Teresa Heinz's Past Coming Back To Bite Kerry

[Roguish Lawyer]

XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX MON JULY 26, 2004 21:00:01 ET XXXXX

TERESA HEINZ UNEARTHED: 'I DON'T TRUST TED KENNEDY'; DEMOCRATS 'PUTRID'

A historic bombshell interview has surfaced of Teresa Heinz Kerry ripping Ted Kennedy and the Democrat political machine!

The interview is set for splashing at the BOSTON HERALD, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned, the newspaper which originally ran the session with a then Republican Teresa Heinz.

The candid flashback hits as both Teresa and "Bastard" Kennedy prepare to address the Democrat convention in Boston.

ABCNEWS's GOOD MORNING AMERICA plans to highlight the Teresa Heinz interview Tuesday.


Developing...

[Roguish Lawyer]

Also in today's Drudge:

Good news, no one is watching the Dem convention! LOL

THE BIG YAWN: NETWORKS IN RATINGS FREEFALL AT CONVENTION, OPENING NIGHT ALL-TIME LOW: ABCNEWS JENNINGS WITH 3.5 RATING/5 SHARE [DOWN FROM 4.5/8 IN 2000]; NBCNEWS BROKAW 3.3/5 [2000:4.8/9]; CBS DAN RATHER 3.2/5 [2000:3.8/7... TRAIL ALL OTHER PRIME-TIME MONDAY PROGRAMMING [CBS:MIAMI RERUN ON CBS PULLS 8.6 RATING/13 SHARE]... DEVELOPING...

[The Reaper]

Radio talk shows saying that polls are indicating Kerry is losing momentum and may have peaked already.

Good news indeed.

TR

[Roguish Lawyer]

Here is the Boston Herald article:

http://news.bostonherald.com/dncConvention/view.bg?articleid=37308

Teresa's Ted K tirade
By David R. Guarino/ Herald exclusive
Read Guarino's Road to Boston Blog
Monday, July 26, 2004

Teresa Heinz Kerry, years before becoming a Democrat, railed against the party's ``putrid'' politics, said she didn't trust Sen. Edward M. Kennedy [related, bio] and angrily called the liberal lion a ``perfect bastard.''

In comments published in a little-known 1975 book about political wives called ``The Power Lovers: An Intimate Look at Politicians and Their Marriages,'' Heinz Kerry lashed out at the senator she'll share the primetime convention stage with tonight.

``I know some couples who stay together only for politics,'' Heinz Kerry said at the time. ``If Ted Kennedy holds on to that marriage (to ex-wife Joan) just for the Catholic vote, as some people say he does, then I think he's a perfect bastard.''

Heinz Kerry, then married to Republican Sen. H. John Heinz III of Pennsylvania, said she ``didn't trust'' President Richard M. Nixon but added, ``Ted Kennedy I don't trust either.''

The combustible and ever-quotable Heinz Kerry said of Democrats, ``The Democratic machine in this country is putrid.'' Excerpts of the comments appeared in The Boston Herald American in January 1976.

Coming a day after Heinz Kerry was caught on camera telling a reporter to ``shove it'' when the reporter questioned her on statements made in a Boston speech, the remarks could undercut Democrats' ability to showcase a positive message at the convention.

Kennedy's office dismissed the comments as water under the bridge and said the two get along famously now _ regardless of what Heinz Kerry has said in the past.

``Over the years, Sen. and Mrs. Kennedy and John Kerry [related, bio] and Teresa Heinz Kerry have developed a deep friendship and strong mutual respect,'' Kennedy spokesman David Smith said in a statement to the Herald.

``A 30-year-old quote dug up by the Republican attack machine made long before they became friends is irrelevant.''

Heinz Kerry's spokeswoman also said the quotes' age makes them irrelevant.

``You are talking about statements that are more than 30 years old. A lot has changed since then,'' said Marla Romash, a senior adviser to Heinz Kerry.

But it isn't the first time quotes have emerged in which Heinz Kerry targets the legendary Bay State senator.

In an interview with The Washington Post in 1971, Heinz Kerry declared, ``Ted Kennedy I don't trust, like I don't trust Nixon, although I think Nixon's done a helluva lot better than I thought he would.''

