TEN REASONS TO ENTHUSIASTICALLY SUPPORT JOHN KERRY

[mzmolly]

Dedicated to qwlauren35 for it was her question that inspired the google search that bore this thread :P

1. On the Environment: Kerry has a 96% lifetime rating from the League of Conservation Voters based on his congressional voting record.

2. On Civil Rights: The NAACP and the Human Rights Campaign gave Kerry a 100% rating.

3. On Education: For the past 8 years, John Kerry has received a 100% rating from the National Education Association.

4. On a Woman's Right to Choose: Planned Parenthood and NARAL gave Kerry a 100% rating.

5. On Labor Rights: The AFL-CIO has given John Kerry a 91% lifetime rating, including a 100% rating in 2003.

Read more here:

http://www.globalstewards.org/democrats.htm#why

This might make for a great flyer with permission from Global Stewards? ;)

Keep it kicked if your so inclined :kick:

[demnan]

1. Kick!

:kick:

[Comicstripper]

2. Kick

[Not Me]

3. I agree...

But interestingly, those are the reasons why freeps would counter. They are just warped people.

[mzmolly]

4. Your right about that.

Sad ain't it.

[soleft]

5. Thanks I emailed this to a bunch of folks

:thumbsup:

[mzmolly]

6. My pleasure.

;)

[Larkspur]

7. You forgot -- Supports wars for corporate gains -- Iraq 2003

Gotta keep the economy rolling for the elite.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

8. That is a false, dishonest and misleading statement.

A fabrication not based on facts or evidence.

[Larkspur]

10. But Kerry is known by the fruit of his war vote

which helped lead directly to the looting of Iraq by Bush's campaign contributors. Only a complete moron would have underestimated Bush's greed and ambition and the Democratic Leadership is full of either morons or those with the hands in the corporate till.

[JI7]

11. Dean supported a war resolution

i didn't see him at any anti war protests.

[mzmolly]

14. AS a former Dean supporter, and the one who started this thread...

please don't bring Dean into this. He is SUPPORTING JOHN KERRY TO THE FULLEST. :hi:

[JI7]

17. as long as

other supporters of dean continue to attack kerry i will respond back by showing their candidate supported a war resolution and isn't the perfect person they try to make him out to be. especially when certain posters have a history of continually attacking kerry and kerry supporters.

and i know dean is supporting kerry. but you can't expect those who supported kerry to just sit back and allow those whose candidates didn't win to attack him and use "but i'm voting for him" as an excuse for continuing attacks. and i said i don't expect everyone to like kerry. but if they attack in a forum they should expect responses back including criticisms of the candidate they supported.

[Larkspur]

19. Biden-Luger, which is what Dean supported

put more pressure on Bush to be honest about the reasons to go to war. That's why Bush DID NOT WANT Biden-Luger. IWR allowed Bush to go to war and then come back to beat Congress over the head with the "Patriotism" mantra to fund the war.

Dean and I are not pacifists. Like Dean, I support military operations when they are needed, but military operations must be a last resort. That is what Dean's basici premise on war and military engagements was about.


From a Bill Todd's excellent DU post made in April 2004, here's the difference between IWR and the Biden-Lugar varient

The Iraq War Resolution Which Passed vs. The Biden/Lugar Variant

Until shortly before the Senate vote on the Iraq War Resolution, Kerry opposed it, favoring the Biden/Lugar variant (as did Dean). However, when push came to shove, he supported it (and of course voted for it). Without wishing to go down too deep a rat-hole, the distinctions between the IWR and the Biden/Lugar variant have been so widely misrepresented that a quick review seems appropriate (see http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A3... for additional comments).


Biden/Lugar

"(b) Requirement for determination that use of force is necessary. - Before exercising the authority granted by subsection (a), the President shall make available to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate his determination that -

(1) the United States has attempted to seek, through the United Nations Security Council, adoption of a resolution after September 12, 2002 under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter authorizing the action described in subsection (a)(1), and such resolution has been adopted; or (2) that the threat to the United States or allied nations posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program and prohibited ballistic missile program is so grave that the use of force is necessary pursuant to subsection (a)(2), notwithstanding the failure of the Security Council to approve a resolution described in paragraph (1)." ( http://www.iraqwatch.org/government/US/Legislation/bidenlugar-resoluti... )

Note that since no such U.N. authorization for use of force was ever obtained, Biden/Lugar would have forced Bush, before starting the war, to provide Congress with his determination "that the threat to the United States or allied nations posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program and prohibited ballistic missile program is so grave that the use of force is necessary" - a very specific assertion of need (clarified in the preceding section as "the exercise of individual or collective self-defense") for which he could later be held accountable and if appropriate impeached.


