![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sereneorangefound here
Conventional Wisdom: Adding FACTS to the Bush Spin
"One thing you won't hear from the Bush-Cheney campaign this week is anything positive. They can't talk about the issues, because they have no plan for the future. They can't talk about their record, because it's riddled with failure. So they keep firing off intentionally misleading attacks to distract from all the things Bush and Cheney dropped the ball on over the past four years," - Kerry campaign spokesman, Chad Clanton.
Bush Says Kerry Cut Intelligence:
“At a time when the men and women of our intelligence community are working hard to anticipate the moves of a shadowy new enemy, we cannot trust the presidency to someone who has a record of supporting deep cuts to our nation's intelligence agencies.”
Recycled and Wrong
The Washington Post, among others has already called this charge wrong in March. It was widely known that the intelligence budget was overridden with pet projects and pork and was no longer appropriate to the intelligence tasks at hand. The nation was shifting from the cold war to a transnational threat involving terror, drug traffickers and international crime and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. And at any rate, a resolution cutting defense by exactly the same amount was introduced and adopted the same day Kerry proposed his.
>> Washington Post: Republican Criticism on Kerry Intel Record is Wrong. “President Bush, in his first major assault on Sen. John F. Kerry's legislative record, said this week that his Democratic opponent proposed a $1.5 billion cut in the intelligence budget, a proposal that would ‘gut the intelligence services,’ and one that had no co-sponsors because it was ‘deeply irresponsible.’ In terms of accuracy, the parry by the president is about half right. Bush is correct that Kerry on Sept. 29, 1995, proposed a five-year, $1.5 billion cut to the intelligence budget. But Bush appears to be wrong when he said the proposed Kerry cut -- about 1 percent of the overall intelligence budget for those years -- would have ‘gutted’ intelligence. In fact, the Republican-led Congress that year approved legislation that resulted in $3.8 billion being cut over five years from the budget of the National Reconnaissance Office -- the same program Kerry said he was targeting. The $1.5 billion cut Kerry proposed represented about the same amount Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), then chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, told the Senate that same day he wanted cut from the intelligence spending bill based on unspent, secret funds that had been accumulated by one intelligence agency ‘without informing the Pentagon, CIA or Congress’ The NRO, which designs, builds and operates spy satellites, had accumulated that amount of excess funds.” [Washington Post, 3/12/04]
>> Intelligence agencies; in particular the NRO, were being mismanaged.
The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the agency in charge of the nation’s spy satellites, was embroiled in controversy because of a $300 million land deal. According to the Washington Post, The NRO “bought almost 14 acres more than needed for its controversial new $ 304 million, four-building headquarters complex in the Westfields development near Dulles International Airport …. NRO, which designs, procures and manages intelligence satellites, planned to use the surplus Westfields acreage to build two additional office buildings that could be sold or leased to its contractors. The only way the NRO could buy the land it wanted was to purchase additional land, so the developers who owned it could get the profit they wanted. … [A] CIA-Pentagon investigation begun in August found that the NRO had failed to disclose the cost of the headquarters to Congress and found it was 30 percent bigger than the organization needed for its 2,190 employees and nearly 1,000 contractor personnel. The Westfields developer got NRO to purchase roughly eight additional acres because the spy satellite agency planners insisted they had to build and own the complex themselves. They refused to allow the developer to construct and rent the buildings to NRO under a long-term lease. Therefore, selling the land was the only way the developer would make money from the NRO deal.” [Washington Post, 11/9/1994]
>> Mismanagement resulted in $1 billion in unspent funds.
In Senate hearings in 1996, Sen. Arlen Specter announced: “[T]he failure of NRO officials to tell either the DCI or Congress that the NRO had accumulated over $1 billion in unused funds--further convinced our Committee that the intelligence community needed greater central direction and accountability.” [September 17, 1996; Senate Hearings; CR Page S10637]
>> In September of 1995, a secret billion dollar slush fund was found in the intelligence budget which served as a full employment opportunity for defense contractors.
The White House said yesterday it was "inexcusable" that the top secret agency that manages U.S. spy satellites had reportedly hoarded $ 1 billion in unspent funds. Chief of Staff Leon E. Panetta said John M. Deutch, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, had ordered an investigation into how the National Reconnaissance Office managed to stash away so much money without informing supervisors at the Pentagon or Congress. … The unspent funds were discovered after the Senate intelligence committee questioned a luxurious $ 300 million headquarters the NRO was building in a Washington suburb. [Washington Post, 9/25/1995]
>> An amendment just like Kerry’s passed unanimously the same day.
Arlen Specter and Bob Kerrey sought to strip the intelligence budget of its pet projects and pork, and shift our intelligence from the cold war to the threat of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The same day that John Kerry proposed to cut the intelligence budget, Senators Specter and Kerrey introduced a similar bill, which passed by a bipartisan voice vote.
[S.AMDT.2881 to S.922: To reduce the total amount of funds authorized to be appropriated for the National Reconnaissance Office to offset the availability of certain prior year appropriations. 9/29/1995: Proposed by Senator Coats for Senator Specter. Agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bush Campaign Says: We cannot trust the presidency to someone who votes to send our men and women in the military to war and then votes against body armor and combat pay for those very same men and women on the front lines in Afghanistan and Iraq. This is a vote that put John Kerry and John Edwards so far out of the mainstream, only two other U.S. Senators shared their position of voting for the war and against the troops.
