Keeping It Right

Keeping It Right is for thought provoking conversationist. It's for those who love to talk about today's issues, yesterday's history and tomorrow's future.

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Location: Texas, United States

Friday, June 30, 2006

I've Heard Enough!

Let me get this off my chest! If I hear one mo' thang about the firing or termination of Star Jones from "The View." I am going to run amok like Al Bundy scoring four touchdowns in a single game. I'm tired ya'll. I'm tired of hearing about whether or not her contract was not renewed or, if she knew or did not know. I'm tired of hearing about the perceived "diva-ness" or lack of class thereof about Star. I don't want to hear about someone betraying the other. As a matter of fact, if a betrayal does not end with someone being crucified, I wouldn't give a rat's patoot.

I'm tired of hearing the same story over and over again. I never thought I would hear the same downtrodden Jones, go on show after talk show telling everybody who actually has the stomache to go through a hour of a bunch of cackling hens discuss nothing of worth while or interest. And what's making the show even more unwatchable is the addition of Mr. Rose O'Donnell. You all remember him, he had his own talkshow that was trying to up-end Oprah, until he decided to debate Tom Selleck about his choice to support the NRA and own a gun. After that, his show went down-hill, especially after it was pointed out that her err!! his very own bodyguard has a gun that he will use to protect Mr. O'Donnell. Can you say double standard, four ply!.

Lets get back to Star. She is not a victim in this matter. She used to be a lawyer, by now she should know that the project she was on for almost ten years is a business. It's a cut throat business that claims a many of a television personality. And if you don't think so, ask Louie Anderson! One day Anderson is brutally hosting the Family Feud, then all of sudden a damaging news report comes out about him and Louie has not been seen.

All, Star Jones did was show off her weight loss, whether it be by knife or sweatin' to the oldies and get something she probably never had for more than lets say two days. A man!! Obviously there is no controversy in losing some weight and gettin' in a relationship. That wasn't Star's problem. The problem is that she claims she has taken the high road, and she probably has while the cameras were on, but in private.....

Look Star, you had a good run, retake the bar exam and do what you studied to do...But please no more interviews..

We got it, you were just telling the truth and you didn't want to lie to the audience and that's why you divulged your leaving earlier. And in response, ABC and Barbara Walters made you look like a honest person and let you go earlier than you expected.

Either way, if you were on or off..I don't care. 'Cause I don't watch the show.

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Back In The Dayz

DNC Chairman Howard Dean has done it again. You would think by now that this guy, who screamed and hollered himself out of the presidential race, would have learned his lesson. Now don't get me wrong, I like Dean and the DNC should keep this guy at all costs. Lets go over some of his greatest hits:

On CBS: Bill Schaeffer asks Dean, what the democrats can offer? Dean's response is classical, "That's easy Bill, it can be summed up in three words, we-can-do-better." Can you imagine if the President had said that?

Next on a speaking engagement Dean says the only black close enough to the republican party is either serving meals or in the back. Thats nice coming from a guy who doesn't have blacks serving on the executive level on the DNC and like 7-UP, Dean never had blacks in his administration and by the looks never will.

But yesterdays biggest gaffe may rank up there as a classic as well. Dean on a speaking engagement with religious leaders said that the country is heading back to the 60's. Now for the old time Southern White folk, too ignorant for change, that's good news and cause to dust off the old confederate flag. But for black folk in the south, during the sixties, is a nightmare with or without Freddie Kruegger. The sixties for blacks, especially in the south, resembled so much of the 1860's. In 1860, Negros weren't freed until 1863. In 1960 Negros weren't free to take advantage of the rights and privileges as a United States Citizen. In 1860, blacks were beaten, lynched and denied voting rights. In 1960, blacks were beaten, lynched and still denied voting rights.

What else was going on during the sixties? there was a unpopular war going on in South East Asia. Racial strife in cities like Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. And who can forget the War on Poverty. I know there are many many black folk who were happy that President Lyndon Johnson opened up the bank of taxpayers for social programs, such as welfare. I mean who would have thought the victims of this just cause, would be the very black folk who was happy to partake of these programs. Yeah, although the programs were free and the process was somewhat easy, it definitely came with a price. It cost blacks, their families. Single parenting was becoming the norm, men out of the household and oh yeah, crime went up.

Are these the sixties Dean was harkening too?

