More Broken Windows in Our Society

I think that, despite some imperfections in her own life, the good Dr. Schlessinger has got it just right. It is not, IMHO, coincidental that these shows died out and courser shows got their start right after the removal a school prayer. Just more examples of an even increasing number of broken windows and dirty streets that are leading us down a path of decadence and decay that, if unchecked, will be the downfall of our society:

“The reality format [of television] is at its most abusive...in its molestation of the family dynamic and its gross exploitation of children. ‘Motherhood and apple-pie’ is disdained in our popular culture, while the Gotti and Osbourne ‘families’ and the newer ‘Trading Spouses’ and ‘Wife Swap’ are elevated as ‘reality.’

My reality check about families as I was growing up included ‘Leave it to Beaver’ and ‘Father Knows Best’ and ‘The Donna Reed Show.’

Alternative families were represented by overcoming the tragedy of deceased family members as in ‘Bachelor Father’ or ‘Lassie.’

Say what you want about these shows being ‘unrealistic,’ these shows were entertaining and often inspiring, and the plots generally resulted in better understanding, communication and affection between the parents and between the generations as the children confronted ‘issues’ and received guidance, support and consequences from the responsible adults in their lives, who generally role-modeled respectable behaviors.”
--Dr. Laura Schlessinger

An the Federalist has this to say about education and the Governments role in it:

“A most interesting fact of history is that Americans were probably the most literate people in the world before the advent of government schools and compulsory school attendance. Since the U.S. was already highly literate when parents were allowed complete freedom in educating their children, the reason behind compulsory attendance obviously had nothing to do with academics. Neither was the problem one of economics, as there was not a shortage of charity schools. If the purpose was not one of academics or to help poor children receive an education, what was the intent behind the push for government schools and more importantly, compulsory attendance laws? This is an urgent question that begs an honest answer because with ever increasing government controls and compulsory attendance, American literacy rates have steadily plummeted. With the billions of dollars spent on education can this really be an accident?”
--Debbie O’Hara

And

“A 1990 Gallup survey for the National Endowment of the Humanities, given to a representative sample of 700 college seniors, found that 25 percent did not know that Columbus landed in the Western Hemisphere before the year 1500, 42 percent could not place the Civil War in the correct half-century, and 31 percent thought Reconstruction came after World War II. In 1993, a Department of Education survey found that, among college graduates, 50 percent of whites and more than 80 percent of blacks couldn’t state in writing the argument made in a newspaper column or use a bus schedule to get on the right bus, 56 percent could not calculate the right tip, 57 percent could not figure out how much change they should get back after putting down $3 to pay for a 60-cent bowl of soup and a $1.95 sandwich, and over 90 percent could not use a calculator to find the cost of carpeting a room. But not to worry. The American Council of Trustees and Alumni’s 1999 survey of seniors at the nation’s top 55 liberal arts colleges and universities found that 98 percent could identify rap artist Snoop Doggy Dogg and Beavis and Butt-Head, but only 34 percent knew George Washington was the general at the battle of Yorktown. Americans as donors and taxpayers have been exceedingly generous to our universities. Given our universities’ gross betrayal of trust, Americans should rethink their generosity as well as rethink who serves on boards of trustees that, in dereliction of duty, permit universities to become hotbeds of political activism and academic fraud. There are a few universities where there’s still integrity and academic honesty, and they don’t cost an arm and a leg. Among them are: Grove City College, Pa., Hillsdale College, Mich., Franciscan University, Steubenville, Iowa, and others listed at the Web page of Young America’s Foundation.”
--Walter Williams

This does not bode well for the direction our country is taking, is it? At least we have the Federalist:

“FRUIT FROM THE TREE OF LIBERTY”

The Federalist Patriot is an advocate of individual rights and responsibilities as ordained by God and established in the governmental context framed by our nation’s Founders in our Declaration of Independence and its subordinate guidance, our Republic’s Constitution, as explicated by The Federalist Papers. Our mission is to provide Constitutional Conservatives with a quick-reading e-journal digesting a wide spectrum of reliable information from reputable research, advocacy and media organizations -- a brief, timely, informative and entertaining survey and analysis of the week’s most significant news, policy and opinion as anecdotal rebuttal to political, social and media Leftists. The Federalist Patriot is protected speech pursuant to the First (and Second) Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. Statement of Allegiance as subscribed by The Federalist’s National Advisory Committee, Staff and Associates: “I hereby declare, on oath, that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, so help me God.”

The Federalist Patriot is a publication of Publius Press, Inc. Copyright (C) 1981-2004 Publius Press, Inc. All rights reserved. The Federalist Patriot is a Town Hall Citizen Organization In God we trust. ><>

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Stem Cells From Fat Used to Repair Skull - by The Associated Press

Note how no embryos were tossed in a blender to do this. (At no time did the researches' hands ever leave thier wrists!)

Stem Cells From Fat Used to Repair Skull

December 17, 2004

(The Associated Press) -- Surgeons have used stem cells from fat to help repair skull damage in a 7-year-old girl in Germany, in what’s apparently the first time such fat-derived cells have been exploited to grow bone in a human.

The girl had been injured two years before in a fall, which destroyed several areas of her skull totaling nearly 19 square inches, the German researchers reported.

Other surgeons had failed to correct the defects, and the girl wore a protective helmet. Her brain could sometimes be seen pulsating through the missing areas of her skull.

But several weeks after the stem-cell surgery, she was able to leave her helmet behind, the researchers report in the December issue of the Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery. The skull is now smooth to the touch, the missing parts replaced by thin but solid bone, said Dr. Hans-Peter Howaldt of the Justus-Liebig-University Medical School in Giessen, Germany. The child was not identified.

Howaldt, who performed the surgery last year, said the damage was too extensive to be repaired with bone grafts from her body. He said the hope was that if bits of the child’s bone were mixed with stem cells, the cells would turn into bone-building cells that would create additional bone.

That appears to have happened, Howaldt said in a telephone interview Thursday.

“I cannot prove that our success comes from the stem cells alone,” he said, “but the combination of the two things simply worked.”

In August, other German doctors reported growing a jaw bone in a man’s back muscle and transplanting it to his mouth to fill a gap left by cancer surgery. The researchers used bone marrow, which also contains stem cells, to help grow the bone. But it’s not clear whether the stem cells were responsible for the bone growth.

So Roy C. Ogle of the University of Virginia, an expert in skull reconstructive surgery who has been studying bone regeneration from fat-derived cells, said he considered the new report to be the first indicating that any kind of stem cell had been used to grow bone in a human.

“It is a very big deal,” said Ogle, who called the study a landmark.

He agreed that the study didn’t prove that stem cells provided the new bone. But it also indicates that the implanted cells did no harm, which has been a concern with using stem cells in people, he said.

Ogle said many surgeons would have augmented the child’s bone with a mineral paste or collagen instead of stem cells. Howaldt said he believes it’s better to use the body’s own tissue.

Howaldt and his colleagues treated the skull in the same operation that recovered bone from the girl’s pelvis and about 1.5 ounces of fat tissue from her buttocks. The bone was milled into chips about one-tenth of an inch long and placed in the missing areas of the skull. Then surgeons added the stem cells to the bone chips. The cells had been extracted from the girl’s fat in a laboratory while surgeons prepared the girl’s skull.

Howaldt said the bone chips appeared to instruct the stem cells to make more bone. While the new bone should grow as the child grows, she’s old enough that her skull won’t grow much more anyway, he said.

Copyright 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

A thought about Iraqi Elections

“The value of liberty was thus enhanced in our estimation by the difficulty of its attainment, and the worth of characters appreciated by the trial of adversity.” --George Washington

It is hard to tell what is going on in Iraq what with a press corps that is anti-war/anti-Bush/ and perhaps even anti-America only telling us about the doom and gloom. For example, here is the ‘behind the story-story about the ‘questions’ Rumsfeld was asked in Kuwait yesterday:

Apparently a reporter set up Rumsfeld, had a conversation with the soldier. The reporter was mad that Rumsfeld wasn’t taking questions from the press, and so the reporter suggested these questions to the soldier, and the soldier asked the questions about lack of armor on vehicles that the reporter wanted to ask, but since Rumsfeld wasn’t taking questions, he had no choice, and the journalist who engineered this says, “I just had one of my best days as a journalist today. As luck would have it, our journey north was delayed just long enough so I could attend a visit today here by Rumsfeld. I was told yesterday that only soldiers could ask questions, so I brought two of them along with me as my escorts, soldiers. Beforehand we worked on questions to ask Rumsfeld about the appalling lack of armor their vehicles going into combat had.” -Rush Limbaugh

When there is no news they just fudge it. (BTW, don’t roll your eyes at a Rush Limbaugh quote, he has been found to be right over 98% of the time. He may not tell the whole truth all the time, but what he does say is the truth. It has to be, he is held up to way too much scrutiny to have it otherwise.)

What I want to know is what our government and Iraqi’s are doing to spread the word to the Iraqi people about what the fighting there is all about. Here is something that President Bush said recently:

When Iraqis choose their leaders in free elections, it will destroy the myth that the terrorists are fighting a foreign occupation and make clear that what the terrorists are really fighting is the will of the Iraqi people. -GW Bush (43)

This is what it is all about; setting up democracies in the Middle East to bring some sanity into the entire region. This is what the so called insurgents (terrorists) are fighting against. They can’t afford to have free thinking people, especially so many of them, in the middle of the insanity that has held reign there for over fifty years.

Of course, that we have a large presence there on both sides of Iran has a lot of the madmen there unhinged as well, don’t you think? Speaking of Iran, what do you think about them making atom bombs? What do you think about their security, will terrorists get their hands on them? Who said no? The terrorists run that country!

Afghanistan had their elections and nobody thought they would. That was the first election in that piece of the world in recorded history, and the people turned out in droves. Of course they want to have a say in their lives, everybody does, even the Iraqis.

God Bless GW Bush(43), and may He oversee the elections in Iraq.

God bless us all, please.

Spinal cords fixed, and without stem cells!

Great news here, potentially, for people suffering from spinal cord injuries. Read carefully and note, there is not a stem cell insight!

Thank goodness we aren’t spending inordinate amounts of money on embryonic stem cell research, eh?
------------------------

Scientists Reverse Paralysis In Dogs

AP - December 6, 2004

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Dogs with paralyzed hind legs regained the ability to walk after getting a shot of a chemical cousin of antifreeze that helped repair nerve cells in their damaged spinal cords, scientists reported.

Purdue University researchers who led the project hope the approach can soon be tried in people, but caution that there are significant differences between human and canine spinal cords.

The treatment only worked on dogs given the injections within about three days of their injury. Some dogs not given the injections eventually walked again, but those getting the new treatment had a dramatically higher recovery rate.

In one case, a dachshund named Oscar was initially sent home with a wheel cart and little hope of recovery after a serious injury.

Soon after the dog got the chemical treatment, he began walking, although his back legs work in unison, giving him an unusual gait.