The Iraq War Resolution

"In connection with the exercise of the authority granted in subsection (a) to use force the President shall, prior to such exercise or as soon there after as may be feasible, but no later than 48 hours after exercising such authority, make available to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate his determination that
(1) reliance by the United States on further diplomatic or other peaceful means alone either (A) will not adequately protect the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq or (B) is not likely to lead to enforcement of all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq, and
(2) acting pursuant to this resolution is consistent with the United States and other countries continuing to take the necessary actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations or persons who planned, authorized, committed or aided the terrorists attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001." (The complete text appears at http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/03/politics/03HTEX.html?ex=1082520000&e... ; the first 1.5 pages are standard Congressional meaningless "Whereas..." embroidery.)

This resolution merely required Bush to assert that war was necessary to protect our 'national security' - itself a rather poorly-bounded concept - or to enforce "all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions", a sufficiently vague grab-bag to make later accountability comfortably nebulous. Furthermore, it conveniently ignores the fact that absent U.N. approval, the U.S. had no right under international law (nor under U.S. law, by virtue of the fact that we have ratified the U.N. charter as a treaty) to attack Iraq for any reason save self-defense against an imminent threat (a point that was not lost on Paul Wellstone at the time - see http://www.usembassy.it/file2002_10/alia/a2100413.htm , right at the end).

Bush himself rejected the Biden/Lugar variant because he claimed it would 'tie his hands' ( http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200210/02/eng20021002_104296.shtml ) - and indeed at least to some degree it would have. The ACLU held that view as well ( http://archive.aclu.org/news/2002/n100202a.html ). In any event, those who assert that Dean's support for Biden/Lugar was equivalent to Kerry's support for the IWR are simply wrong: Kerry's vote for the IWR supported the war in a way that Dean's support for Biden/Lugar would not have, and Kerry voiced no other real opposition at that time while Howard was increasingly critical.

[JI7]

21. so Dean believed Bush to be honest ?

[mzmolly]

23. No, which is why he supported Biden/Lugar

Biden Luger limited the agenda to WMD's among other things.

I have an article I could pull out where Kerry expresses his pissedoffedness at Dick Gephardt for ditching B/L for a more Bush friendly bill, but I don't really want to go there.

This is a thread I posted showing good reasons to support John Kerry.

JUST ABOUT EVERY DEAN SUPPORTER ON THIS THREAD KNOWS THE INS AND OUTS OF BIDEN-LUGAR. Please start another thread if you'd like to discuss it.

[JI7]

26. it's not like bush followed iwr or Afgahnistan

bush used al qaeda as cover to get the pipeline into afghanistan. him going into afghanistan had nothing to do with going after al qaeda. he didn't follow iwr in doing diplomacy either. and nothing in iwr said he could lie to go to war which he did do. i don't know why people have a hard time holding bush accountable.

[mzmolly]

27. I dont have a hard time holding him accountable, I simply would rather

have "tied his hands" as he proclaimed Biden Lugar would have done.

[JI7]

28. the United Nations did so and he didn't follow them

even just before the war started he was bragging about "show me the cards" to the other nations on how they will vote in the second part of the resolution. when he saw he didn't have the votes he went to war right away even though he said he was going to seek another resolution. and i explained the other example of afghanistan and how he used al qaeda as cover to get the oil pipeline in.

[mzmolly]

29. I frankly don't get your point. Sure Bush went ahead inspite of the

objection of the UN, however he had the formal blessing of our Government which he would not have had via Biden/Lugar. I always say, Kerry should have stuck to his guns on B/L, because he was right.

"I would have preferred that the President agree to the approach drafted by Senators Biden and Lugar because that resolution would authorize the use of force for the explicit purpose of disarming Iraq and countering the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

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--a power, incidentally, that the President of the United States always has.

I believe this approach would have provided greater clarity to the American people about the reason for going to war and the specific grant of authority. I think it would have been a better way to do this. But it does not change the bottom line of what we are voting for.

The administration, unwisely, in my view, rejected the Biden-Lugar approach. But, perhaps as a nod to the sponsors, it did agree to a determination requirement on the status of its efforts at the United Nations. That is now embodied in the White House text." ~ John Kerry

ttp://www.independentsforkerry.org/uploads/media/kerry-iraq.html

[JI7]

30. no, he didn't have the blessing to lie

just like he didn't have the blessing to go into afghanistan for purposes of getting the pipeline through even though that is what he did.

[mzmolly]

31. I'm not convinced on Afghanistan, but that doens't change the fact

that Kerry prefered Biden-Lugar.

[mzmolly]

22. I disagree. Dean supported Biden/Lugar which we've been over and over

again. B/L limited Bush's authority. Further, Kerry supported B/L and chewed out Gephardt for ditching it.

