regarding restorehonesty.com and his ever changing story about event after event of his service in Vietnam THAT NEVER REALLY HAPPENED (At his current rate of ammending history, by election day we may find out John Kerry was never actually IN Vietnam! lol).

Well, Kevin McCullough at WorldNetDaily picked up on the fact that the Kerry campaign is now pre-emptively editing their website:

I went to the Kerry website to look at the transcript of the speech. The only problem was, much of what appeared had been altered, and significant passages of things Kerry said were missing.

Because I had the audio, it was easy enough for me to go pull out what I felt was the most egregious quote of the day:

"Let me make this clear ... for 35 years I have stood up, and fought, and kept faith with my fellow veterans ... as president I will stand with you to complete that mission."

But the astounding aspect of all of this is that Kerry's website is scared to put up his exact comments.

Why would the Kerry campaign selectively edit these comments? Could it be the absolute POUNDING they would receive if the public was aware of Kerry's comments today about his faithful adherence to the bond of his band of brothers versus what that band of brothers is saying about him?
- posted by KP @ Monday, August 23, 2004 |

Saturday, August 21, 2004

Web of Connections -- UPDATED GRAPHIC

John Kerry decries the attenuated connections between the Swift Boat Veterans and Republican interests. Well, Kerry's campaign has numerous DIRECT connections to the far better funded and truth-eluding 527s supporting his candidacy. Check out the below graphic that diagrams it explicitly:

(click on the graphic for the larger image)

Let's see how aggressively the New York Times and Washington Post investigate these OBVIOUS and DIRECT connections to the Kerry campaign.

I dare any of these organizations to prove me wrong.

UPDATE: The DNC is boasting about partnering with these 527s (scroll to the bottom of the link, just above Quote of the Week):

The Democratic Party is partnering with MoveOn.org, People for the American Way, Campaign for America's Future, and dozens of other groups representing millions of Americans to organize a massive public mobilization. On Wednesday, May 14, join us by calling and emailing your representatives in Congress to let them know that the majority of Americans oppose more irresponsible tax cuts that go overwhelmingly to the wealthiest sliver of Americans.

Kerry Campaign Contributions Lack Disclosure
OpenSecrets.org shows that the Kerry-Edwards campaign has a 76% compliance rate with FEC disclosure provisions for campaign contributions, compared to 91% on average for congressional campaigns, and 93% for the Bush-Cheney campaign. The OpenSecrets folks track the “quality of disclosure” associated with campaign contributions, described as follows:

“BEST EFFORTS” RULES: When making solicitations, candidates, PACs and party committees must make “best efforts” to obtain and report the name, address, occupation and employer of each contributor who gives more than $200 in a calendar year. In order to show that the committee has made “best efforts,” solicitations must specifically request that information and inform contributors that the committee is required by law to use its best efforts to collect and report it.

Most members of Congress fully identify the great majority of their donors’ occupations and employers — an important point, if voters are to see the economic interests giving to their representative’s campaign.

In the 2000 elections, the average member of Congress fully identified 91% of their contributors’ occupations and employers. Seven percent of the occupations were left blank, and the rest were incomplete.

According to the current OpenSecrets data, Bush’s stats are:

Full Disclosure: $156,147,934 (93.0%)
Incomplete: $2,378,738 (1.4%)
No Disclosure: $9,309,250(5.5%)

Kerry’s, on the other hand, are:

Full Disclosure: $85,533,842 (76.4%)
Incomplete: $762,427 (0.7%)
No Disclosure: $25,619,547 (22.9%)

Bush’s 93% compliance seems quite in line with OpenSecrets’ 91% average from past Congressional campaigns, but Kerry’s number, at 76%, is wildly out of wack.

Here are the ‘Full Disclosure’ stats for the other candidates in this year’s race:

Dennis Kucinich: 91.2 %
Lyndon H. Larouche Jr: 91.0 %
Ralph Nader: 90.3 %
Al Sharpton: 91.2 %
Carol Moseley Braun: 92.5 %
Wesley Clark: 70.8 %
Howard Dean: 92.6 %
John Edwards: 87.8 %
Dick Gephardt: 89.2 %
Bob Graham: 87.1 %
Joe Lieberman: 92.5 %

(You can see a single page which compares each candidate’s disclosure statistics here.)

So other than Wes Clark, Kerry’s campaign is significantly below (by over 10%) any other candidate (even the less-than-serious-ones) in this year’s race.

I’m not a campaign finance expert, so I don’t really know what to make of this. Since the data comes from contributors themselves it isn’t clear to me whether you can really fault the Kerry campaign for the deficiency —- unless they are supposed to refuse contributions that don’t provide adequate disclosure. Campaign finance experts, please chime in here anytime…

Originally posted at The Truth Laid Bear.

