Kerry On Message

Kerry, at a press conference in Orlando yesterday, took questions from reporters for the first time since early August. A day after his Iraq speech on Monday and hours after Bush's address in front of the UN, he continued to hammer Bush on Iraq. He has a message and he's sticking to it. Here's a review from msnbc.com's blog First Read:

For the first time in six weeks, John Kerry finally took questions from the travel press corps, and he opened on a note of humor. "Where have you been?" he joked. MSNBC's Diamond notes that Kerry took 11 questions in 30 minutes and appeared to enjoy the interaction. She adds that he is using humor and a mocking tone to convey both comfort as well as take the edge off of attacks -- something Bush does very well. Kerry is also increasingly on message and disciplined. For example, she says, when he finished yesterday's presser, he simply said "Thank you" and walked from the podium, without stopping to turn and take just one more question, or to clarify himself one more time as he walked off -- which is his normal way of ending a press avail.

Diamond also says that during yesterday's press conference, Kerry repeatedly questioned Bush's character and judgment. For instance:

"The President needs to live in the world of reality...not in the world of fantasy spin"
"The President failed to level with the world's leaders...
"He failed to talk about the realities...
"He doesn't have the credibility to lead the U.S. in the world...
"The President wants to debate fiction not reality.
"This Administration hasn't leveled with the American people.
"The President has no credibility and has no credibility with foreign leaders.
"The President wants to shift the topic - I'm not going to let him shift the topic. "The President needs to live in the world of reality.
"The President keeps denying facts..."