Kerry says he would have deferred action in Iraq
CAMBRIDGE -- Senator John F. Kerry, questioned repeatedly last night about his position on the Iraq war, said he would have continued diplomatic negotiations into fall 2003 and even beyond to avoid the fighting last spring. He also disclosed that France and Russia were ready to offer last-minute concessions on their opposition to war, only to be rebuffed by the Bush administration.
During a one-hour forum at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, Kerry also declared that he would fight any attempt by President Bush to pigeonhole him as a Massachusetts liberal as Bush's father characterized his 1988 opponent, Michael S. Dukakis.
Asked to reveal himself "as a human being," Kerry sketched out his life story and described his appreciation for the "nobility of politics" and his desire to have "a better [political] conversation in America." When asked for his favorite movies, Kerry was reluctant to answer, saying he loved so many, but under prodding finally offered up "The Blues Brothers" and "Animal House," two John Belushi films, and the audience erupted in laughter.
Much of the discussion, during a taping of the one-hour political talk show "Hardball," focused on Kerry's vote in the Senate authorizing the Iraq war, a position that has hurt him among some Democratic voters.
In most polls, Kerry has lagged behind former governor Howard B. Dean, who opposed the war. But a new WHDH-TV/Suffolk University poll in New Hampshire suggests that Kerry has narrowed the gap between him and Dean to 6 percentage points, from 9 in a September Suffolk poll. Some previous polls had Dean enjoying a double-digit lead over Kerry.
As Washington was preparing for war last winter, Kerry said he would have "pursued more diplomacy." He said he would have allowed diplomacy to continue through this month, and contended that the United States, in the interest of peace, should be prepared to talk to anyone who is willing to negotiate.
Kerry also said the Bush administration walked away from negotiations at the United Nations when there was still a chance to build a united international front against President Saddam Hussein of Iraq.
"I talked to [UN Secretary General] Kofi Annan the Sunday before the president decided to go to war, and I knew at that moment in time that the Russians and the French were prepared to in fact make a further offer," said Kerry, referring to two of the leading nations that opposed the US-led war. "And the administration in fact informed Kofi Annan, `Sorry, the time for diplomacy is over.' Had I been president of the United States, I would have explored what those possibilities were."
Kerry did not elaborate, though he said that if he had been president, he would have gone to war in Iraq if the UN supported the offensive.
Asked how he could beat Bush in the Midwest and South if he were "portrayed as a Massachusetts liberal," Kerry said: "The labels are not what's important. What's important is, what do you fight for, what do you stand for, what is your vision for the nation."
Then he ticked off some labels of his own, describing himself as a former prosecutor who is tough on crime, a "fiscally conservative" Democrat who supported welfare reform, and a hunter and gun owner.
"I think in the end what people want is someone who will offer America the truth and common sense," Kerry said.
He also volunteered that Dukakis "didn't lose because he came from Massachusetts."
"He believed he didn't need to fight back," Kerry said. "I'm a fighter. I'm going to fight back, and I'm going right at this president and remind him that I know something about aircraft carriers for real," a reference to Bush's visit to a carrier in May to declare the end of major fighting in Iraq.
Patrick Healy can be reached at phealy@globe.com.
