Kerry: The $6 mill Sacrifice for his Country. Thank You Mr. Kerry!

[Raya]

I am very proud of John Kerry for “putting his money where his mouth is.” Kerry believed in our campaign to take back our country when only a small cadre of supporters were sticking with him.

Few of the Money People believed he could compete with the Dean machine.

Few of the Establishment Big-Wigs believed he could compete with the Dean machine.

Few of the Pundits believed he could compete with the Dean machine.

Few democratic activists believed he had the foggiest chance.

Kerry could have spent his time running around to the likes of Soros et al to do big fundraisers for his struggling campaign. (Soros did huge fundraisers for Dean and Clark and offered to do the same for Kerry). He could have pumped up the volume on his online fundraising with desperate pleas.

Instead, he honored his hard-working volunteers by promising he would risk his own money to make sure his campaign would not collapse after Iowa and NH. Kerry would have lost his $6 mill if the people had decided to choose Dean or Clark and their big campaign bank-rolls.

John Kerry focused on the VOTERS in Iowa and put his heart and gut into convincing the people that he was the best person to lead the fight against George Bush. His volunteers were out-numbered 5 to 1, but Kerry made up the difference by personally fighting for every vote and making the case in every forum, putting in more one-on-one campaign time than any other candidate.

Thank you Mr. Kerry for risking your money for your country and your supporters, just as you risked you life for your country and your mates in times past.

[LiberalBushFan]

1. Please. It's not a sacrifice, it's a LOAN

that we have to f***ing pay him back for in the form of donations during the GE. I hope you enjoy sacrificing your $$$ that should go toward fighting Bush to pay Kerry's loan back.

[Raya]

4. Loan could not be repaid unless his campaign succeeded. A total risk.

Why doesn't Dean risk his own $3mill now his campaign is struggling like Kerry's was then.

[dsc]

6. because he isn't married to an heiress

and his pension isn't 6 figures.

[bearfartinthewoods]

22. ok. so he defaults on the loan and the property is seized and sold

to his wife at auction. or they just live in one of their other "homes".

big sacrifice for someone with a marital assets of 600 million to spend six million to buy himself the presidency...i am soooo impressed with his sacrifice.

[WiseMen]

51. Not marital assetts. It belongs to wife and her "other" family trusts

[bearfartinthewoods]

53. you mean he signed a pre-nup?

where did they marry and what are the laws concerning monies earned by one partner during the marriage?
never mind... i don't really care. if he wins it was a good idea, i guess. if he loses it was a helluva a gamble that didn't pay off.

[aldian159]

58. Losing six million regardless

If Teresa buys the house back, the family loses six million.

[dsc]

59. out of 700 million

that is like a person with 200k in assets losing about $1400. Not a huge sacrifice.

[retyred]

72. And just what was the loan for

if not to go towards fighting to get bush out of office? Donations are used for the campaign, the loan was used for the campaign, repaying the loan is using it for the campaign.

Sorry if the math and logic eludes some but that is the gist of it.

Kerry could've lost big time but he had faith and conviction and that paid off.

Thank you John Kerry!



retyred in fla
“Good-Night Paul, Wherever You Are”
So I read this book

[dsc]

2. He put 6 million out of 700 million on the line

No one would be singing my praises for spending 171.43 on something and that is pretty much what it was equivalent to (assuming a 20k net worth). Even for a stable middle class family with say 200k net worth we are taking 1,714.30. Not a huge sacrifice.

[Raya]

3. The 700 belongs to his wife only. It is not comunity property.

[dsc]

5. well yea but

she isn't going to leave him high and dry and you well know that. But even using his net worth it is hardly a breaking sacrifice.

On edit Even if he had been totally wiped out he would have his 6 figure salary/pension to live on. Hardly living in the street.

[girl gone mad]

15. HIs wife publicly stated..

that she would help him financially in his bid to be President. In other words, she was willing to cover his losses.

How else do you think someone earning in the low 6 figures could take out a 7 million dollar loan?

[Raya]

23. No she can't. That is illegal. She said she would respond to Libel against

her family if that happenned, independent of the campaign. That is legal, but very dangerous because she would have to completely
stay away from campaign strategy to do this. Very hard for a wife
to do this.

