Kerry vs. Kerry

[pistoff democrat]

Does Sen. John Kerry, D.-Mass., want to restrict the growth of Medicare or not? It depends on which Kerry you ask: Thrifty Kerry or Demagogic Kerry.
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Demagogic Kerry seems blissfully unaware of Thrifty Kerry's existence. In the Nov. 24 debate, he mocked Howard Dean for calling himself a "balanced budget freak" and repeated a challenge he's made before:

Will he still try to reduce the rate of growth in Medicare? He's said several times he's going to cut the rate of growth in Medicare. … I'd like to know if he still intends to reduce the rate of growth in Medicare as one of the ways in which he's going to balance the budget.
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http://slate.msn.com/id/2091684/

[onebigbadwulf]

1. Didn't he abstain from voting?

The bastard

[pistoff democrat]

2. Yeppers!

He really must be schizoid, fought with himself and couldn't figure out which way to vote...so, he didn't...that's just peachy.

[joeybee12]

3. Do you know for sure about that?

There obviosuly were two abstentions--since the vote was 54-44. I'm curious if he did.

[robcon]

4. Kerry and Lieberman did not vote

Both showed enormous cowardice.

[George_Bonanza]

5. After Kerry forfeited from a debate and spent campaigning days in Wash?

Some coward.

[Egnever]

8. Yea such a sacrifice to do your job

in the week leading up to Thanksgiving he couldnt give up two days campaigning to bother to try to change some votes on the floor.

He was in the debate BTW so he didnt really forfiet did he? Although lieberman did.

[sandnsea]

9. He did give up the time

So what's your beef?

Lieberman declined to be in the debate well before the vote. If the DNC let someone say they aren't going to be there and then provide a satellite linkup when they change their mind, then the only right thing to do is provide a satellite linkup for every candidate who wants one in the future. Lieberman was whining about nothing here and he knew it.

Why doesn't anybody expect any other candidate to be able to do something about this vote? Why didn't Howard Dean use his power to stop it? Why didn't he mobilize his grassroots forces to protest in D.C.? Why aren't people even questioning Dean's inabiity to even get attention on this issue?

We expect Kerry to do something because we know the kind of leader he is. But even Senator Kerry can't work miracles. Until he's in the White House.

[dsc]

6. Lieberman did vote

the other abstention was Edwards.

[sandnsea]

10. Kerry & Lieberman didn't vote

Edwards voted no. It's in all the news reports.

[sandnsea]

7. Kerry explains his plans

"Thrifty Kerry boasts on his Web site that he "has the courage to take on special interests to get health care costs under control." In the Nov. 24 presidential debate in Iowa, Kerry called the just-passed Medicare prescription-drug bill a "special interest giveaway" containing "$139 billion worth of slush fund money that's going to go directly to the drug companies." Kerry criticized the Medicare bill for, among other things, not allowing the federal government "to actually negotiate bulk purchases for states, which would lower prices." (He's quite right on this point, which we'll get back to in a moment.)"

Howard won't say what he'll cut, but he has supported cutting growth in the past. Cutting growth is usually done by cutting services, not costs. I'm sure the writer knew that but this election isn't about facts, it's about stirring up controversy between the candidates.