Kerry Maintains High Level of Nuance

John Kerry, in a recent AP interview, maintains his uncanny ability to advocate both sides of any issue, has found a new line to straddle: judicial appointments.

Democrat John Kerry said Wednesday he's open to appointing anti-abortion judges as long as that doesn't lead to the Supreme Court overturning the landmark 1973 ruling that made abortion legal.

Setting aside for a moment the intellectual banality of such a declaration, it is important to note that the "landmark" 1973 decision didn't make abortion legal. It was already legal in many states. What Roe v Wade did was to make prohibition of abortion illegal. And the left has taken that and turned it into any limitation anywhere for any reason. Here's what the current debate often sounds like:

Can we please ask underage girls to talk to their parents? THIRTEEN YEAR OLDS WILL BE BLEEDING TO DEATH IN ALLEYS!
Maybe we could ask women to wait 24 hours as a "cooling off" time, just in case they change their minds? THE PRIVATE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A WOMAN AND HER DOCTOR IS IN PERIL!!
How about maybe we stop sucking the brains out of viable fetuses?AAUGH! THE VERY LIFE OF EVERY WOMAN IN AMERICA IS IN DANGER!

But I digress. Back to John Kerry. Planned Parenthood's Gloria Feldt feigned dismay at Kerry's moderation, saying "I'd like to hear him use language that is stronger."

NARAL's Beth Cavendish wasn't fooled by Kerry's sudden centrism, however, stating, "There's a huge difference between Bush and Kerry on choice and this is not going to undermine the pages-long documentation that Kerry is pro-choice."

She's right, of course. But Kerry's "pages long record" as a far-left liberal will undermine his day-long record as a moderate. In the same interview in which he casually demonstrated his "tolerance" for the pro-life viewpoint, Kerry was careful to throw some red meat to the base, pointing to his vote in confirmation of Antonin Scalia to the Supreme Court.

If You're Looking For Me To Admit That I Made A Mistake In My Years In The Senate, There You Go - There's One.
(that's in caps because that's how Kerry talks - ed)

That's mighty big of you there, John. Twenty four years in the Senate, and that's your sole mistake. Quite a steady Eddie you are.

So what would President Kerry do? Here's his vision:

I've heard some people say, well, what's the message? What's he doing? The message is clear, folks: We're going to make America stronger at home by being fiscally responsible, investing in health care and education, becoming energy independent, and we're going to make ourselves stronger in the world by restoring America's respect and influence with a better foreign policy. It's that simple.

Well, there ya go! He's going to be "fiscally responsible," which is Democrat for raising taxes, "invest" in health care and education, because apparently there isn't anything that can't be improved with even more federal money, and institute "better" foreign policy, so the French will stop being so hacked off. A little short on specifics, to be sure.

Finally, in a flourish of presidential leadership and vision, Kerry pledged to be out of Iraq by the end of his first term (that's almost five years from now and corresponds to the end of Bush's second term - some feat!) credited the Republicans for creating 900,000 jobs this year, agreed with the Bush administration on the Israeli situation, and declared that he, like Bush, would re-nominate Greenspan to the Fed. Way to set yourself apart from Ralph Nader!