Just last year, Heinz Kerry said she regretted the comments she had made to the Post regarding Kennedy.

Romash noted the number of times Heinz Kerry has campaigned with Kennedy and said Victoria Reggie Kennedy will host a luncheon for Heinz Kerry this afternoon at the Museum of Fine Arts.

``There's a very good relationship now,'' Romash said.

She said Heinz Kerry stood by her comments about the Democratic machine, saying state Democratic parties in New Jersey and Pennsylvania at the time were ``a big problem,'' Romash said.

``I think there are a lot of people who would say there were problems in state parties in Pennslyvania and New Jersey,'' Romash said. ``Those problems don't exist anymore.''

[Bravo1-3]

Originally posted by The Reaper
Radio talk shows saying that polls are indicating Kerry is losing momentum and may have peaked already.

Good news indeed.

TR

If this is true, then it is great news. Tht fucker has forfeited his eligibility to the presidency with his 1970's bullshit.

[Roguish Lawyer]

Originally posted by The Reaper
Radio talk shows saying that polls are indicating Kerry is losing momentum and may have peaked already.

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/Vote2004/kerry_poll_040726.html

High-Stakes Convention
Poll Shows Support for Kerry Weakens on Issues and Attributes

Analysis
By Gary Langer

July 26, 2004— The critical convention season begins with John Kerry losing momentum at just the hour he'd like to be gaining it: President Bush has clawed back on issues and attributes alike, reclaiming significant ground that Kerry had taken a month ago.

Kerry has lost support against Bush in trust to handle five of six issues tested in a new ABC News/Washington Post poll, including terrorism, Iraq, taxes and even health care. And Kerry's ratings on personal attributes — honesty, strong leadership, consistency, empathy and others — have softened as well.

Sampling, data collection and tabulation for this poll were done by TNS.

The bottom line has shifted only very subtly. Head-to-head, the Massachuestts senator has slipped from a slight lead in late June to a dead heat today, with 49 percent support for Bush and 48 percent for Kerry among registered voters. Including Ralph Nader, it's 48 percent-46 percent-3 percent.

No Pre-Convention Bounce

But perceptions on policy and personality are more important than horse-race standings at this stage, and there Kerry has work to do. He has a crucial chance to regain momentum as he accepts the Democratic nomination this week: Fewer than half of registered voters, 46 percent, say they have a good idea where he stands on the issues, a huge 28 points behind Bush. That represents opportunity, if Kerry can deliver a message that resonates.

And the public is listening. Not only is attention high, but 78 percent of registered voters call this an "especially important election," far more than said that in 2000 or 1996. Indeed, two-thirds say it's one of the single most important elections in their lifetimes.

Kerry's job is by no means easy. While some candidates have begun their "convention bounce" during the build-up to the event, even before their convention began, that has eluded Kerry. The past month's trend has not been to his advantage. And Bush's overall job approval rating appears to have stabilized, albeit at a tepid 50 percent.

Trust More to Handle Issues
Issue Now: Bush Now: Kerry Month Ago: Bush Month Ago: Kerry
Terrorism 55% 37 48 47
Taxes 49 43 41 53
Health Care 44 47 38 56
Iraq 52 40 49 47
Education 44 45 43 52
Economy 47 46 45 50

Iraq: Divisive Issue

An improving economy and the handover of authority in Iraq are among the likely factors influencing these assessments. So, too, is the attention focused on terrorism by the release of the Sept. 11 commission report last week. The nation's response to 9/11 has been Bush's finest hour in public approval; focus on it accrues to his advantage.

Probably the single most important advance for Bush on the issues in this poll is his rating for handling terrorism. Fifty-seven percent of Americans now approve, up from 50 percent last month. And registered voters trust Bush over Kerry to handle terrorism by 55 percent to 37 percent, compared with an even split, 48 percent to 47 percent, a month ago.

Among specific groups that are key to Kerry's chances, since June he has lost 13 points among women in trust to handle terrorism, 11 points among moderates and eight points among independents.

