Bush galvanized our dissent. What will Kerry do?

[theriverburns]

He is not going to get us out of Iraq.
He isn't going to cut these crippling levels of military spending.
He won't lift a finger to end the insane war on the American people-- the war on some drugs.
He won't ask corporations so fairly shoulder more of the burden of taxation.
He won't give tax relief to working families.
He won't ask those who have benefitted most from two decades of Republican deficit spending and the six trillion dollar debt it created to help pay it back.
He won't stem the hemhorraging of jobs through NAFTA and outsourcing.
He won't reinstate the Fairness Doctrine.
He won't end corporate personhood.
Or the Patriot Act.
Or trckle down.
He won't fix education.
Or global warming.
Or Social Security.
Or urban sprawl.
Or invest to end our dependence on foriegn oil.
He won't go after criminals like Bush and company after they leave office.
Ken Lay will still be free, rich and powerful.
Dick Cheney will still profit from Halliburton.
Bush Sr and Jr will be free to work on 'Jeb 2008'.
We'll still be naming post offices and airports and aircraft carriers after a criminal--Ronald Reagan.



Anybody but Bush got us just what we deserved; Bush-lite.

[meegbear]

1. And whom would stop your laundry list o'horrors?

[blm]

9. Don't accept these false portrayals. Fight the BS line of attack.

There is NOTHING TRUE in that post. It is proof of total ignorance of Kerry's 30+ year record.

[polmaven]

15. Off topic, but...

Do you live in Lynn? Do you remember the push to change the name to "Ocean Park"? That is until...."Ocean Park, Ocean Park, don't go there after dark".

[DuctapeFatwa]

2. Think of it as bush-plus

Kerry is a much better speaker, with a better vocabulary and an extraordinary talent for putting the most appalling policies into nicer-sounding words.

[MercutioATC]

3. I'm still voting for the nominee, but I agree. Kerry represents the

reason we're where we are as a political party. I think he's a part of our slow death, but short-term, he's still better than Bush.

[corporatewhore]

4. Hey will put a kinder gentler face on american imperalism

[lovedems]

5. *sigh*

These threads are getting so old. I think you are totally wrong on many points but there is no point in arguing with you. I can see you already have your mind made up.

[blm]

6. Your post is completely in error. You don't have a clue as to Kerry's

liberal and progressive record or his current policies and positions, do you?

Your post says volumes about YOU and your lack of research on Kerry.

[Andy_Stephenson]

10. I do...

I tend to agree...but we will see...if he is elected he had better go after every item on the list full bore no waffling.

[blm]

17. Nope. TOTAL ERROR.

Ignorant of Kerry's record and policy positions to the nth degree.

[Andy_Stephenson]

20. I am not ignorat of his record...

But his recent record leaves much to be desired. Like I said...he had better go after Bush on every item on the list. We are watching.

[RichM]

24. I concede that the post is in error - but its conclusion is valid anyhow.

The poster overstepped somewhat in trying to make his point, which is wrong on several details but generally correct in the "big picture." His point is that Kerry does not stand for fundamental change - in fact, what he "stands for" is the REFUSAL to even look at many fundamental questions.

His nomination takes off the table much of what needs to be examined. Kerry will move ahead with the occupation of Iraq, installing a government there that will function as a US client. He won't cut military spending, he won't even focus on the MIC as being a major threat to sanity in our society. To the contrary, he will continually sound notes about the need to "keep America strong" - which is code language for our usual policy of militarism, imperialism, & world domination.

Kerry will help the real reason for the Iraq invasion to remain outside of public view. The current fiction is that we invaded because of WMD; the word "oil" has scarcely been mentioned. Kerry will avoid revisiting this whole issue, thus preserving the fiction. His only criticisms of Bush's Iraq policy will be limited, focusing on the lack of support from allies & on Bush's broken promise that he'd "exhaust all possibilities short of war" before attacking.

