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Flip Flopping Fun With George W. Bush
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| Arbiter |
Bush says supports fiscal responsibility...
| quote: | Over a five year period, as surpluses continue to grow, we will return half a trillion dollars to the taxpayers who really own it, without touching the Social Security surplus.
(2000 Presidential Election Republican Campaign Platform) |
...and then plunges us into hundreds of billions of dollars of a deficiet. Flip!
He also told us he wanted to "downsize" the IRS:
| quote: | Within the simpler and fairer tax system proposed by Governor Bush, the IRS will be downsized and made less intrusive.
(2000 Presidential Election Republican Campaign Platform) |
But under his leadership, the IRS budget has increased by 32%. Flop!
He used to be a big fan of privacy...
| quote: | Government also has a responsibility to protect personal privacy, which is the single greatest concern Americans now have about the Information Revolution.
(2000 Presidential Election Republican Campaign Platform) |
...but then he signed the PATRIOT act. Flip!
He campaigned on the rights of the accused...
| quote: | A constitutional amendment to protect victims' rights at every stage of the criminal justice system.
(2000 Presidential Election Republican Campaign Platform) |
...but now wants the power to hold accused "terrorists" indefintely without trial or access to a lawyer. Flop!
Once upon a time he was an advocate of small government:
| quote: | Bureaucracy will be reduced and trimmed in size at its upper echelons.
(2000 Presidential Election Republican Campaign Platform) |
Under his management, the size of the government bureaucracy has increased by over 10%. Flip!
He made his position on nation building clear:
| quote: | A humanitarian intervention in Somalia was escalated thoughtlessly into nation-building at the cost of the lives of courageous Americans.
A military intervention in Haiti displayed administration indecision and incoherence and, after billions of dollars had been spent, accomplished nothing of lasting value .
(2000 Presidential Election Republican Campaign Platform) |
But he doesn't think the same now in Iraq. Flop!
These were his ideas on how to preserve the morale of our troops:
| quote: | Sending our military on vague, aimless, and endless missions rapidly saps morale. Even the highest morale is eventually undermined by back-to-back deployments, poor pay, shortages of spare parts and equipment, inadequate training, and rapidly declining readiness.
(2000 Presidential Election Republican Campaign Platform) |
Now he thinks that criticizing "Sending our military on vague, aimless, and endless missions" is what really kills morale. Flip!
Bush told us that it was wrong to give a brutal tyrant the opportunity to develop weapons of mass destruction:
| quote: | Some ask how urgent this danger is to America and the world. The danger is already significant, and it only grows worse with time. If we know Saddam Hussein has dangerous weapons today -- and we do -- does it make any sense for the world to wait to confront him as he grows even stronger and develops even more dangerous weapons?
Remarks by the President on Iraq
Cincinnati Museum Center - Cincinnati Union Terminal
Cincinnati, Ohio
October 7, 2002 |
But he has allowed North Korea to develop nuclear capabilities unhindered. Flop!
After all these mixed messages and inconsistant signals, this is what he has to say:
| quote: | You cannot lead if you send mixed messages.
2004 Presidential Debate #1 |
Can it be? Has the President flip flopped on the issue of flip flopping?
No, don't worry, he still strongly supports flip flopping. After all, he's criticized John Kerry since the debate by saying "[He has] never seen a meeting that would depose a tyrant, or bring a terrorist to justice. "
Of course, at the debate, he said that six-party meetings were the proper way to deal with the nuclear crisis in North Korea. Flippity floppity floop!
You can't lead if you send mixed messages, eh? Well that's OK Dubya, I don't think anyone would call what you've done "leading" anyway. :) |
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| biznology |
Arbiter - the world changed on 911...
Tho that doesnt explain this, or why Rove decided calling Kerry a flip flopper would suffice as a campaign| |
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| trancaholic |
| Arbiter - you're sending mixed mess'ss :nervous: Think of the troops ;) |
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| St_Andrew |
| haha, great post arbiter :D |
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| Fundamental |
:stongue:
Quality postings Arbiter. :D |
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| BadBadNeil |
| I think every president in history has flip flopped. They all promise us roses n rainbows in the beginning. Kerry hasn't had a chance to flip flop as president yet, only in the senate. |
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| Arbiter |
| quote: | Originally posted by BadBadNeil
I think every president in history has flip flopped. They all promise us roses n rainbows in the beginning. Kerry hasn't had a chance to flip flop as president yet, only in the senate. |
I don't disagree with that at all. The point was not so much that Bush is unreliable and changes his position too often, it was that the issue of flip-flopping itself is absurd and, quite frankly, an asinine one to raise as part of a political campaign.
It also shows that Bush is a hypocrite: it's true that most, if not all, presidents have changed positions - but it was Bush who decided to make an issue out of his opponent having done so, even though Bush had done the same thing himself.
To me the fact that Bush's attacks against John Kerry have focused on the issue of flip-flopping rather than actually trying to refute Kerry's position demonstrates a categorical moral and intellectual failure on the part of the Bush campaign. |
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| BadBadNeil |
Yes I don't think the flip-flopping should be a huge issue in the debates, one does have the right to change their minds upon further evidence or when a different sitation that arises, I'm sure most people change their minds all the time on a wide variety of topics.
I don't have a problem with Bush bringing it up because Kerry is known for his flip flopping, especially moreso during convenient times such as the election year (as expected) but I do have a problem with him making it his central argument as you also addressed. To me it is a minor issue that keeps getting brought to the forefront when it has been killed by Bush to the point of being exhausting. |
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| ResonantDrag |
i always thought of kerry as a senator. I never "knew" him as a flip-flopper until june.
kerry the flip-flopper, clinton the waffler. these are page one playbook accusations that guarantee exclusive mud-slinging rights regarding this subject to the republicans. Of course politicians switch their views, any mature adult should have the ability to change perspectives... the republicans just figured out how to turn it into an insult.
it does make it easier when you have someone like kerry who outlines what he'll do versus bush who says he'll do one thing, do something completely different, and then continue to say that he kept his word. If the democrats figure out how to make "newspeaker" an insult, then bush would be in trouble (unfortunately, orwellian references won't have the same effect on the average voter as simple one-liners with no depth).
kerry has proved to me that he is able to now focus on the key issues of this election. his skills in debate will also make him a worthy ambassador for repairing the US's damaged name abroad.
Great post, arbiter. If bush could be seen in this light, what ground would he have to stand on as being the better choice? |
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| Shakka |
| quote: | Originally posted by ResonantDrag
these are page one playbook accusations that guarantee exclusive mud-slinging rights regarding this subject to the republicans. |
Ah yes, it's only the rights who sling mud. The lefties are busy throwing bull.:disbelief |
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| occrider |
| quote: | Originally posted by BadBadNeil
I don't have a problem with Bush bringing it up because Kerry is known for his flip flopping, especially moreso during convenient times such as the election year (as expected) |
Hmmm well actually I took up the flip-flopping challenge and tried to figure out whether Kerry was actually a flip-flopper or not. I looked at that huge long list that Bush 527 groups emailed out to supporters:
| quote: |
Flip-Flopped On Iraq War
Kerry Voted For Authorization To Use Force In Iraq. (H.J. Res. 114, CQ Vote #237: Passed 77-23: R 48-1; D 29-21; I 0-1, 10/11/02, Kerry Voted Yea.)