Trust to Handle Terrorism
Group Now: Bush Now: Kerry In June: Bush In June: Kerry
Women 46 43 40 56
Moderates 50 43 42 54
Independents 50 40 48 48

The public continues to divide evenly on whether the war in Iraq was worth fighting. But fewer than half, 42 percent, say the Bush administration "intentionally misled" the public in making its case for the war. And beyond Iraq, more say the United States is winning the war on terrorism rather than losing it, 51 percent to 34 percent.

What Matters Most

On the economy, public perceptions, while hardly enthusiastic, are their best (46 percent positive, 53 percent negative) in ABC/Post polls since July 2001. And Bush's approval rating for handling the economy, while not good, is better — up eight points since March, to 47 percent. Economic sentiment was vastly more sour at this time in 1992, when Bush's father was on his way to losing a second term.

This President Bush does remain vulnerable on his economic performance; 41 percent of Americans say most people have gotten worse off financially since he took office, while just 15 percent say most people are better off. That "worse off" number, though, is down from a high of 52 percent last fall — and it was worse still, 61 percent, in summer 1992.

Just more than a quarter of registered voters say the economy is the single most important issue in their vote for president; a fifth say Iraq and a fifth say terrorism. What's key is how their votes divide. Among those who say Iraq is most important, Kerry has maintained a wide lead. Among those who say it's terrorism, Bush's lead is even wider. In both cases these are unchanged since June.

It's among economy voters where change has occurred. In June they favored Kerry by a 17-point margin, 54 percent to 37 percent. Today that's dissolved to a dead heat.


Vote Preference Among Issue Groups
Most Important Issue Now: Bush Now: Kerry In June: Bush In June: Kerry
Economy (27%) 46 47 37 54
Iraq (21%) 30 63 33 60
Terrorism (20%) 79 17 76 20

Popularity Contests

There's also the optimism factor. Just 47 percent of registered voters are satisfied with the way things are going in this country, but many more — 67 percent —are optimistic about the year ahead. And more see Bush as an optimist (72 percent) than Kerry (55 percent). That makes it a tricky path for Kerry — delineating the nation's problems, economic and otherwise, without sounding more negative than the public itself.

Attributes are as important as issues, and here Kerry has work to do as well. His advantage over Bush as the candidate who better "understands your problems" has shrunk to a virtually insignificant four points; it was 18 points last month. Last month it was Kerry +12 as more honest; now it's Bush +6. And it was Bush +5 on leadership; it's Bush +19 now. The Bush campaign seems to have been effective at drawing Kerry in a more negative personal light. The convention is his chance to build it back.

Candidate Attributes
Best Describes Now: Bush Now: Kerry Month Ago: Bush Month Ago: Kerry
Honest 46% 40 40 52
Consistent 64 24 60 34
Understands 42 46 37 55
Strong leader 55 36 50 45
Shares Your Values 49 43 46 48
Will Make the Country Safer 54 38 53 42

Also critical has been the Bush campaign's success driving up Kerry's overall "unfavorable" rating, by criticizing his policies and personality alike. Favorability is a basic measure of popularity. Since March, at the height of his primary victories, favorable views of Kerry have declined by six points — and unfavorable views are up by 11 points. Bush's favorability rating, meanwhile, has gained six points, while his "unfavorable" score — which still slightly exceeds Kerry's — is little changed (+4).

Among others, Vice President Dick Cheney has a weak favorable-to-unfavorable rating of 43 percent to 41 percent, compared to John Edwards' 50 percent to 24 percent; luckily for Cheney very few voters base their vote on the vice-presidential nominee. Laura Bush tops the list in this poll with 66 percent to 12 percent favorability. Teresa Heinz Kerry is at a somewhat troublesome 27 percent to 26 percent, with nearly half the public yet to form an opinion of her. Independent candidate Nader has the worst ratio, 25 percent to 44 percent.

[continued]

[Roguish Lawyer]

[continued from prior post]

Approval Ratings

Even with his gains, Bush is not at all strongly rated. His overall job approval rating, as noted, is just 50 percent; only one postwar incumbent with a rating that low or lower has won re-election (Harry Truman in 1948). Forty-seven percent disapprove of Bush's work; it was 51 percent (a career high) last month.

