Now Kerry must face up to those tough questions

[seventhson]

Now Kerry must face up to those tough questions

Republicans will focus on senator's love of lobbyists

Paul Harris in Washington
Sunday February 15, 2004
The Observer

John Kerry, the Democratic favourite to face George Bush in the US presidential elections, has taken millions of dollars in financial backing from special interests and lobbyists. Kerry, who has made fighting special interests a key part of his campaign, has also backed legislation favouring some of his donors and written letters on behalf of corporate backers. Questions about Kerry's financial backers come as his campaign has been forced to fight back against sex scandal rumours after a right-wing gossip website alleged the Massachusetts senator had had an affair with a much younger intern. After weeks of positive press, Kerry's background is now coming under intense scrutiny as the fight with Bush looms.

Kerry - like Bush - has recruited an army of 'bundlers' who skip around strict campaign finance laws by gathering $2,000 cheques from friends and employees into bundles of $50,000 or $100,000. Kerry has 32 $100,000 bundlers and 87 $50,000 bundlers. They come mainly from powerful law firms, real estate companies, financiers and lobbyists.

Kerry has received more money from lobbyists over the past 15 years than any other serving senator. Some of Kerry's close links with lobbyists have raised eyebrows among supporters used to his campaign slogan: 'From the moment I take up office, I will stand up to special interests.'

Kerry has strong ties to lobbyists for the telecommunications industry. Michael Whouley, a top Kerry political aide, is a registered lobbyist for telecoms giant AT&T. Kerry has also taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from Boston lobbying firm Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky. Kerry's brother Cameron is a lawyer for the company which represents communications firms and the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uselections2004/story/0,13918,1148524,00.html

[The Zanti Regent]

1. Kerry vs the most expensive Prostitute in History

Hm Kerry just has the spare change in his pockets compared to Chimpy's 200 million Whore Chest!

[seventhson]

2. Kerry and Theresa are worth around 750 million

But he may have a problem getting her money if this alleged bimbo eruption turns out to be true

[buckeye1]

9. Dream on.

I find your hatefulness for wealth instructive. Kerry can't use his wife's money and you know it. There is no bimbo eruption. There is a pathetic loser now and its time for him to quit.

[w13rd0]

14. I don't like Kerry that much either...

...but is it appropriate to call him a pathetic loser?

[seventhson]

23. I work with the poorest of the poor in the inner city

I do not hate wealth but I despise such gross surfeit when so many are suffering. Even JFK called it obscene.

Greed is what causes nuch of the suffering in the world and the greed of the elites like Kerry IMHO is the worst form of greed. Political power used to feather one's own nest luxuriantly at the expense of others is the lowest form of deceit and I believe Kerry is guilty of that.

I think this article supports my view on this.

[Darth_Kitten]

28. Name calling?

I find that pretty sad. Very sad, indeed. Nobody's a loser who actually has the guts and CHARACTER to stand up to special interests. Those who don't are pretty weak. JMH litt'l O.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

11. More allegations with no facts to back them up.

[seventhson]

24. The financial allegations here are very specific

and the allegation regarding an affair has a name and some confirmative facts if not definitive proof yet. You have to investigate the facts to get the proof one way or the other and the allegations have to come first by the very nature of this beast.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

26. Still more innuendo with nothing to back it up.

[fearnobush]

3. Lets get special interest and lobbyist 101 going.

1, If Kerry got X from AT&T, Bush got XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.

2, If the Repukes want to have a Lobbyist war - then, Bring in on indeed. Need I say one word....... ENRON.

3, Need I say an other word - Halliburton.

4, Need I say an other, other word - Diebold.

So, Bush got more money from Enron then any other politician before him. ---- 20,000 lost their retirement funds $1 Billion. California had 1000 % price increases during the BFEE rigged power crisis. '

Halliburton - so far, $61 million, in over charged gas prices a top of the worlds second largest oil reserve. Millions of tax dollars paid for spoiled food for, Yes, our US Armed Forces. the $61 million was paid back to the govt, I think. But people, this cost plus scandal is only the tip of the ice burg. So far, 2 whistle blowers have come forward. It's Enron all over again.

Diebold - Electronic voting. CEO Walden O'Dell. "we are committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year." - need I say more.

[oasis]

13. good list. bring it on.

[FDRrocks]

4. I do not think John Kerry cheated

This whole thing smells like shit to me, pure shit. He must face propaganda allegations, that is it.

[Tinoire]

5. Meanwhile here are all the votes he missed

Not one is Telecommunications. Most bizarre...

Maybe I shouldn't be so harsh; maybe if I didn't have to show up to work to get paid, I'd be hanging out at Predictive HQs collecting my supplemental pay and introducting their bills the next day :shrug:

Kerry met a top Predictive executive on 25 July, 2000. A day later Kerry introduced a Senate bill that would allow internet firms to monitor what their consumers were viewing and that Predictive had been lobbying for. In February 2002 Predictive chief executive Devin Hosea threw a fundraiser for Kerry in Boston. Kerry was given a lift back to Washington DC in a private jet. Hosea threw a second fundraising party that summer. In the end Hosea become one of Kerry's $100,000 'bundlers'.


1: Procedural Motion - Adjourn to Time Certain
2: FY 2003 Approp.s - Homeland Security
3: FY 2003 Approp.s - Homeland Security
4: FY 2003 Approp.s - Education Block Grants
5: FY 2003 Approp.s - Education Funding
6: FY 2003 Approp.s - Rural Antidrug Program
7: FY 2003 Approp.s - Spending Reinstatement
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15: FY 2003 Approp.s - Drought Relief
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17: FY 2003 Approp.s - African Famine Relief
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26: FY 2003 Approp.s - Prohibit Quotas for Job Priv.
31: Adams Nomination - Confirmation
32: Otero Nomination - Confirmation
33: Junell Nomination - Confirmation
36: Procedural Motion - Require Attendance
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39: Pledge of Allegiance - Adoption
44: Frost Nomination - Confirmation
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46: Partial-Birth Abor. Ban - Health Exception
47: Partial-Birth Abor. Ban - Motion to Commit
49: Partial-Birth Abor. Ban - Health Exception
50: Quarles Nomination - Confirmation
51: "Partial-Birth" Abortion Ban - Passage
52: Varlan Nomination - Confirmation
53: Estrada Nomination - Cloture
54: Bybee Nomination - Confirmation
55: Breen Nomination - Confirmation
60: FY 2004 Budget Res. - Education Funding
109: Coalition Member Support - Adoption
110: Military Tax Breaks - Passage
111: Selna Nomination - Confirmation
112: Springmann Nomination - Confirmation
114: Estrada Nomination - Cloture
115: FY 2003 War Supplemental - Port Security
116: FY '03 War Supp. - Nat'l. Guard & Reserves
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118: FY '03 War Suppl. - Ind. Member Projects
119: FY '03 War Suppl. - Counterterror Funding
120: FY '03 War Suppl. - Homeland Security
121: FY 2003 War Supplemental - War Costs
122: FY '03 War Suppl. - First Resp'r. Funding
123: FY '03 War Suppl. - First Resp'r. Funding
124: FY '03 War Suppl. - Iraqi Food Assistance
125: FY 2003 War Supplemental - Passage
126: Carney Nomination - Confirmation
132: Protections for Children - Conf. Report
133: Swimmer Nomination – Confirmation
135: Sutton Nomination - Confirmation
139: Cook Nomination - Confirmation
140: Estrada Nomination - Cloture
141: Altonaga Nomination - Confirmation
145: FISA Warrants - Feinstein Substitute
146: FISA Warrants - Passage
147: Tax Reductions - On-Budget Surplus
180: Global AIDS Relief - Abstinence Programs
181: Global AIDS Relief - Drug Pricing
182: Global AIDS Relief - AIDS Orphans
183: Global AIDS Relief - Aid to Carib. Nations
184: Hicks Nomination - Confirmation
185: FY '04 Def. Auth. - Reservist Health Care
186: FY '04 Def. Auth. - Nucl. Weapons Study
187: FY '04 Def. Auth. - Nucl. Weapons Study
188: FY '04 Def. Auth. - Nucl. Weapons Study
189: FY '04 Def. Auth. - Nucl. Penetrator Weapons
192: FY 2004 Defense Auth. - Overseas Abortions
193: FY 2004 Defense Auth. - Defense Contracts
194: FY 2004 Defense Authorization - Passage
195: Callahan Nomination - Confirmation
202: Debt Limit Increase - Passage
203: Energy Policy - Ethanol Requir. Exclusion
204: Energy Policy - Ethanol Requir. Exclusion
205: FY 2004 Defense Authoriz. - Base Closures
206: Energy Policy - Ethanol Requir. Exclusion
211: Chertoff Nomination - Confirmation
216: Greer Nomination - Confirmation
217: Kravitz Nomination - Confirmation
218: Energy Policy - Energy Commodity Trading
219: Energy Policy - Indian Energy Projects
220: Myanmar Sanctions - Passage
223: FY 2004 FAA Reauth. - Pilot Age Requirements
224: FY 2004 FAA Reauth. - Foreign Repair Stations
225: FY 2004 FAA Reauthorization - Passage
226: Pate Nomination - Confirmation
227: Prescription Drug Benefit - Benefit Within Medicare
228: Prescription Drug Benefit - Drug Cost Disclosure
229: Prescription Drug Benefit - Premium Cap
230: Prescription Drug Benefit - Drug Patents
231: American History and Civics Academies - Passage
232: Prescription Drug Benefit - Drug Importation
233: Prescription Drug Benefit - Third-Party Coverage
234: Prescription Drug Benefit - Open Enrollment Period
235: Prescription Drug Benefit - Canadian Price Equity
236: Prescription Drug Benefit - Cost Sharing Extension
237: Prescription Drug Benefit - Congressional Coverage
238: Prescription Drug Benefit - Two-Year Fallback Plan
239: Prescription Drug Benefit - Benefit Availability
240: Prescription Drug Benefit - Drug Cost Coverage
241: Prescription Drug Benefit - Employer Compensation
242: Prescription Drug Benefit - Health Centers
243: Prescription Drug Benefit - Drug Advertisements
244: Prescription Drug Benefit - Premium Reduction
245: Prescription Drug Benefit - Durbin Substitute
246: Prescription Drug Benefit - Cost-Effectiveness Studies
247: Prescription Drug Benefit - Disability Services
248: Prescription Drug Benefit - Drug Advertisements
249: Prescription Drug Benefit - Cancer Care
250: Prescription Drug Benefit - Cancer Patient Coverage
251: Prescription Drug Benefit - Asset Test
252: Prescription Drug Benefit - Alzheimer's Subsidy
253: Prescription Drug Benefit - Additional Disease Treatment
254: Prescription Drug Benefit - Premium Reduction
255: Prescription Drug Benefit - Experimental Drug Coverage
256: Prescription Drug Benefit - Immigrant Coverage
257: Prescription Drug Benefit - Retiree Coverage
258: Prescription Drug Benefit - Medigap Policies
259: Prescription Drug Benefit - Retiree Fallback Plan
260: Prescription Drug Benefit - Alternative Plan
261: Prescription Drug Benefit - Means Test
262: Prescription Drug Benefit - Passage
263: Campbell Nomination - Confirmation
264: Medical Malpractice - Cloture
265: Wolski Nomination – Confirmation
266: Child Tax Credit - Motion to Proceed
267: FY 2004 State Dept. Reauthorization - Mexico City Policy
269: FY 2004 State Dept. Reauth. - Unemployment Insurance
270: FY 2004 State Dept. Reauthoriz. - HIV/AIDS Funding
272: FY 2004 Legislative Branch Appropriations - AmeriCorps
273: FY 2004 Legislative Branch Appropriations - Passage
274: FY 2004 Military Construction Appropriations - Passage
275: Der-Yeghiayan Nomination - Confirmation
276: Suko Nomination - Confirmation
277: FY 2004 Defense Appropriations - Troop Deployments
278: FY 2004 Defense Approp.s - Cost of Iraq Operations
279: FY 2004 Defense Appropriations - Military Detainees
280: Myanmar Sanctions - Passage
281: FY 2004 Defense Appropriations - Iraq War Costs
282: FY 2004 Defense Appropriations - Military Health Care
283: FY 2004 Defense Appropriations - Iraqi Reconstruction
284: FY 2004 Defense Approp.s - Iraqi Intel. Commission
285: FY 2004 Defense Approp.s - Unauthorized Approp.s
286: FY 2004 Defense Approp.s - Overseas Military Funding
287: FY 2004 Defense Appropriations - Intelligence Funding
288: FY 2004 Defense Appropriations - HIV/AIDS Funding
289: Duncan Nomination - Confirmation
290: FY 2004 Defense Appropriations - Passage
291: FY 2004 Homeland Sec. Approp.s - Approp.s Increase
292: FY 2004 Homeland Sec. Appr. - Law Enforcement Costs
293: FY '04 Hom. Sec. Appr. - Emer. Mgmt. Planning Grants
294: FY 2004 Homeland Security Approp.s - Port Security
295: FY 2004 Homeland Security Approp.s - Explosive Device
296: FY 2004 Homeland Sec. Approp.s - Firefighter Grants
297: FY 2004 Homeland Sec. Approp.s - Chemical Plant Sec.
298: FY 2004 Homeland Sec. Approp.s - Canadian Border Sec.
299: FY 2004 Homeland Sec. Appr - First Responder Funding
300: FY 2004 Homeland Security Approp.s - Maritime Security
301: FY '04 Homeland Sec. Appr. - High-Threat Urban Areas
302: FY '04 Homeland Sec. Appr. - High-Threat Urban Areas
303: FY 2004 Homeland Sec. Appr. - Federal Advisory Boards
304: FY 2004 Homeland Security Approp.s - Transit Security
305: FY 2004 Homeland Sec. Appr.s - Lobbying Restrictions
306: FY 2004 Homeland Security Appropriations - Passage
307: Yeakel Nomination - Confirmation
308: Owen Nomination - Cloture
309: Energy Policy - Fuel Economy Standards
310: Energy Policy - Fuel Economy Standards
311: Energy Policy - Price Manipulation
312: Estrada Nomination - Cloture
313: Energy Policy - Utility Mergers
314: Energy Policy - Standard Market Design
315: Energy Policy - Internal Transactions
316: Pryor Nomination - Cloture