Kerry voted for shared sacrifice and a plan to win the peace
John Kerry’s Vote on Bush’s bloated supplemental was a principled vote to push the Administration to develop a real plan to take the targets off our troops and insist that the wealthy bear some small chare of the sacrifice by giving up part of the tax cut on the most wealthy. The Bush Administration opposed both these reasonable measures and even threatened to veto his own measure when amendments were proposed to expand reservists’ health care benefits and make part of the $87 billion a loan. Meanwhile, Bush sent troops to war improperly equipped, tried to cut combat pay and has instituted a back door draft preventing thousands of soldiers designated for duty in Iraq or Afghanistan from leaving the military even when their volunteer service commitment expires.
>> Kerry objected to Bush’s failure to develop a real plan in Iraq. Kerry opposed spending $87 billion -- at the expense of health care, education and domestic priorities here at home -- without a strategy that protects the troops and makes America safer.
“The best way to support our troops and take the target off their backs is with a real strategy to win the peace in Iraq - not by throwing $87 billion at George Bush's failed policies. I am voting 'no' on the Iraq resolution to hold the President accountable and force him finally to develop a real plan that secures the safety of our troops and stabilizes Iraq. [John Kerry, 10/16/2003]
>> Kerry opposed Bush’s failure to insist on shared sacrifice.
Rather than asking for shared sacrifice from Americans, Bush refused to repeal any of his tax cut for the wealthiest to pay for rebuilding Iraq. John Kerry, along with Joe Biden, proposed an amendment to spread the sacrifice.
”I’m prepared to spend whatever it takes to be successful in Iraq. But I want to spend the money smart. I don’t want to spend 87 billion dollars, when it comes from the average American, when it ought to be coming from the wealthiest Americans instead of President Bush’s tax cut, which is unfair and unaffordable.” [John Kerry, 10/17/2003]
>> Kerry voted for supplemental funding for our troops $87 billion.
Kerry and Biden’s proposal would have provided the full $87 billion for the troops while at the same time reducing the Bush tax cut from 690 billion dollars over the next ten years to 600 billion dollars over the next ten years. But the Republicans voted against even that. [S1689, 10/17/2003, #400]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bush Campaign Says Kerry Attacked America’s Allies
John Kerry voted for the war in Iraq, but now uses the war as a political punching bag, denigrating the contributions of our allies by asserting that we are "going it alone" when more than 30 nations stand shoulder to shoulder with the United States as we support the new government in Iraq. We cannot trust the presidency to someone who disrespects our allies by calling them "window dressing."
Kerry wants a stronger America that is more respected abroad
This is an absolutely ridiculous charge from a president that has alienated our allies with a go-it-alone strategy in Iraq and on numerous other fronts. Throughout this campaign, John Kerry has talked about making America stronger at home and more respected abroad by returning America to a real leadership role in the world. The Bush Cheney campaign chops a quote and takes it out of context to put words in Kerry’s mouth.
Kerry called for Bush to involve more of our allies.
HEMMER: The White House would say that dozens of countries are helping now in the effort on the ground in Iraq and they are engaged with the U.N., as well, how would more international involvement prevent the violence we're seeing today?
KERRY: Well, the fact is that those countries are really window dressing to the greatest degree. And they weren't there in the beginning when we went in, and they're not carrying the cost of this war. What we need is, the war -- the occupation at this point, what we need is a much broader involvement. And I think that the overall foreign policy of the United States has a profound impact on that. How we deal with North Korea, how we deal with proliferation, how we deal with AIDS, how we deal with global warming, how we deal with the United Nations itself. It's all cumulative. And the cumulative bank account of the United States of goodwill and of good feeling has really been exhausted by this administration's arrogant attitude. [CNN, American Morning, 3/2/2004]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bush Campaign Says“Amid a changing threat to our homeland, we cannot trust the presidency to someone who blocked and delayed efforts to streamline our nation's homeland security efforts because of the objections of a handful of union bosses. Kerry has also attacked the Patriot Act that is giving law enforcement the same tools to fight terrorists that they have long had to fight drug dealers.”
Bush opposed Homeland Security Agency; Stonewalled 9-11 Commission
John Kerry argued for intelligence reform to address growing threats of terrorism, drug dealing and international crime during the last administration. And it was Bush, not Kerry and Democrats who blocked the adoption of a Homeland Security Agency. Even today, Bush has failed to address key intelligence shortcomings and even resisted reforms suggested by the bipartisan 9-11 commission.
Kerry argued for streamlining and reforming law enforcement long ago. Its one of the things he supported in his book “The New War.”
“Kerry, former chairman and, until recently, ranking Democrat on the Senate Subcommittee on Terrorism, Narcotics and International Operations, warns that while Americans obsess about street crime and random violence, we overlook the far greater threat posed by global criminals and terrorists… What's needed to stop global criminals, Kerry argues, is global cooperation, "a revolution in the way we conceive of every aspect of the law, from jurisdiction to punishment." [Boston Globe, 7/1/97]
From Day One, Bush Opposed Creating a Homeland Security Department. Bush stalled the creation of a new cabinet agency for months, opposing it until it became apparent that legislation creating it would pass Congress in mid-2002. [White House Press Briefing, 10/24/01; National Journal, 6/5/02; George W. Bush, 11/19/02]
Bush Initially Opposed Independent 9-11 Commission. Bush opposed an independent inquiry into 9/11, arguing it would duplicate a probe conducted by Congress. In July 2002, his administration issued a “statement of policy” that read “…the Administration would oppose an amendment that would create a new commission to conduct a similar review [to Congress’s investigation].” After “the congressional committees unearthed more and more examples of intelligence lapses [before the 9-11 attacks], the administration reversed its stance.” [Los Angeles Times, 11/28/02; Statement of Administration Policy, Executive Office of the President, 7/24/02; Los Angeles Times, 11/28/02]
Even today they are failing to provide local law enforcement with the tools they need to protect our communities. Federal fingerprint databases still aren’t merged, so terrorists and other violent criminals may be able to sneak into the country. CIA, FBI and other agencies still aren’t sharing intelligence with one another. The FBI is only half finished with terrorist list database. And ninety percent of cities have not received funding.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bush Campaign Says John Kerry Backed Saddam
We cannot trust the presidency to someone who makes decisions on matters of national security by holding up his finger to determine which way the political winds are blowing. John Kerry has more positions on Iraq and the War on Terror than anyone can count. The world is more safe and America is more secure because Saddam Hussein is out of power, but John Kerry can't even give a straight answer on whether he believes the decision to remove Saddam Hussein was right or wrong.