Those who "strongly" disapprove inched down by five points in this poll, moving strong approvers and strong disapprovers back near parity.

Bush gets majority approval for handling just one of six specific issues tested in this poll, the war on terrorism; more than half (53 percent) disapprove on both Iraq and health care.

But more approve than disapprove of Bush's work on another strong second-tier issue, education, 49 percent to 41 percent. And Bush and Kerry are even in trust to handle education. Battling the Democrats to parity on this particular (and once solidly Democratic) issue was central to Bush's success in 2000, and he is holding that ground now.

Probably best for Kerry is a seven-point advance in the strength of his support — 72 percent of his supporters back him "strongly." Bush's support, though, is 88 percent strong.

Eighty percent of Kerry's supporters also say they'll "definitely" vote for him, as do the same number of Bush's. Support for both is much more locked-in than at this time in 2000, when Bush's support was 65 percent strong, Al Gore's, 56 percent. That could make it harder than usual for Kerry to score a sizable convention bounce this week.

Still, 5 percent of Kerry's supporters, and 7 percent of Bush's, say there's a good chance they'll change their minds — more than enough to shift the race dramatically, if they were to move in the same direction.

Beyond strength and solidity, enthusiasm is a third measure of the intensity of a candidate's support, potentially a critical factor in voter turnout. Ninety percent of Kerry's supporters, and 90 percent of Bush's, are enthusiastic. But Bush's are perhaps a bit more so: Forty-nine percent are "very" enthusiastic, compared to Kerry's 41 percent.

Divided Voters

There's a significant gender gap in this race: Kerry has an 11-point lead over Bush among women, while Bush is +15 among men. Bush's support has gained a bit among men in the past month, while women's preferences remained about the same.

Kerry's supported by 87 percent of Democrats, Bush by 91 percent of Republicans — each typically strong in his base. And among independents, the quintessential swing voters, it's a dead heat — 44 percent for Kerry, 43 percent Bush.

White Catholics are another true swing voter group, and here there's been some movement to Bush — from 44 percent support last month to 52 percent now. Kerry, for his part, is doing a bit better among senior citizens, now with a high 59 percent support.

Among registered voters, 34 percent in this poll identify themselves as Democrats, 33 percent as Republicans and 29 percent as independents. Horse-race results are essentially the same among registered voters and among "likely" voters, those who seem most likely to turn out in the November election.

Methodology

This ABC News/Washington Post poll was conducted by telephone July 22-25 among a random national sample of 1,202 adults, including 909 registered voters. The results have a three-point error margin. Sampling, data collection and tabulation were done by TNS of Horsham, Pa.


:munchin

[The Reaper]

Hmm, name Edwards as your Veep Candidate, and go into your convention (which the mainstream media has hyped very heavily) and lose support?

Not sure that Kerry's speech will resonate with too many and convert them to his cause. He is not a dynamic speaker, IMHO. Pretty sure that Teresa's will alienate voters.

Barring unforseen negative events, I think we will know pretty well by the first poll after the Republican Convention how this is going to go.

Also noted on the news last night that the electoral count is now favoring Bush, though he needs several more battleground states to win.

Look for the Dems to take this election (like their voters) to the courts early and often.

TR

[Sacamuelas]

Originally posted by The Reaper

Barring unforseen negative events, I think we will know pretty well by the first poll after the Republican Convention how this is going to go.
TR

Good, gives you time to acquire necessary funds for that party you invited me to attend. BTW- I want Booker's. :cool: LOL

Good info gents.. I haven't been keeping up with the polls to prevent stress. Maybe I will watch more of the results now that it appears America is starting to wake up.

[DunbarFC]

Originally posted by The Reaper
Radio talk shows saying that polls are indicating Kerry is losing momentum and may have peaked already.

Good news indeed.

TR

And stupid moves like this can't help

Did we forget Dukakis in the tank ??

[The Reaper]

Originally posted by Sacamuelas
Good, gives you time to acquire necessary funds for that party you invited me to attend. BTW- I want Booker's. :cool: LOL

Good info gents.. I haven't been keeping up with the polls to prevent stress. Maybe I will watch more of the results now that it appears America is starting to wake up.

