Don't
say we didn't warn you
Another look
at the Democratic party leadership and Michael Moore
Based
on
an article
in CounterPunch by Alexander
Cockburn
Not
long before the 2004 election, Kerry's senate record was carefully reviewed
by Noah Belikoff nbelikoff@yahoo.com
who researched Kerry's actual votes and the voter scorecards provided
by progressive interest groups.
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"Most
of you know by now, (or should know) that
Kerry voted to authorize the war in Iraq, in favor of a massively-increased
Pentagon budget, the Patriot Act, No Child Left Behind, and the
NAFTA, that he supports the war on drugs, the building of more prisons,
the right to military preemption, and opposes universal, single-payer
healthcare, gay marriage, and the Kyoto Protocol.
"But
you may not be aware of the following votes that he also cast in
the Senate in the past few years, and of some of his voter scorecard
ratings that are listed afterward."
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"Then
Belikoff's devastating resume of Kerry's vote followed... "
Then
Belikoff's devastating resume of Kerry's vote followed, with the conclusion
that that "A rigorous statistical analysis
of Kerry's *entire* voting record in the 108th Congress reveals,
however, that he falls right in the middle of an increasingly conservative
Democratic Party -- tied with Joseph Lieberman, and only slightly more
moderate than the conservative Dianne Feinstein":
•
S J Res 45
Amendment to Iraq war authorization to require president to go through
the U.N.: authority for war could be authorized only in the event of
Iraq's noncompliance with new U.N. resolution; a separate grant of authority
would be required if the president wanted to act unilaterally. Oct 10,
2002.
NO
•
S J Res 45
Vote to Reaffirm Congress's Constitutional Power to Declare War:
use of force not connected to an imminent threat (preemption) would
require additional grant of authority from Congress. (Resolution Authorizing
the Use of Force in Iraq) Oct 10, 2002.
NO
•
S 257
Vote to deploy a National Missile Defense system capable of defending
against limited ballistic missile attack as soon as it is technologically
possible. Mar 17, 1999 YES
•
S 517
Vote to establish a new automobile fuel efficiency standard that would
encourage increased use of alternative-fueled and hybrid vehicles. Mar
13, 2002.
NO
•
HR 4775
Vote to Exempt the U.S. from Following Directives of the International
Criminal Court and Will of International
Community. Jun 06, 2002. YES
•
HR 3009
Enable the President to Place International Trade Agreements Above Worker
and Environmental Protections with No Changes Permitted by Congress.
Aug 01, 2002.
YES
•
S. Con. Res. 23
Vote to Eliminate Bush Tax Cuts to Reduce Deficit Spending and Protect
Domestic Spending Priorities. Mar 21, 2003. NO
•
HR 622
Economic Stimulus/Amendment to Provide Tax Breaks to Corporations. Jan
29, 2002. YES
•
HR 3734
Welfare
Reform/Vote limiting previous rights of children, immigrants, the poor,
and the elderly; limiting free speech rights of not-for-profit organizations;
establishing national identification database. YES
•
S 254
Juvenile Justice/Vote for "Tough on Crime Measures": children
as young as 14 to be tried in adult federal court; opens some juvenile
records to schools and employers. YES
•
S. 1956
Government Funding of Religious Institutions/Vote to require state governments
to contract with religious institutions to provide taxpayer-funded social
services, proselytizing permitted. YES
•
HR 3103
Health Care Reform/Vote to give government and businesses access to
confidential medical information about individuals without their consent;
establish a national patient identification system.
YES
•
HR 2202
Immigration Reform/Vote to limit rights of new immigrants; shield INS
abuses from judicial sanction; erect substantial barriers to those seeking
asylum. YES
•
S. 1664
National Identity Card/Vote to establish a national identification system
employing computer databases to keep track of all Americans. YES
•
S 1510, HR 3694 and others
Facilitation of Wiretapping/Votes to increase FBI wiretap authority;
permit law enforcement agencies to use "roving" (indiscriminate)
wiretaps; increase authorization for "emergency" wiretaps
without the prerequisite of a court order. 1995-9 YES
Public
interest group ratings of Kerry voting record:
•
ACLU 60%
•
Public
Citizen (consumer advocacy) 27%
•
League
of Conservation Voters (environment) 53%
•
Peace
Action 20%
•
Citizens
for Global Solutions (promotes democratic global institutions for solving
the world's problems)
63%
•
American
Immigration Lawyers Association (advocate for justice and human rights)
0%
•
Workplace
Fairness (employee rights) 20%
•
Friends
Committee on National Legislation (the lobby group of the Quakers) 50%
•
Population
Action International (family planning; educational and economic opportunities
for women; slowing global population growth)
0%
•
The
American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) 100%
(for 20 consecutive years -- an unblemished
record of opposition to peace and justice in the Middle East)
•
Jews
for Peace in Palestine and Israel -1
It
should also be noted that Kerry has the worst attendance record in the
Senate.