In First Dem Debate, Kerry Strongly Supported President�s Action In Iraq. KERRY: �George, I said at the time I would have preferred if we had given diplomacy a greater opportunity, but I think it was the right decision to disarm Saddam Hussein, and when the President made the decision, I supported him, and I support the fact that we did disarm him.� (ABC News, Democrat Presidential Candidate Debate, Columbia, SC, 5/4/03)
Kerry Later Claimed He Voted �To Threaten� Use Of Force In Iraq. �I voted to threaten the use of force to make Saddam Hussein comply with the resolutions of the United Nations.� (Sen. John Kerry, Remarks At Announcement Of Presidential Candidacy, Mount Pleasant, SC, 9/2/03)
Now, Kerry Says He Is Anti-War Candidate. CHRIS MATTHEWS: �Do you think you belong to that category of candidates who more or less are unhappy with this war, the way it�s been fought, along with General Clark, along with Howard Dean and not necessarily in companionship politically on the issue of the war with people like Lieberman, Edwards and Gephardt? Are you one of the anti-war candidates?� KERRY: �I am -- Yes, in the sense that I don�t believe the president took us to war as he should have, yes, absolutely.� (MSNBC�s �Hardball,� 1/6/04)
Flip-Flopped On Eliminating Marriage Penalty For Middle Class
Kerry Said He Will Fight To Keep Tax Relief For Married Couples. �Howard Dean and Gephardt are going to put the marriage penalty back in place. So if you get married in America, we�re going to charge you more taxes. I do not want to do that.� (Fox News� �Special Report,� 10/23/03)
Said Democrats Fought To End Marriage Penalty Tax. �We fought hard to get rid of the marriage penalty.� (MSNBC�s �News Live,� 7/31/03)
But, In 1998, Kerry Voted Against Eliminating Marriage Penalty Relief For Married Taxpayers With Combined Incomes Less Than $50,000 Per Year, Saving Taxpayers $46 Billion Over 10 Years. (S. 1415, CQ Vote #154: Rejected 48-50: R 5-49; D 43-1, 6/10/98, Kerry Voted Yea)
Flip-Flopped On Patriot Act
Kerry Voted For Patriot Act. The Patriot Act was passed nearly unanimously by the Senate 98-1, and 357-66 in the House. (H.R. 3162, CQ Vote #313: Passed 98-1: R 49-0; D 48-1; I 1-0, 10/25/01, Kerry Voted Yea)
Kerry Used To Defend His Vote. �Most of [The Patriot Act] has to do with improving the transfer of information between CIA and FBI, and it has to do with things that really were quite necessary in the wake of what happened on September 11th.� (Sen. John Kerry, Remarks At Town Hall Meeting, Manchester, NH, 8/6/03)
Now, Kerry Attacks Patriot Act. �We are a nation of laws and liberties, not of a knock in the night. So it is time to end the era of John Ashcroft. That starts with replacing the Patriot Act with a new law that protects our people and our liberties at the same time. I�ve been a District Attorney and I know that what law enforcement needs are real tools not restrictions on American�s basic rights.� (Sen. John Kerry, Remarks At Iowa State University, 12/1/03)
Kerry Took BOTH Sides On First Gulf War
Kerry Took BOTH Sides In First Gulf War In Separate Letters To Same Constituent. �Rather than take a side--albeit the one he thought was most expedient--Kerry actually stood on both sides of the first Gulf war, much like he did this time around. Consider this �Notebook� item from TNR�s March 25, 1991 issue, which ran under the headline �Same Senator, Same Constituent�: �Thank you for contacting me to express your opposition ... to the early use of military force by the US against Iraq. I share your concerns. On January 11, I voted in favor of a resolution that would have insisted that economic sanctions be given more time to work and against a resolution giving the president the immediate authority to go to war.� --letter from Senator John Kerry to Wallace Carter of Newton Centre, Massachusetts, dated January 22 [1991] �Thank you very much for contacting me to express your support for the actions of President Bush in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. From the outset of the invasion, I have strongly and unequivocally supported President Bush�s response to the crisis and the policy goals he has established with our military deployment in the Persian Gulf.� --Senator Kerry to Wallace Carter, January 31 [1991]� (Noam Scheiber, �Noam Scheiber�s Daily Journal of Politics, The New Republic Online, 1/28/04)
Flip-Flopped On Gay Marriage Amendment
In 2002, Kerry Signed Letter �Urging� MA Legislature To Reject Constitutional Amendment Banning Gay Marriage. �We rarely comment on issues that are wholly within the jurisdiction of the General Court, but there are occasions when matters pending before you are of such significance to all residents of the Commonwealth that we think it appropriate for us to express our opinion. One such matter is the proposed Constitutional amendment that would prohibit or seriously inhibit any legal recognition whatsoever of same-sex relationships. We believe it would be a grave error for Massachusetts to enshrine in our Constitution a provision which would have such a negative effect on so many of our fellow residents. � We are therefore united in urging you to reject this Constitutional amendment and avoid stigmatizing so many of our fellow citizens who do not deserve to be treated in such a manner.� (Sen. John Kerry, et al, Letter To Members Of The Massachusetts Legislature, 7/12/02)
Now, In 2004, Kerry Won�t Rule Out Supporting Similar Amendment. �Asked if he would support a state constitutional amendment barring gay and lesbian marriages, Kerry didn�t rule out the possibility. �I�ll have to see what language there is,� he said.� (Susan Milligan, �Kerry Says GOP May Target Him On �Wedge Issue,�� The Boston Globe, 2/6/04)
Flip-Flopped On Attacking President During Time Of War
In March 2003, Kerry Promised Not To Attack President When War Began. �Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts � said he will cease his complaints once the shooting starts. �It�s what you owe the troops,� said a statement from Kerry, a Navy veteran of the Vietnam War. �I remember being one of those guys and reading news reports from home. If America is at war, I won�t speak a word without measuring how it�ll sound to the guys doing the fighting when they�re listening to their radios in the desert.�� (Glen Johnson, �Democrats On The Stump Plot Their War Rhetoric,� The Boston Globe, 3/11/03)
But Weeks Later, With Troops Just Miles From Baghdad, Kerry Broke His Pledge. ��What we need now is not just a regime change in Saddam Hussein and Iraq, but we need a regime change in the United States,� Kerry said in a speech at the Peterborough Town Library. Despite pledging two weeks ago to cool his criticism of the administration once war began, Kerry unleashed a barrage of criticism as US troops fought within 25 miles of Baghdad.� (Glen Johnson, �Kerry Says Us Needs Its Own �Regime Change,�� The Boston Globe, 4/3/03)
Flip-Flopped On Death Penalty For Terrorists
In 1996, Kerry Attacked Governor Bill Weld For Supporting Death Penalty For Terrorists. KERRY: �Your policy would amount to a terrorist protection policy. Mine would put them in jail.� (1996 Massachusetts Senate Debate, 9/16/96)
In 1996, Kerry Said, �You Can Change Your Mind On Things, But Not On Life-And-Death Issues.� (Timothy J. Connolly, �The �Snoozer� Had Some Life,� [Worcester, MA] Telegram & Gazette, 7/3/96)
But, In 2002, Kerry Said He Supported Death Penalty For Terrorists. KERRY: �The law of the land is the law of the land, but I have also said that I am for the death penalty for terrorists because terrorists have declared war on your country.� (NBC�s �Meet The Press,� 12/1/02)
Flip-Flopped On No Child Left Behind
Kerry Voted For No Child Left Behind Act. (H.R. 1, CQ Vote #371: Adopted 87-10: R 44-3; D 43-6; I 0-1, 12/18/01, Kerry Voted Yea)
But Now Kerry Is Attacking No Child Left Behind As �Mockery.� �Between now and the time I�m sworn in January 2005, I�m going to use every day to make this president accountable for making a mockery of the words �No Child Left Behind.�� (Holly Ramer, �Kerry Wants To Make �Environmental Justice� A Priority,� The Associated Press, 4/22/03)
Kerry Trashed NCLB As �Unfunded Mandate� With �Laudable� Goals. �Kerry referred to [No Child Left Behind] as an �unfunded mandate� with �laudable� goals. �Without the resources, education reform is a sham,� Kerry said. �I can�t wait to crisscross this country and hold this president accountable for making a mockery of the words �no child left behind.��� (Matt Leon, �Sen. Kerry In Tune With Educators,� The [Quincy, MA] Patriot Ledger, 7/11/03)
Flip-Flopped On Affirmative Action
In 1992, Kerry Called Affirmative Action �Inherently Limited And Divisive.� �[W]hile praising affirmative action as �one kind of progress� that grew out of civil rights court battles, Kerry said the focus on a rights-based agenda has �inadvertently driven most of our focus in this country not to the issue of what is happening to the kids who do not get touched by affirmative action, but � toward an inherently limited and divisive program which is called affirmative action.� That agenda is limited, he said, because it benefits segments of black and minority populations, but not all. And it is divisive because it creates a �perception and a reality of reverse discrimination that has actually engendered racism.�� (Lynne Duke, �Senators Seek Serious Dialogue On Race,� The Washington Post, 4/8/92)
In 2004, Kerry Denied Ever Having Called Affirmative Action �Divisive.� CNN�s KELLY WALLACE: �We caught up with the Senator, who said he never called affirmative action divisive, and accused Clark of playing politics.� SEN. KERRY: �That�s not what I said. I said there are people who believe that. And I said mend it, don�t end it. He�s trying to change what I said, but you can go read the quote. I said very clearly I have always voted for it. I�ve always supported it. I�ve never, ever condemned it. I did what Jim Clyburn did and what Bill Clinton did, which is mend it. And Jim Clyburn wouldn�t be supporting it if it were otherwise. So let�s not have any politics here. Let�s keep the truth.� (CNN�s �Inside Politics,� 1/30/04)
Flip-Flopped On Ethanol
Kerry Twice Voted Against Tax Breaks For Ethanol. (S. Con. Res. 18, CQ Vote #44: Rejected 48-52: R 11-32; D 37-20, 3/23/93, Kerry Voted Nay; S. Con. Res. 18, CQ Vote #68: Motion Agreed To 55-43: R 2-40; D 53-3, 3/24/93, Kerry Voted Yea)
Kerry Voted Against Ethanol Mandates. (H.R. 4624, CQ Vote #255: Motion Agreed To 51-50: R 19-25; D 31-25, 8/3/94, Kerry Voted Nay)
Kerry Voted Twice To Increase Liability On Ethanol, Making It Equal To Regular Gasoline. (S. 517, CQ Vote #87: Motion Agreed To 57-42: R 38-10; D 18-32; I 1-0, 4/25/02 Kerry Voted Nay; S. 14, CQ Vote #208: Rejected 38-57: R 9-40; D 28-17; I 1-0, 6/5/03, Kerry Voted Yea)
On The Campaign Trail, Though, Kerry Is For Ethanol. KERRY: �I�m for ethanol, and I think it�s a very important partial ingredient of the overall mix of alternative and renewable fuels we ought to commit to.� (MSNBC/DNC, Democrat Presidential Candidate Debate, Des Moines, IA, 11/24/03)
Flip-Flopped On Cuba Sanctions
Senator Kerry Has Long Voted Against Stronger Cuba Sanctions. (H.R. 927, CQ Vote #489, Motion Rejected 59-36: R 50-2; D 9-34, 10/17/95, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 955, CQ Vote #183: Rejected 38-61: R 5-49; D 33-12, 7/17/97, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 1234, CQ Vote #189, Motion Agreed To 55-43: R 43-10; D 12-33, 6/30/99, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 2549, CQ Vote #137: Motion Agreed To 59-41: R 52-3; D 7-38, 6/20/00, Kerry Voted Nay)
In 2000, Kerry Said Florida Politics Is Only Reason Cuba Sanctions Still In Place. �Senator John F. Kerry, the Massachusetts Democrat and member of the Foreign Relations Committee, said in an interview that a reevaluation of relations with Cuba was �way overdue.� �We have a frozen, stalemated, counterproductive policy that is not in humanitarian interests nor in our larger credibility interest in the region,� Kerry said. � �It speaks volumes about the problems in the current American electoral process. � The only reason we don�t reevaluate the policy is the politics of Florida.�� (John Donnelly, �Policy Review Likely On Cuba,� The Boston Globe, 4/9/00)
Now Kerry Panders To Cuban Vote, Saying He Would Not Lift Embargo Against Cuba. TIM RUSSERT: �Would you consider lifting sanctions, lifting the embargo against Cuba?� SEN. KERRY: �Not unilaterally, not now, no.� (NBC�s �Meet The Press,� 8/31/03)
Kerry Does Not Support �Opening Up The Embargo Wily Nilly.� �Kerry said he believes in �engagement� with the communist island nation but that does not mean, �Open up the dialogue.� He believes it �means travel and perhaps even remittances or cultural exchanges� but he does not support �opening up the embargo wily nilly.�� (Daniel A. Ricker, �Kerry Says Bush Did Not Build A �Legitimate Coalition� In Iraq,� The Miami Herald, 11/25/03)
Flip-Flopped On NAFTA
Kerry Voted For NAFTA. (H.R. 3450, CQ Vote #395: Passed 61-38: R 34-10; D 27-28, 11/20/93, Kerry Voted Yea)
Kerry Recognized NAFTA Is Our Future. ��NAFTA recognizes the reality of today�s economy - globalization and technology,� Kerry said. �Our future is not in competing at the low-level wage job; it is in creating high-wage, new technology jobs based on our skills and our productivity.�� (John Aloysius Farrell, �Senate�s OK Finalizes NAFTA Pact,� The Boston Globe, 11/21/93)
Now, Kerry Expresses Doubt About NAFTA. �Kerry, who voted for NAFTA in 1993, expressed some doubt about the strength of free-trade agreements. �If it were before me today, I would vote against it because it doesn�t have environmental or labor standards in it,� he said.� (David Lightman, �Democrats Battle For Labor�s Backing,� Hartford Courant, 8/6/03)
Flip-Flopped On Double Taxation Of Dividends
December 2002: Kerry Favored Ending Double Taxation Of Dividends. �[T]o encourage investments in the jobs of the future - I think we should eliminate the tax on capital gains for investments in critical technology companies - zero capital gains on $100 million issuance of stock if it�s held for 5 years and has created real jobs. And we should attempt to end the double taxation of dividends.� (Sen. John Kerry, Remarks At The City Club Of Cleveland, 12/3/02)
May 2003: Kerry Said He Opposed Ending Double Taxation Of Dividends. �Kerry also reiterated his opposition to the Republican plan to cut taxes on stock dividends. �This is not the time for a dividends tax cut that goes to individuals,� he said.� (�Kerry Says Time Is On Dems� Side,� The Associated Press, 5/8/03)
Flip-Flopped On Raising Taxes During Economic Downturn
September 2001: Said Should Not Raise Taxes In Economic Downturn. �The first priority is the economy of our nation. And when you have a downturn in the economy, the last thing you do is raise taxes or cut spending. We shouldn�t do either. We need to maintain a course that hopefully will stimulate the economy. . . . No, we should not raise taxes, but we have to put everything on the table to take a look at why we have this structural problem today. . . .[Y]ou don�t want to raise taxes.� (NBC�s �Meet The Press,� 9/2/01)
We Should �Absolutely Not Raise Taxes.� �Well, I think it�s very clear what I favor because we voted for it early in the spring, which was the Democratic budget alternative that had triggers in it where you didn�t wind up spending money you don�t have. It had a smaller tax cut but more tax cut for a stimulus, which is what we need. So you ask me, what do we need now? Yes, we need additional stimulus. We should absolutely not raise taxes. We should not cut spending. What we need to do is drive the economy of this country. The economy is the number one issue. It is the most important thing we should focus on.� (CNN�s �Evans, Novak, Hunt & Shields,� 9/8/01)
April 2002: Said He Wanted Larger Tax Cut And Was �Not In Favor Of� Repeal. CNN�s TUCKER CARLSON: �Senator Kerry . . . [many Democrats] [g]et a lot of political mileage out of criticizing [President Bush�s tax cut], but nobody has the courage to say repeal it. Are you for repealing it?� KERRY: �It�s not a question of courage. . . . And it�s not an issue right now. We passed appropriately a tax cut as a stimulus, some $40 billion. Many of us thought it should have even maybe been a little bit larger this last year � [T]he next tax cut doesn�t take effect until 2004. If we can grow the economy enough between now and then, if we have sensible policies in place and make good choices, who knows what our choices will be. So it�s simply not a ripe issue right now. And I�m not in favor of turning around today and repealing it.� (CNN�s �Crossfire,� 4/16/02)
December 2002: Flip-Flopped, Would Keep Tax Cuts From Taking Effect. NBC�s TIM RUSSERT: �Senator . . . should we freeze or roll back the Bush tax cut?� KERRY: �Well, I wouldn�t take away from people who�ve already been given their tax cut � What I would not do is give any new Bush tax cuts.� � RUSSERT: �So the tax cut that�s scheduled to be implemented in the coming years �� KERRY: �No new tax cut under the Bush plan. . . . It doesn�t make economic sense.� � RUSSERT: �Now, this is a change �� (NBC�s �Meet The Press,� 12/1/02)
Called For Freeze Of Bush Tax Cuts In Favor Of Year-Long Suspension Of Payroll Taxes On First $10,000 Of Personal Income. �Kerry said Bush�s tax cuts have mainly benefited the rich while doing little for the economy. Kerry is proposing to halt Bush�s additional tax cuts and instead impose a yearlong suspension of payroll taxes on the first $10,000 of income to help the poor and middle class.� (Tyler Bridges, �Kerry Visits Miami To Start Raising Funds,� The Miami Herald, 12/7/02)
Flip-Flopped On Small Business Income Taxes
Kerry Voted Against Exempting Small Businesses And Family Farms From Clinton Income Tax Increase. (S. Con. Res. 18, CQ Vote #79: Motion Agreed To 54-45: R 0-43; D 54-2, 3/25/93, Kerry Voted Yea)
Three Months Later, Kerry Voted In Favor Of Proposal To Exclude Small Businesses From The Increased Income Tax. (S. 1134, CQ Vote #171: Motion Rejected 56-42: R 43-0; D 13-42, 6/24/93, Kerry Voted Yea)
