Found this via Powerline . . .
In a brief conversation with Geraldo Rivera yesterday, John Kerry said that he thought the bin Laden tape cost him the election:
"Tough luck, senator," Rivera said to Kerry, referring to the Democrat's election loss.
Trying to recount Kerry's words verbatim, Rivera said Kerry responded by saying:
"It was that Usama tape — it scared them [the American people]."
Rivera said Kerry said the tape came out too late for his camp to rebut and the Democratic campaign couldn't counteract it in time for the Tuesday election.
"Sen. Kerry clearly believes not only is it the security issue that cost him the election, but very specifically the Usama tapes coming out in the 11th hour," Rivera reported Friday.
Kerry also acknowledged that the security issue in general hurt him in the race, Rivera said.
That's a lot more honest assessment than blaming Kerry's loss on Christian fanatics, as most Democrats have done. Kerry's claim that he didn't have time to "rebut" bin Laden is disingenuous, however. In fact, Kerry did respond to the tape, but his response--renewing his charge that Bush "outsourced" the Tora Bora campaign--was viewed by most voters as unpersuasive. And it is hard to see how Kerry could have "rebutted" bin Laden's speech, since bin Laden faithfully repeated most of the Democratic Party's talking points in the election.
Heck, I thought Michael Moore was Bin Laden's speech writer . . .
