For any astute political observer knows Kerry’s bid for President clearly lacks something crucial -- call it gusto, call it spunk, whatever. But Kerry's dull presence, and dry humor are reminiscent of Al Gore in 2000, where ol’ Al failed to give an Oscar worthy performance and had to go home empty handed after all was said and done.

However, a glut of “liberal” commentators have raced to the aid of Kerry's candidacy. Defender David Corn dug hard trying to conjure up a smiling portrait of a man who has never spearheaded a piece of positive legislation since his entrance into public life at the age of 27.

As Corn writes in the March 15th edition of The Nation:

“In early 1986 Kerry's office was contacted by a Vietnam vet who alleged that the support network for the CIA-backed Nicaraguan contras (who were fighting against the socialist Sandinistas in power) was linked to drug traffickers. Kerry doubted that the Reagan Administration, obsessed with supporting the contras, would investigate such charges. He pushed for a Senate inquiry and a year later, as chairman of a Foreign Relations subcommittee, obtained approval to conduct a probe.”

Corn all but canonizes Kerry for his “explosive” insight. But what good did it do? How explosive was the bombshell? Not one US official spent a day in jail for the overt corruption. And where is Corn’s Boy Scout Kerry now that the democratically elected president of Haiti, Jean-Bertrand Aristide has been overthrown by rebel guerillas?

Many maintain, including Aristide himself, that his siege was orchestrated by the US government and their financially supported insurgents.

Glen Ford and Peter Gamble of the Black Commentator summed up the claim best in a recent article:

“The Dominican Republic has been a safe haven for the disbanded Haitian army and secret police since 1994. Under the Bush regime, these contra sanctuaries have operated as military bases ­ unthinkable absent the permission of the American-armed Dominican military. This month’s invasion ­ the final putsch ­ was launched from these bases. The U.S.-backed units are ‘very, very well-armed, some of them are equipped with grenade launchers,’ says the Haiti Action Committee’s Pierre Labossiere, who maintains contact with grassroots organizations inside the country. ‘This is the strategy that was in preparation all this time in the Dominican Republic.’”

Ford and Gamble contend that the US had the authority to jerk their extended leash back from the guerillas had they so pleased. But where is that brave war hero Kerry that Corn so craftily sketched? He’s not at the frontlines accusing the Bush Administration to come clean on Haiti, which could be the second sovereign country the current administration has illegally overthrown in one year.

No, instead Kerry is on national TV defending Israel by calling their concrete wall a “fence” during a debate in New York City. Kerry is also defending his decision to allow Bush the authority to unilaterally attack Iraq despite the outright lies and deception. Yes, Kerry is also proclaiming that he will up military pressure on North Korea if necessary. And no, Kerry won’t pull out US troops from Iraq in the near future. And oh yeah, Kerry thought there were WMDs like the majority of his Democratic colleagues.

Looks like Super Tuesday ain’t that super after all.

Josh Frank is the author of the forthcoming book, Nothing Left: How Liberals Helped Bush, to be published in December by Common Courage Press. He can be reached at frank_joshua@hotmail.com.

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