Sen. Kerry seems to be paying close attention to Howard Dean’s speeches, moving away from his previously stated intent of stopping criticism of Bush in order to release this soundbite worthy quote:
”What we need now is not just a regime change in Saddam Hussein and Iraq, but we need a regime change in the United States,” Kerry said in a speech at the Peterborough Town Library.
Unfortunately, where Dean says similar things and manages to both sound like he’s speaking from the heart rather than a script and stand by those statments later on, Kerry, when pressed, starts to waffle. From further on in the same article:
When asked to square his criticism with his pledge of restraint two weeks earlier, Kerry first said that he had tempered his criticism of the administration’s diplomatic efforts. Then he said: ”It is possible that the word ‘regime change’ is too harsh. Perhaps it is.”
Firery rhetoric is all fine and dandy, Sen. Kerry, but only if it’s not just rhetoric. If you believe something, say it, then stand up for it. That’s part of what I like about what I’m seeing from Dean. Crafting a soundbite for use in a speech that’s sure to win lots of quotes and headlines isn’t nearly as impressive when you then temper your statements afterwards.