Why John Kerry Has the Character to Lead This Country

[Pez]

David Lang, NH Firefighters

Why John has the character to lead this country and why Firefighters all over America are going to help him every step of the way.

In 1999, when Senator Kerry was halfway around the world flying to Burma, on a mission for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he heard the news of the Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co. fire. Six Firefighters died in the line of duty.

What did John do?

He ordered his plane to turn around and return to Massachusetts. He flew halfway around the world to offer his support to the Worcester Fire Department and the families of the six fire fighters killed.

We support John because before there was any press following him on the campaign trail, before there were cameras on him every day, he did what was right. John has courage, loyalty and character when the lights are off, and that’s what it takes to make a great leader. That’s why firefighters are with John and that’s why he is going to win.

Dave Lang – President, Professional Firefighters of New Hampshire

[Feanorcurufinwe]

1. People will try to tear Kerry down, but he's faced attacks before.

I'm proud that he will be the next President of the United States.

[Pez]

2. -=Kerry-2K4=-

he and teresa are going to make history turning this country around as president and first lady!

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[raysr]

4. Kerry

I have always thought Kerry was great until "the vote" but I still think he would be a great prez even tho' I'm for DK right now. I have written Kerry many times suggesting ways to put that vote on Bush , but he still stands with it.

[Pez]

8. responsibility for what has happened lies on BUSH INC's shoulders

as more information comes out it seems that kerry's vote to use threat of force to get hussein to comply with the UN resolution worked. BUSH INC. ignored it; had he followed the resolution as kerry and others intended we would not be at war right now.

[lcordero]

7. when he starts doing the job that he is holding right now

then I might consider(briefly then laugh) voting for him...NOT.

[Pez]

9. hmm...

like this and this and this and this and this and this and this and this and this and this this and this and this and this and this and this and, and, and...

well go check it out before trashing a guy who not only had major surgery earlier this year but is also campaigning and hard at work in the senate at the same time...

maybe a more noble course of action would have been to blow it all off and go skiing?

[lcordero]

15. PULEEZE!!!!

Go over here and see how many times Kerry has had "NV" votes.
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issues/votes/

As far as the "skiing" remark goes, don't get me going. That other guy is even slimier.

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

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[lcordero]

21. having a (D) next to a name doesn't give a person immunity

from scrutiny. I do not give free passes to anybody. If I have to choose in between Bush and a Bush enabler, I will walk away from that ballot box.

[MrPeepers]

24. You know...

NOT voting for someone who could beat Bush is about as good as a vote for Bush.

Peepers

[Monte Carlo]

27. Doesn't it give someone the benefit of the doubt?

I was like you once. I got all self-righteous about the evils of the Democratic Party, and was a big Nader-guy in 2000. Do you know what that resulted in? A big nothing.

[Pez]

23. *sigh*

kerry made a deal to come back to washington whenever his vote would be important to sway the balance. why wasn't everyone this riled up while the pukes were taking over both houses?

[Monte Carlo]

25. He's done an excellent job for MA in 20 years, thank you very much.

You might see that if you'd get over pompous self a little bit.

[Rowdyboy]

10. He's not my 1st choice but

he would be an excellent. I must admit to being a little surprised at some of the vicious animosity towards an excellent candidate.

[DrFunkenstein]

12. I Have Only One Person On Ignore

Guess who.

[Egnever]

28. If it was the guy above then you might want to reconsider

Trade him/her for me cause I cant stand kerry and acording to the guy/girl aboves text he thinks kerry is a pretty stand up guy.

[mitchum]

11. kicking truth above bullshit

[DrFunkenstein]

13. I Actually Never Heard That Story

It's a very moving account and very telling of Kerry's character. He had every excuse in the world not to return. But he did.

[nomaco-10]

14. HE VOTED FOR THIS SHAM WAR FOR OIL!!!!!

Doesn't that make any difference to any of you guys? And what's more, he makes no apology nor will he even stoop to the claim of "I was duped and I'm mad as hell!" No convert here.

[blm]

16. He negotiated to prevent the further invasion of Iran and Syria

and preserved the UN in the process which Bush aimed to dissolve.

He paid with his vote for that better bill.