Jesse "Horse Jockey" Jackson

You know sometimes you hope that there is a cause for the Rev. Jesse Jackson to tackle. Something to get him back on top without people like me questioning his motives. And yet, at least once or twice a month, Jesse does something that that pulls him into the muck and the mier of of of oh hell horse bleep.

The latest task Jesse is taking on is representing horse jockeys. You read it right, the little guys who ride the horses, and as of today are most likely illegal immigrants errr!! aliens. I'm not a big horse racing fan, and I have never been to a track, but the times I do catch the last two minutes of this exciting beast race. I notice that the jockeys are almost foreigners. And being the history buff that I am, memory serves me that those jobs, yeah those jobs were held by Black and White Americans. Even the maintaining of the horse stalls and scoopin' up horse bleep was a job held by blacks and whites. Where was Jackson when they jobs went to illegals. It only compounds my opinion that he and other self elected black leaders are still wrong on illegal immigration. But this is not what the attached article is about, it's about a once great man now gravy training off another industry worth millions.

It's a shame folks, where we have blacks still complaining about not getting enough aide during and after the Katrina floods. Black folk still complaining about racism, discrimination and why rappers don't make it on Oprah's show. I guess Jesse is telling us that the fight is over and if it ain't, get over it or in Jesse's case, get on the horse and getty up.

Article:

Jackson Wants to Manage Jockeys' GuildBy WILL GRAVESAssociated Press WriterJune 26, 2006, 7:12 PM CDT

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The embattled Jockeys' Guild may have found an unlikely ally in the Rev. Jesse Jackson. Jackson would serve as co-national manager with former sports agent Dwight Manley in a proposal put forward by Manley to the guild's senate on Monday.

"We'd have equal title, equal authority and basically be a two-person post," Manley said. Manley had originally asked Jackson to appear at the meeting to speak on Manley's behalf. Manley is one of two finalists for the guild's national manager position. The guild fired former manager L. Wayne Gertmenian last November following allegations of widespread mismanagement that left the guild more than $1 million in debt. Jackson gave a 15-minute speech encouraging a united front while the guild fights for better benefits, including more comprehensive health care coverage and a larger share of purses. "The jockeys must leverage their power to demand a share of the industry's growth," Jackson said. Manley said that as Jackson spoke to the jockeys after his speech, Jackson began to feel strongly about wanting to be involved in the guild, which represents more than 1,200 riders at the nation's horse tracks. "He came knowing this would be a big project, and once he was here and got a real taste firsthand, we realized to do this right, that's what the right answer is," Manley said. "It's not about me. It's not about him. It's going to take a lot of people to make that change." A longtime advocate of workers' rights, Jackson said it is time for jockeys to receive the same benefits athletes in other sports such as baseball and football enjoy, including revenue sharing and retirement plans. "Why shouldn't the jockey be some of the beneficiary of his work?" Jackson said. "These guys, with the risks they take and the hits they take, and the medicine they take ... all those who benefit should share in the revenue." Two-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey John Velazquez, who was elected the chairman of the guild's board of directors Monday, said he was surprised by Jackson's appearance but would not comment on how Jackson's sudden addition to the ballot would affect voting. The other finalist for the post, David Stevenson, also addressed the jockeys. Stevenson is a former jockey who now works as a consultant. Current interim national manager Darrell Haire, who had also applied for the job, wrote a letter to the senators last week saying he would also accept a position as a regional manager. Haire said he wasn't sure when a vote on the national manager would take place but said it could happen before the meeting adjourns on Wednesday. Velazquez wasn't sure what to do when his peers nominated him for the position. He had been named the board's interim chairman after Gertmenian's firing. "I almost declined it, but they wouldn't let me," Velazquez said. "It's a lot of work and a lot of commitment. There's a lot of things to accomplish." It's been a rocky seven months for the guild since Gertmenian's ouster. He was fired after riders blamed him for allowing their health care coverage to lapse. Gertmenian said the insurance was canceled because of financial constraints. G.R. Carter will be the guild's vice chairman. Jon Court was elected secretary and Jeff Johnston treasurer. Mark Guidry, Alex Solis, Jerry LaSala, Perry Compton and Edgar Prado also were elected to the guild's board of directors. Only 16 of the guild's 27 senators were able to attend the meeting. The group is also considering moving the guild's national headquarters back to Kentucky. The guild had been located in Lexington before moving to Duarte, Calif., in 2002. Velazquez said he would like to see the guild return to the Bluegrass State. "Definitely, we would love to get back here," Velazquez said. "We're just trying to see financially how we can afford it."
Copyright © 2006, The Associated Press