Kerry Claimed He Fought To Exempt Small Businesses From Income Tax Increases. �I worked to amend the reconciliation bill so that it would � exempt small businesses who are classified as subchapter S corporations from the increased individual income tax.� (Sen. John Kerry, Congressional Record, 6/29/93, p. S 8268)
Kerry Flip-Flopped On 50-Cent Gas Tax Increase
In 1994, Kerry Backed Half-Dollar Increase In Gas Tax. �Kerry said [the Concord Coalition�s scorecard] did not accurately reflect individual lawmakers� efforts to cut the deficit. �It doesn�t reflect my $43 billion package of cuts or my support for a 50-cent increase in the gas tax,� Kerry said.� (Jill Zuckman, �Deficit-Watch Group Gives High Marks To 7 N.E. Lawmakers,� The Boston Globe, 3/1/94)
Two Years Later, Kerry Flip-Flopped. �Kerry no longer supports the 50-cent [gas tax] hike, nor the 25-cent hike proposed by the [Concord] coalition.� (Michael Grunwald, �Kerry Gets Low Mark On Budgeting,� The Boston Globe, 4/30/96)
Flip-Flopped On Leaving Abortion Up To States
Kerry Used To Say Abortion Should Be Left Up To States. �I think the question of abortion is one that should be left for the states to decide,� Kerry said during his failed 1972 Congressional bid. (�John Kerry On The Issues,� The [Lowell, MA] Sun, 10/11/72)
Now Kerry Says Abortion Is Law Of Entire Nation. �The right to choose is the law of the United States. No person has the right to infringe on that freedom. Those of us who are in government have a special responsibility to see to it that the United States continues to protect this right, as it must protect all rights secured by the constitution.� (Sen. John Kerry [D-MA], Congressional Record, 1/22/85)
Flip-Flopped On Litmus Tests For Judicial Nominees
Kerry Used To Oppose Litmus Tests For Judicial Nominees. �Throughout two centuries, our federal judiciary has been a model institution, one which has insisted on the highest standards of conduct by our public servants and officials, and which has survived with undiminished respect. Today, I fear that this institution is threatened in a way that we have not seen before. � This threat is that of the appointment of a judiciary which is not independent, but narrowly ideological, through the systematic targeting of any judicial nominee who does not meet the rigid requirements of litmus tests imposed �� (Sen. John Kerry, Congressional Record, 2/3/86, p. S864)
But Now Kerry Says He Would Only Support Supreme Court Nominees Who Pledge To Uphold Roe v. Wade. �The potential retirement of Supreme Court justices makes the 2004 presidential election especially important for women, Senator John F. Kerry told a group of female Democrats yesterday, and he pledged that if elected president he would nominate to the high court only supporters of abortion rights under its Roe v. Wade decision. � �Any president ought to appoint people to the Supreme Court who understand the Constitution and its interpretation by the Supreme Court. In my judgment, it is and has been settled law that women, Americans, have a defined right of privacy and that the government does not make the decision with respect to choice. Individuals do.�� (Glen Johnson, �Kerry Vows Court Picks To Be Abortion-Rights Supporters,� The Boston Globe, 4/9/03)
Flip-Flopped On Federal Health Benefits
In 1993, Kerry Expressed Doubts That Federal Employees Health Benefits System Worked Well. �Hillary Rodham Clinton today offered a fresh description of one of the most confusing elements of the Administration health care plan, the health insurance purchasing alliances, saying they would let all Americans choose coverage in the way members of Congress do. � Senator John Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts, said he was not sure that the Federal program worked all that well.� (Adam Clymer, �Hillary Clinton Says Health Plan Will Be Familiar,� The New York Times, 12/8/93)
Kerry Expressed Personal Dissatisfaction With His Coverage Through Federal Program. �Earlier this month, when Hillary Rodham Clinton came to Boston and vowed that average Americans would get as good coverage as that enjoyed by their senators and representatives, Sen. John F. Kerry told Clinton that he thought the country could do better. The Massachusetts Democrat said he was thinking, among other recent disasters, of his $500 dental bill for treatment of an abscessed tooth. �Because it was done in the dentist�s office, rather than the hospital, they didn�t cover it. So they were urging me to go spend twice as much in a hospital,� said Kerry, who is covered by BACE, the Beneficial Association of Capitol Employees.� (Ana Puga, �Lawmakers Talk Health Care,� The Boston Globe, 12/19/93)
Now, On Campaign Trail, Kerry Is Enthusiastic About Health Care He Receives As Senator. �As a U.S. Senator, I could get the best health care in the world. Most people aren�t so lucky, and we need to change that. That�s why my plan gives every American access to the same kind of health care that members of Congress give themselves. � Because your family�s health care is just as important as any politicians� in Washington.� (Sen. John Kerry, �Affordable Health Care For All Americans,� Remarks At Mercy Medical, Cedar Rapids, IA, 12/14/03)
Kerry: �I�m Going To Make Available To Every American The Same Health Care Plan That Senators And Congressmen Give Themselves �� (Sen. John Kerry, AARP Democrat Candidate Debate, Bedford, NH, 11/18/03)
Flip-Flopped On Tax Credits For Small Business Health
In 2001, Kerry Voted Against Amendment Providing $70 Billion For Tax Credits For Small Business To Purchase Health Insurance. (H. Con. Res. 83, CQ Vote #83: Rejected 49-51: R 48-2; D 1-49, 4/5/01, Kerry Voted Nay)
Now, Kerry Promises Refundable Tax Credits To Small Businesses For Health Coverage. �Refundable tax credits for up to 50 percent of the cost of coverage will be offered to small businesses and their employees to make health care more affordable.� (�John Kerry�s Plan To Make Health Care Affordable To Every American,� John Kerry For President Website, www.johnkerry.com, Accessed 1/21/04)
Flip-Flopped On Health Coverage
In 1994, Kerry Said Democrats Push Health Care Too Much. �[Kerry] said Kennedy and Clinton�s insistence on pushing health care reform was a major cause of the Democratic Party�s problems at the polls.� (Joe Battenfeld, �Jenny Craig Hit With Sex Harassment Complaint - By Men,� Boston Herald, 11/30/94)
But Now Kerry Calls Health Care His �Passion.� �Sen. John Kerry says expanding coverage is �my passion.�� (Susan Page, �Health Specifics Could Backfire On Candidates,� USA Today, 6/2/03)
Flip-Flopped On Welfare Reform
In 1993, Kerry Voted To Kill Bipartisan Welfare Work Requirement. In 1993, Kerry and Kennedy voted against a welfare-to-work requirement that was supported by many Democrats, including Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Harry Reid (D-NV):
Fiscal 1993 Supplemental Appropriations - Welfare Work Requirement. �Moynihan, D-N.Y., motion to table (kill) the D�Amato, R-N.Y., amendment to sharply cut federal welfare administration aid to states that do not, within a year, require at least 10 percent of their able-bodied welfare recipients without dependents to work. The required workfare participation rate would be increased by 2 percent a year until 50 percent were working.� (H.R. 2118, CQ Vote #163: Rejected 34-64: R 1-42; D 33-22, 6/22/93, Kerry Voted Yea)
But In 1996, Kerry Voted For Welfare Reform. (H.R. 3734, CQ Vote #262: Adopted 78-21: R 53-0; D 25-21, 8/1/96, Kerry Voted Yea)
Flip-Flops On Stock Options Expensing
Kerry Used To Oppose Expensing Stock Options. �Democratic Senator John F. Kerry was among those fighting expensing of stock options.� (Sue Kirchhoff, �Senate Blocks Options,� The Boston Globe, 7/16/02)
Kerry Said Expensing Options Would Not �Benefit The Investing Public.� KERRY: �Mr. President, the Financial Accounting Standards Board � has proposed a rule that will require companies to amortize the value of stock options and deduct them off of their earnings statements � I simply cannot see how the FASB rule, as proposed, will benefit the investing public.� (Sen. John Kerry, Congressional Record, 3/10/94, p. S2772)
But Now Kerry Says He Supports Carrying Of Stock Options As Corporate Expense. �On an issue related to corporate scandals, Kerry for the first time endorsed the carrying of stock options as a corporate expense. The use of stock options was abused by some companies and contributed to overly optimistic balance sheets. Kerry applauded steps by Microsoft Corp. to eliminate stock options for employees and said all publicly traded companies should be required to expense such options.� (Dan Balz, �Kerry Raps Bush Policy On Postwar Iraq,� The Washington Post, 7/11/03)
Flip-Flopped On Medical Marijuana
Kerry Said His �Personal Disposition Is Open To The Issue Of Medical Marijuana.� �Aaron Houston of the Granite Staters for Medical Marijuana said that just a month ago Mr. Kerry seemed to endorse medical marijuana use, and when asked about the content of his mysterious study, said, �I am trying to find out. I don�t know.� Mr. Kerry did say his �personal disposition is open to the issue of medical marijuana� and that he�d stop Drug Enforcement Administration raids on patients using the stuff under California�s medical marijuana law.� (Jennifer Harper, �Inside Politics,� The Washington Times, 8/8/03)