Kerry supported regime change in Iraq; opposed Bush’s failed strategy
Kerry is glad Saddam is gone from power, and has strongly supported efforts to remove him for years. He voted to authorize the use of force against Iraq but believes that we don’t need a President who will walk away from the world or a President who will go it alone. In fact, it was Dick Cheney Chose to Leave Saddam in Power in 1991. He told NBC’s Meet the Press that he did not regret failing to take out Saddam in 1991, Cheney responded: “I don’t, Tim. It was—and it’s been talked about since then. But the fact of the matter is, the only way you could have done that would be to go to Baghdad and occupy Iraq. If we’d done that, the U.S. would have been all alone.” [NBC Meet the Press, 8/27/2000]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bush Campaign: Higher Taxes
We cannot trust John Kerry on taxes when he opposed tax relief for moms and dads, married couples, and small businesses, including an attempt to kill marriage penalty relief for couples earning less than $50,000 per year.
Kerry calls for deeper middle class tax cuts than Bush
John Kerry strongly supports the sensible tax cuts for the middle class such as repealing the marriage penalty, keeping the child tax credit and tax relief for small. John Kerry will repeal the tax giveaways to the rich and close the offshore loopholes which allow American companies not to pay their fair share. In fact, the Associated Press has reported that “Kerry called for deeper tax cuts for the middle class than proposed by Bush” [AP, 3/10/2004]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bush Campaign Says Everything is Fine
We cannot trust the economy to John Kerry's pessimistic view of America. America's economy is strong and getting stronger but John Kerry is talking about the Great Depression. While consumer confidence is approaching its highest point in two and a half years, John Kerry has been campaigning across the country on a platform of pessimism and misery. Kerry even reinvented the misery index so he could tell middle class families that life was better under Jimmy Carter than Ronald Reagan.
No matter how you look at it, middle-class families are being squeezed by the Bush economy. The Republican denials show they still don't get it.
>> The traditional Misery Index got 3.1 points better under Clinton and has gotten 3.4 points worse under Bush because of the large increase in the unemployment rate and the rapid inflation we have seen so far this year.
>> The misery index is now higher than it was in 1992 – when George Bush senior lost to Bill Clinton.
>> The new Middle-class Misery Index is an even broader measure of what matters for families -- including the cost of college, personal bankruptcies, and the typical families income. Like the traditional Misery Index, this too has worsened under President Bush.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bush Campaign Says Kerry opposes Health Care.
We cannot trust John Kerry's rhetoric on health care, when he has consistently opposed medical malpractice reform. Estimates indicate that frivolous lawsuits cost our economy up to $108 billion per year, but Kerry has spent his time in the Senate blocking commonsense lawsuit reform.
Their rhetoric is wrong because their plan doesn’t work.
Limiting compensation to victims doesn’t lower premiums for doctors. Studies have shown that premiums rise faster and are higher in states with caps. And insurers’ own actions and investments are real cause of malpractice premium hikes. They increased their premiums when the value of their investments dropped. “Since 1975, the data show that in constant dollars, per doctor written premiums—the amount of premiums that doctors have paid to insurers—have gyrated almost precisely with the insurer’s economic cycle, which is driven by such factors as insurer mismanagement and changing interest rates.” [AIR, 10/10/2002]
Kerry’s Health Care Plan Rated Best on Cost Control; Will Help Keep Malpractice Premiums Low. John Kerry is the only candidate for President, including President Bush, who has made a priority of both holding down health care costs and expanding access to care. In a recent, non-partisan survey conducted by the National Journal, John Kerry’s health care plan was rated the best on limiting government costs related to health insurance. Under Kerry’s proposal, companies and insurers that guarantee a pass-through of the savings to their workers through reduced premiums would be reimbursed for 75 percent of catastrophic costs above $50,000. Kerry will also offer a “technology bonus” as an incentive to health care providers and insurers to update their procedures and switch to electronic records. Moreover, the Kerry plan will hold down malpractice premiums by requiring an impartial review of a claim before an individual could file suit and by eliminating punitive damages except in egregious cases.
Kerry addresses frivolous lawsuits: The Kerry plan will substantially reduce meritless claims and enhance opportunities to resolve claims fairly without protracted litigation. His plan will require an impartial review of a claim before an individual could file suit and by eliminate punitive damages except in egregious cases.
For four years, the Bush administration has failed to address health care costs.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bush Campaign Says Kerry Blocked Energy Bill
We cannot trust our energy resources to a candidate who uses energy prices for political attack, but obstructs passage of a comprehensive national energy policy.
Bush has no plan to address rising energy prices or achieve energy independence
Kerry opposed Bush’s Energy in part because he is bent on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve – a measure that would sacrifice a pristine wildlife reserve, and do nothing to further the goal of energy independence. The oil in ANWR would not be available for ten years and the Bush Administration’s own Energy Information Administration stated that drilling for oil in ANWR “would likely have little impact on world oil prices.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bush Campaign Says Kerry Opposes Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit.
Kerry has consistently opposed measures to strengthen America's families, including his support for the distribution of the morning after pill in schools without parental notification, and his opposition to the Medicare prescription drug benefit for seniors.
