Y'know, it's been a hard day's night, and he's been workin' like a dog.That must be why he turned down his briefing on terror.
Did anyone catch CNN's Larry King Live this past Thursday?
Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, the eventual nominee for President of the United States by the Democrat Party, was asked if he had received a real-time briefing on national security and the current terror threat. Earlier in that same day, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge warned the nation that al Qaeda was planning major terror attacks on U.S. soil.
The brief exchange between King and Kerry went like this:
King: "News of the day, Tom Ridge warned today about al Qaeda plans of a large-scale attack on the United States. Didn't increase the -- you see any politics in this? What's your reaction?"
Kerry: "Well, I haven't been briefed yet, Larry. They have offered to brief me. I just haven't had time."
I'm sorry...what did he say? Well, let me print it again so that we're all on the same page.
"They have offered to brief me. I just haven't had the time."
So, where was John Kerry on Thursday that he didn't have time to receive a briefing on the threat of terror on our own soil?
Well, he spent part of the day in Florida campaigning with running mate John Edwards. He finished up in New York attending a fund raising concert for his campaign featuring Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews, Mary J. Blige, Wyclef Jean and John Mellencamp. He even got up on stage and jammed with the all-star line up.
In essence, he was too busy campaigning and raising money to act in a manner consistent with someone who wants to lead this country.
In fact, the leader of his party in the Senate thought that the briefing was "sobering." Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD), when asked if the timing of this terror report was to upstage the announcement of the Democrat running mate said, "The report is so sobering and so serious that I cannot bring myself to believe anyone in this administration would use this for political purposes."
The report was apparently not sobering or serious enough for the Democrat candidate to make time to hear it.
There is no task, no duty, no obligation more important for the President of the United States than the safety and security of our country. None. This must also be true of anyone seriously in contention for that office, including John Kerry.
Senator Kerry was offered the briefing by the Bush Administration and couldn't find the time to fit it into his busy schedule. He had to be on a plane sometime to get from Florida to New York. He had to be in a car sometime to get from the plane to the CNN studios for his appearance on Larry King Live. I'm certain that the representatives from the NSA, Department of Homeland Security and the Bush Administration would have come to the Senator where ever he was to provide him this most critical of information.
That isn't what happened, though. He left Florida and got on a plane so he could help Bon Jovi crank out "You Give Love a Bad Name," or some other song that I'm sure the Senator doesn't even know the words to. (It's actually been reported that the song he played was "This Land is Your Land," but I'm still willing to bet that Kerry let Bon Jovi sing for a reason.)
All of this shouldn't shock me, I suppose. It's not like Kerry has been consistent in the responsibilities for his job. He missed 65% or 339 votes in the 108th Congress. If I were at work only 35% of the time, I'd be fired for sure. This guy wants to be President and can't even make the time to be briefed like the President.
There is a report today that he may be coming back to Boston early to receive the briefing that he was originally offered on Thursday. That's nice, but it's a little too late. He's obviously realized how he put his foot in his mouth and looked thoroughly un-Presidential.
The President of the United States doesn't have the luxury to take briefings on national security in his own good time.
"I just haven't had the time" is an unacceptable excuse from a man whose priorities are clearly out of line. I hope he's got a better line than that should he be elected President and al Qaeda strikes within the United States again killing more of our fellow Americans.
William Smith
ConservativeBlogger.com
