Barack makes the BellSouth call to the bullpen -- to John Kerry

;D

An email I received today from John Kerry:

Dear (Point of Order),

I support Barack Obama because he doesn't seek to perfect the politics of Swiftboating -- he seeks to end it.

This is personal for me, and for a whole lot of Americans who lived through the 2004 election.

As a veteran, it disgusts me that the Swift Boats we loved while we were in uniform on the Mekong Delta have been rendered, in Karl Rove's twisted politics, an ugly verb meaning to lie about someone's character just to win an election. But as someone who cares about winning this election and changing the country I love, I know it's not enough to complain about a past we can't change when our challenge is to win the future -- which is why we must stop the Swiftboating, stop the push-polling, stop the front groups, and stop the email chain smears.

The truth matters, but how you fight the lies matters even more. We must be determined never again to lose any election to a lie.

This year, the attacks are already starting. Some of you may have heard about the disgusting lies about Barack Obama that are being circulated by email. These attacks smear Barack's Christian faith and deep patriotism, and they distort his record of more than two decades of public service. They are nothing short of "Swiftboat" style anonymous attacks.

These are the same tactics the right has used again and again, and as we've learned, these attacks, no matter how bogus, can spread and take root if they go unchecked.

But not this time -- we're fighting back.

And when I say "we," I mean that literally. I know Barack is committed to fighting every smear every time. He'll fight hard and stand up for the truth. But he can't do it alone.

We need you to email the truth to your address books. Print it out and post it at work. Talk to your neighbors. Call your local radio station. Write a letter to the editor. If lies can be spread virally, let's prove to the cynics that the truth can be every bit as persuasive as it is powerful.

The Obama campaign has created a place where you can find the truth you'll need to push back on these smears and a way to spread the truth to all of your address book.

Take action here:

http://my.barackobama.com/factcheckaction

So when your inbox fills up with trash and the emails of smear and fear, find the facts, and help defeat the lies.

Barack Obama is committed to bringing our country together to meet the challenges we face, but he knows that power gives up nothing without a struggle -- and to win the chance to change America, we must first defeat the hateful tactics that have been used to tear us apart for too long.

With your help, we can turn the page on an era of small, divisive politics -- but only if next time you hear these attacks on Barack, you take action immediately:

http://my.barackobama.com/factcheckaction

The fight is just heating up -- we won't let them steal this election with lies and distortions.

Thank you,

John Kerry

 

How did John Kerry get your email? You two tight?

 

We kinda drifted apart circa 2004.

 

I wish he'd stop e-mailing me. He keeps sending me these fucking Jokes of the Day, and I've yet to see a good one.

 

He sent me one saying that his uncle in Mauritania died and left me a lot of money, but I deleted the email by accident. Truly, I am full of fail.

 

My conservative sister just e-mailed me a link to a Fox News story about how Obama's church is racially divisive.

I stopped reading when I hit "Fox News" in the byline.

 

Yeah, I got that one, too, from my mom. She was horrified that his church professed loyalty to Africa. I reminded her that my dad was ROMAN Catholic and that she was a member of the ANGLICAN church.

 

And that's not even the worst of it, JD. To knuckleheads like Michael Savage, he's not even Christian.

 

I'm glad to see John Kerry waited until 2008 before "fighting back."

What a tool.

 

He's as quick to pick things up as Venus de Milo.

 

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Teal Baker <tbaker@barackobama.com>
Date: Jan 23, 2008 8:14 AM
Subject: Obama for America Daily Talking Points


Obama for America Daily Talking Points

January 23, 2008



Message of the Day: Economic leadership that won't change with the politics of the moment

* Yesterday, Barack Obama delivered a speech in Greenville, South Carolina calling on Washington to strengthen our economy amid fears that America is sliding towards a recession. To help halt our economic slowdown, Obama has called for immediate tax relief for working families and seniors – because they shouldn't have to wait another day for Washington to act.

* Obama knows that it's easy to propose plans and policies when you're on the campaign trail. You can make all sorts of promises and tell people what they want to hear. But in this time of economic anxiety and uncertainty, what this country needs is a President who says what he means and means what he says; a President who won't just do what's right when the politics are easy, but when the politics are hard; a President who's not just in it to win it; but in it for you.

* In Obama's twenty-five years of public service, his positions haven't changed when the politics got hard, and neither will the policies he pursues as President. The same can't be said about Senator Clinton.

* In the debate the other night, the candidates spent some time talking about the economy. And one of the things Obama brought up was that when Senator Clinton first released her economic stimulus plan, she didn't think that workers or seniors needed immediate tax relief. She thought it could wait until things got worse. Five days later, the economy didn't really change, but the politics apparently did, because she changed her plan to look just like Obama's.

* Another subject that came up at the debate was the credit card industry's bankruptcy bill – a bill that would make it much harder for working families to climb out of debt. Believe it or not, Senator Clinton said again the other night that even though she voted for the bill, she was glad it didn't pass. You can get away with this in Washington, but most of us know that if you don't want to see a bill pass, there's a pretty easy option available – you can vote against it.

* We've also heard Senator Clinton say the same kind of thing about NAFTA and China trade – agreements that sent millions of American jobs overseas. Because only in Washington could Senator Clinton say that NAFTA led to economic improvement up until she started running for President. Now she says we need a time-out on trade. No one knows when this time-out will end. Maybe after the election.

 

And if he ever tells you he voted for something before he voted against it, run as fast as you can.