“I used to make fun of him, saying he walks like a drunken sailor,” said Oscar’s owner, Dan Paulin of Boonville, Ind. “I don’t think he’ll ever be normal, but at least he’s not confined to the wheel cart.”

In the study, 19 paraplegic dogs were injected with polyethylene glycol, or PEG -- a nontoxic liquid polymer composed of long strings of the same type of molecules found in antifreeze.

Within eight weeks, 13 of the 19 canines, about 68 percent, regained the use of their hind legs and were able to walk, some almost as well as before their injury.

The dogs were injected twice with PEG, first soon after their owners brought them to the researchers’ labs and then after standard surgery and steroids to reduce inflammation.

Among a group of 24 dogs that received just the standard surgery and rehabilitation therapies, only about 25 percent regained the same level of mobility, feeling and bodily functions, with about 62 percent remaining paraplegic.

The study’s findings appear in the December issue of the Journal of Neurotrauma.

Scientists at Purdue, Indiana University’s Indianapolis campus and Texas A&M University took part in the research on dogs ages 2 to 8 between 2001-03.

Richard Borgens, the Purdue professor of neuroscience who oversaw the study, said his West Lafayette, Ind., lab had previously used PEG to repair damaged spinal cords in guinea pigs with about a 90 percent success rate.

His team has even fused severed guinea pig spinal cords using PEG, although the dogs in the study had spinal disc ruptures that crushed, but did not sever, their spinal cords.

Although exactly how PEG works remains unclear, Borgens said it appears to act as a sort of “molecular Band-Aid” that forms a temporary seal over breaches in nerve cells in the spinal cord, aiding their healing process.

“This stuff is kind of like a radiator stop-leak for the nervous system. The polymer spreads out and forms a seal over the damaged areas in the nerve cells and allows the membrane below to reconstruct itself,” said Borgens, director of Purdue’s Center for Paralysis Research.

He said PEG also appears to prevent secondary tissue death that often causes more damage than the original injury. Borgens said the agent only covers damaged cells and tissues when injected into the blood stream.

Purdue has enlisted a yet-to-be-announced corporate sponsor that will make PEG in a form suitable for human clinical trials. Pending federal approval, Borgens hopes those trials can begin within about 18 months on people with hours-old or days-old spinal injuries.

W. Dalton Dietrich, the scientific director of The Miami Project To Cure Paralysis, said the rapid improvements in the dogs are intriguing, but point to the need for follow-up work to learn more about how PEG works and evaluate its safety. “Although the results are very provocative, additional studies are required,” he said.

Karen Kline, an associate professor of neurology and neurosurgery at Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in Ames, Iowa, called the findings promising. She said PEG, which she plans to test on dogs at her lab, appears to stabilize damaged tissue to allow more rapid healing than typically occurs naturally.

“It has such promise, but I think we need to look at more animals and make sure that we’re getting a positive outcome,” Kline said.


Copyright 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

A broken window into civilization - by: Kathleen Parker

The following is one of the best descriptions of what has been going wrong with out culture and our country. It may well be a defining essay on conservatism. It is certainly one of, if not THE, best insight into the 'slippery-slope' of liberalism. (Yes, Rich, she is beautiful to behold as well; and her mind is exquisite.

Please read to the end, she pulls it together so very, very well.

-------------------------------------------

A broken window into civilization

by: Kathleen Parker

December 1, 2004

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/columnists/orl-edpparker01120104dec01,1,7942655.column

COMMENTARY: KATHLEEN PARKER

As we marveled over the basketball brawl between players and spectators at a recent Indiana Pacers-Detroit Pistons game -- and then the fourth-quarter melee between Clemson University and University of South Carolina football players -- I kept thinking, "broken windows."

The "broken windows" theory of social breakdown goes more or less like this: If a broken window in a building is left unrepaired, pretty soon all the windows are broken, and so goes the neighborhood.

By now familiar, the theory was conceived and popularized by Harvard professors James Q. Wilson and George Kelling. They wrote in the March 1982 edition of The Atlantic Monthly that if broken windows are not repaired, "the tendency is for vandals to break a few more windows. Eventually, they may even break into the building, and if it's unoccupied, perhaps become squatters or light fires inside."

"Or consider a sidewalk," wrote Wilson and Kelling. "Some litter accumulates. Soon, more litter accumulates. Eventually, people even start leaving bags of trash from take-out restaurants there or breaking into cars."

The authors determined that the way to prevent vandalism -- and thus more serious forms of crime and urban deterioration -- was to fix the broken windows. To clean up the sidewalk. To fix the small things before they become big things.

As mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani put the theory to work by strictly enforcing laws against small crimes -- subway-fare evasion, for example -- and major crime dropped significantly.

Wilson and Kelling explained that the reason one broken window leads to more broken windows is because human beings respond to these signs as an absence of caring or of anyone being in charge. In the absence of authority -- the symbolic adult -- children tend to behave badly. Order breaks down. Civility disintegrates.

Given which, it seems reasonable to extend the broken-windows theory to the larger culture. Why wouldn't a similar lack of adult attention to standards of human civility eventually result in the cultural equivalent of broken windows?

It does not seem a stretch that what we witnessed on the basketball court and the football field is merely the inevitable conclusion of the general coarsening we've witnessed in the culture the past few decades.

Where Wilson and Kelling considered broken buildings and littered sidewalks, we might consider a profane and sex-saturated culture in which coarse language, base human interaction and incivility are no longer the exception but the norm.

In such a climate, shock jocks and post-pubescent television producers think scatological humor and titillation on public airwaves is a hoot. It's knee-slappingly funny during family time -- the more and better to offend.

Setting aside for a moment the utter banality of what passes for entertainment -- and the yawn that has replaced contempt amid extreme familiarity -- such cultural coarsening nourishes the impression that nothing matters and no one cares.

Parents struggling to raise decent, well-mannered children in this swamp know, of course, that everything matters. Even the words we use. When we ignore the little niceties -- tolerating coarse language or behavior in public -- we invite larger fractures in civilization, which is a fragile facade after all.

Talking like this, of course, will get you labeled a rube, a prude or, worse, a censor. What's with profanity, anyway? They're only words. Comedian George Carlin, who is funny without the seven words he built his most famous skit around, made us feel silly for caring about language.

As for the relentless fascination with variations on ye olde bump 'n' grind, confusion sets in. What's wrong with sex? Not one thing -- in the right place and time. But the courtesy of observing certain rules of decorum -- previously known as manners and once taken for granted -- is passe. Soooooo whenever.

It is considered sophisticated, on the other hand, to ridicule America's "obsession" with such things as Janet Jackson's nipple, famously revealed during her "wardrobe malfunction" in the Super Bowl halftime show. It was just a breast, for heaven's sake! What's the biggie?

Nipple-schmipple. No it wasn't just a breast. A mother nursing her infant is just a breast. Janet and Justin's little prank was a deliberate act of juvenile defiance, a self-indulgent, narcissistic display by emotionally stunted adults playing fast and loose with the rules for their own amusement. It was a middle finger shoved in Middle America's face.

The point then, as now, is only this. Either we believe in and honor community standards or we don't. Ignoring simple standards, constructed to protect and advance civilization, is like ignoring the broken window. In time, the culture -- like the neighborhood -- goes to you-know-where in a handbasket.

Kathleen Parker can be reached at kparker@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5202.


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2004 Presidential Scorebook - from Grassfire.org

2004 Presidential Scorebook

Grassfire.org

INTRODUCTION

They said it.

They did it.

You weigh it.

With hundreds of millions of dollars being poured into the 2004 Presidential election, at times it can be difficult to sort through the volume of information and digest where the candidates really stand. One could spend all day scouring web sites, reading the newspaper, listening to the radio and watching TV news without getting a clear picture of of candidates President George W. Bush and Senator John F. Kerry.

Then there’s the other extreme – the one-word summaries of the candidates’ positions offered as “Voter Guides.” We’ve all seen them. Abortion? For/Against. Environment? Good/Bad. Military? Supportive/Not Supportive. If only life were that simple!

What they said and what they did:

In concepting this booklet, Grassfire set out to create a definitive, up-to-date resource that cut through the political spin, and gave citizens real insight and understanding into what each candidate said and did on key issues.

That’s why we have chosen this “Quotes And Votes” format. This Scorebook lays out the key issues facing our nation in 2004 and places what George Bush and John Kerry said and did side by side. Quotes and Votes. Since the President does not actually vote on the issues, we have completed these sections with bills the President signed into law, executive orders, and other documented actions of his administration.

You Score It!

There’s something else unique about this guide – it’s a Scorebook, but we don’t score it, you do. Unlike some materials that either go ahead and “score” the outcome or clearly bias the outcome by the wording, this guide is your Scorebook.

At the bottom of each page, you will find a box that says, “Check here if candidate reflects your position.” As you read Quotes & Votes, check the box next to the candidate that reflects your views. Then, at the back of this Scorebook, you can tally your score. You can rate these issues by choosing how important they are to you: 3 very important, 2 for somewhat important, 1 for less important. Then, tally your “score” and head out to the polls!

Can Your Church Distribute this Scorebook?

Yes! Since Quotes & Votes is a non-partisan guide, your church or community group can distribute this booklet as an informational service to your friends and members. We believe this Scorebook provides a valuable service that you can offer to those in your church or community group.

Grassfire’s Disclaimer

Before you proceed, in the interest of full disclosure we would like to issue a disclaimer. Grassfire.org Alliance is unabashedly a grassroots conservative organization. As a non-profit issues advocacy organization, we take an active stand on behalf of our million-strong team in support of what would generally be called social and fiscally conservative issues.

That said, we have crafted this non-partisan Scorebook with the goal of presenting fairly the actual views and actions of President Bush and Senator Kerry.

We selected the issues that consistently show up in the polling data as the most important issues to voters in 2004 – from abortion to taxes and everything in between. These are the issues that the candidates are talking about. These are the issues that have framed the debate. We searched scores of web sites and sources to find the “Quotes and Votes” that give a fair representation of President Bush and Senator Kerry’s positions.

At the end of the day, we think hard-core Bush supporters and hard-core Kerry supporters will equally find information in these pages to support their candidate. Those still trying to decide how to vote (or whether to vote) may find our innovative scoring system helpful in making the important decision of how to cast their vote on November 2.

That is why we confidently call this guide a “non-partisan” Scorebook on the Presidential election. We hope you enjoy!

Steve Elliott, President Grassfire.org Alliance



John Kerry on Abortion

Abortion Quotes———————————————

On when life begins: “My personal belief about what happens in the fertilization process is a human being is first formed and created, and that’s when life begins. Something begins to happen. There’s a transformation. There’s an evolution. Within weeks, you look and see the development of it, but that’s not a person yet, and it’s certainly not what somebody, in my judgment, ought to have the government of the United States intervening in.”

