'Kerry hits a home run with 'Fenway' ad'
The blogs were abuzz this week with a couple big Kerry news stories. There was the much acclaimed 'Fenway' ad, in which Sean Bannon tells the story of his injury in Iraq, his purple heart and a first pitch at Fenway, and highlights some of the great legislation Sen. Kerry has written supporting veterans. The reaction I've heard to the ad was mostly "choked back tears" and "I didn't know Kerry did all that". Well, of course you didn't, the mainstream news is too busy covering rumors about Senator Kerry being considered for Obama's VP to talk about legislation. Rumors fueled by little more than that Sen. Kerry doesn't yet have a speaking slot at the convention and 'he'd be good at it'. True on both accounts, but not really a reason to start VP rumors flying.
The other big news was the launch of Truth Fights Back, a Kerry funded website to fight smears against Democrats. If you haven't already, don't forget to sign up.
In campaign news, Senator Kerry is said to be the fifth safest incumbent Senator. I guess so. Not to take anything away from the Senator, who is doing a great job and is considered one of the most powerful members of the Senate, but look who he's running against! Kerry spokesperson Brigid O'Rourke put it rather bluntly (and accurately) when she said of the Senator's primary opponent:
"... every day that this character invokes the smears of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and channels the Massachusetts GOP in his personal attacks, you wonder more and more whether his campaign is based on anything but character assassination."
In news that didn't hit the blogosphere, Senator Kerry called for FEMA to inspect underground fuel tanks in Massachusetts, and announced $209,000 in federal funding for the Uxbridge Fire Department.
And finally, in other Kerry news, Alexandra Kerry's 'Notes From the Trail' hits the bookstores tomorrow. The reviews have been fantastic, with historian Doris Kearns Goodwin noting
"Writing with warmth, insight and honest, Alexandra Kerry brings the familiar events of her father's 2004 campaign into fresh focus.''
Looks like I'm hitting B&N Tuesday after work. I promise not to turn all the Corsi books spine-in while I'm there, although I think it would be considered a public service.
Enjoy the news!
