Dean Issues Statement on Kerry Missing 36 of 38 Medicare Votes

[slinkerwink]

Dean's Statement on Kerry and Medicare

SANTE FE, NM--Yesterday, the Associated Press reported that John Kerry accused the Bush administration of "caving-in" to the pharmaceutical companies at taxpayers' expense, citing the new Medicare bill. In response, Governor Dean issued the following statement:

"George W. Bush released his budget today revealing new evidence this Administration has no intention of balancing the budget. The fiscal insanity this President has exhibited by breaking his own deficit record while proposing more tax cuts is stunning. But the audacity of John Kerry to attack Bush yesterday for failing to stand up to the powerful pharmaceutical companies on the Medicare bill is par for the course.

"In my book, leadership means having the courage to stand up for what you believe in when it counts, not to skip out on the job taxpayers sent you to do and play armchair quarterback when it is convenient.

"This is a pattern for John Kerry on the campaign trail, he criticizes the Medicare bill after he skipped 36 of the 38 votes on that bill. He criticizes the war in Iraq after he voted for it. He criticizes the No Child Left Behind Act after he voted for it. And he pledges to end the grip the special interest lobbyists have on Washington after he took more money from them than any of his colleagues in the Senate.

"We need to nominate a Democrat who will stand up for what is right when it counts, not when it is convenient."

http://blog.deanforamerica.com

[dave29]

1. Deeeyam

:)

[slinkerwink]

3. It's damning that Kerry missed 36 out of 38 Medicare Votes

[bigtree]

19. Letter from John Kerry in Response to Dean's medicare history

Dear Governor Dean:

I am writing to ask you to change your position on two issues that are fundamental to our nation and Democratic Party and: the middle class tax relief and protecting Medicare. As you know, our party has a long history and tradition of supporting the nation’s working families. Yet you have supported increasing taxes for the middle class and balancing the budget by cutting Medicare for seniors.

First, middle class families are working harder to make ends meet. They are facing rising health care costs, higher college tuition and higher housing costs. A recent book by Elizabeth Warren and Amelia Tyagi found that while two income families are earning 75 percent more than single earner counterparts a generation ago, they actually have less disposable income.

Despite the difficulties, your proposal adds a new burden to middle class families by raising the child credit, reinstating the marriage penalty and raising the 10 percent bracket. The Bush 2001 and 2003 tax cuts wasted too many valuable resources on the wealthy and it is critical for our economy and our future that we repeal the tax break that went to the wealthiest Americans.

However, that does not mean we need to raise taxes for middle class families who are working hard to raise their families. Your plan could cost a family with two kids $2,000 a year – that could mean the difference between paying the heating bill, paying for day care or helping an elderly relative.

We need a plan to bring back the economic growth we enjoyed in the Clinton years and a plan, like President Clinton, to cut the Bush deficit. But just bringing back the tax rates of the 1990s are not going to do that. Taking away the child tax credit does not mean families will find a better paying job. Reinstating the marriage penalty will not bring back a pension fund or lower property taxes.

We owe it to our nation and to our party to offer ideas that restore the economy and help middle class families. With real leadership we can provide health care, cut the deficit and preserve middle class tax cuts that Democrats fought for.

Second, I urge you to reject your previous support of the 1995 Republican proposal to cut Medicare. The Republican plan to reduce Medicare growth to 7 percent was projected to cut $270 billion out of the Medicare program – meaning higher premiums and cuts to hospitals and nursing homes. And you said, “I fully subscribe to the notion that we should reduce the Medicare growth rate from 10 percent to 7 percent, or less if possible.”

Our seniors are extremely vulnerable and many are on fixed incomes. They cannot afford additional premiums or a weaker Medicare program. Democrats stood up against the Gingrich effort to slash Medicare. In fact, it was so fundamental to our values that Democrats were willing to shut down the government to save the program.

Medicare is not as you have said " one of the worst things that ever happened… a bureaucratic disaster…” or “one of the worst federal programs ever.” It is a lifeline for seniors and people with disabilities. It is a compact between generations and an American value.

I believe that it is critical that our party continue to stand for hard working Americans. That is our history and our mission. Therefore, I hope you will reconsider your positions on these essential issues.

[TLM]

24. Notice the difference... Dean cites Kerry's voting record

But Kerry's letter is a vaguely worded encouragement for Dean to change a position... which is in fact based not on voting records or policy positions, but a few quotes in interviews from 10 years ago.

Taking decade old comments based on circumstances which have changed, and acting as if they are current policy positions is desperate and dishonest... typical for Kerry.