(7/22/04, ABC News)

General: “Abortion should be rare but it should be safe and legal. And the government should stay out of the bedrooms of Americans.” (Washington, D.C., 4/04)

On Roe v. Wade: “The Republicans want to criminalize the right of women to choose, take us back to the days of back alleys, gag doctors and deny families the right to plan and be aware of their choices – we Democrats want to protect the constitutional right of privacy.” (6/7/03, Massachusetts Democratic Convention)

On partial-birth abortion: “President Bush has signed legislation [the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban] that takes a step backwards for women as his stealth agenda to roll back the right to choose is pushed forward.” (News Release, 11/3/03)



Abortion Votes———————————————

Voted NO on Unborn Victims of Violence Act to make it a crime to harm a fetus during the commission of a violent crime (S.1019, 3/04).

Voted NO on conference report on Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act to ban partial-birth abortion (S. 3, 6/03); Voted NO on bill to ban partial-birth abortion (S.1692, 10/99).

Joined Senate in unanimous consent (none objecting) in passage of Born-Alive Infants Protection Act (H.R.2175, 7/18/02).

Voted NO on bill maintaining the ban on abortions at Department of Defense facilities (S.2549, 6/00).

Voted to repeal laws prohibiting abortions at overseas military facilities (S.1059, 5/99).



George Bush on Abortion

Abortion Quotes———————————————

General: “My Administration encourages adoption and supports abstinence education, crisis pregnancy programs, parental notification laws, and other measures to help us continue to build a culture of life.” (1/16/04, Proclamation)

On partial-birth abortion: “America stands for liberty, for the pursuit of happiness and for the unalienable right of life. And the most basic duty of government is to defend the life of the innocent. Every person, however frail or vulnerable, has a place and a purpose in this world. Every person has a special dignity. This right to life cannot be granted or denied by government, because it does not come from government, it comes from the Creator of life.” (11/5/03, White House)

General: “I will lead our nation toward a culture that values life – the life of the elderly and the sick, the life of the young, and the life of the unborn. I know good people disagree on this issue, but surely we can agree on ways to value life by promoting adoption and parental notification, and when Congress sends me a bill against partial-birth abortion, I will sign it into law.” (8/3/00, Republican National Convention)

Abortion Votes———————————————

Signed into law Unborn Victims of Violence Act to make it a crime to harm a fetus during the commission of a violent crime (4/1/04).

Signed into law the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 to ban partial-birth abortion (6/03).

Signed into law Born-Alive Infants Protection Act to protect infants who are born alive, even victims of abortion (8/5/02).

In first week in office reinstated Mexico City Policy by Executive Order. This policy denies taxpayer funds to groups that promote abortion overseas (01/01).



John Kerry on the Economy

Economy Quotes———————————————

Trade policy: “We value an America that exports products, not jobs – American workers should never have to subsidize the loss of their own job. Next, we will trade and compete in the world. But our plan calls for a fair playing field – because if you give the American worker a fair playing field, there’s nobody in the world the American worker can’t compete against.” (Democratic National Convention, 7/29/04)

On outsourcing: “We’re told that outsourcing jobs is good for America. And they say that anyone who thinks otherwise is a pessimist. There is nothing more pessimistic than saying America can’t do better. We can do better and we will.” (Democratic National Convention, 7/29/04)

On Job Creation: “The first thing we have to do is to roll back the Bush tax cut for the wealthiest Americans…. Then we can create jobs and invest in our people. With the right economic plan, we can turn our economy around, invest in people and reduce deficits all at the same time.” (MoveOn.org interview 6/17/03)



Economy Votes———————————————

Voted NO on 2004 Budget Resolution for Tax Cut Cap.

Redirecting tax cuts to put $376 billion toward deficit reduction (S.Con Res. 23, 3/21/03).

Voted NO on Extending a $1K Child Tax Credit until 2013 (S.Con. Res. 23, 3/26/03).

Voted NO on permanently repealing the estate tax (H.R. 8, 6/12/02).

Voted NO on increasing the amount of debt reduction by $75M over five years (S. Con. Res. 101, 4/12/00).



George Bush on the Economy

Economy Quotes———————————————

General: “We should limit the burden of government on this economy by acting as good stewards of taxpayers’ dollars. In two weeks, I will send you a budget that funds the war, protects the homeland and meets important domestic needs, while limiting the growth in discretionary spending to less than four percent. This will require that Congress focus on priorities, cut wasteful spending and be wise with the people’s money. By doing so, we can cut the deficit in half over the next five years.” (2004 State of the Union address to joint session of Congress, 1/20/04)

General: “The role of Government is not to create wealth; the role of our Government is to create an environment in which the entrepreneur can flourish, in which minds can expand, in which technologies can reach new frontiers.” (Campaign website, 2004)



Economy Votes———————————————

Signed into law the Relief for Working Families Tax Act of 2003 (H.R. 1308). Amends 1986 Internal Revenue Code to provide tax relief for working families and for other purposes (9/23/04).

Signed into law the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 (H.R 2). Amends the Internal Revenue Code to accelerate the increase to the $1,000 child tax credit to include 2003 and 2004. Became Public Law No: 108-27 (5/28/03).

Signed into law the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Act, (H.R. 1836). Became Public Law No: 107-16 (6/7/01).

Signed into law the Death Tax Elimination Act, (H.R. 8). Became Public Law No: 107-16 (6/7/01).



John Kerry on Education

Education Quotes———————————————

No Child Left Behind: “The Bush Administration began welshing on its side of the bargain almost before the ink was dry on the bill, undermining education funding as part of a larger strategy of directing every available school dollar toward tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.” (A Call to Service, by John Kerry, 10/03)

Charter schools: “I believe it’s time to stop viewing innovative approaches as anomalies or threats to traditional public schools and begin seeing them as part of the future of public education.”

(A Call to Service, by John Kerry, 10/03)

Vouchers: “I have never supported vouchers…. Public schools need resources and support, and vouchers drain them of both.” (Associated Press policy Q&A, “School Vouchers,” 1/25/04)

Education Votes———————————————

Voted YES on No Child Left Behind Act (H.R. 1, 12/18/01).

Voted YES on spending $448B of tax cut on education and debt reduction (H. Con. Res. 83, 4/4/01). Voted for a reduction in the $1.6 trillion tax cut by $448 billion while increasing education spending by $250 billion and providing an increase of approximately $224 billion for debt reduction over 10 years.

Voted NO on Educational Savings Accounts (S.1134, 2/2/00).

This bill would allow tax-free savings accounts for public or private school tuition or other related educational expenses of up to $2,000 per child annually.

Voted NO on vouchers and charter schools (S. 280, 3/9/99).

This bill would give states the authority to waive federal rules normally required to acquire federal school aid.



George Bush on Education

Education Quotes———————————————

No Child Left Behind: “Testing is the only way to identify and help students who are falling behind. This nation will not go back to the days of simply shuffling children along from grade to grade without them learning the basics. I refuse to give up on any child. And the No Child Left Behind Act is opening the door of opportunity to all of America’s children.” (2004 State of the Union Address, 1/20/04)

Accountability in education: “One thing that’s important about accountability is it lets you determine whether the curriculum you’re using is working. If you’re using a lousy curriculum, you’re going to get lousy results. And it helps schools adjust. It helps teachers understand whether or not the systems they use work. This is a tool, this is a helpful tool. Measurement is good.” (“Focus on Education with President Bush,” 9/27/04)

School choice: “At some point in time, in order to challenge mediocrity where we find mediocrity, parents have to be given other options.” (Speech at Archbishop Carroll High School, Washington, D.C., 2/14/04)

Education Votes———————————————

Signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act 2001. This law seeks to close the achievement gap with accountability, flexibility and choice so that no child is left behind (Public Law No. 107-110, 1/8/02).



John Kerry on Environment

Environment Quotes———————————————

On progressive environmental policies: “For 30 years in public life

I have committed to environmental protection. My commitment is driven by the belief that we can safeguard the environment and grow our economy. I have fought hard to reduce the threat of glo-bal warming by supporting renewable energy and increased funding for climate change research. I have also called on Bush to stop blocking progress and to engage in international efforts to mitigate the threat of climate change.” (MoveOn.org interview, 6/27/03)

Agenda: “As President, I hope to enact a federal budget with strong funding for public health and environmental programs; help the millions of Americans facing environmental injustice; enact an energy policy that will protect the environment and make America more secure.” (League of Conservation Voters, 2003)

General: “On Earth Day 2003, I announced a proposal to resume the battle against environmental injustice, in part by greatly elevating it priority for the EPA and other federal enforcement agencies and in part by creating environmental empowerment zones, in which the impact of federal decisions on the health of low-income and minority citizens would have to be taken into account before they are implemented. … I also called for a measure that will be critical not only in dealing with environmental injustice but also in dealing with environmental health issues generally: establishing a national tracking system for chronic diseases and environmental health hazards.” (A Call to Service, 10/1/03)

Environment Votes———————————————

NOT VOTING on cloture vote on Energy Policy Act of 2003, a bill with goals of conservation and securing U.S. energy supply; bill defeated; opposed by some environmental groups (H.R.6, 11/21/03).

Voted NO to confirm the nomination of Gale Norton as Secretary of Interior (PN 96, 1/30/01).

Voted NO on more funding for forest roads and fish habitat (H.R. 2466, The Bryan Amdt. No. 1588, 9/14/99).

Voted YES on reduced funding for Forestry Service Road Construction (H. Res. 277, H. Res. 181, H.R. 2107; became Public Law No. 105-83, 11/20/97).



George Bush on Environment

Environment Quotes———————————————

General: “I will continue to support and promote efforts based on sound science to clean our air, water, and land.” (Washington Post, 4/18/01)

On conservation: “The federal government has a crucial role to play in conservation – particularly in managing our national forests, our park system, wilderness areas, and national wildlife refuges. … It’s time to build conservation partnerships between the federal government and state governments, local communities and private landowners. In all these efforts, we see the future of conservation. What is the federal role? To provide the scientific and financial resources to help states, local communities, and private landowners preserve land and wildlife.” (Sand Harbor speech, part of “Renewing America’s Purpose,” 6/1/00)

“I will seek an additional tax incentive to encourage private conservation. Incentives already exist in the tax code, but only if the land is given away. Many private landowners want their property to be conserved but are in no position to give it away. Under my proposal, the seller would receive a 50% break on his or her capital gain if the land is sold for conservation purposes.” (Sand Harbor speech, part of “Renewing America’s Purpose,” 6/1/00)

Environment Votes———————————————

Executive Order: Facilitation of Cooperative Conservation (8/26/04).

Signed into law the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (H.R. 1904, S. 1449, 12/3/03).

Executive Order Amending Executive Order 13212: Actions to Expedite Energy-Related Projects (5/16/03).

Signed into law Brownfields Legislation to promote the cleanup and reuse of Brownfields, to provide financial assistance for

Brownfields revitalization (H.R. 2869, 1/11/02).

Executive Order: Actions to Expedite Energy-Related Projects (5/18/01). Executive Order: Actions Concerning Regulations that Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use (5/18/01).



John Kerry on Faith

Faith Quotes———————————————

Role of faith: “I don’t wear my own faith on my sleeve. But faith has given me values and hope to live by, from Vietnam to this day.” (Democratic National Convention, 7/29/04)

Separation of church and state: “There is separation of church and state in America. We have prided ourselves on that all of my lifetime.... I fully intend to continue to practice my religion as separately from what I do with respect to my public life, and that’s the way it ought to be in America.” (4/12/04)

Faith and public policy: “I can’t take my Catholic belief, my article of faith, and legislate it on a Protestant or a Jew or an atheist.