Friday, June 23, 2006

Damn...Damm!! Damn....

ahhhhh, ahhhhh! dayum ya'll!!! I got caught racial profilin'. I knew for sure that the guys busted for trying to commit a terrorist act on the Sears Tower in Chicago, was some arabs or some pissed off white dude. I hadn't learned my lesson from the Beltway Sniper(s). But this time, I swear on my momma's yesterday that I thought those guys were'nt black. And now this, the first thing I saw on MSN was black dudes.

ahhhh, damn ya'll!!

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

NBA Playoffs and Finals

Finally the Miami Heat has won the elusive O'Brien Trophy. After years of melting down in playoff games and just continuing to be MJ's bitch. Miami finally took its place in NBA History as World Champions. And speaking of the NBA, this years playoff games were off the chain and entertaining. Who would have thought that the year Miami wins its championship. The brackets had the Los Angeles Clippers advancing to the second round and giving the Phoenix Suns fits. Who would have thought that the Lakers would go up three games to one on the same Phoenix team and choke it all away. And to add salt to a open wound, now hafta watch or hear clips of Shaq going on stage and screamin', "CAN U DIG IT?" like the gang leader of RIFFs (The Warriors). Laker fans remember that. Although noone yelled back RIFFS, we pretty much dug the fact that the Lakers had Shaq and Kobe and hopes of more than three championships being won.

Another thing, Laker fan needs to stop hatin' and appreciate. After Magic, Laker fan forgot that on one season, like this one, the Clippers were the team. They didn't have Shaq, but they had Cedric Cebellos aka Club Ced and Nick "Gangsta Hoopa" Van Axel running the sequel to Showtime called The Lake Show. The Lake Show consisted of forearm shivers from Van Axel, two returns from Magic, as a coach and player and oh yeah, Dennis Rodman. Laker fan is upset that the Diesel didn't come in to camp in shape and paid no attention to the fact that this man brought with him fifty or more wins a season. The only time Shaq did not reach fifty wins is his rookie season with Orlando and a strike shortened season. Other than that, you can count on fiddy wins and a bunch of missed free throws. Laker fan also sided with Kobe. So instead of having fiddy wins, guaranteed, fans were okay with one below .500 season and another barely making the playoffs, ahhh thats Kobe's team.

Meanwhile, on the other coast, Heat fans not only get to see topless hot women in thong bikini bottoms, but a hot championship team as promised by da diesel with big help from the guy mentioned after Lebron James and Carmelo Anthony. I guess until those two guys average 30 plus points in the finals, let alone get there. The order is one, Dwyane Wade and you can toss in the other two where you see fit.

Congrats Miami.

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Document found in Zarqawi safe house:

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/06/15/D8I8LJBG0.html

Party of rapist proud to be godless
Jun 14, 2006
by Ann Coulter ( bio archive contact )


I thought I'd put off that column on ethanol subsidies I'd been planning to write this week and instead address the topic that has so riveted the nation -- the hot new book "Godless: The Church of Liberalism."

First of all, I'm getting a little fed up with people trying to make money off my book. Worthless little cable TV shows with teeny-tiny audiences, ridiculous legislators and tabloid newspapers are all trying to make a name for themselves off the profundity of "Godless."

Second, let's pause for a moment to observe that two facts are now universally accepted: Liberals are godless and Hillary's husband is a rapist.

My book makes a stark assertion: Liberalism is a godless religion. Hello! Anyone there? I've leapt beyond calling you traitors and am now calling you GODLESS. Apparently, everybody's cool with that. The fact that liberals are godless is not even a controversial point anymore.

In addition to the consensus position that liberals are godless, no one has made a peep about that swipe I took at Hillary, proposing that she have a chat with her husband before accusing others of being "mean" to women in light of Juanita Broaddrick's charge that Bill Clinton raped her. Hillary beat a hasty retreat on her chubby little legs and is now hiding behind Rahm "Don't Touch My Tutu" Emanuel.

Yes, the Democrats' pit bull, Rahm Emanuel, is a former ballerina. And they wonder why the concerted effort of the MSM (as we call the mainstream media) and the Democratic Party can't lay a finger on me. A ballerina. Hey, if the padded, silky shoe fits ...