[Debi]

36. Not actually illegal

But unethical - it would result in 'fines' from the FEC - similar to what Gephardt went through in 1988 when he blew the spending caps in Iowa. His campaign had to pay fines and he had to pay personal fines...whoopie when your wife can just 'write another check'.

Also, it's not like she didn't know he was going to run for President...she could have given him some money long before his 'exploratory' campaign began. She chose to keep her money far from the spendthrift.

By the way...what is the monthly payment on a 6 milllion dollar mortgage? And will a Senator's salary pay that? Or will the President's salary pay it??? Hmmmm

[oasis]

7. Kerry believes in his candidacy. He has what it takes to stabilize

and restore international relations with our country.

[bobbyboucher]

8. John Kerry was the lucky beneficiery

of an all out attack upon Howard Dean from inside and out. You can thank Joe Lieberman and the rest, but Kerry is nothing more than the current "safe bet".

Don't kid yourself.

[Raya]

27. Thanks for your support

[AnnitaR]

9. I applaud your passion for Kerry but...

I'm afraid I'm going to have to...
:puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

Do you have any idea how much money this man and his wife are worth?

The people who deserve the praise are the ordinary Americans who gave their $50 to the campaigns. Most of those folks didn't have it to give, but did it because they wanted to change the direction of this country. We were inspired by our candidate's vision for this country. We felt compelled to give till it hurt. Most of us who fueled the two grassroots efforts in this campaign really didn't have it to give. We are just ordinary Americans living paycheck to paycheck but were willing to cutback and make the sacrifice for the good of this country. No matter what happens in this election we will always be proud of what we did in this election. No one can ever take that away from us or the candidates we support!

It's really too bad Kerry couldn't inspire enough people to contribute to his campaign. If he could have, he wouldn't have to have made such a "sacrifice". :eyes:

[Shanty Oilish]

12. But...he's winning

"It's really too bad Kerry couldn't inspire enough people to contribute to his campaign."

Yes, well, they are inspired enough to vote for him by very healthy margins in ten out of twelve states so far.

[AnnitaR]

13. Much easier to vote for someone than to give

your hard earned money to them!

True passion for your candidate is making the sacrifice for them.

Kerry couldn't find enough folks that believed that much in him. He had to make the sacrifice himself.

[molly]

20. I gave several times to Kerry's campaign

starting last September. I am not wealthy. I am, however, inspired. I am proud to have contributed to John Kerry's campaign and will continue to do so until he is in the White House.

[Raya]

62. Good for you, molly.

[polpilot]

76. Kerry marries $300 mil 1st time, $500 mil 2nd time and 'loans' himself

$6 mil and votes for the poorest members of the U.S. to go 8,500 miles away to die for establishment interests. Let's start building that god damn 80 ton bronze statue to this sainted hero!!

Dean '04...

[WiseMen]

10. Edwards is worth $50 mill. Time for him to pony up his $6 mill

[Cronus Protagonist]

11. So he BOUGHT his way to pass Dean?

Dean did it the right way. Kerry just plowed $6 million of his own assets into his own campaign and some people are applauding this? Will any person who buys himself a nomination get the same treatment? If Edwards says, aw shucks, I'll put in $12 million of my own money to kick Kerry's ass, will DU be piling onto the "congratulate Edwards' courage" bandwagon like they are here with Kerry's blatant moneyed grab for power?

I'm still in shock.

To Dennis and Howard, if you're reading this, thank you for doing it the right way. You're too classy for this game.

"ANYBODY BUT BUSH" Buttons, Stickers & Magnets

[BruinAlum]

16. Well, as we have seen, it takes more than money. It also takes votes.

Dean's 42 Mil didn't buy him wins in IA and NH.

[Raya]

24. Dean decided to "opt-out" of the spending limits, launching massive

record spending in Iowa and doing damage to the whole process.

Dean refused even to keep to the State limits and out-spent Kerry
and Gephardt more than 2 to 1.

Those are the facts.

[charlie]

14. It's getting Peggy Noonanish around here

Kerry boosterism is well and good, but a rapturous encomium for a sacrifice that'll cause at best a marginal dent in his finances is approaching something weirdly akin to Mao worship. Just be glad he had the resources to draw on when it mattered. A simple "attaboy" will do.

[WiseMen]

74. We can learn a little from those repubs

[charlie]

75. Learn from Peggy Noonan?

Your Kerry Rapture has made you daft.

The Republican rank and file are getting as solidly buttfucked by Bushco as the rest of us. They're just so stupidly partisan they pretend to enjoy it. No, their messianism isn't something Democrats (or anyone, for that matter) should emulate.

[Julien Sorel]

17. Please don't insult the intelligence of people

with this sort of nonsense. Kerry is a self-interested politician exactly like the rest; the idea that he dipped into his own money in response to his feeling of loyalty to his followers or a sense of duty is simply stupid. Did Steve Forbes feel this sort of call to duty? Christ.

I've never seen such bizarre flights of stupidity revolving around an election before, but this is the first election I've seen discussed at length on a message board. It really is eye-opening to see the depths of stupidity and delusion people will dive to for their candidates, and helps to explain the mind-numbed loyalty of Bush lovers.

[Raya]

21. Why don't you criticize those who ATTACK Kerry for Risking His Money

[Julien Sorel]

39. When it counted, I did.

Not that this is relevant to the silliness of the original post.

[quinnox]

18. lol, ok I am a Kerry supporter but this is silly

please!

[Skwmom]

19. A sacrifice?

He did it for KERRY, not for the good of the country.

[creativelcro]

25. it can also be read as "GAMBLER'S PERSONALITY"

Assuming there was not shady business behind the curtains (i.e., that he was guaranteed the nomination exactly when he mortgaged the house).

[Raya]

26. It was a gamble. Kerry took a gamble on his people and the voters of Iowa

[WiseMen]

67. Luck is pretty important for a President

[progressivebydesign]

28. Got the loan from the Mellon Trust..

Anyone know anything about them? Do they usually make 6.9 million dollar equity loans like that? Just wondering, cuz Richard Scaife Mellon, it turns out, is a Skull & Bones guy, and the Mellon Trust is one of his things. I know that everyone has decided that the S&B thing is not important anymore, since a Democratic front-runner was a member. But it was quite a subject around here when Bush was running in 2000. I still cringe when I see that Mellon name on anything.

I don't see taking an equity loan on your house as a sacrifice to our country. That's just too dramatic. It just shows, once again, that only the rich can afford to run for president in America.

[redqueen]

66. Not true

Kucinich is not rich and he is running.

The trick is to get the voters to realize they don't have to vote for the 'establishment' candidate.

[Anwen]

29. Thank you Mr. Kerry for buying your way into first.

Such a sacrifice to dip into that 600 million net worth.

Please.

[Raya]

31. I prefer to support one who pays his way than one who is paid to pretend

to take positions and policies they never believed in.

[Anwen]

32. Please do tell,

What are these policies and positions he is "pretending" to believe in?

[Name removed]

34. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[dsc]

35. No that isn't our job

You made the charge, you get up of your rear and research it yourself. I could post all kinds of things I 'heard' about Kerry or anyone else for that matter. But that isn't what people are supposed to do in adult discussions of issues.

[Raya]

37. I did. I researched my candidate before donating and I like that he is

willing to put his money where his mouth is, that he has accepted the had work of running his campaigns, over a 20 year period, on small individual donations rather than going the easy route of taking the huge PAC donations that funded most congressional campaign.

People who support other candidates can do their research or not. It is their money and time.

[Debi]

40. Are you implying

That only the wealthy should be allowed to run? Only the people who can 'lend' millions to their campaigns be allowed to represent? 'The little guy' who doesn't have a trust fund should not seek campaign contributions? Hmmmm

[Raya]

42. No. I supported DK once. I checked thier Records. DK and Kerry's I like

Progressive lobby American for Democratic Action gives Kerry the Highest progressive rating (93%) and Kucinich the second highest (85%).

[HoosierClarkie]

33. Are you talking about the IWR vote?

So which is it? Does he not believe in his vote or was it the right thing to do? :)

[Forkboy]

30. Bow before the almighty all-knowing and all loving Kerry!!

[LuminousX]

38. What tripe... no one takes that kind of risk

without hopes of reaping massive payback. Where is his ROI going to come from?

Is he hoping Dean supporters will pony up money for him to pay off the debt he created in an effort to defeat Dean? I think any donations I make if Kerry is the nominee are going to go to places like Moveon.org.

[Larkspur]

57. Ditto for me. Kerry is a setup for being corrupted

Who will he owe kickbacks to?

