Not a Gaffe -- A Strategy

Matt Singer has a very important post below about the Kerry campaign's latest descent into scorched-earth politics by questioning the fitness of their opponent to serve. Dean supporters and all Democrats should know that this has become a disturbing pattern of behavior from the Kerry camp.

Indeed, the eerily similarity of the latest personal attack to a previous one demonstrates the Kerry campaign has decided to try to take the low road to the nomination. John Kerry needs to own up to this strategy and either repudiate what his aides have said or say these things himself to Howard Dean's face at this Saturday's debate.

The latest below-the-belt punch from the Kerry's spokesman/amoral sniper Chris Lehane:

"Howard Dean's stated belief that the United States 'won't always have the strongest military,' raises serious questions about his capacity to serve as Commander-in-Chief. No serious candidate for the Presidency has ever before suggested that he would compromise or tolerate an erosion of America's military supremacy. [Emphasis added]

Back in February, it was Kerry Campaign Manager Jim Jordan doing the dirty work for his boss:

Kerry’s campaign manager, Jim Jordan, fired back, “Governor Dean, in effect, seems to be giving the U.N. veto power over national security decisions of the United States. That’s an extraordinary proposition, one never endorsed by any U.S. president or serious candidate for the presidency.” [Emphasis added]

There is no doubt that this will be the Kerry line against Howard Dean. With his strategy Kerry has set a new standard of sleaze. It took a certified loss in New Hampshire for candidate George W. Bush to launch the full Manchurian Candidate/he-has-a-black-daughter campaign of character assassination and innuendo against John McCain in 2000.

Write to John Kerry and demand that he repeat what Jordan and Lehane have said to Howard Dean's face this Saturday at the debate in South Carolina. If Kerry really believes that Howard Dean, governor of his state for over a decade, is not even fit to serve as president, he shouldn't rely his whore aides to sacrifice their own credibility and decency with such remarks. Let him say it to Dean's face himself.