We have separation of church and state in the United States of America.” (Iowa speech, 7/04)

Faith-based initiatives: “I know there are some who say that the First Amendment means faith-based organizations can’t help government. I think they are wrong. I want to offer support for your efforts, including financial support, in a way that supports our Constitution and civil rights laws and values the role of faith in inspiring countless acts of justice and mercy across our land.” (AME Convention, 7/6/04)

Faith Votes———————————————

Voted NO on bill to deny funds to any school district that prohibited constitutionally protected prayer (Amdt. 2416 to S. 1513, 7/27/04).

Voted YES on the CARE Act, which provides incentives for charitable donations (S. 476, 4/9/03).

Voted NO on requiring schools to allow voluntary prayer (S. 1513, 7/27/94).



George Bush on Faith

Faith Quotes———————————————

Role of faith: “I welcome faith. I welcome faith to help solve the nation’s deepest problems. I understand ... that government must not and will not endorse a religious creed or directly fund religious worship. That’s obviously not a role of government, and that’s not what we’re talking about here.” (Religious Broadcasters Convention, 2/10/03)

Faith in American history: “Since America’s founding, prayer has reassured us that the hand of God is guiding the affairs of this nation. We have never asserted a special claim on His favor, yet we’ve always believed in God’s presence in our lives.” (National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast, 5/16/02)

Faith-based initiatives: “I believe one of the most effective ways our government can help those in need is to help the charities and community groups that are doing God’s work every day. That’s what I believe government ought to do. I believe government needs to stand on the side of faith-based groups, not against faith-based groups.” (Knights of Columbus speech, 8/04)

“Our goal is to end the unfair discrimination against faith-based charities by the federal government. And we’re making substantial progress.” (Knights of Columbus speech, 8/04)

Faith Votes———————————————

Issued Executive Order (first of Presidency) establishing a White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (1/29/01).

Issued Executive Order ensuring equal treatment for faith-based community groups (12/12/02).

Per Congressional appropriation, created the President’s Compassion Capital Fund to distribute grants to faith-based and community organizations that provide social welfare services. To date, total of $99.5 billion has been appropriated, benefiting 1,700 local organizations.



John Kerry on Gun Issues

Gun Issues Quotes———————————————

General: “I don’t think that we can get elected nationally if we are not prepared to stand up against powerful special interests. Too many die each year from guns.” (Primary Debate, 10/27/03)

Assault weapons ban: “I think the Brady Ban is reasonable, the assault weapons ban is reasonable. It’s reasonable to have some waiting period [on gun purchases]. I’m not for [gun] registration. I’ve never been for gun registration.” (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 7/4/04)

Taxing guns: “I think you ought to tax all ammunition more, personally. I think you ought to tax guns.” (CNN’s Late Edition, 11/7/93).

General: “I don’t think the Democratic Party should be the candidacy of the NRA.” (Primary Debate, 11/5/03)

Gun Issues Votes———————————————

Joined Senate in unanimous consent (none objecting) in passage of the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004, to amend title 18, United States Code, to exempt qualified current and former law enforcement officers from state laws prohibiting the carrying of concealed handguns (7/7/04).

Voted YES (and co-sponsored) Feinstein Semi-Auto Ban (S. 1805, Vote #24, 3/2/04).

Voted YES on McCain Amendment to S. 1805 “to require criminal background checks on all firearms transactions occurring at events” (Vote #25, 3/2/04).

Voted YES on S. 254 Banning Firearms for Citizens Under 18. (Senate Roll Call 140, 5/20/99); Voted YES on Hatch-Craig Amendment to S. 254, (Vote #118, 5/14/99).



George Bush on Gun Issues

Gun Issues Quotes——————————————— Fighting Gun Violence: “We’re going to reduce gun violence in America, and those who commit crimes with guns will find a determined adversary in my Administration.” (5/14/01)

General: “I believe law-abiding citizens should be allowed to own guns to hunt and to protect themselves.” (“A Charge to Keep,” (12/9/99)

On the Brady Bill: “Law-abiding citizens ought to be allowed to protect their families. We ought to keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have them. That’s why I’m for instant background checks at gun shows. I’m for trigger locks. I think we ought to raise the age at which juveniles can have a gun. I also believe that the best way to make sure that we keep our society safe is to hold people accountable for breaking the law. If we catch somebody illegally selling a gun, there needs to be a consequence. The federal government can help.” (St. Louis debate, 10/17/00)

Gun Issues Votes———————————————

Signed into law consolidated appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2003. Among other appropriations, prohibits the use of funds in this Act for: (1) the implementation of any tax or fee in connection with the implementation of the national instant criminal background check system for firearms; and (2) any system to implement such background check system that does not require and result in the destruction of any identifying information submitted by or on behalf of any person who has been determined not to be prohibited from owning a firearm (2/24/03).

Signed into Law the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004, to amend title 18, United States Code, to exempt qualified current and former law enforcement officers from state laws prohibiting the carrying of concealed handguns (7/22/04).



John Kerry on Health Care

Health Care Quotes———————————————

Health care for all Americans: “When I’m President, America will stop being the only advanced nation which fails to understand that health care is not a privilege for the wealthy, the connected, and the elected – it is a right for all Americans. (Democratic National Convention acceptance speech, 7/29/04)

First priority: (Responding to a question as to what his first action as President would be) “I will send to Congress a health care plan that stops spiraling costs, covers every child in America, and makes it possible for every American to get the same health care as any member of Congress. Making health care a right and not a privilege is something worth fighting for.” (Associated Press Q&A, 1/25/04)

On prescription drug bill for seniors: “I can promise you a drug prescription [bill] that will make us proud. I voted against this prescription bill.” (Iowa Health Forum, 8/14/03)

Health Care Votes———————————————

Voted NO on bill to provide health savings accounts. Three other votes opposing health savings accounts (H.R. 1, 11/24/03).

NOT VOTING on 36 of 38 votes taken in Senate on medicare reform and prescription drug benefits for seniors, including 6/26/03 vote in Senate and final Senate vote.

Voted YES on bill to allow patients to sue HMOs and collect punitive damages (capped at $5 million) (S.1052, 6/29/01).

Voted NO on medical liability reform (S. 812, CQ Vote #197, 7/30/02).

Voted NO on bill providing $70 billion in tax credits for small business purchase of health insurance (H. Con. Res. 83, CQ Vote #830).



George Bush on Health Care

Health Care Quotes———————————————

Healthcare goal: “Our goal is to ensure that Americans can choose and afford private health care coverage that best fits their individual needs. To make insurance more affordable, Congress must act to address rapidly rising health care costs. Small businesses should be able to band together and negotiate for lower insurance rates, so they can cover more workers with health insurance.” (1/20/04)

On nationalized healthcare: “I’m absolutely opposed to a national health care plan. I don’t want the federal government making decisions for consumers or for providers.” (Presidential Debate, 10/17/00)

Savings accounts: “Starting this year, millions of Americans will be able to save money, tax-free, for their medical expenses in a health savings account. I signed this measure proudly, and any attempts to limit the choices of our seniors or to take away their prescription drug coverage under Medicare will meet my veto.” (State of the Union address, 1/20/04)

On medical liability reform: “Because of excessive litigation, everybody pays more for health care, and many parts of America are losing fine doctors. No one has ever been healed by a frivolous lawsuit. I urge the Congress to pass medical liability reform.” (State of the Union Address, 1/28/03)

Health Care Votes———————————————

Signed into law Medicare-Prescription Drug Improvement Act providing medicare reform and prescription drug benefits to 40 million senior citizens (12/03).

Signed into law bill releasing $100 million in federal funds for state high-risk insurance pools to help high-risk Americans have better access to health insurance (12/02).

As Texas Governor, signed into law bill making Texas the first state to grant patients the right to sue HMOs (Texas Health Care Liability Act, 1997).



John Kerry on Immigration

Immigration Quotes———————————————

On immigration reform: “We need immigration reform. But the president’s plan is really a plan to exploit workers in America. It’s not a real immigration reform plan. What I want to do is have a full immigration reform plan that involves earned legalization, involves the technology and support we need on the border, work with President Fox in order to have a legitimate guest worker program. And finally, we need to crack down on those people in America who hire people illegally and exploit workers in the U.S.” (Democratic 2004 primary debate at USC 2/26/04).

Benefits to legal immigrants: “The 1996 welfare reform law made most legal immigrants, including those already in the United States, ineligible for welfare, health care, and other essential programs.” (Campaign website, JohnKerry.com, “Issues” 3/21/04).

Legalizing undocumented immigrants: “Anyone who has been in this country for five or six years, who has paid their taxes, who has stayed out of trouble, ought to be able to translate into an American citizenship immediately, not waiting.” (Democratic Primary Debate, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 9/4/03).

Immigration Votes———————————————

Co-Sponsor of S.1614, called “AGJOBS,” a bill that would grant “adjustment of status to certain foreign agricultural workers” and “better working conditions to more workers.” S. 1614 is currently pending legislation in the U.S. Senate. (Note: Senate has no recorded votes on immigration reform in 108th Congress.)

Voted NO on allowing more foreign workers into the U.S. for farm work (7/98).

Voted NO on visas for skilled workers (5/98).

Voted NO on limiting welfare for immigrants (6/97).



George Bush on Immigration

Immigration Quotes———————————————

Temporary-worker program: “I propose a new temporary-worker program to match willing foreign workers with willing employers when no Americans can be found to fill the job. This reform will be good for our economy, because employers will find needed workers in an honest and orderly system. A temporary-worker program will help protect our homeland, allowing border patrol and law enforcement to focus on true threats to our national security.” (2004 State of the Union address to joint session of Congress, 1/20/04).

On amnesty: “I oppose amnesty, because it would encourage further illegal immigration and unfairly reward those who break our laws. My temporary-worker program will preserve the citizenship path for those who respect the law, while bringing millions of hardworking men and women out from the shadows of American life.” (2004 State of the Union address to joint session of Congress 1/20/04).

General: “We will bring to the INS a new standard of service and a culture of respect.’’ (Paul Shepard, Associated Press, in Boston Globe, page A12, 7/6/00).

Immigration Votes———————————————

By Presidential Proclamation, suspended entry into the U.S. by immigrants and non-immigrants “certain persons who have committed, participated in, or are beneficiaries of corruption in the performance of public functions” (Proclamation, 1/12/04).

Increased border patrol by 11% since 9/11/01.

Established Student and Exchanged Visitor Information System to provide monitoring and tracking of student and exchange visitors into the U.S. Over 870,000 students registered.



