Fact Check: How Liberal is John Kerry

[clydefrand]

Got this in an email just a few minutes ago. Hope Kerry gets this so he will know where he stands! :bounce:

How Liberal is John Kerry?

A new RNC ad claims Kerry is "the most liberal man in the Senate." Actually, his lifetime rating is 11th or lower, depending.

Summary

A Republican National Committee ad released Oct. 16 claims that Kerry is "the most liberal man in the Senate." It's true that vote rankings by the politically neutral magazine The National Journal rated Kerry "most liberal" in 2003 and in three earlier years during his first Senate term: 1986, 1988, and 1990. But over his entire career the Journal ranks Kerry the 11th most liberal Senator. And by other rankings he's only a bit left of his party's center.


Click the link below for the full article:

http://www.factcheck.org/article284m.html

[rogerashton]

1. He is a centrist.

Arbusto* is an extremist.

[NMDemDist2]

2. what's wrong with being a liberal? NOTHING that's what

ask yourself what does liberal stand for?

healthy children who go to good schools in a safe neighborhood

protection for workers' safety

protection of the environment

balanced budgets

strong alliances with our world neighbors

fair trade

what do conservatives stand for?

no (or weak) environmental protection

schools groaning under an unfunded mandate that teaches a test instead of how to learn

tax cuts for the rich

corporations that write their own "regulations"

deregulation

free trade

union busting

deficits as far as the eye can see

alliances in tatters


so you decide if it matters how "liberal" Senator Kerry is

[clydefrand]

3. I love John Kerry and I have never thought of him as being

liberal or conservative or moderate or centrist. Just brilliant, practical, caring, worthy of being President of this great country.

I agree--liberal values are mine. I'm not now or ever will be in agreement with anything that GWB has done. But if he were to bow out now before the election no matter how it's done, I would agree with that.

[delhurgo]

4. The National Journal rankings are the ones you always hear

about from republicans, but only from 2003 - when Kerry and Edwards missed over half their votes due to campaigning. Here are rankings going back previous years when they both were more active, which is more representative:

2003: Kerry - 1st (96.5) Edwards - 4th (94.5)
2002: Kerry - 9th (87.3) Edwards - 31st (63.0) Edwards made the centrist list.
2001: Kerry - 11th (87.7) Edwards - 35th (68.2) Edwards almost tied with Lieberman.
2000: Kerry - 20th (77) Edwards - 19th (80.8)
1999: Kerry - 16th (80.8) Edwards - 31st (72.2)

Average: Kerry - 12th (85.9) Edwards - 24th (75.7)

Kerry is pretty much in the center of the democratic party. Edwards is in the center-right.