The establishment's current obsession with me is the MSM's last stand. They've deployed the whole lineup of yesterday's power brokers against me, and all they've accomplished is to make my book the No. 1 book in the country. In other words, their efforts to defeat me have just created more people like me. Now who's stuck in an unwinnable quagmire, losers?

Take note, conservatives: No American need ever fear the liberal establishment again. It's all over but the sobbing.

Back when there were only three TV stations and no Internet, talk radio or Fox News, it used to be so easy for the MSM to destroy reputations -- Joe McCarthy, Barry Goldwater, Richard Nixon, Robert Bork, Dan Quayle, Oliver North, Clarence Thomas, Pat Buchanan, Newt Gingrich, Paula Jones and Linda Tripp, to name a few of the MSM's prey.

Liberals aren't having so much fun now that the rabbit has the gun.

Last Wednesday, Brian Williams began the "NBC Nightly News" -- currently watched exclusively by old ladies in nursing homes -- with a report on "civility" in America, which has apparently been horribly despoiled by my book. Williams complained that the "explosion in our media, our deafening national noise level and our changing mores have made this a much different era in America than the one our parents grew up in."

Oh, the civility of having only three TV stations back in our parents' day! It was even more civil in the Soviet Union where there was only one TV station.

In precisely five minutes on the Media Research Center's Web site, I turned up some random examples of the sort of civility we got from the MSM before the alternative media allowed conservatives to be heard, too. These are all-new quotes I've never even seen before. There are about a hundred more in my book "Slander."

On Ronald Reagan: "I predict historians are going to be totally baffled by how the American people fell in love with this man (Ronald Reagan) and followed him the way we did."-- CBS News White House reporter Lesley Stahl on NBC's "Later With Bob Costas," Jan. 11, 1989

On Pat Buchanan: "On the road I travel to the mall in Wheaton, Md., two white men severely beat two black women Tuesday. One was doused with lighter fluid, and her attacker tried to set her afire. Both men cursed the women for being black. I couldn't help but shudder: That could have been me. This heinous act happened only hours after Pat Buchanan voters gave him 30 percent of the vote in the Maryland GOP presidential primary." -- USA Today columnist and former "Inquiry" page editor Barbara Reynolds, March 6, 1992

On Lee Atwater: "(Lee Atwater) was a scoundrel, one of the darkest figures to dominate our recent politics, a man with a comprehensively cynical view of his fellow creatures. ... He made it in the most improbable way, learning to dress at Brooks Brothers and keep his funky white trash wickedness too. ... In running campaigns that played on racial divisions, he was something worse than a bigot; he was a man who pretended to be a bigot in hope that it would sell." -- Washington Post op-ed by reporter Marjorie Williams, March 30, 1991

On Newt Gingrich: "So how do you put an end to what Jim Wright called 'mindless cannibalism'? Do you put a muzzle on Newt Gingrich?" -- "CBS This Morning" co-host Kathleen Sullivan, June 1, 1989

Ah, the civility of the old media! Sadly for the MSM, the Silent Majority is silent no more.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Gotta Pay (RF23)

I remember right after Hurricane Katrina hit the Mississippi and the Louisiana areas. There was this huge rush to save the thousands of so called soooo poor and soooo black evacuees leave the flood hit New Orleans ninth ward. And I remember watching this one guy on FOX news give this interview in regard to the debit cards that FEMA/RED CROSS gave out. I remember those cards having up to $2000 on it. I remember all this because the guy was complaining that he only got seven fiddy and he needed some more money to make up for being bussed from his alleged flood ruined neighborhood. As a matter of fact, he compared his bus ride to being shipped on a slave ship. Oh yeah!! I remember that, because, someone was hollerin' and screamin you ungrateful son of a bitch!! It wasn't until later that I realized it was me that was damn near losing his voice at this guy.

And now this, FEMA had doled out 1.4 billion dollars to people who should not have received aid. Maybe you didn't get that, 1.4 billion with a "B," dollars to a bunch of low life people. I hope there is a special place in hell for people who do that. I mean how do you justify to yourself, if you are the thief, to steal like that. I hope all of these losers are rounded up and thrown up under their cells. I mean we need to get Old England medieval on dat azz. I'm talking about rounded them up and putting them underground in cells with rats and what ever else lurks underground. Them, their kids, their big mommas and the deadbeat dad.