But Now Kerry Says He Wants To Wait For Study Analyzing Issue Before Making Final Decision. �The Massachusetts Democrat said Wednesday he�d put off any final decision on medical marijuana because there�s �a study under way analyzing what the science is.�� (Jennifer Harper, �Inside Politics,� The Washington Times, 8/8/03)
Flip-Flopped On Burma Sanctions
In 1995, Kerry Was Against Burma Sanctions. ��I question whether isolation is a successful means of promoting political change,� Kerry told a constituent in a 1995 letter justifying his opposition to a Burma sanction bill.� (Geeta Anand, et al., �Menino Gets Ahead Of Himself, Starts Contemplating Third Term,� The Boston Globe, 5/18/97)
But Now Kerry Supports Burma Sanctions. �In his 1996 reelection campaign, Kerry, after Governor William F. Weld took up the cause, was badgered by advisers into shifting his position. But as he eyes a presidential campaign and the Burma sanction movement gains credibility, Kerry � describes the Burma regime as a �semi-criminalized dictatorship � which should not be treated with respect by other nations, but should be instead subject to limitations on travel, investment, and access to the most developed nations.�� (Geeta Anand, et al., �Menino Gets Ahead Of Himself, Starts Contemplating Third Term,� The Boston Globe, 5/18/97)
Flip-Flopped On Military Experience As Credential For Public Office
Kerry: Service Should Not Be �Litmus Test� For Leadership. �Mr. President, you and I know that if support or opposition to the war were to become a litmus test for leadership, America would never have leaders or recover from the divisions created by that war. You and I know that if service or nonservice in the war is to become a test of qualification for high office, you would not have a Vice President, nor would you have a Secretary of Defense and our Nation would never recover from the divisions created by that war.� (Sen. John Kerry, Congressional Record, 10/08/92, p. S17709)
But Now Kerry Constantly �Challenges The Stature Of His Democratic Opponents� Over Their Lack Of Military Service. �And more than ever, Mr. Kerry is invoking his stature as a Vietnam veteran as he challenges the stature of his Democratic opponents -- none of whom, he frequently points out, have �worn the uniform of our country� -- to withstand a debate with Mr. Bush on national security.� (Adam Nagourney, �As Campaign Tightens, Kerry Sharpens Message,� The New York Times, 8/10/03)
Flip-Flopped On PACs
Kerry Used To Decry �Special Interests And Their PAC Money.� ��I�m frequently told by cynics in Washington that refusing PAC money is naive,� Kerry told his supporters in 1985. �Do you agree that it is �na�ve� to turn down special interests and their PAC money?�� (Glen Johnson, �In A Switch, Kerry Is Launching A PAC,� The Boston Globe, 12/15/01)
But Now, Kerry Has Established His Own PAC. �A week after repeating that he has refused to accept donations from political action committees, Senator John F. Kerry announced yesterday that he was forming a committee that would accept PAC money for him to distribute to other Democratic candidates. � Kerry�s stance on soft money, unregulated donations funneled through political parties, puts him in the position of raising the type of money that he, McCain, and others in the campaign-finance reform movement are trying to eliminate.� (Glen Johnson, �In A Switch, Kerry Is Launching A PAC,� The Boston Globe, 12/15/01)
Flip-Flopped On $10,000 Donation Limit To His PAC
When Kerry Established His PAC In 2001, He Instituted A $10,000 Limit On Donations. �A week after repeating that he has refused to accept donations from political action committees, Senator John F. Kerry announced yesterday that he was forming a committee that would accept PAC money for him to distribute to other Democratic candidates � The statement also declared that the new PAC would voluntarily limit donations of so-called soft money to $10,000 per donor per year and disclose the source and amount of all such donations.� (Glen Johnson, �In A Switch, Kerry Is Launching A Pac,� The Boston Globe, 12/15/01)
One Year Later, Kerry Started Accepting Unlimited Contributions. �Senator John F. Kerry, who broke with personal precedent last year when he established his first political action committee, has changed his fund-raising guidelines again, dropping a $10,000 limit on contributions from individuals, a cap he had touted when establishing the PAC. The Massachusetts Democrat said yesterday he decided to accept unlimited contributions, which has already allowed him to take in �soft money� donations as large as $25,000, because of the unprecedented fund-raising demands confronting him as a leader in the Senate Democratic caucus.� (Glen Johnson, �Kerry Shifts Fund-Raising Credo For His Own PAC,� The Boston Globe, 10/4/02)
Flip-Flopped On Using Personal Funds In 1996 Race
In 1996, Kerry And Weld Established $500,000 Limit Of Personal Wealth To Be Used In Senate Campaign. �In 1996, Kerry and Weld gave their already noteworthy Senate race added significance by establishing a spending cap. The candidates agreed to spend no more than $6.9 million from July 1 through the election. Weld ended up spending $6.6 million and Kerry $6.3 million. One key element of the agreement limited the candidates to spending $500,000 in personal wealth, a clause Weld favored because Kerry is married to a millionaire, Teresa Heinz.� (Glen Johnson, �In Kerry�s Plan For A Pac, The Resolution Of Opposites,� The Boston Globe, 12/18/01)
Kerry Broke Agreement By Spending $1.2 Million Over Limit. �[P]ost-election reports showed a last-minute infusion of $1.7 million from Kerry�s wife, heiress Teresa Heinz. � [K]erry denied that his campaign violated its agreement. The money had been loaned--not contributed--by his wife, he explained. �There was nothing in the agreement that restricted us from taking a loan � and we paid it back in $1,000 and $2,000 chunks.�� (�Global Ecology Lobby Rocked By Defection,� Political Finance, The Newsletter, 1/02)
Flip-Flopped On Israel Security Fence
October 2003: Kerry Calls Fence �Barrier To Peace.� �And I know how disheartened Palestinians are by the Israeli government�s decision to build a barrier off the green line, cutting deeply into Palestinian areas. We do not need another barrier to peace. Provocative and counterproductive measures only harm Israel�s security over the long- term, they increase hardships to the Palestinian people, and they make the process of negotiating an eventual settlement that much harder.� (Sen. John Kerry, Remarks Before Arab American Institute National Leadership Conference, Dearborn, MI, 10/17/03)
February 2004: Kerry Calls Fence �Legitimate Act Of Self-Defense.� �US Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, the frontrunner in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, described Israel�s construction of a security barrier as a �legitimate act of self defense� after Sunday�s suicide bombing in Jerusalem, clarifying a position he took in October when he told an Arab American audience, �We don�t need another barrier to peace.�� (Janine Zacharia, �Kerry Defends Security Fence,� The Jerusalem Post, 2/25/04)
Flip-Flop-Flipped On Ballistic Missile Defense
Kerry Called For Cancellation Of Missile Defense Systems In 1984 And Has Voted Against Funding For Missile Defense At Least 53 Times Between 1985 And 2000. (�John Kerry On The Defense Budget,� Campaign Position Paper, John Kerry For U.S. Senate, 1984; S. 1160, CQ Vote #99: Rejected 21-78: R 2-50; D 19-28, 6/4/85, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 1160, CQ Vote #100: Rejected 38-57: R 6-45; D 32-12, 6/4/85, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 1160, CQ Vote #101: Rejected 36-59: R 1-49; D 35-10, 6/4/85, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 1160, CQ Vote #103: Rejected 33-62: R 28-22; D 5-40, 6/4/85, Kerry Voted Nay; H.J. Res. 465, CQ Vote #365: Motion Agreed To 64-32: R 49-2; D 15-30, 12/10/85, Kerry Voted Nay; H.R. 4515, CQ Vote #122: Ruled Non-Germane 45-47: R 7-42; D 38-5, 6/6/86, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 2638, CQ Vote #176: Motion Agreed To 50-49: R 41-11; D 9-38, 8/5/86, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 2638, CQ Vote #177: Rejected 49-50: R 10-42; D 39-8, 8/5/86, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 1174, CQ Vote #248: Motion Agreed To 58-38: R 8-37; D 50-1, 9/17/87, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 1174, CQ Vote #259: Motion Agreed To 51-50: R 37-9; D 13-41, With Vice President Bush Casting An � Yea � Vote, 9/22/87, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 2355, CQ Vote #124: Motion Agreed To 66-29: R 38-6; D 28-23, 5/11/88, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 2355, CQ Vote #125: Motion Agreed To 50-46: R 38-7; D 12-39, 5/11/88, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 2355, CQ Vote #126: Motion Rejected 47-50: R 38-6; D 9-44, 5/11/88, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 2355, CQ Vote #128: Motion Rejected 48-50: R 6-39; D 42-11, 