Dan Curry: Giuliani beats Hillary in ’08; Iraq- Some sort of democracy
Jeff Berkowitz: Iraq is unstable now. I just don’t see your argument as to how the world and this country are better off now than they were five years ago.
Dan Curry: Well, I think because we had to change the dynamic in the Middle East. And, there is a chance that Iraq will turn into some sort of democracy.
Jeff Berkowitz: You think?
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Dan Curry, President of Curry Public Strategies, Inc. is featured in next week’s suburban edition of "Public Affairs." Curry was a Democratic mainstream journalist [using a redundant adjective he would say] for fifteen years before going over to the political or government side. His journalism career included more than a decade of investigative and political reporting at Chicago’s suburban Daily Herald.
Curry worked in communications for Illinois' Republican Attorney General Jim Ryan for eight years [including Ryan’s 1998 AG re-election campaign and his 2002 run for Governor] and U. S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald [R-IL] for the last two years of his senate term-- and now for a number of other Republicans, as well as corporations and private individuals. Curry’s specialty is strategic communication in the corporate, political and media worlds.
Curry is not necessarily backing anyone for President at this point, but he did pick a winner in an episode of “Public Affairs,” which we taped last night. You may read a partial transcript of the show, below, and the show is soon to be posted at PublicAffairsTv.com, so you can watch it on your computer. At that same site, you may also watch shows with Senators Obama and McCain, Mayor Giuliani, Congresswoman Bean [D-Barrington] and many other pols, including 4th CD 2008 Democratic Party Primary candidate and Cook County Commissioner Roberto Maldonado [Chicago].
You can find more of the articulate, thoughtful and often provocative political and public policy comments of Dan Curry and those he likes at reversespin.com.
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Dan Curry: In the absence of us going in there [Iraq], what was going to happen in the Middle East? It wasn’t trending in our direction.
Jeff Berkowitz: It was. The thinking was you had inspectors there. They [Saddam] seemed to be contained. They found no WMD, apparently because there were none. And, so you had a “not good guy,” Saddam Hussein [running things]. We have "not good guys," all around the world and we generally have not adopted the policy (I keep saying “we”; the United States has not adopted the policy) of going around and removing every bad guy.
Dan Curry: Well, the difference is—
Jeff Berkowitz: So, how was he more dangerous than a number of other bad guys? Was he more dangerous than Iran? I don’t think so.
Dan Curry: The difference now—
Jeff Berkowitz: Was he more dangerous than North Korea? I don’t think so.
Dan Curry: The difference now is that these radical Islamic terrorists—they are running around in a lot of the countries of the Middle East, a lot of the countries of Europe, they want to blow up our cities. It is a lot easier to do than—
Jeff Berkowitz: They still want to do that now. And, you—
Dan Curry: They didn’t want to do it back in Vietnam [Curry is referring to an earlier segment of the show dealing with the Vietnam War] —
Jeff Berkowitz: No, but they still want to do that and the government you supported has probably created, in the next few years, a safe haven [for Al Qaeda in the Sunni portion of Iraq] to do it.
Dan Curry: See, here is a part of history that people forget. David Kay, the guy that the media loves to quote because he said [after doing a thorough search in Iraq in the last half 2003] there were no WMD-- In that report, he also said Iraq, when we went in there and looked at it, was far more dangerous than we ever thought because it was very unstable and there was the ability of a lot of groups to move around and join with other groups.
Jeff Berkowitz: It is all that now.
Dan Curry: What?
Jeff Berkowitz: It is all that now.
Dan Curry: Well, it is.
Jeff Berkowitz: It is unstable now. I just don’t see your argument as to how the world and this country are better off now than they were five years ago.
Dan Curry: Well, I think because we had to change the dynamic in the Middle East. And, there is a chance that Iraq will turn into some sort of democracy.
Jeff Berkowitz: You think?
Dan Curry: Yes, I think—
Jeff Berkowitz: You still think there is a chance?
Dan Curry: I think there is a chance. Some kind of functioning democracy. Absolutely.
Jeff Berkowitz: So, you think it might turn out okay…you think the troops are going to be withdrawn pretty much in a year?
Dan Curry: No.
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Jeff Berkowitz: …November, 2008. In that election, a week before, how many troops will be in Iraq in November, 2008, a week before the general election in the United States. Give me a ballpark figure?
Dan Curry: Oh, roughly, probably the same number [as now]. You know, it’s hard to say.
Jeff Berkowitz: Okay, the same number. So, you are saying somehow Bush muddles through, he get funds, somehow this happens and then there is an election—Iraq definitely is the issue…and, you are sitting here and predicting Rudy Giuliani beats Hillary Clinton in a tough presidential contest [Did Giuliani win the South Carolina Debate? See here and here].
Dan Curry: Well, I think there is a chance we are going to have some success. You know, [General] David Petreus is an expert—
Jeff Berkowitz: So, there will be success [in Iraq] and Giuliani wins? That’s what you are telling me?
Dan Curry: Right now, you have—the country—there is a ten point Democratic tilt in generic [preference of voters for Democrats over Republicans].
Jeff Berkowitz: Yeah, some say fifteen points, you say ten?
Dan Curry: Ten or fifteen.
Jeff Berkowitz: People generally favor the Democrats to Republicans.
Dan Curry: But, then you look at the horse races with the top people [Presidential candidates from each Party] and it’s a dead heat.
Jeff Berkowitz: Yes, it’s a real mystery, isn’t it?