I guess you don't care but Iran, Syria, the UN and Kofi Annan do care.

[nomaco-10]

17. Well, just keep telling yourself that....

more than half this country think differently now, catch up.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

18. Education is catch-up... yes it's true

and we will.

[blm]

19. You can't revise the truth of those negotiations.

YOU weren't sacrificing anything to protect the UN as an international institution, were you? Kerry did.

[nomaco-10]

31. Is that the best you got?.....

Makes real sense, Kerry votes to give the moron sqatter in the White House carte blance, a "blank check" if you will, to declare war at his own whim and this is negotiating the prevention of further invasions into Syria and Iran. HUH? You might reconsider that as an argueing point in the future.

[blm]

34. You might consider learning about congress and its duty to negotiate

with the White House for BETTER bills.

YOU wanted NO Democrat to negotiate for the better bill, then YOU wanted Bush to have a REAL blank check and the UN to collapse as an international institution, and the invasion to continue into other countries in the Mideast.

Try tapping into your logic vein.

[Egnever]

37. Sory but the president can not just wage war at will.

no matter how you kerry enablers want to try to twist it. Bush can not just start waging war on every country he choses. Congress allowed him to wage this one by giving him consent in this bill under the war powers act.

kerry should have voted against it.

[blm]

44. Except Bush HAD the votes for HIS way with Lieberman and Miller.

Have you ever factored that in? No, because it doesn't fit your narrow political agenda.

Try understanding congress before you make judgements slandering any of those democrats who were stuck with the task of getting a better bill.

[Egnever]

49. so that makes it ok to go along?

I dont care if it was everyone voting for it except kerry. He should have stood against it.

Try understanding right and wrong before you lecture me on the congress critter rational.

[blm]

54. Negotiating for a better bill COSTS the negotiator.

He sacrificed his vote for the preservation of the UN as an international institution and the prevention of further hostilities in Iran and Syria.

Your inability to comprehend congressional duties to negotiate for the better bill, notwithstanding.

How is it that Dean came to his conclusions about supporting every war the US was in the last 30 years EXCEPT this one? Why don't you question his criteria for Grenada or his quasi-support for IranContra? Or his saying that Afghanistan was a military success contradicting Gore and Kerry's criticisms.

[sandnsea]

22. Weapons proliferation

Jesus, I don't know why nobody can look around the world and see there's a HUGE problem with these weapons. He is adament about this problem and adament that we rid the world of these weapons, including in the U.S. He voted for that resolution in order to force the UN to confront the problem because he believed Saddam had those weapons just like the rest of the entire fucking world. Experts from all over the world thought Saddam had those weapons or was trying to make those weapons last summer, that's why they wanted to get the inspectors back in.

He is mad as hell about the intelligence, "If he lied, he lied to me personally." But you can't go around shooting off at the mouth until you have the facts. When the Senate Foreign Relations Committee gets those facts, I can damn well guarantee you he will be the first to bring it front and center.

Do you people really believe that Joe Wilson went public with his information, then endorsed Kerry, all by coincidence?

Get a clue, the guy is already on it. Pulling out never used Senate rules isn't happening by coincidence either.

People need to recognize that there's a process that has to be taken or you end up looking like a complete fool, like a couple of other candidates I could mention.

[Egnever]

29. What weapons?

Is that kerrys platform now ? defending bushes stance that there were WMD in Iraq?

There werent,there arent and no matter how many times you bush and kerry keep saying there are/were its still bullshit.

Saddam was a lacky we used him for 20 years to control iraqi oil.

the US government has been manipulating us in regards to Iraq for years. Kerry knows it. He just chooses to help.

He is lying and has been lying right along with the rest of em on this thing.

He will never have my support because of it.

[Monte Carlo]

30. Well we know the WMD's were ghosts now. It was not so certain then.

I find it disturbing that you would paint Kerry as a toady for Bush and company. I am somewhat familiar with his record, and I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt regarding the IWR.

[Egnever]

36. The thing is they were ghosts all along

Which is why I was so against this war from the begining. In order to understand why this was true you need to take a close look at the sanctions imposed on iraq and the way the were carried out.

http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/MiddleEast/Iraq/Sanctions.asp

That page has is a good start for looking at how the US and britain worked in concert to deny Iraq the basics needed for its citizens over and above any type of items used in possible weapons building.