The quotes in Kerry's letter are taken so far out of context Kerry has to pack them with ellipses. Dean did not have to twist quotes from 10 years ago... he could just grab Kerry's dispicable voting records to prove Kerry has been laying down on medicare.

[bigtree]

35. Yeah,Dean raises this to distract from his own plans for Medicare

Notice the timing. He's losing so he strikes out on the issue of missed votes which had absolutely no effect, good or bad, on Medicare.

Just what is he accusing John of? Hurting Medicare? Threatening Medicare? Where is the evidence of that? The duke of the party, and the primary defender of Medicare, Ted Kennedy, is solidly in John Kerry's corner. So much for the argument that John hurt or threatened Medicare.

[girl gone mad]

2. Coudn't agree more.

"We need to nominate a Democrat who will stand up for what is right when it counts, not when it is convenient"

[blm]

6. Vermont Dems were mad Dean skipped out to campaign his last year in office

but, it only counts when it's some other candidate, right?

Dean is a liar who is deceiving so many about Kerry and his donations which were from INDIVIDUALS, not pac money, and over a 19 year period.

Dean lies and insults his audiences who want to believe him.

An HONEST opponent would put out his donation information using the exact same formula used against Kerry. Is Dean an honest opponent or is he demagoguing knowing his supporters will not question him?

Is Dean interested in honesty or is his only purpose to deceive those ignorant of the truth of the formula used to come up with those figures?

[slinkerwink]

28. actually, Dean gave up the governorship of Vermont before he campaigned

[blm]

33. He was campaigning throughout 2002 his whole last year.

.

[TLM]

32. Funny how the only defense of Kerry is to attack Dean.

Did Kerry sit out those votes or not?


Are most of Kerry's top 10 largest lifetime contributors corporate or not?


Kerry is a corproate shill... always has been. He's been bought and sold by the telecom industry more times than AOL.

[killbotfactory]

4. That's why Kerry is running for president!

Because he hasn't much in the senate.

[Skip Intro]

5. Oh, we're gonna hear some whining now.

But not much about the facts raised, I'm sure.

[bigtree]

23. Some independent analysis

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/publish/article_2627.shtml

There isn't a bill where you say ah-ha, this bill has John Kerry's name written all over it," said David King of Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. "His strength isn't as much in legislation than in pointing the klieg lights on a problem and going from there, and he'll be able to do that a fair amount in the presidential race."

Former Sen. Robert Torricelli, D-N.J., who served with Kerry on the Finance and Foreign Relations committees, said Kerry was steadfast in the positions he took and not always willing to cut deals with Republicans. He said it was an effective strategy that he admired, although it could rub others the wrong way. "The hallmark of John Kerry has always been his independence," Torricelli said. "That independence has always irritated his colleagues. I don't think John Kerry would ever been characterized as a member of any club."

Aides point out that while many of Kerry's initiatives have not passed Congress intact, they have been included as amendments to bills that made it into law. Wendy Schiller, associate professor of political science at Brown University, said that puts Kerry at a disadvantage. "Nobody - I don't care how smart and good you are - could work under the shadow of Ted Kennedy," she said.

But if recent political history is any indication, other academics said, legislative accomplishments don't mean much in a presidential race."Most voters only have a vague idea of what senators do," said John Pitney, government professor at California's Claremont McKenna College. "If you look at the senators who've run for president, most don't have a legislative record."

Former Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson was an exception, Pitney noted, although he became president after the assassination of John Kennedy, another former Massachusetts senator with political talents but few legislative accomplishments.

[jenk]

7. who's Dean? is he still relevant?

enough of these attacks, you're not gaining any ground with it. Time to switch tactics.

[Skip Intro]

8. this needs a link, slinkerwink

:D

[bigtree]

38. Here's one

http://prorev.com/dean.htm

Though he has been dubbed a "raging liberal" by admirers and critics alike, Howard Dean governed Vermont strictly within the framework of the conservative Democratic Leadership Council. . .

But such political maneuvering is nothing new for Dean. Upon becoming governor of Vermont in 1991, after the sudden death of then-Republican Governor Richard Snelling, Dean made a sharp turn to the right and pursued that course ever since. In his 11 years as governor, Dean would shift rightward on one position after another, all the while claiming to be concerned for the needy and less-fortunate, and disappointing all who thought they were getting someone who would govern from the liberal end of the political spectrum.

Dean inherited a massive deficit in the state budget from Snelling. Refusing to raise taxes on wealthier Vermonters (and rendering the tax system more regressive than previously), Dean declared in his first State of the State address that it would be his mission to balance the state budget with some "tough" cuts. Even though Vermont has no law requiring a balanced budget, Dean promised, "The pain for Vermonters will be real."

Dean slashed millions of dollars from all sorts of social programs, from prescription drug benefits for Medicare recipients and heating assistance for poorer Vermonters to housing assistance funds. In defending his cuts to social programs, Dean said, "I don't think I have to shy away from that just because I'm supposed to be a liberal Democrat."

Throughout the 1990s, Dean's cuts in state aid to education ($6 million), retirement funds for teachers and state employees ($7 million), health care ($4 million), welfare programs earmarked for the aged, blind and disabled ($2 million), Medicaid benefits ($1.2 million) and more, amounted to roughly $30 million. Dean claimed that the cuts were necessary because the state had no money and was burdened by a $60 million deficit.

[THUNDER HANDS]

9. and how many of those votes were even close?

[rucky]

12. Does Kerry know that voting "Nay" is also an option?

that would've headed off Dean's accusations & your excuses.

[THUNDER HANDS]

20. I'd like to see a list

Of how many votes other members of congress missed the past 20 years before I cast judgement upon Kerry and say he's slacking off.

[Sushi-Lover]

22. It matters not

Our elected officials are PAID GOOD MONEY and should vote on EVERY ISSUE that comes before them.
That is what they were elected to do.

I don't really care how stupid the issue up for vote, or if they think it is a 'done deal' no matter how they vote.
THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THERE AND VOTE

If the issues before them are stupid, then they should be more active in determining what issues come up.

If an elected official misses a scheduled vote they better have a damned good reason.

-if you accept what they're doing, you deserve what you get

[TLM]

26. By avoiding these votes.... as he did with most of the abortion votes

Kerry avoiding putting a solid position on his voting record for all those groups that rate a politician based on their voting record.

Kerry sits on the fence and anything he does do, is done as a rider on someone else's bill so Kerry can stay off radar. Yet now that tactic is coming back to bite him in the ass.

[TheDonkey]

10. I hope Kerry rises above this and doesn't get into anothe kamakazi

battle with the Doctor like Iowa.

I like to hear why a canidate is GOOD, not why the other one is a republican satan.

[sallyseven]

13. I am finding it very difficult

to even think of considering Dean. I have read and heard to many thing negative about his statements and views.

[KFC]

11. It is called Vote Conservation

You don't want to waste your votes - voting everywhere willy-nilly. You have to pick your spots. Like poker. Kerry is just showing us he is an outstanding poker player.

[slinkerwink]

29. by not voting against the ban on overtime pay in the medicare omnibus bill

[rucky]

34. Wouldn't want him to run outta votes, now.

When my primary rolls around, I'll also be practicing vote conservation by saving my Kerry vote for when & if he is nominated.

[democratreformed]

14. Now, THIS, to me is a valid concern

I am upset that these Senators did not uphold the responsibilites of their offices.

[sangh0]

15. (yawn)

.

[David Dunham]

16. Dean Is on His Way to Becoming the Ralph Nader of 2004

[Forkboy]

17. A solid rebuttal !!

[Old and In the Way]

18. That seals it for me.

Dean will be the last Democrat I'll consider, Joe will get my vote 1st. This "scortched Earth" approach is doing nothing to help the Democratic cause.

Why not tell us why we should vote for you, Howard, instead of telling us why we shouldn't vote for your competitors?

[rucky]

27. This Q is not likely to become a GOP talking point

it's a legitimate concern from the left.

[bigtree]

36. The "Left"

Like Ted Kennedy, the primary defender of Medicare who has campaigned for John?

Members of the left like Kennedy? He doesn't seem concerned.

[KaraokeKarlton]

37. I don't recall you disavowing Kerry

during all the months he made these kinds of statements against Dean.

Oh, and a good bulk of Dean supporters would prefer Lieberman over Kerry, too. In fact, I'm one of them. I flat out refuse to vote for Kerry at all, under ANY circumstances. His dirty campaign tactics make him just as bad as Bush in my opinion.

[pocoloco]

21. Kerry has proved he's

dumber than a stump for trusting bush* and I'm glad it's coming
back to bite him on the ass!!

[edzontar]

25. John Kerry---what a disappointment

This stuff is going to KILL him in the GE.

Is he the best we can do?

I think not.

[slinkerwink]

30. we can DO better than that! Dean or Clark!

[TexasPatriot]

31. well i guess when Kerry says

that lobbiest money doesnt influence his voting he really means it...
the question is, does it influence his NOT voting.