Mugger

Russ Smith:

Lockhart, who must not have read the briefing that Kerry supposedly places immense value on the friendship of allies around the world, told the Los Angeles Times, "The last thing you want to be seen as is a puppet of the United States, and you can almost see the hand underneath the shirt today moving the lips." How strange. Listening to Democratic rhetoric, you wouldn't think George W. Bush, who after all has the i.q. of an exceptionally silly foie gras-producing goose, had the cunning to trick Allawi that way.
Dick Cheney takes a lot of heat from his superiors in the media—even though he's absolutely on target in saying the United States would be more vulnerable if Kerry's elected, God save the Union!—but he doesn't give a hoot. Unlike John-John Edwards, the unctuous Democratic vice presidential candidate who's in a rabbit hole now, trying to salvage his (2008) political career, Cheney knows his job in a campaign: kick a dog when it's down. His response to Kerry's slap at Allawi was typically succinct and brutal: "I must say I was appalled at the complete lack of respect Senator Kerry showed for this man of courage, when he rushed to hold a press conference and attack the Prime Minister, a man America must stand beside to defeat the terrorists."
Golly, I suppose the above isn't in the spirit of this "Best of Manhattan" issue. Last year, when I wrote a downbeat column—probably about the fraud called Paul Krugman—for New York Press' largest edition, my friend (and editor) Jeff Koyen later chastised me for being too churlish. Oh, brother. Like Koyen doesn't have the word NEGATIVITY etched across his forehead.
But I'm a sport.

Lockhart is, and always was, a wretched hack and Cheney rightfully hammered him. I can't wait to see Cheney and Edwards go toe-to-toe. Same BS as always, Edwards is a lawyer, and smart, and charismatic. Cheney by contrast is dull, partisan, and was on the board at Halliburton. Cheney will wipe the floor with that little North Carolina esquire.

Now as for the debate tomorrow, Kerry has alot to prove. He sounded downright negative today when interviewed by Diane Sawyer (at least from the clips I've heard, I work). Bush in contrast looks and sounds relaxed, which is the reason he ingratiates himself to half the American people. W's campaign has done a great job of pounding Kerry for the better part of a month and a half and has obliterated any momentum he has. Tomorrow is much more crucial for JFK than W.