John Kerry opposed Bush’s special interest bonanza for drug companies.
>> John Kerry Has Worked in the Senate to Make Prescription Drugs Affordable. A member of the prestigious Health Care Subcommittee, John Kerry has a long record in the Senate of making prescription drugs more affordable. Most recently, Kerry spoke out against a Medicare prescription drug measure in the Senate which he believes will leave gaps in coverage and “could prompt employers to drop retirees from their health care benefits.” [AP, 6/27/03; Senate Roll Call vote 1989, # 234; 1999 #96; 2002, #201; 108th Congress S.1112]
>> Kerry Opposed the Prescription Drug Deal Because It Was a Windfall for the Drug Companies. “The Medicare prescription drug benefit deal reached by Republicans is a raw deal for America’s seniors and a big windfall for the big drug companies. It makes a dangerous move towards Medicare privatization with new provisions to force seniors into private HMOs and higher premiums for those who stay in traditional Medicare. It undermines benefits for those who have retiree coverage today and does nothing to contain the spiraling costs of prescription drugs. And at the same time they are hurting seniors, the Bush Administration manages to reward prescription drug companies with a plan that will increase their profits by $139 billion. Hard-pressed seniors need a real affordable prescription drug benefit that puts them ahead of the multi-billion dollar drug companies that fund George Bush's campaign. This is the wrong prescription.” [John Kerry, Kerry for President release, 11/12/03]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bush Campaign Says Kerry Gets “F” >From NRA
We cannot trust the presidency to someone whose views changed depending on the day and the audience. Kerry told Wisconsin voters how he likes to go hunting with his "trusty 12-gauge double-barrel," but he received an "F" from the National Rifle Association. Kerry said in Iowa that he is personally opposed to abortion, and believes that "life does begin at conception," but he has received a 100% rating from NARAL. Kerry told voters in the West that he likes "a lot of parts" of the Healthy Forests bill, but he told Democratic primary voters that the law took "a chainsaw to public forests."
Kerry learned to hunt with his family as a young man and believes that we need to pass these traditions of respect for the environment and nature to the next generation. He’s carried a gun in defense of a country and believes the second amendment protects the right to own firearms. He’s also fought crime and served as a prosecutor, and has seen what irresponsible gun use can do to communities. He understands that the right of gun ownership comes with the responsibility to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and children. His voting record reflects these values.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bush Campaign Says Kerry is Out Of Touch
Kerry recently told supporters in New York City that the star-studded hate fest that they saw represented the "heart and soul of our country." But he has refused to release the tape of that performance to show the rest of America what he believes the "heart and soul of our country" looks and sounds like.
Bush has no positive message; he has run the most negative, desperate and divisive campaign in years
George Bush is the one who used images of flag-draped coffins at Ground Zero in his television ads. He is the one who sold photos of him on Air Force One after 9-11 as a fundraising tool. He is the one who planned the 2004 Republican convention to coincide with the anniversary of September 11th attacks. They used an image of Adolph Hitler in one of their ads, and the chief Bush campaign spokesperson attacked Kerry’s service in Vietnam saying: “He took his own photo camera, by the way, so he could get some good pictures.” [MSNBC, Hardball, 5/25/2004]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bush Campaign Says Kerry Out Of The Mainstream
John Kerry cemented his position as the Senate's most out of the mainstream member by selecting the Senate's fourth most out of the mainstream member as his running mate.
Kerry’s record shows his mainstream values
John Kerry Authored Deficit Reduction Bills to Restore Fiscal Responsibility – John Kerry is the author of both the Budget Deficit Reduction Act and the Responsible Deficit Reduction Act. Kerry, who had previously supported deficit reduction during the Reagan deficit era, introduced the measures in order to both reduce the budget defect and restore faith in the American economy. In 1994, Kerry authored a plan “to cut $ 43 billion from the budget over five years.” [AP, 2/11/94; 103rd, S.1163; 104th, S.1290]
In the Senate, John Kerry Led the Fight for Additional 100,000 Police Officers on the Streets - John Kerry led the fight to add police on our streets through his amendment to the 1993 Crime Control bill. Kerry’s fought for the $150 million addition to hire 100,000 new police officers and is widely regarded as helping to lower the crime rate across the country. Kerry “persuaded the Senate and the Clinton White House to finance a campaign pledge to put 100,000 more police officers on the street.” “Kerry's efforts to fund 100,000 more police officers to end the scourge of urban crime is an issue which directly touches everyone.” [Bay State Banner, 10/17/96; Boston Globe, 6/21/03; 103rd Congress, S.Amdt. 1202; Reason Mag. 3/94; Roll Call, Kondracke 4/18/94]
Kerry is a Strong Supporter of America’s Military & Voted for “Largest Increase in Defense Spending Since the Early 1980’s” - John Kerry is a strong supporter of the U.S. Armed Services and has consistently worked to ensure the military has the best equipment and training possible. In 2002, John Kerry voted for a large increase in the defense budget. This increase provided more than $355 billion for the Defense Department for 2003, an increase of $21 billion over 2002. This measure includes $71.5 billion for procurement programs such as $4 billion for the Air Force's F-22 fighter jets, $3.5 billion for the Joint Strike Fighter and $279.3 million for an E-8C Joint Stars (JSTARS) aircraft. Kerry’s vote also funded a 4.1% pay increase for military personnel, $160 million for the B-1 Bomber Defense System Upgrade, $1.5 billion for a new attack submarine, more than $630 million for Army and Navy variants of the Blackhawk helicopter, $3.2 billion for additional C-17 transports, $900 million for R&D of the Comanche helicopter and more than $800 million for Trident Submarine conversion.