Wait! I ain't done, the head of FEMA needs to be hauled off to jail as accessory to the fact. The deplorable job by these government employees and their management is sickening at best. The taxpayers of America have been defrauded by both sides....

I want my money back!!

Monday, June 12, 2006

All About Race...

Have you all been paying attention to the latest squabble in Congress. It seems that there is in-fighting amongst the good folks who call themselves democrats. William Jefferson (D-Louisiana) is under investigation for fraud and bribery charges. A couple of weeks ago the FBI raided Jefferson's home and uncovered vital evidence that may aid in the future indictment of this congressman. Hey folks, the guy is from Louisiana, what do you expect from politicians from Louisiana? Your going to have widespread corruption with it's representatives.

Anyway it seems that the in-fighting in the democratic party is among the Congressional Black Caucus and its white colleagues, specifically "want to be house leader," Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi has called for the removal of Jefferson of his position on the House and Means Committee. The democrats are seeking to finally gain control of both houses this November, is trying to paint the republicans as the party of corruption, citing most noteabley former congressman out of San Diego, "Duke" Cunningham who has plead guilty to fraud. Cunningham's conviction and other perceived acts of corruption from the Bush administration to FEMA and high gas prices is a hopeful lottery ticket the democrats are dying to cash in and any perceived corruption on their side of the aisle, changes the numbers on their lottery ticket. And this is where the problem lays, the democrats (whites) sent a letter to the Congressional Black Caucus, inquiring as to its "feelings" of having Jefferson step down from his committee position. At first the CBC had no problem, but something happened that changed their mind. Theres no way to explain it or illustrate this except to say this. We all have heard some folk say this, "My family and I ain't close, we don't need to call each other all the time and we can go long periods of time without seeing each other, but oh buddy!! let something happen." You see that saying implies that although the family ain't close, in times of trouble and something going down, the family comes together. This is exactly what happened within the democratic party. The white democrats are trying to mess with Jefferson in getting him to resign his position on his committee. Jefferson hearing this, went to his folk, his family, the CBC and told them that he was in trouble. The family (CBC) came together and immediatly threw down the race card and planted it directly on the forehead of Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi, a liberal democrat, has now been branded a racist because she is going after a black congressmen suspected of wrongdoing.

White democrats looking to throw Jefferson under the bus is now looking for a bus of their own to throw themselves under. And if they lose seats in November....

They might want to keep the same bus around.


Article: http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/ap/2006/06/08/ap2804278.html

Thursday, June 08, 2006

Zarqawi Whacked

This morning it was announced that insurgent leader in Iraq, Al-Zarqawi has been killed. He, along with his spiritual advisor were whacked in Iraq actually yesterday. The U.S. Government having cried wolf many times before, actually hired the CSI-Las Vegas Crew to identify the Zarqawi part I and II body parts.

So now that Zarqawi is dead and with internal al-qaeda memos saying they are losing and not making an impact in Iraq and this war except for at least the democrats here in the Good Ole US of A, what next?

Well obviously we continue our good works in Iraq and ensuring that this now Saddam and Zarqawi less country get on it's feet. But is everyone happy about the timely death of this terrorist. I suspect not, take for instance Michael Berg. Mr. Berg's son Nick was over in Iraq seeking work to rebuild Iraq. Nick was nabbed, taken prisoner and beheaded. We all by now have seen the excruciating video of Nick saying his name and the names of his family, right before the Zarqawi led terrorist insurgents took a knife and commenced to sawing off the head of Nick Berg, while he screamed. Nick Berg was murdered, just like nine other innocent individuals. Berg's father was on FOX and instead of thanking the troops and expressing thanks that the man responsible for the murder of his son has been dealt justice. Michael Berg continued the left wing 2006 slogan, Bush lied my son died mantra. He said Zarqawi didn't kill his son, but Bush and Cheney did by invading a country we had no business messing with.

Well lets take his opinion and analyze it a little bit. Bush and Cheney invaded Iraq and we had no business going there, except to milk Iraq out of all its oil. I mean thats the reason the left wing says why we there right?

I mentioned Nick Berg was there for work. He wanted to help rebuild Iraq and Berg according to his short biography supported the President and the war on terrorism. Berg, himself was not in the military, so therefore went on his own dime and time. He probably knew the risk and like any good souled person, went anyway. President Bush didn't send him and for arguements sake, neither did Dick Cheney. But Berg somehow wants to pin the death of his son on the president and the war on terror, real nice.