We have been duped for years now on this issue. Our government has been feeding us a line about keeping Saddam from building weapons while in the background they were systematically destroying the Iraqi infrastructure and destroying the health of its citizens by denying them the ability to import medicines and items needed to rebuild thier failing infrastructure based on a policy that these items could be used for weapons whether or not those uses were plausable.

All the while this was going on we werte stealing at least half of every oil dollar produced by Iraq under the guise of the Oil for food program and reparations for kuwait.

No sorry there were no weapons. Our government knew it. Kerry knew it.
But because of americas need for oil kerry and others allowed these life destroying sanctions to continue and now it apears he is willing to lie to the country to try to excuse his enabling of the bush administration in its grab for oil.

Kerry is liar.

here he is lying to you bold faced about Iraq.

MR. RUSSERT: Unmanned aerial vehicles...
SEN. KERRY: Sure.
MR. RUSSERT: ...a nuclear threat. Those are exactly the things that you suggested in New Hampshire President Bush had lied to you about.

MR. RUSSERT: But you had access to the intelligence. You had access to the national intelligence estimate...
SEN. KERRY: Absolutely.
MR. RUSSERT: ...which said the CIA had a low confidence in Saddam Hussein using weapons of mass destruction or transferring the terrorists. And the State Department, which is included in the national intelligence estimate, said there was not a compelling case, that he reconstituted his nuclear program.

He knew there was no credible evidence but he chose to use the white house spin to try to excuse his vote. And now tries to use the same report to try to bring bush down for the lies he helped to push.

Sory Mr. kerry you may fool your supporters on this one, but you dont fool me for a second. You are a part of this mess as much as bush is you lied right along with him. You will get my vote if you make it to the general but before that hapens I will do everything in my power to make sure that it is someone else besides you that makes it to fight bush.

I find it tragic that there are so few choices of clear thinkers to choose from when it comes to this issue. I wish that kerry had stood up and done the right thing instead of the politically expedient thing. I could probably support him whole heartedly if he had not. He does have a decent voting record in the past however his behaivior in the past three years points only to his willingness to be a part of the coruption that is washington today.

[Monte Carlo]

38. I know why this war was a bad idea, you don't have to explain it.

First of all, if we're going to fault the politicians for playing politics, we're never going to get anywhere. Dean is not pure, either, and he will make decisions that seem will idiotic should he get into the Oval Office.

All I know is that at the time, the consequences of either "yes" or "no" on that vote were very unclear. I had my own doubts about my case, or whether or not Saddam actually had weapons. I don't think you should discount that so easily.

[Egnever]

39. again there were no weapons

there is no question on this.

I am not trying to question your motives. I am simply pointing out the fact that what we were and are being fed is a pack of lies.

I understand how people listening to the media could have legitimate concerns,but ther fact remains it was all garbage. The truth was suppresed but it was out there. I have a verry dificult time believing anyone in congress was not aware of what we were really doing in regards to Iraq.

I am not trying to dig at you or your concerns. I am trying to get people to take the time to look at the truth about Iraq and americas manipulation of that country. We have been using Iraq for a long time.

Kerry is not a part of the solution in our policy towards Iraq he is part of the problem. The defense he uses for his vote on IWR fliews in the face of the reality of Iraq and is furthering the lie.

I am extreamly pissed that this lie is allowed to continue and I will speak out against any polititian that chooses to use it in defense of his policy.

[Monte Carlo]

40. But that's besides the point.

It's not enough to point out that it was a pack of lies. Regardless, it was Bush, who was unfortunately the President of the United States, that was pushing these lies. The possibility of Saddam possessing weapons alone is a concern, especially when those things are repeated time and time again by the Oval Office. Perceptions are reality in entertainment and politics, and it was Bush who controlled them with the bully pulpit. I guess the best way I can describe Kerry's strategy with the war vote was to use Bush's own momentum against him.

On a side note, I will absolutely concede that Kerry screwed up big time when he voted yes. He would have had the nomination pretty much secured by now if he hadn't. But from my standpoint, I am not willing to let that be the only deciding factor; I belive it was a sin of weakness, not malice, and I do not think he is part of the problem. Whoever gets the nomination will be the leader of the Democrats for the next 4 years, and I'm just not convinced that Dean will be up to it.