I don't deny that there are some differences between Kerry & Bush, and even that some of them are significant. But the Kerry nomination also insures that many urgent issues won't even be looked at, & it poses no fundamental challenge to the rightwing forces that brought us Bush. The Washington Post editorial praising Kerry's apparent LA speech last weekend is not evidence of Kerry's virtue - it proves, on the contrary, that he's sold out enough to please the powers that be.

[Andy_Stephenson]

7. Careful

He is the standard bearer now.

[BeyondGeography]

8. You mean, there will still be problems in the world?

You're right, we should have selected the Magical Candidate, who will kiss all our boo-boo's and make them go away overnight.

[Fridays Child]

14. What we rightfully expect is for our nominee...

...to take a principled and unwavering stand against every one of the egregious actions of the Bush administration. I don't know enough about John Kerry to say whether he has acted, or will act, in such a manner. But I think the author of this thread is suggesting that the Democratic nominee must provide leadership regarding the issues which he or she listed. And, on that point, I agree, wholeheartedly.

[bryant69]

11. Yeah here's some other things he wont' do

He won't stop the film career of that excreble Rob Schnider
He won't take that stupid Oscar away from The Lord of the Rings (A pro-Bush Movie) and give it to Michael Moore.
He won't make McDonald's French Fries tasty the way they were back in my Youth
He won't have Rush Limbaugh Executed on Live Television.
He won't send teh national guard to beat up on Pinky that kid who picked on me in the Third Grade.
He won't have the Bush family put in cold storage for their crimes agaisnt humanity.
He won't end capitalism and bring about a new economic system based on love, cooperation, and beating the hell out of rich people.
He won't bring back Futurama, the best show on tv to be recently cancelled.
Ditto for Family Guy.
He won't give cooks who over cook medium rare steaks the death penalty.

Damn that Kerry. If only he'd live up to my bizarre fantasies of what a president should be.

Bryant
check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[NewYorkerfromMass]

12. How is The Lord of the Rings a pro-Bush movie?

???? Please direct me to the in depth analysis.

[bryant69]

13. Well

That was my crazed persona--the regular me doesn't think that. But there was a big article at Salon the otehr day -- > http://www.salon.com/ent/feature/2004/02/28/lord/index.html

Apparently the actor who played Gimli likes Prsident Bush and the one who plays Aragon Viggo Mortenson opposed the war. THey've been having a little spat.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Toby109]

16. Ok Nostrodumbass, help me out.

What stocks should I purchase?
Who will win the Super Bowl next year?
:eyes:

The part of your post I find most amusing? You ask, "What will Kerry do"? Then you proceed to list those things he won't do.

It is up to us to keep these issues alive.

[theriverburns]

22. People who insult strangers on

message boards are generally idiots and I usually don't respond to them.

I'll make an exception this time, Kunta Kinte. It is up to us to keep those issues alive. That is what I was doing, Einstein. Sure you are in the righr party?

[Evil_Dewers]

18. Load of crap

You don't know what Kerry will or will not do.

But Bush has a 3 year record as (p)Resident--3 years of what he's done, which is a pretty clear indication of what he'll do.

Why did you start another thread in GD and put a link to this garbage?

Once wasn't enough?

[theriverburns]

21. Why did you start another thread in GD and put a link to this garbage?

I didn't.

And Kerry is pro-NAFTA, is he not? Talks about "MORE TROOPS" in Iraq? Neh? Has he once mentioned the debt and how he will pay it? He is liberal on the environment, I see that. So? That isn't enough for me.

The point I was trying to make is that a watered down version of Bush, someone who will simply go with the flow, keep the status quo, may end us doing more harm than good. Might just take the hit and become the fall guy for the past 20 years of righty's corruption. And Kerry hasn't said anything that makes me believe he'll be anything but.

[Evil_Dewers]

26. You started a thread in GD and a mod moved it here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1192910

Bush is pro-Nafta. He's pro job losses, pro outsourcing, pro using 9/11 for political gain, pro "pre-emptive" strikes against phantom enemies with phantom WMD, pro running $550 billion annual deficits, anti-constitutional, pro extending the Patriot Act, anti-environment, anti-corporate regulations, and pro tax cuts for billionaires.

