Wednesday, June 30, 2004
Boston's Democrat Mayor Savages 'Small-Minded' Kerry Campaign
The party establishment is at war with itself in the Democrat bastion of Boston. Latest blast: Mayor Thomas Menino railed at Sen. John Kerry's "small-minded" and "incompetent" presidential campaign.
The Boston Herald reported today: "Menino, in an exclusive Herald interview, let loose on the hometown senator two days after Kerry snubbed him by siding with union picketers outside a U.S. Conference of Mayors event."
Story Continues Below
"Maybe they should use some of their energies to get their message across to the American people instead of trying to destroy the integrity of someone who is on their team, to try to discredit someone on their team. They have better things to do," quoth hizzoner.
Kerry's campaign sniped back that Menino made the comments because of the "pressure" he felt as host of the national convention in late July.
Menino, furious after Kerry, in deference to picketing police, reneged on his commitment to address the mayors, snubbed him back by replacing him with Republican Gov. Mitt Romney.
The Herald reported today: "Menino said he was enraged to see a local newspaper item saying he hung up on Kerry Sunday. The mayor yesterday said Kerry's campaign floated the story, which he called untrue."
Menino told the paper: "I wasn't angry with him; that's a rumor they're spreading. They are trying to balance out their decision by saying the mayor's angry. I had no harsh words with them."
He dubbed the alleged leak "the failure of the campaign to communicate with the public. They are trying to find scapegoats for their incompetency."
'Team' Teems With Anger
And get this: "We are all on the same team, I thought. Evidently, we're not. This is typical of small-minded individuals who have to create controversy."
Note to Boston's police union (one of the few parts of Big Labor that isn't a wholly owned subsidiary of the Democrat party): If you want to ruin Kerry's nominating gala, set up a picket line at the convention. Menino fretted Tuesday that Kerry would boycott the convention if the cops did exactly that.
P.S.: As usual, the Herald's coverage of the intraparty feud has put the pro-Democrat Boston Globe to shame.
Democrat Mayors 'Angry' at Kerry
And what do Kerry's fellow Democrats think of his snub of the mayors? Here's a sampling:
Mayor Douglas Palmer of Trenton, N.J., president of National Conference of Democratic Mayors: "We're very disappointed and angry that Senator Kerry didn't come to address the mayors."
Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson: "I know there was a great deal of disappointment on the part of a lot of us as mayors that we weren't able to hear from Senator Kerry and that he wasn't able to hear from us."
Menino himself: "Some of the mayors here are disappointed, frustrated, angered by Kerry not showing up. It's all about respect of the mayors, and there was no respect of the mayors."
Woo-whee! And we thought it couldn't get any nastier than when Teddy Kennedy was mocking his Senate protege.
Editor's note:
Boston's Democrat Mayor Savages 'Small-Minded' Kerry Campaign
The party establishment is at war with itself in the Democrat bastion of Boston. Latest blast: Mayor Thomas Menino railed at Sen. John Kerry's "small-minded" and "incompetent" presidential campaign.
The Boston Herald reported today: "Menino, in an exclusive Herald interview, let loose on the hometown senator two days after Kerry snubbed him by siding with union picketers outside a U.S. Conference of Mayors event."
Story Continues Below
"Maybe they should use some of their energies to get their message across to the American people instead of trying to destroy the integrity of someone who is on their team, to try to discredit someone on their team. They have better things to do," quoth hizzoner.
Kerry's campaign sniped back that Menino made the comments because of the "pressure" he felt as host of the national convention in late July.
Menino, furious after Kerry, in deference to picketing police, reneged on his commitment to address the mayors, snubbed him back by replacing him with Republican Gov. Mitt Romney.
The Herald reported today: "Menino said he was enraged to see a local newspaper item saying he hung up on Kerry Sunday. The mayor yesterday said Kerry's campaign floated the story, which he called untrue."
Menino told the paper: "I wasn't angry with him; that's a rumor they're spreading. They are trying to balance out their decision by saying the mayor's angry. I had no harsh words with them."
He dubbed the alleged leak "the failure of the campaign to communicate with the public. They are trying to find scapegoats for their incompetency."
'Team' Teems With Anger
And get this: "We are all on the same team, I thought. Evidently, we're not. This is typical of small-minded individuals who have to create controversy."
Note to Boston's police union (one of the few parts of Big Labor that isn't a wholly owned subsidiary of the Democrat party): If you want to ruin Kerry's nominating gala, set up a picket line at the convention. Menino fretted Tuesday that Kerry would boycott the convention if the cops did exactly that.
P.S.: As usual, the Herald's coverage of the intraparty feud has put the pro-Democrat Boston Globe to shame.
Democrat Mayors 'Angry' at Kerry
And what do Kerry's fellow Democrats think of his snub of the mayors? Here's a sampling:
Mayor Douglas Palmer of Trenton, N.J., president of National Conference of Democratic Mayors: "We're very disappointed and angry that Senator Kerry didn't come to address the mayors."
Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson: "I know there was a great deal of disappointment on the part of a lot of us as mayors that we weren't able to hear from Senator Kerry and that he wasn't able to hear from us."
Menino himself: "Some of the mayors here are disappointed, frustrated, angered by Kerry not showing up. It's all about respect of the mayors, and there was no respect of the mayors."
Woo-whee! And we thought it couldn't get any nastier than when Teddy Kennedy was mocking his Senate protege.
Editor's note:
