Sometimes They Surprise Even Me

[Jason Tate]

The liberal media strikes again (http://money.cnn.com/2004/10/11/news/newsmakers/sinclair_kerry/index.htm), too bad it's against the laws.

[halfpricepizza]

Godammit!!!!!! Those Stupid Republicans!!!!! I'm Being Really Sarcastic!!!!!! Are The Caps Necessary? Yes!!!!!!!!!

[halfpricepizza]

Godammit!!!!!! Those Stupid Republicans!!!!! I'm Being Really Sarcastic!!!!!! Are The Caps Necessary? Yes!!!!!!!!!


SHIT!!!! CAPS DON"T SHOW!!! I LOOK STUPID!!!!!!

[knivesbatstats]

what happened to freedom of speech, i mean isnt it sort of similar to tate using his website to hype the shit out of kerry, sinclair should be allowed to show whatever they want.....it cant be half as bad as michael moore's "documentary" and yes i use that term VERY VERY loosely...also the term "liberal media" is usually used to refer to the networks like ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, basically anything but Fox, and then all major newspapers like the NY Times for example, Sinclair is the tv stations, not the network itself, so the term liberal media still has truth to it

[Jason Tate]

what happened to freedom of speech, i mean isnt it sort of similar to tate using his website to hype the shit out of kerry, sinclair should be allowed to show whatever they want.....it cant be half as bad as michael moore's "documentary" and yes i use that term VERY VERY loosely...also the term "liberal media" is usually used to refer to the networks like ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, basically anything but Fox, and then all major newspapers like the NY Times for example, Sinclair is the tv stations, not the network itself, so the term liberal media still has truth to it
From the Equal Time Law:

(a) If any licensee shall permit any person who is a legally qualified candidate for any public office to use a broadcasting station, he shall afford equal opportunities to all other such candidates for that office in the use of such broadcasting station: Provided, That such licensee shall have no power of censorship over the material broadcast under the provisions of this section. No obligation is imposed under this subsection upon any licensee to allow the use of its station by any such candidate. Appearance by a legally qualified candidate on any--

(1) bona fide newscast,

(2) bona fide news interview,

(3) bona fide news documentary (if the appearance of the candidate is incidental to the presentation of the subject or subjects covered by the news documentary), or

(4) on-the-spot coverage of bona fide news events (including but not limited to political conventions and activities incidental thereto),

shall not be deemed to be use of a broadcasting station within the meaning of this subsection....

I could continue ... I would have assumed even the Bush Lovers would see what's wrong with this one (even besides the law)

[RyanEddy]

Should Moore be allowed to air his "documentary" days before the election?

[Jason Tate]

Should Moore be allowed to air his "documentary" days before the election?
That's the exact point. If his "documentary" was shown, commercial free, on the same networks (who are not allowed to deny the program showing) ...

This situation is NOT the same as the movie Farenheit 911, because putting out a movie when theaters have the option to carry it is one thing. Mandating that TV stations WILL carry a program (commercial free no less) is something else.

The authors of this documentary essentially have a captive audience, mainly due to the fact that the majority of the US population is overweight, and spends a substancially larger amount of time infront of the tele than any other nation. To go see farenheit-9/11 people have to make an effort to get out of their arm-chairs, get in their cars and drive to the movie theatres, whereas all they have to do to watch the anti-kerry film is sit down in thier chairs at home. This is where the problem lies in airing such a biased piece on national television.

Fair use laws were put into place for a reason, violating them on PUBLIC AIRWAVES (we own them, a huge corporation (the largest in the nation mind you [liberal media, what?]) does not.)

[I am all talk]

what happened to freedom of speech, i mean isnt it sort of similar to tate using his website to hype the shit out of kerry, sinclair should be allowed to show whatever they want.....it cant be half as bad as michael moore's "documentary" and yes i use that term VERY VERY loosely...also the term "liberal media" is usually used to refer to the networks like ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, basically anything but Fox, and then all major newspapers like the NY Times for example, Sinclair is the tv stations, not the network itself, so the term liberal media still has truth to it

This movie is pure propaganda. Moore released F. 911 in June, and if anyone wanted to see it they had to pay 10 bucks. This comes out 2 weeks before the election. How is this freedom of speech if he is forcing all the stations to air this. It said they ordered all 62 stations to air the movie. Mr. Tate owns and operates this website, he could put whatever he wants on here. You come here for news on your favorite bands, I'm pretty sure you don't come here because you don't know who to vote for. A television station has a higher responsibility to air non partisan information. If they wanted to release this movie in theatres at an appropriate time I'd see no problem with it. Hell, I'd even go watch it. There is no two ways about it. This is pure propaganda and he is using his position to force this apon the public.

[knivesbatstats]

okay what you posted isnt put in that simple of terms, once again all you do is copy and paste, its like you can never put down your own ideas and words, but i think its saying that items 1-4 do not apply to the law? so in that case its a documentary and can be shown? iono i just think they are allowed to show whatever they want as long as it isnt vulgar and slander since they own the tv stations, isnt that what freedom of speech is about? its not like bush made the little documentary

[psykosteve]

Should Moore be allowed to air his "documentary" days before the election?

None of Moores films have been aird on similar networks. Every showing of his films have been at the watchers own dime in private theaters or on cabel networks or pay per view.

There are lots of anti-kerry documentrys out there in theaters, includeing this one. If people want to see it they can.

The issue is a major chain of telivision networks are ileagaly useing their infulence over their addiance. Free speach does not aplie to the networks the way it does to individuals. They also have a higher standered of truth to live up to. Libel laws are much more strikt on then than individuals. If a network like NBC suddenly desided to only support one canidate it would be a huge perversion of the election proces.

[knivesbatstats]

This movie is pure propaganda. Moore released F. 911 in June, and if anyone wanted to see it they had to pay 10 bucks. This comes out 2 weeks before the election. How is this freedom of speech if he is forcing all the stations to air this. It said they ordered all 62 stations to air the movie. Mr. Tate owns and operates this website, he could put whatever he wants on here. You come here for news on your favorite bands, I'm pretty sure you don't come here because you don't know who to vote for. A television station has a higher responsibility to air non partisan information. If they wanted to release this movie in theatres at an appropriate time I'd see no problem with it. Hell, I'd even go watch it. There is no two ways about it. This is pure propaganda and he is using his position to force this apon the public.

no one is forcing you to watch the program, just like you choose to see a movie or choose to visit a website, you can choose to change the channel...

[Greg Thimmes]

Regardless, Kerry turned on his fellow soldiers while there were still soldiers still captive in the Vietnam War. My dad fought in that war

[knivesbatstats]

None of Moores films have been aird on similar networks. Every showing of his films have been at the watchers own dime in private theaters or on cabel networks or pay per view.

There are lots of anti-kerry documentrys out there in theaters, includeing this one. If people want to see it they can.

The issue is a major chain of telivision networks are ileagaly useing their infulence over their addiance. Free speach does not aplie to the networks the way it does to individuals. They also have a higher standered of truth to live up to. Libel laws are much more strikt on then than individuals. If a network like NBC suddenly desided to only support one canidate it would be a huge perversion of the election proces.

like when CBS made up documents to slander bush, yea i remember that

[grnweenieag]

yeah well ill see ya'll at the Obama debate tomorrow.....BooYah!!!...skipping class

[Jason Tate]

Regardless, Kerry turned on his fellow soldiers while there were still soldiers still captive in the Vietnam War. My dad fought in that war
Then maybe you should look into the thousands of Vietnam vets supporting Kerry.

[knivesbatstats]

This movie is pure propaganda. Moore released F. 911 in June, and if anyone wanted to see it they had to pay 10 bucks. This comes out 2 weeks before the election. How is this freedom of speech if he is forcing all the stations to air this. It said they ordered all 62 stations to air the movie. Mr. Tate owns and operates this website, he could put whatever he wants on here. You come here for news on your favorite bands, I'm pretty sure you don't come here because you don't know who to vote for. A television station has a higher responsibility to air non partisan information. If they wanted to release this movie in theatres at an appropriate time I'd see no problem with it. Hell, I'd even go watch it. There is no two ways about it. This is pure propaganda and he is using his position to force this apon the public.

how do you know its propaganda, it could all be true, you havent seen it to comment on how much truth is in what is show...

[psykosteve]

okay what you posted isnt put in that simple of terms, once again all you do is copy and paste, its like you can never put down your own ideas and words, but i think its saying that items 1-4 do not apply to the law? so in that case its a documentary and can be shown? iono i just think they are allowed to show whatever they want as long as it isnt vulgar and slander since they own the tv stations, isnt that what freedom of speech is about? its not like bush made the little documentary

read number three "if the appearance of the candidate is incidental to the presentation of the subject or subjects covered by the news documentary"



Do you think Large mega coporations should be able to say what ever they want in the name of "the news." Because of their influense (and the fact that they have a kind of influence that no one else can have) are held to a much higer standered.

[Jason Tate]

like when CBS made up documents to slander bush, yea i remember that
Hello walking into the mine fields. If you're so extremely thick as to not see the difference between what happend with "CBS" and this ... than I am sure there is not a point discussing this with you further.

[knivesbatstats]

Then maybe you should look into the thousands of Vietnam vets supporting Kerry.

isnt it true that most of the soldiers that were with him in the war dont even support him???

[Jason Tate]

how do you know its propaganda, it could all be true, you havent seen it to comment on how much truth is in what is show...
It doesn't need to be propaganda, it could be ALL true, or ALL fake, it's the fact that it is given air time - in blatent violation of the law.

[psykosteve]

Regardless, Kerry turned on his fellow soldiers while there were still soldiers still captive in the Vietnam War. My dad fought in that war


Kerry turned on the Army not the soldiers. He turned on an Amry doing imoral things and breaking both US and international law. I would say that he had a moral obligation to tell the public and the congress of what he saw. Individual soldiers need to be able to report wrong doings they see. Our millitary leaders need to be held acountable for what men do in the feild. (Seen the abugrad abuse stories? what if no one told us about that?)

[Jason Tate]

isnt it true that most of the soldiers that were with him in the war dont even support him???
No, not even a little bit. Look into those who are attacking Kerry, the same guys who tried to start fights with other senators, ones that take money from very "interesting" parties, and even those who are on video as commending Kerry years ago.

As for those endorsing him:
http://www.johnkerry.com/communities/veterans/

[Jason Tate]

no one is forcing you to watch the program, just like you choose to see a movie or choose to visit a website, you can choose to change the channel...
Still violating the laws ..... you can't get around that one bro, you just can't. I would be against this EXACT same thing if it was an Anti-Bush film being shown this way on the public airwaves without equal representation.

[knivesbatstats]

No, not even a little bit. Look into those who are attacking Kerry, the same guys who tried to start fights with other senators, ones that take money from very "interesting" parties, and even those who are on video as commending Kerry years ago.

Those endorsing him:
http://www.johnkerry.com/communities/veterans/

people are allowed to change opinions, look at kerry's senate record for example

[psykosteve]

isnt it true that most of the soldiers that were with him in the war dont even support him???


Wrong EVERY SINGLE SOLDIER who served in a boat with him does suport him. When that whole scandel came out EVERY LAST MAN who served with him in a swift boat steped up and defended his metals.


Soldiers who knew him but never served with him have said they dont suport him.

[RyanEddy]

I still don't understand why you decided to call Sinclair liberal.

[psykosteve]

people are allowed to change opinions, look at kerry's senate record for example


His voteing record is better than almsot anyones.

[Jason Tate]

people are allowed to change opinions, look at kerry's senate record for example
So by having a sly wit towards one point makes the rest invalid?

(PS, I'm using your quote if you ever call Kerry a flipflopper - be warned.)

[Jason Tate]

I still don't understand why you decided to call Sinclair liberal.
It's what's called me being ironic.

[Jason Tate]

Other information on Sinclair and what they do:

Tonight, ABC's "Nightline" will pay tribute to U.S. troops killed in Iraq by airing a 40 minute special – the names of the fallen will be read by anchor Ted Koppel as their photographs appear on screen. But Sinclair Broadcast Group – the country's largest owner of TV stations – will not allow its ABC affiliates to air the show. In a statement, Sinclair claims the special "appears to be motivated by a political agenda designed to undermine the efforts of the United States in Iraq." While Sinclair claims it is pre-empting Nightline because it is an attempt to "influence public opinion," the record shows that Sinclair media has repeatedly leveraged its control over the airwaves to manipulate public opinion in favor of President Bush's right-wing agenda.

SINCLAIR REQUIRES JOURNALISTS TO READ PRO-BUSH STATEMENTS: In September 2001, Sinclair Broadcasting required its affiliates to air messages "conveying full support" for the Bush administration. At a Baltimore affiliate, WBFF "officials required news and sports anchors, even a weather forecaster, to read the messages, "which included statements such as "[the station] wants you to know that we stand 100% behind our President." Several WBFF staffers objected on the grounds that reading the statements would "erode their reputations as objective journalists" because it made them appear to be "endorsing specific government actions."

SINCLAIR REFUSES TO AIR AD HIGHLIGHTING 2003 BUSH ERROR: In July 2003, Sinclair Broadcasting refused to allow WMSN TV – its FOX affiliate in Madison, WI – to air a DNC advertisement that featured a clip of President Bush making the false claim "Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa" in his 2003 State of the Union Address. Three other Madison stations, including ABC, NBC and CBS, readily agreed to air the ad. The Madison CBS affiliate, WISC, said the advertisement was "no worse than any other political ad."

SINCLAIR PRODUCES CENTRALIZED RIGHT-WING CONTENT FOR 'LOCAL STATIONS': In a controversial business practice, Sinclair Broadcasting has fired much of the staff for the local affiliates it owns, instead producing content for its local stations from a central facility outside Baltimore which it then airs on "local" news broadcasts. The centralized content features nightly commentary by Sinclair corporate communications chief Mark Hyman. Hyman regularly refers to the French as "cheese-eating surrender monkeys," the so-called liberal media as the "hate-America crowd," and progressives as "the lonely left" On one recent commentary, Hyman called members of Congress who voted against a recent resolution affirming the righteousness of the Iraq war "unpatriotic politicians who hate our military." You can see all of Hyman's commentaries this month HERE. (Read more from American Progress about the problems of media consolidation.)

SINCLAIR AIRS FAKE NEWS BROADCASTS PRODUCED BY BUSH ADMINISTRATION: In March, it was discovered that the Bush Administration was producing "television news stories, written and paid for by the government, which have the appearance of legitimate news segments delivered by independent reporters," and distributing them to local newscasts as a way of promoting administration policies – including its ill-conceived Medicare prescription drug law. On the broadcasts, a public relations professional named Karen Ryan pretended to be a reporter. Among the stations which aired the administration propaganda as news: WPGH in Pittsburgh "the Sinclair Broadcasting station that fired much of its news staff in favor of feeds from a centralized newsroom in Baltimore."

SINCLAIR EXECUTIVES MAJOR BUSH CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTORS: Sinclair executives have contributed more than $16,500 to President Bush since 2000. This year, Sinclair CEO David Smith gave President Bush the maximum $2000 contribution. Before soft money contributions became illegal, Sinclair Broadcasting gave more than $130,000 to the president's political allies but no money to his opponents.

WOLFOWITZ NEEDS TO WATCH NIGHTLINE TONIGHT: One person who should be sure to tune into Nightline: Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz. Appearing yesterday before a congressional committee, Wolfowitz was asked how many soldiers had died in Iraq. Revealing a shocking insensitivity about the extent of the casualties in Iraq in the highest reaches of the Pentagon, Wolfowitz replied "It's approximately 500, of which - I can get the exact numbers - approximately 350 are combat deaths." In fact, 722 American troops have died during operations in Iraq – 521 from combat.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania)

August 17, 1996, Saturday, SOONER EDITION

David D. Smith, president and chief executive officer of Sinclair Broadcast Group, was arrested this week in his hometown of Baltimore and charged with a misdemeanor sex offense. Sinclair owns WPGH, the Fox affiliate in Pittsburgh, and programs most of WPTT.

The Baltimore Sun reported that Smith, 45, was arrested Tuesday night in an undercover sting at a downtown corner frequented by prostitutes.

On Thursday night, Sinclair issued a statement that Smith's arrest was unrelated to company business and 'The company will continue to operate under the direction of its current management.'



...more


Broadcasting official charged in sex stakeout
Sinclair president, woman arrested in company car

Published on: August 15, 1996
Edition: FINAL
Section: NEWS
Page: 2B
Byline: SUN STAFFPeter Hermann

372

The president of Baltimore-based Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., which owns the local Fox television affiliate, was arrested Tuesday night and charged with committing a perverted sex act in a company-owned Mercedes, city police said.

David Deniston Smith, 45, of the 800 block of Hillstead Drive in Timonium, who also is Sinclair's chief executive, was arrested in an undercover sting at Read and St. Paul streets, a downtown corner frequented by prostitutes, Baltimore police said yesterday.

Smith and Mary DiPaulo, 31, were charged with committing unnatural and perverted sex act. Smith was held overnight at the Central Booking and Intake Center and released on personal recognizance at 2 p.m. yesterday. DiPaulo's bail status was not available.

Officials at WBFF-TV (Fox 45) and Sinclair, one of the fastest-growing broadcasting companies in the nation with 28 television and 34 radio stations, would not comment yesterday. The company had $126 million in sales in the first half of this year.

Police said undercover Officer Gary Bowman, on a prostitution detail, was talking to DiPaulo about 9: 15 p.m. in a car at St. Paul and Read streets. She left the undercover car after telling Bowman that ``she had just seen her regular date driving in the area,' according to court documents.

Police said DiPaulo ran across the street to a 1992 Mercedes, registered to Sinclair, and got in on the passenger side. Police followed the car onto the Jones Falls Expressway, where they said they witnessed the two engage in oral sex while Smith drove north.

Police said they followed the car back to Read and St. Paul streets, where they arrested Smith and DiPaulo, who lives in the 700 block of Washington Blvd.

[knivesbatstats]

His voteing record is better than almsot anyones.

please tell me you are drunk or something, if you are though, i commend you, here have a purple heart, take 3

[Jason Tate]

please tell me you are drunk or something, if you are though, i commend you, here have a purple heart, take 3
Karl Rove called, he wants his brain back.

[RyanEddy]

In that case, I love Sinclair.

[tyais]

Hello walking into the mine fields. If you're so extremely thick as to not see the difference between what happend with "CBS" and this ... than I am sure there is not a point discussing this with you further.

Seriously, how you could compare this to the CBS debaccle... I'll never know...

This is actually true.

[Jason Tate]

Seriously, how you could compare this to the CBS debaccle... I'll never know...

This is actually true.
Really? So that means you've seen it and can verify every single claim made?

Second, please go read the equal time laws, one more time. Two if needed. (A few key words to maybe also look up: public airwaves, and federally funded)

I don't even need to address the other issue of CBS, because of the simple fact that this breaks the equal time laws.

Pt. 3: If it's such a fantastic documentary they've got for us, why not release it in theatres? The anti-Bush crowd had their movie, let the anti-Kerry bunch have theirs.

[k0d1ak]

Both the majors can suck my balls. Fuck the sheep that make up America, we need a good ole autocratic dictatorship to remind American citzens why the fuck they should educate themselves. Any snide comments about how Bush is as good as a dictator will be used as evidence of your stupidity at a later date.

[splitsecond]

This is not any more illegal than the shit MoveON has been pulling for the past two years.

[Jason Tate]

This is not any more illegal than the shit MoveON has been pulling for the past two years.
Which was given "equal time" right? Or do you mean when they were denied putting one of their commercials on air (even with equal time)? (Liberal media was prolly just throwing us off.)

You should look beyond the politics and realize this is an abuse of the public trust. Sinclair doesn't own the public airwaves--we do. To have the largest chain of television stations in the country unilaterally decide to use its public license to improperly influence a presidential election is so outrageous it defies belief (and yes, I would be saying the exact same thing if it was Kerry's camp attempting this - I don't just blindly follow and believe in everything my choice for President does).

An American who defends Sinclair's attempt to sway this election for Bush has abandoned the fundamental principles that made this country great, not the least of which is honor. If you support the political hijacking of the public airways to skew presidential election results, you do not deserve the liberties our soldiers have died to protect. I'm sure there are plenty of American patriots who would be appalled by your lack of character if they knew how readily you threw away the long-standing values they sacrificed themselves to win, just for the sake of short-term political advantage.

[Jason Tate]

Both the majors can suck my balls. Fuck the sheep that make up America, we need a good ole autocratic dictatorship to remind American citzens why the fuck they should educate themselves. Any snide comments about how Bush is as good as a dictator will be used as evidence of your stupidity at a later date.


Just because it's fun to Godwin everything:

"Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger."
-- Herman Goering (http://www.snopes.com/quotes/goering.htm) at the Nuremberg trials

Always an interesting quote ....

And ...

"The most effectual engines for [pacifying a nation] are the public papers... [A despotic] government always [keeps] a kind of standing army of newswriters who, without any regard to truth or to what should be like truth, [invent] and put into the papers whatever might serve the ministers. This suffices with the mass of the people who have no means of distinguishing the false from the true paragraphs of a newspaper." --Thomas Jefferson to G. K. van Hogendorp, Oct. 13, 1785. (*) ME 5:181, Papers 8:632

[chriscac28]

From the way I am understanding the law and this situation, it is definitely NOT illegal. The law is regarding "any person who is a legally qualified candidate for any public office" and their use of the broadcast station. It is neither Bush nor anyone in his campaign calling for the airing of this documentary, it is the executives of a corporation who happen to support Bush. I am behind them airing this 100%. Sinclair has no obligation to be non-partisan or objective, they are a corporation with their own views and (albeit unfortunately) the capacity to express these views on a massive scale. I am interested to see this "documentary" myself and I encourage others to watch it as well. It is always helpful and interesting to be able to see where the other side of a debate is coming from.

With that being said, I will be sure to cast all of my votes (that's a joke referencing the fact that I live in Chicago) for Kerry come election day.

[knivesbatstats]

From the way I am understanding the law and this situation, it is definitely NOT illegal. The law is regarding "any person who is a legally qualified candidate for any public office" and their use of the broadcast station. It is neither Bush nor anyone in his campaign calling for the airing of this documentary, it is the executives of a corporation who happen to support Bush. I am behind them airing this 100%. Sinclair has no obligation to be non-partisan or objective, they are a corporation with their own views and (albeit unfortunately) the capacity to express these views on a massive scale. I am interested to see this "documentary" myself and I encourage others to watch it as well. It is always helpful and interesting to be able to see where the other side of a debate is coming from.

With that being said, I will be sure to cast all of my votes (that's a joke referencing the fact that I live in Chicago) for Kerry come election day.
exactly what i was saying, just watch, the DNC wont be able to stop Sinclair

[Jason Tate]

From the way I am understanding the law and this situation, it is definitely NOT illegal. The law is regarding "any person who is a legally qualified candidate for any public office" and their use of the broadcast station. It is neither Bush nor anyone in his campaign calling for the airing of this documentary, it is the executives of a corporation who happen to support Bush. I am behind them airing this 100%. Sinclair has no obligation to be non-partisan or objective, they are a corporation with their own views and (albeit unfortunately) the capacity to express these views on a massive scale. I am interested to see this "documentary" myself and I encourage others to watch it as well. It is always helpful and interesting to be able to see where the other side of a debate is coming from.

With that being said, I will be sure to cast all of my votes (that's a joke referencing the fact that I live in Chicago) for Kerry come election day.
Please go discuss this with a law student, or lawyer close to your home. He/she will be able to explain it better than I can here on the internet. Google is also your friend.

[knivesbatstats]

Just because it's fun to Godwin everything:

"Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger."
-- Herman Goering (http://www.snopes.com/quotes/goering.htm) at the Nuremberg trials

Always an interesting quote ....

And ...

"The most effectual engines for [pacifying a nation] are the public papers... [A despotic] government always [keeps] a kind of standing army of newswriters who, without any regard to truth or to what should be like truth, [invent] and put into the papers whatever might serve the ministers. This suffices with the mass of the people who have no means of distinguishing the false from the true paragraphs of a newspaper." --Thomas Jefferson to G. K. van Hogendorp, Oct. 13, 1785. (*) ME 5:181, Papers 8:632

1. omg bush is just like hitler!!!(sarcasm)
2. yea and the liberals standing army is CNN, CBS, NBC, ABC, the New York Times, etc etc etc

[Jason Tate]

exactly what i was saying, just watch, the DNC wont be able to stop Sinclair
That's the point: legally, they WILL be able to in the end get millions of dollars in fines out of Sinclair some years or months from now after the illegally aired piece has ran.

[Jason Tate]

The "Equal Time" Law
47 USC 1A315

(a) If any licensee shall permit any person who is a legally qualified candidate for any public office to use a broadcasting station, he shall afford equal opportunities to all other such candidates for that office in the use of such broadcasting station: Provided, That such licensee shall have no power of censorship over the material broadcast under the provisions of this section. No obligation is imposed under this subsection upon any licensee to allow the use of its station by any such candidate. Appearance by a legally qualified candidate on any--

(1) bona fide newscast,

(2) bona fide news interview,

(3) bona fide news documentary (if the appearance of the candidate is incidental to the presentation of the subject or subjects covered by the news documentary), or

(4) on-the-spot coverage of bona fide news events (including but not limited to political conventions and activities incidental thereto),

shall not be deemed to be use of a broadcasting station within the meaning of this subsection. Nothing in the foregoing sentence shall be construed as relieving broadcasters, in connection with the presentation of newscasts, news interviews, news documentaries, and on-the-spot coverage of news events, from the obligation imposed upon them under this chapter to operate in the public interest and to afford reasonable opportunity for the discussion of conflicting views on issues of public importance.

(b) The charges made for the use of any broadcasting station by any person who is a legally qualified candidate for any public office in connection with his campaign for nomination for election, or election, to such office shall not exceed--

(1) during the forty-five days preceding the date of a primary or primary runoff election and during the sixty days preceding the date of a general or special election in which such person is a candidate, the lowest unit charge of the station for the same class and amount of time for the same period; and

(2) at any other time, the charges made for comparable use of such station by other users thereof.

(c) For purposes of this section--

(1) the term "broadcasting station" includes a community antenna television system; and

(2) the terms "licensee" and "station licensee" when used with respect to a community antenna television system mean the operator of such system.

(d) Rules and regulations

The Commission shall prescribe appropriate rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this section.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Federal Candidate Access Law
47 USC 1A312

(a) the Commission may revoke any station license or construction permit--

(7) for willful or repeated failure to allow reasonable access to or to permit purchase of reasonable amounts of time for the use of a broadcasting station by a legally qualified candidate for Federal elective office on behalf of his candidacy.

[knivesbatstats]

im guessing after this airs and kerry loses this will be one of the things you wont stop bitching about, am i right?

[Jason Tate]

1. omg bush is just like hitler!!!(sarcasm)
2. yea and the liberals standing army is CNN, CBS, NBC, ABC, the New York Times, etc etc etc
Really... like this?

Time Warner
$25 billion - 1997 sales

Time Warner, the largest conservative media corporation in the world, was formed in 1989 through the merger of Time Inc. and Warner Communications. In 1992, Time Warner split off its entertainment group, and sold 25 percent of it to U.S. West, and 5.6 percent of it to each of the Japanese conglomerates Itochu and Toshiba. It regained from Disney its position as the world's largest media firm with the 1996 acquisition of Turner Broadcasting.

Time Warner is moving toward being a fully global company, with over 200 subsidiaries worldwide. In 1996, approximately two-thirds of Time Warner's income came from the United States, but that figure is expected to drop to three-fifths by 2000 and eventually to less than one-half. Time Warner expects globalization to provide growth tonic; it projects that its annual sales growth rate of 14 percent in the middle 1990s will climb to over 20 percent by the end of the decade.

Music accounts for just over 20 percent of Time Warner's business, as does the news division of magazine and book publishing and cable television news. Time Warner's U.S. cable systems account for over 10 percent of income. The remainder is accounted for largely by Time Warner's extensive entertainment film, video and television holdings. Time Warner is a major force in virtually every medium and on every continent.

Time Warner has zeroed in on global television as the most lucrative area for growth. Unlike News Corporation, however, Time Warner has devoted itself to producing programming and channels rather than developing entire satellite systems. Time Warner is also one of the largest movie theater owners in the world, with approximately 1,000 screens outside of the United States and further expansion projected.

The Time Warner strategy is to merge the former Turner global channels--CNN and TNT/Cartoon Channel--with their HBO International and recently launched Warner channels to make a four-pronged assault on the global market. HBO International has already established itself as the leading subscription TV channel in the world; it has a family of pay channels and is available in over 35 countries. HBO President Jeffrey Bewkes states that global expansion is HBO's "manifest destiny."

CNN International, a subsidiary of CNN, is also established as the premier global television news channel, beamed via ten satellites to over 200 nations and 90 million subscribers by 1994, a 27 percent increase over 1993. The long-term goal for CNN International is to operate (or participate in joint ventures to establish) CNN channels in French, Japanese, Hindi, Arabic and perhaps one or two other regional languages. CNN launched a Spanish-language service for Latin America in 1997, based in Atlanta. CNN International will also draw on the Time Warner journalism resources as it faces new challenges from news channels launched by News Corporation and ultra-conservative NBC-Microsoft.

Before their 1996 merger, Turner and Time Warner were both global television powers with the TNT/Cartoon Network and Warner channels, drawing upon their respective large libraries of cartoons and motion pictures. Now these channels will be redeployed to better utilize each other's resources, with plans being drawn up to develop several more global cable channels to take advantage of the world's largest film, television and cartoon libraries.

Time Warner selected holdings
Majority interest in WB, a U.S. television network launched in 1995 to provide a distribution platform for Time Warner films and programs. It is carried on the Tribune Company's 16 U.S. television stations, which reach 25 percent of U.S. TV households;
Significant interests in non-U.S. broadcasting joint ventures;
The largest cable system in the United States, controlling 22 of the largest 100 markets;
Several U.S. and global cable television channels, including CNN, Headline News, CNNfn, TBS, TNT, Turner Classic Movies, The Cartoon Network and CNN-SI (a cross-production with Sports Illustrated);
Partial ownership of the cable channel Comedy Central and a controlling stake in Court TV;
HBO and Cinemax pay cable channels;
Minority stake in PrimeStar, U.S. satellite television service;
Warner Brothers and New Line Cinema film studios;
More than 1,000 movie screens outside of the United States;
A library of over 6,000 films, 25,000 television programs, books, music and thousands of cartoons;
Twenty-four magazines, including Time, People and Sports Illustrated;
Fifty percent of DC Comics, publisher of Superman, Batman and 60 other titles;
The second largest book-publishing business in the world, including Time-Life Books (42 percent of sales outside of the United States) and the Book-of-the-Month Club;
Warner Music Group, one of the largest global music businesses with nearly 60 percent of revenues from outside the United States;
Six Flags theme park chain; The Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Braves professional sports teams; Retail stores, including over 150 Warner Bros. stores and Turner Retail Group; Minority interests in toy companies Atari and Hasbro.

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Disney
$24 billion - 1997 sales

Disney is the closest challenger to Time Warner for the status of world's largest media firm. In the early 1990s, Disney successfully shifted its emphasis from its theme parks and resorts to its film and television divisions. In 1995, Disney made the move from being a dominant global content producer to being a fully integrated media giant with the purchase of Capital Cities/ABC for $19 billion, one of the biggest acquisitions in business history.

Disney now generates 31 percent of its income from broadcasting, 23 percent from theme parks, and the balance from "creative content," meaning films, publishing and merchandising. The ABC deal provided Disney, already regarded as the industry leader at using cross-selling and cross-promotion to maximize revenues, with a U.S. broadcasting network and widespread global media holdings to incorporate into its activities.

Consequently, according to Advertising Age (8/7/95), Disney "is uniquely positioned to fulfill virtually any marketing option, on any scale, almost anywhere in the world." It has already included the new Capital Cities/ABC brands in its exclusive global marketing deals with McDonald's and Mattel toymakers. Although Disney has traditionally preferred to operate on its own, C.E.O. Michael Eisner has announced Disney's plans to expand aggressively overseas through joint ventures with local firms or other global players, or through further acquisitions. Disney's stated goal is to expand its non-U.S. share of revenues from 23 percent in 1995 to 50 percent by 2000.

Historically, Disney has been strong in entertainment and animation, two areas that do well in the global market. In 1996 Disney reorganized, putting all its global television activities into a single division, Disney/ABC International Television. Its first order of business is to expand the children- and family-oriented Disney Channel into a global force, capitalizing upon the enormous Disney resources. Disney is also developing an advertising-supported children's channel to complement the subscription Disney Channel.

For the most part, Disney's success has been restricted to English-language channels in North America, Britain and Australia. Disney's absence has permitted the children's channels of News Corporation, Time Warner and especially Viacom to dominate the lucrative global market. Disney launched a Chinese-language Disney Channel based in Taiwan in 1995, and plans to launch Disney Channels in France, Italy, Germany and the Middle East. "The Disney Channel should be the killer children's service throughout the world," Disney's executive in charge of international television states.

With the purchase of ABC's ESPN, the television sports network, Disney has possession of the unquestioned global leader. ESPN has three U.S. cable channels, a radio network with 420 affiliates, and the ESPN Sports-Zone website, one of the most heavily used locales on the Internet. One Disney executive notes that with ESPN and the family-oriented Disney Channel, Disney has "two horses to ride in foreign markets, not just one."

ESPN International dominates televised sport, broadcasting on a 24-hour basis in 21 languages to over 165 countries. It reaches the one desirable audience that had eluded Disney in the past: young, single, middle-class men. "Our plan is to think globally but to customize locally," states the senior VP of ESPN International. In Latin America the emphasis is on soccer, in Asia it is table tennis, and in India ESPN provided over 1,000 hours of cricket in 1995.