[Egnever]

41. Soryy but it is exactly the point

Kerry wasnt just idly standing by watching the show go on arround him he was supporting bushes argument when he clearly knew better.

(Videotape, October 9, 2002):
SEN. KERRY: Iraq has some lethal and incapacitating agents and is capable of quickly producing weaponizing of a variety of such agents, including anthrax, for delivery on a range of vehicles, such as bombs, missiles, aerial sprayers and covert operatives which would bring them to the United States itself.
In addition, we know they are developing unmanned aerial vehicles capable of delivering chemical and biological warfare agents.
According to the CIA’s report, all U.S. intelligence experts agree that they are seeking nuclear weapons. There is little question that Saddam Hussein wants to develop them.
In the wake of September 11, who among us can say with any certainty to anybody that the weapons might not be used against our troops or against allies in the region? Who can say that this master of miscalculation will not develop a weapon of mass destruction even greater, a nuclear weapon?
(End videotape)


Lies all of it. He had access to the inteligence reports putting the lie to those statements in fact he cited them in in this speech.

Yes bush was spining it but so was kerry. I will never forgive him for it.

I am certainly not trying to get you to get behind Dean choose whoever you want to. I am just hoping that you see what is really going on behind this whole Iraq thing and that you and others will stop allowing kerry to reinforce the idea that bush was right to go after Sadam.

like I said before Kerry does have a decent voting record on many issues. I dont think he would make a particularly bad president. I just dont trust him after the dog and pony show he has put on over this whole Iraq thing. So i personally will chose someone else in the primaries.

In the end getting bush out is the most important thing. Any one of our candidates would be better than another four years of bush.

[Monte Carlo]

42. Right, he did know better. The same with Bill and Hillary Clinton.

Bill Clinton was the man who was one of the biggest supporters of Bush and Blair in Iraq. He came out time and time again as a vocal supporter of Bush and as a hawk against Saddam Hussein, repeating many of the same 'lies' that Kerry said in that speech. I know he is a smart guy, and he MUST have known better. It gave me a distinct feeling that they knew soemthing I didn't, that it would be better to err on the side of caution in this matter of national security.

[Egnever]

43. Right !

Clinton was just as wrong on this as bush is. I know we want to hold clinton up as the Icon of truth but he was far from it. He used Iraq along with the rest of them.

The inspectors were pulled out of Iraq after Sadam refused them access because the inspection team was filled with cia plants. Under clinton!
this is documented to be true. When they came out they said they had effectively destroyed 95% of Iraqs weapons. This was in 98. The sanctions continued throughout.

Look i understand why they are pushing this whole Iraq thing. In fact I can see where it is in americas interests to do so. We need the oil. We need the oil revenue to continue to be traded in dollars and not Euros. If we lose control of either of those aspects it will hurt the american economy. Strategicaly it is the right thing to do to keep america on top. I just think human lives and true freedom are more important than the necessity for america to remain at the top of the heap.

Clinton used Iraq to take attention away from the whole monica thing. He certainly cant come out and say it was all bullshit.

Please read up on the sanctions.

The truth is there.

[blm]

48. yet, you aren't bothered that dean thought Iraq needed to be disarmed

of WMDs. He just favored a 30 day more wait and then invade.Why do you have a double standard?

Dean - March 17:

Tonight, for better or worse, America is poised on the brink of war. Tonight, every American, regardless of party, devoutly supports the safety and success of our men and women in the field. Those of us who, over the past six months, have expressed deep concerns about this President's management of the crisis, mistreatment of our allies and misconstruction of international law, have never been in doubt about the evil of Saddam Hussein or the necessity of removing his weapons of mass destruction.

[Egnever]

50. not a bit

and you are wildly spining the Biden lugar bill it was about a whole lot more than a 30-60 day wait.

