My first impulse with the Kerry/intern story was to dismiss it simply as good, clean fun’but not a story that would have, as all sexy interns must have, long legs. I didn’t expect to see it on the networks last night (and we didn’t). But I may be wrong.
My old friend and fellow blogger Art Levine of Art Levine Confidential, a certified liberal, wonders if Drudge’s report will be have more impact than I thought. “He [Drudge] turned out to be right about Monica,” Art writes. “Will his new very vague disclosure force the mainstream news media to give the story more traction?” Art and Wonkette have further noted that this story has been around quite awhile, reportedly peddled by “nefarious former Kerry and Clark aid” Chris Lehane.
Another friend, one on my side of the aisle, believes that the story will have traction. She even thinks it could be worse than a lot of stories about politicians messing around. She thinks it could play lots worse than Kennedy philandering stories. Why? Well, she notes, there’s the American gigolo factor (as Ann Coulter called Kerry). The Kennedies had their own money. Kerry is married to an heiress, who, as my friend noted, is five years his senior. Theresa Heinz Kerry, whatever you think of her politics or suitability for being first lady, is a near-babe at sixty-five. But it still would awfully look bad to be playing around on a rich widow lady.
PS. I missed Kerry denying the intern rumor on Imus today. It was somehow the right forum to reply–a hugely popular venue with millions of listeners, yet not one that elevates the story too high or takes it out of blog/tabloid/scandal land. Imus reportedly said Kerry is toast if he lied.
The American public is notoriously squeamish about punishing someone for adultery. So they haul them in for lying instead.
PPS. If the Kerry’s “denial” on Imus consisted of nothing stronger than his “nothing to report” (as reported on Drudge), then my Democrat friends (and, yes, I have some) are quite right to be nervous about this. This falls short of a real denial. Are we in for some monkey business?