Posted by Peter Daou on July 27, 2004 at 11:24 AM
Conventional Wisdom: Adding FACTS to the Bush Spin
"One thing you won't hear from the Bush-Cheney campaign this week is anything positive. They can't talk about the issues, because they have no plan for the future. They can't talk about their record, because it's riddled with failure. So they keep firing off intentionally misleading attacks to distract from all the things Bush and Cheney dropped the ball on over the past four years," - Kerry campaign spokesman, Chad Clanton.
Bush Says Kerry Cut Intelligence:
“At a time when the men and women of our intelligence community are working hard to anticipate the moves of a shadowy new enemy, we cannot trust the presidency to someone who has a record of supporting deep cuts to our nation's intelligence agencies.”
Recycled and Wrong
The Washington Post, among others has already called this charge wrong in March. It was widely known that the intelligence budget was overridden with pet projects and pork and was no longer appropriate to the intelligence tasks at hand. The nation was shifting from the cold war to a transnational threat involving terror, drug traffickers and international crime and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. And at any rate, a resolution cutting defense by exactly the same amount was introduced and adopted the same day Kerry proposed his.
>> Washington Post: Republican Criticism on Kerry Intel Record is Wrong. “President Bush, in his first major assault on Sen. John F. Kerry's legislative record, said this week that his Democratic opponent proposed a $1.5 billion cut in the intelligence budget, a proposal that would ‘gut the intelligence services,’ and one that had no co-sponsors because it was ‘deeply irresponsible.’ In terms of accuracy, the parry by the president is about half right. Bush is correct that Kerry on Sept. 29, 1995, proposed a five-year, $1.5 billion cut to the intelligence budget. But Bush appears to be wrong when he said the proposed Kerry cut -- about 1 percent of the overall intelligence budget for those years -- would have ‘gutted’ intelligence. In fact, the Republican-led Congress that year approved legislation that resulted in $3.8 billion being cut over five years from the budget of the National Reconnaissance Office -- the same program Kerry said he was targeting. The $1.5 billion cut Kerry proposed represented about the same amount Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), then chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, told the Senate that same day he wanted cut from the intelligence spending bill based on unspent, secret funds that had been accumulated by one intelligence agency ‘without informing the Pentagon, CIA or Congress’ The NRO, which designs, builds and operates spy satellites, had accumulated that amount of excess funds.” [Washington Post, 3/12/04]
>> Intelligence agencies; in particular the NRO, were being mismanaged.
The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the agency in charge of the nation’s spy satellites, was embroiled in controversy because of a $300 million land deal. According to the Washington Post, The NRO “bought almost 14 acres more than needed for its controversial new $ 304 million, four-building headquarters complex in the Westfields development near Dulles International Airport …. NRO, which designs, procures and manages intelligence satellites, planned to use the surplus Westfields acreage to build two additional office buildings that could be sold or leased to its contractors. The only way the NRO could buy the land it wanted was to purchase additional land, so the developers who owned it could get the profit they wanted. … [A] CIA-Pentagon investigation begun in August found that the NRO had failed to disclose the cost of the headquarters to Congress and found it was 30 percent bigger than the organization needed for its 2,190 employees and nearly 1,000 contractor personnel. The Westfields developer got NRO to purchase roughly eight additional acres because the spy satellite agency planners insisted they had to build and own the complex themselves. They refused to allow the developer to construct and rent the buildings to NRO under a long-term lease. Therefore, selling the land was the only way the developer would make money from the NRO deal.” [Washington Post, 11/9/1994]
>> Mismanagement resulted in $1 billion in unspent funds.
In Senate hearings in 1996, Sen. Arlen Specter announced: “[T]he failure of NRO officials to tell either the DCI or Congress that the NRO had accumulated over $1 billion in unused funds--further convinced our Committee that the intelligence community needed greater central direction and accountability.” [September 17, 1996; Senate Hearings; CR Page S10637]
>> In September of 1995, a secret billion dollar slush fund was found in the intelligence budget which served as a full employment opportunity for defense contractors.
The White House said yesterday it was "inexcusable" that the top secret agency that manages U.S. spy satellites had reportedly hoarded $ 1 billion in unspent funds. Chief of Staff Leon E. Panetta said John M. Deutch, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, had ordered an investigation into how the National Reconnaissance Office managed to stash away so much money without informing supervisors at the Pentagon or Congress. … The unspent funds were discovered after the Senate intelligence committee questioned a luxurious $ 300 million headquarters the NRO was building in a Washington suburb. [Washington Post, 9/25/1995]
>> An amendment just like Kerry’s passed unanimously the same day.
Arlen Specter and Bob Kerrey sought to strip the intelligence budget of its pet projects and pork, and shift our intelligence from the cold war to the threat of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The same day that John Kerry proposed to cut the intelligence budget, Senators Specter and Kerrey introduced a similar bill, which passed by a bipartisan voice vote.
[S.AMDT.2881 to S.922: To reduce the total amount of funds authorized to be appropriated for the National Reconnaissance Office to offset the availability of certain prior year appropriations. 9/29/1995: Proposed by Senator Coats for Senator Specter. Agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bush Campaign Says: We cannot trust the presidency to someone who votes to send our men and women in the military to war and then votes against body armor and combat pay for those very same men and women on the front lines in Afghanistan and Iraq. This is a vote that put John Kerry and John Edwards so far out of the mainstream, only two other U.S. Senators shared their position of voting for the war and against the troops.