John Kerry on Iraq/Terror

Iraq/Terror Quotes———————————————

General: “We should not send more American troops [to Iraq]. That would be the worst thing.” (Democratic Primary Debate, Albuquerque New Mexico, 9/4/03)

Threat of Saddam Hussein: “[Hussein] is a man who has used weapons of mass destruction...not only against other people but against his own people. This is a man who tried to assassinate a former president of the United States, a man who lobbed 36 missiles into Israel in order to destabilize the Middle East, a man who is so capable of miscalculation that he even brought this war on himself. This is a man who, if he was left uncaptured, would have continued to be able to organize the Ba’athists. He would have continued to terrorize the people, just in their minds, because of 30 years of terror in Iraq.” (Meet The Press, 1/11/04)

Smarter war on terror: “I will fight a smarter, more effective war on terror. We will deploy every tool in our arsenal: our economic as well as our military might; our principles as well as our firepower.” (Democratic National Convention 7/29/04)

Bush as misleader: “I do not regret my vote [in support of Iraq war]. I regret that we have a president who misled America and broke every promise he made to the U.S. Congress.” (2/26/04) “Misleading our nation into war in Iraq makes [Bush] unfit to lead our country.” (9/3/04)

On voting for the $87 billion: “I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it.” (3/17/04)

Iraq/Terror Votes———————————————

Voted YES on authorization of use of force in Iraq War (H.J. Res. 114, 10/11/02).

Voted NO on the $87 billion Emergency Appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan Security and Reconstruction (S. 1689, 10/17/03).

Voted YES on deploying missile defense capable of defending against a limited ballistic missile attack (S. 257, 3/17/99).

Voted NO on similar measure (S. 1873, 9/9/98).

Voted NO on use of force in Gulf War (S. J. Res. 2, 1/12/91).



George Bush on Iraq/Terror

Iraq/Terror Quotes———————————————

On terror: “After the World Trade Center was first attacked in 1993, some of the guilty were indicted and tried and convicted and sent to prison. But the matter was not settled. After September 11, it is not enough to serve our enemies with legal papers. The terrorists and their supporters declared war on the U.S. And war is what they got.” (2004 State of the Union address to joint session of Congress, 1/20/04)

From Ground Zero: (Responding to workers) “I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked down these buildings will hear all of us soon.” (9/14/01)

Dangers in new era: “We must prepare our nations against the dangers of a new era. The grave threat from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons has not gone away with the Cold War, it has evolved into many separate threats, some of them harder to see and harder to answer, and the adversaries seeking these tools of terror are less predictable, more diverse.” (Speech at Joint Forces Command headquarters, Norfolk, Va., 2/14/01)

Iraq/Terror Votes———————————————

Signed into law Wartime Supplemental Appropriations Bill (H.R.1559). Became Public Law No: 108-11 (04/16/03).

Signed into law Department of Defense Appropriations Bill (H.R. 5011). Military construction, improved family housing, and for other purposes. Became Public Law No: 107-248 (10/23/02).

Executive Order: Critical Infrastructure Protection. To ensure protection of information systems for critical infrastructure, including emergency preparedness communications, and the physical assets that support such systems (10/16/01).

Executive Order: Detention, Treatment, and Trial of Certain Non-Citizens in the War Against Terrorism (11/13/01).

Executive Order: Prescribing Regulations Relating to the Safeguarding of Vessels, Harbors, Ports, and Waterfront Facilities of the United States (8/29/01).



John Kerry on Marriage/Family

Marriage/Family Quotes———————————————

Opposes Federal Marriage Amendment: “Had this amendment reached a final vote, I would have voted against it, because I believe that the American people deserve better than this from their leaders.” (7/14/04)

Framing marriage debate: “I think what ought to condition this debate is not the term ‘marriage’ as much as the rights that people are afforded.... I think the word ‘marriage’ kind of gets in the way of the whole debate, to be honest with you, because marriage, to many people, is obviously what is sanctified by a church.” (National Public Radio, 2/9/04)

Opposes same-sex marriage, opposes DOMA:”I will vote against [Defense of Marriage Act], though I am not for same-sex marriage, because I believe that this debate is fundamentally ugly, and it is fundamentally political, and it is fundamentally flawed.”

(1996 DOMA debate)



Marriage/Family Votes———————————————

NOT PRESENT for vote on Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA) to define marriage as the union of “one man and one woman.” FMA defeated (S.J.Res.40, 7/14/04).

Voted NO on Marriage Penalty Act, to eliminate the marriage penalty in the tax code. Vote part of Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (H.R.6, part of vote on H.R. 1836, 5/23/01).

CO-SPONSOR Employment Non-Discrimination Act that would “prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation.” According to his Senate website, Kerry, “is an original co-sponsor of ENDA and has sponsored anti-discrimination bills every year that he has been in Congress.”

Voted YES on motion to add “sexual orientation” to the definition of hate crimes categories (Cloture motion on S.625, 6/11/02). Original sponsor of Hate Crimes Prevention bill.

Voted NO on Defense of Marriage Act to define marriage as union of “one man and one woman” and protect states from being forced to honor same-sex marriage from another state (H.R. 3396, 9/10/96).



George Bush on Marriage/Family

Marriage/Family Quotes———————————————

Marriage defined: “I strongly believe that marriage should be defined as between a man and a woman. I am troubled by activist judges who are defining marriage.” (White House Remarks, 2/18/04).

Supports Federal Marriage Amendment: “Marriage cannot be severed from its cultural, religious and natural roots without weakening the good influence of society. Government, by recognizing and protecting marriage, serves the interests of all. Today I call upon the Congress to promptly pass, and to send to the states for ratification, an amendment to our Constitution defining and protecting marriage as a union of man and woman as husband and wife.” (White House Remarks, 2/24/04)

Government’s role: “We’ve got to work on additional welfare reforms to help people find a job, help them have the skills necessary to work, so they realize the dignity that comes from being independent from government, and at the same time, strengthen marriage and the family as part of welfare reforms.” (Knights of Columbus speech, 8/3/04)

On courts’ attacks on marriage: “My Administration is defending the sanctity of marriage against activist courts and local officials who want to redefine marriage forever.” (Southern Baptist Convention Remarks, 6/15/04)

Marriage/Family Votes———————————————

Signed into law Marriage Penalty and Family Tax Relief Act, to eliminate the marriage penalty in the tax code. Part of Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (H.R. 6, part of vote on H.R. 1836, 6/7/01).

Refused to make official proclamation of “Gay Pride Month” during term.

Established “Marriage Protection Week,” stating that “Marriage is a sacred institution, and its protection is essential to the continued strength of our society.” (10/03).



John Kerry on Military/Security

Military Quotes———————————————

General: “I will never hesitate to use force when it is required. Any attack will be met with a swift and certain response.… We need a stronger American military. We will add 40,000 active duty troops to strengthen American forces now overstretched, overextended, and under pressure. We will double our anti-terrorism special forces. We will provide our troops with the newest weapons and technology to save their lives.”(Dem. Ntl. Convention, 7/29/04)

On the National Guard: “We need to make better use of what should be a key asset in homeland defense – our National Guard. … We will make homeland security one of their primary missions, and assign Guard units to a standing national task force on homeland security commanded by a National Guard general.”

(“Our Plan for America,” 8/04)

On funding the military: “I don’t think anyone in the Congress is going to not give our troops ammunition, not give our troops the ability to be able to defend themselves. We’re not going to cut and run and not do the job.” (Face The Nation, 9/14/03)

Military Votes———————————————

Voted YES on allowing another round of military base closures (S. 1059, 5/26/99), authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2000 for military activities including military base closings.

Voted YES on deploying National Missile Defense ASAP (S. 257, 3/17/99). National Missile Defense Act of 1999 declares that it is U.S. policy to: (1) deploy as soon as technologically possible a National Missile Defense (NMD) system capable of defending against limited ballistic missile attack while seeking continued reductions in Russian nuclear forces.

Voted NO on deploying missile defense as soon as possible (S. 1873, 9/9/98). Bill was regarding the deployment of a missile defense system capable of defending the territory of the United States against limited ballistic missile attack.



George Bush on Military/Security

Military Quotes———————————————

General: “We must extend our peace by advancing our technology. …We have begun a comprehensive review of the US military, the state of our strategy, the structure of our forces, the priorities of our budget. I have given a broad mandate to challenge the status quo as we design a new architecture for the defense of America. … Our goal is to move beyond marginal improvements to harness new technologies that will support a new strategy.” (Speech at Joint Forces Command headquarters, Norfolk, Va., 2/14/01).

On Homeland security: “We have tripled funding for homeland security and trained half-a-million first responders, because we are determined to protect our homeland. We are transforming our military and reforming and strengthening our intelligence services. We are staying on the offensive, striking terrorists abroad so we do not have to face them here at home. And we are working to advance liberty in the broader Middle East, because freedom will bring a future of hope, and the peace we all want. And we will prevail.” (2004 Republican Convention, 9/2/04).

Military Votes———————————————

Signed in to law USA Patriot Act of 2001 (H.R. 3162), uniting and strengthening America by providing appropriate tools required to intercept and obstruct terrorism. Became Public Law No. 107-56 (10/26/01).

Signed into law The Military Family Tax Relief Act of 2003 (H.R. 3365), to provide additional tax relief for members of the Armed Forces and their families, and for other purposes. Became Public Law No: 108-121, (11/11/03)

Executive Order: Ordering the Ready Reserve of the Armed Forces to Active Duty And Delegating Certain Authorities to the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Transportation (9/14/01).

Executive Order: Establishing the Office of Homeland Security and the Homeland Security Council (10/8/01).

Executive Order: Establishing the President’s Homeland Security Advisory Council and Senior Advisory Committees for Homeland Security (3/21/02).



John Kerry on Supreme Court

Supreme Court Quotes———————————————

Abortion litmus test: “I am prepared to filibuster, if necessary, any Supreme Court nominee who would turn back the clock on a woman’s right to choose or the constitutional right to privacy.” (6/20/03)

More on litmus test: “I believe that a woman’s right to choose is a constitutional right. I will not appoint anyone to the Supreme Court who will undo that right.” (Statement, 5/20/04)

His appointments: “Any president ought to appoint people to the Supreme Court who understand the Constitution and its interpretation by the Supreme Court. In my judgment, it is and has been settled law that women, Americans, have a defined right of privacy and that the government does not make the decision with respect to choice. Individuals do.” (4/9/03)

On Rehnquist’s nomination: “Justice Rehnquist has consistently – consistently – demonstrated an insensitivity to the rights of minorities, women, children and the poor in our society. He has shown himself to be literally hostile to the principle of racial desegregation and to fundamental constitutional principles such as the separation of church and state. I believe that Justice Rehnquist’s views are so far outside of a mainstream of legal thought that he is irredeemably handicapped in his demonstrated ability to effectively fulfill the essential role of a Chief Justice as a builder of consensus on the court.” (Senate Floor Speech, 9/17/86)

Supreme Court Votes———————————————

Voted NO on allowing a confirmation vote on President Bush Circuit Court nominee Miguel A. Estrada for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals (CQ Vote #40: 3/6/03).

Voted NO on allowing a confirmation vote for President Bush Circuit Court nominee Priscilla Owen (Vote #144, 5/8/03).