Kerry knew the difference

kerry in front of congress before the vote

I would have preferred that the President agree to the approach drafted by Senators Biden and Lugar

The Biden-Lugar resolution also acknowledges the importance of the President's efforts at the United Nations. It would require the President, before exercising the authority granted in the resolution, to send a determination to Congress that the United States tried to seek a new Security Council resolution or that the threat posed by Iraq's WMD is so great he must act absent a new resolution

[blm]

57. Yes...Kerry and Dean weren't far apart, but Dean spun it as if they were

That he was antiwar and Kerry was prowar, when they were actually quite close.

However, it wasn't Dean's duty to help negotiate for a better bill and PAY for that bill with his vote.

[Egnever]

59. It was Deans and Kerrys duty to stand up for what is right

Dean did his

Kerry did not.

You can keep spining all day long if you want. I watched it hapen. I watched the dems chose to get the vote off the table before the 2002 elections. I know that vote went down to get it out of the way.

Kerry was a part of that decision to get it off the table. Knowing the whole time that biden lugar was the way to go.

Sory kerry caved to political desire in an issue of life or death. I dont give a flying Fwhac how much lip service he pays to being so close to the same as Howard Dean and biden lugar the fact remains he caved no more than caved he spouted the bush propaganda when he knew it to be lies.

He is dead forever to me behind that.

Add to that the spin he tries to use in atacking Dean and he becomes nothing more than one more lying politician waiting to be booted from office when his constituancy wakes up.

I dont know if you honestly werent paying attention when all of this went down or if you just choose to completely twist reality. Either way kerry was and is wrong.

[sandnsea]

46. Dean said Saddam had weapons

I don't know how in the world you support Dean who said there were weapons, but are angry at Kerry for wanting to get inspectors in the country in order to find out what was going on. We've been down this road before. You know full well the world's most respected weapons authorities were concerned about weapons in Iraq. Nobody could have known the Bushies were pushing the CIA to concoct intelligence. There is just no rationale to this argument at all.

[Egnever]

51. Dean was wrong

So were the "experts"

And any rational person who took the time to look at the sanctions and how we abused them would know that.

And the oinspectors werent concerned that he had weapons they were concerned over his inability to prove that he had destroyed them.

My anger at kerry is simple HE lied about the inteligence reports the same way bush did to excuse his vote.

[sandnsea]

53. No, you're wrong

If you think you're right and every world leader and weapons expert was wrong, you might just have an ego problem. There isn't any way anyone could have known what was going on in Iraq in October 2002. That's why we needed to get inspectors back in the country. I guess you support Dean for some other reason than the war, because he thought the exact same thing.

I really don't care what YOU thought, I care what the candidates thought and why they said the things they said and did the things they did.

[Egnever]

60. I was wrong?

Show me the wmd

whats that? there are no WMD?

color me shocked!

[sandnsea]

63. Yes, you're wrong

Your opinion based on absolutely no access to any intelligence is irrelevant. Your statement that Kerry lied about the intelligence is WRONG. You have absolutely no idea what intelligence was available in September 2002 and can't possibly come to a rational conclusion as to who lied about what. I know this whole war is and was heart-wrenching. But it's just wrong to put your pain on one person who was sincerely trying to do what he thought would confront the problems of WMD worldwide and thereby AVOID a war, not lead us into one.

[Monte Carlo]

32. Regardless, I think he's still the best equipped...

... to both beat Bush in November and, more importantly, become a leader of the Democrats. Of course the vote means something, but I will not let it rule my internal dialouge on the matter. I believe, with or without the vote, he's still the Democrat's strongest candidate.

[Monte Carlo]

26. Kerry's record would make any Democrat proud - he is as green as they come

on the environment, he has pushed CAFE standards and opposed ANWR drilling when others wouldn't.

Now, that isn't to say I wasn't thrown for a loop over his IWR vote. But, regardless, I still think he is our best shot to both beat Bush and, most importantly, be a leader for the Democrats.

[Catbert]

33. I do like John Kerry

but he comes off as boring as Wonder bread. He seems so dull and lifeless I am concerned he will be eaten up after the primary by the media.

[Monte Carlo]

35. I have my reservations, too.

He has a tendency to be boring and long-winded, yes. He does have a lively side though - he hunts, he surfs, he plays the guitar - well. I grant, though, that his delivery needs a little work.

[Meshuga]

56. Kerry needs to run a better campaign...

He's a hell of a candidate and the most clear to me. I wonder why the message is not going through...