- posted by KP @ Saturday, August 21, 2004 |

Revising History -- John Kerry Style

With all of the blogosphere (and reluctantly traditional media) buzzing about John Kerry's ever changing story regarding the seared image of his illegal Christmas in Cambodia, it is helpful to look back at one of Kerry's earlier revisions. In a Boston Globe story, dated April 24, 2004 touting the wounds John Kerry received for his 2nd Purple Heart, there is a curious paragraph regarding John Kerry's revising his service record in Vietnam:

The Kerry campaign removed a 20-page batch of documents yesterday from its website after The Boston Globe quoted a Navy officer who said the documents wrongly portrayed Kerry's service. Edward Peck had said he -- not Kerry -- was the skipper of Navy boat No. 94 at a time when the Kerry campaign website credited the senator with serving on the boat. The website had described Kerry's boat as being hit by rockets and said a crewmate was injured in an attack. But Peck said those events happened when he was the skipper. The campaign did not respond to a request to explain why the records were removed.

In this same report, the last paragraph mentions that the Kerry campaign was to release all his militray records, only to change their mind. However, the final sentence says that once again, the Kerry campaign reversed itself and will subsequently release the records. That was April 24, 2004. We're still waiting.

Be sure to check out the Boston Globe's helpful, Attack/Counterattack on John Kerry's military service record and the ever increasing questions regarding the truth of his medals.
- posted by KP @ Saturday, August 21, 2004 |

Anti-Bush 527s Dominate the Airwaves

It is quite ridiculous that John Kerry gets BOFFO news coverage from the LA Times (twice!), New York Times (twice!), Boston Globe, AP news' biggest gun, Washington Post, USA Today (twice!), New York Daily News, Columbus Dispatch, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Knight Ridder among many others as he launches his rebuttal to the Swift Boat Verterans for Truth. Instead of investigating the very real and accurate charges made initially, these news outlets do PR work for the Kerry campaign and thoroughly investigate the accusers!

So all this time and money is spent trying to discredit an anti-Kerry group who indirectly have ties to the Bush campaign while the anti-Bush organizations who are better funded and have direct links to the Kerry campaign are given a free pass. Here is a look at the Ad traffic summary for this past week (compliments of The Note):

Here's what's on the air right now

· 4 BC04 ads: 3 positive ads on ownership, homeland security, and the Olympics; and 1 slamming Kerry on his record

· 1 KE04 ad biting back at the SBVfT

· 1 (brand new!) anti-Kerry ad by the SBVfT

· 3 pro-Kerry DNC ads including a new one on health care

· 1 (old and re-released) anti-Bush ad by MoveOn.org's PAC contrasting Kerry and Bush's wartime service

· 6 anti-Bush ads by the Media Fund in battleground states

· 4 ads by the New Democrat Network in selected markets promoting Hispanic support for Democrats

So, higher mathematics tells me the current ad environment has 5 ads that can be aligned with Republicans/Bush and 15 ads that can be aligned with Democrats/Kerry. But the media linked above carry water for Kerry's rebuttal and leave unchallenged the more than dozen anti-Bush ads.

And to think, some idiots think there is a pro-Kerry bias in the media...
- posted by KP @ Saturday, August 21, 2004 |

Thursday, August 19, 2004

What Media Bias?

The Blogfather, Glenn Reynolds, posts a great "anonymous" e-mail (Glenn says its from a journalist we'd recognize, but respects the author's desire for anonymity) regarding the self-inflicted wounds the media is incurring with its political coverage this election year:

Glenn- I completely agree with your observations about the threat this election presents to the credibility of the Fourth Estate. Too much of my own energy has been spent trying to convince colleagues of the danger -- my point being that if the public loses faith in our capacity for basic objectivity and fairness, the public will find/create other means of collecting information. (My own impression from the inside, by the way, is that the media aren't "liberal" so much as simply partisan. Think of it like a sporting event where folks desperately want one team to win and the other to lose.)

If Walter Cronkite doesn't like the wild west nature of the blogosphere, he ought turn his attention to the mainstream outlets that violate the trust of their readers/viewers and thereby drive many to the Web for their news. The Swift Boat matter provides one clear example. The Post ignored the story, and then addressed it only in the context of seeking to refute it; most of the paper's regular readers probably had no idea that the accusations (from the Swift Boat Vets) existed in the first place. Here's another example that popped out at me today: The NYT has a story on Democrats launching a massive effort to disqualify Nader petitions in the states. Somehow, in reporting this, they could find only one person (a Nader lawyer, at that) to call this effort antidemocratic -- and that was in the second-to-last paragraph. (The last paragraph had an official from the anti-Nader effort disputing this contention.)

