The Quagmire Deepens

The Boston Herald today on John Kerry’s Monday kowtow to the local unions, refusing to cross an “informational” picket line and cancelling an address to the US Conference of Mayors:

Every mayor, every governor, every politician who has ever served as a chief executive knows that it requires guts and determination to face down powerful interests. It’s why for nearly three decades voters have chosen for the presidency men with executive branch experience.

This is far more than one cowardly act in the face of union pickets on Kerry’s part. This is a clear indication of the kind of president John Kerry would be – one who would do anything, pay any price to avoid a conflict.

We just spent a week remembering and celebrating Ronald Reagan for being a stand-up guy – whether he was standing up to the air traffic controllers’ union or to the leaders of the old Soviet Union. That’s what Americans expect of their leaders.

So the question today is, if John Kerry won’t stand up to the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association, who will he stand up to?

There’s more here.

UPDATE: Looks like there was more to Kerry’s union sop than first met the eye. He (or I suspect, the former Kennedy staffers in his organization) apparently cut a deal to prevent picketing of the Democratic Convention next month. Kerry’s end of the bargain was publicly stiffing the mayors yesterday.

Interesting development. I wonder if it’ll impact the willingness of the Democratic mayors to put their own political machines to work for Kerry in November?