Kerry voted for shared sacrifice and a plan to win the peace
John Kerry’s Vote on Bush’s bloated supplemental was a principled vote to push the Administration to develop a real plan to take the targets off our troops and insist that the wealthy bear some small chare of the sacrifice by giving up part of the tax cut on the most wealthy. The Bush Administration opposed both these reasonable measures and even threatened to veto his own measure when amendments were proposed to expand reservists’ health care benefits and make part of the $87 billion a loan. Meanwhile, Bush sent troops to war improperly equipped, tried to cut combat pay and has instituted a back door draft preventing thousands of soldiers designated for duty in Iraq or Afghanistan from leaving the military even when their volunteer service commitment expires.
>> Kerry objected to Bush’s failure to develop a real plan in Iraq. Kerry opposed spending $87 billion -- at the expense of health care, education and domestic priorities here at home -- without a strategy that protects the troops and makes America safer.
“The best way to support our troops and take the target off their backs is with a real strategy to win the peace in Iraq - not by throwing $87 billion at George Bush's failed policies. I am voting 'no' on the Iraq resolution to hold the President accountable and force him finally to develop a real plan that secures the safety of our troops and stabilizes Iraq. [John Kerry, 10/16/2003]
>> Kerry opposed Bush’s failure to insist on shared sacrifice.
Rather than asking for shared sacrifice from Americans, Bush refused to repeal any of his tax cut for the wealthiest to pay for rebuilding Iraq. John Kerry, along with Joe Biden, proposed an amendment to spread the sacrifice.
”I’m prepared to spend whatever it takes to be successful in Iraq. But I want to spend the money smart. I don’t want to spend 87 billion dollars, when it comes from the average American, when it ought to be coming from the wealthiest Americans instead of President Bush’s tax cut, which is unfair and unaffordable.” [John Kerry, 10/17/2003]
>> Kerry voted for supplemental funding for our troops $87 billion.
Kerry and Biden’s proposal would have provided the full $87 billion for the troops while at the same time reducing the Bush tax cut from 690 billion dollars over the next ten years to 600 billion dollars over the next ten years. But the Republicans voted against even that. [S1689, 10/17/2003, #400]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bush Campaign Says Kerry Attacked America’s Allies
John Kerry voted for the war in Iraq, but now uses the war as a political punching bag, denigrating the contributions of our allies by asserting that we are "going it alone" when more than 30 nations stand shoulder to shoulder with the United States as we support the new government in Iraq. We cannot trust the presidency to someone who disrespects our allies by calling them "window dressing."
Kerry wants a stronger America that is more respected abroad
This is an absolutely ridiculous charge from a president that has alienated our allies with a go-it-alone strategy in Iraq and on numerous other fronts. Throughout this campaign, John Kerry has talked about making America stronger at home and more respected abroad by returning America to a real leadership role in the world. The Bush Cheney campaign chops a quote and takes it out of context to put words in Kerry’s mouth.
Kerry called for Bush to involve more of our allies.
HEMMER: The White House would say that dozens of countries are helping now in the effort on the ground in Iraq and they are engaged with the U.N., as well, how would more international involvement prevent the violence we're seeing today?
KERRY: Well, the fact is that those countries are really window dressing to the greatest degree. And they weren't there in the beginning when we went in, and they're not carrying the cost of this war. What we need is, the war -- the occupation at this point, what we need is a much broader involvement. And I think that the overall foreign policy of the United States has a profound impact on that. How we deal with North Korea, how we deal with proliferation, how we deal with AIDS, how we deal with global warming, how we deal with the United Nations itself. It's all cumulative. And the cumulative bank account of the United States of goodwill and of good feeling has really been exhausted by this administration's arrogant attitude. [CNN, American Morning, 3/2/2004]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bush Campaign Says“Amid a changing threat to our homeland, we cannot trust the presidency to someone who blocked and delayed efforts to streamline our nation's homeland security efforts because of the objections of a handful of union bosses. Kerry has also attacked the Patriot Act that is giving law enforcement the same tools to fight terrorists that they have long had to fight drug dealers.”
Bush opposed Homeland Security Agency; Stonewalled 9-11 Commission
John Kerry argued for intelligence reform to address growing threats of terrorism, drug dealing and international crime during the last administration. And it was Bush, not Kerry and Democrats who blocked the adoption of a Homeland Security Agency. Even today, Bush has failed to address key intelligence shortcomings and even resisted reforms suggested by the bipartisan 9-11 commission.
Kerry argued for streamlining and reforming law enforcement long ago. Its one of the things he supported in his book “The New War.”
“Kerry, former chairman and, until recently, ranking Democrat on the Senate Subcommittee on Terrorism, Narcotics and International Operations, warns that while Americans obsess about street crime and random violence, we overlook the far greater threat posed by global criminals and terrorists… What's needed to stop global criminals, Kerry argues, is global cooperation, "a revolution in the way we conceive of every aspect of the law, from jurisdiction to punishment." [Boston Globe, 7/1/97]
From Day One, Bush Opposed Creating a Homeland Security Department. Bush stalled the creation of a new cabinet agency for months, opposing it until it became apparent that legislation creating it would pass Congress in mid-2002. [White House Press Briefing, 10/24/01; National Journal, 6/5/02; George W. Bush, 11/19/02]
Bush Initially Opposed Independent 9-11 Commission. Bush opposed an independent inquiry into 9/11, arguing it would duplicate a probe conducted by Congress. In July 2002, his administration issued a “statement of policy” that read “…the Administration would oppose an amendment that would create a new commission to conduct a similar review [to Congress’s investigation].” After “the congressional committees unearthed more and more examples of intelligence lapses [before the 9-11 attacks], the administration reversed its stance.” [Los Angeles Times, 11/28/02; Statement of Administration Policy, Executive Office of the President, 7/24/02; Los Angeles Times, 11/28/02]
Even today they are failing to provide local law enforcement with the tools they need to protect our communities. Federal fingerprint databases still aren’t merged, so terrorists and other violent criminals may be able to sneak into the country. CIA, FBI and other agencies still aren’t sharing intelligence with one another. The FBI is only half finished with terrorist list database. And ninety percent of cities have not received funding.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bush Campaign Says John Kerry Backed Saddam
We cannot trust the presidency to someone who makes decisions on matters of national security by holding up his finger to determine which way the political winds are blowing. John Kerry has more positions on Iraq and the War on Terror than anyone can count. The world is more safe and America is more secure because Saddam Hussein is out of power, but John Kerry can't even give a straight answer on whether he believes the decision to remove Saddam Hussein was right or wrong.