Disney plans to exploit the "synergies" of ESPN much as it has exploited its cartoon characters. "We know that when we lay Mickey Mouse or Goofy on top of products, we get pretty creative stuff," Eisner states. "ESPN has the potential to be that kind of brand." Disney plans call for a chain of ESPN theme sports bars, ESPN product merchandising, and possibly a chain of ESPN entertainment centers based on the Club ESPN at Walt Disney World. ESPN has released five music CDs, two of which have sold over 500,000 copies. In late 1996, Disney began negotiations with Hearst and Petersen Publishing to produce ESPNSports Weekly magazine, to be a "branded competitor to Sports Illustrated."

Disney selected holdings
The U.S. ABC television and radio networks;
Ten U.S. television stations and 21 U.S. radio stations;
U.S. and global cable television channels Disney Channel, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNews; holdings in Lifetime, A & E and History channels;
Americast, interactive TV joint venture with several telephone companies;
Several major film, video and television production studios including Disney, Miramax and Buena Vista;
Magazine and newspaper publishing, through its subsidiaries, Fairchild Publications and Chilton Publications;
Book publishing, including Hyperion Books and Chilton Publications;
Several music labels, including Hollywood Records, Mammoth Records and Walt Disney Records;
Theme parks and resorts, including Disneyland, Disney World and stakes in major theme parks in France and Japan;
Disney Cruise Line;
DisneyQuest, a chain of high-tech arcade game stores;
Controlling interests in the NHL Anaheim Mighty Ducks and major league baseball's Anaheim Angels;
Consumer products, including more than 550 Disney retail stores worldwide.

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Bertelsmann
$15 billion - 1996 sales

Bertelsmann is the one European firm in the first tier of media giants. The Bertelsmann empire was built on global networks of book and music clubs. Music and television provide 31 percent of its income, book publishing 33 percent, magazines and newspapers 20 percent, and a global printing business accounts for the remainder. In 1994 its income was distributed among Germany (36 percent), the rest of Europe (32 percent), the United States (24 percent) and the rest of the world (8 percent).

Bertelsmann's stated goal is to evolve "from a media enterprise with international activities into a truly global communications group." Bertelsmann's strengths in global expansion are its global distribution network for music, its global book and music clubs, and its facility with languages other than English. It is working to strengthen its music holdings to become the world leader, through a possible buyout of--or merger with--EMI and through establishing joint ventures with local music companies in emerging markets. Bertelsmann is considered to be the best contender of all the media giants to exploit the Eastern European markets.

Bertelsmann has two severe competitive disadvantages in the global media sweepstakes. It has no significant film or television production studios or film library, and it has minimal involvement in global television, where much of the growth is taking place. The company began to address this problem in 1996 by merging its television interests (Ufa) into a joint venture with Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de Telediffusion (CLT), the Luxembourg-based European commercial broadcasting power. According to a Bertelsmann executive, the CLT deal was "a strategic step to become a major media player, especially in light of the recent European and American mergers."

Bertelsmann selected holdings
German television channels RTL, RTL2, SuperRTL and Vox;
Part ownership of Premiere, Germany's largest pay-TV channel;
Stakes in British, French and Dutch TV channels;
50 percent stake in CLT-Ufa, which owns 19 European TV channels and 23 European radio stations;
Eighteen European radio stations;
Newspaper and magazine publishing, including more than 100 magazines;
Book publishing, with some 40 publishing houses, concentrating on German-, French- and English-language (Bantam and Doubleday Dell) titles;
Major recording studios Arista and RCA;
Leading book and record clubs in the world.

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Viacom
$13 billion - 1997 sales

C.E.O. Sumner Redstone, who controls 39 percent of Viacom's stock, orchestrated the deals that led to the acquisitions of Paramount and Blockbuster in 1994, thereby promoting the firm from $2 billion in 1993 sales to the front ranks. Viacom generates 33 percent of its income from its film studios, 33 percent from its music, video rentals and theme parks, 18 percent from broadcasting, and 14 percent from publishing. Redstone's strategy is for Viacom to become the world's "premier software driven growth company."

Viacom's growth strategy is twofold. First, it is implementing an aggressive policy of using company-wide cross-promotions to improve sales. It proved invaluable that MTV constantly plugged the film Clueless in 1995, and the same strategy will be applied to the Paramount television program based on the movie. Simon & Schuster is establishing a Nickelodeon book imprint and a "Beavis and Butthead" book series based on the MTV characters. Viacom also has plans to establish a comic-book imprint based upon Paramount characters, it is considering creating a record label to exploit its MTV brand name and it has plans to open a chain of retail stores to capitalize upon its "brands" ˆ la Disney and Time Warner. In 1997 Paramount will begin producing three Nickelodeon and three MTV movies annually. "We're just now beginning to realize the benefits of the Paramount and Blockbuster mergers," Redstone stated in 1996.

Second, Viacom has targeted global growth, with a stated goal of earning 40 percent of its revenues outside of the United States by 2000. As one Wall Street analyst puts it, Redstone wants Viacom "playing in the same international league" with News Corporation and Time Warner. Since 1992 Viacom has invested between $750 million and $1 billion in international expansion. "We're not taking our foot off the accelerator," one Viacom executive states.

Viacom's two main weapons are Nickelodeon and MTV. Nickelodeon has been a global powerhouse, expanding to every continent but Antarctica in 1996 and 1997 and offering programming in several languages. It is already a world leader in children's television, reaching 90 million TV households in 70 countries other than the United States--where it can be seen in 68 million households and completely dominates children's television.

MTV is the preeminent global music television channel, available in 250 million homes worldwide and in scores of nations. In 1996 Viacom announced further plans to "significantly expand" its global operations. MTV has used new digital technologies to make it possible to customize programming inexpensively for different regions and nations around the world.

Viacom selected holdings
Thirteen U.S. television stations;
A 50 percent interest in the U.S. UPN television network with Chris-Craft Industries;
U.S. and global cable television networks, including MTV, M2, VH1, Nickelodeon, Showtime, TVLand and Paramount Networks;
A 50 percent interest in Comedy Central channel (with Time Warner);
Film, video and television production, including Paramount Pictures;
50 percent stake in United Cinemas International, one of the world's three largest theater companies;
Blockbuster Video and Music stores, the world's largest video rental stores;
Book publishing, including Simon & Schuster, Scribners and Macmillan;
Five theme parks.

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News Corporation
$10 billion - 1996 sales

The News Corporation is often identified with its head, ultra-conservative Rupert Murdoch, whose family controls some 30 percent of its stock. Murdoch's goal is for News Corporation to own multiple forms of programming--news, sports, films and children's shows--and beam them via satellite or TV stations to homes in the United States, Europe, Asia and South America. Viacom CEO Sumner Redstone says of Murdoch that "he basically wants to conquer the world."

And he seems to be doing it. Redstone, Disney CEO Michael Eisner, and Time Warner CEO Gerald Levin have each commented that Murdoch is the one media executive they most respect and fear, and the one whose moves they study. TCI's John Malone states that global media vertical integration is all about trying to catch Rupert. Time Warner executive Ted Turner views Murdoch in a more sinister fashion, having likened him to Adolf Hitler.

After establishing News Corporation in his native Australia, Murdoch entered the British market in the 1960s and by the 1980s had become a dominant force in the U.S. market. News Corporation went heavily into debt to subsidize its purchase of Twentieth Century Fox and the formation of the Fox television network in the 1980s; by the mid-1990s News Corporation had eliminated much of that debt.

News Corporation operates in nine different media on six continents. Its 1995 revenues were distributed relatively evenly among filmed entertainment (26 percent), newspapers (24 percent), television (21 percent), magazines (14 percent) and book publishing (12 percent). News Corporation has been masterful in utilizing its various properties for cross-promotional purposes, and at using its media power to curry influence with public officials worldwide. "Murdoch seems to have Washington in his back pocket," observed one industry analyst after News Corporation received another favorable ruling (New York Times, 7/26/96). The only media sector in which News Corporation lacks a major presence is music, but it has a half-interest in the Channel V music television channel in Asia.

Although News Corporation earned 70 percent of its 1995 income in the United States, its plan for global expansion looks to continental Europe, Asia and Latin America, areas where growth is expected to be greatest for commercial media. Until around 2005, Murdoch expects the surest profits in the developed world, especially Europe and Japan. News Corporation is putting most of its eggs in the basket of television, specifically digital satellite television. It plans to draw on its experience in establishing the most profitable satellite television system in the world, the booming British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB). News Corporation can also use its U.S. Fox television network to provide programming for its nascent satellite ventures. News Corporation is spending billions of dollars to establish these systems around the world; although the risk is considerable, if only a few of them establish monopoly or duopoly positions the entire project should prove lucrative.

News Corporation selected holdings
The U.S. Fox broadcasting network;
Twenty-two U.S. television stations, the largest U.S. station group, covering over 40 percent of U.S. TV households;
Fox News Channel;
A 50 percent stake (with TCI's Liberty Media) in several U.S. and global cable networks, including fx, fxM and Fox Sports Net;
50 percent stake in Fox Kids Worldwide, production studio and owner of U.S. cable Family Channel;
Ownership or major interests in satellite services reaching Europe, U.S., Asia, and Latin America, often under the Sky Broadcasting brand;
Twentieth Century Fox, a major film, television and video production center, which has a library of over 2,000 films to exploit;
Some 132 newspapers (primarily in Australia, Britain and the United States, including the London Times and the New York Post), making it one of the three largest newspaper groups in the world;
Twenty-five magazines, most notably TV Guide;
Book publishing interests, including HarperCollins;
Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.

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Sony
$9 billion - 1997 sales (media only)

Sony's media holdings are concentrated in music (the former CBS records) and film and television production (the former Columbia Pictures), each of which it purchased in 1989. Music accounts for about 60 percent of Sony's media income and film and television production account for the rest. Sony is a dominant entertainment producer, and its media sales are expected to surpass $9 billion in 1997. It also has major holdings in movie theaters in joint venture with Seagram. As Sony's media activities seem divorced from its other extensive activities--Sony expects $50 billion in company-wide sales in 1997--there is ongoing speculation that it will sell its valuable production studios to vertically integrated chains that can better exploit them.

Sony was foiled in its initial attempts to find synergies between hardware and software, but it anticipates that digital communication will provide the basis for new synergies. Sony hopes to capitalize upon its vast copyrighted library of films, music and TV programs to leap to the front of the digital video disc market, where it is poised to be one of the two global leaders with Matsushita. Sony also enjoys a 25 percent share of the multi-billion-dollar video games industry; with the shift to digital formats these games can now be converted into channels in digital television systems.


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TCI
$7 billion - 1996 sales

TCI (Tele-Communications Inc.) is smaller than the other firms in the first tier, but its unique position in the media industry has made it a central player in the global media system. TCI's foundation is its dominant position as the second biggest U.S. cable television system provider. C.E.O. John Malone, who has effective controlling interest over TCI, has been able to use the steady cash influx from the lucrative semi-monopolistic cable business to build an empire.

Malone understands the importance of the U.S. cable base to bankroll TCI's expansion; in 1995 and 1996 he bought several smaller cable systems to consolidate TCI's hold on the U.S. cable market. TCI faces a direct and potentially very damaging challenge to its U.S. market share from digital satellite broadcasting. It is responding by converting its cable systems to digital format so as to increase channel capacity to 200. TCI is also using its satellite spin-off to position itself in the rival satellite business and retain some of the 15 to 20 million Americans expected to switch from cable broadcasting to satellite broadcasting by 2000. In addition to owning two satellites valued at $600 million, TCI holds a 21 percent stake in Primestar, a U.S. satellite television joint venture with the other leading U.S. cable companies, News Corporation and General Electric, which already had 1.2 million subscribers in l996.

TCI has used its control of cable systems to acquire equity stakes in many of the cable channels that need to be carried over TCI to be viable. TCI has significant interests in Discovery, QVC, Fox Sports Net, Court TV, E!, Home Shopping Network and Black Entertainment TV, among others. In 1996, TCI negotiated the right to purchase a 20 percent stake in News Corporation's new Fox News Channel in return for access to TCI systems. Through its subsidiary Liberty Media, TCI has interests in 91 U.S. program services.

Nor does TCI restrict its investments to cable channels and content producers. It has a 10 percent stake in Time Warner as well as a 20 percent stake in Silver King Communications, where former Fox network builder Barry Diller is putting together another U.S. television network.

TCI has applied its expansionist strategy to the global as well as domestic media market. On the one hand, TCI develops its core cable business and has become the global leader in cable systems, with strong units in Britain, Japan and Chile. Merrill Lynch estimates that TCI International's cable base outside of the United States will increase from 3 million subscribers in 1995 to 10 million in 1999.

On the other hand, TCI uses its cable resources to invest across all global media and to engage in numerous non-cable joint ventures. "When you are the largest cable operator in the world," a TCI executive states, "people find a way to do business with you." It already has 30 media deals outside of the United States, including a venture with Sega Enterprises to launch computer game channels, a joint venture with News Corporation for a global sports channel, and a 10 percent stake in Sky Latin America.


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Universal (Seagram)
$7 billion - 1997 sales

Effectively controlled by the very conservative Bronfman family, the global beverage firm Seagram purchased Universal (then MCA) from Matsushita for $5.7 billion in 1995. Matsushita was unable to make a success of MCA and had refused to go along with MCA executives who had wanted to acquire CBS in the early l990s. Universal is expected to account for approximately half of Seagram's $14 billion in sales in 1997.

Over half of Universal's income is generated by the Universal Studios' production of films and television programs. Universal is also a major music producer and book publisher and operates several theme parks. As many of the broadcast networks and cable channels vertically integrate with production companies, Universal has fewer options for sales and is less secure in its future. It owns the cable USA Network and the Sci-Fi Network, after buying out its uneasy partner Viacom.


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NBC (GE)
$5 billion - 1996 sales

General Electric is one of the leading electronics and manufacturing firms in the world with nearly $80 billion in sales in 1996. Its operations have become increasingly global, with non-U.S. revenues increasing from 20 percent of the total in 1985 to 38 percent in 1995, and an expected 50 percent in 2000. Although NBC currently constitutes only a small portion of GE's total activity, after years of rapid growth it is considered to be the core of GE's strategy for long-term global growth.

NBC owns U.S. television and radio networks and 11 television stations. It has been aggressive in expanding into cable, where it now owns several cable channels outright, like CNBC, as well as shares in some 20 other channels, including the A&E network. The most dramatic expression of GE's media-centered strategy is its 1996 alliance and joint investment with Microsoft to produce the cable news channel MSNBC, along with a complementary on-line service. From this initial $500 million investment, NBC and Microsoft plan to expand MSNBC quickly into a global news channel, followed perhaps by a global entertainment and sports channel. NBC and Microsoft are also developing a series of TV channels in Europe aimed at computer users.


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Below the global giants in the media food chain is a tier of corporations that fill regional or niche markets. Some of these firms are as large as the smaller global companies, but lack their world-wide reach. A few second-tier companies may attempt, through aggressive mergers and acquisitions of like-sized firms, to become full-blown first-tier global media giants; others will likely be swallowed by larger companies amassing ever greater empires.

U.S.
Westinghouse $5 billion
Advance Publications $4.9 billion
Gannett $4.0 billion
Cox Enterprises $3.8 billion
Times-Mirror $3.5 billion
Comcast $3.4 billion
McGraw Hill $3 billion
Reader's Digest $3 billion
Knight-Ridder $2.9 billion
Dow Jones $2.5 billion
New York Times Co. $2.5 billion
Tribune Co. $2.2 billion
Hearst $2 billion
Washington Post Co. $1.8 billion
Cablevision $1.1 billion
DirecTV (Owned by General Motors)
DreamWorks
Canada
Thomson $7.3 billion
Rogers Communications $2 billion
Hollinger
Latin America
Cisneros Group (Venezuela) $3.2 billion
Globo (Brazil) $2.2 billion
Clarin (Argentina) $1.2 billion
Televisa (Mexico) $1.2 billion
Europe
Havas (France) $8.8 billion
Reed Elsevier (Britain/Netherlands) $5.5 billion
EMI (Britain) $5.4 billion
Hachette (France) $5.3 billion
Reuters (Britain) $4.1 billion
Kirch Group (Germany) $4 billion
Granada Group (Britain) $3.6 billion
BBC (Britain) $3.5 billion
Axel Springer (Germany) $3 billion
Canal Plus (France) $3 billion
CLT (Luxembourg) $3 billion
Pearson PLC (Britain) $2.9 billion
United News & Media (Britain) $2.9 billion
Carlton Communications (Britain) $2.5 billion
Mediaset (Italy) $2 billion
Kinnevik (Sweden) $1.8 billion
Television Francais 1 (France) $1.8 billion
Verlagsgruppe Bauer (Germany) $1.7 billion
Wolters Kluwer (Netherlands) $1.7 billion
RCS Editori Spa (Italy) $1.6 billion
VNU (Netherlands) $1.4 billion
Prisa Group (Spain)
Antena 3 (Spain)
CEP Communications (France)
Asia/Pacific
NHK (Japan) $5.6 billion
Fuji Television (Japan) $2.6 billion
Nippon Television Network (Japan) $2.2 billion
Cheil Jedang (Korea) $2.1 billion
Tokyo Broadcasting System (Japan) $2.1 billion
Modi (India) $2 billion
Asahi National Broadcasting Co. (Japan) $1.6 billion
Toho Company (Japan) $1.6 billion
PBL (Australia) $750 million
TVB International (China)
Chinese Entertainment Television (China)
Asia Broadcasting and Communica-tions Network (Thailand)
ABS-CBN (Philippines)
Doordarshan (India)
Chinese Central Television (China)
Most sales figures are for 1996, but some are as early as 1993.

I have the sources for all this if you need them, as well as the sources backing up all the claims made .. and much, much, much more into who owns what in the media. If you have a basic understanding of the nature of the media, you'd understand where the "slants" occur.

[Jason Tate]

im guessing after this airs and kerry loses this will be one of the things you wont stop bitching about, am i right?
Defending the laws only when they apply to you? I may disagree with what you do or say, but I will defend the right laws (this one I completely agree with) behind it no matter what. I see that may be where we differ.

[knivesbatstats]

i skimmed your copy paste from im assuming a liberal website and from what i noticed only the first one mentioned conservative, and i like how the article is from 1996, all i have to do is turn on any channel i said or read any major newspaper, news magazine to see that im right

[Jason Tate]

i skimmed your copy paste from im assuming a liberal website and from what i noticed only the first one mentioned conservative, and i like how the article is from 1996

Fingers hit the ears. And don't even start to tell me sources from 8 years ago are no viable.

[chriscac28]

"...the obligation imposed upon them under this chapter to operate in the public interest and to afford reasonable opportunity for the discussion of conflicting views on issues of public importance."

Thanks for posting the rest of that. That is definitely a key point in the law that the portion you posted earlier did not make clear.

Personally, I still do believe they should be able to air it, but that's an entirely different discussion altogether and I don't really have the time or energy for it.

[knivesbatstats]

wow a political cartoon

[Jason Tate]

wow a political cartoon

Did more research into the law aspect:

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2001 (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c107:s.27.es:)
A summary of the applicable section pf the law Electioneering Communication: Restrictions on Corporations and Labor Unions (sec. 203) (http://www.brookings.org/gs/cf/debate/MF_summary.htm) Corporations and labor unions are prohibited from running or indirectly financing electioneering communications identifying or targeting a federal candidate within 60 days of a general election. Only a corporation or labor union's registered PAC may fund such activities with hard dollars.

The Sinclair Group, by ordering 60+ minutes of commercial free air time on their stations is financing through donation of broadcast services an electioneering broadcast. If they go through with the broadcast they are breaking the law, but more likely Kerry, the DNC, or the FEC will file an injunction against the Sinclair Group.

[maledixtion]

Vote for Bush.

[Jason Tate]

Vote for Bush.
Why?

[maledixtion]

This is referring to the last debates that aired. I stole it from Law Dogg on Myspace if any of you happen to know of him:

Fact 1: Kerry Flip-Flops on the Patriot Act

Tonight's Flip:

In response to question .1, John Kerry said: "Now, the three things they try to say I've changed position on are the Patriot Act. I haven't. I support it." (Sen. John Kerry, Second Presidential Debate, St. Louis, MO, 10/8/04)

Yesterday's Flops:

1. 12/1/0 Kerry Called For Replacing the PATRIOT Act With New Law. "So it is time to end the era of John Ashcroft. That starts with replacing the Patriot Act with a new law that protects our people and our liberties at the same time." (Sen. John Kerry, Remarks At Iowa State University)

2. 12/1/03 Kerry Attacks the PATRIOT Act. "We are a nation of laws and liberties, not of a knock in the night. So it is time to end the era of John Ashcroft. That starts with replacing the Patriot Act with a new law that protects our people and our liberties at the same time. I've been a District Attorney and I know that what law enforcement needs are real tools not restrictions on American's basic rights." (Sen. John Kerry, Remarks At Iowa State University)

3. 8/18/03 Kerry Has Attacked the PATRIOT Act As Creating "Blind Spot In The American Justice System." "If you are sensitive to and care about civil liberties, you can make provisions to guarantee that there is not this blind spot in the American justice system that there is today under the Patriot Act." (Sen. John Kerry As Quoted On NPR's "Morning Edition")


Fact 2: Kerry Says "I've Never Changed My Mind About Iraq"

In response to question .2 John Kerry said, "I've never changed my mind about Iraq. I did believe Saddam Hussein was a threat. I always believed he was a threat - believed it in 1998, when Clinton was president. I wanted to give Clinton the power to use force if necessary." (Sen. John Kerry, Second Presidential Debate, St. Louis, MO, 10/8/04)

The Real Record: Kerry's Eleven Positions on the War in Iraq

1. October 2002: Kerry Voted For Use Of Force Resolution Against Iraq.
2. April 2003: Kerry Promised Not To Attack President When War Began. Weeks Later, With Troops Just Miles From Baghdad, Kerry Broke His Pledge And Called For "Regime Change In The United States."
3. May 2003: In First Dem Debate, Kerry Strongly Supported President's Action In Iraq.
4. September 2003: Kerry Said Voting Against The $87 Billion Supplemental Would Be "Irresponsible."
5. October 2003: Kerry Voted Against The $87 Billion Supplemental Supporting Our Troops.
6. January 2004: After Voting For War And Trailing Candidate Howard Dean In The Democrat Primaries, Kerry Says He Is Anti-War Candidate.
7. August 2004: In Response To President's Question About How He Would Have Voted If He Knew Then What He Knows Now, Kerry Confirmed That He Would Still Have Voted For Use Of Force Resolution.
8. September 2004: Kerry: Iraq Is "The Wrong War In The Wrong Place At The Wrong Time."
9. September 2004: Kerry Says There Were No Circumstances Under Which We Should Have Gone To War, But He Was Still Right To Vote For It.
10. Kerry Said That The Removal Of Saddam Hussein Has Left America "Less Secure."
11. Kerry On Whether The Iraq War Was Worth It: "It Depends On The Outcome."


Fact 3: Kerry's Flip-Flop on Diplomacy

Tonight's Flip:

In response to question . 4 John Kerry said, "But the president just arbitrarily brought the hammer down and said nope, sorry, time for diplomacy is over, we're going." (Sen. John Kerry, Second Presidential Debate, St. Louis, MO, 10/8/04)

Yesterday's Flop:

March 2003: As War Began, Kerry Said Saddam Choose "To Make Military Force The Ultimate Weapons Inspections Enforcement Mechanism." "Senator John Kerry ... had lambasted Bush's diplomatic efforts, despite voting last fall in support of a congressional resolution authorizing military action to disarm Iraq of any weapons of mass destruction. 'It appears that with the deadline for exile come and gone, Saddam Hussein has chosen to make military force the ultimate weapons inspections enforcement mechanism,' Kerry said." (Glen Johnson, "Critics Of Bush Voice Support For The Troops," The Boston Globe, 3/20/03)


Fact 4: Setting the Record Straight on Education

In response to question .1 John Kerry said, "No Child Left Behind Act. I voted for it. I support it. I support the goals. But the president has under funded it by $28 billion." (Sen. John Kerry, Second Presidential Debate, St. Louis, MO, 10/8/04)

The Real Record:

1. President Bush Has Provided The Highest Education Funding Percentage Increase Since President Johnson And Increased Education Funding More In Four Years Than Bill Clinton Did In Eight Years. Elementary and Secondary education funding has increased $12.2 billion ...49 percent... from $24.7 billion in 2001 to $36.9 billion in 2005. ("Not Since LBJ," Investor's Business Daily, 7/1/04; "2005 Budget Summary For Education," U.S. Department Of Education, 2/04)

2. "States Collectively Have $16.8 Billion In Unspent Federal Education Funds, All Of Which Has Been Available To Them For At Least A Year." (U.S. House Committee On Education And The Workforce, "New Government Data Confirms Federal Education Funding Is Increasing More Quickly Than States Can Spend It," Press Release, 6/29/2004)

3. Washington Post Editorial: "Funding For Education Has Increased Under The Bush Administration, And In Any Case Money Isn't The Main Obstacle To The Law's Success." (Editorial, "The Choice of Schooling," The Washington Post, 9/23/04)

4. Elementary And Secondary Education Funding Has Increased 130 percent Since 2000. "Contrary to the repeated falsehoods by the teachers unions and left-wing activists, spending on primary and secondary education is soaring. In 2005, it will be up 130 percent from President Clinton's last year in office." ("School Daze," Investors Business Daily, 9/23/04)

5. Federal Funds Exceed The Costs Of No Child Left Behind. "If funding continues to increase at least at the conservative rate estimated in the study, cumulative increases through the 2007-08 school year will total $46.4 billion over the 2001-02 baseline funding school year. The net result shows a "surplus" for general school improvement in every fiscal year through 2008 after states have covered the costs of all specific mandates ('hard costs') of NCLB." ("NCLB Under A Microscope: A Cost Analysis of the Fiscal Impact of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 on States and Local Education Agencies," AccountabilityWorks, 1/04)

6. "States Collectively Have $16.8 Billion In Unspent Federal Education Funds, All Of Which Has Been Available To Them For At Least A Year." (U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce, "New Government Data Confirms Federal Education Funding is Increasing More Quickly than States Can Spend It," Press Release, 6/29/04)

7. As a nation, we spent $488 billion last year on K-12 education ... more than on national defense, and more per pupil than any other nation in the world, except Switzerland. ("10 Facts About K-12 Funding," U.S. Department of Education, www.ed.gov, accessed 10-8-2004)


Fact 5: Kerry's Flip-Flop on Intelligence

Tonight's Flip:

In response to question .7 John Kerry said, "Because the most important weapon in doing that is intelligence. You got to have the best intelligence in the world, and in order to have the best intelligence in the world, to know who the terrorists are, and where they are, and what they're plotting, you've got to have the best cooperation you've ever had in the world." (Sen. John Kerry, Second Presidential Debate, St. Louis, MO, 10/8/04)

Yesterday's Flops:

1. While On The Senate Intelligence Committee, Kerry Missed 76 percent Of Public Hearings. During John Kerry's eight years of service on the Senate's Select Committee on Intelligence, there were 49 open, public hearings. Of these 49, John Kerry attended just 11 ... or 22.4 percent). (Factcheck.org, "Bush Nails Kerry's Poor Attendance at Intelligence Committee Hearings," 8/17/04, Available At http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docID=241)

2. In 1994, Not Long After First World Trade Center Attack, Kerry Proposed An Amendment To Cut Intelligence Budget By $6 Billion Across The Board Over Six Years.


Fact 6: Kerry's Flip-Flop on Medical Liability Reform

Tonight's Flip:

In response to question .9 John Kerry said, "John Edwards and I support tort reform. We both believe that as lawyers - I'm a lawyer too - and I believe that we will be able to get a fix that has eluded everybody else because we know how to do it." (Sen. John Kerry, Second Presidential Debate, St. Louis, MO, 10/8/04)

Yesterday's Flops:

1. Kerry Opposed Or Voted To Block Medical Liability Reform At Least Ten Times.

2. Kerry Missed Both 2004 Votes On Medical Liability Reform.

3. Medical Liability Reform Could Save Between $60 Billion And $108 Billion In Health Care Costs Annually, Making Health Insurance More Affordable For Millions. ("Confronting The New Health Care Crisis: Improving Health Care Quality And Lowering Costs By Fixing Our Medical Liability System," U.S. Department Of Health And Human Services, 7/25/02, http://www.aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/reports/litrefm.htm)

4. Since 1989, Kerry Has Received $15,217,154 From Lawyers, Most Of Any Senator In That Time Period. (Center For Responsive Politics Website, www.opensecrets.org, Accessed 8/16/04)

5. Kerry And Edwards Opposed Requirement That At Least 85 % Of Large Monetary Awards From Actions Brought Under Patients' Bill Of Rights Be Awarded To Patients, Not Personal Injury Trial Lawyers.

6. Kerry And Edwards Voted Against Exempting Employers Who Provide Health Benefits From Lawsuits Brought Under Patients' Bill Of Rights.

7. Kerry And Edwards Twice Voted Against Exempting Small Businesses That Provide Health Benefits From Lawsuits Brought Under Patients' Bill Of Rights.


Fact 7: Kerry Health Care Chart

Check out Kerry's Health Care Plan Here.


Fact 8: Kerry's Flip-Flop on NATO

Tonight's Flip:

In response to question .3 John Kerry said, "Two weeks ago, there was a meeting of the North Atlantic Council, which is the political arm of NATO. They discussed the possibility of a small training unit or having a total takeover of the training in Iraq. Did our administration push for the total training of Iraq?" (Sen. John Kerry, Second Presidential Debate, St. Louis, MO, 10/8/04)

Yesterday's Flop:

Despite Kerry's Claim, NATO Did Agree To Larger Training Role. "The United States welcomes the September 22 decision by NATO to provide further training to Iraqi security forces, in response to the request of Iraq's Interim Government. The United States is proud to join with its allies in this decision, which includes the creation of a permanent Training Center at Ar Rustamiya to prepare mid-level and senior Iraqi security personnel to meet the challenges facing the new Iraq." (U.S. State Department, "Statement Adam Ereli On NATO Iraq Training Role," Press Release, 9/22/04)


Fact 9: Kerry's Flip-Flop on Middle Class Tax Cuts

Tonight's Flip:

Question: "Senator Kerry, would you be willing to look directly into the camera and using simple and unequivocal language, give the American people your solemn pledge not to sign any legislation that will increase the tax burden on families earning less than $200,000 a year during your first term?"

Senator Kerry: "Absolutely. Yes. Right into the camera. Yes. I am not going to raise taxes." (Sen. John Kerry, Second Presidential Debate, St. Louis, MO, 10/8/04)

Yesterday's Flop:

1. In 1995, Kerry Voted For A Resolution That Said Middle Class Tax Cuts Were Not Wise. The sense of the Senate amendment, killed on a motion by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), said, "reducing the deficit should be one of the nation's highest priorities, and that a middle-class tax cut would undermine and be inconsistent with the goal of achieving a balanced budget." (H.J. Res. 1, CQ Vote .67: Motion Agreed To 66-32: R 49-3; D 17-29, 2/14/95, Kerry Voted Nay)

2. Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), Sponsor Of Resolution, Said Senators Need "Will" To Resist Middle Class Tax Cut. (Sen. Russ Feingold, Congressional Record, 2/14/95, p. S2617)

3. Kerry Voted Against Amendment To FY 2004 Budget Resolution That Would Extend $1,000 Child Tax Credit Until 2013.

4. Kerry Sponsored And Voted For Motion To Kill Marriage Penalty Relief For Couples Earning Less Than $50,000 Per Year. "Kerry, D-Mass., motion to table (kill) the Gramm, R-Texas, amendment ... The Gramm amendment would allow couples with combined incomes under $50,000 a year to claim an additional $3,300 income tax deduction, thus eliminating the so-called marriage penalty for those in that income bracket." Sen. Gramm's marriage penalty relief would have saved taxpayers $46 billion over 10 years. The amendment also would allowed self-employed individuals to deduct health insurance costs on their income taxes. (S. 1415, CQ Vote .154: Rejected 48-50: R 5-49; D 43-1, 6/10/98, Kerry Voted Yea)

5. Kerry Voted Three Times Against Repealing The 1993 Clinton Tax Increase On Social Security Benefits.

6. Kerry Voted Against The 2001 And 2003 Tax Cuts.

7. Kerry Voted Against Eliminating Clinton-Instituted 4.3-Cent Tax On Transportation Fuels.


Fact 10: Kerry's Flip-Flops on Labels

Tonight's Flip:

In response to question .12 John Kerry said, "Number one, don't throw the labels around. Labels don't mean anything." (Sen. John Kerry, Second Presidential Debate, St. Louis, MO, 10/8/04)

Yesterday's Flop:

John Kerry: "I'm a liberal and proud of it." ("Gee, There Were So Many In 1988," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 7/21/91)


Fact 11: He Said It

President George W. Bush: "He's got a record. He's been there for 20 years. You can run, but you can't hide." (President George W. Bush, Second Presidential Debate, St. Louis, MO, 10/8/04)


Fact 12: Not That Simple

Kerry: "Well, again, the President just said categorically my opponent's against this, my opponent's against that. You know, it's just not that simple." (Sen. John Kerry, Second Presidential Debate, St. Louis, MO, 10/8/04)


Fact 13: Setting the Record Straight on the $87 Billion

In response to question .18 President Bush said, "He complains about the fact our troops don't have adequate equipment, yet he voted against the $87 billion supplemental I sent to the Congress and then issued one of the most amazing quotes in political history: 'I actually did vote for $87 billion before I voted against it.'" (President George W. Bush, Second Presidential Debate, St. Louis, MO, 10/8/04)
The Real Record

1. Kerry Has Already Taken Eight Positions On The $87 Billion

2. Kerry Said It Would Be "Irresponsible" To Vote Against Funding Troops. Doyle McManus (LA Times): "If that amendment does not pass, will you then vote against the $87 billion?" Kerry: "I don't think any United States senator is going to abandon our troops and recklessly leave Iraq to - to whatever follows as a result of simply cutting and running. That's irresponsible." (CBS' "Face the Nation," 9/14/03)

3. Kerry Claims "I Actually Did Vote For The $87 Billion Before I Voted Against It." (Sen. John Kerry, Speech In Huntington, WV, 3/16/04)

4. Kerry Later Said He Was "Proud" That He Voted Against $87 Billion In Funding For U.S. Soldiers. "Here is the value that John Edwards and I will put in place. I'm proud to say that John joined me in voting against that $87 billion when we knew the policy had to be changed." (John Kerry, Remarks at "Women's Voices: A Luncheon with John Kerry," Boston, MA, 7/12/04)

5. Kerry Then Said His Vote Against Body Armor And Supplies For Troops Was "Complicated." (MSNBC's "Imus in the Morning," 7/15/04)

6. Kerry Even Said His Vote For The War And Against Funding For Our Troops Was "Not A Flip-Flop."(CBS' "Evening News," 7/21/04)

7. Kerry Then Defended His Vote Against The $87 Billion By Saying President Bush "Didn't Have A Plan To Win The Peace, It Was Irresponsible To Give [President Bush] A Blank Check That Gave $20 Billion That Was Going To Go ... To Halliburton And All These Other Companies." (Mike Allen And Lois Romano, "Closing Laps In Race To November," The Washington Post, 9/4/04)

8. Kerry Said He's "Glad" He Voted Against The Iraq Supplemental. Kerry: "Because I saw what was happening. I voted against it - absolutely voted against it. I'm glad I voted against it. Because we now see that that $20 billion hasn't even been spent effectively. Most of it's going to Halliburton in fraud and no-bid contracts which is completely inappropriate. I'd fire Halliburton tomorrow." (CBS' "The Late Show With David Letterman," 9/20/04)

9. Kerry Said His Vote Against The Iraq Supplemental "Was A Protest. Sometimes You Have To Stand Up And Be Counted." Kerry: "But it reflects the truth of the position, which is I fought to have the wealthiest people in America share the burden of paying for that war. It was a protest. Sometimes you have to stand up and be counted, and that's what I did." (ABC's "Good Morning America," 9/29/04)

[Jason Tate]

This is referring to the last debates that aired. I stole it from Law Dogg on Myspace if any of you happen to know of him:

Fact 1: Kerry Flip-Flops on the Patriot Act

Tonight's Flip:

In response to question .1, John Kerry said: "Now, the three things they try to say I've changed position on are the Patriot Act. I haven't. I support it." (Sen. John Kerry, Second Presidential Debate, St. Louis, MO, 10/8/04)

Yesterday's Flops:

1. 12/1/0 Kerry Called For Replacing the PATRIOT Act With New Law. "So it is time to end the era of John Ashcroft. That starts with replacing the Patriot Act with a new law that protects our people and our liberties at the same time." (Sen. John Kerry, Remarks At Iowa State University)

2. 12/1/03 Kerry Attacks the PATRIOT Act. "We are a nation of laws and liberties, not of a knock in the night. So it is time to end the era of John Ashcroft. That starts with replacing the Patriot Act with a new law that protects our people and our liberties at the same time. I've been a District Attorney and I know that what law enforcement needs are real tools not restrictions on American's basic rights." (Sen. John Kerry, Remarks At Iowa State University)

3. 8/18/03 Kerry Has Attacked the PATRIOT Act As Creating "Blind Spot In The American Justice System." "If you are sensitive to and care about civil liberties, you can make provisions to guarantee that there is not this blind spot in the American justice system that there is today under the Patriot Act." (Sen. John Kerry As Quoted On NPR's "Morning Edition")


Fact 2: Kerry Says "I've Never Changed My Mind About Iraq"

In response to question .2 John Kerry said, "I've never changed my mind about Iraq. I did believe Saddam Hussein was a threat. I always believed he was a threat - believed it in 1998, when Clinton was president. I wanted to give Clinton the power to use force if necessary." (Sen. John Kerry, Second Presidential Debate, St. Louis, MO, 10/8/04)

The Real Record: Kerry's Eleven Positions on the War in Iraq

1. October 2002: Kerry Voted For Use Of Force Resolution Against Iraq.
2. April 2003: Kerry Promised Not To Attack President When War Began. Weeks Later, With Troops Just Miles From Baghdad, Kerry Broke His Pledge And Called For "Regime Change In The United States."
3. May 2003: In First Dem Debate, Kerry Strongly Supported President's Action In Iraq.
4. September 2003: Kerry Said Voting Against The $87 Billion Supplemental Would Be "Irresponsible."
5. October 2003: Kerry Voted Against The $87 Billion Supplemental Supporting Our Troops.
6. January 2004: After Voting For War And Trailing Candidate Howard Dean In The Democrat Primaries, Kerry Says He Is Anti-War Candidate.
7. August 2004: In Response To President's Question About How He Would Have Voted If He Knew Then What He Knows Now, Kerry Confirmed That He Would Still Have Voted For Use Of Force Resolution.
8. September 2004: Kerry: Iraq Is "The Wrong War In The Wrong Place At The Wrong Time."
9. September 2004: Kerry Says There Were No Circumstances Under Which We Should Have Gone To War, But He Was Still Right To Vote For It.
10. Kerry Said That The Removal Of Saddam Hussein Has Left America "Less Secure."
11. Kerry On Whether The Iraq War Was Worth It: "It Depends On The Outcome."


Fact 3: Kerry's Flip-Flop on Diplomacy

Tonight's Flip:

In response to question . 4 John Kerry said, "But the president just arbitrarily brought the hammer down and said nope, sorry, time for diplomacy is over, we're going." (Sen. John Kerry, Second Presidential Debate, St. Louis, MO, 10/8/04)

Yesterday's Flop:

March 2003: As War Began, Kerry Said Saddam Choose "To Make Military Force The Ultimate Weapons Inspections Enforcement Mechanism." "Senator John Kerry ... had lambasted Bush's diplomatic efforts, despite voting last fall in support of a congressional resolution authorizing military action to disarm Iraq of any weapons of mass destruction. 'It appears that with the deadline for exile come and gone, Saddam Hussein has chosen to make military force the ultimate weapons inspections enforcement mechanism,' Kerry said." (Glen Johnson, "Critics Of Bush Voice Support For The Troops," The Boston Globe, 3/20/03)


Fact 4: Setting the Record Straight on Education

In response to question .1 John Kerry said, "No Child Left Behind Act. I voted for it. I support it. I support the goals. But the president has under funded it by $28 billion." (Sen. John Kerry, Second Presidential Debate, St. Louis, MO, 10/8/04)

The Real Record:

1. President Bush Has Provided The Highest Education Funding Percentage Increase Since President Johnson And Increased Education Funding More In Four Years Than Bill Clinton Did In Eight Years. Elementary and Secondary education funding has increased $12.2 billion ...49 percent... from $24.7 billion in 2001 to $36.9 billion in 2005. ("Not Since LBJ," Investor's Business Daily, 7/1/04; "2005 Budget Summary For Education," U.S. Department Of Education, 2/04)

2. "States Collectively Have $16.8 Billion In Unspent Federal Education Funds, All Of Which Has Been Available To Them For At Least A Year." (U.S. House Committee On Education And The Workforce, "New Government Data Confirms Federal Education Funding Is Increasing More Quickly Than States Can Spend It," Press Release, 6/29/2004)

3. Washington Post Editorial: "Funding For Education Has Increased Under The Bush Administration, And In Any Case Money Isn't The Main Obstacle To The Law's Success." (Editorial, "The Choice of Schooling," The Washington Post, 9/23/04)

4. Elementary And Secondary Education Funding Has Increased 130 percent Since 2000. "Contrary to the repeated falsehoods by the teachers unions and left-wing activists, spending on primary and secondary education is soaring. In 2005, it will be up 130 percent from President Clinton's last year in office." ("School Daze," Investors Business Daily, 9/23/04)

5. Federal Funds Exceed The Costs Of No Child Left Behind. "If funding continues to increase at least at the conservative rate estimated in the study, cumulative increases through the 2007-08 school year will total $46.4 billion over the 2001-02 baseline funding school year. The net result shows a "surplus" for general school improvement in every fiscal year through 2008 after states have covered the costs of all specific mandates ('hard costs') of NCLB." ("NCLB Under A Microscope: A Cost Analysis of the Fiscal Impact of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 on States and Local Education Agencies," AccountabilityWorks, 1/04)

6. "States Collectively Have $16.8 Billion In Unspent Federal Education Funds, All Of Which Has Been Available To Them For At Least A Year." (U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce, "New Government Data Confirms Federal Education Funding is Increasing More Quickly than States Can Spend It," Press Release, 6/29/04)

7. As a nation, we spent $488 billion last year on K-12 education ... more than on national defense, and more per pupil than any other nation in the world, except Switzerland. ("10 Facts About K-12 Funding," U.S. Department of Education, www.ed.gov, accessed 10-8-2004)


Fact 5: Kerry's Flip-Flop on Intelligence

Tonight's Flip:

In response to question .7 John Kerry said, "Because the most important weapon in doing that is intelligence. You got to have the best intelligence in the world, and in order to have the best intelligence in the world, to know who the terrorists are, and where they are, and what they're plotting, you've got to have the best cooperation you've ever had in the world." (Sen. John Kerry, Second Presidential Debate, St. Louis, MO, 10/8/04)

Yesterday's Flops:

1. While On The Senate Intelligence Committee, Kerry Missed 76 percent Of Public Hearings. During John Kerry's eight years of service on the Senate's Select Committee on Intelligence, there were 49 open, public hearings. Of these 49, John Kerry attended just 11 ... or 22.4 percent). (Factcheck.org, "Bush Nails Kerry's Poor Attendance at Intelligence Committee Hearings," 8/17/04, Available At http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docID=241)

2. In 1994, Not Long After First World Trade Center Attack, Kerry Proposed An Amendment To Cut Intelligence Budget By $6 Billion Across The Board Over Six Years.


Fact 6: Kerry's Flip-Flop on Medical Liability Reform

Tonight's Flip:

In response to question .9 John Kerry said, "John Edwards and I support tort reform. We both believe that as lawyers - I'm a lawyer too - and I believe that we will be able to get a fix that has eluded everybody else because we know how to do it." (Sen. John Kerry, Second Presidential Debate, St. Louis, MO, 10/8/04)

Yesterday's Flops:

1. Kerry Opposed Or Voted To Block Medical Liability Reform At Least Ten Times.

2. Kerry Missed Both 2004 Votes On Medical Liability Reform.

3. Medical Liability Reform Could Save Between $60 Billion And $108 Billion In Health Care Costs Annually, Making Health Insurance More Affordable For Millions. ("Confronting The New Health Care Crisis: Improving Health Care Quality And Lowering Costs By Fixing Our Medical Liability System," U.S. Department Of Health And Human Services, 7/25/02, http://www.aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/reports/litrefm.htm)

4. Since 1989, Kerry Has Received $15,217,154 From Lawyers, Most Of Any Senator In That Time Period. (Center For Responsive Politics Website, www.opensecrets.org, Accessed 8/16/04)

5. Kerry And Edwards Opposed Requirement That At Least 85 % Of Large Monetary Awards From Actions Brought Under Patients' Bill Of Rights Be Awarded To Patients, Not Personal Injury Trial Lawyers.

6. Kerry And Edwards Voted Against Exempting Employers Who Provide Health Benefits From Lawsuits Brought Under Patients' Bill Of Rights.

7. Kerry And Edwards Twice Voted Against Exempting Small Businesses That Provide Health Benefits From Lawsuits Brought Under Patients' Bill Of Rights.


Fact 7: Kerry Health Care Chart

Check out Kerry's Health Care Plan Here.


Fact 8: Kerry's Flip-Flop on NATO

Tonight's Flip:

In response to question .3 John Kerry said, "Two weeks ago, there was a meeting of the North Atlantic Council, which is the political arm of NATO. They discussed the possibility of a small training unit or having a total takeover of the training in Iraq. Did our administration push for the total training of Iraq?" (Sen. John Kerry, Second Presidential Debate, St. Louis, MO, 10/8/04)

Yesterday's Flop:

Despite Kerry's Claim, NATO Did Agree To Larger Training Role. "The United States welcomes the September 22 decision by NATO to provide further training to Iraqi security forces, in response to the request of Iraq's Interim Government. The United States is proud to join with its allies in this decision, which includes the creation of a permanent Training Center at Ar Rustamiya to prepare mid-level and senior Iraqi security personnel to meet the challenges facing the new Iraq." (U.S. State Department, "Statement Adam Ereli On NATO Iraq Training Role," Press Release, 9/22/04)


Fact 9: Kerry's Flip-Flop on Middle Class Tax Cuts

Tonight's Flip:

Question: "Senator Kerry, would you be willing to look directly into the camera and using simple and unequivocal language, give the American people your solemn pledge not to sign any legislation that will increase the tax burden on families earning less than $200,000 a year during your first term?"

Senator Kerry: "Absolutely. Yes. Right into the camera. Yes. I am not going to raise taxes." (Sen. John Kerry, Second Presidential Debate, St. Louis, MO, 10/8/04)

Yesterday's Flop:

1. In 1995, Kerry Voted For A Resolution That Said Middle Class Tax Cuts Were Not Wise. The sense of the Senate amendment, killed on a motion by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), said, "reducing the deficit should be one of the nation's highest priorities, and that a middle-class tax cut would undermine and be inconsistent with the goal of achieving a balanced budget." (H.J. Res. 1, CQ Vote .67: Motion Agreed To 66-32: R 49-3; D 17-29, 2/14/95, Kerry Voted Nay)

2. Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), Sponsor Of Resolution, Said Senators Need "Will" To Resist Middle Class Tax Cut. (Sen. Russ Feingold, Congressional Record, 2/14/95, p. S2617)

3. Kerry Voted Against Amendment To FY 2004 Budget Resolution That Would Extend $1,000 Child Tax Credit Until 2013.

4. Kerry Sponsored And Voted For Motion To Kill Marriage Penalty Relief For Couples Earning Less Than $50,000 Per Year. "Kerry, D-Mass., motion to table (kill) the Gramm, R-Texas, amendment ... The Gramm amendment would allow couples with combined incomes under $50,000 a year to claim an additional $3,300 income tax deduction, thus eliminating the so-called marriage penalty for those in that income bracket." Sen. Gramm's marriage penalty relief would have saved taxpayers $46 billion over 10 years. The amendment also would allowed self-employed individuals to deduct health insurance costs on their income taxes. (S. 1415, CQ Vote .154: Rejected 48-50: R 5-49; D 43-1, 6/10/98, Kerry Voted Yea)

5. Kerry Voted Three Times Against Repealing The 1993 Clinton Tax Increase On Social Security Benefits.

6. Kerry Voted Against The 2001 And 2003 Tax Cuts.

7. Kerry Voted Against Eliminating Clinton-Instituted 4.3-Cent Tax On Transportation Fuels.


Fact 10: Kerry's Flip-Flops on Labels

Tonight's Flip:

In response to question .12 John Kerry said, "Number one, don't throw the labels around. Labels don't mean anything." (Sen. John Kerry, Second Presidential Debate, St. Louis, MO, 10/8/04)

Yesterday's Flop:

John Kerry: "I'm a liberal and proud of it." ("Gee, There Were So Many In 1988," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 7/21/91)


Fact 11: He Said It

President George W. Bush: "He's got a record. He's been there for 20 years. You can run, but you can't hide." (President George W. Bush, Second Presidential Debate, St. Louis, MO, 10/8/04)


Fact 12: Not That Simple

Kerry: "Well, again, the President just said categorically my opponent's against this, my opponent's against that. You know, it's just not that simple." (Sen. John Kerry, Second Presidential Debate, St. Louis, MO, 10/8/04)


Fact 13: Setting the Record Straight on the $87 Billion

In response to question .18 President Bush said, "He complains about the fact our troops don't have adequate equipment, yet he voted against the $87 billion supplemental I sent to the Congress and then issued one of the most amazing quotes in political history: 'I actually did vote for $87 billion before I voted against it.'" (President George W. Bush, Second Presidential Debate, St. Louis, MO, 10/8/04)
The Real Record

1. Kerry Has Already Taken Eight Positions On The $87 Billion

2. Kerry Said It Would Be "Irresponsible" To Vote Against Funding Troops. Doyle McManus (LA Times): "If that amendment does not pass, will you then vote against the $87 billion?" Kerry: "I don't think any United States senator is going to abandon our troops and recklessly leave Iraq to - to whatever follows as a result of simply cutting and running. That's irresponsible." (CBS' "Face the Nation," 9/14/03)

3. Kerry Claims "I Actually Did Vote For The $87 Billion Before I Voted Against It." (Sen. John Kerry, Speech In Huntington, WV, 3/16/04)

4. Kerry Later Said He Was "Proud" That He Voted Against $87 Billion In Funding For U.S. Soldiers. "Here is the value that John Edwards and I will put in place. I'm proud to say that John joined me in voting against that $87 billion when we knew the policy had to be changed." (John Kerry, Remarks at "Women's Voices: A Luncheon with John Kerry," Boston, MA, 7/12/04)

5. Kerry Then Said His Vote Against Body Armor And Supplies For Troops Was "Complicated." (MSNBC's "Imus in the Morning," 7/15/04)

6. Kerry Even Said His Vote For The War And Against Funding For Our Troops Was "Not A Flip-Flop."(CBS' "Evening News," 7/21/04)

7. Kerry Then Defended His Vote Against The $87 Billion By Saying President Bush "Didn't Have A Plan To Win The Peace, It Was Irresponsible To Give [President Bush] A Blank Check That Gave $20 Billion That Was Going To Go ... To Halliburton And All These Other Companies." (Mike Allen And Lois Romano, "Closing Laps In Race To November," The Washington Post, 9/4/04)

8. Kerry Said He's "Glad" He Voted Against The Iraq Supplemental. Kerry: "Because I saw what was happening. I voted against it - absolutely voted against it. I'm glad I voted against it. Because we now see that that $20 billion hasn't even been spent effectively. Most of it's going to Halliburton in fraud and no-bid contracts which is completely inappropriate. I'd fire Halliburton tomorrow." (CBS' "The Late Show With David Letterman," 9/20/04)

9. Kerry Said His Vote Against The Iraq Supplemental "Was A Protest. Sometimes You Have To Stand Up And Be Counted." Kerry: "But it reflects the truth of the position, which is I fought to have the wealthiest people in America share the burden of paying for that war. It was a protest. Sometimes you have to stand up and be counted, and that's what I did." (ABC's "Good Morning America," 9/29/04)
Okay, because Kerry flipflops is your reason (I don't even need to go into the validity of any of them, or the logic behind changing one's opinion, etc.) All I have to do is show the other canidate does it as well, and I have invalidated your argument for your vote.

Now:
From the beginning, George W. Bush has made his own credibility a central issue. On 10/11/00, then-Gov. Bush said: "I think credibility is important.It is going to be important for the president to be credible with Congress, important for the president to be credible with foreign nations." But President Bush's serial flip-flopping raises serious questions about whether Congress and foreign leaders can rely on what he says.

1. Social Security Surplus

BUSH PLEDGES NOT TO TOUCH SOCIAL SECURITY SURPLUS... "We're going to keep the promise of Social Security and keep the government from raiding the Social Security surplus." [President Bush, 3/3/01]

...BUSH SPENDS SOCIAL SECURITY SURPLUS The New York Times reported that "the president's new budget uses Social Security surpluses to pay for other programs every year through 2013, ultimately diverting more than $1.4 trillion in Social Security funds to other purposes." [The New York Times, 2/6/02]

2. Patient's Right to Sue

GOVERNOR BUSH VETOES PATIENTS' RIGHT TO SUE... "Despite his campaign rhetoric in favor of a patients' bill of rights, Bush fought such a bill tooth and nail as Texas governor, vetoing a bill coauthored by Republican state Rep. John Smithee in 1995. He... constantly opposed a patient's right to sue an HMO over coverage denied that resulted in adverse health effects." [Salon, 2/7/01]

...CANDIDATE BUSH PRAISES TEXAS PATIENTS' RIGHT TO SUE... "We're one of the first states that said you can sue an HMO for denying you proper coverage... It's time for our nation to come together and do what's right for the people. And I think this is right for the people. You know, I support a national patients' bill of rights, Mr. Vice President. And I want all people covered. I don't want the law to supersede good law like we've got in Texas." [Governor Bush, 10/17/00]

...PRESIDENT BUSH'S ADMINISTRATION ARGUES AGAINST RIGHT TO SUE "To let two Texas consumers, Juan Davila and Ruby R. Calad, sue their managed-care companies for wrongful denials of medical benefits ‘would be to completely undermine' federal law regulating employee benefits, Assistant Solicitor General James A. Feldman said at oral argument March 23. Moreover, the administration's brief attacked the policy rationale for Texas's law, which is similar to statutes on the books in nine other states." [Washington Post, 4/5/04]

3. Tobacco Buyout

BUSH SUPPORTS CURRENT TOBACCO FARMERS' QUOTA SYSTEM... "They've got the quota system in place -- the allotment system -- and I don't think that needs to be changed." [President Bush, 5/04]

...BUSH ADMINISTRATION WILL SUPPORT FEDERAL BUYOUT OF TOBACCO QUOTAS "The administration is open to a buyout." [White House spokeswoman Jeanie Mamo, 6/18/04]

4. North Korea

BUSH WILL NOT OFFER NUCLEAR NORTH KOREA INCENTIVES TO DISARM... "We developed a bold approach under which, if the North addressed our long-standing concerns, the United States was prepared to take important steps that would have significantly improved the lives of the North Korean people. Now that North Korea's covert nuclear weapons program has come to light, we are unable to pursue this approach." [President's Statement, 11/15/02]

...BUSH ADMINISTRATION OFFERS NORTH KOREA INCENTIVES TO DISARM"Well, we will work to take steps to ease their political and economic isolation. So there would be -- what you would see would be some provisional or temporary proposals that would only lead to lasting benefit after North Korea dismantles its nuclear programs. So there would be some provisional or temporary efforts of that nature." [White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, 6/23/04]

5. Abortion

BUSH SUPPORTS A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE... "Bush said he...favors leaving up to a woman and her doctor the abortion question." [The Nation, 6/15/00, quoting the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, 5/78]

...BUSH OPPOSES A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE "I am pro-life." [Governor Bush, 10/3/00]

6. OPEC

BUSH PROMISES TO FORCE OPEC TO LOWER PRICES... "What I think the president ought to do [when gas prices spike] is he ought to get on the phone with the OPEC cartel and say we expect you to open your spigots...And the president of the United States must jawbone OPEC members to lower the price." [President Bush, 1/26/00]

...BUSH REFUSES TO LOBBY OPEC LEADERS With gas prices soaring in the United States at the beginning of 2004, the Miami Herald reported the president refused to "personally lobby oil cartel leaders to change their minds." [Miami Herald, 4/1/04]

7. Iraq Funding

BUSH SPOKESMAN DENIES NEED FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THE REST OF 2004... "We do not anticipate requesting supplemental funding for '04" [White House Budget Director Joshua Bolton, 2/2/04]

...BUSH REQUESTS ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR IRAQ FOR 2004 "I am requesting that Congress establish a $25 billion contingency reserve fund for the coming fiscal year to meet all commitments to our troops." [President Bush, Statement by President, 5/5/04]

8. Condoleeza Rice Testimony

BUSH SPOKESMAN SAYS RICE WON'T TESTIFY AS 'A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE'... "Again, this is not her personal preference; this goes back to a matter of principle. There is a separation of powers issue involved here. Historically, White House staffers do not testify before legislative bodies. So it's a matter of principle, not a matter of preference." [White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, 3/9/04]

...BUSH ORDERS RICE TO TESTIFY: "Today I have informed the Commission on Terrorist Attacks Against the United States that my National Security Advisor, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, will provide public testimony." [President Bush, 3/30/04]

9. Science

BUSH PLEDGES TO ISSUE REGULATIONS BASED ON SCIENCE..."I think we ought to have high standards set by agencies that rely upon science, not by what may feel good or what sounds good." [then-Governor George W. Bush, 1/15/00]

...BUSH ADMINISTRATION REGULATIONS IGNORE SCIENCE "60 leading scientists—including Nobel laureates, leading medical experts, former federal agency directors and university chairs and presidents—issued a statement calling for regulatory and legislative action to restore scientific integrity to federal policymaking. According to the scientists, the Bush administration has, among other abuses, suppressed and distorted scientific analysis from federal agencies, and taken actions that have undermined the quality of scientific advisory panels." [Union of Concerned Scientists, 2/18/04]

10. Ahmed Chalabi

BUSH INVITES CHALABI TO STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS...President Bush also met with Chalabi during his brief trip to Iraq last Thanksgiving [White House Documents 1/20/04, 11/27/03]

...BUSH MILITARY ASSISTS IN RAID OF CHALABI'S HOUSE "U.S. soldiers raided the home of America's one-time ally Ahmad Chalabi on Thursday and seized documents and computers." [Washington Post, 5/20/04]

11. Department of Homeland Security

BUSH OPPOSES THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY..."So, creating a Cabinet office doesn't solve the problem. You still will have agencies within the federal government that have to be coordinated. So the answer is that creating a Cabinet post doesn't solve anything." [White House spokesman Ari Fleischer, 3/19/02]

...BUSH SUPPORTS THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY "So tonight, I ask the Congress to join me in creating a single, permanent department with an overriding and urgent mission: securing the homeland of America and protecting the American people." [President Bush, Address to the Nation, 6/6/02]

12. Weapons of Mass Destruction

BUSH SAYS WE FOUND THE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION..."We found the weapons of mass destruction. We found biological laboratories...for those who say we haven't found the banned manufacturing devices or banned weapons, they're wrong, we found them." [President Bush, Interview in Poland, 5/29/03]

...BUSH SAYS WE HAVEN'T FOUND WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION "David Kay has found the capacity to produce weapons.And when David Kay goes in and says we haven't found stockpiles yet, and there's theories as to where the weapons went. They could have been destroyed during the war. Saddam and his henchmen could have destroyed them as we entered into Iraq. They could be hidden. They could have been transported to another country, and we'll find out." [President Bush, Meet the Press, 2/7/04]

13. Free Trade

BUSH SUPPORTS FREE TRADE... "I believe strongly that if we promote trade, and when we promote trade, it will help workers on both sides of this issue." [President Bush in Peru, 3/23/02]

...BUSH SUPPORTS RESTRICTIONS ON TRADE "In a decision largely driven by his political advisers, President Bush set aside his free-trade principles last year and imposed heavy tariffs on imported steel to help out struggling mills in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, two states crucial for his reelection." [Washington Post, 9/19/03]

14. Osama Bin Laden

BUSH WANTS OSAMA DEAD OR ALIVE... "I want justice. And there's an old poster out West, I recall, that says, 'Wanted: Dead or Alive.'" [President Bush, on Osama Bin Laden, 09/17/01]

...BUSH DOESN'T CARE ABOUT OSAMA "I don't know where he is.You know, I just don't spend that much time on him... I truly am not that concerned about him."[President Bush, Press Conference, 3/13/02]

15. The Environment

BUSH SUPPORTS MANDATORY CAPS ON CARBON DIOXIDE... "[If elected], Governor Bush will work to...establish mandatory reduction targets for emissions of four main pollutants: sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, mercury and carbon dioxide." [Bush Environmental Plan, 9/29/00]

...BUSH OPPOSES MANDATORY CAPS ON CARBON DIOXIDE "I do not believe, however, that the government should impose on power plants mandatory emissions reductions for carbon dioxide, which is not a 'pollutant' under the Clean Air Act." [President Bush, Letter to Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE), 3/13/03]

16. WMD Commission

BUSH RESISTS AN OUTSIDE INVESTIGATION ON WMD INTELLIGENCE FAILURE... "The White House immediately turned aside the calls from Kay and many Democrats for an immediate outside investigation, seeking to head off any new wide-ranging election-year inquiry that might go beyond reports already being assembled by congressional committees and the Central Intelligence Agency." [NY Times, 1/29/04]

...BUSH SUPPORTS AN OUTSIDE INVESTIGATION ON WMD INTELLIGENCE FAILURE "Today, by executive order, I am creating an independent commission, chaired by Governor and former Senator Chuck Robb, Judge Laurence Silberman, to look at American intelligence capabilities, especially our intelligence about weapons of mass destruction." [President Bush, 2/6/04]

17. Creation of the 9/11 Commission

BUSH OPPOSES CREATION OF INDEPENDENT 9/11 COMMISSION... "President Bush took a few minutes during his trip to Europe Thursday to voice his opposition to establishing a special commission to probe how the government dealt with terror warnings before Sept. 11." [CBS News, 5/23/02]

...BUSH SUPPORTS CREATION OF INDEPENDENT 9/11 COMMISSION "President Bush said today he now supports establishing an independent commission to investigate the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks." [ABC News, 09/20/02]

18. Time Extension for 9/11 Commission

BUSH OPPOSES TIME EXTENSION FOR 9/11 COMMISSION... "President Bush and House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) have decided to oppose granting more time to an independent commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks." [Washington Post, 1/19/04]

...BUSH SUPPORTS TIME EXTENSION FOR 9/11 COMMISSION "The White House announced Wednesday its support for a request from the commission investigating the September 11, 2001 attacks for more time to complete its work." [CNN, 2/4/04]

19. One Hour Limit for 9/11 Commission Testimony

BUSH LIMITS TESTIMONY IN FRONT OF 9/11 COMMISSION TO ONE HOUR... "President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have placed strict limits on the private interviews they will grant to the federal commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks, saying that they will meet only with the panel's top two officials and that Mr. Bush will submit to only a single hour of questioning, commission members said Wednesday." [NY Times, 2/26/04]

...BUSH SETS NO TIMELIMIT FOR TESTIMONY "The president's going to answer all of the questions they want to raise. Nobody's watching the clock." [White House spokesman Scott McClellan, 3/10/04]

20. Gay Marriage

BUSH SAYS GAY MARRIAGE IS A STATE ISSUE... "The state can do what they want to do. Don't try to trap me in this state's issue like you're trying to get me into." [Gov. George W. Bush on Gay Marriage, Larry King Live, 2/15/00]

...BUSH SUPPORTS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT BANNING GAY MARRIAGE "Today I call upon the Congress to promptly pass, and to send to the states for ratification, an amendment to our Constitution defining and protecting marriage as a union of man and woman as husband and wife." [President Bush, 2/24/04]

21. Nation Building

BUSH OPPOSES NATION BUILDING... "If we don't stop extending our troops all around the world in nation-building missions, then we're going to have a serious problem coming down the road." [Gov. George W. Bush, 10/3/00]

...BUSH SUPPORTS NATION BUILDING "We will be changing the regime of Iraq, for the good of the Iraqi people." [President Bush, 3/6/03]

22. Saddam/al Qaeda Link

BUSH SAYS IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEEN AL QAEDA AND SADDAM... "You can't distinguish between al Qaeda and Saddam when you talk about the war on terror." [President Bush, 9/25/02]

...BUSH SAYS SADDAM HAD NO ROLE IN AL QAEDA PLOT "We've had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved in Sept. 11." [President Bush, 9/17/03]

23. U.N. Resolution

BUSH VOWS TO HAVE A UN VOTE NO MATTER WHAT... "No matter what the whip count is, we're calling for the vote. We want to see people stand up and say what their opinion is about Saddam Hussein and the utility of the United Nations Security Council. And so, you bet. It's time for people to show their cards, to let the world know where they stand when it comes to Saddam." [President Bush 3/6/03]

...BUSH WITHDRAWS REQUEST FOR VOTE "At a National Security Council meeting convened at the White House at 8:55 a.m., Bush finalized the decision to withdraw the resolution from consideration and prepared to deliver an address to the nation that had already been written." [Washington Post, 3/18/03]

24. Involvement in the Palestinian Conflict

BUSH OPPOSES SUMMITS... "Well, we've tried summits in the past, as you may remember. It wasn't all that long ago where a summit was called and nothing happened, and as a result we had significant intifada in the area." [President Bush, 04/05/02]

...BUSH SUPPORTS SUMMITS "If a meeting advances progress toward two states living side by side in peace, I will strongly consider such a meeting. I'm committed to working toward peace in the Middle East." [President Bush, 5/23/03]

25. Campaign Finance

BUSH OPPOSES MCCAIN-FEINGOLD... "George W. Bush opposes McCain-Feingold...as an infringement on free expression." [Washington Post, 3/28/2000]

...BUSH SIGNS MCCAIN-FEINGOLD INTO LAW "[T]his bill improves the current system of financing for Federal campaigns, and therefore I have signed it into law." [President Bush, at the McCain-Feingold signing ceremony, 03/27/02]

26. 527s

Bush opposes restrictions on 527s: "I also have reservations about the constitutionality of the broad ban on issue advertising [in McCain Feingold], which restrains the speech of a wide variety of groups on issues of public import." [President Bush, 3/27/02]

…Bush says 527s bad for system: "I don't think we ought to have 527s. I can't be more plain about it…I think they're bad for the system. That's why I signed the bill, McCain-Feingold." [President Bush, 8/23/04]

27. Medical Records

Bush says medical records must remain private: "I believe that we must protect…the right of every American to have confidence that his or her personal medical records will remain private." [President Bush, 4/12/01]

…Bush says patients' histories are not confidntial: The Justice Department…asserts that patients "no longer possess a reasonable expectation that their histories will remain completely confidential." [BusinessWeek, 4/30/04]

28. Timelines For Dictators

Bush sets timeline for Saddam: "If Iraq does not accept the terms within a week of passage or fails to disclose required information within 30 days, the resolution authorizes 'all necessary means' to force compliance--in other words, a military attack." [LA Times, 10/3/02]

…Bush says he's against timelines: "I don't think you give timelines to dictators." [President Bush, 8/27/04]

29. The Great Lakes

Bush wants to divert great lakes: "Even though experts say 'diverting any water from the Great Lakes region sets a bad precedent' Bush 'said he wants to talk to Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien about piping water to parched states in the west and southwest.'– [AP, 7/19/01]

Bush says he'll never divert Great Lakes: "We've got to use our resources wisely, like water. It starts with keeping the Great Lakes water in the Great Lakes Basin...My position is clear: We're never going to allow diversion of Great Lakes water." [President Bush, 8/16/04]

30. Winning The War On Terror

Bush claims he can win the war on terror: "One of the interesting things people ask me, now that we're asking questions, is, can you ever win the war on terror? Of course, you can." [President Bush, 4/13/04]

…Bush says war on terror is unwinnable: "I don't think you can win [the war on terror]." [President Bush, 8/30/04]

…Bush says he will win the war on terror: "Make no mistake about it, we are winning and we will win [the war on terror]." [President Bush, 8/31/04]



The other side.


You're now back at square one, please try again.

[knivesbatstats]

hey i got an idea, lets post huge ass things you copied from others so noone will read them

[Jason Tate]

hey i got an idea, lets post huge ass things you copied from others so noone will read them
Do you not read books either? Those damn things are so long, to damn with the knowledge gained from them. I've got your idea: "ignorance is doing fine for me!!"

[knivesbatstats]

Do you not read books either? Those damn things are so long, to damn with the knowledge gained from them. I've got your idea: "ignorance is doing fine for me!!"

no more like ive read too many these past few wks cause of midterms and i really dont care about anything you post cause i assume its all liberal garbage and i know who im voting for and it wont change just like your vote wont either, nice guess though

[Jason Tate]

no more like ive read too many these past few wks cause of midterms and i really dont care about anything you post cause i assume its all liberal garbage and i know who im voting for and it wont change just like your vote wont either, nice guess though
Least you admit to the hands over the ears approach. This has NOTHING, (repeat:nothing) to do with the election and votes. It has to do with laws and democracy.

[knivesbatstats]

its amusing to me how much time and effort you always put into these things and how much you look up articles just to paste them and have one liberal read it to make them feel like they are voting for the right candidate

[Jason Tate]

its amusing to me how much time and effort you always put into these things and how much you look up articles just to paste them and have one liberal read it to make them feel like they are voting for the right candidate
Ahhh, well it amuses me that you post here regardless (and thereby validating my responses). If one person reads what I wrote: well worth it.

[Greg Thimmes]

Well I am from Delaware, we have 3 electorial votes so who I vote for does not make a difference. So Ill vote for Hulk Hogan President, Jerry Springer Vice, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles for my Security

[yourdarqsecret]

this is all i have to say:
http://www.blackfive.net/main/images/bush_20041.jpg

[maledixtion]

Sorry Tate, I'm posting more. I'm not trying to piss you off, I'm just trying to make it easier for people to read both sides and form an opinion instead of scouring the net to see the other views. This is one in particular changed my mind about alot. I know alot of people won't read this, so I bolded some stuff to spark their interest, but it should be read in full

Pre-Debate Fact


Edwards Said It: Iraq “Most Serious and Imminent Threat”

The Facts:

In February 2002, Edwards Called Iraq “Most Serious And Imminent Threat To Our Country.” SEN. JOHN EDWARDS: “I think Iraq is the most serious and imminent threat to our country. And I think they – as a result, we have to, as we go forward and as we develop policies about how we’re going to deal with each of these countries and what action, if any, we’re going to take with respect to them, I think each of them have to be dealt with on their own merits. And they do, in my judgment, present different threats. And I think Iraq and Saddam Hussein present the most serious and most imminent threat.” (CNN’s “Late Edition,” 2/24/02)


QUESTION 1


Edwards' Claim: President Bush Misleadingly Links Iraq And al Qaeda.

The Facts:

1. Kerry Warned Of Saddam's Ties To Terrorism. SEN. JOHN KERRY: "[T]here are set of principles here that are very large, larger in some measure than I think has been adequately conveyed, both internationally and certainly to the American people. Saddam Hussein has already used these weapons and has made it clear that he has the intent to continue to try, by virtue of his duplicity and secrecy, to continue to do so. That is a threat to the stability of the Middle East. It is a threat with respect to the potential of terrorist activities on a global basis. It is a threat even to regions near but not exactly in the Middle East." (Sen. John Kerry, Press Conference, 2/23/98)

2. Kerry Said Iraq "Is Critical" To Success Of War On Terror. SEN. JOHN KERRY: "Iraq may not be the war on terror itself, but it is critical to the outcome of the war on terror. And therefore any advance in Iraq is an advance forward in that. And I disagree with the Governor [Howard Dean]." (Fox News' "Special Report," 12/15/03)

3. Kerry Said Those In Iraq Are Fighting "On Behalf Of Freedom In The War On Terror." "Today marks a tragic milestone in the war in Iraq. More than 1,000 of America's sons and daughters have now given their lives on behalf of their country, on behalf of freedom in the war on terror. I think that the first thing that every American wants to say today is how deeply we each feel the loss." (CNN's "Wolf Blitzer Reports," 9/7/04)

4. Kerry Called Those Who Would Leave Saddam Alone "Naïve To The Point Of Grave Danger." (Sen. John Kerry, “Congressional Record,” 10/9/02, p. S10171)

5. Kerry Said Saddam's Miscalculations Is Biggest Concern, Not "Actual" WMD. KERRY: "Those are the things that–that I think present the greatest danger. He may even miscalculate and slide these weapons off to terrorist groups to invite them to be a surrogate to use them against the United States. It's the miscalculation that poses the greatest threat." (CBS' "Face The Nation," 9/15/02)

6. February 2002: John Edwards Called Iraq "Most Serious And Imminent Threat To Our Country." (CNN's "Late Edition," 2/24/02)

7. The Bush Administration Never Claimed A Direct Link Between Saddam Hussein and 9/11; Did Correctly Point To Iraq's Contacts With Al Qaeda. DR. CONDOLEEZZA RICE: "I think that the administration has made it clear that we have no evidence and have never claimed a direct link of Saddam Hussein and his regime to the events of September 11th, saying that he planned them or controlled them or something. It is very clear that he had links to terrorism that were broad and deep, including numerous contacts with al Qaeda, including an al Qaeda associate, a man named al Zarqawi, who was operating his network out of Baghdad. The network that ended up ordering the killing of an American citizen, an American diplomat in Jordan, Mr. Foley." (Interview Of Dr. Condoleezza Rice By WTVT-TV, Tampa, Florida, 11/14/03,

8. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) Said It's "Undisputed" That Saddam "Has Also Given Aid, Comfort, And Sanctuary To Terrorists, Including Al-Qaida Members." (Sen. Hillary Clinton, Congressional Record, 10/10/02, p. S10288)

9. Vice Chair Of The 9/11 Commission Lee Hamilton (D-IN): "[T]here Were Contacts Between Al Qaeda And Iraq Going Back Clear To The Early 1990s When Osama Bin Laden Was In Sudan, Then When He Was In Afghanistan. I Don't Think There's Any Dispute About That." (ABC's "This Week," 6/20/04)

10. Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) Acknowledged Iraq-Al Qaeda Relationship: "The Relationship Seemed To Have Its Roots In Mutual Exploitation. Saddam Hussein Used Terrorism For His Own Ends, And Osama Bin Laden Used A Nation-State For The Things That Only A Nation-State Can Provide." (Stephen F. Hayes, "An Intelligent Democrat …," The Weekly Standard, 12/15/03)

Edwards' Claim: The Bush Administration Must Bring Our Allies Into Iraq.

The Facts:

1. Kerry Dismissed Coalition Partners As "Window Dressing" And Claimed They're Not Sharing Burden Of War And Reconstruction. (CNN's "American Morning," 3/2/04)

2. Kerry Called Coalition "Fraudulent" And Claimed President Did Not Properly "Honor" U.N. "Process." (Sen. John Kerry, Fox News/Congressional Black Caucus Democrat Candidate Debate, Detroit, MI, 10/26/03)

3. Kerry Mocked Coalition As "Coerced" And "Bribed." (Herbert A. Sample, "Kerry Blasts Bush On Iraq Effort," Sacramento Bee, 3/14/03)

4. On June 8, 2004, The UN Security Council Passed Unanimously Resolution 1546, Which Endorsed The Formation Of An Iraqi Interim Government And Democratic Elections By January 2005, And Defined The Status Of The Multinational Force And Its Relationship With The New Iraqi Government. The UN Has Reestablished Its Iraq Mission. The UN Secretary General has appointed a new special representative to Iraq.

Edwards' Claim: President Bush Went Into Iraq Without A Plan To Win The Peace.

The Facts:

1. Kerry And Edwards Voted Against The $87 Billion Supplemental, Which Contains Funds For Iraq's Reconstruction, Including The Training And Equipping Of Iraqi Security Forces. PRESIDENT BUSH: "This legislation also includes nearly $20 billion to help build stable democratic societies in Iraq and Afghanistan. We will help train and equip the growing number of Iraqis and Afghans who are fighting and dying to defend and secure their rights. We'll help to upgrade hospitals and schools and repair infrastructure and improve basic services, including water, electricity and sanitation." (Remarks By The President At Signing Of HR 3289 - The Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act For Defense And For The Reconstruction Of Iraq And Afghanistan, 11/6/03)

2. Former Centcom Commander General Tommy Franks, US Army (Ret.), Says "There Was Actually Excellent Planning" For The Post-War Reconstruction. BLITZER: "Why was there such poor planning for the post-war reconstruction of Iraq?" "GENERAL FRANKS: "I don't think there was poor planning. I think there was actually excellent planning. I think if you take a look at the book, what you see is the use of the term 'catastrophic success' or 'catastrophic victory.' I think what we saw, Wolf, was that the combat forces moved up to Baghdad, isolated and removed the regime very, very quickly." (CNN's "Late Edition With Wolf Blitzer," 8/15/04)

Edwards' Claim: Republican Leaders Are Criticizing The President On Iraq.

The Facts:

1. Thirty Seven Democrats Were At Odds With Kerry And Edwards And Voted in Support Of The $87 Billion Iraq Supplemental Including: Akaka (D-HI), Baucus (D-MT), Bayh (D-IN), Biden (D-DE), Bingaman (D-NM), Breaux (D-LA), Cantwell (D-WA), Carper (D-DE), Clinton (D-NY), Conrad (D-ND), Corzine (D-NJ), Daschle (D-SD), Dayton (D-MN), Dodd (D-CT), Dorgan (D-ND), Durbin (D-IL), Feingold (D-WI), Feinstein (D-CA), Inouye (D-HI), Johnson (D-SD), Kohl (D-WI), Landrieu (D-LA), Levin (D-MI), Lieberman (D-CT), Lincoln (D-AR), Mikulski (D-MD), Miller (D-GA), Murray (D-WA), Nelson (D-FL), Nelson (D-NE), Pryor (D-AR), Reed (D-RI), Reid (D-NV), Rockefeller (D-WV), Schumer (D-NY), Stabenow (D-MI), And Wyden (D-OR).

2. Sen. John McCain Has Said The President "Deserves Not Only Our Support, But Our Admiration" Because Of His Resolve In Iraq. (Senator John McCain, Remarks At The Republican National Convention, New York, NY, 8/30/04)
Sen. Chuck Hagel Serves As Co-Chair Of The Bush-Cheney '04 Nebraska Leadership Team. (Bush-Cheney '04, "Bush-Cheney '04 Announces Nebraska Campaign Leadership Team," Press Release, 2/9/04)

3. Sen. Dick Lugar Recently Issued A Statement Praising President Bush And Criticizing John Kerry. "As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator John Kerry has failed to participate in almost two-dozen bipartisan open oversight hearings…. Without offering any alternative plans that our committee and the American people could debate, Senator Kerry has tried to argue that President Bush is concealing the truth and the potential that events in Iraq will become worse. In fact, with the participation of the administration, we have been publicly airing and examining all scenarios, including the worst outcomes. Through constructive bipartisan criticism, we believe that we have supported and strengthened the resolve and resources of our president, our troops, and the Iraqis." (Statement By Sen. Richard Lugar, 9/20/04)

Edwards' Claim: Not Enough Troops Were Deployed Immediately Following The Fall Of Saddam.

The Facts:

1. President Bush Is Listening To Our Commanders To Make Sure They Have The Troop Levels They Need. QUESTION: "And what's your answer to General John Abizaid's statement that, 'I think we will need more troops than we currently have?'" PRESIDENT BUSH: "If that's what he says -- he was in my office this morning; he didn't say that to me, but if he were to say that, I'd listen to him, just like I've said all along, that when our commanders say that they need support, they'll get support, because we're going to succeed in this mission." (President Bush and Prime Minister Allawi Press Conference, 9/23/04)

2. Bremer Says Iraq An “Integral Part Of Fighting This War On Terror,” Believes “We Currently Have Sufficient Troop Levels In Iraq.” “In a statement late last night, Bremer stressed that he fully supports the administration's plan for training Iraqi security forces as well as its overall strategy for Iraq. ‘I believe that we currently have sufficient troop levels in Iraq,’ he said in an e-mailed statement. He said all references in recent speeches to troop levels related to the situation when he arrived in Baghdad in May 2003 – ‘and when I believed we needed either more coalition troops or Iraqi security forces to address the looting.’…Bremer also said he believes winning the war in Iraq is an ‘integral part of fighting this war on terror.’” (Robin Wright And Thomas E. Ricks, “Bremer Criticizes Troop Levels,” The Washington Post, 10/5/04)

3. Bremer Supports President Bush’s Decision To Use Force In Removing Saddam Hussein From Power. “Bremer, in the statement, said he still supports Bush's decision to remove Hussein by force, the president's plan to train Iraqi security forces, and the ‘overall strategy in Iraq.’” (Todd Zeranski, “Bremer Says Current Military Strength In Iraq Is Sufficient,” Bloomberg, 10/5/04)


QUESTION 2


Edwards' Claim: Instead Of Using U.S. Forces To Capture Osama Bin Laden, The President Outsourced The Job To Afghan Warlords, Who Let Bin Laden Slip Away.

The Facts:

1. "In January 2002, Edwards Believed Hussein Was “In Fact Developing WMD – We Know He’ll Use Them.” SEN. JOHN EDWARDS: “The first issue you mentioned was Iraq. I actually believe that as long as we have somebody this hostile to the United States in Saddam Hussein, who is in fact developing weapons of mass destruction – we know he’ll use them; he’s violated the cease-fire agreement – the reality is that we can’t allow him to continue on the track he is. And I also believe that we can’t be secure and the region can’t be secure as long as he’s still in power.” (CNN’s “Late Edition,” 1/13/02)"

2. Former Centcom Commander General Tommy Franks, US Army (Ret.), Said There Was No Hesitation At Tora Bora. QUESTION: "This is second-guessing Afghanistan: Do you believe Osama bin Laden may have been killed or captured had we not hesitated in Tora Bora?" GEN. FRANKS: "[I]t's difficult for me to look back and talk about any, sort of, hesitation. I guess I would say that those people who were on the ground and involved in that operation didn't themselves sense any hesitation and neither did I." (Remarks by General Tommy R. Franks, West Palm Beach, FL, 11/12/02)

3. Tommy Franks Says It's "Absolutely Incorrect" That Resources Were Diverted From Afghanistan. GEN. FRANKS: "I caught just a part of a news conference that [Kerry] gave wherein he talked about how bad it was that the Commander-in-Chief had taken troops away from me and put those out of Afghanistan and put those troops to work in Iraq. Sean, that's absolutely incorrect. You know, hey, my name's Tommy Franks, and I don't lie. Reading my book the way you have, I would refer you to page 386 of my book where we go ahead and we talk about the fact that the President used to stress to me every day his concern that we should not distract from Afghanistan and the fight there while we were conducting Iraq. We entered Iraq with 9,500 troopers in Afghanistan. And by the time we finished major combat in Afghanistan-or in Iraq-we had 10,000 troops in Afghanistan." (ABC Radio's "The Sean Hannity Show," 9/21/04)


QUESTION 3


Edwards' Claim: The President Has Allowed The Nuclear Danger Posed By North Korea To Mount Under His Watch.

The Facts:

1. North Korea Is Hoping For Kerry To Beat President Bush And Soften America's Resolve. "Pyongyang, analysts say, is rooting for Sen. John F. Kerry, Sen. John Edwards, the Rev. Al Sharpton - in fact, virtually anyone other than George W. Bush - to be the next U.S. president. … 'North Korea is waiting for its own regime change – in D.C.,' said Pang Zhongying, professor of international relations at China's Nankai University." (Mark Magnier and Barbara Demick, "N. Korea May Be In 'Anybody But Bush' Camp," Los Angeles Times, 2/25/04)

2. North Korean Radio Touts Kerry's Policy Proposals. "Mr Kerry was first introduced to North Korea's information-starved people in early February, when Radio Pyongyang reported that opinion polls indicated he was likely to defeat Mr Bush. A few days later, the station broadcast comments by Mr Kerry criticising Mr Bush for deceiving the world about Iraq's elusive weapons of mass destruction. Later in February, KCNA welcomed Mr Kerry's pledge to adopt a more 'sincere attitude' towards North Korea if elected. 'Senator Kerry, who is seeking the presidential candidacy of the Democratic Party, sharply criticised President Bush, saying it was an ill-considered act to deny direct dialogue with North Korea,' said the news agency. Pyongyang's friendly attitude towards Mr Kerry contrasts with its strong anti-Bush rhetoric." (Andrew Ward Seoul and James Harding, "North Korea Warms To Kerry Presidency Bid," The Financial Times, 3/4/04)

3. Under President Bush's Leadership, the International Community Is Insisting That North Korea Dismantle Its Nuclear Program. PRESIDENT BUSH: "In the Pacific, North Korea has defied the world, has tested long-range ballistic missiles, admitted its possession of nuclear weapons, and now threatens to build more. Together with our partners in Asia, America is insisting that North Korea completely, verifiably, and irreversibly dismantle its nuclear programs." (Remarks by the President on Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation, 2/11/04)

4. Kerry Said He "Will Renew Bilateral Negotiations Immediately." KERRY: And as president…I will renew bilateral negotiations immediately with North Korea. (Sen. John Kerry, Remarks To Council On Foreign Relations, New York, NY, 12/3/03)
Kerry Wants To Return To the Failed Clinton Administration Policy of Direct Talks. MR. McCLELLAN: "Senator Kerry would have us return to the failed Clinton administration policy. That failed policy allowed North Korea to dupe the United States. It would be the wrong approach to go down that road again. ... North Korea did not abide by [the 1994 Agreed] Framework. They said that they would agree to a freeze on their nuclear weapons programs. And we found that they, in fact, did not freeze their nuclear weapons programs. …That failed bilateral approach is the wrong way to go." (Press Gaggle, 9/13/04)

5. The Washington Post Suggested The Use Of Force In Iraq "May Have Encouraged North Korea To Compromise." "The success of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq also may have encouraged North Korea to compromise, according to South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun. He said Thursday that he thought the U.S. advance had terrified North Korea, which fears it will be attacked next by the United States." (Doug Struck, "North Korea Drops Its Demand For One-On-One Talks With U.S.," The Washington Post, 4/1/03)

6. Despite Speculation Before The War In Iraq, North Korea Has Not Tried "To Take Advantage" Of US Focus On Iraq To "Take Provocative Actions." NPR'S JOHN YDSTIE: "[S]ome analysts had feared North Korea might try to take advantage of the fact that the US was preoccupied with the war in Iraq and take provocative actions, but I guess that hasn't really happened, has it?" NPR'S ERIC WEINER: "No, it hasn't. They did launch a short-range missile a few weeks ago, but that was seen as fairly innocuous. What's more interesting, as you say, is what they have not done. They haven't launched any long-range ballistic missiles as some fear they may have. They have not conducted an underground nuclear test, another concern." (NPR's "All Things Considered," 4/12/03)

7. American Enterprise Institute's Nicholas Eberstadt Says Progress In Iraq Has Strengthened The U.S. Position Not Only With North Korea But Also With North Korea's Neighbors. "Nicholas Eberstadt, an authority on North Korea at the American Enterprise Institute, said the swift U.S. progress in Iraq had increased both its bargaining position with North Korea and its sway over the friends and allies in the region that it would need to cooperate in securing arms-control pledges from Pyongyang. 'Shock and awe hasn't only happened in Iraq,' Eberstadt said. 'It's happening all through the axis of evil and even beyond.'" (Mike Allen, "Bush: Iraq War Drove N. Korea To Concede," The Washington Post, 4/14/03)

8. Former Clinton Administration Foreign Policy Official Dennis Ross Acknowledges Our Success In Iraq Is Forcing Other Regimes, Like North Korea, To Change Their Tone. "Everyone sees a new reality, and they're figuring out how to best adjust to it ... Even if it's just maneuvering, it shows they are prepared to look differently at how things should be done." (Barbara Slavin, "In Wake Of War, U.S. Adversaries Change Their Tone," USA Today, 4/14/03)

9. NPR's Eric Weiner Suggested Bush Administration Actions Have Kept North Korea In Check. "We don't know why they've been quiet, but one possibility is that the US has beefed up its military presence here to send the message to North Korea that although the US is involved in a war in Iraq, it has not forgotten about North Korea and it's watching the situation closely." (NPR's "All Things Considered," 4/12/03)

Edwards' Claim: The President's Policy In Iraq Took Our Attention And Resources Away From The Threat Posed By Iran.

The Facts:

1. In 1994, Kerry Listed Iran Among "Outlaw Nations." (Sen. John Kerry, Congressional Record, 6/16/94, p. S7014)

2. However, In 2002 Kerry Said He Would Not Have "Lumped" Iran "In With Iraq" In Axis Of Evil And Suggested Phrase "Helps To Strengthen The Anti-American Hand" In Iran. (MSNBC's "Hardball," 2/5/02; Dave Boyer, "Daschle Takes Back Criticism Of Bush's 'Axis Of Evil,'" The Washington Times, 2/13/02)

3. In 2003, When Asked What He Would Do As President If Given "Solid Evidence That Iran Is Developing Nuclear Weaponry," Kerry Said He Would "Go To The United Nations." (CNN Democrat Presidential Candidates Debate, Phoenix, AZ, 10/9/03)

4. In 2003, Kerry Criticized The Bush Administration For "Stubbornly Refus[ing] To Conduct A Realistic, Non-Confrontational Policy With Iran …" (Sen. John Kerry, Remarks To Council On Foreign Relations, New York, NY, 12/3/03)

5. Under President Bush's Leadership, the International Community Is Working To Ensure That Iran Does Not Develop Nuclear Weapons. PRESIDENT BUSH: "[T]he government of Iran is unwilling to abandon a uranium enrichment program capable of producing material for nuclear weapons. The United States is working with our allies and the International Atomic Energy Agency to ensure that Iran meets its commitments and does not develop nuclear weapons." (Remarks by the President on Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation, 2/11/04)

6. Kerry Campaign Sent Email Republished In Tehran Times That Pledged More Friendly Relations With Iranian Regime. "In fact, on Feb. 8, the Tehran Times published in full an e-mail sent by the Kerry campaign to a government news agency promising that a President Kerry would try to restore relations 'at risk' due to 'the actions and attitudes' of the Bush administration. 'Disappointment with the current U.S. leadership is widespread,' the e-mail said, 'extending not just to the corridors of power and politics, but to the man and woman on the street as well.'" (Diana West, "Kerry's Axis," The Washington Times, 3/12/04)

7. One Of Kerry's Top Fundraisers Advocates More Open Relations With Iranian Regime. Iranian-American businessman Hassan Nemazee is a fundraising vice chair for John Kerry's presidential campaign who has raised at least $100,000 for the campaign. "[M]r. Nemazee has a reputation for supporting the opening of trade relations with Iran." (IAPAC Website, "Mr. Hassan Nemazee," http://www.iranianamericanpac.org/leadership/p_nemazee.shtml, Accessed 2/8/04; John Kerry For President Website, "Vice Chairs," www.johnkerry.com/pdf/topfundraisers.pdf, Accessed 6/3/04; Eli Lake, "Kerry's Fund-Raiser Worries Advocates Of Iran Democracy," The New York Sun, 1/27/04)

8. In December 2003, Kerry Said He Believes America Should Pursue A "Non-Confrontational" Policy Toward Iran. KERRY: "..[T]he Bush administration stubbornly refuses to conduct a realistic, non-confrontational policy with Iran, even where it may be possible, as we witnessed most recently in the British-French-German initiative. As president, I will be prepared early on to explore areas of mutual interest with Iran, just as I was prepared to normalize relations with Vietnam a decade ago…" (Sen. John F. Kerry, Speech at Council on Foreign Relations, 12/3/03; available at: http://www.cfr.org/campaign2004/pub6576/kerry/making_america_secure_again_settin g_the_right_course_for_foreign_poli cy.php)

Edwards' Claim: Kerry Would Not Require A “Global Test” For Defending America.

The Facts:

1. Kerry Says America's Self-Defense Must Pass A "Global Test." "No president, through all of American history, has ever ceded, and nor would I, the right to preempt in any way necessary to protect the United States of America. But if and when you do it, Jim, you have to do it in a way that passes the test, that passes the global test where your countrymen, your people understand fully why you're doing what you're doing and you can prove to the world that you did it for legitimate reasons." (Sen. John Kerry, First Presidential Debate, Miami, FL, 9/30/04)


QUESTION 4


Edwards' Claim: The Bush Administration Has Shown Disdain For Allies, Treaties And International Organizations.

The Facts:

1. Kerry Dismissed Coalition Partners As "Window Dressing" And Claimed They're Not Sharing Burden Of War And Reconstruction. (CNN's "American Morning," 3/2/04)

2. Kerry Mocked Coalition As "Coerced" And "Bribed." (Herbert A. Sample, "Kerry Blasts Bush On Iraq Effort," Sacramento Bee, 3/14/03)

3. A Multinational Force Of Some 30 Nations Continues To Help Secure A Free Iraq. PRESIDENT BUSH: "The multinational force of some 30 nations continues to help secure a free Iraq, and we are grateful for the service and sacrifice of all." (President's Radio Address, 9/25/04)

4. In Addition to the United States, Other Coalition Members Are Providing Approximately 25,000 Troops To Assist Our Efforts In Iraq. (Robert Burns, "U.S. Offensive Hinges on Iraq Elections," The Associated Press, 9/29/04)

5. 37 Nations Are Contributing Troops To The NATO-Led Force In Afghanistan. (NATO in Afghanistan Factsheet, NATO, http://www.nato.int/issues/afghanistan/040628-factsheet.htm)

6. NATO Is Training Iraqi Security Forces And The United Nations Is Helping Iraq Prepare For Elections. (President's Radio Address, 9/25/04)

Edwards' Claim: Compared To Our Coalition Partners, America Is Bearing A Disproportionate Amount Of The Burden In Iraq. 90 Percent Of The Casualties Are American.

The Facts:

1. A Multinational Force Of Some 30 Nations Continues To Help Secure A Free Iraq. PRESIDENT BUSH: "The multinational force of some 30 nations continues to help secure a free Iraq, and we are grateful for the service and sacrifice of all." (President's Radio Address, 9/25/04)

2. In Addition to the United States, Other Coalition Members Are Providing Approximately 25,000 Troops To Assist Our Efforts In Iraq. (Robert Burns, "U.S. Offensive Hinges on Iraq Elections," The Associated Press, 9/29/04)

3. The U.S. Army General In Charge Of Training Effort In Iraq Says "Iraqi Security Forces Are In The Fight" And Have Made Tremendous Sacrifices. "Most important, Iraqi security forces are in the fight - so much so that they are suffering substantial casualties as they take on more and more of the burdens to achieve security in their country. Since Jan. 1 more than 700 Iraqi security force members have been killed, and hundreds of Iraqis seeking to volunteer for the police and military have been killed as well." (Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus, US Army, "Battling for Iraq," Washington Post, 9/26/04)

4. Kerry Dismissed Coalition Partners As "Window Dressing" And Claimed They're Not Sharing Burden Of War And Reconstruction. (CNN's "American Morning," 3/2/04)

5. Kerry Mocked Coalition As "Coerced" And "Bribed." "'If the federal government can find billions of dollars for the "coalition of the coerced and the bribed," why can't it provide vital aid for schools, health care and law enforcement?' asked Kerry." (Herbert A. Sample, "Kerry Blasts Bush On Iraq Effort," Sacramento Bee, 3/14/03)

6. In First Dem Debate, Kerry Strongly Supported President's Action In Iraq. KERRY: "I said at the time I would have preferred if we had given diplomacy a greater opportunity, but I think it was the right decision to disarm Saddam Hussein, and when the President made the decision, I supported him, and I support the fact that we did disarm him." (John Kerry, Remarks At Democrat Presidential Candidate Debate, Columbia, SC, 5/3/03)

7. Kerry Previously Questioned Where Russia And France's Backbone To Stand Up To Saddam Was. SEN. JOHN KERRY: "So clearly the allies may not like it, and I think that's our great concern – where's the backbone of Russia, where's the backbone of France, where are they in expressing their condemnation of such clearly illegal activity, but in a sense, they're now climbing into a box and they will have enormous difficulty not following up on this if there is not compliance by Iraq." (CNN's "Crossfire," 11/12/97)

8. NATO Is Training Iraqi Security Forces And The United Nations Is Helping Iraq Prepare For Elections. (President's Radio Address, 9/25/04)


QUESTION 5


Edwards' Claim: The Department Of Defense's Contracting Process In Iraq Is Rife With Cronyism And Secrecy.

The Facts:

1. FactCheck.org: Kerry's Attacks Against The Vice President's Ties To Halliburton "False." "A Kerry ad released Sept 17 once again attacks Cheney's ties to Halliburton, implying that Cheney is profiting from the company's contracts in Iraq. That's false. The ad isn't subtle. It says, 'As vice president, Dick Cheney received $2 million from Halliburton. Halliburton got billions in no bid contracts in Iraq. Dick Cheney got $2 million. What did we get?' And it implies that Cheney lied to the public when he said in a TV interview that 'I have no financial interest in Halliburton of any kind.' But as we document here, Cheney has insulated himself financially from whatever might happen to Halliburton. The Kerry ad misstates the facts." ("Kerry Ad Falsely Accuses Cheney On Halliburton," FactCheck.Org, 9/30/04, http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docid=261, Accessed 9/30/04)

2. GAO Investigators Found Iraq/Halliburton Contracts Legal. "[I]n fact, investigators from the General Accounting Office (GAO) found Halliburton's no-bid contracts to be legal and probably justified by the Pentagon's wartime needs." ("Anti-Bush Ad Overstates Case Against Halliburton, Factcheck.org Website, www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docid=201, Accessed 6/21/04)

3. At A June 2004 Government Reform Committee Hearing, "Six Defense Department Witnesses At The Hearing All Said They Knew Of No Cheney Influence." (Larry Margasak, "Official: Cheney Not Briefed On Iraq Work," The Associated Press, 6/16/04)

4. At A March 2004 Government Reform Committee, Defense Department Witnesses Each Answer That Vice President Cheney Had "No" Influence Over Contracts. (T. Christian Miller, "Halliburton Contracts Focus Of Hearing," Los Angeles Times, 3/12/04)

5. Clinton Procurement Official Steven Kelman Called Allegations Against Halliburton "Somewhere Between Highly Improbable And Utterly Absurd." (Steven Kelman, Op-Ed, "No 'Cronyism' In Iraq," The Washington Post, 11/6/03)

6. Clinton's Undersecretary Of Commerce William Reinsch Said Halliburton Controversy Is Overblown. "'Halliburton has a distinguished track record,' he said. 'They do business in some 120 countries. This is a group of people who know what they're doing in a difficult business. It's a particularly difficult business when people are shooting at you.'" (James Rosen, "Is Iraq's Reconstruction Rigged?" The [Raleigh] News & Observer, 10/5/03)

7. Halliburton Received No-Bid Contracts During Clinton Administration For Work In Bosnia And Kosovo. (Max Boot, Op-Ed, "Don't Blame Halliburton," Los Angeles Times, 4/22/04)

Edwards' Claim: Vice President Cheney Tried To Kill More Than 81 Weapons Programs, Including M-1 Tanks, Apache Helicopters, F-16 Fighter Planes And B-2 Bombers.

The Facts:

1. At The Height Of The Cold War, Kerry's 1984 Senate Campaign Defense Position Paper Called For Cancellation Of: MX Missile, B-1 Bomber, Anti-satellite system, Star Wars [Strategic Defense Initiative], AH-64 Helicopters, Patriot Air Defense Missile, Aegis Air-Defense Cruiser, Battleship Reactivation, AV-8B Vertical Takeoff and Landing Aircraft, F-15 Fighter Aircraft, F-14A Fighter Aircraft, F-14D Fighter Aircraft, Phoenix Air-to-Air Missile, Sparrow Air-to-Air Missile ("John Kerry On The Defense Budget," Campaign Position Paper, John Kerry For U.S. Senate, 1984)

2. According To His Foreign Policy Advisor, Kerry's Proposed Cuts Formed "Overall Defense Strategy." ("Kerry Asks $54 Billion Cut In Reagan Defense Budget," Berkshire Eagle, 5/30/84)

3. Kerry Proposed Further Defense Cuts Even After Reductions At The End Of The Cold War. "Even after the end of the Cold War and the relatively dramatic reductions in U.S. forces achieved through arms control and a new defense plan, and even after Bill Clinton further reduced U.S. defense forces by an additional 40 percent, Mr. Kerry proposed even more cuts…. In 1993, he proposed additional massive defense cuts of some additional $54 billion in the short term, and hundreds of billions over the long term. Even this was too much for his Democratic colleagues, who responded by noting his proposals were dangerous, and if implemented, they would undermine our nation's security." (Peter Huessy, "Examine the Record," The Washington Times, 8/20/04)

4. Then-Defense Secretary Cheney Made Defense Policy Decisions At The End Of The Cold War. "In 1991, then-Secretary of Defense Cheney proposed cuts in our defense inventory at the end of the Cold War. He proposed reductions in the U.S. military in the context of the most sweeping arms-control agreements dealing with both conventional and nuclear weapons, including the Conventional Forces in Europe treaty and START I, the treaty eliminating nearly 6,000 nuclear weapons…. Mr. Cheney also proposed replacing some of the reduced weapons with more modern weapons, such as the C-17 and the F-22, while also proposing to cut weapons that were over budget and not meeting technical expectations." (Peter Huessy, "Examine the Record," Washington Times, 8/20/04)

5. While On The Senate Intelligence Committee, Kerry Missed 76 Percent Of Public Hearings. During John Kerry's eight years of service on the Senate's Select Committee on Intelligence, there were 49 open, public hearings. Of these 49, John Kerry attended just 11 (22.4 percent). (Factcheck.Org, "Bush Nails Kerry's Poor Attendance At Intelligence Committee Hearings," 8/17/04, Available At http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docid=241)

6. In 1994, Not Long After The First World Trade Center Attack, Kerry Proposed Amendment To Cut Intelligence Budget By $6 Billion Across The Board Over Six Years.

7. Of Thirteen Public Hearings Of Senate Select Intelligence Committee Since Edwards Joined Committee, He Has Attended Just Four. The Senate Intelligence Committee had held thirteen open, public hearings since Edwards joined the committee and he attended four of them (31%). This does not count numerous closed-door hearings, which we have no way of knowing if Edwards attended or not. It also does not count the hearings (some open, some closed) of the joint House-Senate Intelligence Committee investigation into the 9/11 attacks.

8. The $87 Billion Supplemental Funding Bill Kerry And Edwards Voted Against Provided "Extra Money For Body Armor For Soldiers …" ("Highlights Of Iraq, Afghanistan Measures," The Associated Press, 10/17/03; S. Rept. 108-160, Conference Report On S. 1689, 10/2/03)

9. Kerry Had Characterized A Vote Against The Funding As "Irresponsible." (CBS' "Face the Nation," 9/14/03)

10. Kerry Later Offered A Tortured Explanation Of His Vote Against The $87 Billion To Support Troops In Iraq. "I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it." (Richard W. Stevenson And Adam Nagourney, "Bush's Campaign Emphasizes Role Of Leader In War," The New York Times, 3/17/04)

11. Kerry Said He Was "Proud" That He And Edwards Voted Against $87 Billion In Funding For U.S. Soldiers, Then Said His Vote Against Body Armor And Supplies For Troops Was "Complicated." (John Kerry, Remarks At "Women's Voices: A Luncheon With John Kerry," Boston, MA, 7/12/04; MSNBC's "Imus In The Morning," 7/15/04)

12. Kerry Even Said His Vote For The War And Against Funding For Our Troops Was "Not A Flip-Flop."(CBS' "Evening News," 7/21/04)

13. Kerry Then Defended His Vote Against The $87 Billion By Saying President Bush "Didn't Have A Plan To Win The Peace, It Was Irresponsible To Give [President Bush] A Blank Check That Gave $20 Billion That Was Going To Go…To Halliburton And All These Other Companies." (Mike Allen And Lois Romano, "Closing Laps In Race To November," The Washington Post, 9/4/04)

14. Kerry Said He's "Glad" He Voted Against The Iraq Supplemental. (CBS' "The Late Show With David Letterman," 9/20/04)

15. Edwards Tried To Add $10 Million For North Carolina Wilderness Park To FY 2003 Iraq/Afghanistan War Supplemental. In 2003, Edwards attached an amendment (with no co-sponsors) creating the “Blue Ridge National Heritage Area” to the Defense Department supplemental appropriations bill, which supported “operations in Iraq, Department of Homeland Security, and related efforts…” The amendment requested $10,000,000 to preserve and protect a natural area in North Carolina. (S. Amdt. 484, Submitted 4/3/03, Congressional Record, pp. S4859-S4860)


QUESTION 6


Edwards' Claim: The President Is Not Being Honest About The Timetable For The Iraq Election.

The Facts:

1. In First Dem Debate, Kerry Strongly Supported President's Action In Iraq. SEN. JOHN KERRY: "I said at the time I would have preferred if we had given diplomacy a greater opportunity, but I think it was the right decision to disarm Saddam Hussein, and when the President made the decision, I supported him, and I support the fact that we did disarm him." (ABC News, Democrat Presidential Candidate Debate, Columbia, SC, 5/3/03)

2. The Goal Of Holding Elections By January 2005 Is Strongly Supported By Prime Minister Allawi And The Iraqi Interim Government.

3. The UN Has Already Started Deploying A Team Of International Elections Experts To Iraq To Assist The Work Of The Iraqi Elections Commission.

4. The UN Selected An Independent 7-Member Iraqi Elections Commission, From A Pool Of Over A Thousand Self-Nominated Candidates, This Past Spring. The Iraqi Elections Commission operates independently, with its own offices and budget, and will supervise the preparations for the national direct elections for the Transitional National Assembly, no later than January 31, 2005.

5. The Commission Is Now Engaged In The Process Of Drafting Regulations To Regulate The Elections Process.

6. The US Is Supporting Political Party Building And Civil Society Organization Activities By NGOs, Including IRI And NDI.

Edwards' Claim: Just 5,000 Iraqi Soldiers Have Been Fully Trained, And Of The 35,000 Police Now In Uniform, Not One Has Completed A 24-Week Field-Training Program.

The Facts:

1. The U.S. Army General In Charge Of Training Effort In Iraq Says There Are "164,000 Iraqi Police And Soldiers (Of Which About 100,000 Are Trained And Equipped) And An Additional 74,000 Facility Protection Forces." "Today approximately 164,000 Iraqi police and soldiers (of which about 100,000 are trained and equipped) and an additional 74,000 facility protection forces are performing a wide variety of security missions. Equipment is being delivered. Training is on track and increasing in capacity. Infrastructure is being repaired. Command and control structures and institutions are being reestablished." (Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus, US Army, "Battling for Iraq," Washington Post, 9/26/04)

2. The 5,000 Number Kerry Cites Is Just The Number Of The Iraqi Army That Have Been Trained And Excludes, The Iraqi National Guard, Intervention Force, Special Ops, Air Force And Coastal Defense Forces.

3. The State Department's Iraq Weekly Status Report That Kerry Was Relying On Clearly States That Nearly 42,000 Members Of The Iraqi Armed Forces Have Been Trained. More than 14,000 Iraqi armed forces members are currently in training. Kerry's math also doesn't account for the fact that more than 56,000 members of the Iraqi military are already "on hand" or "on duty." (http://www.defendamerica.gov/downloads/Iraq-WeeklyUpdate-20040915.pdf)

4. That Report Also Showed That Over 100,000 Iraqi Police Forces On Duty, Over 50,000 In The Process Of Being Trained, And Another 50,000 That Have Completed Their Training. Again, Kerry hand-picked a single cell of a larger chart to play into his message of pessimism and defeat.
Kerry Advisor Richard Holbrooke Says French Troop Contribution in Iraq is "Not Realistic." HOLBROOKE: "Well, I don't think that anyone expects Chirac to call up the White House next January and say, 'How many divisions in Iraq?' That's not realistic, and John Kerry knows it." (Fox News', "Fox News Sunday," 9/12/04)

Edwards' Claim: President Bush Rushed To War Without Fully Equipping Our Troops With Body Armor.

The Facts:

1. "All Front Line Troops In Iraq Had Interceptor Body Armor During Offensive Operations In Iraq In Early 2003." "All soldiers and Defense Department civilians and contractors in Iraq have had interceptor body armor since January 2004." (House Armed Services Committee, "Talking Points: Protecting Our Troops," 3/24/04)

2. Every Solider And Marine In Iraq Had Body Armor, But Only Some Had Brand New Interceptor Body Armor, While Others Had Older Model. JOINT CHIEFS VICE CHAIRMAN PETER PACE: "Every soldier and Marine on the ground over had body armor. The difference is, is that our industry has produced an even better body armor than what we have, so what the folks went over to the war with is what we've been wearing for several years, which is body armor that's very, very good against a certain caliber of munition. The new body armor is better against large caliber munition, industry produced it and Congress funded it and industries producing as fast as they can and as fast as they're making it we're getting it to Iraq. The projection is that by December of this year [2003] everybody in Iraq will have the new armor, so everybody has armor it's the difference between whether they have the most recent capacity armor or the armor that we've been wearing – body armor that we've been wearing for a couple years." (U.S. Department Of Defense Website, "[Donald] Rumsfeld And Gen. Pace Stakeout At The House Of Representatives," http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/2003/tr20031021-secdef0805.html, 10/21/03)

3. At Beginning Of War, Troops Had At Minimum Same Body Armor Troops Have Worn For "Past 10, 15, 20 Years," And All U.S. Troops And Civilians In Iraq Now Have New Interceptor Body Armor. NPR'S JUAN WILLIAMS: "Senator Kerry, who, as you know, is running for president, has made the charge that American servicemen and women have had to reach into their own pockets to pay for some body armor. Is that true?" JOINT CHIEFS VICE CHAIRMAN PETER PACE: "Those of us in uniform do not talk about politics nor should we. The fact of the matter is that there have been some units that in the early stages of the war had the kind of body armor that we have had for the past 10, 15, 20 years and that as the war was beginning we had a new prototype that the Army was trying out called SAPI Armor, that in fact was, when field-tested, much better than the body armor that everyone else had. Now in the Gulf region every single American, civilian military who's over there serving our country, has available to them a set of this SAPI Armor." (NPR's "Morning Edition," 3/18/04)

4. The $87 Billion Supplemental Funding Bill Kerry And Edwards Voted Against Provided "Extra Money For Body Armor For Soldiers …" ("Highlights Of Iraq, Afghanistan Measures," The Associated Press, 10/17/03; S. Rept. 108-160, Conference Report On S. 1689, 10/2/03)

Edwards' Claim: Kerry Says He Supported The Gulf War Coalition.

The Facts:

1. Kerry Called 1991 Gulf War Coalition "Shadow Battlefield Allies Who Barely Carry A Burden." "[I]n his 1991 floor statement, Kerry was dismissive of the elder Bush's coalition. That effort, he said, lacked 'a true United Nations collective security effort,' and he was critical of the then-president for trading favors for China's support and cozying up to Syria, despite its human rights record. 'I regret that I do not see a new world order in the United States going to war with shadow battlefield allies who barely carry a burden,' he said then. 'It is too much like the many flags policy of the old order in Vietnam, where other countries were used to try to mask the unilateral reality. I see international cooperation; yes, I see acquiescence to our position; I see bizarre new bedfellows and alliances, but I question if it adds up to a new world order.'" (Helen Dewar and Dan Balz, "Kerry's 19 Years in Senate Invite Scrutiny," Washington Post, 2/8/04)

Edwards' Claim: The President Rejected UN Help After The Successful Entry Into Baghdad.

The Facts:

1. The UN Has Reestablished Its Iraq Mission. The UN Secretary General has appointed a new special representative to Iraq.

2. On June 8, 2004, The UN Security Council Passed Unanimously Resolution 1546, Which Endorsed The Formation Of An Iraqi Interim Government And Democratic Elections By January 2005, And Defined The Status Of The Multinational Force And Its Relationship With The New Iraqi Government.

3. The United Nations Has Been Helping Iraq Prepare For Elections. (President's Radio Address, 9/25/04)

4. The UN Has Already Started Deploying A Team Of International Elections Experts To Iraq To Assist The Work Of The Iraqi Elections Commission.

5. The UN Selected An Independent 7-Member Iraqi Elections Commission, From A Pool Of Over A Thousand Self-Nominated Candidates, This Past Spring. The Iraqi Elections Commission operates independently, with its own offices and budget, and will supervise the preparations for the national direct elections for the Transitional National Assembly, no later than January 31, 2005.

6. In June, Leaders At The G-8 Sea Island Summit, The US-EU Summit, And The NATO Istanbul Summit All Voiced Strong, Unified Support For UNSCR 1546, The New Iraqi Government, And International Efforts To Assist The Iraqi People With The Reconstruction Of Their Country And Their Path Toward Free, National Elections.

7. Today About 30 Countries Make Up The Multinational Force In Iraq; Recently The Overwhelming Majority Of Them Issued Statements Condemning Terrorism, Kidnappings, And Executions That Have Occurred In Iraq.

8. At The June Summit, NATO Agreed To Prime Minister Allawi's Request For Assistance In Training Iraqi Security Forces. The NATO security team is already working in Iraq.


QUESTION 7


Edwards' Claim: President Bush Did Not Move Quickly Enough To Create The Department Of Homeland Security.

The Facts:

1. Kerry And Edwards Voted Six Times Against President Bush's Department Of Homeland Security, Stalling Its Creation By 112 Days. Kerry and Edwards repeatedly sided with labor unions against President Bush in the creation of a Department of Homeland Security.

2. In 2003, Kerry And Edwards Skipped Vote On $29.3 Billion Homeland Security Appropriations.

3. While On The Senate Intelligence Committee, Kerry Missed 76 Percent Of Public Hearings. During John Kerry's eight years of service on the Senate's Select Committee on Intelligence, there were 49 open, public hearings. Of these 49, John Kerry attended just 11 (22.4 percent). (Factcheck.org, "Bush Nails Kerry's Poor Attendance at Intelligence Committee Hearings," 8/17/04, Available At http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docID=241)

4. In 1994, Not Long After The First World Trade Center Attack, Kerry Proposed Amendment To Cut Intelligence Budget By $6 Billion Across The Board Over Six Years.

5. Of Thirteen Public Hearings Of Senate Select Intelligence Committee Since Edwards Joined Committee, He Has Attended Just Four. The Senate Intelligence Committee had held thirteen open, public hearings since Edwards joined the committee and he attended four of them (31%). This does not count numerous closed-door hearings, which we have no way of knowing if Edwards attended or not. It also does not count the hearings (some open, some closed) of the joint House-Senate Intelligence Committee investigation into the 9/11 attacks.

6. President Bush Created The Department Of Homeland Security. President Bush presided over the federal government's biggest reorganization in 50 years, merging 22 separate governmental entities into the new Department of Homeland Security, a cohesive department with the primary mission of safeguarding the security of the homeland. (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2005/homeland.html)

7. President Bush Established An Interim Office of Homeland Security. While the creation of a Department of Homeland Security was under consideration, President Bush appointed Tom Ridge to head up an interim Office of Homeland Security. The Office of Homeland Security helped to coordinate the collection and analysis of intelligence, as well as national efforts to prepare for and mitigate the consequences of terrorist threats or attacks within the United States. (http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/10/20011008.html)

Edwards' Claim: President Bush Did Not Respond With Enough Speed To The 9/11 Commission Report To Implement Intelligence Reform.

The Facts:

1. While On The Senate Intelligence Committee, Kerry Missed 76 Percent Of Public Hearings. During John Kerry's eight years of service on the Senate's Select Committee on Intelligence, there were 49 open, public hearings. Of these 49, John Kerry attended just 11 (22.4 percent). (Factcheck.Org, "Bush Nails Kerry's Poor Attendance At Intelligence Committee Hearings," 8/17/04, Available At http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docid=241)

2. In 1994, Not Long After The First World Trade Center Attack, Kerry Proposed Amendment To Cut Intelligence Budget By $6 Billion Across The Board Over Six Years.

3. Of Thirteen Public Hearings Of Senate Select Intelligence Committee Since Edwards Joined Committee, He Has Attended Just Four. The Senate Intelligence Committee had held thirteen open, public hearings since Edwards joined the committee and he attended four of them (31%). This does not count numerous closed-door hearings, which we have no way of knowing if Edwards attended or not. It also does not count the hearings (some open, some closed) of the joint House-Senate Intelligence Committee investigation into the 9/11 attacks.

4. The Administration Is Already Implementing 36 Of The 9/11 Commission's 41 Recommendations. (Scott McClellan, Press Gaggle, 8/3/04, Available At http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/08/20040803-5.html)

5. The President Has Already Committed To Appointing A National Intelligence Director In Accordance With The 9/11 Commission's Recommendations, And He Has Created A Task Force To Analyze The Commission's Other Proposals. (President's Remarks On Intelligence Reform, 8/2/04, Available At http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/08/20040802-2.html; Scott McClellan, Andrew Card And Dr. Condoleezza Rice, 8/2/04, Available At http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/08/20040802-6.html)

Edwards' Claim: President Bush Flip-Flopped On Creating The 9/11 Commission.

The Facts:

1. The President Signed Into Law The Bill Creating The 9/11 Commission. The bill was signed into law in November 2002. (http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/11/20021127-1.html)

2. The President Has Provided The 9/11 Commission With Unprecedented Cooperation. The Administration provided the 9/11 Commission with more than 900 interviews and 50 public hearings from current officials. The President and Vice President personally met with the Commission. Condoleeza Rice testified under oath, which is extremely rare for NSA Advisors. 2.5 million pages of documents and 1,000 audio tapes were turned over to the Commission, the most comprehensive outside review of documents in our nation’s history.

3. The Administration Is Already Implementing 36 Of The 9/11 Commission's 41 Recommendations. (Scott McClellan, Press Gaggle, 8/3/04, Available At http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/08/20040803-5.html)

Edwards' Claim: We Are Fighting A Growing Insurgency In An Ever-Widening War-Zone.

The Facts:

1. Kerry And Edwards Voted Against $87 Billion Iraq/Afghanistan Supplement Funding Bill.
The $87 Billion Supplemental Funding Bill Kerry And Edwards Voted Against Provided "Extra Money For Body Armor For Soldiers …" ("Highlights Of Iraq, Afghanistan Measures," The Associated Press, 10/17/03; S. Rept. 108-160, Conference Report On S. 1689, 10/2/03)
Kerry Had Characterized A Vote Against The Funding As "Irresponsible." (CBS' "Face the Nation," 9/14/03)

2. Kerry Later Offered A Tortured Explanation Of His Vote Against The $87 Billion To Support Troops In Iraq. "I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it." (Richard W. Stevenson And Adam Nagourney, "Bush's Campaign Emphasizes Role Of Leader In War," The New York Times, 3/17/04)

3. Kerry Said He Was "Proud" That He And Edwards Voted Against $87 Billion In Funding For U.S. Soldiers, Then Said His Vote Against Body Armor And Supplies For Troops Was "Complicated." (John Kerry, Remarks At "Women's Voices: A Luncheon With John Kerry," Boston, MA, 7/12/04; MSNBC's "Imus In The Morning," 7/15/04)

4. Colin Powell Has Explained That The Insurgency Is Being Driven By Those "Who Don't Want The Iraqi People To Be Free" And "Don't Want The Iraqi People To Vote." COLIN POWELL: "Well, we know that we have a tough situation, but there is no pessimism because we know we will defeat this insurgency and we know that we will drive forward to have elections, elections not just that the United States wants to have, but the Iraqi people want to have. And we are not going to be deterred from achieving the goal that we set out for ourselves to eliminate a terrible dictatorship and put in place a democracy. But there are those who are causing the trouble who don't want the Iraqi people to be free. They don't want the Iraqi people to vote. They don't want the Iraqi people to decide on their own leaders. They want the Iraqi people to have a totalitarian regime again, and this has to be resisted not just by the coalition but by the whole civilized world, by the Arab world." (Colin L. Powell, Interview on Al Jazeera, 9/29/04)


QUESTION 8


Edwards' Claim: President Bush Has Favored Enron.

The Facts:

1. Ken Lay Had Dinner At Kerry's Washington Home Almost A Year After His Company Collapsed. "Mr. Lay attended a dinner at the Georgetown town house Teresa Heinz Kerry shares with her husband on Sept. 23, 2002, in connection with her philanthropic work related to her first husband. Mr. Lay was one of about 12 trustees attending a board meeting of the H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economy and the Environment, said Thomas Lovejoy, the center's president. Mr. Kerry was campaigning in Washington State at the time, a Kerry spokesman said." (Robert Worth, "Edwards' Claims On Enron Draw Return Fire," The New York Times, 7/10/04)

2. Kerry Has Raised More Money From Paid Lobbyists Than Any Other Senator Over the past 15 Years. (Jim VandeHei, "Kerry Leads In Lobby Money," The Washington Post, 1/31/04)
The Enron Task Force Has Charged 31, Convicted 12 And Secured $161 Million In Restitution. (DOJ Press Release, 7/30/04, http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2004/July/05_crm_525.htm)

3. All Top Enron Officials, Including Ken Lay, Have Been Indicted. Charges have been filed against former CEO Ken Lay, former CEO Jeffrey Skilling, and CAO Richard Causey. CFO Andrew Fastow has already pled guilty to having committed securities and wire fraud. (http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2004/February/04_crm_099.htm; http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2003/May/03_crm_268.htm; http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2004/July/04_crm_470.htm; http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2004/January/04_crm_036.htm)

Edwards' Claim: The Vice President Has Used His Influence To Help Halliburton.

The Facts:

1. FactCheck.org: Kerry's Attacks Against The Vice President's Ties To Halliburton "False." "A Kerry ad released Sept 17 once again attacks Cheney's ties to Halliburton, implying that Cheney is profiting from the company's contracts in Iraq. That's false. The ad isn't subtle. It says, 'As vice president, Dick Cheney received $2 million from Halliburton. Halliburton got billions in no bid contracts in Iraq. Dick Cheney got $2 million. What did we get?' And it implies that Cheney lied to the public when he said in a TV interview that 'I have no financial interest in Halliburton of any kind.' But as we document here, Cheney has insulated himself financially from whatever might happen to Halliburton. The Kerry ad misstates the facts." ("Kerry Ad Falsely Accuses Cheney On Halliburton," FactCheck.Org, 9/30/04, http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docid=261, Accessed 9/30/04)

2. GAO Investigators Found Iraq/Halliburton Contracts Legal. "[I]n fact, investigators from the General Accounting Office (GAO) found Halliburton's no-bid contracts to be legal and probably justified by the Pentagon's wartime needs." ("Anti-Bush Ad Overstates Case Against Halliburton, Factcheck.org Website, www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docid=201, Accessed 6/21/04)

3. At A June 2004 Government Reform Committee Hearing, "Six Defense Department Witnesses At The Hearing All Said They Knew Of No Cheney Influence." (Larry Margasak, "Official: Cheney Not Briefed On Iraq Work," The Associated Press, 6/16/04)

4. At A March 2004 Government Reform Committee, Defense Department Witnesses Each Answer That Vice President Cheney Had "No" Influence Over Contracts. (T. Christian Miller, "Halliburton Contracts Focus Of Hearing," Los Angeles Times, 3/12/04)

5. Clinton Procurement Official Steven Kelman Called Allegations Against Halliburton "Somewhere Between Highly Improbable And Utterly Absurd." (Steven Kelman, Op-Ed, "No 'Cronyism' In Iraq," The Washington Post, 11/6/03)

6. Clinton's Undersecretary Of Commerce William Reinsch Said Halliburton Controversy Is Overblown. "'Halliburton has a distinguished track record,' he said. 'They do business in some 120 countries. This is a group of people who know what they're doing in a difficult business. It's a particularly difficult business when people are shooting at you.'" (James Rosen, "Is Iraq's Reconstruction Rigged?" The [Raleigh] News & Observer, 10/5/03)

Edwards' Claim: The President Has Allowed The Nuclear Danger Posed By Iran To Mount Under His Watch.

The Facts:

1. In 1994, Kerry Listed Iran Among "Outlaw Nations." (Sen. John Kerry, Congressional Record, 6/16/94, p. S7014)

2. However, In 2002 Kerry Said He Would Not Have "Lumped" Iran "In With Iraq" In Axis Of Evil And Suggested Phrase "Helps To Strengthen The Anti-American Hand" In Iran. (MSNBC's "Hardball," 2/5/02; Dave Boyer, "Daschle Takes Back Criticism Of Bush's 'Axis Of Evil,'" The Washington Times, 2/13/02)

3. In 2003, When Asked What He Would Do As President If Given "Solid Evidence That Iran Is Developing Nuclear Weaponry," Kerry Said He Would "Go To The United Nations." (CNN Democrat Presidential Candidates Debate, Phoenix, AZ, 10/9/03)

4. In 2003, Kerry Criticized The Bush Administration For "Stubbornly Refus[ing] To Conduct A Realistic, Non-Confrontational Policy With Iran …" (Sen. John Kerry, Remarks To Council On Foreign Relations, New York, NY, 12/3/03)

5. Under President Bush's Leadership, the International Community Is Working To Ensure That Iran Does Not Develop Nuclear Weapons. PRESIDENT BUSH: "[T]he government of Iran is unwilling to abandon a uranium enrichment program capable of producing material for nuclear weapons. The United States is working with our allies and the International Atomic Energy Agency to ensure that Iran meets its commitments and does not develop nuclear weapons." (Remarks by the President on Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation, 2/11/04)

6. Kerry Campaign Sent Email Republished In Tehran Times That Pledged More Friendly Relations With Iranian Regime. "In fact, on Feb. 8, the Tehran Times published in full an e-mail sent by the Kerry campaign to a government news agency promising that a President Kerry would try to restore relations 'at risk' due to 'the actions and attitudes' of the Bush administration. 'Disappointment with the current U.S. leadership is widespread,' the e-mail said, 'extending not just to the corridors of power and politics, but to the man and woman on the street as well.'" (Diana West, "Kerry's Axis," The Washington Times, 3/12/04)

7. One Of Kerry's Top Fundraisers Advocates More Open Relations With Iranian Regime. Iranian-American businessman Hassan Nemazee is a fundraising vice chair for John Kerry's presidential campaign who has raised at least $100,000 for the campaign. "[M]r. Nemazee has a reputation for supporting the opening of trade relations with Iran." (IAPAC Website, "Mr. Hassan Nemazee," http://www.iranianamericanpac.org/leadership/p_nemazee.shtml, Accessed 2/8/04; John Kerry For President Website, "Vice Chairs," www.johnkerry.com/pdf/topfundraisers.pdf, Accessed 6/3/04; Eli Lake, "Kerry's Fund-Raiser Worries Advocates Of Iran Democracy," The New York Sun, 1/27/04)

8. In December 2003, Kerry Said He Believes America Should Pursue A "Non-Confrontational" Policy Toward Iran. KERRY: "..[T]he Bush administration stubbornly refuses to conduct a realistic, non-confrontational policy with Iran, even where it may be possible, as we witnessed most recently in the British-French-German initiative. As president, I will be prepared early on to explore areas of mutual interest with Iran, just as I was prepared to normalize relations with Vietnam a decade ago…" (Sen. John F. Kerry, Speech at Council on Foreign Relations, 12/3/03; available at: http://www.cfr.org/campaign2004/pub6576/kerry/making_america_secure_again_settin g_the_right_course_for_foreign_poli cy.php)


QUESTION 9


Edwards' Claim: The Bush Administration Is Not Doing Enough To Bring Peace To The Middle East.

The Facts:

1. Kerry Has Taken Both Sides On Israel Security Fence. "US Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, the frontrunner in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, described Israel's construction of a security barrier as a 'legitimate act of self defense' after Sunday's suicide bombing in Jerusalem, clarifying a position he took in October when he told an Arab American audience, 'We don't need another barrier to peace.'" (Janine Zacharia, "Kerry Defends Security Fence," The Jerusalem Post, 2/25/04)


2. In 1997 Book, Kerry Called Yasser Arafat "Statesman" And "Role Model." (Sen. John Kerry, The New War, 1997, pp. 112-113)

3. President Bush Envisions Two States, Israel And Palestine, "Living Side By Side In Peace And Security." (President Bush Calls For New Palestinian Leadership, 6/24/02)


QUESTION 10


Edwards’ Claim: One Out Of Two Children In Cleveland Are Now Living In Poverty.

The Facts:

1. Nationally, the Poverty Rate For Families Was 10 Percent In 2003 (most recent year data is available), Below The Average For The 1990s Of 10.9 Percent. ("Income, Poverty And Health Insurance Coverage In The United States: 2003," Census Bureau, 8/04, http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty.html)

2. The Cleveland Metropolitan Area Unemployment Rate Declined 0.1 Percent To 6.3 Percent On A Non Seasonally Adjusted Basis In August. (Source: "METROPOLITAN AREA EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT: AUGUST 2004," BLS, 9/29/04)

Edwards' Claim: The Deferral In The Tax Code That Provides Tax Savings If Companies Locate Abroad Should Be Eliminated And Corporate Tax Rates Should Be Lowered By Five Percent.

The Facts:

1. Kerry Campaign Admits Proposal Would Not Stop Outsourcing. "Campaign officials acknowledged that the new plan would not stop the broader trend of outsourcing jobs to low-wage countries." ( "Kerry to Propose Eliminating a Tax Break on U.S. Companies' Overseas Profits," The New York Times, 3/26/04)

2. Kerry Now Claims "Benedict Arnold" Line Does Not Refer To Companies Outsourcing Jobs, Saying "I Support That." Kerry: "But the Benedict Arnold line applied, you know, I called a couple of times to overzealous speechwriters and said 'look that's not what I'm saying.' Benedict Arnold does not refer to somebody who in the normal course of business is going to go overseas and take jobs overseas. That happens. I support that. I understand that." (Jerry Seib, John Harwood And Jacob Schlesinger, "Excerpts From An Interview With John Kerry," The Wall Street Journal, 5/3/04)

[BrandNizzle]

is it just me...or does it seem like when a democrat or liberal does something that 'offends' people, or flip-flops his views on things and makes a total ass of himself, or contradicts most everything he says, he gets positive recognition and praise from the media and fellow democrats or liberals...but if a republican or conservative comes even remotely close to doing the same thing, it's a 'crime against humanity' and so on, declared by the media and anyone who is not a republican? it just seems to me like there is a double standard, and politicians (all of them, not just democrats) should stop acting like fucking children and start focusing ALL of their attention on the real issues, not who made what movie or who said what curse word or whatever the hell it is. grow the fuck up and get over your pride. im not saying bush is better, im not saying kerry is better...im saying if everyone tried to help each other out instead of always bashing each other and turning it into a fucking civil war of words, the country would be more united than we are now and we could all focus 100% on the real issues, instead of having to worry about what childish things are going on behind the scenes.



thats the hippie-est thing ive ever said, but fuck it

[kissbangkill]

is it just me...or does it seem like when a democrat or liberal does something that 'offends' people, or flip-flops his views on things and makes a total ass of himself, or contradicts most everything he says, he gets positive recognition and praise from the media and fellow democrats or liberals...but if a republican or conservative comes even remotely close to doing the same thing, it's a 'crime against humanity' and so on, declared by the media and anyone who is not a republican? it just seems to me like there is a double standard, and politicians (all of them, not just democrats) should stop acting like fucking children and start focusing ALL of their attention on the real issues, not who made what movie or who said what curse word or whatever the hell it is. grow the fuck up and get over your pride. im not saying bush is better, im not saying kerry is better...im saying if everyone tried to help each other out instead of always bashing each other and turning it into a fucking civil war of words, the country would be more united than we are now and we could all focus 100% on the real issues, instead of having to worry about what childish things are going on behind the scenes.



thats the hippie-est thing ive ever said, but fuck it

without going into too long of a ramble...that's what makes a conservative a CONSERVATIVE. they have conservative values, so to violate those is a big deal since it completely goes against their core values and what they stand for to begin with. a liberal is just that: LIBERAL. they have a more liberal outlook on the world and their values, hence they might do things that our mtv soaked minds would find "cool" and "hip". how often do you see conservative pop stars? not very. pop is short for popular. think about it. we live in a pretty liberal society as far as the mainstream is concerned, but if you go to podunk, ohio, chances are, those liberal acts aren't going to be near as accepted as they are in new york city and hollywood...and since all the major networks are in the bigger cities...that's what we see. bill clinton getting head in the oval office isn't going to go over as well in lubbock, texas as it is in hollywood, california.

not to say i don't agree with the second half of your paragraph. of course this would be a better world if everyone tried to help eachother out and fight for the common good instead of with eachother. but that's why we have the system we do. everyone has different values and opinions and there are leaders (using that term loosely) to represent those views. and since those values and opinions don't always agree with eachother....you have our current state.

yeah that was too long.

[MulletXCore]

check out theAudition, chicago band.
www.purevolume.com/theaudition
www.theauditionrock.com

[Frank Giaramita]

check out theAudition, chicago band.
www.purevolume.com/theaudition
www.theauditionrock.com

I'm going to rub my nuts on your face if i see another one of your stupid fucking band promotions in this goddamn section of the forums. Douche ass.

[Jason Tate]

What? Bush ignored intelligence? I guess whatever you want to believe is ok.
Please read the 9/11 commisson report, and come back.

[Jason Tate]

Sorry Tate, I'm posting more. I'm not trying to piss you off, I'm just trying to make it easier for people to read both sides and form an opinion instead of scouring the net to see the other views. This is one in particular changed my mind about alot. I know alot of people won't read this, so I bolded some stuff to spark their interest, but it should be read in full

Pre-Debate Fact


Edwards Said It: Iraq “Most Serious and Imminent Threat”

The Facts:

In February 2002, Edwards Called Iraq “Most Serious And Imminent Threat To Our Country.” SEN. JOHN EDWARDS: “I think Iraq is the most serious and imminent threat to our country. And I think they – as a result, we have to, as we go forward and as we develop policies about how we’re going to deal with each of these countries and what action, if any, we’re going to take with respect to them, I think each of them have to be dealt with on their own merits. And they do, in my judgment, present different threats. And I think Iraq and Saddam Hussein present the most serious and most imminent threat.” (CNN’s “Late Edition,” 2/24/02)


QUESTION 1


Edwards' Claim: President Bush Misleadingly Links Iraq And al Qaeda.

The Facts:

1. Kerry Warned Of Saddam's Ties To Terrorism. SEN. JOHN KERRY: "[T]here are set of principles here that are very large, larger in some measure than I think has been adequately conveyed, both internationally and certainly to the American people. Saddam Hussein has already used these weapons and has made it clear that he has the intent to continue to try, by virtue of his duplicity and secrecy, to continue to do so. That is a threat to the stability of the Middle East. It is a threat with respect to the potential of terrorist activities on a global basis. It is a threat even to regions near but not exactly in the Middle East." (Sen. John Kerry, Press Conference, 2/23/98)

2. Kerry Said Iraq "Is Critical" To Success Of War On Terror. SEN. JOHN KERRY: "Iraq may not be the war on terror itself, but it is critical to the outcome of the war on terror. And therefore any advance in Iraq is an advance forward in that. And I disagree with the Governor [Howard Dean]." (Fox News' "Special Report," 12/15/03)

3. Kerry Said Those In Iraq Are Fighting "On Behalf Of Freedom In The War On Terror." "Today marks a tragic milestone in the war in Iraq. More than 1,000 of America's sons and daughters have now given their lives on behalf of their country, on behalf of freedom in the war on terror. I think that the first thing that every American wants to say today is how deeply we each feel the loss." (CNN's "Wolf Blitzer Reports," 9/7/04)

4. Kerry Called Those Who Would Leave Saddam Alone "Naïve To The Point Of Grave Danger." (Sen. John Kerry, “Congressional Record,” 10/9/02, p. S10171)

5. Kerry Said Saddam's Miscalculations Is Biggest Concern, Not "Actual" WMD. KERRY: "Those are the things that–that I think present the greatest danger. He may even miscalculate and slide these weapons off to terrorist groups to invite them to be a surrogate to use them against the United States. It's the miscalculation that poses the greatest threat." (CBS' "Face The Nation," 9/15/02)

6. February 2002: John Edwards Called Iraq "Most Serious And Imminent Threat To Our Country." (CNN's "Late Edition," 2/24/02)

7. The Bush Administration Never Claimed A Direct Link Between Saddam Hussein and 9/11; Did Correctly Point To Iraq's Contacts With Al Qaeda. DR. CONDOLEEZZA RICE: "I think that the administration has made it clear that we have no evidence and have never claimed a direct link of Saddam Hussein and his regime to the events of September 11th, saying that he planned them or controlled them or something. It is very clear that he had links to terrorism that were broad and deep, including numerous contacts with al Qaeda, including an al Qaeda associate, a man named al Zarqawi, who was operating his network out of Baghdad. The network that ended up ordering the killing of an American citizen, an American diplomat in Jordan, Mr. Foley." (Interview Of Dr. Condoleezza Rice By WTVT-TV, Tampa, Florida, 11/14/03,

8. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) Said It's "Undisputed" That Saddam "Has Also Given Aid, Comfort, And Sanctuary To Terrorists, Including Al-Qaida Members." (Sen. Hillary Clinton, Congressional Record, 10/10/02, p. S10288)

9. Vice Chair Of The 9/11 Commission Lee Hamilton (D-IN): "[T]here Were Contacts Between Al Qaeda And Iraq Going Back Clear To The Early 1990s When Osama Bin Laden Was In Sudan, Then When He Was In Afghanistan. I Don't Think There's Any Dispute About That." (ABC's "This Week," 6/20/04)

10. Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) Acknowledged Iraq-Al Qaeda Relationship: "The Relationship Seemed To Have Its Roots In Mutual Exploitation. Saddam Hussein Used Terrorism For His Own Ends, And Osama Bin Laden Used A Nation-State For The Things That Only A Nation-State Can Provide." (Stephen F. Hayes, "An Intelligent Democrat …," The Weekly Standard, 12/15/03)

Edwards' Claim: The Bush Administration Must Bring Our Allies Into Iraq.

The Facts:

1. Kerry Dismissed Coalition Partners As "Window Dressing" And Claimed They're Not Sharing Burden Of War And Reconstruction. (CNN's "American Morning," 3/2/04)

2. Kerry Called Coalition "Fraudulent" And Claimed President Did Not Properly "Honor" U.N. "Process." (Sen. John Kerry, Fox News/Congressional Black Caucus Democrat Candidate Debate, Detroit, MI, 10/26/03)

3. Kerry Mocked Coalition As "Coerced" And "Bribed." (Herbert A. Sample, "Kerry Blasts Bush On Iraq Effort," Sacramento Bee, 3/14/03)

4. On June 8, 2004, The UN Security Council Passed Unanimously Resolution 1546, Which Endorsed The Formation Of An Iraqi Interim Government And Democratic Elections By January 2005, And Defined The Status Of The Multinational Force And Its Relationship With The New Iraqi Government. The UN Has Reestablished Its Iraq Mission. The UN Secretary General has appointed a new special representative to Iraq.

Edwards' Claim: President Bush Went Into Iraq Without A Plan To Win The Peace.

The Facts:

1. Kerry And Edwards Voted Against The $87 Billion Supplemental, Which Contains Funds For Iraq's Reconstruction, Including The Training And Equipping Of Iraqi Security Forces. PRESIDENT BUSH: "This legislation also includes nearly $20 billion to help build stable democratic societies in Iraq and Afghanistan. We will help train and equip the growing number of Iraqis and Afghans who are fighting and dying to defend and secure their rights. We'll help to upgrade hospitals and schools and repair infrastructure and improve basic services, including water, electricity and sanitation." (Remarks By The President At Signing Of HR 3289 - The Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act For Defense And For The Reconstruction Of Iraq And Afghanistan, 11/6/03)

2. Former Centcom Commander General Tommy Franks, US Army (Ret.), Says "There Was Actually Excellent Planning" For The Post-War Reconstruction. BLITZER: "Why was there such poor planning for the post-war reconstruction of Iraq?" "GENERAL FRANKS: "I don't think there was poor planning. I think there was actually excellent planning. I think if you take a look at the book, what you see is the use of the term 'catastrophic success' or 'catastrophic victory.' I think what we saw, Wolf, was that the combat forces moved up to Baghdad, isolated and removed the regime very, very quickly." (CNN's "Late Edition With Wolf Blitzer," 8/15/04)

Edwards' Claim: Republican Leaders Are Criticizing The President On Iraq.

The Facts:

1. Thirty Seven Democrats Were At Odds With Kerry And Edwards And Voted in Support Of The $87 Billion Iraq Supplemental Including: Akaka (D-HI), Baucus (D-MT), Bayh (D-IN), Biden (D-DE), Bingaman (D-NM), Breaux (D-LA), Cantwell (D-WA), Carper (D-DE), Clinton (D-NY), Conrad (D-ND), Corzine (D-NJ), Daschle (D-SD), Dayton (D-MN), Dodd (D-CT), Dorgan (D-ND), Durbin (D-IL), Feingold (D-WI), Feinstein (D-CA), Inouye (D-HI), Johnson (D-SD), Kohl (D-WI), Landrieu (D-LA), Levin (D-MI), Lieberman (D-CT), Lincoln (D-AR), Mikulski (D-MD), Miller (D-GA), Murray (D-WA), Nelson (D-FL), Nelson (D-NE), Pryor (D-AR), Reed (D-RI), Reid (D-NV), Rockefeller (D-WV), Schumer (D-NY), Stabenow (D-MI), And Wyden (D-OR).

2. Sen. John McCain Has Said The President "Deserves Not Only Our Support, But Our Admiration" Because Of His Resolve In Iraq. (Senator John McCain, Remarks At The Republican National Convention, New York, NY, 8/30/04)
Sen. Chuck Hagel Serves As Co-Chair Of The Bush-Cheney '04 Nebraska Leadership Team. (Bush-Cheney '04, "Bush-Cheney '04 Announces Nebraska Campaign Leadership Team," Press Release, 2/9/04)

3. Sen. Dick Lugar Recently Issued A Statement Praising President Bush And Criticizing John Kerry. "As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator John Kerry has failed to participate in almost two-dozen bipartisan open oversight hearings…. Without offering any alternative plans that our committee and the American people could debate, Senator Kerry has tried to argue that President Bush is concealing the truth and the potential that events in Iraq will become worse. In fact, with the participation of the administration, we have been publicly airing and examining all scenarios, including the worst outcomes. Through constructive bipartisan criticism, we believe that we have supported and strengthened the resolve and resources of our president, our troops, and the Iraqis." (Statement By Sen. Richard Lugar, 9/20/04)

Edwards' Claim: Not Enough Troops Were Deployed Immediately Following The Fall Of Saddam.

The Facts:

1. President Bush Is Listening To Our Commanders To Make Sure They Have The Troop Levels They Need. QUESTION: "And what's your answer to General John Abizaid's statement that, 'I think we will need more troops than we currently have?'" PRESIDENT BUSH: "If that's what he says -- he was in my office this morning; he didn't say that to me, but if he were to say that, I'd listen to him, just like I've said all along, that when our commanders say that they need support, they'll get support, because we're going to succeed in this mission." (President Bush and Prime Minister Allawi Press Conference, 9/23/04)

2. Bremer Says Iraq An “Integral Part Of Fighting This War On Terror,” Believes “We Currently Have Sufficient Troop Levels In Iraq.” “In a statement late last night, Bremer stressed that he fully supports the administration's plan for training Iraqi security forces as well as its overall strategy for Iraq. ‘I believe that we currently have sufficient troop levels in Iraq,’ he said in an e-mailed statement. He said all references in recent speeches to troop levels related to the situation when he arrived in Baghdad in May 2003 – ‘and when I believed we needed either more coalition troops or Iraqi security forces to address the looting.’…Bremer also said he believes winning the war in Iraq is an ‘integral part of fighting this war on terror.’” (Robin Wright And Thomas E. Ricks, “Bremer Criticizes Troop Levels,” The Washington Post, 10/5/04)

3. Bremer Supports President Bush’s Decision To Use Force In Removing Saddam Hussein From Power. “Bremer, in the statement, said he still supports Bush's decision to remove Hussein by force, the president's plan to train Iraqi security forces, and the ‘overall strategy in Iraq.’” (Todd Zeranski, “Bremer Says Current Military Strength In Iraq Is Sufficient,” Bloomberg, 10/5/04)


QUESTION 2


Edwards' Claim: Instead Of Using U.S. Forces To Capture Osama Bin Laden, The President Outsourced The Job To Afghan Warlords, Who Let Bin Laden Slip Away.

The Facts:

1. "In January 2002, Edwards Believed Hussein Was “In Fact Developing WMD – We Know He’ll Use Them.” SEN. JOHN EDWARDS: “The first issue you mentioned was Iraq. I actually believe that as long as we have somebody this hostile to the United States in Saddam Hussein, who is in fact developing weapons of mass destruction – we know he’ll use them; he’s violated the cease-fire agreement – the reality is that we can’t allow him to continue on the track he is. And I also believe that we can’t be secure and the region can’t be secure as long as he’s still in power.” (CNN’s “Late Edition,” 1/13/02)"

2. Former Centcom Commander General Tommy Franks, US Army (Ret.), Said There Was No Hesitation At Tora Bora. QUESTION: "This is second-guessing Afghanistan: Do you believe Osama bin Laden may have been killed or captured had we not hesitated in Tora Bora?" GEN. FRANKS: "[I]t's difficult for me to look back and talk about any, sort of, hesitation. I guess I would say that those people who were on the ground and involved in that operation didn't themselves sense any hesitation and neither did I." (Remarks by General Tommy R. Franks, West Palm Beach, FL, 11/12/02)

3. Tommy Franks Says It's "Absolutely Incorrect" That Resources Were Diverted From Afghanistan. GEN. FRANKS: "I caught just a part of a news conference that [Kerry] gave wherein he talked about how bad it was that the Commander-in-Chief had taken troops away from me and put those out of Afghanistan and put those troops to work in Iraq. Sean, that's absolutely incorrect. You know, hey, my name's Tommy Franks, and I don't lie. Reading my book the way you have, I would refer you to page 386 of my book where we go ahead and we talk about the fact that the President used to stress to me every day his concern that we should not distract from Afghanistan and the fight there while we were conducting Iraq. We entered Iraq with 9,500 troopers in Afghanistan. And by the time we finished major combat in Afghanistan-or in Iraq-we had 10,000 troops in Afghanistan." (ABC Radio's "The Sean Hannity Show," 9/21/04)


QUESTION 3


Edwards' Claim: The President Has Allowed The Nuclear Danger Posed By North Korea To Mount Under His Watch.

The Facts:

1. North Korea Is Hoping For Kerry To Beat President Bush And Soften America's Resolve. "Pyongyang, analysts say, is rooting for Sen. John F. Kerry, Sen. John Edwards, the Rev. Al Sharpton - in fact, virtually anyone other than George W. Bush - to be the next U.S. president. … 'North Korea is waiting for its own regime change – in D.C.,' said Pang Zhongying, professor of international relations at China's Nankai University." (Mark Magnier and Barbara Demick, "N. Korea May Be In 'Anybody But Bush' Camp," Los Angeles Times, 2/25/04)

2. North Korean Radio Touts Kerry's Policy Proposals. "Mr Kerry was first introduced to North Korea's information-starved people in early February, when Radio Pyongyang reported that opinion polls indicated he was likely to defeat Mr Bush. A few days later, the station broadcast comments by Mr Kerry criticising Mr Bush for deceiving the world about Iraq's elusive weapons of mass destruction. Later in February, KCNA welcomed Mr Kerry's pledge to adopt a more 'sincere attitude' towards North Korea if elected. 'Senator Kerry, who is seeking the presidential candidacy of the Democratic Party, sharply criticised President Bush, saying it was an ill-considered act to deny direct dialogue with North Korea,' said the news agency. Pyongyang's friendly attitude towards Mr Kerry contrasts with its strong anti-Bush rhetoric." (Andrew Ward Seoul and James Harding, "North Korea Warms To Kerry Presidency Bid," The Financial Times, 3/4/04)

3. Under President Bush's Leadership, the International Community Is Insisting That North Korea Dismantle Its Nuclear Program. PRESIDENT BUSH: "In the Pacific, North Korea has defied the world, has tested long-range ballistic missiles, admitted its possession of nuclear weapons, and now threatens to build more. Together with our partners in Asia, America is insisting that North Korea completely, verifiably, and irreversibly dismantle its nuclear programs." (Remarks by the President on Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation, 2/11/04)

4. Kerry Said He "Will Renew Bilateral Negotiations Immediately." KERRY: And as president…I will renew bilateral negotiations immediately with North Korea. (Sen. John Kerry, Remarks To Council On Foreign Relations, New York, NY, 12/3/03)
Kerry Wants To Return To the Failed Clinton Administration Policy of Direct Talks. MR. McCLELLAN: "Senator Kerry would have us return to the failed Clinton administration policy. That failed policy allowed North Korea to dupe the United States. It would be the wrong approach to go down that road again. ... North Korea did not abide by [the 1994 Agreed] Framework. They said that they would agree to a freeze on their nuclear weapons programs. And we found that they, in fact, did not freeze their nuclear weapons programs. …That failed bilateral approach is the wrong way to go." (Press Gaggle, 9/13/04)

5. The Washington Post Suggested The Use Of Force In Iraq "May Have Encouraged North Korea To Compromise." "The success of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq also may have encouraged North Korea to compromise, according to South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun. He said Thursday that he thought the U.S. advance had terrified North Korea, which fears it will be attacked next by the United States." (Doug Struck, "North Korea Drops Its Demand For One-On-One Talks With U.S.," The Washington Post, 4/1/03)

6. Despite Speculation Before The War In Iraq, North Korea Has Not Tried "To Take Advantage" Of US Focus On Iraq To "Take Provocative Actions." NPR'S JOHN YDSTIE: "[S]ome analysts had feared North Korea might try to take advantage of the fact that the US was preoccupied with the war in Iraq and take provocative actions, but I guess that hasn't really happened, has it?" NPR'S ERIC WEINER: "No, it hasn't. They did launch a short-range missile a few weeks ago, but that was seen as fairly innocuous. What's more interesting, as you say, is what they have not done. They haven't launched any long-range ballistic missiles as some fear they may have. They have not conducted an underground nuclear test, another concern." (NPR's "All Things Considered," 4/12/03)

7. American Enterprise Institute's Nicholas Eberstadt Says Progress In Iraq Has Strengthened The U.S. Position Not Only With North Korea But Also With North Korea's Neighbors. "Nicholas Eberstadt, an authority on North Korea at the American Enterprise Institute, said the swift U.S. progress in Iraq had increased both its bargaining position with North Korea and its sway over the friends and allies in the region that it would need to cooperate in securing arms-control pledges from Pyongyang. 'Shock and awe hasn't only happened in Iraq,' Eberstadt said. 'It's happening all through the axis of evil and even beyond.'" (Mike Allen, "Bush: Iraq War Drove N. Korea To Concede," The Washington Post, 4/14/03)

8. Former Clinton Administration Foreign Policy Official Dennis Ross Acknowledges Our Success In Iraq Is Forcing Other Regimes, Like North Korea, To Change Their Tone. "Everyone sees a new reality, and they're figuring out how to best adjust to it ... Even if it's just maneuvering, it shows they are prepared to look differently at how things should be done." (Barbara Slavin, "In Wake Of War, U.S. Adversaries Change Their Tone," USA Today, 4/14/03)

9. NPR's Eric Weiner Suggested Bush Administration Actions Have Kept North Korea In Check. "We don't know why they've been quiet, but one possibility is that the US has beefed up its military presence here to send the message to North Korea that although the US is involved in a war in Iraq, it has not forgotten about North Korea and it's watching the situation closely." (NPR's "All Things Considered," 4/12/03)

Edwards' Claim: The President's Policy In Iraq Took Our Attention And Resources Away From The Threat Posed By Iran.

The Facts:

1. In 1994, Kerry Listed Iran Among "Outlaw Nations." (Sen. John Kerry, Congressional Record, 6/16/94, p. S7014)

2. However, In 2002 Kerry Said He Would Not Have "Lumped" Iran "In With Iraq" In Axis Of Evil And Suggested Phrase "Helps To Strengthen The Anti-American Hand" In Iran. (MSNBC's "Hardball," 2/5/02; Dave Boyer, "Daschle Takes Back Criticism Of Bush's 'Axis Of Evil,'" The Washington Times, 2/13/02)

3. In 2003, When Asked What He Would Do As President If Given "Solid Evidence That Iran Is Developing Nuclear Weaponry," Kerry Said He Would "Go To The United Nations." (CNN Democrat Presidential Candidates Debate, Phoenix, AZ, 10/9/03)

4. In 2003, Kerry Criticized The Bush Administration For "Stubbornly Refus[ing] To Conduct A Realistic, Non-Confrontational Policy With Iran …" (Sen. John Kerry, Remarks To Council On Foreign Relations, New York, NY, 12/3/03)

5. Under President Bush's Leadership, the International Community Is Working To Ensure That Iran Does Not Develop Nuclear Weapons. PRESIDENT BUSH: "[T]he government of Iran is unwilling to abandon a uranium enrichment program capable of producing material for nuclear weapons. The United States is working with our allies and the International Atomic Energy Agency to ensure that Iran meets its commitments and does not develop nuclear weapons." (Remarks by the President on Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation, 2/11/04)

6. Kerry Campaign Sent Email Republished In Tehran Times That Pledged More Friendly Relations With Iranian Regime. "In fact, on Feb. 8, the Tehran Times published in full an e-mail sent by the Kerry campaign to a government news agency promising that a President Kerry would try to restore relations 'at risk' due to 'the actions and attitudes' of the Bush administration. 'Disappointment with the current U.S. leadership is widespread,' the e-mail said, 'extending not just to the corridors of power and politics, but to the man and woman on the street as well.'" (Diana West, "Kerry's Axis," The Washington Times, 3/12/04)

7. One Of Kerry's Top Fundraisers Advocates More Open Relations With Iranian Regime. Iranian-American businessman Hassan Nemazee is a fundraising vice chair for John Kerry's presidential campaign who has raised at least $100,000 for the campaign. "[M]r. Nemazee has a reputation for supporting the opening of trade relations with Iran." (IAPAC Website, "Mr. Hassan Nemazee," http://www.iranianamericanpac.org/leadership/p_nemazee.shtml, Accessed 2/8/04; John Kerry For President Website, "Vice Chairs," www.johnkerry.com/pdf/topfundraisers.pdf, Accessed 6/3/04; Eli Lake, "Kerry's Fund-Raiser Worries Advocates Of Iran Democracy," The New York Sun, 1/27/04)

8. In December 2003, Kerry Said He Believes America Should Pursue A "Non-Confrontational" Policy Toward Iran. KERRY: "..[T]he Bush administration stubbornly refuses to conduct a realistic, non-confrontational policy with Iran, even where it may be possible, as we witnessed most recently in the British-French-German initiative. As president, I will be prepared early on to explore areas of mutual interest with Iran, just as I was prepared to normalize relations with Vietnam a decade ago…" (Sen. John F. Kerry, Speech at Council on Foreign Relations, 12/3/03; available at: http://www.cfr.org/campaign2004/pub6576/kerry/making_america_secure_again_settin g_the_right_course_for_foreign_poli cy.php)

Edwards' Claim: Kerry Would Not Require A “Global Test” For Defending America.

The Facts:

1. Kerry Says America's Self-Defense Must Pass A "Global Test." "No president, through all of American history, has ever ceded, and nor would I, the right to preempt in any way necessary to protect the United States of America. But if and when you do it, Jim, you have to do it in a way that passes the test, that passes the global test where your countrymen, your people understand fully why you're doing what you're doing and you can prove to the world that you did it for legitimate reasons." (Sen. John Kerry, First Presidential Debate, Miami, FL, 9/30/04)


QUESTION 4


Edwards' Claim: The Bush Administration Has Shown Disdain For Allies, Treaties And International Organizations.

The Facts:

1. Kerry Dismissed Coalition Partners As "Window Dressing" And Claimed They're Not Sharing Burden Of War And Reconstruction. (CNN's "American Morning," 3/2/04)

2. Kerry Mocked Coalition As "Coerced" And "Bribed." (Herbert A. Sample, "Kerry Blasts Bush On Iraq Effort," Sacramento Bee, 3/14/03)

3. A Multinational Force Of Some 30 Nations Continues To Help Secure A Free Iraq. PRESIDENT BUSH: "The multinational force of some 30 nations continues to help secure a free Iraq, and we are grateful for the service and sacrifice of all." (President's Radio Address, 9/25/04)

4. In Addition to the United States, Other Coalition Members Are Providing Approximately 25,000 Troops To Assist Our Efforts In Iraq. (Robert Burns, "U.S. Offensive Hinges on Iraq Elections," The Associated Press, 9/29/04)

5. 37 Nations Are Contributing Troops To The NATO-Led Force In Afghanistan. (NATO in Afghanistan Factsheet, NATO, http://www.nato.int/issues/afghanistan/040628-factsheet.htm)

6. NATO Is Training Iraqi Security Forces And The United Nations Is Helping Iraq Prepare For Elections. (President's Radio Address, 9/25/04)

Edwards' Claim: Compared To Our Coalition Partners, America Is Bearing A Disproportionate Amount Of The Burden In Iraq. 90 Percent Of The Casualties Are American.

The Facts:

1. A Multinational Force Of Some 30 Nations Continues To Help Secure A Free Iraq. PRESIDENT BUSH: "The multinational force of some 30 nations continues to help secure a free Iraq, and we are grateful for the service and sacrifice of all." (President's Radio Address, 9/25/04)

2. In Addition to the United States, Other Coalition Members Are Providing Approximately 25,000 Troops To Assist Our Efforts In Iraq. (Robert Burns, "U.S. Offensive Hinges on Iraq Elections," The Associated Press, 9/29/04)

3. The U.S. Army General In Charge Of Training Effort In Iraq Says "Iraqi Security Forces Are In The Fight" And Have Made Tremendous Sacrifices. "Most important, Iraqi security forces are in the fight - so much so that they are suffering substantial casualties as they take on more and more of the burdens to achieve security in their country. Since Jan. 1 more than 700 Iraqi security force members have been killed, and hundreds of Iraqis seeking to volunteer for the police and military have been killed as well." (Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus, US Army, "Battling for Iraq," Washington Post, 9/26/04)

4. Kerry Dismissed Coalition Partners As "Window Dressing" And Claimed They're Not Sharing Burden Of War And Reconstruction. (CNN's "American Morning," 3/2/04)

5. Kerry Mocked Coalition As "Coerced" And "Bribed." "'If the federal government can find billions of dollars for the "coalition of the coerced and the bribed," why can't it provide vital aid for schools, health care and law enforcement?' asked Kerry." (Herbert A. Sample, "Kerry Blasts Bush On Iraq Effort," Sacramento Bee, 3/14/03)

6. In First Dem Debate, Kerry Strongly Supported President's Action In Iraq. KERRY: "I said at the time I would have preferred if we had given diplomacy a greater opportunity, but I think it was the right decision to disarm Saddam Hussein, and when the President made the decision, I supported him, and I support the fact that we did disarm him." (John Kerry, Remarks At Democrat Presidential Candidate Debate, Columbia, SC, 5/3/03)

7. Kerry Previously Questioned Where Russia And France's Backbone To Stand Up To Saddam Was. SEN. JOHN KERRY: "So clearly the allies may not like it, and I think that's our great concern – where's the backbone of Russia, where's the backbone of France, where are they in expressing their condemnation of such clearly illegal activity, but in a sense, they're now climbing into a box and they will have enormous difficulty not following up on this if there is not compliance by Iraq." (CNN's "Crossfire," 11/12/97)

8. NATO Is Training Iraqi Security Forces And The United Nations Is Helping Iraq Prepare For Elections. (President's Radio Address, 9/25/04)


QUESTION 5


Edwards' Claim: The Department Of Defense's Contracting Process In Iraq Is Rife With Cronyism And Secrecy.

The Facts:

1. FactCheck.org: Kerry's Attacks Against The Vice President's Ties To Halliburton "False." "A Kerry ad released Sept 17 once again attacks Cheney's ties to Halliburton, implying that Cheney is profiting from the company's contracts in Iraq. That's false. The ad isn't subtle. It says, 'As vice president, Dick Cheney received $2 million from Halliburton. Halliburton got billions in no bid contracts in Iraq. Dick Cheney got $2 million. What did we get?' And it implies that Cheney lied to the public when he said in a TV interview that 'I have no financial interest in Halliburton of any kind.' But as we document here, Cheney has insulated himself financially from whatever might happen to Halliburton. The Kerry ad misstates the facts." ("Kerry Ad Falsely Accuses Cheney On Halliburton," FactCheck.Org, 9/30/04, http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docid=261, Accessed 9/30/04)

2. GAO Investigators Found Iraq/Halliburton Contracts Legal. "[I]n fact, investigators from the General Accounting Office (GAO) found Halliburton's no-bid contracts to be legal and probably justified by the Pentagon's wartime needs." ("Anti-Bush Ad Overstates Case Against Halliburton, Factcheck.org Website, www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docid=201, Accessed 6/21/04)

3. At A June 2004 Government Reform Committee Hearing, "Six Defense Department Witnesses At The Hearing All Said They Knew Of No Cheney Influence." (Larry Margasak, "Official: Cheney Not Briefed On Iraq Work," The Associated Press, 6/16/04)

4. At A March 2004 Government Reform Committee, Defense Department Witnesses Each Answer That Vice President Cheney Had "No" Influence Over Contracts. (T. Christian Miller, "Halliburton Contracts Focus Of Hearing," Los Angeles Times, 3/12/04)

5. Clinton Procurement Official Steven Kelman Called Allegations Against Halliburton "Somewhere Between Highly Improbable And Utterly Absurd." (Steven Kelman, Op-Ed, "No 'Cronyism' In Iraq," The Washington Post, 11/6/03)

6. Clinton's Undersecretary Of Commerce William Reinsch Said Halliburton Controversy Is Overblown. "'Halliburton has a distinguished track record,' he said. 'They do business in some 120 countries. This is a group of people who know what they're doing in a difficult business. It's a particularly difficult business when people are shooting at you.'" (James Rosen, "Is Iraq's Reconstruction Rigged?" The [Raleigh] News & Observer, 10/5/03)

7. Halliburton Received No-Bid Contracts During Clinton Administration For Work In Bosnia And Kosovo. (Max Boot, Op-Ed, "Don't Blame Halliburton," Los Angeles Times, 4/22/04)

Edwards' Claim: Vice President Cheney Tried To Kill More Than 81 Weapons Programs, Including M-1 Tanks, Apache Helicopters, F-16 Fighter Planes And B-2 Bombers.

The Facts:

1. At The Height Of The Cold War, Kerry's 1984 Senate Campaign Defense Position Paper Called For Cancellation Of: MX Missile, B-1 Bomber, Anti-satellite system, Star Wars [Strategic Defense Initiative], AH-64 Helicopters, Patriot Air Defense Missile, Aegis Air-Defense Cruiser, Battleship Reactivation, AV-8B Vertical Takeoff and Landing Aircraft, F-15 Fighter Aircraft, F-14A Fighter Aircraft, F-14D Fighter Aircraft, Phoenix Air-to-Air Missile, Sparrow Air-to-Air Missile ("John Kerry On The Defense Budget," Campaign Position Paper, John Kerry For U.S. Senate, 1984)

2. According To His Foreign Policy Advisor, Kerry's Proposed Cuts Formed "Overall Defense Strategy." ("Kerry Asks $54 Billion Cut In Reagan Defense Budget," Berkshire Eagle, 5/30/84)

3. Kerry Proposed Further Defense Cuts Even After Reductions At The End Of The Cold War. "Even after the end of the Cold War and the relatively dramatic reductions in U.S. forces achieved through arms control and a new defense plan, and even after Bill Clinton further reduced U.S. defense forces by an additional 40 percent, Mr. Kerry proposed even more cuts…. In 1993, he proposed additional massive defense cuts of some additional $54 billion in the short term, and hundreds of billions over the long term. Even this was too much for his Democratic colleagues, who responded by noting his proposals were dangerous, and if implemented, they would undermine our nation's security." (Peter Huessy, "Examine the Record," The Washington Times, 8/20/04)

4. Then-Defense Secretary Cheney Made Defense Policy Decisions At The End Of The Cold War. "In 1991, then-Secretary of Defense Cheney proposed cuts in our defense inventory at the end of the Cold War. He proposed reductions in the U.S. military in the context of the most sweeping arms-control agreements dealing with both conventional and nuclear weapons, including the Conventional Forces in Europe treaty and START I, the treaty eliminating nearly 6,000 nuclear weapons…. Mr. Cheney also proposed replacing some of the reduced weapons with more modern weapons, such as the C-17 and the F-22, while also proposing to cut weapons that were over budget and not meeting technical expectations." (Peter Huessy, "Examine the Record," Washington Times, 8/20/04)

5. While On The Senate Intelligence Committee, Kerry Missed 76 Percent Of Public Hearings. During John Kerry's eight years of service on the Senate's Select Committee on Intelligence, there were 49 open, public hearings. Of these 49, John Kerry attended just 11 (22.4 percent). (Factcheck.Org, "Bush Nails Kerry's Poor Attendance At Intelligence Committee Hearings," 8/17/04, Available At http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docid=241)

6. In 1994, Not Long After The First World Trade Center Attack, Kerry Proposed Amendment To Cut Intelligence Budget By $6 Billion Across The Board Over Six Years.

7. Of Thirteen Public Hearings Of Senate Select Intelligence Committee Since Edwards Joined Committee, He Has Attended Just Four. The Senate Intelligence Committee had held thirteen open, public hearings since Edwards joined the committee and he attended four of them (31%). This does not count numerous closed-door hearings, which we have no way of knowing if Edwards attended or not. It also does not count the hearings (some open, some closed) of the joint House-Senate Intelligence Committee investigation into the 9/11 attacks.

8. The $87 Billion Supplemental Funding Bill Kerry And Edwards Voted Against Provided "Extra Money For Body Armor For Soldiers …" ("Highlights Of Iraq, Afghanistan Measures," The Associated Press, 10/17/03; S. Rept. 108-160, Conference Report On S. 1689, 10/2/03)

9. Kerry Had Characterized A Vote Against The Funding As "Irresponsible." (CBS' "Face the Nation," 9/14/03)

10. Kerry Later Offered A Tortured Explanation Of His Vote Against The $87 Billion To Support Troops In Iraq. "I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it." (Richard W. Stevenson And Adam Nagourney, "Bush's Campaign Emphasizes Role Of Leader In War," The New York Times, 3/17/04)

11. Kerry Said He Was "Proud" That He And Edwards Voted Against $87 Billion In Funding For U.S. Soldiers, Then Said His Vote Against Body Armor And Supplies For Troops Was "Complicated." (John Kerry, Remarks At "Women's Voices: A Luncheon With John Kerry," Boston, MA, 7/12/04; MSNBC's "Imus In The Morning," 7/15/04)

12. Kerry Even Said His Vote For The War And Against Funding For Our Troops Was "Not A Flip-Flop."(CBS' "Evening News," 7/21/04)

13. Kerry Then Defended His Vote Against The $87 Billion By Saying President Bush "Didn't Have A Plan To Win The Peace, It Was Irresponsible To Give [President Bush] A Blank Check That Gave $20 Billion That Was Going To Go…To Halliburton And All These Other Companies." (Mike Allen And Lois Romano, "Closing Laps In Race To November," The Washington Post, 9/4/04)

14. Kerry Said He's "Glad" He Voted Against The Iraq Supplemental. (CBS' "The Late Show With David Letterman," 9/20/04)

15. Edwards Tried To Add $10 Million For North Carolina Wilderness Park To FY 2003 Iraq/Afghanistan War Supplemental. In 2003, Edwards attached an amendment (with no co-sponsors) creating the “Blue Ridge National Heritage Area” to the Defense Department supplemental appropriations bill, which supported “operations in Iraq, Department of Homeland Security, and related efforts…” The amendment requested $10,000,000 to preserve and protect a natural area in North Carolina. (S. Amdt. 484, Submitted 4/3/03, Congressional Record, pp. S4859-S4860)


QUESTION 6


Edwards' Claim: The President Is Not Being Honest About The Timetable For The Iraq Election.

The Facts:

1. In First Dem Debate, Kerry Strongly Supported President's Action In Iraq. SEN. JOHN KERRY: "I said at the time I would have preferred if we had given diplomacy a greater opportunity, but I think it was the right decision to disarm Saddam Hussein, and when the President made the decision, I supported him, and I support the fact that we did disarm him." (ABC News, Democrat Presidential Candidate Debate, Columbia, SC, 5/3/03)

2. The Goal Of Holding Elections By January 2005 Is Strongly Supported By Prime Minister Allawi And The Iraqi Interim Government.

3. The UN Has Already Started Deploying A Team Of International Elections Experts To Iraq To Assist The Work Of The Iraqi Elections Commission.

4. The UN Selected An Independent 7-Member Iraqi Elections Commission, From A Pool Of Over A Thousand Self-Nominated Candidates, This Past Spring. The Iraqi Elections Commission operates independently, with its own offices and budget, and will supervise the preparations for the national direct elections for the Transitional National Assembly, no later than January 31, 2005.

5. The Commission Is Now Engaged In The Process Of Drafting Regulations To Regulate The Elections Process.

6. The US Is Supporting Political Party Building And Civil Society Organization Activities By NGOs, Including IRI And NDI.

Edwards' Claim: Just 5,000 Iraqi Soldiers Have Been Fully Trained, And Of The 35,000 Police Now In Uniform, Not One Has Completed A 24-Week Field-Training Program.

The Facts:

1. The U.S. Army General In Charge Of Training Effort In Iraq Says There Are "164,000 Iraqi Police And Soldiers (Of Which About 100,000 Are Trained And Equipped) And An Additional 74,000 Facility Protection Forces." "Today approximately 164,000 Iraqi police and soldiers (of which about 100,000 are trained and equipped) and an additional 74,000 facility protection forces are performing a wide variety of security missions. Equipment is being delivered. Training is on track and increasing in capacity. Infrastructure is being repaired. Command and control structures and institutions are being reestablished." (Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus, US Army, "Battling for Iraq," Washington Post, 9/26/04)

2. The 5,000 Number Kerry Cites Is Just The Number Of The Iraqi Army That Have Been Trained And Excludes, The Iraqi National Guard, Intervention Force, Special Ops, Air Force And Coastal Defense Forces.

3. The State Department's Iraq Weekly Status Report That Kerry Was Relying On Clearly States That Nearly 42,000 Members Of The Iraqi Armed Forces Have Been Trained. More than 14,000 Iraqi armed forces members are currently in training. Kerry's math also doesn't account for the fact that more than 56,000 members of the Iraqi military are already "on hand" or "on duty." (http://www.defendamerica.gov/downloads/Iraq-WeeklyUpdate-20040915.pdf)

4. That Report Also Showed That Over 100,000 Iraqi Police Forces On Duty, Over 50,000 In The Process Of Being Trained, And Another 50,000 That Have Completed Their Training. Again, Kerry hand-picked a single cell of a larger chart to play into his message of pessimism and defeat.
Kerry Advisor Richard Holbrooke Says French Troop Contribution in Iraq is "Not Realistic." HOLBROOKE: "Well, I don't think that anyone expects Chirac to call up the White House next January and say, 'How many divisions in Iraq?' That's not realistic, and John Kerry knows it." (Fox News', "Fox News Sunday," 9/12/04)

Edwards' Claim: President Bush Rushed To War Without Fully Equipping Our Troops With Body Armor.

The Facts:

1. "All Front Line Troops In Iraq Had Interceptor Body Armor During Offensive Operations In Iraq In Early 2003." "All soldiers and Defense Department civilians and contractors in Iraq have had interceptor body armor since January 2004." (House Armed Services Committee, "Talking Points: Protecting Our Troops," 3/24/04)

2. Every Solider And Marine In Iraq Had Body Armor, But Only Some Had Brand New Interceptor Body Armor, While Others Had Older Model. JOINT CHIEFS VICE CHAIRMAN PETER PACE: "Every soldier and Marine on the ground over had body armor. The difference is, is that our industry has produced an even better body armor than what we have, so what the folks went over to the war with is what we've been wearing for several years, which is body armor that's very, very good against a certain caliber of munition. The new body armor is better against large caliber munition, industry produced it and Congress funded it and industries producing as fast as they can and as fast as they're making it we're getting it to Iraq. The projection is that by December of this year [2003] everybody in Iraq will have the new armor, so everybody has armor it's the difference between whether they have the most recent capacity armor or the armor that we've been wearing – body armor that we've been wearing for a couple years." (U.S. Department Of Defense Website, "[Donald] Rumsfeld And Gen. Pace Stakeout At The House Of Representatives," http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/2003/tr20031021-secdef0805.html, 10/21/03)

3. At Beginning Of War, Troops Had At Minimum Same Body Armor Troops Have Worn For "Past 10, 15, 20 Years," And All U.S. Troops And Civilians In Iraq Now Have New Interceptor Body Armor. NPR'S JUAN WILLIAMS: "Senator Kerry, who, as you know, is running for president, has made the charge that American servicemen and women have had to reach into their own pockets to pay for some body armor. Is that true?" JOINT CHIEFS VICE CHAIRMAN PETER PACE: "Those of us in uniform do not talk about politics nor should we. The fact of the matter is that there have been some units that in the early stages of the war had the kind of body armor that we have had for the past 10, 15, 20 years and that as the war was beginning we had a new prototype that the Army was trying out called SAPI Armor, that in fact was, when field-tested, much better than the body armor that everyone else had. Now in the Gulf region every single American, civilian military who's over there serving our country, has available to them a set of this SAPI Armor." (NPR's "Morning Edition," 3/18/04)

4. The $87 Billion Supplemental Funding Bill Kerry And Edwards Voted Against Provided "Extra Money For Body Armor For Soldiers …" ("Highlights Of Iraq, Afghanistan Measures," The Associated Press, 10/17/03; S. Rept. 108-160, Conference Report On S. 1689, 10/2/03)

Edwards' Claim: Kerry Says He Supported The Gulf War Coalition.

The Facts:

1. Kerry Called 1991 Gulf War Coalition "Shadow Battlefield Allies Who Barely Carry A Burden." "[I]n his 1991 floor statement, Kerry was dismissive of the elder Bush's coalition. That effort, he said, lacked 'a true United Nations collective security effort,' and he was critical of the then-president for trading favors for China's support and cozying up to Syria, despite its human rights record. 'I regret that I do not see a new world order in the United States going to war with shadow battlefield allies who barely carry a burden,' he said then. 'It is too much like the many flags policy of the old order in Vietnam, where other countries were used to try to mask the unilateral reality. I see international cooperation; yes, I see acquiescence to our position; I see bizarre new bedfellows and alliances, but I question if it adds up to a new world order.'" (Helen Dewar and Dan Balz, "Kerry's 19 Years in Senate Invite Scrutiny," Washington Post, 2/8/04)

Edwards' Claim: The President Rejected UN Help After The Successful Entry Into Baghdad.

The Facts:

1. The UN Has Reestablished Its Iraq Mission. The UN Secretary General has appointed a new special representative to Iraq.

2. On June 8, 2004, The UN Security Council Passed Unanimously Resolution 1546, Which Endorsed The Formation Of An Iraqi Interim Government And Democratic Elections By January 2005, And Defined The Status Of The Multinational Force And Its Relationship With The New Iraqi Government.

3. The United Nations Has Been Helping Iraq Prepare For Elections. (President's Radio Address, 9/25/04)

4. The UN Has Already Started Deploying A Team Of International Elections Experts To Iraq To Assist The Work Of The Iraqi Elections Commission.

5. The UN Selected An Independent 7-Member Iraqi Elections Commission, From A Pool Of Over A Thousand Self-Nominated Candidates, This Past Spring. The Iraqi Elections Commission operates independently, with its own offices and budget, and will supervise the preparations for the national direct elections for the Transitional National Assembly, no later than January 31, 2005.

6. In June, Leaders At The G-8 Sea Island Summit, The US-EU Summit, And The NATO Istanbul Summit All Voiced Strong, Unified Support For UNSCR 1546, The New Iraqi Government, And International Efforts To Assist The Iraqi People With The Reconstruction Of Their Country And Their Path Toward Free, National Elections.

7. Today About 30 Countries Make Up The Multinational Force In Iraq; Recently The Overwhelming Majority Of Them Issued Statements Condemning Terrorism, Kidnappings, And Executions That Have Occurred In Iraq.

8. At The June Summit, NATO Agreed To Prime Minister Allawi's Request For Assistance In Training Iraqi Security Forces. The NATO security team is already working in Iraq.


QUESTION 7


Edwards' Claim: President Bush Did Not Move Quickly Enough To Create The Department Of Homeland Security.

The Facts:

1. Kerry And Edwards Voted Six Times Against President Bush's Department Of Homeland Security, Stalling Its Creation By 112 Days. Kerry and Edwards repeatedly sided with labor unions against President Bush in the creation of a Department of Homeland Security.

2. In 2003, Kerry And Edwards Skipped Vote On $29.3 Billion Homeland Security Appropriations.

3. While On The Senate Intelligence Committee, Kerry Missed 76 Percent Of Public Hearings. During John Kerry's eight years of service on the Senate's Select Committee on Intelligence, there were 49 open, public hearings. Of these 49, John Kerry attended just 11 (22.4 percent). (Factcheck.org, "Bush Nails Kerry's Poor Attendance at Intelligence Committee Hearings," 8/17/04, Available At http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docID=241)

4. In 1994, Not Long After The First World Trade Center Attack, Kerry Proposed Amendment To Cut Intelligence Budget By $6 Billion Across The Board Over Six Years.

5. Of Thirteen Public Hearings Of Senate Select Intelligence Committee Since Edwards Joined Committee, He Has Attended Just Four. The Senate Intelligence Committee had held thirteen open, public hearings since Edwards joined the committee and he attended four of them (31%). This does not count numerous closed-door hearings, which we have no way of knowing if Edwards attended or not. It also does not count the hearings (some open, some closed) of the joint House-Senate Intelligence Committee investigation into the 9/11 attacks.

6. President Bush Created The Department Of Homeland Security. President Bush presided over the federal government's biggest reorganization in 50 years, merging 22 separate governmental entities into the new Department of Homeland Security, a cohesive department with the primary mission of safeguarding the security of the homeland. (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2005/homeland.html)

7. President Bush Established An Interim Office of Homeland Security. While the creation of a Department of Homeland Security was under consideration, President Bush appointed Tom Ridge to head up an interim Office of Homeland Security. The Office of Homeland Security helped to coordinate the collection and analysis of intelligence, as well as national efforts to prepare for and mitigate the consequences of terrorist threats or attacks within the United States. (http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/10/20011008.html)

Edwards' Claim: President Bush Did Not Respond With Enough Speed To The 9/11 Commission Report To Implement Intelligence Reform.

The Facts:

1. While On The Senate Intelligence Committee, Kerry Missed 76 Percent Of Public Hearings. During John Kerry's eight years of service on the Senate's Select Committee on Intelligence, there were 49 open, public hearings. Of these 49, John Kerry attended just 11 (22.4 percent). (Factcheck.Org, "Bush Nails Kerry's Poor Attendance At Intelligence Committee Hearings," 8/17/04, Available At http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docid=241)

2. In 1994, Not Long After The First World Trade Center Attack, Kerry Proposed Amendment To Cut Intelligence Budget By $6 Billion Across The Board Over Six Years.

3. Of Thirteen Public Hearings Of Senate Select Intelligence Committee Since Edwards Joined Committee, He Has Attended Just Four. The Senate Intelligence Committee had held thirteen open, public hearings since Edwards joined the committee and he attended four of them (31%). This does not count numerous closed-door hearings, which we have no way of knowing if Edwards attended or not. It also does not count the hearings (some open, some closed) of the joint House-Senate Intelligence Committee investigation into the 9/11 attacks.

4. The Administration Is Already Implementing 36 Of The 9/11 Commission's 41 Recommendations. (Scott McClellan, Press Gaggle, 8/3/04, Available At http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/08/20040803-5.html)

5. The President Has Already Committed To Appointing A National Intelligence Director In Accordance With The 9/11 Commission's Recommendations, And He Has Created A Task Force To Analyze The Commission's Other Proposals. (President's Remarks On Intelligence Reform, 8/2/04, Available At http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/08/20040802-2.html; Scott McClellan, Andrew Card And Dr. Condoleezza Rice, 8/2/04, Available At http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/08/20040802-6.html)

Edwards' Claim: President Bush Flip-Flopped On Creating The 9/11 Commission.

The Facts:

1. The President Signed Into Law The Bill Creating The 9/11 Commission. The bill was signed into law in November 2002. (http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/11/20021127-1.html)

2. The President Has Provided The 9/11 Commission With Unprecedented Cooperation. The Administration provided the 9/11 Commission with more than 900 interviews and 50 public hearings from current officials. The President and Vice President personally met with the Commission. Condoleeza Rice testified under oath, which is extremely rare for NSA Advisors. 2.5 million pages of documents and 1,000 audio tapes were turned over to the Commission, the most comprehensive outside review of documents in our nation’s history.

3. The Administration Is Already Implementing 36 Of The 9/11 Commission's 41 Recommendations. (Scott McClellan, Press Gaggle, 8/3/04, Available At http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/08/20040803-5.html)

Edwards' Claim: We Are Fighting A Growing Insurgency In An Ever-Widening War-Zone.

The Facts:

1. Kerry And Edwards Voted Against $87 Billion Iraq/Afghanistan Supplement Funding Bill.
The $87 Billion Supplemental Funding Bill Kerry And Edwards Voted Against Provided "Extra Money For Body Armor For Soldiers …" ("Highlights Of Iraq, Afghanistan Measures," The Associated Press, 10/17/03; S. Rept. 108-160, Conference Report On S. 1689, 10/2/03)
Kerry Had Characterized A Vote Against The Funding As "Irresponsible." (CBS' "Face the Nation," 9/14/03)

2. Kerry Later Offered A Tortured Explanation Of His Vote Against The $87 Billion To Support Troops In Iraq. "I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it." (Richard W. Stevenson And Adam Nagourney, "Bush's Campaign Emphasizes Role Of Leader In War," The New York Times, 3/17/04)

3. Kerry Said He Was "Proud" That He And Edwards Voted Against $87 Billion In Funding For U.S. Soldiers, Then Said His Vote Against Body Armor And Supplies For Troops Was "Complicated." (John Kerry, Remarks At "Women's Voices: A Luncheon With John Kerry," Boston, MA, 7/12/04; MSNBC's "Imus In The Morning," 7/15/04)

4. Colin Powell Has Explained That The Insurgency Is Being Driven By Those "Who Don't Want The Iraqi People To Be Free" And "Don't Want The Iraqi People To Vote." COLIN POWELL: "Well, we know that we have a tough situation, but there is no pessimism because we know we will defeat this insurgency and we know that we will drive forward to have elections, elections not just that the United States wants to have, but the Iraqi people want to have. And we are not going to be deterred from achieving the goal that we set out for ourselves to eliminate a terrible dictatorship and put in place a democracy. But there are those who are causing the trouble who don't want the Iraqi people to be free. They don't want the Iraqi people to vote. They don't want the Iraqi people to decide on their own leaders. They want the Iraqi people to have a totalitarian regime again, and this has to be resisted not just by the coalition but by the whole civilized world, by the Arab world." (Colin L. Powell, Interview on Al Jazeera, 9/29/04)


QUESTION 8


Edwards' Claim: President Bush Has Favored Enron.

The Facts:

1. Ken Lay Had Dinner At Kerry's Washington Home Almost A Year After His Company Collapsed. "Mr. Lay attended a dinner at the Georgetown town house Teresa Heinz Kerry shares with her husband on Sept. 23, 2002, in connection with her philanthropic work related to her first husband. Mr. Lay was one of about 12 trustees attending a board meeting of the H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economy and the Environment, said Thomas Lovejoy, the center's president. Mr. Kerry was campaigning in Washington State at the time, a Kerry spokesman said." (Robert Worth, "Edwards' Claims On Enron Draw Return Fire," The New York Times, 7/10/04)

2. Kerry Has Raised More Money From Paid Lobbyists Than Any Other Senator Over the past 15 Years. (Jim VandeHei, "Kerry Leads In Lobby Money," The Washington Post, 1/31/04)
The Enron Task Force Has Charged 31, Convicted 12 And Secured $161 Million In Restitution. (DOJ Press Release, 7/30/04, http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2004/July/05_crm_525.htm)

3. All Top Enron Officials, Including Ken Lay, Have Been Indicted. Charges have been filed against former CEO Ken Lay, former CEO Jeffrey Skilling, and CAO Richard Causey. CFO Andrew Fastow has already pled guilty to having committed securities and wire fraud. (http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2004/February/04_crm_099.htm; http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2003/May/03_crm_268.htm; http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2004/July/04_crm_470.htm; http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2004/January/04_crm_036.htm)

Edwards' Claim: The Vice President Has Used His Influence To Help Halliburton.

The Facts:

1. FactCheck.org: Kerry's Attacks Against The Vice President's Ties To Halliburton "False." "A Kerry ad released Sept 17 once again attacks Cheney's ties to Halliburton, implying that Cheney is profiting from the company's contracts in Iraq. That's false. The ad isn't subtle. It says, 'As vice president, Dick Cheney received $2 million from Halliburton. Halliburton got billions in no bid contracts in Iraq. Dick Cheney got $2 million. What did we get?' And it implies that Cheney lied to the public when he said in a TV interview that 'I have no financial interest in Halliburton of any kind.' But as we document here, Cheney has insulated himself financially from whatever might happen to Halliburton. The Kerry ad misstates the facts." ("Kerry Ad Falsely Accuses Cheney On Halliburton," FactCheck.Org, 9/30/04, http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docid=261, Accessed 9/30/04)

2. GAO Investigators Found Iraq/Halliburton Contracts Legal. "[I]n fact, investigators from the General Accounting Office (GAO) found Halliburton's no-bid contracts to be legal and probably justified by the Pentagon's wartime needs." ("Anti-Bush Ad Overstates Case Against Halliburton, Factcheck.org Website, www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docid=201, Accessed 6/21/04)

3. At A June 2004 Government Reform Committee Hearing, "Six Defense Department Witnesses At The Hearing All Said They Knew Of No Cheney Influence." (Larry Margasak, "Official: Cheney Not Briefed On Iraq Work," The Associated Press, 6/16/04)

4. At A March 2004 Government Reform Committee, Defense Department Witnesses Each Answer That Vice President Cheney Had "No" Influence Over Contracts. (T. Christian Miller, "Halliburton Contracts Focus Of Hearing," Los Angeles Times, 3/12/04)

5. Clinton Procurement Official Steven Kelman Called Allegations Against Halliburton "Somewhere Between Highly Improbable And Utterly Absurd." (Steven Kelman, Op-Ed, "No 'Cronyism' In Iraq," The Washington Post, 11/6/03)

6. Clinton's Undersecretary Of Commerce William Reinsch Said Halliburton Controversy Is Overblown. "'Halliburton has a distinguished track record,' he said. 'They do business in some 120 countries. This is a group of people who know what they're doing in a difficult business. It's a particularly difficult business when people are shooting at you.'" (James Rosen, "Is Iraq's Reconstruction Rigged?" The [Raleigh] News & Observer, 10/5/03)

Edwards' Claim: The President Has Allowed The Nuclear Danger Posed By Iran To Mount Under His Watch.

The Facts:

1. In 1994, Kerry Listed Iran Among "Outlaw Nations." (Sen. John Kerry, Congressional Record, 6/16/94, p. S7014)

2. However, In 2002 Kerry Said He Would Not Have "Lumped" Iran "In With Iraq" In Axis Of Evil And Suggested Phrase "Helps To Strengthen The Anti-American Hand" In Iran. (MSNBC's "Hardball," 2/5/02; Dave Boyer, "Daschle Takes Back Criticism Of Bush's 'Axis Of Evil,'" The Washington Times, 2/13/02)

3. In 2003, When Asked What He Would Do As President If Given "Solid Evidence That Iran Is Developing Nuclear Weaponry," Kerry Said He Would "Go To The United Nations." (CNN Democrat Presidential Candidates Debate, Phoenix, AZ, 10/9/03)

4. In 2003, Kerry Criticized The Bush Administration For "Stubbornly Refus[ing] To Conduct A Realistic, Non-Confrontational Policy With Iran …" (Sen. John Kerry, Remarks To Council On Foreign Relations, New York, NY, 12/3/03)

5. Under President Bush's Leadership, the International Community Is Working To Ensure That Iran Does Not Develop Nuclear Weapons. PRESIDENT BUSH: "[T]he government of Iran is unwilling to abandon a uranium enrichment program capable of producing material for nuclear weapons. The United States is working with our allies and the International Atomic Energy Agency to ensure that Iran meets its commitments and does not develop nuclear weapons." (Remarks by the President on Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation, 2/11/04)

6. Kerry Campaign Sent Email Republished In Tehran Times That Pledged More Friendly Relations With Iranian Regime. "In fact, on Feb. 8, the Tehran Times published in full an e-mail sent by the Kerry campaign to a government news agency promising that a President Kerry would try to restore relations 'at risk' due to 'the actions and attitudes' of the Bush administration. 'Disappointment with the current U.S. leadership is widespread,' the e-mail said, 'extending not just to the corridors of power and politics, but to the man and woman on the street as well.'" (Diana West, "Kerry's Axis," The Washington Times, 3/12/04)

7. One Of Kerry's Top Fundraisers Advocates More Open Relations With Iranian Regime. Iranian-American businessman Hassan Nemazee is a fundraising vice chair for John Kerry's presidential campaign who has raised at least $100,000 for the campaign. "[M]r. Nemazee has a reputation for supporting the opening of trade relations with Iran." (IAPAC Website, "Mr. Hassan Nemazee," http://www.iranianamericanpac.org/leadership/p_nemazee.shtml, Accessed 2/8/04; John Kerry For President Website, "Vice Chairs," www.johnkerry.com/pdf/topfundraisers.pdf, Accessed 6/3/04; Eli Lake, "Kerry's Fund-Raiser Worries Advocates Of Iran Democracy," The New York Sun, 1/27/04)

8. In December 2003, Kerry Said He Believes America Should Pursue A "Non-Confrontational" Policy Toward Iran. KERRY: "..[T]he Bush administration stubbornly refuses to conduct a realistic, non-confrontational policy with Iran, even where it may be possible, as we witnessed most recently in the British-French-German initiative. As president, I will be prepared early on to explore areas of mutual interest with Iran, just as I was prepared to normalize relations with Vietnam a decade ago…" (Sen. John F. Kerry, Speech at Council on Foreign Relations, 12/3/03; available at: http://www.cfr.org/campaign2004/pub6576/kerry/making_america_secure_again_settin g_the_right_course_for_foreign_poli cy.php)


QUESTION 9


Edwards' Claim: The Bush Administration Is Not Doing Enough To Bring Peace To The Middle East.

The Facts:

1. Kerry Has Taken Both Sides On Israel Security Fence. "US Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, the frontrunner in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, described Israel's construction of a security barrier as a 'legitimate act of self defense' after Sunday's suicide bombing in Jerusalem, clarifying a position he took in October when he told an Arab American audience, 'We don't need another barrier to peace.'" (Janine Zacharia, "Kerry Defends Security Fence," The Jerusalem Post, 2/25/04)


2. In 1997 Book, Kerry Called Yasser Arafat "Statesman" And "Role Model." (Sen. John Kerry, The New War, 1997, pp. 112-113)

3. President Bush Envisions Two States, Israel And Palestine, "Living Side By Side In Peace And Security." (President Bush Calls For New Palestinian Leadership, 6/24/02)


QUESTION 10


Edwards’ Claim: One Out Of Two Children In Cleveland Are Now Living In Poverty.

The Facts:

1. Nationally, the Poverty Rate For Families Was 10 Percent In 2003 (most recent year data is available), Below The Average For The 1990s Of 10.9 Percent. ("Income, Poverty And Health Insurance Coverage In The United States: 2003," Census Bureau, 8/04, http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty.html)

2. The Cleveland Metropolitan Area Unemployment Rate Declined 0.1 Percent To 6.3 Percent On A Non Seasonally Adjusted Basis In August. (Source: "METROPOLITAN AREA EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT: AUGUST 2004," BLS, 9/29/04)

Edwards' Claim: The Deferral In The Tax Code That Provides Tax Savings If Companies Locate Abroad Should Be Eliminated And Corporate Tax Rates Should Be Lowered By Five Percent.

The Facts:

1. Kerry Campaign Admits Proposal Would Not Stop Outsourcing. "Campaign officials acknowledged that the new plan would not stop the broader trend of outsourcing jobs to low-wage countries." ( "Kerry to Propose Eliminating a Tax Break on U.S. Companies' Overseas Profits," The New York Times, 3/26/04)

2. Kerry Now Claims "Benedict Arnold" Line Does Not Refer To Companies Outsourcing Jobs, Saying "I Support That." Kerry: "But the Benedict Arnold line applied, you know, I called a couple of times to overzealous speechwriters and said 'look that's not what I'm saying.' Benedict Arnold does not refer to somebody who in the normal course of business is going to go overseas and take jobs overseas. That happens. I support that. I understand that." (Jerry Seib, John Harwood And Jacob Schlesinger, "Excerpts From An Interview With John Kerry," The Wall Street Journal, 5/3/04)
What's funny is most of that is contrary to what FactCheck.org says, and yet then that website is quoted as well.

Do more research then what you find on neo-con blogs please. It took 30 seconds to disprove some of this. (none of it is even sourced.)

At least something like this (see below:anti-bush reasons) is backed up by various sources that you can go search through for more information....

1. I spent the U.S. surplus and effectively bankrupted the U.S. Treasury.
http://moneyinsider.msn.com/content/Taxes/P49070.asp
http://www.thetruthaboutgeorge.com/economy/
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=580&ncid=580&e=2&u=/nm/20030819/bs_nm/economy_usa_budget_dc
http://www.cato.org/dailys/07-31-03.html
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/956768/posts
http://www.dailykos.com/archives/003024.html#003024
http://www.costofwar.com/
http://www.hillnews.com/op_ed/050603.aspx
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2747153.stm

2. I shattered the record for the largest annual deficit in U.S. history.
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0723-03.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-01-23-budget-deficit-_x.htm
http://www.unemployedfordean.org/blogs/econ/articles/Bad_debtP.shtml
http://www.salon.com/politics/feature/2003/02/04/budget/index_np.html
http://www.ffis.org/misc/sum.htm
http://cbsnewyork.com/finance/finance_story_051093926.html
http://truthout.org/docs_03/080303D.shtml
http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0716/p01s01-usec.html http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/tx11_edwards/sp_030523_taxcut.html
http://www.progressivedailynews.com/Opinion/Jay_Shaft/americans_wake_up.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0713-04.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0110-06.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/1016-01.htm
http://www.thetruthaboutgeorge.com/economy/
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=580&ncid=580&e=2&u=/nm/20030819/bs_nm/economy_usa_budget_dc
http://www.cato.org/dailys/07-31-03.html
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/956768/posts
http://www.dailykos.com/archives/003024.html#003024
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/05/22/politics/main555108.shtml http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/04/28/opinion/polls/main551360.shtml
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/06/10/national1009EDT0532.DTL
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A63417-2003Mar31¬Found=true
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0827-04.htm

3. I set an economic record for most private bankruptcies filed in any 12-month period.
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/0313-02.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0224-09.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views01/0921-03.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0817-02.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0807-02.htm
http://demsonline.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1769
http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/business/6564571.htm
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/jan2003/pens-j29.shtml
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10717-2003Aug18.html
http://www.msnbc.com/news/954221.asp?0cv=CB10
http://www.managementconsultancy.co.uk/News/1132570

4. I set the all-time record for the biggest drop in the history of the U.S. stock market.
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0224-09.htm
http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-bzwall0101,0,4793065.story?coll=ny-business-headlines
http://money.cnn.com/2003/06/23/markets/markets_newyork/
http://www.namibian.com.na/2001/September/marketplace/011427D815.html
http://www.commondreams.org/news2001/0828-01.htm
http://slate.msn.com/default.aspx?id=2071929
http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0715/p01s03-usec.html
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0714-04.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0906-07.htm
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/july-dec02/corporate.html
http://www.aarp.org/press/2002/nr121702.html
http://www.dccc.org/press/mustreads/2002-07-22.507.html
http://www.democrats.org/specialreports/picturethis/

5. I am the first president in U.S. history to enter office with a criminal record.
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/lazarus/20001104.html
http://www.talion.com/georgebush.html
http://www.jointogether.org/sa/news/summaries/reader/0,1854,264969,00.html
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2000/nov2000/bush-n04.shtml
http://alcoholism.about.com/library/weekly/aa001103a.htm?once=true&
http://www.realchange.org/bushjr.htm#cocaine
http://www.tompaine.com/feature2.cfm/ID/3835
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/bushdui1.html

6. I set the the all-time record for most days on vacation in any one year period.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A15546-2003Aug2?language=printer
http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/000923.html
http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20031001.html

7. After taking-off the entire month of August 2001, I then presided over the worst security failure in U.S. history.
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0619-04.htm
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/nation/6269252.h
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28971-2003Aug21.html
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/128832_sept1130.html

8. I attacked and overtook two countries, promised to rebuild them and have not yet done so.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/2759789.stm
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0619-04.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views01/1109-05.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0619-04.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views01/1127-03.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views01/1206-07.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0323-05.htm
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/asia/afghanistan/
http://www.careusa.org/newsroom/specialreports/afghanistan/
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/rebuilding_iraq/index.asp
http://money.cnn.com/2003/08/26/news/economy/iraq_effect/index.htm
http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/07/18/sprj.nitop.report/
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d03792r.pdf
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/World/iraq030827_reconstruction.html
http://www.commondreams.org/news2003/0812-09.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0702-05.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0502-10.htm

9. I am supporting development of a "Tactical Bunker Buster" nuke, a WMD.
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0125-01.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/1015-04.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/news2003/0501-06.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0507-08.htm
http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO112C.html
http://www.progressive.org/0801issue/mill0801.html
http://www.ddh.nl/pipermail/wereldcrisis/2002-March/002777.html
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/012703B.us.nuke.htm
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/nuclear-doctrine-02j.html
http://www.montanaforum.com/rednews/2003/04/24/build/safety/nuke-thermo.php?nnn=2
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0311-05.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0203-05.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0119-05.htm
http://www.thedesertsun.com/news/stories2003/state/20030811030501.shtml

10. I am getting our troops killed, under the lie of WMD components, then blaming the lie on our British friends and the CIA, where, coincidentally, my daddy used to lead.
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0619-04.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0422-03.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0625-13.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0105-02.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0801-06.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0511-04.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0617-09.htm
http://www.progressivedailynews.com/Opinion/Jay_Shaft/americans_wake_up.htm
http://www.thetruthaboutgeorge.com/war/index.html
http://billmon.org.v.sabren.com/archives/000172.html
http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20030723-064812-9491r
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/01/20030128-19.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A23777-2003Jul7¬Found=true
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0F10F8385F0C768 EDDAF0894DB404482
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A61622-2003Jul15¬Found=true http://byrd.senate.gov/byrd_speeches/byrd_speeches_2003may/byrd_speeches_2003may_list/byrd_speeches_2003may_list_0.html http://www.iht.com/articles/86720.html
http://www.iht.com/articles/83625.html
http://www.buzzflash.com/editorial/03/06/09.html

11. I set the record for most campaign fund-raising trips by a U.S. president.
http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2004/bush/bushfin.html
http://vancouver.indymedia.org/news/2003/08/63364.php

12. In my first year in office over 2-million Americans lost their jobs and that trend continues every month, leaving us in higher than ever unemployment.
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0619-04.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0224-09.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/news2001/0828-01.htm
http://www.thetruthaboutgeorge.com/economy/
http://www.business-standard.com/archives/2003/jan/50310103.016.asp
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/04/28/opinion/polls/main551360.shtml
http://money.cnn.com/2003/04/24/news/economy/jobless/, http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70D11F73D5F0C758 CDDAB0894DB404482
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/10/business/10CND_ECON.html?ex=1061611200&en=409998e0a35767d9&ei=5070
http://www.quinnell.us/politics/2000/bush.html#business
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0807-02.htm
http://www.democrats.org/specialreports/picturethis/
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=584&ncid=584&e=15&u=/nm/20030819/pl_nm/economy_bush_dc
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20610F73B5E0C708 CDDAE0894DB404482
http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=aWVItCXQxFQk&refer=news_index
http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20030325-115542-9620r
http://netscape5.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?siteid=netscape&dist=netscape&guid=%7B6CD8FBE3-A836-436A-961F-59CC270A7459%7D