317: Energy Policy - Passage
318: U.S.-Singapore Trade - Passage
319: U.S.-Chile Trade - Passage
320: Cohn Nomination - Confirmation
321: Montalvo Nomination - Confirmation
322: FY 2004 Labor-HHS-Edu. Appr.s - Hispanic Edu. Prog.s
323: FY 2004 Labor-HHS-Education Approp.s - Impact Aid
324: FY 2004 Labor-HHS-Edu. Approp.s - IDEA Funding
325: FY 2004 Labor-HHS-Edu. Approp.s - Job Training
326: FY 2004 Labor-HHS-Edu. Approp.s - Rural Edu. Grants
327: Colloton Nomination - Confirmation
328: FY 2004 Labor-HHS-Edu. Appr..s - Bioterr. Workforce
329: 2004 Labor-HHS-Edu. Approp.s - School Construction
330: FY 2004 Labor-HHS-Edu. Approp.s - Title I Funding
331: FY 2004 Labor-HHS-Edu. Approp.s - Higher Education
332: FY 2004 Labor-HHS-Edu. Appr.s - HIV/AIDS Funding
333: FY 2004 Labor-HHS-Education Approp.s - Head Start
336: FY 2004 Labor-HHS-Edu. Approp.s - LIHEAP Assist.
339: FY 2004 Labor-HHS-Edu. Approp.s - Fin. Aid Eligibility
340: FY 2004 Labor-HHS-Edu. Appr.s - After-school Progr.s
341: FY '04 Labor-HHS-Edu. Appr. - Safe Child./Fam. Prom.
342: FY 2004 Labor-HHS-Edu. Appr.s - Education Funding
343: FY '04 Labor-HHS-Edu. Appr. - Teacher Quality Progr.s
344: FY 2004 Labor-HHS-Edu. Appr..s - After School Progr.s
345: FY '04 Lab.-HHS-Ed. App.. - W. Nile/Mosquito Control
346: FY 2004 Labor-HHS-Edu. Approp.s - NIH Funding
347: FY 2004 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations - Passage
348: Media Ownership Rule Disapproval - Passage
349: FY 2004 Energy/Water Appr.s - Adv. Nucl. Weapons 350: FY 2004 Energy and Water Appropriations - Passage
351: Partial-Birth Abortion Ban - Disagree to House Amend.
352: Proctor Nomination - Confirmation
353: Feuerstein Nomination - Confirmation
354: Conrad Nomination - Confirmation
355: Floyd Nomination - Confirmation
356: FY 2004 Interior Appropriations - Indian Health Service
357: Gibson Nomination - Confirmation
358: FY 2004 Interior Approp.s - National Mall Ad Ban
359: FY 2004 Interior Appr.s - Judicial Review of Timber Sales
360: FY 2004 Int. Appr.s - Competitive Sourcing Annual Rept.
361: FY 2004 Int. Appr.s - Compet. Sourcing Rev. Prohibition
362: FY 2004 Interior Appr.s - Indian Health Service Funding
363: Burns Nomination - Confirmation
364: FY 2004 Defense Appropriations - Conference Report
365: Do-Not-Call Registry - Passage
366: Sabraw Nomination - Confirmation
367: Mosman Nomination - Confirmation
368: Bea Nomination - Confirmation
369: Crone Nomination - Confirmation
370: White Nomination - Confirmation
371: FY 2004 Suppl. for Iraq/Afghanistan - Iraqi Reconstruc.
376: FY 2004 Suppl. for Iraq/Afghanistan - Safety Equipment
377: Genetic Nondiscrimination - Passage
378: FY 2004 Supp. Iraq/Afghanistan - Iraqi Lib. Medal
379: FY 2004 Supp. Iraq/Afghanistan - Domestic Spending
380: FY 2004 Supp. Iraq/Afghanistan - Reconstr. Financing
381: FY 2004 Supp. Iraq/Afghanistan - Mil Res. Retire. Age
382: FY 2004 Supp. Iraq/Afghanistan - Add'l Army Personnel
383: FY 2004 Supp. Iraq/Afghanistan - Congressional Report
384: FY 2004 Supp. Iraq/Afghanistan - Removal Of Saddam
398: FY 2004 Supp. Iraq/Afghanistan - Cong. Approval