Be aware that the media will report what they want you to hear, and that a close race is in their best interests.

I like your taste in whiskey.

Where I was raised, guests brought bottles to parties, Booker's will be fine by me.

TR

[Roguish Lawyer]

Originally posted by The Reaper
Where I was raised, guests brought bottles to parties, Booker's will be fine by me.

Yeah, Saca, wassa matta wit you? LOL

[Sacamuelas]

Dunbar... that pic is hilarious. Is it a photohop?


TR-
But.... BUt.. you said..... but I thought .....open bar.... Crap!

OK Sir .....what mixers do you want ? Ice or is that for sissy's?:D


RL- SMACK!!! (I walked into that one.) LOL

[DunbarFC]

Nope it's real :)

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/conventions/articles/2004/07/27/gop_pokes_fun_at_picture_of_kerry_in_nasa_garb/

[The Reaper]

Originally posted by DunbarFC
Nope it's real :)

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/conventions/articles/2004/07/27/gop_pokes_fun_at_picture_of_kerry_in_nasa_garb/

The pics of him in that get-up with Senators Glenn, Nelson ,and Graham were better, but I can't find them right now.

TR

[DunbarFC]

Originally posted by The Reaper
The pics of him in that get-up with Senators Glenn, Nelson ,and Graham were better, but I can't find them right now.

TR

For you sir

" Look that's your poll numbers dropping "

"Hmm maybe I'll be for the war again........that might work......"

[The Reaper]

Nope, looking for the Larry, Moe, and Curly group pic, seated.

TR

[DunbarFC]

Originally posted by The Reaper
Nope, looking for the Larry, Moe, and Curly group pic, seated.

TR

This one ?

[Sacamuelas]

STOP IT!!! YOUR'RE GOING TO CAUSE A HERNIA!!!!:p

[The Reaper]

Originally posted by DunbarFC
This one ?

That's the one!

Wonder why the media didn't run that as the lead?

TR

[ghuinness]

If anyone is interested, here is the link to local coverage (http://www.floridatoday.com/!NEWSROOM/index.htm)

Check out the Web Extra for pics.

The editorial is particularly interesting. FloridaToday is very liberal.

For them to say "But for Kerry to make the sale and move ahead of Bush in the coming weeks, he'll have to do better than he did at KSC and more candidly tell voters where he would take the country if elected..." is amazing. Hopefully an indication of how much he is losing ground in FL.

KSC Links: http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/search.cfm?cat=4

[ghuinness]

Originally posted by DunbarFC
And stupid moves like this can't help

Did we forget Dukakis in the tank ??

I just stumbled over this jpg and the similarity struck me as very funny :D

[Sdiver]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Roguish Lawyer
Also in today's Drudge:

Good news, no one is watching the Dem convention! LOL



Well.....It is Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. You mean...there's other stuff on the other channels?

[ThinAir]

Well now I'm bashful to admit that I'm watching some of the Dem Convention.

If Theresa (tear-ezz-sahh) didn't alienate a ton of people in various places with her comments before, I'm sure her speech at the convention did the trick. How many how many phrases in how many languages did you look up on Altavista.com to slap into your droning dictation? Please...


On another note Theresa, you can leave out your name at the beginning of your speech. We (unfortunately) already know your name and the DNC isn't a freshman-level public speaking class.

[Guy]

lol...

[CommoGeek]

I'm voting for Bush, his daughters are better looking.

[The Reaper]

Originally posted by CommoGeek
I'm voting for Bush, his daughters are better looking.

I thought the same thing myself when I saw the Kerrys at the convention, after just commenting a few days before on the cuteness of the Bush twins.

All I can say about those Kerry girls is, WOOF!!

TR

[Roycroft201]

Anyone watching Theresa last night must realize what a scary thought it is to imagine her as First Lady.

[Guy]

Yes...

[Guy]

Ah hell NO!

[The Reaper]

Originally posted by Roycroft201
Anyone watching Theresa last night must realize what a scary thought it is to imagine her as First Lady.

She will never be the "First Lady".

If fortune turns her back on us and the Kerrys occupy the White House, she will be the second "First Bitch".

I suspect we all know who the first was.

TR