Dan Curry: It’s because, I think, the Republicans have stronger candidates [for President].
***************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
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Dan Curry: Well, I think because we had to change the dynamic in the Middle East. And, there is a chance that Iraq will turn into some sort of democracy.
Jeff Berkowitz: You think?
*********************************
Dan Curry, President of Curry Public Strategies, Inc. is featured in next week’s suburban edition of "Public Affairs." Curry was a Democratic mainstream journalist [using a redundant adjective he would say] for fifteen years before going over to the political or government side. His journalism career included more than a decade of investigative and political reporting at Chicago’s suburban Daily Herald.
Curry worked in communications for Illinois' Republican Attorney General Jim Ryan for eight years [including Ryan’s 1998 AG re-election campaign and his 2002 run for Governor] and U. S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald [R-IL] for the last two years of his senate term-- and now for a number of other Republicans, as well as corporations and private individuals. Curry’s specialty is strategic communication in the corporate, political and media worlds.
Curry is not necessarily backing anyone for President at this point, but he did pick a winner in an episode of “Public Affairs,” which we taped last night. You may read a partial transcript of the show, below, and the show is soon to be posted at PublicAffairsTv.com, so you can watch it on your computer. At that same site, you may also watch shows with Senators Obama and McCain, Mayor Giuliani, Congresswoman Bean [D-Barrington] and many other pols, including 4th CD 2008 Democratic Party Primary candidate and Cook County Commissioner Roberto Maldonado [Chicago].
You can find more of the articulate, thoughtful and often provocative political and public policy comments of Dan Curry and those he likes at reversespin.com.
********************************************************
Dan Curry: In the absence of us going in there [Iraq], what was going to happen in the Middle East? It wasn’t trending in our direction.
Jeff Berkowitz: It was. The thinking was you had inspectors there. They [Saddam] seemed to be contained. They found no WMD, apparently because there were none. And, so you had a “not good guy,” Saddam Hussein [running things]. We have "not good guys," all around the world and we generally have not adopted the policy (I keep saying “we”; the United States has not adopted the policy) of going around and removing every bad guy.
Dan Curry: Well, the difference is—
Jeff Berkowitz: So, how was he more dangerous than a number of other bad guys? Was he more dangerous than Iran? I don’t think so.
Dan Curry: The difference now—
Jeff Berkowitz: Was he more dangerous than North Korea? I don’t think so.
Dan Curry: The difference now is that these radical Islamic terrorists—they are running around in a lot of the countries of the Middle East, a lot of the countries of Europe, they want to blow up our cities. It is a lot easier to do than—
Jeff Berkowitz: They still want to do that now. And, you—
Dan Curry: They didn’t want to do it back in Vietnam [Curry is referring to an earlier segment of the show dealing with the Vietnam War] —
Jeff Berkowitz: No, but they still want to do that and the government you supported has probably created, in the next few years, a safe haven [for Al Qaeda in the Sunni portion of Iraq] to do it.
Dan Curry: See, here is a part of history that people forget. David Kay, the guy that the media loves to quote because he said [after doing a thorough search in Iraq in the last half 2003] there were no WMD-- In that report, he also said Iraq, when we went in there and looked at it, was far more dangerous than we ever thought because it was very unstable and there was the ability of a lot of groups to move around and join with other groups.
Jeff Berkowitz: It is all that now.
Dan Curry: What?
Jeff Berkowitz: It is all that now.
Dan Curry: Well, it is.
Jeff Berkowitz: It is unstable now. I just don’t see your argument as to how the world and this country are better off now than they were five years ago.
Dan Curry: Well, I think because we had to change the dynamic in the Middle East. And, there is a chance that Iraq will turn into some sort of democracy.
Jeff Berkowitz: You think?
Dan Curry: Yes, I think—
Jeff Berkowitz: You still think there is a chance?
Dan Curry: I think there is a chance. Some kind of functioning democracy. Absolutely.
Jeff Berkowitz: So, you think it might turn out okay…you think the troops are going to be withdrawn pretty much in a year?
Dan Curry: No.
******************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: …November, 2008. In that election, a week before, how many troops will be in Iraq in November, 2008, a week before the general election in the United States. Give me a ballpark figure?
Dan Curry: Oh, roughly, probably the same number [as now]. You know, it’s hard to say.
Jeff Berkowitz: Okay, the same number. So, you are saying somehow Bush muddles through, he get funds, somehow this happens and then there is an election—Iraq definitely is the issue…and, you are sitting here and predicting Rudy Giuliani beats Hillary Clinton in a tough presidential contest [Did Giuliani win the South Carolina Debate? See here and here].
Dan Curry: Well, I think there is a chance we are going to have some success. You know, [General] David Petreus is an expert—
Jeff Berkowitz: So, there will be success [in Iraq] and Giuliani wins? That’s what you are telling me?
Dan Curry: Right now, you have—the country—there is a ten point Democratic tilt in generic [preference of voters for Democrats over Republicans].
Jeff Berkowitz: Yeah, some say fifteen points, you say ten?
Dan Curry: Ten or fifteen.
Jeff Berkowitz: People generally favor the Democrats to Republicans.
Dan Curry: But, then you look at the horse races with the top people [Presidential candidates from each Party] and it’s a dead heat.
Jeff Berkowitz: Yes, it’s a real mystery, isn’t it?
Dan Curry: It’s because, I think, the Republicans have stronger candidates [for President].
***************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
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