Kerry supported regime change in Iraq; opposed Bush’s failed strategy
Kerry is glad Saddam is gone from power, and has strongly supported efforts to remove him for years. He voted to authorize the use of force against Iraq but believes that we don’t need a President who will walk away from the world or a President who will go it alone. In fact, it was Dick Cheney Chose to Leave Saddam in Power in 1991. He told NBC’s Meet the Press that he did not regret failing to take out Saddam in 1991, Cheney responded: “I don’t, Tim. It was—and it’s been talked about since then. But the fact of the matter is, the only way you could have done that would be to go to Baghdad and occupy Iraq. If we’d done that, the U.S. would have been all alone.” [NBC Meet the Press, 8/27/2000]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bush Campaign: Higher Taxes
We cannot trust John Kerry on taxes when he opposed tax relief for moms and dads, married couples, and small businesses, including an attempt to kill marriage penalty relief for couples earning less than $50,000 per year.
Kerry calls for deeper middle class tax cuts than Bush
John Kerry strongly supports the sensible tax cuts for the middle class such as repealing the marriage penalty, keeping the child tax credit and tax relief for small. John Kerry will repeal the tax giveaways to the rich and close the offshore loopholes which allow American companies not to pay their fair share. In fact, the Associated Press has reported that “Kerry called for deeper tax cuts for the middle class than proposed by Bush” [AP, 3/10/2004]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bush Campaign Says Everything is Fine
We cannot trust the economy to John Kerry's pessimistic view of America. America's economy is strong and getting stronger but John Kerry is talking about the Great Depression. While consumer confidence is approaching its highest point in two and a half years, John Kerry has been campaigning across the country on a platform of pessimism and misery. Kerry even reinvented the misery index so he could tell middle class families that life was better under Jimmy Carter than Ronald Reagan.
No matter how you look at it, middle-class families are being squeezed by the Bush economy. The Republican denials show they still don't get it.
>> The traditional Misery Index got 3.1 points better under Clinton and has gotten 3.4 points worse under Bush because of the large increase in the unemployment rate and the rapid inflation we have seen so far this year.
>> The misery index is now higher than it was in 1992 – when George Bush senior lost to Bill Clinton.
>> The new Middle-class Misery Index is an even broader measure of what matters for families -- including the cost of college, personal bankruptcies, and the typical families income. Like the traditional Misery Index, this too has worsened under President Bush.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bush Campaign Says Kerry opposes Health Care.
We cannot trust John Kerry's rhetoric on health care, when he has consistently opposed medical malpractice reform. Estimates indicate that frivolous lawsuits cost our economy up to $108 billion per year, but Kerry has spent his time in the Senate blocking commonsense lawsuit reform.
Their rhetoric is wrong because their plan doesn’t work.
Limiting compensation to victims doesn’t lower premiums for doctors. Studies have shown that premiums rise faster and are higher in states with caps. And insurers’ own actions and investments are real cause of malpractice premium hikes. They increased their premiums when the value of their investments dropped. “Since 1975, the data show that in constant dollars, per doctor written premiums—the amount of premiums that doctors have paid to insurers—have gyrated almost precisely with the insurer’s economic cycle, which is driven by such factors as insurer mismanagement and changing interest rates.” [AIR, 10/10/2002]
Kerry’s Health Care Plan Rated Best on Cost Control; Will Help Keep Malpractice Premiums Low. John Kerry is the only candidate for President, including President Bush, who has made a priority of both holding down health care costs and expanding access to care. In a recent, non-partisan survey conducted by the National Journal, John Kerry’s health care plan was rated the best on limiting government costs related to health insurance. Under Kerry’s proposal, companies and insurers that guarantee a pass-through of the savings to their workers through reduced premiums would be reimbursed for 75 percent of catastrophic costs above $50,000. Kerry will also offer a “technology bonus” as an incentive to health care providers and insurers to update their procedures and switch to electronic records. Moreover, the Kerry plan will hold down malpractice premiums by requiring an impartial review of a claim before an individual could file suit and by eliminating punitive damages except in egregious cases.
Kerry addresses frivolous lawsuits: The Kerry plan will substantially reduce meritless claims and enhance opportunities to resolve claims fairly without protracted litigation. His plan will require an impartial review of a claim before an individual could file suit and by eliminate punitive damages except in egregious cases.
For four years, the Bush administration has failed to address health care costs.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bush Campaign Says Kerry Blocked Energy Bill
We cannot trust our energy resources to a candidate who uses energy prices for political attack, but obstructs passage of a comprehensive national energy policy.
Bush has no plan to address rising energy prices or achieve energy independence
Kerry opposed Bush’s Energy in part because he is bent on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve – a measure that would sacrifice a pristine wildlife reserve, and do nothing to further the goal of energy independence. The oil in ANWR would not be available for ten years and the Bush Administration’s own Energy Information Administration stated that drilling for oil in ANWR “would likely have little impact on world oil prices.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bush Campaign Says Kerry Opposes Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit.
Kerry has consistently opposed measures to strengthen America's families, including his support for the distribution of the morning after pill in schools without parental notification, and his opposition to the Medicare prescription drug benefit for seniors.
