Kerry, “Bush’s Policy On NK Is Reckless”

John Kerry, the U.S. senator who is leading in the race for the Democratic presidential candidacy in the upcoming election, complained that it is reckless of President George W. Bush not to have talks with the North Korean side.

In the press interview with Time magazine on February 9, Kerry replied to the question, “On the process of the election campaign, you strongly criticized the policies of the current president, George W. Bush. What do you think about him individually?” by answering “Why is it harsh to criticize a diplomatic policy which is arrogant, reckless, and ideological?”

“Because he does not communicate with North Korea and does not hold back the Russian nuclear substances, these are reckless,” pointed out Kerry.

He also explained that “Bush is an affable and sociable person. However, I don’t agree with his visions and his ideas. It is the difference of opinion as to what is more important and not.”

On the question, “Are you too liberal to become a president?”, he refuted that “There are some people who tries to attach the label of charlatan on me, but it will not be admitted. The bill in which I took part for the first time when I entered Congress was the ‘Gram-Rudman-Hollings Bill,’ one of the famous bills aimed at reducing the financial obligations.”

Kerry, who described himself as “A Thinking Democrat,” focused on “I will never give up the confidence on social security system and the people who champion for the proper amount of wages.”

maypole@donga.com