OPPOSED nominations of: William Rehnquist as Chief Justice, Robert Bork, Clarence Thomas. Supported nominations of: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer.



George Bush on Supreme Court

Supreme Court Quotes———————————————

On nomination process: “Every judicial nominee should receive an up-or-down vote in the full Senate, no matter who is President or which party controls the Senate. It is time to move past the partisan politics of the past, and do what is right for the American legal system and the American people.” (Statement, 8/1/03)

Vacancy crisis: “On the Senate side, there is a crucial item of business that has been delayed for too long. We face a vacancy crisis in the federal courts, made worse by senators who block votes on qualified nominees.These delays endanger American justice. Vacant federal benches lead to crowded court dockets, overworked judges, and longer waits for Americans who want their cases heard. Regional appeals courts have a 15 percent vacancy rate, and filings in those courts reached an all time high again last year.” (2/23/03)

On his nominees: “As President, I have the constitutional responsibility to nominate excellent judges. And I take that responsibility seriously. The men and women I have nominated are an historically diverse group, whose character and credentials are impeccable.” (White House, 5/9/03)

On litmus tests: “Voters should assume that I have no litmus test on [abortion] or any other issue. The voters will know I’ll put competent judges on the bench, people who will strictly interpret the Constitution and will not use the bench to write social policy.

I believe in strict constructionists.” (10/3/00)

Supreme Court Votes———————————————

Through July 2004, had offered 225 judicial nominations to the federal circuit and district courts. Ten nominations have been blocked by filibuster in the U.S. Senate.



John Kerry on Taxes

Tax Reform Quotes———————————————

General: “I will cut middle class taxes. I will reduce the tax burden on small business. And I will roll back the tax cuts for the wealthiest individuals who make over $200,000 a year, so we can invest in job creation, health care, and education.” (Democratic National Convention, 7/29/04)

On the President’s tax cuts: “I will roll back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.” (Associated Press, 1/25/04)

On the 10% tax bracket: “The 10% bracket (in the Bush tax plan) wasn’t Bush’s idea. It was our idea. It was in keeping with the spirit of the Democratic Party to try to help the average American get ahead.” (Debate at Pace University in Lower Manhattan, 9/25/03)

Tax Reform Votes———————————————

NOT VOTING on Conference report vote on Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2004, (H.R. 1308, 9/23/04); measure passed previously in Senate by voice vote (6/5/03).

Voted NO on $350 billion in tax breaks over 11 years (H.R. 2, 5/23/03), but then voted to adopt the conference report on the bill.

Voted NO on bill that would reduce all income tax rates and make other tax cuts (including the estate tax) totaling $1.35 trillion over 11 years (H.R. 1836, 5/23/01).

Voted NO on eliminating the marriage tax penalty in 2001 (H.R.6, part of vote on H.R. 1836, 5/23/01) and 2000 (H.R. 4810, 7/18/00).

Voted NO on across-the-board spending cut (Nickles Amendment #1889; Bill S.1860, 10/6/99). Amendment stated that Congress should adopt an across-the-board cut in all discretionary funding, to protect the Social Security Trust Fund.

Voted NO on $792B tax cuts (Gramm Amendment #1405, S. 1429, 7/29/99). To waive the Congressional Budget Act against the Gramm (R-TX) amendment which would reduce taxes by $792 billion over 10 years by reducing all income tax rates by 10%, effectively eliminating the so-called “marriage penalty.”



George Bush on Taxes

Tax Reform Quotes———————————————

General: “The tax relief you [Congress] passed is working. And because you acted to stimulate our economy with tax relief, this economy is strong and growing stronger. You have doubled the child tax credit from $500 to $1,000, reduced the marriage penalty, begun to phase out the death tax, reduced taxes on capital gains and stock dividends, cut taxes on small businesses, and you have lowered taxes for every American who pays income taxes.

Americans took those dollars and put them to work, driving this economy forward. … Manufacturing activity is increasing, inflation is low, interest rates are low, exports are growing, productivity is high, and jobs are on the rise. These numbers confirm that the American people are using their money far better than government would have, and you were right to return it.” (2004 State of the Union address to joint session of Congress, 1/20/04)

On making tax cuts permanent: “The tax reductions you (Congress) passed are set to expire…. What the Congress has given, the Congress should not take away. For the sake of job growth, the tax cuts you passed should be permanent.” (2004 State of the Union address to joint session of Congress, 1/20/04)

Tax Reform Votes———————————————

Signed into law the Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2004, to extend prior family tax relief provisions (10/6/04).

Signed into law Economic Growth and Tax Relief Act, H.R. 1836. Revises 1986 Internal Revenue Code to include, among other things, repealing the federal estate and gift taxes, expanding the child tax credit, and a reduction in the marriage penalty. Became Public Law No: 107-16 (6/7/01).

Signed into law Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003, H.R. 2. Commonly known as the Tax Cut Bill. Became Public Law No: 108-27 (5/28/03).

Signed into law Death Tax Elimination Act, H.R. 8.

Became Public Law No: 107-16 (6/7/01).

Inmates ‘Have A Plan’ To Run The Asylum -by Ann Coulter

Inmates ‘Have A Plan’ To Run The Asylum
October 20, 2004
www.anncoulter.org

While the people of Afghanistan are celebrating their first democratic election and the Iraqis are taking their first steps to democracy, the great thinkers in the Democratic Party are still polishing up their conspiracy theories about the war to liberate Iraq.

There’s no consensus position, but the Democrats are pretty sure the real reason we went to Iraq was one of the following:

Bush family’s connections to the Saudis,
Halliburton,
the Carlyle Group,
something about the Texas Rangers needing more left-handed pitching,
the neoconservatives,
the Straussians,
oil,
the Jews,
oily Jews.
This may be the first time in American history that the decisional calculus for many voters will be: Do I really want to throw my hat in with these crazy people?

John Kerry has called the war with Iraq “a huge mistake, a catastrophic mistake.” He said it was no excuse that “Saddam might have done it 10 years from now” – use weapons of mass destruction against Americans, apparently. (New Kerry campaign slogan: “Let Radical Islamic Iraq Be Radical Islamic Iraq!”)


The Democrats want Saddam back. I suppose it was only a matter of time for the party that also welcomed back Marion Barry, Ted Kennedy, Barney Frank, Al Sharpton, Frank Lautenberg, Hillary Clinton, etc., etc.

When Bush pointed out that Saddam would still be in power if Kerry were president, Kerry contradicted him, but provided no theory of how Saddam would be gone. Instead, he simply said: “Not necessarily be in power” – and then trailed off into a long-winded explanation of one of those positions on which he’s “always been consistent.” Maybe Saddam would still be in power – but there would have been an extremely effective and persistent opposition led by brave media pundits!

Speaking of which, where are the feminists on war with Iraq? Cameron Diaz’ statement about Bush’s policies – “if you think rape should be legal, then don’t vote” – would have been perfectly true had she been speaking to an audience in Iraq. These people think it is constructive rape to have sex with your husband. America has just gone to war against a regime for which rape – not date rape, or pseudo-rape, or virtual rape, but real rape – was part of the official policy, and they’re against regime-change.

Among his other pointless carping about the war in Iraq, Kerry keeps claiming the military is overextended. His supporters claim Bush has a secret plan to bring back the draft. Whatever happened to all those gays who wanted to join the military? We haven’t heard a peep out of them lately. How about rounding up a “Coalition of the Fabulous,” Sen. Kerry? And what does his good pal Mary Cheney tell him about that?

With the election a few weeks away, the two main reasons Kerry has settled on for why you should vote for him are: (1) Dick Cheney has a lesbian daughter, and (2) Halliburton!

The highlight of the debates for Moveon.org members came whenever Edwards or Kerry managed to work “Halliburton!” into an answer. Kerry explained he voted against the $87 billion for the troops in Iraq because, “I didn’t want to give a slush fund to Halliburton.” (Nor equipment to the troops, apparently.) This week, he also tied Halliburton to the flu-shot shortage, telling a Florida audience, “If Halliburton made flu shots, there would be more flu here than oranges.”

Edwards raised the Democrats’ brilliant “Halliburton!” point, saying: “While [Cheney] was CEO of Halliburton, they paid millions of dollars in fines for providing false information on their company – just like Enron and Ken Lay.” Not only that, but Bush and Cheney have offices – just like Enron and Ken Lay. They have employees – just like Enron and Ken Lay. They pay their employees – just like Enron and Ken Lay.

The Party of Ideas is now equating Halliburton with Enron. The only surprise is that Edwards didn’t throw in Watergate and Abscam just for good measure.

As even the New York Times admitted the day after the vice presidential debate, “[T]here is no evidence Mr. Cheney has pulled strings on Halliburton’s behalf” and “The independent General Accountability Office concluded that Halliburton was the only company that could have provided the services the Army needed at the outset of the war.”

Most amazingly, the Democrats have the chutzpah to complain that Bush claimed he was a “uniter” and yet(!), “have you ever seen America more divided?” – as the Democrats’ Demosthenes Edwards put it.

This from a candidate (I almost said a “man”) whose campaign falsely accused the president of stealing an election, barring a million black voters from the polls, and sending a thousand American soldiers to their deaths just for oil.

Coincidentally, the very day of the vice presidential debate, a gun was fired into a Bush-Cheney campaign office in Bearden, Tenn. – one of a series of violent attacks on Republican offices around the country. (You can tell it was Democrats firing those guns because none of the shots ever hit anything.)

Also that day, a group of liberal loonies stormed a Bush-Cheney office in Orlando, Fla., and ransacked the place. A few weeks earlier, a 62-year-old woman in Manhattan was beaten with a cane by an 86-year-old woman for carrying a Bush-Cheney sign.

On the basis of their own insane, violent behavior toward Republicans, Democrats demand to be put in the White House – so the violence will stop. At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before the Kerry campaign announces that anti-Bush insurgents control most of the Bush-Cheney 2004 headquarters, and that the sooner the U.S. pulls out of those quagmires the better.

If only we could get Democrats to show a little of that manly anger toward the terrorists, maybe Americans would be able to trust them with national security.

You can find more of her vitriolic insights at: www.anncoulter.org

Hysterical women for Kerry by Michelle Malkin

Hysterical women for Kerry
Michelle Malkin

October 20, 2004

Rosie the Riveter has given way to Sally the Sniveler.

During World War II, young Rose Will Monroe was the face of American women in adversity: strong, supportive and resolute against the enemy forces that threatened our existence. Tens of thousands like Rosie rolled up their sleeves, gritted their teeth, and flexed their muscles in factories and shipyards and arsenals across the country.

They made rockets and rifles and bombs and boats. They painted and drilled and welded. When they got home to their kids, they cooked and cleaned and collapsed in bed after praying for their husbands and brothers and uncles on the battlefield. Rosie and her sisters in arms didn’t have the luxury of complaining about their lack of “me time.” There was a war to be won. And so, as this presidential campaign season has constantly reminded us, there is today.

