Fox Promotes GOP Stand on Kerry "Nuisance" Statement
Reported by Melanie - October 11, 2004 -
Mike Jerrick, substituting for Linda Vester today (October 11, 2004) on Dayside w/Linda Vester, opened a discussion with Cheri Jacobus (Republican strategist) and Dan Gerstein (Democratic strategist) this way:
"Hey, did you all read this New York Times - the magazine section - they did a big article on John Kerry, as you can tell by the cover here [Jerrick holds up the magazine, showing the cover], and in it there was a quote, I'll try, ah, this is going to be out of context but that's the way we're gonna have to do it 'cause I can't read the whole darn thing to you, [Jerrick looks at note card and starts to read from it] we need to get back to a place in this country where terrorists are not the focus [Jerrick looks up from the note card and continues] you know, more, kinda like a, ah, a nuisance, ah, like prostitution or gambling, somethin' like that ah, you're never going to get rid of it but maybe you can reduce it, contain it, whatever." (Jerrick's emphasis.)
COMMENT: The article in the October 10, 2004 New York Times Magazine is titled: Kerry's Undeclared War. Here is precisely what Kerry said in the portion Jerrick referred to:
"We have to get back to the place we were, where terrorists are not the focus of our lives, but they're a nuisance. As a former law-enforcement person, I know we're never going to end prostitution. We're never going to end illegal gambling. But we're going to reduce it, organized crime, to a level where it isn't on the rise. It isn't threatening people's lives every day, and fundamentally, it's something that you continue to fight, but it's not threatening the fabric of your life."
Bush referred to this statement in a speech today simply by quoting the word "nuisance." I understand the GOP has a new commercial centered around this one word too. Evidently, Fox got the GOP memo this morning, telling them to do whatever they could to bring the quote up and massacre it, and Jerrick came through with flying colors.