Now, of course, invalid signatures on petitions should be disqualified. But are these the same folks who hollered "Count all the votes" in 2000? Who wailed about voters being disenfranchised? Who disdained the Bush campaign for seeking to have ex-cons scratched (as the law requires) from the voter rolls? Are these the same folks who are dispatching lawyers to the states this year in order to ensure that REPUBLICANS don't deny voters their franchise? My point is, there IS something undemocratic (though not entirely unjustifiable...) about seeking to limit the options provided to voters. And using the arbitrary, arcane and sometimes ridiculous state laws to do so is weaselly, to say the least. And Kerry's campaign really condones this? Chutzpah!

Thankfully Internet poineers like Marc Andreesen helped to create a medium that leveled the playing field of information dissemination to counteract the growing unreliability of traditional media.

Although, maybe we should thank someone else?
- posted by KP @ Thursday, August 19, 2004 |

Wednesday, August 18, 2004

Wisconsin On My Mind (Again)

Looking at the very real demographic shifts in population and voter make-up, President Bush is again taking his bus tour to the great state of Wisconsin:

President Bush is trying to capitalize on what some analysts see as a political realignment in northwestern Wisconsin that could put the state in the president's column in November.

Bush rolls out Wednesday on his third bus tour of the state since May, when he campaigned in the Mississippi River farmlands that eluded him in the 2000 election. He lost the state by fewer than 6,000 votes.

Bush stops first Wednesday in Chippewa Falls, an area he won by 700 votes four years ago. His second stop is in an area that includes Hudson, the fastest-growing city in the state and where voters narrowly endorsed him four years ago.

The presidential race between Bush and Democrat John Kerry is close in Wisconsin and Minnesota, which Bush also planned to visit Wednesday. He was scheduled to speak at a rally in St. Paul.

The trip will be Bush's fifth of the year to Wisconsin and fourth to Minnesota, matching Kerry's count.

Make sure everyone in these areas is out there supporting our great President!!!
- posted by KP @ Wednesday, August 18, 2004 |

3rd Party Confirms Accuracy John Kerry's Absenteeism from Intelligence Committee

John Kerry often touts his 4 months in Vietnam (I think that is near Cambodia), occasionally his 20 years in the Senate and more specifically his service on the Senate Intelligence Committee in an effort to demonstrate that he is fit for office and credentials as Commander-in-Chief. Well, the Bush campaign put out a devastating ad ("Intel") pointing out that John Kerry rarely ever showed up for Senate Intelligence Committee meetings at a time when the United States desperately needed a watchful eye on our deteriorating Intelligdence services (as detailed in the 9/11 Commission's report). Kerry's campaign has called the Bush ad "misleading" but the people at FactCheck.org come to a very different conclusion:

A Bush-Cheney '04 ad released Aug. 13 accuses Kerry of being absent for 76% of the Senate Intelligence Committee's public hearings during the time he served there. The Kerry campaign calls the ad "misleading," so we checked, and Bush is right.

...

Kerry often touts his eight years on the Senate Intelligence Committee as a prime qualification for office. The Bush ad takes that on, describing Kerry as a no-show for most of the committee's public meetings. If anything, the ad understates Kerry's lack of attendance.

Like John Kerry's clandestine and illegal operations in Cambodia, according to FactCheck.org it looks like it is John Kerry who is "misleading" the public.
- posted by KP @ Wednesday, August 18, 2004 |

Tuesday, August 17, 2004

The Bush Campaign Leaves No Stone Unturned

I know that many of us who have toiled away in our own little corner of the universe on behalf of Bush-Cheney 2004 may sometimes wonder if the "professionals" share our willingness to sacrifice and do whatever it takes to get the job done. Well, this story shows that all of your passion, drive and hard work toiling away in your local community is shared by the official campaign as they leave no stone unturned in reaching every available voter:

Team Bush is hoping to win over gym rats and armchair athletes with a targeted ad released yesterday that links feel-good Olympic imagery to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The 30-second spot will air the next two weeks on national cable channels during Olympic and sports programming and, in a first-of-its-kind move, also on ClubCom, a specialized TV network seen in about 250 fitness centers in New York and Washington, as well as eight battleground states. (emphasis added)

Bush campaign manager Ken Mehlman said of the ad, "People get information from lots of different sources. Their time at the gym when they're working out is when they are paying attention."

