September 5, 2008 — Sen. John Kerry today debated his first Democratic primary challenger since being elected 24 years ago and again found himself defending his vote to support the war in Iraq.
The topic came up quickly in the debate at WBZ-TV studios with Gloucester attorney Ed O’Reilly, who says his run was inspired by outrage over Kerry’s 2002 vote to authorize President Bush to take military action in Iraq.
O’Reilly accused Kerry of being ill-prepared for the vote because he didn’t read a national intelligence estimate about Iraq. He also suggested Kerry’s vote was a political calculation to keep his presidential prospects viable, and added that the senator’s current anti-war position is also fueled by politics.
"I suggest to you ... that John Kerry changed to become an anti-war vote when the political climate changed in this country," O’Reilly said.