5/11/88, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 2355, CQ Vote #136: Motion Agreed To 56-37: R 9-34; D 47-3, 5/13/88, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 2355, CQ Vote #137: Motion Agreed To 51-43: R 38-5; D 13-38, 5/13/88, Kerry Voted Nay; H.R. 4264, CQ Vote #251: Motion Rejected 35-58: R 35-9; D 0-49, 7/14/88, Kerry Voted Nay; H.R. 4781, CQ Vote #296: Motion Agreed To 50-44: R 5-39; D 45-5, 8/5/88, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 1352, CQ Vote #148: Motion Agreed To 50-47: R 37-6; D 13-41, 7/27/89, Kerry Voted Nay; H.R. 3072, CQ Vote #202: Rejected 34-66: R 27-18; D 7-48, 9/26/89, Kerry Voted Nay; H.R. 3072, CQ Vote #213: Adopted 53-47: R 39-6; D 14-41, 9/28/89, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 2884, CQ Vote #223: Adopted 54-44: R 2-42; D 52-2, 8/4/90, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 2884, CQ Vote #225: Motion Agreed To 56-41: R 39-4; D 17-37, 8/4/90, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 2884, CQ Vote #226: Motion Agreed To 54-43: R 37-6; D 17-37, 8/4/90, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 3189, CQ Vote #273: Passed 79-16: R 37-5; D 42-11, 10/15/90, Kerry Voted Nay; H.R. 5803, CQ Vote #319: Adopted 80-17: R 37-6; D 43-11, 10/26/90, Kerry Voted Nay; H.R. 4739, CQ Vote #320: Adopted 80-17: R 37-6; D 43-11, 10/26/90, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 1507, CQ Vote #168: Rejected 39-60: R 4-39; D 35-21, 7/31/91, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 1507, CQ Vote #171: Motion Agreed To 60-38: R 40-3; D 20-35, 8/1/91, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 1507, CQ Vote #172: Motion Agreed To 64-34: R 39-4; D 25-30, 8/1/91, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 1507, CQ Vote #173: Rejected 46-52: R 5-38; D 41-14, 8/1/91, Kerry Voted Yea; H.R. 2521, CQ Vote #207: Motion Agreed To 50-49: R 38-5; D 12-44, 9/25/91, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 2403, CQ Vote #85: Adopted 61-38: R 7-36; D 54-2, 5/6/92, Kerry Voted Yea; H.R. 4990, CQ Vote #108: Adopted 90-9: R 34-9; D 56-0, 5/21/92, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 3114, CQ Vote #182: Motion Rejected 43-49: R 34-5; D 9-44, 8/7/92, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 3114, CQ Vote #214: Rejected 48-50: R 5-38; D 43-12, 9/17/92, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 3114, CQ Vote #215: Adopted 52-46: R 39-4; D 13-42, 9/17/92, Kerry Voted Nay; H.R. 5504, CQ Vote #228: Adopted 89-4: R 36-4; D 53-0, 9/22/92, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 1298, CQ Vote #251: Adopted 50-48: R 6-36; D 44-12, 9/9/93, Kerry Voted Yea; S. Con. Res. 63, CQ Vote #64: Rejected 40-59: R 2-42; D 38-17, 3/22/94, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 1026, CQ Vote #354: Motion Agreed To 51-48: R 47-6; D 4-42, 8/3/95, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 1087, CQ Vote #384: Rejected 45-54: R 5-49; D 40-5, 8/10/95, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 1087, CQ Vote #397: Passed 62-35: R 48-4; D 14-31, 9/5/95, Kerry Voted Nay; H.R. 1530, CQ Vote #399: Passed 64-34: R 50-3; D 14-31, 9/6/95, Kerry Voted Nay; H.R. 2126, CQ Vote #579: Adopted 59-39: R 48-5; D 11-34, 11/16/95, Kerry Voted Nay; H.R. 1530, CQ Vote #608: Adopted 51-43: R 47-2; D 4-41, 12/19/95, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 1635, CQ Vote #157: Rejected 53-46: R 52-0; D 1-46, 6/4/96, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 1745, CQ Vote #160: Rejected 44-53: R 4-49; D 40-4, 6/19/96, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 1745, CQ Vote #187: Passed 68-31: R 50-2; D 18-29, 7/10/96, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 936, CQ Vote #171: Rejected 43-56: R 2-53; D 41-3, 7/11/97, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 1873, CQ Vote #131: Motion Rejected 59-41: R 55-0; D 4-41, 5/13/98, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 1873, CQ Vote #262: Motion Rejected 59-41: R 55-0; D 4-41, 9/9/98, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 2549, CQ Vote #178: Motion Agreed To 52-48: R 52-3; D 0-45, 7/13/00, Kerry Voted Nay)
Kerry Then Claimed To Support Missile Defense. �I support the development of an effective defense against ballistic missiles that is deployed with maximum transparency and consultation with U.S. allies and other major powers. If there is a real potential of a rogue nation firing missiles at any city in the United States, responsible leadership requires that we make our best, most thoughtful efforts to defend against that threat. The same is true of accidental launch. If it were to happen, no leader could ever explain not having chosen to defend against the disaster when doing so made sense.� (Peace Action Website, �Where Do The Candidates Stand On Foreign Policy?� http://www.peace-action.org/2004/Kerry.html, Accessed 3/10/04)
Now Kerry Campaign Says He Will Defund Missile Defense. FOX NEWS� MAJOR GARRETT: �Kerry would not say how much all of this would cost. A top military adviser said the Massachusetts Senator would pay for some of it by stopping all funds to deploy a national ballistic missile defense system, one that Kerry doesn�t believe will work.� KERRY ADVISOR RAND BEERS: �He would not go forward at this time because there is not a proof of concept.� (Fox News� �Special Report,� 3/17/03)
Flip-Flopped On 1991 Iraq War Coalition
At The Time, Kerry Questioned Strength Of 1991 Coalition. �I keep hearing from people, �Well, the coalition is fragile, it won�t stay together,� and my response to that is, if the coalition is so fragile, then what are the vital interests and what is it that compels us to risk our young American�s lives if the others aren�t willing to stay the � course of peace? � I voted against the president, I�m convinced we�re doing this the wrong way �� (CBS� �This Morning,� 1/16/91)
Now Kerry Has Nothing But Praise For 1991 Coalition. SEN. JOHN KERRY: �In my speech on the floor of the Senate I made it clear, you are strongest when you act with other nations. All presidents, historically, his father, George Herbert Walker Bush, did a brilliant job of building a legitimate coalition and even got other people to help pay for the war.� (NBC�s �Meet The Press,� 1/11/04)
Flip-Flopped On View Of War On Terror
Kerry Said War On Terror Is �Basically A Manhunt.� �Kerry was asked about Bush�s weekend appearance on �Meet the Press� when he called himself a �war president.� The senator, who watched the session, remarked: �The war on terrorism is a very different war from the way the president is trying to sell it to us. It�s a serious challenge, and it is a war of sorts, but it is not the kind of war they�re trying to market to America.� Kerry characterized the war on terror as predominantly an intelligence-gathering and law enforcement operation. �It�s basically a manhunt,� he said. �You gotta know who they are, where they are, what they�re planning, and you gotta be able to go get �em before they get us.�� (Katherine M. Skiba, �Bush, Kerry Turn Focus To Each Other,� Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 2/13/04)
Two Weeks Later, Kerry Flip-Flopped, Saying War On Terror Is More Than �A Manhunt�. �This war isn�t just a manhunt � a checklist of names from a deck of cards. In it, we do not face just one man or one terrorist group. We face a global jihadist movement of many groups, from different sources, with separate agendas, but all committed to assaulting the United States and free and open societies around the globe.� (Sen. John Kerry, Remarks At University Of California At Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 2/27/04)
Flip-Flopped On Funding For Our Troops In Iraq
Kerry Pledged To Fund Reconstruction With �Whatever Number� Of Dollars It Took. NBC�S TIM RUSSERT: �Do you believe that we should reduce funding that we are now providing for the operation in Iraq?� SEN. JOHN KERRY: �No. I think we should increase it.� RUSSERT: �Increase funding?� KERRY: �Yes.� RUSSERT: �By how much?� KERRY: �By whatever number of billions of dollars it takes to win. It is critical that the United States of America be successful in Iraq, Tim.� (NBC�s �Meet The Press,� 8/31/03)
Then Kerry Voted Against Senate Passage Of Iraq/Afghanistan Reconstruction Package. �Passage of the bill that would appropriate $86.5 billion in fiscal 2004 supplemental spending for military operations and reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill would provide $10.3 billion as a grant to rebuild Iraq, including $5.1 billion for security and $5.2 billion for reconstruction costs. It also would provide $10 billion as a loan that would be converted to a grant if 90 percent of all bilateral debt incurred by the former Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein has been forgiven by other countries. Separate provisions limit reconstruction aid to $18.4 billion. It also would provide approximately $65.6 billion for military operations and maintenance and $1.3 billion for veterans medical care.� (S. 1689, CQ Vote #400: Passed 87-12: R 50-0; D 37-11; I 0-1, 10/17/03, Kerry Voted Nay)