Well, it looks like this viral marketing effort is getting results as the BC04 campaign has received its record breaking 2,000,000 contribution! Way to go everyone.
- posted by KP @ Tuesday, August 17, 2004 |

The "First Lady" of Campaign Communications is Back!

One of President Bush's most talented and trusted advisors is back from her time away from the White House:

The most important woman in President Bush's political life is back on the payroll as of today.

Longtime adviser and friend Karen Hughes traveled with Bush on the campaign trail this past week for the first time in the current election cycle.

Hughes is not ruling out an eventual return to the White House if there is a second Bush term. Her son Robert will be a high school senior this year.

Hughes and her husband, Jerry, prefer Austin — including their friends, church and and what she calls their "newly remodeled home" there — to Washington.

"That said, anytime the president wants to ask you to consider serving in his administration you have to listen and consider," she said.

Welcome back Karen!

- posted by KP @ Tuesday, August 17, 2004 |

Bush Campaign Reaches Out to Indian-Americans

Touting his strengthening relationship with the country of India, the Bush campaign is getting some good press for reaching out to one of the world's largest nations and its growing American population:

Republicans are your best bet: That's the crux of a long e-mail message from the Bush-Cheney team to the 1.7 million strong Indian American community as the campaign warms up for the November elections.

"Because President Bush understands India's potential to become one of the great democratic powers of the 21st century, he has worked to transform the US-India relationship," says the e-mail message put out by Marc Racicot, chairman of the Bush-Cheney '04 campaign.

It terms as "historic" the current phase of Indo-US relations, saying this level of cooperation was "unthinkable" just five years ago. It highlights the turnaround in defence and security relations and makes a special mention of the "Next Steps in Strategic Partnership" to advance civilian nuclear and space cooperation and high-technology trade.

In more and more ways, the GOP exemplifies the party of the "Big Tent" and this is only one of the latest examples.
- posted by KP @ Tuesday, August 17, 2004 |

Monday, August 16, 2004

John Kerry Gets Al Gore Disease (Part II)

It seems the truth about the defining moment in John Kerry's life from Vietnam (although once "seared" into his memory) was just a big lie to falsify his angst over trusting the government and augment his ever-increasingly shaky credentials as Commander-in-Chief:

Why is any of this important? Mr. Kerry has made his Vietnam experiences the focal point in his campaign. Indeed, the candidate wants voters to judge his Vietnam service as reflecting the qualities needed in a commander in chief. It is not Mr. Kerry's detractors who have placed Vietnam at the forefront of the campaign, it is Mr. Kerry himself. As such, his testimonials both during and after his tour should be subject to verification and debate.

The blogosphere has kept this alive during the questionable (and completely accidental?) "media blackout" and they are finally catching on. Be sure to keep up the pressure.

- posted by KP @ Monday, August 16, 2004 |

John Kerry Gets Al Gore Disease

During the 2000 campaign, Al Gore got busted many times for lying about his exploits (and I don't just mean his claim he invented the internet). Well John Kerry seems to let his mouth get in the way of the truth when it comes to the Bush health care reform:

NEXT TIME John Kerry accuses President Bush of misleading the American people, remember Mary Ann Knowles.

Knowles is the Hudson woman whose battle with breast cancer Kerry has turned into a campaign anecdote. Here is what Kerry said about Knowles during his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention on July 29:

?What does it mean when Mary Ann Knowles, a woman with breast cancer I met in New Hampshire, had to keep working day after day right through her chemotherapy, no matter how sick she felt, because she was terrified of losing her family?s health insurance? America can do better. And help is on the way.?

What it means is that John Kerry is fibbing. As Union Leader correspondent Scott Brooks reported on Sunday, Mary Ann Knowles did not have to work through her chemotherapy for fear of losing her health insurance. Employed by Elderhostel, the Boston-based non-profit travel organization for people 55 and older, Mary Ann had 26 weeks of paid disability at her disposal. More was available for a long-term illness. She did not have to work through her chemotherapy. She chose to.

The truth is out there Senator Kerry, maybe someday you will find it.
- posted by KP @ Monday, August 16, 2004 |

George Bush Doing Some Strong Campaigning in the Heartland!

The Washington Post (not exactly a friendly paper to the Bush campaign) has a nice write-up on the growing strength of the Bush campaign:

SIOUX CITY, Iowa -- President Bush has formidable obstacles to reelection, but he served a reminder last week that he is a politician with formidable strengths.

Anyone who doubts it should spend some time watching the shirtsleeves campaign. In five days of energetic campaigning through five swing states, Bush looked and sounded like someone dropping by a neighbor's lawn party -- no coat, no tie, rolled-up sleeves, and conversational speeches in which he implored voters to "put a man in there who can get the job done."