[Tom Kitten]

15. Could you provide

A list of the votes he made, also? Just to be fair?

[Robb]

20. I'd like to see that too. nt

[w13rd0]

21. Anything meaningless and ceremonial...

...he made most of those...

[Tinoire]

30. Sorry, You'll have to go to his web-site. I'm sure they're heralded there

It is not my job to advertise for Kerry. That would take too much time for a cause I do not believe in.

The percentage of votes he missed should be enough to bother people. Kucinich & Edwards took their job of reperesenting the people a lot more seriously. Kerry missed not only the votes but the discussions & negociations leading to the votes. What kind of representation is that?

Note again that not one single vote affecting the Telecommunications Industry was missed. If I had $17 million invested in that industry, I guess I wouldn't miss any of those either. Voting is important when your portfolio is at stake.

Remember the Medicare vote? Where was Kerry? What was more important to him? HIS presidential aspirations and not the people. Kucinich managed to make it because it was such an important vote for us. That spoke volumes.

Medicare vote got surreal in House
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3606311/

A Drug-Company Bribe? - The Medicare vote scandal
http://slate.msn.com/id/2092242/

[aquart]

6. I'd prefer to focus on health care and a jobs program.

Does he have any of that?

[seventhson]

22. I don;t think he does. BUT he does have ...

PLATITUDES.


And what decent ideas he DID float in his platitiudes mostly came from Dean and DK

[Born Free]

7. still not sure on Kerry

It's great the media annointed Kerry and did everything they could to get him in front, but I am still a little unsure. Kerry is still the same person he was before the media started bashing Dean and promoting Kerry. I really had thought it would be either Dean, Clark, although I like them all. I have a feeling that once Kerry is the only one standing the media is going to "Gore" him to death. Unfortunately, democrats proved the media can make them pick the candidate, because Deans' grassroots support faded with each media attack. As long as the majority of democrats are afraid to stand up tot he media we are doomed, America is doomed.

[Mountainman]

18. I wouldn't say the media didn't anoint Kerry

I'm surprised as hell that he is the front runner. If anything the media was promoting Dean. When Kerry started winning because of the voters, the media started paying attention.

I don't remember a single media outlet that promoted Kerry before Iowa and NH.

[buckeye1]

8. Kerry will do just fine.

Democrats have voted for him overwhelmingly. Bush has no issue here. Bring it on AWOL!

[Media_Lies_Daily]

10. Gee...what happened to that other story? Have they switched that quickly?

[cubsfan6969]

12. Repukes have to divert attention away from Bush failures

[murielm99]

16. hi cubsfan!

Welcome to DU. I am a Cubs Fan too.

[Spentastic]

17. I have no axe to grind here

However, Kerry supporters are going to have to do better than

"Well Bush does it more"

This allows the ultimate criticism to stick that Kerry IS Bush Lite.

and

"La la la la la I'm not listening"

Someone calmly explain to me why it was necessary for Kerry to accept so much money from these sources and how it impacts the democractic principle.

[Old and In the Way]

19. This is a non-starter with Republicans.

I do hope that they try to make this the centerpiece of the attacks, though.

[xchrom]

25. i thought bush lowered the bar

so know this is the media's way of announcing that they are going to gore kerry?
and as far as who fucks who or lusts after who -- that's all salacious gossip.
as long as he isn't fucking children -- it's not mine or anybody else's business.
unless of course he invited you to watch.
du sometimes sounds as bad as bill bennett, jerry falwell, pat robertson, etc. -- blech.

[snippy]

27. This is very similar to the email I received from the Bush campaign.

It also is similar to the email from the RNC calling for people to call talk radio next week and mention Kerry's flip-flops.

[onehandle]

29. This is just plain crazy...

I've heard political expert and pundits aplenty in the last few days saying that this is a stupid attack that will bite Bush on the ass.

All I can think is that the GOP is trying to temper similar attacks on Bush's financial support.

Forget it. The gloves are off this election.

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[diamond14]

32. Kerry FIGHTS BACK bush* accusations of 'special interests'

(and of course, it saddens me that so many DUers are fighting to keep bush* in the WH, rather than UNITING for Kerry....this destructive infighting will surely guarantee bush*, and many reTHUGlicans have noticed that and encouraging that here)...


Kerry video..."More than Anyone"




watch the entire video linked on this web page....
http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2004_0214c.html

here's the transcript....

“More Than Anyone"

Announcer: "He’s taken $3.2 million from big oil and gas companies… and let America’s worst polluters re-write our environmental laws. "

"He’s taken $1.4 million from drug companies… and pushed through a $140 billion giveaway for the pharmaceutical industry. "

"He’s taken $8 million from big banks and investment firms… and just told us that “outsourcing” jobs to other countries is good for America. "

"Enron has been his single biggest contributor – over $600,000. "

"Who’s the politician who’s taken more special interest money than anyone in history? '

"The same one who’s attacking John Kerry’s record because he can’t defend his own.'

John Kerry: "I’m John Kerry and I approved this message because together, we can defeat George Bush and the powerful special interests."