During an interview with former White House chief of staff Andrew Card on the November 2 edition of Fox News' The Big Story, host John Gibson asked Card whether the uproar over Sen. John Kerry's (D-MA) “botched joke” would have an impact on the November 7 midterm elections. Card claimed Kerry's remark “has given us some new momentum” but added that “this election is more than about a short-term experience that John Kerry might have had.” Then, a graphic appeared onscreen -- what Gibson called a “little equation ... a 'Kerry equals' ” chart -- showing a picture of Kerry followed by an “equals” sign and then images of House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA), Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), and Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean, separated by “plus” signs. Gibson then asked Card: “Is this what you're trying to say ... that's what you're going to get is Kerry-esque Congress?”
Card responded: “Well, I think it's clear you will.”
From the November 2 edition of Fox News' The Big Story with John Gibson:
GIBSON: Andy, do you think the John Kerry thing has actually had an effect on what's going to happen on Tuesday?
CARD: Well, I think that John Kerry, who carried the banner for the Democratic Party, I mean, he is the leader of the Democratic Party, the last head of their convention. He's the one who put his foot in his mouth and took too long to take it out. And when he took it out, he didn't apologize. In fact, he said he wasn't going to apologize. And it took far too much time for him to apologize for the insensitive remark that he made about the troops. Whether it was a gaffe or not, it was insensitive, and he knew it. And he apologized, but he apologized a little too late.
And it has given us some new momentum. But this election is more than about a short-term experience that John Kerry might have had. It's really about a strong economy, and it's about protecting America. And we have a great economy in this country, and that economy will be jeopardized if the taxes go up. And you know, the tax cuts that are in place are scheduled to expire, so we need Congress to pass an extension of those tax cuts, and it's not likely they will do it if they're controlled by the Democrats.
GIBSON: Andy, we have a little equation here put I'll put on the screen, here. It's a “Kerry equals.” Is this what you're trying to say? Kerry equals Howard Dean, John Conyers, Nancy Pelosi, that if the Democrats win, that's what you're going to get is Kerry-esque Congress?
CARD: Well, I think it's clear you will. John Kerry is not running away from any of those people that you just mentioned, and I don't see any of those people running away from John Kerry. There are others in the Democratic party who have said John Kerry, please stay home.