He's for Whom?

With the election just 30 days away, the presidential candidates aren't punch drunk yet, but they ought to be. Surely, this press outlet has gotten a little stir crazy, so much to the point that it had trouble keeping track of the players last week. Chalk it up to a "527" wake-up call.

First were the usual suspects who were clear about where they stood, OK, no problem. Then came the Billionaires for Bush, but they're actually supporting Kerry. After that came Communists for Kerry; they're seemingly working, albeit in an unorthodox way, to re-elect Bush.

For a Friday report on this Web site following the first Bush-Kerry debate, a member of Communists for Kerry managed to persuade a FOXNews.com reporter that he was indeed a Kerry supporter. His true feelings subsequently were misrepresented in a story that was published here over the weekend.

FOXNews.com regrets the error. From now on, polygraphs for everybody.

by Jeanette Baik

Posted October 4, 2004

The New York Sun describes Communists for Kerry, "the pro-Bush political theater group." Modeled after Protest Warrior, CFK members march with protestors, outfitted in Communist garb and brandishing signs reading: "End tax cuts! Stop the menace known as 'success'!" and "Communists Only Killed 100 Million People. Let's Give It Another Chance!"

Starting in May with only 6 members, they are now 500 strong and are setting up a chapter in Australia. Jeanette Baik interviewed CFK founder and YR Bryan McCarthy:

Q: As you say on your Web site, www.communistsforkerry.com, most of your core members were not born here and have taught other members that America is pretty special. What things do you like about America that you didn't have in the Old Country?

A: I'm from Ireland myself. Jason, Charles, and Rob are all born here. What differs about America is that when I used to come up with ideas like this in Ireland, it would usually result in "a smack upside the head." However, here in the USA, there's a whole free market of ideas. I simply mentioned to the guys one evening that there needed to be a right wing response to Billionaires for Bush. I blurted out "Communists for Kerry" and people thought it sounded funny. Before I knew it, Charles had registered it as a 527, Jason grew a stupid beard, and Oleg was chained to his computer.

Q: What was it like the first time you crashed a peace march?

A: When we first crashed the peace march, they thought we were real Commies and wanted us to march in solidarity with them. They even applauded when Jason (as Che Guevara) screamed "End the Two Americas! Create one Socialist state!" After a few blocks, they figured us out. Then they ran to the cops and the media telling them we were Republicans and that we should be taken away in chains--real tolerant.

In Union Square about a month ago, we got "Get your commie crap out of here. You're making John Kerry look bad. People will end up voting for Bush instead." Duh!

Q: How does the media portray you?

A: The Washington Post fell for our gag. They thought we were real Commies. [Aug. 30, 2004: "And Kerry might prefer to eschew the four-member 'Communists for Kerry' contingent, whose placards advocated a 'France First!' foreign policy."] Meanwhile Steve Miller at the Washington Times was running a story on us and Protest Warrior. New York Magazine also did a photo shoot and interview with us. However that did not make it into print. Seemingly they only run stories about Billionaires for Bush.

Q: I see that Australians are starting a chapter of Communists for Kerry for their liberal candidate, Mark Latham. What is it about your group and Protest Warrior that makes you so popular today? As well as being really funny, I think you've hit a nerve.

A: People have a stereotype of conservatives as old, white, gray-haired guys that spend all day on the golf course. The left and groups like A.N.S.W.E.R. or United for Peace & Justice have now become the Walmart and Home Depot of protesting. We are simply using their own tactics against them and also attracting a lot of young people who would otherwise be drawn to the left because of its rebellious image. Now they have an alternative that is really rebellious.

Q: Who is the next dictator you want to impersonate?

A: Hillary Clinton

doubts whatever about their candidate.

"We're trying to get Comrade Kerry elected and get that capitalist

enabler George Bush out of office," said 17-year-old Komoselutes Rob

of Communists for Kerry.

"Even though he, too, is a capitalist, he supports my socialist values

more than President Bush," Rob said, before assuring FOXNews.com that

his organization was not a parody group. When asked his thoughts on

Washington's policy toward Communist holdout North Korea, Rob said:

"The North Koreans are my comrades to a point, and I'm sure they

support Comrade Kerry, too."

It is unclear whether the Kerry campaign has welcomed the Communists'

endorsement.