[helleborient]

45. The problem with Kerry's "nuances" on IWR as far as candidacy...

It is so easy for someone to say, but you voted for the war!

No one really hears stuff about these negotiations to prevent attacks on Syria.

John Kerry started his campaign based at least about half on electability it seemed...

Even sympathetic obsessively political Democratic ears have a hard time listening long enough to get a true explanation of the vote on Iraq.

Why does John Kerry think the ordinary public would listen even longer? Or independent voters in a general election?

He's let this all be a huge weight around his neck as a candidate. That raises enormous questions to me about his viability as a candidate.

Howard Dean has proven multiple times how he can wiggle out of controversy. It makes some people not like him, but it is something that worked tremendously well for Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan...our most recent two term presidents.

If I were advising him (which since I'm not a supporter I would not be listened to, I understand that), I would have him admit he made mistakes, but that his long record speaks for itself on his personal principles.

Instead he comes off as trying to pummel Howard Dean into admitting mistakes, when John Kerry can't get past seeing himself as some kind of "better than human" God.

[mitchum]

47. kicking truth above bullshit

[nomaco-10]

52. TO ALL KERRY SUPPORTERS

I am not your nemisis, george w. bush* is. John Kerry is not my enemy, he is POLITICS AS USUAL and that is my problem with him. He is all about empty promises, platitudes and the same old rhetoric, 'I'll tell you whatever you want to hear as long as you re-elect me for another term'. Kerry was the annointed front runner for the party and was ill prepared for Dean's entrance into the fray, he was completely blindsighted by Dean becoming such a venerable opponent, and it shows.
You are up against people like me that see Howard Dean as a real welcome breath of fresh air in the process. We're here, and we're here to stay. Howard Dean has empowered us to speak up and speak out against the status quo and we're heady with the empowerment that his campaign gives us.
At some point, we will all be required to work together for the common good of the democratic party, at that point in time, I am prepared to extend my hand to you, will you extend your hand to me?

[Fabio]

55. Certainly not you personally.

That is one of the most condescending posts I have ever read on DU.

[nomaco-10]

61. You know what, you're right.....

I came back this evening after having posted this in the am, and you are right, it is condescending and I apologise to you and all Kerry supporters that read this and took it that way. I can assure you one thing, I am a dem and will support our dem candidate with one exception, Joe Lieberman. Let's all find a common bond that will help us be victorious in '04.

[Fabio]

62. I appreciate the honesty

hope you can appreciate mine.
good night to all.

[blm]

58. You're the one falling for same old rhetoric

except it's Dean's COOPTED rhetoric from Nader's 2000 campaign.

Dean is the most CENTRIST, furthest right of all the candidates, even to Lieberman's right on some issues. He governed as a centrist aligning more often with the GOP in Vermont than he did with progressive Democrats.

YOU are buying a new Dean who is using hot rhetoric to pretend he is a populist, but with a record of governance as a compromising centrist.

Wake up yourself!

Here's a bit of the guy who you think does nothing.

• National coordinator of Vietnam Veterans Against the War, 1969-'71.
• Introduced one of the Senate's first bills forbidding job discrimination based on sexual orientation in 1985.
• Worked with Sen. John McCain (R) in 1992 on finding out whether there were still American POWS in Vietnam.
• Worked on a Russian nuclear-arms reduction policy.
• Headed investigations into Iran-Contra affair and the BCCI banking scandal.
Campaign touchstones: • Wants to allow all Americans to buy into the healthcare plan used by members of Congress.
• Would repeal some Bush tax cuts, but keep those for the working poor and middle class.
• Proposes "Service for College" program, granting the equivalent of four years' tuition in exchange for two years of community service.
• Vows to block the nomination of any Supreme Court justice who would vote to overturn Roe v. Wade.
• Wants to make the US independent from foreign oil within 10 years.
Key legislative positions:
• Voted to give President Bush the authority to go to war in Iraq, but voted against Mr. Bush's request for $87 billion to help fund reconstruction, and has criticized the administration for a lack of "diplomacy" and called for a gradual withdrawal of US troops.
• Supports affirmative action.
• Supports civil unions but opposes gay marriage.