However, I don't want to discuss that.

If Kerry has a vote in November from anyone here, that's what matters. I suspect many people will start to support Kerry as November nears.

I suggest you engage people in their concerns, and see if you can't make a case for Kerry, but please don't bring Dean into this thread. It's not about him.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

12. I notice that you aren't denying the falsehood of your statement.

I find lying just as abhorrent when practiced by those on the left as those on the right.

[mzmolly]

13. Have you ever misjudged anyone in your life?

And if so, are you a moron? :P

I agree with your sigline BTW. I feel most human beings are quite flawed. The difference is our ideology. ;)

[Larkspur]

35. My misjudgements don't cost people lives

Kerry caved into IWR for his political ambitions. Let's also remember that he voted against the Gulf War in 1991 when he should have voted for it. His 2002 IWR vote was to make up for his 1991 mistake.

[mzmolly]

37. Could be, although the more I learn about Gulf one, the less I feel

in agreement on that?

[JI7]

38. the first Gulf War was about oil

and it resulted in many innocent people getting killed. i'm glad kerry opposed it and i'm glad kerry was critical of how bush went about this current war. i'm glad kerry doesn't see things in black and white as bush does and some others do , especially on issues such as war.

not to mention the sanctions against the iraqi people which killed many innocent people also. in fact the war against the iraqi people had been going on for years already when bush decided to invade.

in the first gulf war the bush administration assured saddam they would do nothing if he went into kuwait. they wanted a reason to invade. and kuwait sure wasn't an innocent country in all of this either with their lying about what the iraqi troops were doing with the throwing babies out of incubators and other crap.

[mzmolly]

25. Yea, I'm sure that was what he was thinking.

If you listen to Kerry and take him at his word, he says he supported INSPECTIONS and INSPECTIONS alone. Granted Bush abused his authority, but Kerry did not kick out inspectors and start a war, Bush did.

It's not black and white Larkspur. I felt as you do once, but opened my mind a bit. I am glad I did.

:eyes:

Give it a rest please.

[qwlauren35]

9. THANK YOU!!!

I am encouraged.

I'm trying to take all of the feedback and distill it and disseminate it for folks I know who aren't yet ready to get ACTIVE.

This will help a lot.

[mzmolly]

15. THANK YOU LAUREN!

I have a few questions perhaps you can help me with later?

I'll start a thread and PM you when I do. :hi:

[DaveSZ]

16. I'm hoping he will be an improvement over Clinton

Let's hope he's raised most of his money from ordinary people and not corporations.

Then he won't be beholden to them like Clinton/BUsh.

[LuLu550]

18. He's not George Bush X 10

n/t

[qwlauren35]

20. I borrowed the list...

and sent it out to a distribution list of nearly 100 people. However, I made some interesting modifications. I put his qualifications, including his foreign policy experience at the very top. I pretty much moved ALL of his environmental positions to the bottom. I think there's a core group of people who care, but most folks care a lot more about homeland security and JOBS. So I moved those things to the top.

The list didn't include much on strengthening the economy, and that was a major weakness. I also buried the statement on taxcuts and merged it with all of the healthcare and public education initiatives. Wasn't sure where to put the issue of election fraud. As we inch toward November, I think it will become an issue that more and more people will be curious about. But in general, we only think about it every 4 years...

Suffice to say, I loved the list. I honestly believe that anything we can do that gets us away from the anti-Bush sentiments that we feel in our gut, the better chance we have of winning the swing states.

[mzmolly]

24. Great, I'd love to see your new improved version.

:hi:

[qwlauren35]

32. I hope I wont get in trouble for this.

Maybe I should just mail it to you...

[qwlauren35]