Kerry Later Claimed: �I Actually Did Vote For The $87 Billion Before I Voted Against It.� (Glen Johnson, �Kerry Blasts Bush On Protecting Troops,� The Boston Globe, 3/17/04)
Flip-Flopped On Tapping Strategic Petroleum Reserve
In February 2000, Kerry Said Release Of Oil From Strategic Petroleum Reserve Would Not Be �Relevant.� �Without being specific, Kerry, a key member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, suggested the US could retaliate economically in other trade areas. He also said he does not want a release of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. A release �is not relevant. It would take months for the oil to get to the market,� he said.� (Cathy Landry, �US Energy Chief Warns Of Gasoline Crisis,� Platt�s Oilgram News, 2/17/00)
Now, In March 2004, Kerry Called For Stop In Filling Strategic Petroleum Reserve To Reduce Prices. �Kerry would pressure oil-producing nations to increase production and temporarily suspend filling the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, according to campaign documents. ... �The Bush administration has put the SPR fill program on automatic pilot without regard to the short-term effect on the US market,� the campaign documents said. �The program needs better management ... Kerry would temporarily suspend filling SPR until oil prices return to normal levels.�� (Patricia Wilson, �Kerry To Offer Plan To Reduce Record Gasoline Prices,� Reuters, 3/29/04)
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TOPICS: Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: BUSH43; FLIPFLOP; FLIPFLOPS; GWB2004; KERRY; KERRYRECORD; VOTINGRECORD
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And went through each issue one by one to find out if they had any merit behind them. After going through all of them, I could only really find 2 or 3 legitimate flip-flops that occurred during Kerry's senate bid in the 90's all involving campaign financing. You can find my analysis here:
http://www.tranceaddict.com/forums/...12&pagenumber=3
I didn't finish typing out my rebuttals to the last 2 or 3 "flip-flops" because it didn't seem like anyone really cared, but I did the research to find out that they lacked merit. Meanwhile, I posted a list of Bush flip-flops:
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1. Social Security Surplus
BUSH PLEDGES NOT TO TOUCH SOCIAL SECURITY SURPLUS... "We're going to keep the promise of Social Security and keep the government from raiding the Social Security surplus." [President Bush, 3/3/01]
...BUSH SPENDS SOCIAL SECURITY SURPLUS The New York Times reported that "the president's new budget uses Social Security surpluses to pay for other programs every year through 2013, ultimately diverting more than $1.4 trillion in Social Security funds to other purposes." [The New York Times, 2/6/02]
2. Patient's Right to Sue
GOVERNOR BUSH VETOES PATIENTS' RIGHT TO SUE... "Despite his campaign rhetoric in favor of a patients' bill of rights, Bush fought such a bill tooth and nail as Texas governor, vetoing a bill coauthored by Republican state Rep. John Smithee in 1995. He... constantly opposed a patient's right to sue an HMO over coverage denied that resulted in adverse health effects." [Salon, 2/7/01]
...CANDIDATE BUSH PRAISES TEXAS PATIENTS' RIGHT TO SUE... "We're one of the first states that said you can sue an HMO for denying you proper coverage... It's time for our nation to come together and do what's right for the people. And I think this is right for the people. You know, I support a national patients' bill of rights, Mr. Vice President. And I want all people covered. I don't want the law to supersede good law like we've got in Texas." [Governor Bush, 10/17/00]
...PRESIDENT BUSH'S ADMINISTRATION ARGUES AGAINST RIGHT TO SUE "To let two Texas consumers, Juan Davila and Ruby R. Calad, sue their managed-care companies for wrongful denials of medical benefits �would be to completely undermine' federal law regulating employee benefits, Assistant Solicitor General James A. Feldman said at oral argument March 23. Moreover, the administration's brief attacked the policy rationale for Texas's law, which is similar to statutes on the books in nine other states." [Washington Post, 4/5/04]
3. Tobacco Buyout
BUSH SUPPORTS CURRENT TOBACCO FARMERS' QUOTA SYSTEM... "They've got the quota system in place -- the allotment system -- and I don't think that needs to be changed." [President Bush, 5/04]
...BUSH ADMINISTRATION WILL SUPPORT FEDERAL BUYOUT OF TOBACCO QUOTAS "The administration is open to a buyout." [White House spokeswoman Jeanie Mamo, 6/18/04]
4. North Korea
BUSH WILL NOT OFFER NUCLEAR NORTH KOREA INCENTIVES TO DISARM... "We developed a bold approach under which, if the North addressed our long-standing concerns, the United States was prepared to take important steps that would have significantly improved the lives of the North Korean people. Now that North Korea's covert nuclear weapons program has come to light, we are unable to pursue this approach." [President's Statement, 11/15/02]
...BUSH ADMINISTRATION OFFERS NORTH KOREA INCENTIVES TO DISARM"Well, we will work to take steps to ease their political and economic isolation. So there would be -- what you would see would be some provisional or temporary proposals that would only lead to lasting benefit after North Korea dismantles its nuclear programs. So there would be some provisional or temporary efforts of that nature." [White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, 6/23/04]
5. Abortion
BUSH SUPPORTS A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE... "Bush said he...favors leaving up to a woman and her doctor the abortion question." [The Nation, 6/15/00, quoting the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, 5/78]
...BUSH OPPOSES A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE "I am pro-life." [Governor Bush, 10/3/00]
6. OPEC
BUSH PROMISES TO FORCE OPEC TO LOWER PRICES... "What I think the president ought to do [when gas prices spike] is he ought to get on the phone with the OPEC cartel and say we expect you to open your spigots...And the president of the United States must jawbone OPEC members to lower the price." [President Bush, 1/26/00]
...BUSH REFUSES TO LOBBY OPEC LEADERS With gas prices soaring in the United States at the beginning of 2004, the Miami Herald reported the president refused to "personally lobby oil cartel leaders to change their minds." [Miami Herald, 4/1/04]
7. Iraq Funding
BUSH SPOKESMAN DENIES NEED FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THE REST OF 2004... "We do not anticipate requesting supplemental funding for '04" [White House Budget Director Joshua Bolton, 2/2/04]
...BUSH REQUESTS ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR IRAQ FOR 2004 "I am requesting that Congress establish a $25 billion contingency reserve fund for the coming fiscal year to meet all commitments to our troops." [President Bush, Statement by President, 5/5/04]
8. Condoleeza Rice Testimony
BUSH SPOKESMAN SAYS RICE WON'T TESTIFY AS 'A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE'... "Again, this is not her personal preference; this goes back to a matter of principle. There is a separation of powers issue involved here. Historically, White House staffers do not testify before legislative bodies. So it's a matter of principle, not a matter of preference." [White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, 3/9/04]
...BUSH ORDERS RICE TO TESTIFY: "Today I have informed the Commission on Terrorist Attacks Against the United States that my National Security Advisor, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, will provide public testimony." [President Bush, 3/30/04]
9. Science
BUSH PLEDGES TO ISSUE REGULATIONS BASED ON SCIENCE..."I think we ought to have high standards set by agencies that rely upon science, not by what may feel good or what sounds good." [then-Governor George W. Bush, 1/15/00]
...BUSH ADMINISTRATION REGULATIONS IGNORE SCIENCE "60 leading scientists�including Nobel laureates, leading medical experts, former federal agency directors and university chairs and presidents�issued a statement calling for regulatory and legislative action to restore scientific integrity to federal policymaking. According to the scientists, the Bush administration has, among other abuses, suppressed and distorted scientific analysis from federal agencies, and taken actions that have undermined the quality of scientific advisory panels." [Union of Concerned Scientists, 2/18/04]
10. Ahmed Chalabi
BUSH INVITES CHALABI TO STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS...President Bush also met with Chalabi during his brief trip to Iraq last Thanksgiving [White House Documents 1/20/04, 11/27/03]
...BUSH MILITARY ASSISTS IN RAID OF CHALABI'S HOUSE "U.S. soldiers raided the home of America's one-time ally Ahmad Chalabi on Thursday and seized documents and computers." [Washington Post, 5/20/04]
11. Department of Homeland Security
BUSH OPPOSES THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY..."So, creating a Cabinet office doesn't solve the problem. You still will have agencies within the federal government that have to be coordinated. So the answer is that creating a Cabinet post doesn't solve anything." [White House spokesman Ari Fleischer, 3/19/02]
