The Kerry pile-on

Credit Ryan Lizza of The New Republic to find the most tasteless way to impugn John Kerry's credibility:

He can't even be straight about his prostate cancer. That was the uncharitable--and off-the-record--reaction from more than one Democratic presidential campaign after Senator John Kerry's February 11 announcement that he had the illness and would be undergoing surgery. What should have been a moment of sympathy for Kerry was already morphing into another story about his candor.

It happened with the very first question at Kerry's press conference. "Senator Kerry," The Boston Globe's Glen Johnson demanded, "why didn't you answer truthfully ten days ago when you were asked directly if you were sick, given that you were diagnosed with prostate cancer on December 23 and it's now mid-February?" (Johnson had noticed earlier in the month that Kerry appeared tired and run-down and had asked the senator if he was sick or had a medical problem. Kerry had said no.)

Prostategate will probably soon be forgotten. Most voters won't begrudge Kerry for wanting to tell his family about his cancer before he told The Boston Globe, even if that meant telling a white lie. But the story comes at a moment when Kerry has emerged as the front-runner for the Democratic nomination, a status that makes him the number-one target for both the press and the rest of the field.

'Prostategate?" Is Lizza such a hack that he thinks he's got an issue here? Kerry was informed by his doctor back in December that he has prostate cancer. He recently agreed to a course of treatment and then informed the public of the status of his health. And he chose not to share this information with The Boston Globe until he wanted to. Why? Because it not any of their business. If he needed any other additional reason for keeping it to himself and his family, Lizza just provided it. It's a shoddy piece of attack journalism masquerading as "investigative" reporting. We could put part of the blame on The New Republic, but since they have been going downhill faster than Colin Powell's credibility, that would be cruel. So let's just give credit to Ryan Lizza. Maybe he can use this to wangle a date with Joan Vennochi and they can trade Kerry hate stories over drinks. I think Ryan might even get lucky...as long as Ryan is over that premature ejaculation problem.

Whoops. I guess that was supposed to be private....