But Rosie is gone. And in her place, we have Hysterical Women for Kerry. They are self-absorbed celebrities who support banning all guns (except the ones their bodyguards use to protect them and their children). They are teachers’ union bigwigs who support keeping all children hostage in public schools (except their own sons and daughters who have access to the best private institutions). They are sanctimonious environmentalists who oppose ostentatious energy consumption (except for their air-conditioned Malibu mansions and Gulfstream jets and custom Escalades.)

They are antiwar activists who claim to love the troops (except when they’re apologizing to the terrorists trying to kill our men and women in uniform). They are peace activists who balk at your son bringing in his “Star Wars” light saber for the kindergarten Halloween parade (but who have no problem serving as human shields for torture-loving dictators). They are ultrafeminists who purport to speak for all women (but not the unborn ones or the abstinent teenage ones or the minority conservative ones or the newly enfranchised ones in Afghanistan).

In battleground states, the Kerry campaign has dispatched such incoherent nervous Nellies to scare the pantyhose off of young women and moms.

Kerry’s sister, Peggy, landed in Ohio at a Women for Kerry rally to scare up female votes to oppose President Bush’s “war against women.” At a time when Islamofascists are chopping off heads and kidnapping aid workers and plotting to kill schoolchildren, and at a time when untold numbers of malefactors are crossing into our borders, Peggy Kerry chose to whine about the alleged gender gap in white-collar salaries. “That is not fair,” she said. “Let me tell you what my brother is going to fight for -- pay equity.”

Meanwhile, a teacher for Kerry complained: “If we lose the White House again, it is very possible we will lose public education.” In Michigan, actress/legal observer Christine Lahti rallied Kerry women by warning: “Listen up. If (Bush) is re-elected, he will appoint a (Justice) Clarence Thomas clone and reverse Roe versus Wade.” The Kerry campaign has also sent actress Sharon Stone -- who recently blamed President Bush for preventing her from kissing fellow actress Halle Berry in the awful movie “Catwoman” -- to drum up female votes in Pennsylvania and New Hampshire.

But if Hollywood had to crown a poster girl for the new Sally the Sniveler campaign, it would be Cameron Diaz. Rosie the Riveter delivered a unifying message to her fellow American women with simple, rousing clarity: “We can do it!” In stark contrast, here’s a painful partial transcript of Diaz’s vote-beseeching appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” last month:

Diaz: “We have a voice now, and we’re not using it, and women have so much to lose. I mean, we could lose the right to our bodies. We could lo -- if you think that rape should be legal, then don’t vote. But if you think that you have a right to your body, and you have a right to say what happens to you and fight off that danger of losing that, then you should vote, and those are the .

Winfrey: “It’s your voice.”

Diaz: “It’s your voice. It’s your voice, that’s your right.”

We’ve come a long way, baby. The wrong way. Get a grip, girls. You are an embarrassment to a nation at war.


Michelle Malkin is a syndicated columnist and maintains her weblog at michellemalkin.com

©2004 Creators Syndicate, Inc.

ABC News or ABC spin? - by Thomas Sowell

ABC News or ABC spin?
Wednesday, October 20 2004 @ 07:00 AM PDT
-- by Thomas Sowell

As if Dan Rather's use of forged documents to try to discredit President Bush shortly before the election was not enough of a clue to the mainstream media's political agenda, ABC News has now joined CBS News in the political spin game.

What ABC News has done was too elaborate to be called a "mistake." Now that the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth have become too well known for the mainstream media to continue ignoring them, ABC's Nightline with Ted Koppel has broadcast its "investigation" of one of the Swift Boat veterans' charges against John Kerry.

The charge was that Kerry received a medal for an incident in Vietnam that he falsely reported. How did ABC's Nightline try to establish the truth? Interview crew members who were on Kerry's boat at the time? No! Interview veterans who were in other boats near John Kerry's boat at the time? No!

Nightline went to Vietnam to interview people whom they had been told were among the Communist guerrillas involved in the disputed incident.

It would be an unwarranted insult to Ted Koppel's intelligence to believe that he does not understand the unreliability of what is said publicly by people living in a totalitarian society, especially when it is said in the presence of a Communist official who took Nightline to the people who were to be interviewed.

What is the Communist government's stake in all this?

In recent years, high officials of the Vietnamese government have openly admitted that they were losing the Vietnam war on the battlefields but hung on, waiting for a political victory, based on their belief that the anti-war movement in the United States would eventually force American withdrawal.

When much of the American media became part of the anti-war movement, the gamble obviously paid off. One of the Vietnamese Communists' museums pays tribute to the American anti-war movement in general and features a picture of John Kerry in particular.

Against that background, how surprising is it that what was said in the interview backed up John Kerry's version of the disputed incident? Yet Ted Koppel described the people interviewed as "witnesses" who "have no particular axe to grind."

The clincher, according to Mr. Koppel, is that the interviewee's version of what happened matches the combat report and the official Navy citation with the medal. Surely ABC News knows that the combat report was written by John Kerry and that the Navy citation was based on what Kerry said in his report.

Nevertheless, according to Koppel, John Kerry's awards "should have been the most unassailable part of Kerry's record."

This kind of reasoning reminded me of an episode in a New York department store some years ago when I bought a sweater and gave the sales lady a credit card. She pointed out that there was no signature on the back of the card.

After I signed the credit card in her presence and then signed the bill, she compared the two signatures that she had just seen me write and, since they matched, it was OK with her. But at least she didn't say that this procedure was "unassailable."

Who would have dreamed that ABC News would compare what Kerry said in his report with what was said in a citation based on that report and find it convincing that they matched?

Everything about the Nightline program reeked of contrived "ambush journalism," to ambush John O'Neill with the words of Vietnamese villagers who were put on the program before him, and thereby exonerate John Kerry from O'Neill's charges.

If this program were a serious attempt to get at the truth, it would hardly have completely ignored all those Americans who were on the scene during the disputed incident and instead go to the other side of the world to talk with people in a Communist country with a Communist official present.

Other boats from John Kerry's unit fought that day in the same vicinity. Even with the best of intentions, the Vietnamese villagers interviewed on Nightline had no way of knowing which of the many Americans who opened fire that day 35 years ago was John Kerry. The Americans in that unit knew -- but they were not interviewed on Nightline.

That is what stamps this as spin, rather than news.

Do media elites think we are all fools? Probably.

This article was originaly published by TownHall.com.


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http://swift4.he.net/~swift4/article.php?story=20041020082314234

Kerry’s Dishonorable Discharge - From “The Federalist”

www.federalist.com

Excerpts from:
22 October 2004
Federalist Patriot No. 04-42
Friday Digest


_____----********O********----______
THE FOUNDATION

“Never suppose that in any possible situation, or under any circumstances, it is best for you to do a dishonorable thing...” --Thomas Jefferson

_____----********O********----______
THE FEDERALIST PERSPECTIVE

Top of the fold -- Kerry’s Dishonorable Discharge...

“Reporting for duty”?

For a guy who’s hitched his entire presidential campaign to his military service record, John Kerry sure is parsimonious when it comes to releasing that record. As noted in this column on more than one occasion, Kerry has consistently refused to sign a Standard Form 180 authorizing the Department of Defense to release all of his records.

George W. Bush’s military records were so spotless that Dan Rather gleefully trotted out some fabricated documents in order to kick up a little dust. Of course, if Rather were a real journalist rather than just a TV talking head, he might actually develop a source who could find out what the remaining (approximately 100) pages in Kerry’s DoD service jacket reveal.

What, exactly, is Kerry hiding? It is already common knowledge that most of his celebrated heroics were spurious, and that most of his medals were without merit (see “Kerry’s Quagmire” at http://FederalistPatriot.US/alexander/ ). But given that the cat’s already out of the bag, why not just sign the Standard Form 180?

For his part, Kerry claims he received an “Honorable Discharge” and that all his records have been released and are posted on his website, Kerry-04.com -- uh, make that JohnKerry.com. But Kerry has refused to say when he received an Honorable Discharge. Indeed, some of his military records are posted on his site -- but not all of them. Here, an experienced eye can read enough into what has been released by Kerry to develop a good profile of what hasn’t been released.

It is our considered opinion, therefore, that John Kerry was separated from the military under a less than honorable discharge -- most likely a Dishonorable Discharge.

Among Kerry’s released records is a 1977 cover letter from Jimmy Carter’s Navy Secretary, W. Graham Claytor. What is revealing about this document is that it notes Kerry’s original discharge was subject to review by a “board of officers” -- yet no such review should be necessary for an Honorable Discharge.

The review was conducted in accordance with “Title 10, U.S. Code Section 1162 and 1163,” which pertains to grounds for involuntary separation from military service.

As many Vietnam veterans who served their nation with dignity and honor will recall, Jimmy Carter’s first official act as president was the signing of Executive Order 4483 --less than an hour after his inauguration on 21 January 1977. EO 4483 provided general amnesty for draft evaders, war protesters and other offenders of that era. Its corresponding, and equally dubious, DoD directive took effect in March of 1977, expanding that amnesty to include separation from military service by other than honorable discharges. The DoD specified an appeal procedure whereby discharges could be reviewed on an individual basis to determine whether the status of a particular discharge could be revised.

Having lost his first bid for Congress, Kerry no doubt decided that his political future would be brighter as a war hero rather than a war protestor. While there are several categories of discharges beneath honorable, including general, medical, bad conduct and other than honorable, it is very likely that Kerry’s discharge was dishonorable.

Supporting this assertion is the fact that Kerry had all his medals mysteriously reinstated in 1985. He claims that he lost his medal certificates (perhaps these are what he famously threw over that Capitol fence in protest), but when a military officer is subject to a Dishonorable Discharge, in addition to the loss of pay benefits and allowances, all medals and honors are revoked. In any case, it would be a cinch for John Kerry to refute our claim by simply signing that Standard Form 180. But he won’t. Nor will hard-hitting journalists like Katie Couric and Dr. Phil press him on this issue.

Thus, while Kerry can correctly say -- thanks to Jimmy Carter -- that he received an Honorable Discharge, he could also say with equal precision that he received a Dishonorable Discharge. His activities as a leader of Vietnam Veterans Against the War were, indeed, forgiven by Carter’s EO 4483 and the subsequent DoD directive.

However, according to legal scholars, John Kerry’s meetings with enemy agents from Communist North Vietnam on multiple occasions between 1970 and 1972 are not covered under EO 4483. For that reason, we delivered to U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft on Monday of this week a “Petition for Investigation and Indictment,” calling on the Department of Justice to determine conclusively whether Kerry’s actions, in direct violation of UCMJ (Article 104 part 904), U.S. Code (18 USC Sec. 2381 and 18 USC Sec. 953) and other applicable laws and acts of Congress, constitute treason. (To read the text of the petitioners’ request, link to -- http://patriotpetitions.us/kerry/letter.asp )

Why prosecute Kerry now?

In October, 2003, Mr. Kerry chose to make his disputed Vietnam War record the centerpiece of his campaign for the presidency. In response, the more than 180,000 signatories of the above-referenced petition chose to make Mr. Kerry’s war record the centerpiece of their campaign to determine whether his actions are subject to the Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment, Section 3.

