By Matt Hurley for the TIB Network:
The Kerry/Edwards team released an "out of context" attack on Sen. Zell Miller (D-GA) who has endorsed the re-election of Pres. George W. Bush even though they are from different political parties. Here is what the Kerry/Edwards team wants you to hear:
-- Zell Miller Said 9/11 Commission Report Helped Our Enemy?Now, here is that same quote in the full context of the question via the transcript:
MR. RUSSERT: "Let me turn to the September 11 Commission. President Bush is expected to implement many of the recommendations the commission has put forward. Back in March, you had this observation:
"'I've come to seriously question this panel's usefulness. I believe it will ultimately play a role in doing great harm to this country, for its unintended consequences, I fear, will be to energize our enemies and demoralize our troops.' -- Zell Miller
"Do you still believe that?"
SEN. MILLER: "There's no doubt that it energized our enemy at the time that it was first set up, and there's no doubt that there was a lot of politics involved." (NBC, Meet the Press, 8/1/04)
MR. RUSSERT: Let me turn to the September 11 Commission. President Bush is expected to implement many of the recommendations the commission has put forward. Back in March, you had this observation: "I've come to seriously question this panel's usefulness. I believe it will ultimately play a role in doing great harm to this country, for its unintended consequences, I fear, will be to energize our enemies and demoralize our troops."The Kerry/Edwards team wants you to hear this about Zell Miller's take on the prime time Republican convention speaker list:
Do you still believe that?
SEN. MILLER: There's no doubt that it energized our enemy at the time that it was first set up, and there's no doubt that there was a lot of politics involved. But because of the great work of the chairman and the vice chairman, they were able to come up with some very good suggestions on what we need to do to strengthen our security and our intelligence, and I think that we're going to do that.
MR. RUSSERT: So the commission has been a net plus?
SEN. MILLER: Yes, I think you look at it now and say that, but I also said at that time that they could just say everybody was at fault, and move on, and I think that's what they finally concluded that, there were a lot of people that were at fault.
-- Zell Miller Disagreed With Moderate Message of McCain, Giuliani, and Schwarzenegger?But notice that it doesn't look like he's actually answered the question in that quote. Here is the full context:
MR. RUSSERT: "The other prime-time speakers -- Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rudy Giuliani and John McCain -- are all pro-gay rights, and Schwarzenegger and Rudy Giuliani are pro-abortion rights and pro-anti-gun rights. Should they be speaking to a Republican convention, and are they out of sync with your thinking?"
SEN. MILLER: "Well, of course, I disagree with them on all those issues" (NBC, Meet the Press, 8/1/04)
MR. RUSSERT: The other prime-time speakers--Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rudy Giuliani and John McCain--are all pro-gay rights, and Schwarzenegger and Rudy Giuliani are pro-abortion rights and pro- anti-gun rights. Should they be speaking to a Republican convention, and are they out of sync with your thinking?Here is what Kerry/Edwards would like for you to hear about Kerry's record in the Senate:
SEN. MILLER: Well, of course, I disagree with them on all those issues, but sure they should, because the Republican Party has become the party where diversity is accepted. You know, they talked about diversity at the Democratic convention. There was no diversity in ideology whatsoever. Can you remember when they wouldn't even let Bob Casey, a pro-life Democrat, governor of Pennsylvania-- wouldn't even let him speak at the convention in '92? They have completely pushed out any moderate to conservative Democrat. It's no longer the party of the big tent that it once was.
-- And When Questioned About His Defense/Intel Record Compared to Kerry's Zell Says....However, when you see the whole the statement, in its context, you see a different picture. Keep in mind that John Kerry is running for President of the United States and not Zell Miller.
MR. RUSSERT: "But on defense and intelligence authorization bills, you have the same voting record as John Kerry."
SEN. MILLER: "...(long awkward pause)...I didn't try to cut -- now ultimately he came along and voted for some" (NBC, Meet the Press, 8/1/04)
MR. RUSSERT: John Kerry came out to address the Democrats and said, "I'm John Kerry," and he in fact is ready to serve his country, accept his duty as commander in chief. Do you have any doubt that he would not be a strong, effective commander in chief?Seems to me like the Kerry/Edwards team is worried about Zell Miller and are trying awfully hard to discredit him with the same old tactics...
SEN. MILLER: Oh, yes, I have a lot of doubts. If you will look at his record in the Senate, which is something they didn't talk about at all during the Democratic convention, it was as if he has been in a witness protection program somewhere and didn't even exist, incognito somewhere. He has voted--he's been on the wrong side of foreign policy issues for the last 20 years. If he had had his policies adopted in the Senate instead of the Ronald Reagan policies being adopted, we would still be in the Cold War. We'd still have a Soviet Union and the Berlin Wall would still be up. This...
MR. RUSSERT: Now, Senator, how can you say that?
SEN. MILLER: Because this is a man...
MR. RUSSERT: I...
SEN. MILLER: This is a man who voted to cut every single one of the weapons systems that won the Cold War.
MR. RUSSERT: But aren't you...
SEN. MILLER: This is a man that voted against the weapons system that we're using to fight the war on terror. This is a man who voted against increases in intelligence funding. He wanted to cut intelligence funding.
MR. RUSSERT: But on defense and intelligence authorization bills, you have the same voting record as John Kerry.
SEN. MILLER: I didn't try to cut--now ultimately he came along and voted for some, but I sure didn't try to cut this defense budget.
Stay with the true leader...President George W. Bush and let's not make it close so they can't cheat.
