Rivals Mine Kerry Senate Years for Material to Slow Him Down

[meisje]

Sounds like politics as usual to me, will be hard for me to support this man!

snip
But on many issues, Mr. Kerry has often struck more nuanced, politically cautious positions than those broad assessments might suggest. After the Republicans took control of Congress in 1994, Mr. Kerry proclaimed himself "delighted with seeing an institutional shake-up because I think we need one." A few months later, with President Bill Clinton locked in combat with the Republicans, Mr. Kerry voiced some doubts in a closed-door meeting of senators about the wisdom of trying to raise the minimum wage. And as Mr. Kennedy later recalled, he told Mr. Kerry, "If you're not for raising the minimum wage, you don't deserve to call yourself a Democrat."

story at link below

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/25/politics/campaign/25RECO.html?ei=5062&en=aa6bb0d93d9ed6de&ex=1075611600&partner=GOOGLE&pagewanted=print&position=

[XanaDUer]

1. Yes, and his records are open

so we can look at this and see how he eventually voted when he finally determined what the correct course of action was.

That is why open records are so important.

Thanks!

[lcordero]

2. They won't have to dig too far

then again, most of his rivals have also been voting on the wrong side of the most far reaching issues in modern history.

[sleipnir]

3. This is why Kerry will lose to Bush, if he gets the nomination

His records are open and therefore open to question by the Rove et al. I'm sorry, but they can spin anything and any attack on Bush.

Typical responses from Rove will include...

"If Kerry was against the War in Iraq, why did he vote for the Resolution?"

"If Kerry was so against removing overtime pay, why didn't he vote on the bill?"

"If Kerry didn't want the government intrusion of parts of the Patriot Act(s), why did he vote for them?"

"If Kerry hates Bush's policies so much, why did he vote for them 54% of the time?"


Kerry's record is a sure-fire reason for a loss in November. And I for one am seriously troubled by this issue.

This is also why a very, very small number of Congress/Senate people are elected to the Presidency. There's just too much ammo to use, often legitimately, against them.

[Nicholas_J]

4. THis is why Kerry will win against Bush

America Online Political Survey Indicates John Kerry Is More Electable Than Dean, Edwards

DULLES, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 21, 2004--
Over 120,000 AOL Members Participate, With 38% Saying Kerry Has the Best Chance of Beating Bush 62% Say Bush Would Still Win 44% Name Dean's Personality as Main Reason for His Third Place Finish


The America Online Political Survey, taken hours after the Iowa Caucus, indicates that John Kerry would be the strongest Democratic candidate to face George Bush in a race for President, though 62% still favor Bush to win. Out of more than 120,000 people who flocked to the AOL polls on Tuesday, 38% think Kerry has the best odds against Bush. 27% said John Edwards could beat Bush, while 19% said Howard Dean would win a two-way race with the incumbent.

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20040121005290&newsLang=en

Newsweek Poll: Campaign 2004
Saturday January 24, 11:12 am ET

Kerry also leads the pack of Democratic contenders among registered voters as the candidate who would have a better chance of beating President George W. Bush if the election were held today. A Kerry-Bush match-up would have Kerry up by 49 percent to Bush's 46 percent. A Clark and Bush match-up would be a close race, with Bush at 48 percent and Clark at 47 percent. Bush would have an edge over Edwards (49% to 46%). Yet, with a plus or minus margin of error, these match-ups result in a statistical dead heat. And the President would beat Dean (50% to 45%) and Sen. Joe Lieberman (49% to 45%).


http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040124/nysa010a_1.html

Only Joe Lieberman has a worse chance than Dean against George Bush.

Only Kerry and Clark stand a chance.

And the polls indicate what the people polled beleive, sos they indicate that more people are likely to vote against Bush and for Kerry than against Bush and for Dean.

[isbister]

9. Rove had better

concentrate on his boy's record.

If Kerry was against the War in Iraq, why did he vote for the Resolution?

As a show of unity for the UN and Saddam, of course... why else?

If Kerry was so against removing overtime pay, why didn't he vote on the bill?

This last one? Because his vote was not going to make the difference.

"If Kerry didn't want the government intrusion of parts of the Patriot Act(s), why did he vote for them?"

Because large parts of the Act made much needed changes.

"If Kerry hates Bush's policies so much, why did he vote for them 54% of the time?"

Don't happen to have a list of those, do you?

Kerry's record is a sure-fire reason for a loss in November. And I for one am seriously troubled by this issue.

Stop being afraid of rove (if you are). We Democrats are going to take the fight to rove and bush and make them defend their record... and they have a heck of a lot of defending to do.... not just three or four items. No matter which candidate we choose, we loose if we sit, shake and quake in fear about what they'll do.

This is also why a very, very small number of Congress/Senate people are elected to the Presidency.

I want a candidate that knows Washington. One that has a record of getting things done with and without reaching across the aisle. And by November America will come to understand the benefit of this and that we can no longer afford to keep bush in the Presidential Training Program.

[loyalsister]

13. Hard to replace the criminal

with an often unwitting co-conspirator.
The fact that a Representative or Senator is recorded as being technically supportive is a black and white message easily presentable in the media and VERY readily absorabale by the public.
The lines between candidates are blurred regardless of rhetoric and "Truman's Law" regarding choices between parties kicks in.

[JI7]

5. they should be doing this

a close examination of his record is important.

[hellhathnofury]

6. Why didn't this happen before, it's his senate voting record for godsake.

[JI7]

7. they did. remember the cuts in agricultural department comment ?

remember just days before the iowa caucus the comments kerry made about cutting the agricultural department were made public. but that ended up helping him as iowa voters knew he was talking about waste to large businesses which don't help small family farms and actually hurt them.

[Loren645]

8. Where exactly does his liberal reputation come from?

He was against raising minimum wage, and Kennedy even scolded
him about it.
He doesn't tend to sponser legislation.
We all know he sided with the Pubs on IWR and Patriot Act.

Serious question. The closer I look the less I see.

[JohnKleeb]

10. Everyone but Feingold sided with the republicans on the patriot act

There's something I read that said Kerry votes with Kennedy 90% of the time.

[George_Bonanza]

11. Against raising minimum wage?

http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?vote_id=857&can_id=S0421103
http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?vote_id=1056&can_id=S0421103
http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?vote_id=1057&can_id=S0421103
http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?vote_id=1031&can_id=S0421103
http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?vote_id=2643&can_id=S0421103

He has been very good to minimum wage in these votes. And he has stated the raising of minimum wage as a policy he will follow through on, on his website.

[Cocoa]

12. the NYT is doing the mining here

not a whole lot about any rivals in this story.

[DemExpat]

14. Dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=182268