His attendance for 8% of votes thus far in 2004 can be explained by the
presidential campaign; however even in 2003 he voted only 36% of the time.
(The average for all Senators is 97%). Remarkably, he also missed 76%
of the Senate Intelligence Committee's public hearings over the course
of his 8 year tenure on that committee (http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docID=241)
"Kerry's
poor attendance record is significant in ways that may not be immediately
apparent."
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Kerry's
poor attendance record is significant in ways that may not be immediately
apparent.
This is because of the many times that his presence might have made
a difference in very close votes.
This is best illustrated by his absence for all of the following
important and closely-contested votes (all of them
prior to 2004):
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•
H.R. 2658
Kerry was absent on vote "to Identify U.S. Military Intentions
on the Legal Handling of Detained Individuals." (Abu Greib) Jul
16, 2003. Passed
•
S. 1050
Kerry was absent on Defense Authorization/Vote to Proceed with the Development
of "Low-Yield" Nuclear Weapons. May 21, 2003. Passed
•
H.J. Res 2
Kerry was absent on Vote to Restore Funding for Education, Medicare,
Medicaid, and Other Domestic Programs Previously Cut in Republican-Drafted
Bill. Jan 17, 2003. Defeated
•
H.J. Res. 51
Kerry was absent on Vote to Increase the Debt Limit, Passing On Higher
Debt Payments to Future Generations. May 23, 2003.
Passed
•
S. 1054
Kerry was absent on Vote to Prevent Budget Deficits By Delaying Implementation
of the Dividends Tax Until the Federal Budget Returns to Surplus. May
14, 2003. Defeated
•
S. 1050
Kerry was absent on Vote to Insure that Women Soldiers Have Access to
Abortions When Stationed Overseas. May 22, 2003. Defeated
•
S 3
Kerry was absent on Vote to Allow "Dilation and Extraction"
Abortions In Cases Where the Mother's Health Is Threatened By Pregnancy.
Mar 12, 2003. Defeated
•
S. 3
Kerry was absent Vote to Require Hospitals to Make Available Emergency
Contraceptives to Victims of Sexual Assault. Mar 11, 2003. Defeated
•
H.R. 2658 Kerry
was absent on Defense Appropriations/Vote to Defeat an Amendment to
Redirect $1.1 Billion to Help Fight AIDS Pandemic. Jul 17, 2003. Passed
•
H.R. 2658
Kerry was absent on Vote to Defeat an Amendment to Create an Independent
Commission to Investigate the Role Played by U.S. Intelligence Officials
in Developing and Using Erroneous Intelligence About Iraq's Weapons
Program to Justify U.S. Military Action. Jul 16, 2003.
Passed
•
H.R. 2658
Kerry was absent on Vote to Defeat an Amendment to Withhold Intelligence
Funding Until the President Submits to Congress a Report Detailing the
Role Played by White House Policy-Makers in Developing and Using Erroneous
Intelligence About Iraq's Weapons Program to Justify U.S. Military Action.
Jul 17, 2003.
Passed
•
H.R. 2658 Kerry
was absent on Vote
to Defeat an Amendment to Require the President to Submit a Plan for
Post-War Reconstruction of Iraq. Jul 16, 2003.
Passed
•
H.R. 2658
Kerry was absent on Vote to Defeat an Amendment to Require the Defense
Secretary to Submit to Congress a Cost Estimate of Military Operations
in Iraq. Jul 16, 2003. Passed
•
H.R. 2658
Kerry was absent on Vote to Defeat an Amendment Designed to Prevent
Part-Time Military Personnel From Being Stationed in Iraq for Extended
Periods. Jul 15, 2003. Passed
•
S 762
Kerry was absent on Vote to Kill an Amendment Expressing the Sense of
the Senate that the President Should Develop a Plan to Raise Revenues
to Fund the Costs of the War in Iraq. Apr 03, 2003. Passed
•
S 762
Kerry was absent on Vote to Kill an Amendment to Provide Equipment to
the National Guard and Reserves On Par with Equipment Afforded to Full-Time
Soldiers. Apr 02
Passed
"And
yet, amazingly, the Democratic Leadership Council will wave this "liberalism"
of Kerry as the rationale for moving the Democratic Party even further
to the right."
So
there you have it. You see, Mr Moore, you led a huge campaign, replete
with disgusting vilification of Ralph Nader, which encouraged people to
throw away their vote, on Kerry. What did the Kerry vote gain them?
Nothing.
Alexander Cockburn
CounterPunch,
PO BOX 228, Petrolia, CA 95558
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