Next, the democrats woke up to some bad news this morning. I'm sure they are mourning the death of a man, who maintained their, lets cut boot and run from Iraq high. Or, if your Jack "lets quit" Murtha and John, "our boys are war criminals" Kerry, I'm sure they didn't like the news of Zarqawi dying. Then again, they may argue that our boys committed war crimes and for the killing charges of murder should be pressed on each and every boot on the ground.

Yet, still the democrats have hope. The Iraqis still haven't completed their executive cabinents yet, which means they haven't set up their own government. And for that the Bush lied - People died mantra could continue....Oh, Oh, wait a minute...nope that has changed..Iraq completed that today also...So two down and one to go...

Land of the free BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE....

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

06-06-2006

This little quip is aimed at the hypocritical catholic church. Memo to all catholics, 06-06-2006 is a freaking date!! its not the mark of the beast, nor does it call for catholic women to stall or induce their pregnacies earlier.

Two weeks ago the Divinci Code came out and you all were out in numbers downing a movie, about a fictional book. Has the catholic church slipped so bad that they now cherry pick what movies they like? which in this case is the remake of the movie "Damien." I only wish that the catholic church would be so vocal about their priests. To be honest it's kind of ironic, Today on June 6, 2006., a day in which thousands of brave men stormed a beach in France, which will lead to the liberation of France and the eventual defeat of the NAZIs. We in this nation, in compound to media assistance for distaste for todays brave young men and women who laid down their lives, is giving honor and news air time to the three sixes. How sad.

Friday, June 02, 2006

Kerry Attacks Bush Over Iraq Policies
The administration's choice of confrontation instead of diplomacy has harmed the U.S., the senator says in a speech in Los Angeles.
By Ashraf Khalil, Times Staff WriterJune 2, 2006

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) harshly criticized the Bush administration for "disdaining diplomacy" in favor of a confrontational and unilateral foreign policy that has hurt the United States' standing around the world and made it less safe.In a speech Thursday in Los Angeles, the former (and perhaps future) Democratic Party presidential candidate warned that the mistakes of Iraq must not be repeated in the current standoff with Iran.

"War is the ultimate failure of diplomacy," Kerry told a gathering of the Pacific Council on International Policy. "Yet our current leadership has arrogantly discarded this basic principle…. All too often they disdained diplomacy as little more than an inconvenient detour on the chosen path to armed conflict."The result, he said, was an ill-advised rush to war in Iraq that alienated other governments and diminished sympathy for the U.S. generated by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. America's current isolation, and the presence of thousands of U.S. troops in Iraq, is "playing right into Iranian hands…. The Iranians are delighted," Kerry said.Emphasizing that a nuclear-armed Iran would be "a very serious threat to the U.S. and our allies," Kerry contended that the most conservative estimates are that Tehran is at least five years away from developing atomic weapons."There is time for diplomacy to work here," he said, but added that negotiating with Iran is "an uncertain proposition at best."

Kerry spoke before news broke of the agreement between six major powers, including the U.S., to offer an incentive package for Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions. He hailed Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's recent offer of direct negotiations with Iran, but said any talks "must be more than an effort to check the box on diplomacy as they move toward a confrontation."

The 21-year veteran of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee also had harsh words for the Iraqi government. The sight of politicians haggling over Cabinet seats in the midst of an undiminished insurgency is "a disgrace, and this administration ought to get tough," he said. He proposed intense U.S. pressure to force consensus, either by withholding reconstruction funds or threatening a unilateral withdrawal of troops.

Kerry, who voted to give President Bush authorization to use force against Saddam Hussein in 2002, said he would attach an amendment to this summer's defense appropriations bill calling for a total withdrawal of U.S. combat troops by the end of this year. But he acknowledged that the idea would be unpopular. "I know I'm not going to get the majority of my own caucus."On domestic issues, Kerry predicted that rising public dissatisfaction with the Bush administration could translate into huge gains for Democratic candidates in November's midterm congressional elections."There is something bubbling up in America that I believe is going to be reflected in the polls," he said.

As for his own political ambitions, Kerry would say only that he is "thinking very hard" about another presidential run in 2008."And I'm thinking about it a lot earlier than I'd like to because it's clear there are several other people also thinking about it," he said