I don't view Kerry as doing more harm than good. He needs to stop the hemorrhaging before we all are bled to death by Bush.

As for the debt, Bush will have added over $1 trillion by November.

If you are going to slam Kerry, please, please have your facts straight. Kerry is for more troops in Iraq is a lie.

Kerry wanted the troops in Iraq to be regular army and marines, not weekend warrior national guardsmen who are ill trained and poorly equipped.

Kerry has to say all the right things to get elected. In 2000, Bush claimed he wasn't a nation builder and didn't think the US should be the world's policeman. Bush lied. Kerry will work to get the troops out of Iraq, just like he worked to get the US troops out of Vietnam.

[theriverburns]

27. Kerry has to say all the right things to get elected.

I hope that is it. Crap, I don't pray and I pray that that is it and that you are right. On instinct it feels as if this is the most important election, the most important forthcoming administration since FDR. I feel it is time for bold opposition and that anything short of that will simply shoulder the blame for the mess made by the right. Kerry frightens me as just a newer, mildly different spokesperson for the same old corporate rule.

[sangh0]

19. Boo-hoo

.

[EarlG]

23. Just a few points

He is not going to get us out of Iraq.

"We owe this kind of internationalism first of all to our troops. Today American soldiers in Iraq fear getting shot while getting a drink of water. They wonder whether the old station wagon driving toward their checkpoint will explode when it gets there. For their sake, we must put aside arrogance and swagger and enlist other countries to share the burden and the authority in Iraq so that we get the targets off the back of our soldiers."

http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/speeches/spc_2003_1216.html

He isn't going to cut these crippling levels of military spending.

"Kerry Strongly Supported the Military, Introduced a Plan to Reduce the Deficit Without Sacrificing Military - John Kerry has always supported the US. Military—apart from his two tours in U.S. Navy in Vietnam, Kerry has repeatedly supported military budgets and military construction. In contrast to an Administration that has turned the largest surplus in history into a $455 billion deficit, John Kerry was also willing to take the tough steps to reduce budget deficits. Kerry’s legislation, the Deficit Reduction Act of 1993, sought to cut wasteful spending including “wasteful defense programs” as Kerry stated in the Congressional Record. Like many other broad-based deficit reduction packages, Kerry’s bill took funding away from wasteful spending on pork barrel items and expensive space programs which have little benefit to the nation and transfers those saving to the general treasury to produce a balanced budget and a better economy for the country."

http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2004_0129f.html

He won't give tax relief to working families.

"George W Bush has chosen tax cuts for the wealthy and special favors for the special interests over our economic future. John Kerry’s priority will be middle class families who are working hard to cover the mortgage, pay the high cost of health care, child care and tuition, or just trying to get ahead."

http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/economy/index.html

He won't ask corporations so fairly shoulder more of the burden of taxation.

"John Kerry has the courage to roll back Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans so we can invest in education and healthcare. He isn’t afraid to crack down on corporations that are hiding their money in Bermuda to avoid paying their fair share and will end special tax giveaways to companies that ship jobs abroad."

http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/economy/index.html

He won't ask those who have benefitted most from two decades of Republican deficit spending and the six trillion dollar debt it created to help pay it back.

"Stop Giving Government Contracts to Corporations Breaking the Rules. John Kerry will also make sure the Federal government does not give lucrative contracts to companies that have a record of accounting fraud – like WorldCom – or are moving offshore."

http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/economy/outsourcing.html

He won't stem the hemhorraging of jobs through NAFTA and outsourcing.

"End Every Single Tax Credit That Gives Corporations Breaks for Moving "Jobs Offshore. John Kerry will close every single loophole that gives companies incentives to move jobs abroad, including stopping American companies from setting up virtual headquarters in foreign countries just to avoid paying U.S. taxes and stop tax breaks for companies that move jobs abroad."

http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/economy/outsourcing.html

He won't fix education.

