Bush-Kerry Timeline

[J. J.]

This is John Kerry's Senate record.  It is from Factcheck.org.  I make no comment except that I advise you read the material on the site, this is an excerpt:

                         Bills that became law

"S.791:  Authorizes $53 million over four years to provide grants to woman-owned small businesses. (1999)
S.1206: Names a federal building in Waltham, Massachusetts after Frederick C. Murphy, who was killed in action during World War II and awarded (posthumously) the Medal of Honor. (1994)
S.1636: A save-the-dolphins measure aiming “to improve the program to reduce the incidental taking of marine mammals during the course of commercial fishing operations.” (1994)
S.1563: Funding the National Sea Grant College Program, which supports university-based research, public education, and other projects “to promote better understanding, conservation and use of America’s coastal resources.” (1991)
S.423: Granting a visa and admission to the U.S. as a permanent resident to Kil Joon Yu Callahan. (1987)
H.R.1900 (S.300): Awarded a congressional gold medal to Jackie Robinson (posthumously), and called for a national day of recognition. (2003)
H.R.1860 (S.856): Increased the maximum research grants for small businesses from $500,000 to $750,000 under the Small Business Technology Transfer Program. (2001)

                     Joint resolutions

S.J.Res.158: To make the week of Oct. 22 – Oct. 28, 1989 “World Population Awareness Week.” (1989)
S.J.Res.160: To renew “World Population Awareness Week” for 1991. (1991)
S.J.Res.318: To make Nov. 13, 1992 “Vietnam Veterans Memorial 10th Anniversary Day.” (1992)
S.J.Res.337: To make Sept. 18, 1992 “National POW/MIA Recognition Day." (1992)
      One additional Joint resoulution

Kerry's total also includes 10 Senate-passed bills that would have done nothing more than grant waivers to specific foreign-built vessels to transport cargo or people along the US coastline despite a 1920 law requiring that only US-built vessels be allowed to operate between US ports. Because there were 10 different vessels, Kerry introduced 10 separate bills. All died in the House."

This information is from Factcheck.org at:  http://www.factcheck.org/article282.html

[J. J.]

I've noticed that the Kerry supporters have not commented on Kerry's record.

[J. J.]

I've noticed that the Kerry supporters have not commented on Kerry's record.

Fine, I'll comment. Londo, in your piece about Kerry's Senate records, you did not mention that he went on a bipartisan trip to Vietnam in 1992 and helped to normalize relations between the two countries. The main jist of that timeline was that John Kerry has been fighting for the truth (Iran-Contra, Noreiga. etc.) while George Bush has been a businessman, and not a very good one for that matter. Most people who criticize what Kerry has done in the Senate have no clue how the Senate works.

I made no comment, except to say that this is Kerry's legislative record.  I am familiar with how the Senate works and am a former local governmental legislator.  

I am also aware of the old saying "In the Senate, there are show horses and there are work horses."  Twenty years is a pretty long time to be in the Senate and not claim a major piece of legisilation.   I'm sure bow is Kerry's mane is very pretty.

[J. J.]

jj, kerry is FURNITURE.  Edwards is a show pony.

I would say that Kerry is show pony.  It's exceptionally ironic that J. Danforth Quayle, who I am not a fan of, actually had a more substantial record record.  He got his Job Training Partnership Act adopted; Ted Kennedy was D sponsor.

It really kinda sad when your candidate has a poorer legislative record than Dan Quayle.

[J. J.]

Bush is a doorknob.  Cheney is Darth Vader.


fb

Freedumbburns has lost touch with reality.

[J. J.]

I agree with Kerry's actions in 1971.  They were better than Dumbya snorting cocaine.  Yeah, we got the <<IrishDUMBOcrats tasteless expletive deleted>> Swifites on the airwaves up here.  I commend their service (if they were actually there), but they are really full of <<<<IrishDUMBOcrats tasteless expletive deleted>> and were probably backing Bush anyway financed by their rich Texan. 

I certainly do not think Kerry's comments were appropriate or wise.  His criticism of the war were perhaps appropriate in his viewpoint, but accusing the troops of war crimes was not.  To put POW's in an even worse position was not either.

At least one person agrees with me, John Kerry, who has said so, I believe on Meet the Press.

All that said, I do not regard the comments of a 20 something embittered veteran, uttered more than 30 years ago, as revelent to his ability to serve in any office today, unless, of course, he continues to stand behind them (which he doesn't).

Please watch you language.  I would hate for the nickname to be permanent.

[J. J.]

What Kerry did in VN is fine with me, but what he did when his "brothers" were still there makes him a traitor.  If he had stayed for the full year, he probably would have been fragged.  And if you don't know what that term means, you have no business being in this conversation.

I do know what it means, but 33 years is a little long to hold this against the man for a mistake (and I believe even calls it that) made by a guy in his mid twenties.  Now, if he did that 10 or 15 years ago, yes; it he does it tomorrow, yes.  This isn't relevent to if he can serve now.

[J. J.]

Here is what was actually said:

I would like to talk, representing all those veterans, and say that several months ago in Detroit, we had an investigation at which over 150 honorably discharged and many very highly decorated veterans testified to war crimes committed in Southeast Asia, not isolated incidents but crimes committed on a day-to-day basis with the full awareness of officers at all levels of command.

It is impossible to describe to you exactly what did happen in Detroit, the emotions in the room, the feelings of the men who were reliving their experiences in Vietnam, but they did. They relived the absolute horror of what this country, in a sense, made them do.

They told the stories at times they had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, tape wires from portable telephones to human genitals and turned up the power, cut off limbs, blown up bodies, randomly shot at civilians, razed villages in fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan, shot cattle and dogs for fun, poisoned food stocks, and generally ravaged the country side of South Vietnam in addition to the normal ravage of war, and the normal and very particular ravaging which is done by the applied bombing power of this country.

Now, did this statement help undermine troop moral, and possibly increase the abuse of the POW's?  Yes.

Does the statement of an embittered 20-something uttered more than 30 years ago disqualify him being president?  No, though it shows his exceptionally bad judgment at that time.