33. Here it is...

TEN REASONS TO ENTHUSIASTICALLY SUPPORT JOHN KERRY
1. Kerry has a long record of public service to this country. He has extensive experience in both domestic and international affairs. He worked as a prosecutor for one of the country's largest counties, served as Lieutenant Governor for two years, and has served as a U.S. Senator since 1984. As Senator, he has served for 18 years on the Foreign Relations Committee, 6 years on the Intelligence Committee, and is the Ranking Democrat on the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee.
2. On Education: For the past 8 years, John Kerry has received a 100% rating from the National Education Association <http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_detail.php?sig_id=001689W> .
3. On Civil Rights: The NAACP <http://www.naacp.org/work/washington_bureau/107thcongress.pdf> and the Human Rights Campaign <http://www.hrc.org/Content/NavigationMenu/HRC/Get_Informed/Campaigns_and_Elections/Presidential_Candidates/2004_Candidates.htm> gave Kerry a 100% rating.
4. On a Woman's Right to Choose: Planned Parenthood <http://www.ppaction.org/ppvotes/scorecard-results.html> and NARAL <http://www.naral.org/publications/loader.cfm?url=/commonspot/security/getfile.cfm&PageID=11888> gave Kerry a 100% rating.
5. On Labor Rights: The AFL-CIO <http://www.aflcio.org/issuespolitics/votes/vr_memb.cfm> has given John Kerry a 91% lifetime rating, including a 100% rating in 2003.
6. On the Environment: Kerry has a 96% lifetime rating from the League of Conservation Voters <http://www.lcv.org/Campaigns/Campaigns.cfm?ID=241&c=4> based on his congressional voting record.
7. On Animal Rights: The Humane Society and Fund for Animals <http://www.saplonline.org/humanescorecard/107thcongressionalscores.pdf> reports that Kerry supported eight out of the nine most recent bills promoting animal welfare.
8. Kerry's "100 Days to Change America" <http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/100days/> plan, outlining what he will focus on in his first 100 days in office, is great.
9. Teresa Heinz-Kerry <http://www.johnkerry.com/about_teresa/> will also be a real asset to this country. She has been deeply involved with a number of progressive issues including the environment, children, women's issues, and health care and wellness. She has been an outspoken advocate for human rights and a strong supporter of the arts.
10. Kerry supports:
· Addressing the War on Terror and International Relations:
· Arms control and non-proliferation measures
1 Defining a global security strategy on terrorism that is "collective, not imperial, inclusive not exclusive, and cooperative not unilateralist"
2 Rejoining the international community
· Promoting American Safety and Security At Home
· Strengthening Homeland Security
1 Strongly enforcing federal gun laws and improving and expanding the background check program
2 Expanding the Community Oriented Policing program (COPS)
· Comprehensive election reform
1 Strengthening the US Economy: A strong agricultural economy based on family-owned producers and sustainable practices
2 Supporting Americans in the Workplace:
· Strong job creation including creating 500,000 jobs by investing in renewable energy sources, such as ethanol, solar, and wind
1 Protecting workers' rights to organize and join a union
2 Raising the minimum wage and indexing it to inflation
3 Improving workplace health and safety
4 Improving opportunities for small businesses
5 Closing the pay gap between men and women
· Rolling back Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and re-investing in education and healthcare.
· Fully funding our public education system
1 Creating programs to increase access to a college education for more Americans
2 Providing services to children such as Head Start and child care
3 Expanding health care coverage to nearly 95 percent of Americans - including nearly all children
4 Assuring high quality health care by including a strong enforceable patients' bill of rights, reducing medical errors, and ensuring safe staffing levels for nurses
5 Protecting Medicare and Social Security
6 Improving child abuse prevention and treatment programs
7 Providing sufficient funding for drug prevention and treatment programs
8 Expanding funding for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria programs
9
· Maintaining Civil and Human Rights:
· Programs that promote democracy and respect for human rights
1 Expanding our nation's hate crime law
2 The Employment Nondiscrimination Act
3 Affirmative Action
4 The Equal Rights Amendment
5 Title IX
6 Ending the practice of racial profiling
7 Creating immigration policies that are fair and safe
8 The Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act
· Partnering with Native American tribes to improve access to health care, provide more educational opportunities, and strengthen economic development efforts
1 Addressing Farmers Issues:
· Making sure that farmers have the support they need and that rural communities have the capital, infrastructure, and technology they need to be safe and prosperous
1 Truth in labeling and country of origin labeling to give consumers the information they need to support American farmers
2 Renewable fuels, such as ethanol, grown on America's farms and produced in producer-owned facilities
· Addressing Environmental and Animal Safety Issues:
· Aggressively promoting conservation, renewable energy sources, and increased energy efficiency to reduce both global warming emissions and our dependence on foreign oil
1 Reducing toxics in our communities
2 Reinvigorating the Superfund cleanup program
3 Improving our parks and protecting our public lands
4 Protecting low income communities from environmental hazards
5 Strengthening and enforcing our Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act
6 Addressing global warming emissions through a combination of innovative programs that will drive technology change and create jobs
7 Addressing the exploitation of marine resources around the globe
8 Addressing the growing crisis of fresh water shortages around the globe
9 Reducing traffic congestion and sprawl
10 Partnering with Native American tribes to improve access to health care, provide more educational opportunities, and strengthen economic development efforts
11 A strong agricultural economy based on family-owned producers and sustainable practices
12 Limiting the proliferation of animal confinements

[mzmolly]

34. Excellent! Thanks for sharing this Lauren.

:toast:

[JNelson6563]

36. I've got one and that's enough for now

Bush.