In loosening his style, Bush tightened his message.

Don't let the disproportionately pro-Kerry coverage of biased media get you down, W is doing fine and the battle has just begun.
- posted by KP @ Monday, August 16, 2004 |

Please Nominate "Blogs For Bush" for Best Republican Party Coverage Blog

The Washington Post is soliciting nominations for best blogs in a variety of categories.

This site has done remarkable things in such a short time and I would like to ask everyone to nominate this blog as the Best Republican Party Coverage blog (or nominate us in any category you'd like) in the Washington Post's survey.

As an unaffiliated blog, there is no bankroll like the professionals, or full-time bloggers (all of us actually have full-time jobs NOT related to journalism -- as a point of reference, I am a corporate bond analyst on Wall Street).

The many services provided by this blog like Carnival of the Bush Bloggers, Wictory Wednesday, the DNQ Watch during the Convention in Boston, Letters to the Editor Friday (what ever happened to that guy?) and so much more.

Please help promote Matt's phenomenal effort by nominating "Blogs for Bush" today! Thanks in advance.
- posted by KP @ Monday, August 16, 2004 |

Wednesday, August 11, 2004

Send This to Every Football Fan in Michigan

(compliments of the Kerry Spot)

FOOTBALL JOKES [08/03 11:13 AM]

A reader points to this item from our friends at the American Spectator,
who notice that Kerry told a joke about how he loves Ohio football... in
Michigan. Whoops.

"I just came here from Bowling Green," Kerry told the crowd to subdued applause.
"I was smart enough not to pick a choice between the Falcons and the, well,
you know, all those other teams out there. I just go for Buckeye football,
that's where I'm coming from."

At that point, before all the boos began raining down upon him, Kerry seemed
to realize his error. In an attempt to silent the angry crowd of University
of Michigan supporters, Kerry said, "But that was while I was in Ohio. I
know I'm in the state of Michigan and you got a great big M and a powerhouse
of a team." Then his face, presumably, the Botox permitting, turned Big
Blue.

If the Bush campaign were smart, they would figure out how to get audio
or videotape of this gaffe to every University of Michigan student, alumni,
and fan in the state. Probably fans of Michigan state and even the Detroit
Lions, too.

- posted by KP @ Wednesday, August 11, 2004 |

Photos from Iraq

Bill Hobbs has some interesting photos from Iraq:

I was browsing the PBASE.com photo galleries and collected links on several Iraq war photo galleries. Here are 11 links, with no commentary. Just offering you the opportunity to view the war in Iraq through the eyes of the brave Americans who are fighting it. If a picture is worth a thousand words, here's several books worth of news from Iraq unlike most of what Big Media provides.

Check them out here.
- posted by KP @ Wednesday, August 11, 2004 |

Friday, August 06, 2004

No surprise, I am traveling again (hence no entries). Blogging to recommence Monday.

For now, look closer at the jobs report. Non-farm payrolls' calculatation is an inherently flawed calculation and the "household" employment number was much stronger than forecasted. This report, while not good, was nowhere near as bad as the Kerry campaign (and the press) made it out to be.

Let Kerry and the liberal media have a moment in the sun at the expense of a statstical anomoly. If the Bush campaign sets forth the proper course for a better American and champions strong ideas over expediant rhetoric, we will all have the last laugh in November.

Have a great weekend.
- posted by KP @ Friday, August 06, 2004 |

Monday, August 02, 2004

Kevin Patrick (That's Me!) and This Blog in the Washington Post

Hey, I am not above a little self-promotion, but this blog made it into the Washington Post thanks to Cynthia Webb who writes the "Filter" column looking at the day's top technology news items for the Washington Post:

Yesterday's Filter column on blogging at the Democratic National Convention prompted some readers (and bloggers) to write in with tips on other sites to visit. Thanks to all who took the time to write in. Gabe, no last name given, plugged his site, memeorandum," which gives a peek at a sampling "of the most talked about news stories on politics-oriented blogs along with excerpts from the blogs." Another reader, Kevin Patrick, said the Blogs For Bush site will cover the upcoming GOP convention. The site also features a list of credentialed bloggers." For the sake of full disclosure, Patrick is a writer for the site and runs the BushCheney2004 blog.

Who-HOOO!!!! That's me. Check it out.

This post is solely to make my readers know they haven't wasted their time sticking with me while my job takes over my life and prevents me from blogging nearly as much as I'd like.

- posted by KP @ Monday, August 02, 2004 |