One More Piece of Advice for Kerry Pre-Debate

Okay, everyone has advice for John Kerry and surely his staffers have stuffed his already-bulging brain with an overload of information about catch phrases and taglines and points of attack.

Can they fit in one more word? If so, here's one word Kerry should arm himself with tonight:

AFRAID

As in Iraq: "We are in a terrible, terrible situation in Iraq and you can't tackle the problem until you face up to it. George Bush may be afraid to face the truth, but I'm not."

As in firing staffers when they screw up: "George Bush could learn something from Donald Trump: the importance of telling staffers who screw up -- "You're fired." We've had the worst intelligence failure in decades and George Bush didn't fire anyone. We've had a complete collapse of decency in the Abu Ghraib scandal and George Bush didn't fire anyone. We've had a total mess in post-war planning and George Bush didn't fire anyone. Well, George Bush may be too afraid to fire staffers who let down the American people but I won't be. Everyone makes mistakes but if you fail time and time again, you should be fired. Hopefully, George Bush will learn this come November."

As in Saudi Arabia: "George Bush says he wants to spread democracy around the world. But who are his allies in that fight? Not Canada or Germany or Mexico. No, the countries George Bush is most closely linked to in this fight are Syria and Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Syria has a dreadful record of human rights abuses. Pakistan is responsible for the spread of nuclear knowledge and material to more rogue nations and more terrorist groups than Iraq ever was.

"And Saudi Arabia...[pause as he grasps the shame of it] Saudi Arabia is a corrupt and cruel monarchy that keeps its women enslaved under the most dreadful conditions. Saudi Arabia stifles any dissent and spends its wealth on spreading terrorism and hatred of the US throughout the world. But George Bush and his father and their family have worked hand in hand with Saudi Arabia his entire adult life. They've made millions of dollars together for themselves and their companies. George Bush and his family consider these people their dearest friends and George Bush has always been too afraid to denounce the Saudi government for what it is: the enemy of freedom and the enemy of its own people.

"I doubt George Bush will find the courage tonight to face the truth about the corrupt Saudi government. But if he does, it will be the first time in his life that he's ever done so."

AFRAID.

It will push George Bush's buttons and it's a defining characteristic for him. Afraid to fight in Vietnam. Afraid to try and succeed on his own. Afraid to fire employees who don't do their job. Afraid to back down to the religious right and turning on the children of his vice president instead. AFRAID. That one word will either make him furious or make him stumble. Either way, we win. And you can worry about Saudi Arabia later. They've got no where else to turn.