Kerry casts himself as ''first'' and ''only'' on key issues

[Khephra]

Kerry casts himself as ''first'' and ''only'' on key issues
By Holly Ramer, Associated Press, 9/6/2003 13:58

SALEM, N.H. (AP) Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry on Saturday accused his rivals of following his lead on some key issues and ignoring others that only he has the ''vision'' to recognize.

In a speech laden with the words ''first'' and ''only,'' Kerry cast himself as a leader on the economy, health care, foreign affairs and other issues.

He repeated his opposition to the Bush administration's plan to design so-called ''bunker buster'' nuclear bombs that could destroy deeply buried targets, saying most Americans aren't aware that the 2003 federal budget includes money for the project.

''I say to this president and to the country and I'm the only candidate who's had the vision to talk about this and see this issue I don't want a world in which we have more visible nuclear weapons,'' Kerry told supporters at the opening of his 10th New Hampshire campaign office.

But at least one of the nine Democrats seeking the nomination has spoken out against the project. U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio argues that American officials will have little credibility in asking North Korea to stop building nuclear weapons if they're unwilling to do the same, a point Kerry echoed.

more....................

http://www.boston.com/dailynews/249/region/Kerry_casts_himself_as_first_a:.shtml

[JohnKleeb]

1. yay DK got mentioned

Go Kerry and Kucinich on that point. No offense to Kerry but Kucinich has been talking about the wrongs of nuclear arms for a while. The fact that they both think those nukes are bad makes me a happy guy though. Plus marks for all who see this.

[MaverickX]

15. the difference is..

I believe Kucinich supports a unilateral reduction in nuclear arms, whereas Kerry is saying he supports a nuclear freeze(a halt on developing new weapons).

[IndianaGreen]

2. I wonder what sort of "first" and "vision" made him vote for Iraq war

Lieberman has Kerry tagged as a waffler, perhaps one of the few times that Lieberman has said anything that I agreed with.

Case in point, on his announcement by the aircraft carrier (how original), Kerry said that he had opposed the war and that his vote was to pressure Saddam to allow the UN inspectors.

The following day, Kerry does a U-turn when he said that Dean was wrong to oppose the invasion of Iraq, and by extension, all of us were wrong as well.

Senator Waffle deserves our contempt!

[unfrigginreal]

4. Don't get me started IG!

n/t

Great Post :hippie:

[Nicholas_J]

7. Calling it a Votefor War

Meas you agree that Bush met the conditions of the resolution and either got U.N. support or provided proof that their was an imminent threat to the U.S. which were the conditions for Congression Support.

THe title of the act was Authorization for the Use of Force in Iraq, and not a Congressional Declaration of War. WHich means the Congress NEVER voted for War with Iraq.

The supprters of one certain candidate never fail to amaze me in their complete on total ignorance of the constitutional division of war powers.

Which is no surprise, the candidate they support is clueless as well.

[IndianaGreen]

8. Congress didn't declare war on Vietnam either

Yet you have 58,000 names etched in black marble on a monument in Washington, DC.

[MaverickX]

19. Congress didn't even authorize...

Clinton's bombing of Iraq in '98. Congress did indeed authorize the use of force as North Vietnamese and vc soldiers in South Vietnam. They didn't formally declare war because the mission's intent wasn't to attack another nation-state, it was to push an invading army back out of South Vietnam.

[pasadenaboy]

10. you miscategorize the resolution again.

There is no where in the resolution it says he has to supply proof there was an immenent threat.


If he believed he wasn't voting for authorizing war, why does he say those who were against the war were wrong?

[polpilot]

9. Kerry's vote for the Iraqi Bombing Resolution was an example of Kerry's

being anti-war but pro-vote-for-war and opposition to killing but willing to drop the bombs but only if UN says drop 'em or if they don't then AMERICA's SECURITY must be protected and I'm strong on security so vote for me. Understood????

Dean '04...The New Democratic Leader of The New Democratic Party.

[MaverickX]

18. you misconstrue Kerry

Kerry has said he supported the authorization of force against Iraq as a way to push Saddam to comply with inspectors. Kerry never said he would've opposed the use of force if Saddam refused to comply.

Kerry criticized Dean for opposing even the threat of force and Dean's unreliance to consider the support of force even if Saddam refused to comply. By the way, given Bush's view of Iraq as an imminent threat, he would've invaded Iraq with or without a Congressional authorization of force. Supporting the resolution allowed Kerry and others to attach conditions to the war, which Bush completely ignored.