...BUSH SUPPORTS THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY "So tonight, I ask the Congress to join me in creating a single, permanent department with an overriding and urgent mission: securing the homeland of America and protecting the American people." [President Bush, Address to the Nation, 6/6/02]
12. Weapons of Mass Destruction
BUSH SAYS WE FOUND THE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION..."We found the weapons of mass destruction. We found biological laboratories...for those who say we haven't found the banned manufacturing devices or banned weapons, they're wrong, we found them." [President Bush, Interview in Poland, 5/29/03]
...BUSH SAYS WE HAVEN'T FOUND WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION "David Kay has found the capacity to produce weapons.And when David Kay goes in and says we haven't found stockpiles yet, and there's theories as to where the weapons went. They could have been destroyed during the war. Saddam and his henchmen could have destroyed them as we entered into Iraq. They could be hidden. They could have been transported to another country, and we'll find out." [President Bush, Meet the Press, 2/7/04]
13. Free Trade
BUSH SUPPORTS FREE TRADE... "I believe strongly that if we promote trade, and when we promote trade, it will help workers on both sides of this issue." [President Bush in Peru, 3/23/02]
...BUSH SUPPORTS RESTRICTIONS ON TRADE "In a decision largely driven by his political advisers, President Bush set aside his free-trade principles last year and imposed heavy tariffs on imported steel to help out struggling mills in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, two states crucial for his reelection." [Washington Post, 9/19/03]
14. Osama Bin Laden
BUSH WANTS OSAMA DEAD OR ALIVE... "I want justice. And there's an old poster out West, I recall, that says, 'Wanted: Dead or Alive.'" [President Bush, on Osama Bin Laden, 09/17/01]
...BUSH DOESN'T CARE ABOUT OSAMA "I don't know where he is.You know, I just don't spend that much time on him... I truly am not that concerned about him."[President Bush, Press Conference, 3/13/02]
15. The Environment
BUSH SUPPORTS MANDATORY CAPS ON CARBON DIOXIDE... "[If elected], Governor Bush will work to...establish mandatory reduction targets for emissions of four main pollutants: sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, mercury and carbon dioxide." [Bush Environmental Plan, 9/29/00]
...BUSH OPPOSES MANDATORY CAPS ON CARBON DIOXIDE "I do not believe, however, that the government should impose on power plants mandatory emissions reductions for carbon dioxide, which is not a 'pollutant' under the Clean Air Act." [President Bush, Letter to Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE), 3/13/03]
16. WMD Commission
BUSH RESISTS AN OUTSIDE INVESTIGATION ON WMD INTELLIGENCE FAILURE... "The White House immediately turned aside the calls from Kay and many Democrats for an immediate outside investigation, seeking to head off any new wide-ranging election-year inquiry that might go beyond reports already being assembled by congressional committees and the Central Intelligence Agency." [NY Times, 1/29/04]
...BUSH SUPPORTS AN OUTSIDE INVESTIGATION ON WMD INTELLIGENCE FAILURE "Today, by executive order, I am creating an independent commission, chaired by Governor and former Senator Chuck Robb, Judge Laurence Silberman, to look at American intelligence capabilities, especially our intelligence about weapons of mass destruction." [President Bush, 2/6/04]
17. Creation of the 9/11 Commission
BUSH OPPOSES CREATION OF INDEPENDENT 9/11 COMMISSION... "President Bush took a few minutes during his trip to Europe Thursday to voice his opposition to establishing a special commission to probe how the government dealt with terror warnings before Sept. 11." [CBS News, 5/23/02]
...BUSH SUPPORTS CREATION OF INDEPENDENT 9/11 COMMISSION "President Bush said today he now supports establishing an independent commission to investigate the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks." [ABC News, 09/20/02]
18. Time Extension for 9/11 Commission
BUSH OPPOSES TIME EXTENSION FOR 9/11 COMMISSION... "President Bush and House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) have decided to oppose granting more time to an independent commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks." [Washington Post, 1/19/04]
...BUSH SUPPORTS TIME EXTENSION FOR 9/11 COMMISSION "The White House announced Wednesday its support for a request from the commission investigating the September 11, 2001 attacks for more time to complete its work." [CNN, 2/4/04]
19. One Hour Limit for 9/11 Commission Testimony
BUSH LIMITS TESTIMONY IN FRONT OF 9/11 COMMISSION TO ONE HOUR... "President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have placed strict limits on the private interviews they will grant to the federal commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks, saying that they will meet only with the panel's top two officials and that Mr. Bush will submit to only a single hour of questioning, commission members said Wednesday." [NY Times, 2/26/04]
...BUSH SETS NO TIMELIMIT FOR TESTIMONY "The president's going to answer all of the questions they want to raise. Nobody's watching the clock." [White House spokesman Scott McClellan, 3/10/04]
20. Gay Marriage
BUSH SAYS GAY MARRIAGE IS A STATE ISSUE... "The state can do what they want to do. Don't try to trap me in this state's issue like you're trying to get me into." [Gov. George W. Bush on Gay Marriage, Larry King Live, 2/15/00]
...BUSH SUPPORTS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT BANNING GAY MARRIAGE "Today I call upon the Congress to promptly pass, and to send to the states for ratification, an amendment to our Constitution defining and protecting marriage as a union of man and woman as husband and wife." [President Bush, 2/24/04]
21. Nation Building
BUSH OPPOSES NATION BUILDING... "If we don't stop extending our troops all around the world in nation-building missions, then we're going to have a serious problem coming down the road." [Gov. George W. Bush, 10/3/00]
...BUSH SUPPORTS NATION BUILDING "We will be changing the regime of Iraq, for the good of the Iraqi people." [President Bush, 3/6/03]
22. Saddam/al Qaeda Link
BUSH SAYS IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEEN AL QAEDA AND SADDAM... "You can't distinguish between al Qaeda and Saddam when you talk about the war on terror." [President Bush, 9/25/02]
...BUSH SAYS SADDAM HAD NO ROLE IN AL QAEDA PLOT "We've had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved in Sept. 11." [President Bush, 9/17/03]
23. U.N. Resolution
BUSH VOWS TO HAVE A UN VOTE NO MATTER WHAT... "No matter what the whip count is, we're calling for the vote. We want to see people stand up and say what their opinion is about Saddam Hussein and the utility of the United Nations Security Council. And so, you bet. It's time for people to show their cards, to let the world know where they stand when it comes to Saddam." [President Bush 3/6/03]
...BUSH WITHDRAWS REQUEST FOR VOTE "At a National Security Council meeting convened at the White House at 8:55 a.m., Bush finalized the decision to withdraw the resolution from consideration and prepared to deliver an address to the nation that had already been written." [Washington Post, 3/18/03]
24. Involvement in the Palestinian Conflict
BUSH OPPOSES SUMMITS... "Well, we've tried summits in the past, as you may remember. It wasn't all that long ago where a summit was called and nothing happened, and as a result we had significant intifada in the area." [President Bush, 04/05/02]
...BUSH SUPPORTS SUMMITS "If a meeting advances progress toward two states living side by side in peace, I will strongly consider such a meeting. I'm committed to working toward peace in the Middle East." [President Bush, 5/23/03]
25. Campaign Finance
BUSH OPPOSES MCCAIN-FEINGOLD... "George W. Bush opposes McCain-Feingold...as an infringement on free expression." [Washington Post, 3/28/2000]
...BUSH SIGNS MCCAIN-FEINGOLD INTO LAW "[T]his bill improves the current system of financing for Federal campaigns, and therefore I have signed it into law." [President Bush, at the McCain-Feingold signing ceremony, 03/27/02]
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And I'm sure that many of them use the same flawed reasoning used to convict Kerry of "flip-flopping" but nobody took me up on my challenge to research them and prove them inaccurate. :conf:
So since nobody was responding to my analysis I guessed the issue of flip-flopping was no longer an issue anymore. |
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| Shakka |
| quote: | Originally posted by occrider
...I looked at that huge long list that Bush 527 groups emailed out to supporters...
And went through each issue one by one to find out if they had any merit behind them. After going through all of them... |
Good heavens, man! Go out and do something fun on the weekend! Politics is consuming you!:p ;) |
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