GUEST SEZ:

"All Kerry had to do to get this language out of the damn bill was step up to the microphones."

SRS point out Kerry HAS spoken up.

GUEST Replies:

"Really. Wonder why I haven't heard squat about either the language in the omnibus bill, or Kerry's response to it?"

Hmmm, GUEST, can you really blame Kerry for your failure to hear about this? Isn't it more likely that the mainstream media are once again making a bigger deal out of Terrell Owens and a nekkid actress than about a Senator and his reaction to a proposed spending bill?

When DO you hear details of spending bills and individual Senators' reactions to them, GUEST? When one of the presidential debates dared to be about issues, Candy Crowley and her CNN cronies proclaimed it a "wonk-fest" and said it wouldn't affect how people voted because it was TOO SUBSTANTIVE!

Our media think most Americans would rather sleep than listen to details about spending bills and what Kerry has to say about them. Therefore, you won't hear about it. That's not Kerry's fault.

Let's face it: first of all, this language does not ban abortion. It makes it no longer illegal for government funds to go to sex health programs that DON'T mention or support abortion. In other words, it increases the points of view that are allowed to be funded with Government money.

At the best of times, blocking such language would be a hard sell; it would be like blocking the stickers that say "evolution is only a theory." Many vociferous and committed people would support this language, while the opposition would be lukewarm: "I'm fighting to PREVENT people from NOT advising abortion? Huh?"

Now, you and I know, GUEST, that this is the thin end of a wedge, and that it can itself have far-reaching consequences by starving out medical programs that DO provide abortions. But to the average person, who does not want to BAN abortion but who is no great lover of aborion per se either, this bill probably looks pretty acceptable.

The news media then have this to consider: explain in detail what this language will do, show Kerry's response, etc, so that the story will make sense. Or else, ignore the whole thing and show another installment of the Peterson trial.

What's their decision gonna be? Fuhgeddaboudit!

My advice: wake up and stop blaming Kerry for every damn thing.