"John Kerry believes that we need to invest in our schools instead of giving tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans."

http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/education/

"It’s time to stop sending new mandates from Washington to school districts without providing the necessary resources needed to carry out those new rules. That’s why John Kerry is proposing a new ‘Education Trust Fund’ that means fully funding education, no questions asked."

http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/education/

Detailed Plan to Strengthen Public Schools

http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/100days/education.html

He won't end the Patriot Act.

"The Patriot Act took some important steps against terrorism in the wake of September 11th, including increasing information sharing among law enforcement and creating important tools and mechanisms to cut off terrorist financing. However the spirit of the law has been abused by the Ashcroft Justice Department, which has taken every opportunity to limit freedom and civil liberties. Given these abuses, John Kerry believes it is necessary to scale back several provisions in the Patriot Act to assure our enhanced security does not come at the expense of our civil liberties."

http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/100days/civil_liberties.html

He won't fix global warming.

"Kerry Leads the Charge to Fight Global Warming – Kerry’s work for the environment includes significant efforts to fight global warming. Kerry introduced the “Global Climate Change Act of 2001” to “speed national action to address global climate change.” Kerry also successfully attached an amendment to the 2001 Bush budget package to “reduce greenhouse gas emissions, address global climate change concerns, protect global environment, promote domestic energy security and to provide increased funding for voluntary programs that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” <107th Congress, S.1716, S. Amdt. 249>"

http://www.johnkerry.com/communities/enviros/record.html

"Throughout his career, John Kerry has been a top leader on the environment, fighting to clean up toxic waste sites, to keep our air and water clean, and to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and other pristine wilderness areas."

http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/energy/

He won't invest to end our dependence on foriegn oil.

"John Kerry has outlined a comprehensive energy plan that will tap America’s initiative and ingenuity to strengthen our national security, grow our economy, and protect our environment. Kerry’s plan will increase and enhance domestic energy sources and provide incentives to help Americans use energy more cleanly and efficiently. When sixty-five percent of the world’s oil reserves lie beneath the Persian Gulf states and only 3 percent lie beneath America, we cannot drill our way to independence. We can, however, develop and deploy clean energy technologies that will make us more efficient and allow us to capitalize on domestic and renewable sources of energy."

http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/energy/

He won't fix Social Security.

"John Kerry unveiled his “Compact with the Greatest Generation,” a guarantee that will give seniors the protection they have earned for Social Security and Medicare, helps seniors afford their medicine, and ensure long-term care."

http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/seniors/

Ken Lay will still be free, rich and powerful.

"Senator John Kerry said on Thursday that he would crack down on abuses in the mutual fund industry if elected president and called for expanding the antiracketeering laws to fight a "new age of organized crime that comes from corporate offices."

http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/clips/news_2003_1212c.html

He won't fix urban sprawl.

"Promoting Smart Growth and Livable Communities
John Kerry recognizes that local communities are struggling with how to address issues of traffic congestion and sprawl. A Kerry Administration will work with states and communities to ensure they have the tools and resources they need to tackle these difficult problems. Kerry will ensure that we have “Clean and Green Communities” throughout America by coordinating federal transportation policies, federal housing incentives, federal employment opportunities and the use of federal dollars to acquire parks and open space."

http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/sprawl/



Look, I'll be the first to admit that nobody is going to get everything they want out of John Kerry. But most of the assertations put forth in the original message just don't add up.

[theriverburns]

25. Thanks for the well thought out reply

I will read and consider all of it. Although I think I could find quotes and speeches for GW that would seemingly dispel most of my objections, also. (No, I am not comparing Kerry to Bush) I hope that you are right and I am wrong because business as usual is going to do us more harm than good.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

28. So you are anti-Kerry, that's clear. What are you for?

Is your only purpose here to attack Kerry, or is there something you are in favor of? What is it? Who is it?

If supporting Kerry is the wrong choice, what is the right choice?