[lebkuchen]

3. Lieberman makes one want "zum kotzen"

(to throw up, to quote Schroeder on the thought of having German troops in Iraq), and Kerry voted for the war in Iraq.

Both are inadequate democratic presidential contenders.

[blm]

5. Serves Dean right for taking that tact with his radio ads

in SC. Dean: "standing alone" against Bush for jobs and the economy....MY ASS!

[JohnKleeb]

6. Ya know I am glad that your candiate Kerry

sees the same as I and my candiate do on nuclear weapons, thats great. We havent ever used any of those nukes right? We dont need em, that money should be going to helping not hurting people says I.

[Octafish]

11. blm hasn't declared. Also supports Kucinich.

You may have missed it, but blm indicated having worked for Kucinich back when he ran for mayor of Cleveland. blm also says Kucinich's perspectives are much closer to blm's own, but understands Kerry has a better chance of getting the White House. Kerry also, blm has reported her, gone after the BFEE Big Time.

[blm]

13. JohnKleeb knows I like them both.

And he knows why they are my two favorite liberals.

JohnKleeb has great intuition.

[JohnKleeb]

17. thanks

I appreciate that comment.

[JohnKleeb]

16. sorry blm didnt know who you supported offically but

[Octafish]

12. Kerry first and only in going after BFEE.

As a Senator Kerry took on Reagan, Bush, Ollie North, John Poindexter and most everybody in Washington trying to stay out of jail. Here's some background for those interested:


THE NORTH NOTEBOOKS

From Washington by Tim Wheeler

EXCERPT...

In Washington, at the request of Irangate special prosecutor Lawrence Walsh, a new grand jury has been empanelled to consider evidence that Bush and President Reagan were very much "in the loop" on the criminal enterprise. Also in Washington, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), chair of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Terrorism and Narcotics, announced May 18 that he is examining thousands of newly released photocopied pages from Lt. Col. Oliver North's notebooks, which expose White House lying on the Noriega case. The National Security Archive and Ralph Nader's Public Citizen released thousands of the same pages at two press conferences on May 8 and May 18.

Senator Kerry declared, "The North notebooks confirm that high-level U.S. officials, including officials at the CIA and the NSC , knew about General Noriega's drug trafficking and corruption in 1986, kept him on the U.S. payroll and discussed helping him clean up his image in return for his help for the contras."

"The information was important because throughout 1988, while my hearings were taking place, the White House was denying that it had known about Noriega's drug trafficking." Kerry added, "There is something fundamental that is violated in a democracy when the White House can classify documents as 'Codeword Top Secret' in order to suppress politically damaging information in an election year." Kerry suggested that Walsh examine sworn testimony of former Assistant Secretary of State Elliot Abrams and Donald Gregg to determine if they committed perjury. Kerry said the documents also raise questions of whether NSC and intelligence officers engaged in domestic surveillance in violation of the law.

The North notebooks provide a wealth of new evidence. One page, released for the first time May 8, lists a "mtg w V.P." at 12 noon, August 6, 1986. North began that day by meeting with Israeli terrorist expert, Amiram Nir. According to North's notes, he then went to an extraordinary meeting at the White House with members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. According to his later testimony, North "lied, lied, lied" to the lawmakers about the Iran-contra conspiracy. North then met with several other covert agents, including Gregg. Finally he met with Vice President Bush. Did the Vice President discuss with North his lies to an official oversight committee of the U.S. Congress?

Asked about this notation in North's notebook, White House Press Secretary Marlin Fitzwater declared, "The vice president's role in the Iran-contra affair was completely examined in the congressional inquiry and we have nothing to add."

CONTINUED...

http://www.skepticfiles.org/socialis/north.htm

[DemBones DemBones]

14. Reporters should point out every candidate's errors.

Kerry made an incorrect statement when he said he was the only one speaking out against nuclear weapons and I appreciate the reporter pointing out Kucinich's statements against nuclear weapons. Now, if reporters will point out that Dean is not the only Dem to oppose the Iraq war. . .

I want reporters to do this to every candidate (Kucinich included) when they see that a candidate has made a mistake, "misspoken," or lied. I can understand candidates making mistakes and not expressing themselves clearly at times but I want the lies closely monitored.

Also, all of the candidates have staff members who should keep them from making this sort of error in a speech by being familiar with what the other candidates' positions are. For Dean and Kerry to misrepresent their positions is particularly bad since they have more campaign money than anyone else and can surely afford paying someone to fact check their speeches.