What Kerry said this week, what * said and did in May

[TayTay]

John Kerry: North Adams Transcript: 6/4/05

On Thursday, I visited the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams and was inspired by the work happening there to make a college education available to more and more students. MCLA runs a successful student support services program, the Individual Enrichment Program, which assists low-income students become the first in their families to go to college, and helps students with disabilities to overcome the numerous obstacles to higher education. Without this support, many of these students wouldn't have had a chance to get a college degree.

If the president gets his way, the budget will inexplicably cut every penny for these programs despite maintaining numerous corporate tax loopholes and yet another tax cut for millionaires. Western Massachusetts residents should also prepare themselves for cuts in everything from home heating assistance to vocational education to law enforcement. These choices should remind all Americans that Washington is not working for them.

Values like honesty, opportunity and responsibility are all cut from this budget. These cuts should give us all cause for concern, because in the end budgets are a statement of your priorities. They are your values backed up by dollars and cents. When considering the budget of the United States, honesty at minimum means actually counting every dollar we plan to spend. It sounds simple, it's what every American does, but this budget doesn't do it.

This is what the Rethugs value:

Democrats.org 5/13/05
May 13, 2005


White House Moves Disability Benefits to The Chopping Block


Washington, DC - A day after the chief White House economist admitted that the Bush plan to privatize Social Security would include cuts to survivor benefits, the Bush administration also acknowledged that it would not protect disability benefits despite earlier assurances that these earned benefits would remain untouched. This is the latest trial balloon in the Bush administration's real plan to dismantle Social Security. The announcement may help explain why a new Harris poll found that only 36 percent of Americans think President Bush's "comments on saving and strengthening Social Security are his real motives for changing the program, while 49% believe his real agenda is to dismantle it."


"For the second day in a row, the Bush administration has admitted that despite past assurances, they never intended to protect Social Security disability and survivor benefits,"said DNC spokesman Josh Earnest. "From steep benefit cuts for the middle class, to risky private accounts, and now no protections for disability or survivor benefits, it's becoming clearer every day that Bush's real plan is to dismantle Social Security.”

[politicasista]

1. At least Kerry undstands values rather than preaching about it

Thanks for posting this.

[TayTay]

2. The language is sublime lately

Just sublime. The evolution of the post-election speech is really, really coming along. It is getting harsher, less conciliatory. (No, he wasn't a sell-out ever or at any point. He had to speak of the nation coming together after a tough election. That's what I meant.)

But he is lately gearing up for a major whomping-fest. Several of those speeches last year were sublimely hard-hitting. I think that the little 'let's all be friends for the good of the country' thing is over. All I can say is: Go John Go! Smack that lying son-of-a-bitch in the speeches and call him on every single one of his stinking lies. Hit him in speeches as hard as possible. The son-of-a-bitch deserves it. Call him out on his abandonment of the poor, his calls to stuff social security and to pull the crutches out from under the disabled in this country. Hit the bastard and then hit him again. He is a threat to the American people, the Constitution and to to the future of this nation. Almost every action that shit-for-brain dope takes endangers my kids' future and embarrasses me on the world stage. So, as a grateful and humble (and prim and proper) constituent, hit that mofo again, for me. I would be ever so grateful.

[ginnyinWI]

3. He's doing great

I think Kerry is more "Kerry" without all of the handlers and speechwriters he had during the campaign. Undiluted Kerry is more to the left, and more clear and unequivocating. I like it! :)
I think (I hope) he has learned that he's best this way. :thumbsup: