How could Kerry vote YES for the Patriot act, YES for the war in Iraq....

[doubles]

and NO on the first Gulf war?

How could he call himself a Democrat with these votes?

The man was wrong on all three counts, three strikes and you are out!

I was embarrassed by Dean's speech in Iowa and the guy sure has messed up on other occasions but at least he stands for what I believe. No matter what, I cannot compromise my principles and cast my vote for the three strikes man Kerry. Dean will still get my vote!

Wow, the right wing media just cut away from Dean's speech to interview Kerry. It is clear who this right wing media is for. I bet after this great speech from Dean, they will continue to repeat the Iowa speech over and over and over.

[Name removed]

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[RichV]

2. re: Patriot Act

Keep in mind that only one Senator voted against it -- Russ Feingold. We've grown to see it's problems since 10/01, but at the time voting against it would have been political suicide for someone with presidential ambitions. Only Feingold had the foresight and courage to vote against it at the time. Presuming Dean wouldn't have done the same is purely hypothetical. Even Wellstone voted for the damn thing.

[lcordero]

4. actually

He got one out of three right.

No on the first gulf war was the right decision:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Glaspie

One version of the transcript has Glaspie saying: "We can see that you have deployed massive numbers of troops in the south. Normally that would be none of our business, but when this happens in the context of your threats against Kuwait, then it would be reasonable for us to be concerned. For this reason, I have received an instruction to ask you, in the spirit of friendship - not confrontation - regarding your intentions: Why are your troops massed so very close to Kuwait's borders?"

Later the transcript has Glaspie saying: "We have no opinion on your Arab-Arab conflicts, such as your dispute with Kuwait. Secretary Baker has directed me to emphasize the instruction, first given to Iraq in the 1960s, that the Kuwait issue is not associated with America."

Another version of the transcript (the one published in the New York Times on 23 September 1990) has Glaspie saying: "But we have no opinion on the Arab-Arab conflicts, like your border disagreement with Kuwait. I was in the American Embassy in Kuwait during the late '60s. The instruction we had during this period was that we should express no opinion on this issue and that the issue is not associated with America. James Baker has directed our official spokesmen to emphasize this instruction. We hope you can solve this problem using any suitable methods via Klibi or via President Mubarak. All that we hope is that these issues are solved quickly."

Kuwait was slant-drilling into Iraqi soil, Saddam had a problem with it. Saddam went to Glaspie, on his knees and with hat in hand, to ask "mother may I?" Glaspie said "yes you may."

Saddam is merely a flunky and that's it.

[cprise]

13. Still wrong

Kerry didn't know this, and Saddam did know it was wrong to invade Kuwait.

Sitting on the sidelines after such an invasion is indefensible.

I can't believe how stupid Kerry is!

[lcordero]

23. with the Iran/Contra scandal and the S & L scandal back then

he knew better than to take Poppy at his word.

I guess that he has gotten dumber with age.

[doubles]

20. And the Repugs will destroy him for voting against that the Gulf War. nt

[isbister]

5. Which section of the Patriot Act do you hate the most?

Sec. 1012. Limitation on issuance of hazmat licenses really ticks me off.

I don't like these much either I don't know how any American can support the government (sicko's) doing anything like these (to name a few):

Sec. 209. Seizure of voice-mail messages pursuant to warrants.
Sec. 222. Assistance to law enforcement agencies.
Sec. 362. Establishment of highly secure network.
Sec. 363. Increase in civil and criminal penalties for money laundering. (Grrr... this one....)

Sec. 414. Visa integrity and security.
Sec. 427. No benefits to terrorists or family members of terrorists. (This is just unamerican!)

Sec. 611. Expedited payment for public safety officers involved in the prevention, investigation, rescue, or recovery efforts related to a terrorist attack.
Sec. 613. Public safety officers benefit program payment increase.
Sec. 621. Crime victims fund.
Sec. 622. Crime victim compensation.
Sec. 623. Crime victim assistance.
Sec. 624. Victims of terrorism.
Sec. 907. National Virtual Translation Center.
Sec. 1001. Review of the department of justice.
Sec. 1005. First responders assistance act.
Sec. 1008. Feasibility study on use of biometric identifier scanning system with access to the fbi integrated automated fingerprint identification system at overseas consular posts and points of entry to the United States.

Sec. 1010. Temporary authority to contract with local and State governments for performance of security functions at United States military installations.

Sec. 1014. Grant program for State and local domestic preparedness support.(Nazis!)

It's laws like these that will ruin America!

[DaisyUCSB]

9. And it seems that it's somehow more acceptable to Dean-supporters

that Dean supports the Patriot Act, because he has NEVER said that he would have voted against it, and clearly that would be just another thing that he could spin against the people who have to vote on things.

But that's more acceptable to them than someone who voted for it

[Sinistrous]

21. I believe your sarcasm was

lost on the majority of the responders here.

I tend to think that the "Patriot" Act in inimical to the kind of United States I prefer to live in. Your headlining of the most innocuous of the Act's section titles proves nothing.

[isbister]

26. I believe the Patriot Act is

lost on the majority of the responders here.

Most of the Act contains logical solutions to problems and not just those few I've pointed out.

