Quote:
Originally posted by Tyrone_Slothrop
Maybe he thinks Kerry's not weak on defense.
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C'mon. He's trying to bring civility back, and isn't going to say boo. What he does say, in that context, is clear enough:
"Asked on NBC's "Today" if he thought Kerry was weak on defense, McCain said: "No, I do not believe that he is, quote, weak on defense. He's responsible for his voting record, as we are all responsible for our records, and he'll have to explain it. But, no, I do not believe that he is necessarily weak on defense. I don't agree with him on some issues, clearly. But I decry this negativism that's going on on both sides. The American people don't need it."
When asked on "The Early Show" if Kerry's election would compromise national security, McCain responded: "I don't think that — I think that John Kerry is a good and decent man. I think he has served his country."
McCain, Bush's rival for the Republican nomination in 2000, said he believes Bush has led the nation with clarity since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and that he supports Bush's re-election. "But I would certainly hope that we could raise the level of this debate. Otherwise, we're going to have very low voter turnouts in November," he told CBS. "
(Note the "---" instead of a period in the second paragraph. He didn't say "I don't think that." He started to say "I don't think that . . ." and then stopped. Damning by faint praise.