John Kerry opposed Bush’s special interest bonanza for drug companies.
>> John Kerry Has Worked in the Senate to Make Prescription Drugs Affordable. A member of the prestigious Health Care Subcommittee, John Kerry has a long record in the Senate of making prescription drugs more affordable. Most recently, Kerry spoke out against a Medicare prescription drug measure in the Senate which he believes will leave gaps in coverage and “could prompt employers to drop retirees from their health care benefits.” [AP, 6/27/03; Senate Roll Call vote 1989, # 234; 1999 #96; 2002, #201; 108th Congress S.1112]
>> Kerry Opposed the Prescription Drug Deal Because It Was a Windfall for the Drug Companies. “The Medicare prescription drug benefit deal reached by Republicans is a raw deal for America’s seniors and a big windfall for the big drug companies. It makes a dangerous move towards Medicare privatization with new provisions to force seniors into private HMOs and higher premiums for those who stay in traditional Medicare. It undermines benefits for those who have retiree coverage today and does nothing to contain the spiraling costs of prescription drugs. And at the same time they are hurting seniors, the Bush Administration manages to reward prescription drug companies with a plan that will increase their profits by $139 billion. Hard-pressed seniors need a real affordable prescription drug benefit that puts them ahead of the multi-billion dollar drug companies that fund George Bush's campaign. This is the wrong prescription.” [John Kerry, Kerry for President release, 11/12/03]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bush Campaign Says Kerry Gets “F” >From NRA
We cannot trust the presidency to someone whose views changed depending on the day and the audience. Kerry told Wisconsin voters how he likes to go hunting with his "trusty 12-gauge double-barrel," but he received an "F" from the National Rifle Association. Kerry said in Iowa that he is personally opposed to abortion, and believes that "life does begin at conception," but he has received a 100% rating from NARAL. Kerry told voters in the West that he likes "a lot of parts" of the Healthy Forests bill, but he told Democratic primary voters that the law took "a chainsaw to public forests."
Kerry learned to hunt with his family as a young man and believes that we need to pass these traditions of respect for the environment and nature to the next generation. He’s carried a gun in defense of a country and believes the second amendment protects the right to own firearms. He’s also fought crime and served as a prosecutor, and has seen what irresponsible gun use can do to communities. He understands that the right of gun ownership comes with the responsibility to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and children. His voting record reflects these values.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bush Campaign Says Kerry is Out Of Touch
Kerry recently told supporters in New York City that the star-studded hate fest that they saw represented the "heart and soul of our country." But he has refused to release the tape of that performance to show the rest of America what he believes the "heart and soul of our country" looks and sounds like.
Bush has no positive message; he has run the most negative, desperate and divisive campaign in years
George Bush is the one who used images of flag-draped coffins at Ground Zero in his television ads. He is the one who sold photos of him on Air Force One after 9-11 as a fundraising tool. He is the one who planned the 2004 Republican convention to coincide with the anniversary of September 11th attacks. They used an image of Adolph Hitler in one of their ads, and the chief Bush campaign spokesperson attacked Kerry’s service in Vietnam saying: “He took his own photo camera, by the way, so he could get some good pictures.” [MSNBC, Hardball, 5/25/2004]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bush Campaign Says Kerry Out Of The Mainstream
John Kerry cemented his position as the Senate's most out of the mainstream member by selecting the Senate's fourth most out of the mainstream member as his running mate.
Kerry’s record shows his mainstream values
John Kerry Authored Deficit Reduction Bills to Restore Fiscal Responsibility – John Kerry is the author of both the Budget Deficit Reduction Act and the Responsible Deficit Reduction Act. Kerry, who had previously supported deficit reduction during the Reagan deficit era, introduced the measures in order to both reduce the budget defect and restore faith in the American economy. In 1994, Kerry authored a plan “to cut $ 43 billion from the budget over five years.” [AP, 2/11/94; 103rd, S.1163; 104th, S.1290]
In the Senate, John Kerry Led the Fight for Additional 100,000 Police Officers on the Streets - John Kerry led the fight to add police on our streets through his amendment to the 1993 Crime Control bill. Kerry’s fought for the $150 million addition to hire 100,000 new police officers and is widely regarded as helping to lower the crime rate across the country. Kerry “persuaded the Senate and the Clinton White House to finance a campaign pledge to put 100,000 more police officers on the street.” “Kerry's efforts to fund 100,000 more police officers to end the scourge of urban crime is an issue which directly touches everyone.” [Bay State Banner, 10/17/96; Boston Globe, 6/21/03; 103rd Congress, S.Amdt. 1202; Reason Mag. 3/94; Roll Call, Kondracke 4/18/94]
Kerry is a Strong Supporter of America’s Military & Voted for “Largest Increase in Defense Spending Since the Early 1980’s” - John Kerry is a strong supporter of the U.S. Armed Services and has consistently worked to ensure the military has the best equipment and training possible. In 2002, John Kerry voted for a large increase in the defense budget. This increase provided more than $355 billion for the Defense Department for 2003, an increase of $21 billion over 2002. This measure includes $71.5 billion for procurement programs such as $4 billion for the Air Force's F-22 fighter jets, $3.5 billion for the Joint Strike Fighter and $279.3 million for an E-8C Joint Stars (JSTARS) aircraft. Kerry’s vote also funded a 4.1% pay increase for military personnel, $160 million for the B-1 Bomber Defense System Upgrade, $1.5 billion for a new attack submarine, more than $630 million for Army and Navy variants of the Blackhawk helicopter, $3.2 billion for additional C-17 transports, $900 million for R&D of the Comanche helicopter and more than $800 million for Trident Submarine conversion.
Posted by Peter Daou on July 27, 2004 at 11:24 AM