The pertinent language states: “No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President ... having previously taken an oath ... to support the Constitution of the United States, [who has] engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”

While it is clear that no action will be taken on the petitioners’ request prior to 2 November, we remain committed to holding Senator Kerry accountable for his actions regardless of the outcome of his presidential bid. Indeed, we are all committed to serving Kerry with an irrevocable dishonorable discharge from public office.

Quote of the week...

“They’re the men who served with John Kerry in Vietnam. They’re his entire chain of command, most of the officers in Kerry’s unit. ... And they’re the men who spent years in North Vietnamese prison camps. Tortured for refusing to confess to what John Kerry accused them of being -- war criminals. ... Why is this relevant? Because character and honesty matter. Especially in a time of war.” --Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and POWs for Truth in their most recent ad on Kerry’s war record and character.

On cross-examination...

“On more than one occasion, Senator Kerry has referred to the fight at Tora Bora in Afghanistan during late 2001 as a missed opportunity for America. He claims that our forces had Osama bin Laden cornered and allowed him to escape. ... As commander of the allied forces in the Middle East, I was responsible for the operation at Tora Bora, and I can tell you that the senator’s understanding of events doesn’t square with reality. ... Contrary to Senator Kerry, President Bush never ‘took his eye off the ball’ when it came to Osama bin Laden. The war on terrorism has a global focus. It cannot be divided into separate and unrelated wars, one in Afghanistan and another in Iraq. Both are part of the same effort to capture and kill terrorists before they are able to strike America again, potentially with weapons of mass destruction. Terrorist cells are operating in some 60 countries, and the United States, in coordination with dozens of allies, is waging this war on many fronts.” --General Tommy Franks

Open query...

“[W]hen was terrorism only a nuisance? Was it a nuisance four years ago, when the USS Cole was attacked and we almost lost the ship and we did lose 17 sailors? Was it a nuisance six years ago when they attacked simultaneously two of our embassies in East Africa and killed hundreds of people, including many Americans? Was terrorism just a nuisance 11 years ago, when they first bombed the World Trade Center? Or 16 years ago, when Pan Am Flight 103 was blown out of the skies over Lockerbie, Scotland? Or 21 years ago, when a truck bomb was driven into a barracks in Beirut and killed 241 American Marines?” --Vice President Cheney

From the JFK DEMO-lition derby...

On the subject of giving international terrorism a new impulse and added power, John Kerry’s campaign has portrayed him as many things -- a war hero and a war resister; a scion of privilege and a man of the people. He has cleverly likened himself to the original JFK, how different could they be?). And now, he’s evoking memories of 1932, recasting President Bush as Herbert Hoover and himself as Franklin Roosevelt.

Team Kerry has droned on incessantly that Bush is the first president to run for re-election since Hoover with fewer jobs in America than when he started, so it stands to reason that Candidate Kerry would cast himself in the role of Hoover’s 1932 opponent for the White House. This week on the campaign trail, in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, Kerry said, “Seventy-two years ago today, another candidate for president by the name of Franklin Roosevelt came right here to Pennsylvania. We share that in common.”

That they do, as well as a penchant for budget-busting government programs dedicated to running people’s lives.

(For the truth on jobs during President Bush’s tenure, see Jerry Bowyer’s latest stats -- http://federalistpatriot.us/news/unemployment.asp Mr. Bowyer is Chairman of the Newsmakers Leadership Group and can be reached at http://bowyermedia.com/ )

Besides the jobs lie, Kerry and his cronies have been using every scare tactic they can to smear Bush in the final days of the campaign. Chief among them are the accusations that Bush is going to ruin Social Security, a specious charge. Allowing younger workers to invest a portion of their Social Security taxes in private investment accounts would help relieve the extreme strain on the program. You can be sure that strain will not be alleviated by any of the phantom plans that Kerry has been deliberately sketchy about implementing.

Kerry’s pledge to fix Social Security and eradicate the federal budget deficit without cutting benefits or raising taxes on the middle class is pure hot air.

An especially cynical charge from the Kerry camp is that Bush will reinstate the draft. Despite clear, unequivocal language by the President and his campaign to the contrary, Kerry has done a fine job of scaring young voters into believing they will be drafted. (We’re struggling to find a gentler word for Kerry than “liar.”)

First, the Pentagon, the White House and many military planners from every branch of the service have maintained that we have the right number of people we need to do the job, and that a draft would not help the situation. Second, it was Democrat Charles Rangel who introduced a bill to reinstate the draft. And no one would ever confuse Rep. Rangel’s actions with those of Republicans.

In other news from the Political Front...

As the election winds down to its final days, stories of electoral misdeeds are springing up in key battleground states. And there should be no surprise that the Demo-crusaders are involved.

The Ohio Attorney General’s Office is investigating the filing of some 130 fictitious-voter registration forms by a man paid for his hard work in crack cocaine by a woman affiliated with the NAACP National Voter Fund. The culprit was arrested by the Defiance County (we didn’t make that up) Sheriff’s Office, and it now appears that this scandal may spread to other individuals in counties around the state.

America Votes, an umbrella organization of anti-Bush groups funded by America-hating billionaire George Soros, has attracted the attention of state and federal authorities. In several battleground states, hundreds of duplicate voter registrations have been filed and there are reports that workers have been shredding Republican voter registration forms.

America Votes claims to be a non-partisan organization dedicated to voter outreach, but its membership includes 32 overtly anti-Bush groups, and its president, Cecile Richards, is a former deputy chief of staff to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Candyland).

The BIG lie...

“America must fight and win two wars. The war in Iraq and the war on terror. ... President Bush likes to confuse the two.... In fact, Iraq was a profound diversion from that war [on terror] and the battle against the enemy.” --John Kerry, still refusing to acknowledge that terrorists are connected with other terrorists.

Memo to Senator Kerry: “Just the other day, [Abu Musab] Zarqawi publicly announced his sworn allegiance to Osama bin Laden. If Zarqawi and his associates were not busy fighting American forces in Iraq, does Senator Kerry think he would be leading a productive and peaceful life? Of course not. And that’s why Iraq is no diversion, but a central commitment in the war on terror, a place where our military is confronting and defeating terrorists overseas so we do not have to face them here at home.” --President George W. Bush

In other news from the Left...

John Kerry and his Breck Girl sidekick have been desperately trying to attract evangelicals. Last week, you’ll recall John Edwards’ utterly trial-lawyerly proclamation that if elected, quadriplegics would “walk, get up out of that wheelchair and walk again.” As for Kerry, his handlers have coached him on how to look more messianic (see http://kerry-04.org/messianic.php ).

Speaking of looks, have you ever wondered why John Edwards is called “The Breck Girl”? (See -- http://kerry-04.org/breck.php ) Really, fellow Patriots -- you’ve got to see this one.

Undoubtedly, you know of someone who insists John Kerry is “fit for command.” We recommend you direct them to -- http://kerry-04.org/ -- the Internet’s most comprehensive resource on the REAL JFK. http://kerry-04.org/ is updated constantly. If they continue to insist that Kerry is fit, we recommend you direct them to the nearest detox center.

As the race moves into the final stretch, perhaps the two stupidest things said during the entire campaign have been said not by the candidates, but by their wives, Teresa Heinz-Kerry and Elizabeth Edwards.

On Thursday, after Kerry’s calculated comments about Mary Cheney’s being a lesbian, and the subsequent reaction of outrage by Lynne Cheney, Elizabeth Edwards said, “I think that [Lynne Cheney’s reaction] indicates a certain degree of shame with respect to her daughter’s sexual preferences.” Smooth move, Liz.

Not to be outdone, multi-million dollar heiress Teresa, with French-like accent in tow, came out with that mind-boggling ‘I-doubt-Laura-Bush-has-ever-had-a-real-job’ comment, when conceivably everyone in the English-speaking world knows the First Lady was a librarian and teacher.

“For Pete’s sake, ladies,” their hapless hubbies must be thinking, “stay OFF our side!”

Like their Demo matriarch before them, now-Senator and prez-nominee-in-waiting Rodham-Clinton-Rodham, these women have proven that there is absolutely nothing they won’t say to get their “partners” elected. After this year’s poison from Michael Moore, George Soros, Terry McAuliffe and Al Gore, and from candidates like Kerry, Edwards and Dean, it’s no wonder the Demo wives’ have likewise headed for the gutter. First- and Second Lady material? We think not. Even our “Breck Girl’’ has a better chance.

From the “Non Compos Mentis” Files...

We are shocked -- SHOCKED -- to report that more political contributions come from lawyers than any other profession. And would you believe it, the vast majority of the $132.4 million in graft they shelled out this year went to Demos. (To be sure, those evil oil and gas folks did give most of their political donations to Republicans -- but theirs was a trifling $12.8 million.)

From polls within the “margin of error,” to results within the “margin of litigation”... Eric Holder, formerly of the Clinton “Justice” Department and now a honcho with the Demos’ “Election Task Force,” made this startling prediction Sunday: “If every vote is allowed to be cast, and if every vote is counted, John Kerry will be president within a day of that election.” When pressed on the claim, Holder reiterated, “You heard it right here. If every vote is allowed to be cast and every vote is counted, John Kerry will be president.” Camp Kerry evidently is counting on (literally!) swamping the ballot boxes and demanding that even illegally cast ballots be counted. Otherwise, how could Holder make such a claim?

Memo to Mr. Holder: George W. Bush appears to have doubled his support among black voters since the 2000 election. So much for your party’s tried-and-true tactic of “keeping ‘em on the plantation.”

Predictably, Kerry and Edwards have signed up thousands -- yes, thousands -- of their lawyerly brethren to “observe” polling places in key states, like Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. If the national election is not a landslide for President Bush (at least an eight- to ten- point spread) look for a landslide of legal challenges in any key state with less than a five-point spread.

We now can see the brilliant prescience of Richard Nixon. After losing the 1960 presidential race, he decided not to file legal challenges against the plethora of dead voters in Illinois and Texas because, while it may have been good for Nixon, it would have been bad for the country. Unfortunately, Algore was never so magnanimous. Neither, we believe, is John Kerry.

Thanks to Algore’s egotism and inability to accept defeat (a rather critical characteristic of a healthy democracy), this year we have more than the usual maneuvering over poll monitors. In fact, lawyers have already begun to file lawsuits. Whether those are legitimate actions intended to protect the integrity of the process or merely intimidation tactics, we do not know. (We do know, however, that if you can make $200-600 per hour ginning up lawsuits you can make a lot more money starting early and litigating all through the election.) Suffice it to say that after the Algore mess of 2000, we’re hoping for an electoral blowout.

Yet instead of ensuring the integrity of our voting process, such as by requiring picture ID, proof of citizenship, cross-checking of duplicate voter registrations (including those across state lines), and purging of felons, corpses and pets from the voter rolls, we have the carnival of litigating an election before the election is even held. Is it that important to ensure full employment of lawyers? Can we do nothing without involving lawyers? While we pray for an electoral blowout to send these lawyers packing early, indications are that Election Day could drag out well beyond 2 November.