Ashcroft is a nut, can we agree? With bush's and the republican's blessing he's exploited loopholes in the Act. That doesn't make the whole thing wrong, as many that have never looked at it would have us believe.

It is disingenuous to paint Kerry's support for the bill as support for Ashcroft's abuse it. Any of the Democrats will appoint an AG that will respect the Bill of Rights.

[DaisyUCSB]

6. There's no rule anywhere that democrats are against holding

murdurous totalitarian fascists acountable, and that's what he voted to do in just as many peoples opinions as people who believe the way Dean spins it. Dean is never frank about the fact that he and Kerry and Edwards wanted basically the same thing, and he never said that he would have voted no until it was politically advantageous for him to do so, after the fact, after the resolution didn't get the desired affect from the UN.

[isbister]

7. There was no vote for the Iraq war

If you know of some vote that I am unaware of, please give a link. If you mean the IWR, read it:

http://usinfo.state.gov/regional/nea/iraq/text/1010res.htm

[DaisyUCSB]

10. exactly

It's really sad that the Iraq resolution, that by the way, wasn't called the "iraq war resolution" as people here do call it", probably had the deliberate deviding and therefor weakening of the democratic party designed into it, and Dean has really milked it for all it's worth.

But he's the "pincushon

[markus]

18. You may think that was not a vote for war in Iraq

but if Kerry really believes that, then he's not competent to be President any more than George Bush.

Anyone who thought they could trust GB on following the spirit of that resolution simply doesn't have the insight to be President.

Face it, it was a vote of political convenience for many Democrats.

[isbister]

29. What spirit?

The conditions for Congress' grant of authority were plainly laid out.

bush violated them.

How much would Congress get done if it did not trust anyone to adhere to its laws? Especially the President!

Kerry had a choice between an American liar and an Iraqi one. He chose to send the American liar to the UN to check up on the Iraqi liar.

[Myra]

8. We need to make sure he's asked that at every campaign stop.

And if he answers what he answered yesterday, if you don't like it
(paraphrasing), "don't vote for me," then we should oblige.

[DaisyUCSB]

11. As a fellow Clark supporter, HE NEVER SAID THAT

I know what your refurring to, he said that "if you know my entire life fighting for peace. The VVAW, against Oliver Norths illegal operations in Central America, for the Normalization in Vietnam, if you think that I would have taken the reckless course of action that Bush took or supported it, you shouldn't vote for me"

and I think it's clear that he didn't support, nor did he ever vote for unilateral (non-UN/Nato) war. And that is NOT why I'm not voting for him unless it's a Kerry/Dean race on March 2

[ClintonTyree]

12. At this time...........

Kerry is trying to be all things to all people. He's saying whatever it is that particular group of people want to hear. It may win him the nomination, but it'll come back to bite him in the ass later on.

[maggrwaggr]

14. that's what's ALWAYS bothered me about Kerry

He's always seemed to me to be pandering.

That's not leadership, that's following.

That's always bothered me. If he gets the nomination I'm gonna find my support pretty tepid. Then again, he's running against Bush, so let me rephrase that. Anybody but Bush.

(repeat)

Anybody but Bush .......

[ecstatic]

15. If we're going ot have a pro-war nominee, let it be Edwards

His chances of beating Bush are WAY better than Kerry's.

[IndianaGreen]

16. Hear, hear!

At least Edwards is not a member of the French aristocracy!

[KC21304]

22. Cute . Intolerant, but cute.

[Rainbows]

17. Patriot Act II ...

has been split apart and one of the worst parts was slipped into an appropriations bill that redefined "financial institution" to include everything from car dealerships to insurance companies to casinos to stock brokers and on and on. The FBI can now write their own national security letter, never have to disclose it and can search any of your financial records on a whim, and never tell you about it. It passed the Senate by unaccountable voice vote with only five members present, Sen. Byrd was the lone dissenting vote. Where was Kerry, Lieberman, and Edwards for that vote? Wasn't it important enough to history alone when the constitution is trashed to at least record your vote?
I'm afraid the field is narrowing down to nobody who will stand up and lead the way to rescinding the patriot act. Pretty Sad if that happens.

[Gin]

19. heres my question on the IRW vote...2 Senators from Mass. both Dems

both good guys..1 votes NO on the IRW..1 votes Yes...what did Kennedy know that Kerry didn't? This doesn't compute.

[frustrated_lefty]

24. He blows in the wind.

Kerry...sorry, he really just flows with the tide, he doesn't stand for much of anything.

[Myra]

25. Votes of ambition instead of principle.

Simple answer really.

[Edge]

27. I don't know why people are supporting a candidate...

who voted for the Patriot Act, the single document which is taking away our rights by the day.

[niceypoo]

28. Kerry will guarentee Bush victory

The Patriot act and War will have to be shelved as issues. God help us. The Dem establishment (That lost us the midterms with their milqtoast machismo) has wrested control back from the base.

[doubles]

30. It amazes me that some folks will defend Kerry when during the lead up to

the war, we were hung out to dry. None of these insiders stood for what was right, and they had us all afraid to speak out of fear of being labelled that we were "with the terrorist".

[genius]

31. Stupid but not as bad as Dean's attack on the Bill of RIghts in Vermont

You can't look at anything in isolation. That being said, I'm still voting for Dennis. His votes were all good ones.