13. I set the all-time record for most foreclosures in a 12-month period.
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0807-02.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/1014-03.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/1014-02.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0814-08.htm
http://www.sptimes.com/2002/09/11/Columns/Record_foreclosures_r.shtml
http://www.realtor.org/rmoDaily.nsf/AllStories/071603#D654E8269
http://www.staugustine.com/stories/032903/bus_1427413.shtml
http://www.nahrep.org/Real_Voices/Home_Foreclosures_Hitting_Reco/home_foreclosures_hitting_reco.html
http://stacks.msnbc.com/news/929194.asp
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2003/03/24/daily6.html
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/pipermail/a-list/2002-November/021871.html
http://www.staugustine.com/stories/011103/bus_1249382.shtml
http://www.news8.net/news/stories/0603/91941.html
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article3873.htm

14. I appointed more convicted criminals to administration than any president in U.S. history.
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/1203-05.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0809-07.htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A10810-2003Jul31¬Found=true
http://www.warblogging.com/tia/poindexter.php
http://reclaimdemocracy.org/articles_2003/lettertowashpost_poindexter.html
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/1123-04.htm
http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/walsh/chap_03.htm
http://www.zpub.com/un/wanted-hkiss.html
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0611-03.htm
http://www.globalpolicy.org/intljustice/wanted/2002/1204kis.htm
http://thunderbay.indymedia.org/news/2002/12/2331.php
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/1201-01.htm
http://www.judicialwatch.org/cases/104/perle.htm
http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/reuters20030327_722.html

15. I set the record for least amount of press conferences than any president since the advent of television.
http://slate.msn.com/id/2086431/
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0731-07.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views01/0517-03.htm
http://www.theconnection.org/shows/2003/08/20030801_a_main.asp

16. I signed more laws and executive orders effectively amending or ignoring the Constitution than any president in history.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/orders/
http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/eo/
http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-358es.html

17. I presided over the biggest energy crisis in U.S. history and refused to intervene when corruption involving the oil industry was revealed.
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0514-06.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/0726-03.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/news2001/0202-08.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views01/0522-02.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/0613-01.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/news2001/0424-07.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0716-01.htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37482-2003Aug23.html
http://www.sfgate.com/energy/
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/blackout/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/nation/specials/energy/
http://www.powertothepeople.org/, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1972574.stm
http://edition.cnn.com/2001/US/01/29/power.woes.01/

18. I presided over the highest gasoline prices in U.S. history and refused to use national reserves as past presidents have done.
http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/from_redirect/0,10987,1101030317-430852,00.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44771-2003Aug25.html
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2003/08/25/financial1815EDT0286.DTL
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-08-24-gas-prices_x.htm
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/argus/index.ssf?/base/news/106193351768080.xml
http://www.observer-reporter.com/27398776349450.bsp
http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1059479308700
http://www.citizen.org/hot_issues/issue.cfm?ID=628
http://www.commondreams.org/news2003/0826-02.htm

19. I have cut health care benefits for war veterans and support a cut in duty benefits for active duty troops and their families -- in war time.
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0619-04.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0407-10.htm
http://www.thecarolinachannel.com/helenthomas/1873884/detail.html
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0328-11.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0326-10.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/news2003/0313-06.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0810-02.htm
http://www.house.gov/budget_democrats/congressional_budgets/fy2004/vetscuts_may2103.pdf
http://www.dasbistro.com/pipermail/clarkgreen/2003-March/001096.html
http://www.futurenet.org/26courage/indicatorsmith.htm
http://www.townonline.com/braintree/news/opinion/bra_edibfschiavone04022003.htm
http://www.pva.org/NEWPVASITE/newsroom/PR2003/pr03018.htm
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/965662/posts
http://todaysseniorsnetwork.com/legion_blasts_congress.htm
http://utah.indymedia.org/news/2003/05/5087.php
http://www.veteransforpeace.org/Veterans_up_in_arms_042403.htm

20. I allowed non-compete oil contracts to go to my VP's company (where he is still employed, but on "deferred compensation") and won't answer to anyone about it.
http://biz.yahoo.com/n/h/hal.html
http://www.democraticunderground.com/articles/03/08/26_banana.html
http://www.guerrillanews.com/sci-tech/doc2685.html http://www.forbes.com/home_europe/newswire/2003/08/14/rtr1057815.html
http://www.motherjones.com/news/dailymojo/2003/34/we_529_02b.html
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30712F83F550C7B8 CDDA10894DB404482 http://www.oaklandtribune.com/Stories/0,1413,82~1865~1567851,00.html
http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?ItemID=15492
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/business/2044946
http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?ItemID=15477
http://www.corpwatch.org/news/PND.jsp?articleid=8128
http://www.thewpbfchannel.com/helenthomas/2420705/detail.html
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kuhf/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=534017
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1015229,00.html
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/abs_news_body.asp?section=Opinion&oid=31297
http://money.cnn.com/2003/08/18/news/companies/halliburton/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56429-2003Aug27.html
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0308-05.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0323-11.htm

21. I have set the all-time record for most people worldwide to simultaneously protest me in public venues (15 million people) shattering the record for protest against any person in the history of humankind.
http://archives.tcm.ie/breakingnews/2003/02/18/story88661.asp
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0302/S00136.htm
http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/02/16/sprj.irq.us.un/
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=1070
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/01/18/sproject.irq.demos/
http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2003-03/21/article09.shtml
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/special/iraq/1830622
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/02/19/1045330641559.html
http://www.iacenter.org/o26_world-reprt.htm
http://www.amarillonet.com/stories/021903/usn_dissuadehim.shtml
http://www.mindfully.org/Reform/2003/Bush-Antiwar-Protests19feb03.htm
http://www.rockcitynews.com/pages/antibushwar/protestsleft.html
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2003/03/30/54504-ap.html
http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/2003/03/000404.html
http://www3.sympatico.ca/truegrowth/911antiwarprotests.html
http://www.arabia.com/newsfeed/article/english/0,14183,371960,00.html
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=1074
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=1031
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0301/S00167.htm
http://www.msnbc.com/news/888499.asp
http://www.thenation.com/thebeat/index.mhtml?bid=1&pid=404
http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/27d/013.html
http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGA55GM6CCD.html
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0213-08.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0320-02.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0322-02.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0224-06.htm

22. I've dissolved more international treaties than any president in U.S. history.
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0329-01.htm
http://hnn.us/articles/1465.html
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0810-05.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/0730-01.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0427-03.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/news2002/0715-04.htm
http://www.thetruthaboutgeorge.com/rogue/index.html
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/july01/2001-07-27-bush-treaties-usat.htm
http://onenews.nzoom.com/onenews_detail/0,1227,34656-1-9,00.html
http://www.presentdanger.org/chronicle/index.html
http://www.unitedstatesgovernment.net/violatinginternationaltreaties.htm
http://people.ucsc.edu/~rlipsch/treaties.html
http://www.impeachbush.tv/impeach/treaties.html
http://www.robertscheer.com/1_natcolumn/01_columns/073101.htm
http://www.clw.org/control/bushunilateral.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/bush/story/0,7369,689142,00.html
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0722-01.htm

23. I've made my presidency the most secretive and unaccountable of any in U.S. history.
http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=941
http://nsarchive.chadwyck.com/igintro.htm
http://www.thewpbfchannel.com/helenthomas/2420705/detail.html

24. I'm proud that the members of my cabinet are the richest of any administration in U.S. history. My "poorest millionaire," Condoleeza Rice, has a Chevron oil tanker named after her.
http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml%3Fi=20010625&s=scherer

25. I am the first president in U.S. history to have almost all 50 states of the Union simultaneously suffer massive financial crisis.
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0430-02.htm
http://www.dailykos.com/archives/003067.html#003067
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/business/6082865.htm
http://nydailynews.com/front/story/104404p-94461c.html
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60A15F6355B0C7B8 EDDAE0894DB404482

26. I presided over the biggest corporate stock market fraud of any market in any country in history.
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0716FA3D550C718 CDDAE0894DA404482
http://www.public-i.org/story_01_040400.htm#newsstories
http://www.public-i.org/download/harkenmemo.pdf
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2002/07/01/MN173709.DTL
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2002/06/29/national1048EDT0516.DTL
http://biz.yahoo.com/n/h/hal.html

27. I am the first president in U.S. history to order a pre-emptive attack and the military occupation of a sovereign nation, and I did so against the will of the United Nations and the world community.
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0407-10.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/1009-09.htm
http://www.islamonline.net/english/News/2003-03/20/article01.shtml
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0814-01.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0825-03.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/1011-03.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/1010-05.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0825-02.htm
http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0321/p05s01-woiq.html
http://www.afsc.org/tao/fa0204.htm

28. I created the largest governmental department bureaucracy in the history of the United States.
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0619-04.htm

29. I set the all-time record for biggest annual budget spending increases, more than any president in history.
http://www.cato.org/dailys/07-31-03.html
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030630-121947-6635r.htm
http://www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/02/11/column.billpress/
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0129-01.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0315-09.htm

30. I am the first president in U.S. history to have the United Nations remove the U.S. from the Human Rights Commission.
http://www.commondreams.org/views01/0506-01.htm
http://www.stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/185/incb.shtml

31. I am the first president in U.S. history to have the United Nations remove the U.S. from the Elections Monitoring Board.

32. I removed more checks and balances, and have the least amount of congressional oversight, than any presidential administration in U.S. history.
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0619-04.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/1009-09.htm
http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=941

33. I rendered the entire United Nations viewpoints irrelevant.
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0105-02.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0801-06.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0511-04.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0826-07.htm

34. I withdrew the U.S. from the World Court of Law.
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0810-01.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0329-01.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0910-03.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0523-02.htm
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2003/07/02/125083-ap.html
http://hnn.us/articles/1465.html

35. I refused to allow inspectors access to U.S. "prisoners of war" (detainees) and thereby have refused to abide by the Geneva Convention.
http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/91.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0305-09.htm
http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/engAMR510152002%3FOpenDocument%26am p;of%3DCOUNTRIES/USA
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig3/duggan2.html
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0117-02.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views01/0808-07.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/news2002/0125-01.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0114-03.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0125-06.htm

36. I am the first president in history to refuse United Nations election inspectors (during the 2002 U.S. election).

37. I am the all-time U.S. and world record-holder for receiving the most corporate campaign donations.
http://www.commondreams.org/views01/1109-05.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/0313-02.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines/101000-01.htm
http://www.corpwatch.org/issues/PII.jsp?topicid=106
http://www.organicconsumers.org/corp/corporate.cfm
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=9862
http://www.progressive.org/pc0900.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/0427-04.htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A3604-2002Oct9¬Found=true
http://www.quinnell.us/politics/2000/bush.html#campaign
http://www.tompaine.com/feature2.cfm/ID/2442, http://www.tpj.org/pioneers/gov.html
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=584&ncid=584&e=15&u=/nm/20030819/pl_nm/economy_bush_dc
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0828-02.htm
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/rebuilding_iraq/index.asp

38. My largest lifetime campaign contributor, and one of my best friends, (Kenneth Lay, former CEO of Enron Corporation) presided over the largest corporate bankruptcy fraud in U.S. history. My political party used the Enron private jets and corporate attorneys to assure my success with the U.S. Supreme Court during my 2000 election decision.
http://www.corpwatch.org/issues/PII.jsp?topicid=106
http://www.progressive.org/pc0900.htm
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=12155
http://www.counterpunch.org/tomenron.html
http://www.thenation.com/capitalgames/index.mhtml?bid=3&pid=21
http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript_phillips.html
http://www.buzzflash.com/perspectives/2002/Bush_and_Enron.html
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,192920,00.html
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,6903,409137,00.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/blackout/interviews/lay.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/2119981.stm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0131-02.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0904-10.htm

39. I have spent more money on polls and focus groups than any president in U.S. history.

40. I garnered the most sympathy for the U.S. after the World Trade Center attacks and less than a year later made the U.S. the most resented country in the world, possibly the largest failure of diplomacy in world history.
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0903-12.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0619-04.htm
http://www.thetruthaboutgeorge.com/rogue/index.html
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0826-07.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0823-01.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0123-03.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/1205-04.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0901-04.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0303-07.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0126-01.htm
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/star/2003/0213/vo2-1.html
http://www.cdi.org/polling/22-bush-international-opinion.cfm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/elsewhere/journalist/story/0,7792,880724,00.html
http://www.jamaat-e-islami.org/pr/PR19032003A.html
http://www.progressive.org/aug03/zinn0803.html
http://www.gvnr.com/56/1.htm

41. I am actively working on a policy of "disengagement" creating the most hostile of Israel-Palestine relations in at least 30 years.

42. I am the first to have a majority of Europeans (71%) view my presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and security.
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0619-04.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0907-04.htm
http://www.thetruthaboutgeorge.com/rogue/index.html
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0904-08.htm

43. I am the first president in history to have the people of South Korea more threatened by the U.S. than by their immediate neighbor, North Korea.
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2002/feb/20/world/20020220wor2.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/korea/article/0,2763,653304,00.html

44. I changed U.S. policy to allow convicted criminals to be awarded government contracts.

45. I set an all-time record for the number of administration appointees who violated U.S. law by not selling their huge personal investments in corporations bidding for U.S. contracts.
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0319-02.htm
http://www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/07/17/bush.cheney/
http://biz.yahoo.com/n/h/hal.html
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2001/6/24/80648.shtml
http://www.truthout.org/docs_01/02.01E.Cheney.Hussein.htm
http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?ItemID=15492

46. I failed to fulfill my pledge to capture Osama Bin Laden, dead or alive.
http://www.osamaclock.com/

47. I failed to capture Saddam Hussein. CAPTURED

48. My family is very close with the Saudi Royal family, and have been for years, so I kept the pages out of the report on 9-11 that may put the Saudi's in a bad light.
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/1211-05.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/1210-04.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0813-04.htm
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/nation/6269252.h
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/03/05/eveningnews/main542868.shtml
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0904-07.htm

49. I failed to capture the anthrax killer who tried to murder the leaders of our country at the U.S. Capitol Building. I have no leads and no credible suspects.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2196008.stm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/anthrax/story/0,1520,742647,00.html
http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/03/26/anthrax.investigation/?related
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0703-06.htm
http://bulletin.ninemsn.com.au/bulletin/eddesk.nsf/All/FC636D0C4FD99B4FCA256C0C001A1413
http://www.guardian.co.uk/anthrax/story/0,1520,591142,00.html
http://www.aim.org/publications/media_monitor/2003/01/21.html
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2002/hartfordcourant090702.html
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/US/anthrax030609_ross.html
http://bulletin.ninemsn.com.au/bulletin/eddesk.nsf/0/fc636d0c4fd99b4fca256c0c001a1413?Op enDocument
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/1212-02.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0521-01.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0323-01.htm

50. Following the World Trade Center attack I have successfully prevented any PUBLIC investigation into the biggest security failure in the history of the United States.
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0619-04.htm
http://thunderbay.indymedia.org/news/2002/12/2331.php
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F4091EFD39590C7A8 CDDAE0894DB404482
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/03/05/eveningnews/main542868.shtml
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0516-09.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0603-06.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0725-04.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0717-10.htm
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/09.28B.fbi.agt.911.htm
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2002/may2002/sept-m01.shtml
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/warningmemo020516.html
http://www.bushoccupation.com/welcolumn.html
http://www.americanpolitics.com/20020517Outrage3.html
http://www.mikehersh.com/printer_Bush_and_Cheney_Block_911_I nvestigation_.shtml
http://www.projectcensored.org/publications/2003/4.html
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2002/sep2002/sept-s26.shtml
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0904-03.htm

51. I removed more freedoms and civil liberties for Americans than any president in U.S. history.
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0619-04.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/1009-09.htm
http://www.thetruthaboutgeorge.com/ashcroft/index.html
http://www.thetruthaboutgeorge.com/domestic/index.html
http://www.house.gov/frank/scprotester2003.html
http://www.gwu.edu/%7Ensarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB84/press.htm
http://www.aclu.org/safeandfree/
http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20030310-074202-1742r
http://www.quinnell.us/politics/2000/bushcrights.html#civil
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A17171-2003May20¬Found=true
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/05/21/MN34108.DTL
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0514-04.htm
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10B12FB355C0C7A8 CDDAD0894DB404482
http://www.news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=295902003
http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0311/hentoff.php
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/01/15/national/main536711.shtml
http://www.commondreams.org/news2003/0826-07.htm

52. In a little over two years, I created the most divided country in decades, possibly the most divided since the Civil War.
http://www.dailykos.com/archives/003094.html#003094

53. I entered my office with the strongest economy in U.S. history and have turned every single economic category downward -- all in less than two years.
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0723-03.htm
http://www.thetruthaboutgeorge.com/economy/index.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/03/national/03CENS.html?ex=1378008000&en=c2e4a16f7db383ec&ei=5007&partner=USERLAND

54. I was AWOL from the National Guard.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/030411.html
http://www.hereinreality.com/commander.html
http://www.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/05/24/bushguard.cnn/index.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A59151-2000Jun25¬Found=true
http://users.cis.net/coldfeet/
http://users.cis.net/coldfeet/document.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0506-05.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0531-03.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0619-04.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0525-02.htm
http://www.talion.com/georgebush.html


Factcheck.org is also great, as is: http://www.snopes.com/politics/bush/bush.asp

For other reading.

[Jason Tate]

Nm, when are you going to unblock me on aim?
Prolly never, you were obviously blocked for a reason.

[sweethypocrisy]

jesus christ. longest posts EVER. ev-er. at least quit quoting the whole things! my eyes hurt.

[slickshoes3]

Dude! Im so sick of the Democrats screwing with the replublicans freely and then not being able to take some screwing of their own...they can shove it!
I wanna see the flick!...all the liberals know that the truth will HURT! :lol2:

[farvaxrepublica]

If moore wanted to show his film on cnn or cbs he could, easily. But no!, moore is showing it on pay per-view which shows you all he cares about is money and knows his film will make lots for him, he is laughing all the way to the bank. On the other side a truthful documentary is shown for free for people to see what kerry did when he came back from vietnam its all been proven and its all documented by kerry. How you ask? try to find a little book called "the new american solider" by John Kerry. what!, its out of print? you can't even find it on e-bay? wonder way? is john COVERING his past where he put down all the brave soilders that went to war. I mean i know the war was shity but to say alllll soliders killed babys and woman and every one did bad things, that is disrespectful to his fellow soilders who fought for the USA. I think its stupid most everyone that goes to this site listens to Fat Mike, Punk voter and tate. Jump on the ban wagon! do you ever see a negative kerry news article on this web site to show both sides, i don't. why do you let them shape your minds, this is a time you should decide for yourself and you should REALLY LOOK at both sides and eveyone vote for someone on Nov. 2nd.

[grnweenieag]

see ya guys later...im goin to Springfield for the Illinois Senate debate...im gonna rock for Barack Obama, who is goin to absolutely kill the carpetbagging Republican, Alan Keyes. Toodles

[billcom6]

as trey parker and matt stone said
"if any movie influences your political decisions, youre a fucking idiot"

[em0_stars]

If moore wanted to show his film on cnn or cbs he could, easily. But no!, moore is showing it on pay per-view which shows you all he cares about is money and knows his film will make lots for him, he is laughing all the way to the bank. On the other side a truthful documentary is shown for free for people to see what kerry did when he came back from vietnam its all been proven and its all documented by kerry. How you ask? try to find a little book called "the new american solider" by John Kerry. what!, its out of print? you can't even find it on e-bay? wonder way? is john COVERING his past where he put down all the brave soilders that went to war. I mean i know the war was shity but to say alllll soliders killed babys and woman and every one did bad things, that is disrespectful to his fellow soilders who fought for the USA. I think its stupid most everyone that goes to this site listens to Fat Mike, Punk voter and tate. Jump on the ban wagon! do you ever see a negative kerry news article on this web site to show both sides, i don't. why do you let them shape your minds, this is a time you should decide for yourself and you should REALLY LOOK at both sides and eveyone vote for someone on Nov. 2nd.


ExACTLY!

[s.deel.besonym]

From the Equal Time Law:

(a) If any licensee shall permit any person who is a legally qualified candidate for any public office to use a broadcasting station, he shall afford equal opportunities to all other such candidates for that office in the use of such broadcasting station: Provided, That such licensee shall have no power of censorship over the material broadcast under the provisions of this section. No obligation is imposed under this subsection upon any licensee to allow the use of its station by any such candidate. Appearance by a legally qualified candidate on any--

(1) bona fide newscast,

(2) bona fide news interview,

(3) bona fide news documentary (if the appearance of the candidate is incidental to the presentation of the subject or subjects covered by the news documentary), or

(4) on-the-spot coverage of bona fide news events (including but not limited to political conventions and activities incidental thereto),

shall not be deemed to be use of a broadcasting station within the meaning of this subsection....

I could continue ... I would have assumed even the Bush Lovers would see what's wrong with this one (even besides the law)

Well, at least I know my vote's going for Bush. Bush '04. I didn't even read that, and I don't really care! But then again, it doesn't matter who you vote for in Texas, does it? I'm insane. Trust me.

[bleedingemo]

On the other side a truthful documentary is shown for free for people to see what kerry did when he came back from vietnam its all been proven and its all documented by kerry.

I mean i know the war was shity but to say alllll soliders killed babys and woman and every one did bad things, that is disrespectful to his fellow soilders who fought for the USA.

I think its stupid most everyone that goes to this site listens to Fat Mike, Punk voter and tate. Jump on the ban wagon! do you ever see a negative kerry news article on this web site to show both sides, i don't.

i take offense to these three statements. first of all john kerry has never denied that he said the things that said in that Congress session. he has merely stated that 1) the things he said were maybe a little inappropriate, and off-base. 2) he never said he was reporting these things for fact, just that these were things that other soldiers had reported to him that had happened. 3) everyone knows what Kerry said already, it's been shown of Fox News like, every hour on the hour. Next topic please.

second of all, John Kerry and John McCain are respected by Vietnam Vets everywhere, because of the things they did to normalize relations with Vietnam after the war. Even Bill O' Reilly, who works for Fox News, and is as conservative as they come, says that "I've known John Kerry for 25 years, the man is a patriot"

third of all, i've never once looked to Tate, Punkvoter, or Fat Mike to tell me who to vote for. I was only 16 when the 2000 election was held, and didn't have a chance to vote in it, but i did my research anyway, and listened to both sides, and i know bias when i hear it out of both camps. This is my first Presidential election that i have had a chance to vote in, and i know who i'm voting for, but it's sure as hell not because Tate or Fat Mike told me to. I'm voting for John Kerry because i've seen what has become of this country in the 4 years George W. Bush has been in office. I've got friends in the military, and i don't know if they're gonna come home alive. They don't want to be there, and i don't think anyone wants them to be, except for Bush. I also live in Oregon, where we have one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. Employment has gone down for the 4 years Bush has been in office. People are losing health care coverage, and my parents, who are both educators are losing thier retirement funds. My states, and many others have been forced to raise income taxes as a result of the poor economy. Bush has chosen to give tax breaks to corporations, not the middle class and turn a blind eye to friends who are breaking the law. Meanwhile, the middle class is suffering through the worst economy in at least my lifetime. Bush has done what no other President has, and is the first President ever to see a net loss in jobs. I really don't care who you are voting for, i've made my decision, and i know the things i say on a website aren't going to change anyone's opinion. Regardless of who is in office for the next four years, these are things that need to be changed.


since you seem to have forgotten what happened when Michael Moore tried to get his movie into theatres, i'll refresh your memory. Disney, who owns the film company who Moore usually works with, refused to put the movie into theatres, because their conservative CEO's didn't agree with it. Then Miramax was fair, and the Weinstien's put it out. thats all well and good, Disney has the right to say what they will and will not put out in a theatre, when people pay to see it. this is different though, this is the Sinclair group forcing thier stations to put this on air, in primetime. Now, i bet you a lot of money that if Mike Moore went to the Sinclair group and asked them to put his movie on the air, with the same limited commercial interruption and in primetime, they'd say no. They can't do that, under the Equal Time law, and they have to give John Kerry's campaign however long this movie is, to air thier owns ads and such.

This whole situation is so utterly biased, I can't believe people don't see it. A group which basically tells it's stations they can't air anything about the democrat side, and makes them air pro-Bush propaganda? Now does anyone REALLY believe this movie is going to be a "fair" and "unbiased" documentry?

sorry for my poor spelling and grammer, i just woke up.

[Krizzikinz]

Hmm, this documentary is uncalled for? How about the documentary playing at a Regal Cinemas by my house about Kerry's life and his "importance" in the Vietnam war and how he was involved in the "peace efforts" etc. That is bullshit. It goes both ways Tate.

[bleedingemo]

Hmm, this documentary is uncalled for? How about the documentary playing at a Regal Cinemas by my house about Kerry's life and his "importance" in the Vietnam war and how he was involved in the "peace efforts" etc. That is bullshit. It goes both ways Tate.

Kristin, that is incorrect. people are paying to go see that, not having it blanket thier televisions in primetime.

as i sad in my earlier post, John Kerry was "important" in the Vietnam war. He also was involved in peace efforts. if you would do at least a little research, maybe type something into google about it, you would see what Kerry has done to work towards peace in Vietnam.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50479-2004Jan2.html

[Krizzikinz]

Kristin, i never imagined you a Bush supporter..

but, people are paying to go see that, not having it blanket thier televisions in primetime.


Unfortunately Matt, my support in Bush mainly is due to picking the lesser of two evils. I don't think Kerry would be a good President and I definitely don't think Kerry would do a good job with the problems in Iraq. Although I don't agree w/ a lot of Bush's ideas on other things, I think that getting America safely through/out of Iraq is incredibly important.

[Krizzikinz]

Kristin, i never imagined you a Bush supporter..

but, people are paying to go see that, not having it blanket thier televisions in primetime.

And....nobody is forcing people to watch the documentary, primetime or not.

[bleedingemo]

sorry, i edited my post, read it again.. haha

[bleedingemo]

Unfortunately Matt, my support in Bush mainly is due to picking the lesser of two evils. I don't think Kerry would be a good President and I definitely don't think Kerry would do a good job with the problems in Iraq. Although I don't agree w/ a lot of Bush's ideas on other things, I think that getting America safely through/out of Iraq is incredibly important.

yeah, i'm picking the lesser of two evils as well..

[deadEYEDwelcome]

Godammit!!!!!! Those Stupid Republicans!!!!! I'm Being Really Sarcastic!!!!!! Are The Caps Necessary? Yes!!!!!!!!!
i am 150% with. stupid republicans

[I Miss Weezer]

I know I missed when this forum was active, but I have read it all now. Jason, if I could, I would shake your hand, nice job with the facts.

[Jason Tate]

If moore wanted to show his film on cnn or cbs he could, easily. But no!, moore is showing it on pay per-view which shows you all he cares about is money and knows his film will make lots for him, he is laughing all the way to the bank. On the other side a truthful documentary is shown for free for people to see what kerry did when he came back from vietnam its all been proven and its all documented by kerry. How you ask? try to find a little book called "the new american solider" by John Kerry. what!, its out of print? you can't even find it on e-bay? wonder way? is john COVERING his past where he put down all the brave soilders that went to war. I mean i know the war was shity but to say alllll soliders killed babys and woman and every one did bad things, that is disrespectful to his fellow soilders who fought for the USA. I think its stupid most everyone that goes to this site listens to Fat Mike, Punk voter and tate. Jump on the ban wagon! do you ever see a negative kerry news article on this web site to show both sides, i don't. why do you let them shape your minds, this is a time you should decide for yourself and you should REALLY LOOK at both sides and eveyone vote for someone on Nov. 2nd.
You. Are. An. Idiot.

I'm usually nice, and usually never resort to this sort of thing, but "good golly" you are just an idiot if you can't see the difference here.

[Mattkoon8]

Still violating the laws ..... you can't get around that one bro, you just can't. I would be against this EXACT same thing if it was an Anti-Bush film being shown this way on the public airwaves without equal representation.

uhh.... BULLSHIT. where were you when cbs' documents were found out to be fake? whoever created those documents broke the law (its called forgery and in my case an even bigger offense than putting a movie on cable tv, but thats just my opinion) you never posted anything about that on your website. you sat back and watched it all happen ...

about the overall argument on this thread - change the fucking channel. thats all you have to do....quit the bitching.

[Jason Tate]

uhh.... BULLSHIT. where were you when cbs' documents were found out to be fake? whoever created those documents broke the law (its called forgery and in my case an even bigger offense than putting a movie on cable tv, but thats just my opinion) you never posted anything about that on your website. you sat back and watched it all happen ...

about the overall argument on this thread - change the fucking channel. thats all you have to do....quit the bitching.
Well, you're still wrong, and it's against the law, you can't deny it...

FCC Commissioner Copps: Criticizes Sinclair Corporate Decision to Preempt Local Stations for Political Broadcast
10/12/2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Jordan Goldstein: (202) 418-2000

Commissioner Michael J. Copps reacted to reports that Sinclair Broadcast Group will preempt more than 60 local stations across the country to air an overtly political program in the days prior to the Presidential election.

Copps stated: “This is an abuse of the public trust. And it is proof positive of media consolidation run amok when one owner can use the public airwaves to blanket the country with its political ideology -- whether liberal or conservative. Some will undoubtedly question if this is appropriate stewardship of the public airwaves. This is the same corporation that refused to air Nightline’s reading of our war dead in Iraq. It is the same corporation that short-shrifts local communities and local jobs by distance-casting news and weather from hundreds of miles away. It is a sad fact that the explicit public interest protections we once had to ensure balance continue to be weakened by the Federal Communications Commission while it allows media conglomerates to get even bigger. Sinclair, and the FCC, are taking us down a dangerous road.”

[Atticus887]

C'mon guys.. you all know Jason would post the same thing if Republicans were attacking the airing of a Anti-Bush documentary, right? You all know he would go on these rants defending the law. ... Right?


Hello?

[Jason Tate]

C'mon guys.. you all know Jason would post the same thing if Republicans were attacking the airing of a Anti-Bush documentary, right? You all know he would go on these rants defending the law. ... Right?


Hello?
I would. I already said that ... snap judements, much?

[Atticus887]

I would. I already said that ... snap judements, much?

I love this place and everything, but I just really don't think you would, man.

[bleedingemo]

I love this place and everything, but I just really don't think you would, man.

i bet you he would.

[I Miss Weezer]

I love this place and everything, but I just really don't think you would, man.

How manny scene points you willing to wager?

[freakishandazed]

tate continually pwns all of you. sometimes it is not just an opinion. there is a right and wrong.

[Mattkoon8]

Well, you're still wrong, and it's against the law, you can't deny it...

FCC Commissioner Copps: Criticizes Sinclair Corporate Decision to Preempt Local Stations for Political Broadcast
10/12/2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Jordan Goldstein: (202) 418-2000

Commissioner Michael J. Copps reacted to reports that Sinclair Broadcast Group will preempt more than 60 local stations across the country to air an overtly political program in the days prior to the Presidential election.

Copps stated: “This is an abuse of the public trust. And it is proof positive of media consolidation run amok when one owner can use the public airwaves to blanket the country with its political ideology -- whether liberal or conservative. Some will undoubtedly question if this is appropriate stewardship of the public airwaves. This is the same corporation that refused to air Nightline’s reading of our war dead in Iraq. It is the same corporation that short-shrifts local communities and local jobs by distance-casting news and weather from hundreds of miles away. It is a sad fact that the explicit public interest protections we once had to ensure balance continue to be weakened by the Federal Communications Commission while it allows media conglomerates to get even bigger. Sinclair, and the FCC, are taking us down a dangerous road.”

tate seriously, youre just bitching to bitch! i dont understand how you keep on quoting people that say this Sinclair Corporation is "blanket[ing] the country with its political ideology"... its not like the fuckin thing is on EVERY channel. what are you lazy? dont have a remote? make a choice and change the channel...

ok so maybe the cbs situation isnt the EXACT FUCKING THING but if you REALLY are for the law, in all seriousness, where were you when that happened? why didnt you bitch about the law then? so id have to agree with Atticus887 on this one... you wouldnt have said shit...

[Mattkoon8]

and excuse my profanity, this crap just pisses me off. tate doesnt "own" anybody...half the time hes speaking down to little kids that dont really know what theyre talking about, trying to use big words to scare them and stuff... tate, youre very translucent dude

[FreshyFresh23]

no more like ive read too many these past few wks cause of midterms and i really dont care about anything you post cause i assume its all liberal garbage and i know who im voting for and it wont change just like your vote wont either, nice guess though

You're a huge fucking idiot. It's people like you who are too close minded to listen to facts and just blindly believe what they want with no regard to whats true and whats not. Let me guess now: Your parents are conservative..so that makes you conservative no matter what. Think for yourself you tool.

[FreshyFresh23]

Unfortunately Matt, my support in Bush mainly is due to picking the lesser of two evils. I don't think Kerry would be a good President and I definitely don't think Kerry would do a good job with the problems in Iraq. Although I don't agree w/ a lot of Bush's ideas on other things, I think that getting America safely through/out of Iraq is incredibly important.

If that's so important to you then you'd be voting for John Kerry.

He's the one with an exit strategy, not the one building 14 military bases and planning to stay in Iraq for the next decade.

[Jason Tate]

and excuse my profanity, this crap just pisses me off. tate doesnt "own" anybody...half the time hes speaking down to little kids that dont really know what theyre talking about, trying to use big words to scare them and stuff... tate, youre very translucent dude
Feel free to discuss it then?

[Jason Tate]

tate seriously, youre just bitching to bitch! i dont understand how you keep on quoting people that say this Sinclair Corporation is "blanket[ing] the country with its political ideology"... its not like the fuckin thing is on EVERY channel. what are you lazy? dont have a remote? make a choice and change the channel...

ok so maybe the cbs situation isnt the EXACT FUCKING THING but if you REALLY are for the law, in all seriousness, where were you when that happened? why didnt you bitch about the law then? so id have to agree with Atticus887 on this one... you wouldnt have said shit...
Wanna read the law one more time, maybe just for kicks?

[FaceAjarShutIt]

this vietnam shit is just annoying