[oasis]

41. "our lives,our fortunes and our sacred honor". A continuing legacy. (eom)

[slinkerwink]

43. nah.....fuck you, Mr. Kerry

[YNGW]

44. Just Wondering

What would we be saying if a rich Repug had done the same thing?

[redqueen]

45. My guess is not this. n/t

[Raya]

46. I notice that fellow Repubs don't stab them in the back. Kerry spent LESS

than his opponents for every state in contention.

[Debi]

47. After Iowa

The media did his ads for him...hell, BEFORE Iowa the media helped take down Dean.

How did Kerry do when his feet were held to the fire?? Like his 1996 Re-election race - you know, promises NOT to go over self imposed spending caps? All you need is money and the seat is yours!!!

[Raya]

48. The media had helped Dean destroy Kerry from April to Dec.

All the pundits viewed Kerry as dead and kept throwing more dirt on the grave. On DU any support for Kerry was mocked and dismissed.

On the ground in Iowa Kerry was out-numbered 5 to 1 by Dean and
3 to 1 by Gephardt.

[Debi]

49. With what?

>On the ground in Iowa Kerry was out-numbered 5 to 1 by Dean and
3 to 1 by Gephardt<

Reporters??

[Raya]

50. Staff and Volunteers.

[ibegurpard]

68. And a little help from the Democratic Party machinery.

eom

[killbotfactory]

52. He's going to use future donations to pay himself back, w/ interest

What a trooper.

[WiseMen]

54. I hope so. That is how it is supposed to work. But any proof of that?

Or it is just more careless rhetoric.

[JFKvsGWB]

55. It was his only strategy and it worked.

I always said, if Kerry wins Iowa it's over.

[Larkspur]

56. And this is why I will never donate to Kerry's campaign

He will use campaign contributions to pay off this loan and he has to do it before the Convention.

If he really wanted to sacrifice, he should have sold all his property so that he could compete, not just with Dean but with Bush.

[Sensitivity]

61. Haven't you maxed in your contributions to Mr. Trippi's vacation fund yet

Time to give some towards Kerry's debt-retirement fund. What if the
he looses to Bush and the poor guy's wife dumps him ?

Just being gloomy about this whole disaster. I could use some
of the money I donated now.

[Larkspur]

64. Trippi did not steal our money

Bad decisions were made but I have no regrets giving Dean my $2,000 last year and I'm giving more this year. We scared the crap out of the Dem Establishment and it was worth every cent to do so.

I gave to Dean because he was the only one willing to stand up for us and that's why I'm still giving today. I'm standing up for him in return for what he did for us.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

60. Sacrifice. LOL.

He contributed the equivalent of 83,000 Dean contributions to himself.

:puke:

[CabalBuster]

63. Poor rich boy Kerry

had to compete with the grassroots machine of Dean...my heart goes out to him. Maybe for the first time in his life he had to work for something instead of just getting the easy way

[helleborient]

65. I suppose only those with personal wealth need apply...

Democracy is not about wealth...giving $6 million to keep a campaign alive is about money...not democracy.

[JackRiddler]

69. Seldom have I seen anything as transparently foolish!

Give me 20 million and a wife with 700 million and then I, too, shall courageously sacrifice not six but NINE million dollars on behalf of our country.

This definitely wins least believable, most disingenuous post of the day!

[WiseMen]

70. Really. I know lots of people with that kind of money who won't risk 1 mil

[JackRiddler]

71. So what?

It's still a ridiculous thing to say. The cost of his "sacrifice" is less to him than a comic-book hobby is to an average earner. Oh, and it's so he can become president. Hilarious!

And super-richies are always finding causes to finance, and expecting us to celebrate them. They stick big pieces of their fortunes into "charitable" foundations, actually preserving it from the estate tax and maintaining control over the next generations. And the obsequious fawn over them (cf. this thread, akin to a picture magazine about the troubles of royalty).

From his perspective, Scaife "sacrificed" for his country by financing the Arkansas Project.

God help us, not from the rich, but those among the lower classes who buy their idealizations.

But WAIT, I'm sorry. Did you say you know LOTS of people with that kind of money? They won't risk a million? That's okay, every little bit counts. I have a worthy project for them to invest in. Just PM me if it's serious.

;0)

[WiseMen]

73. Not True re Kerry's personal wealth. A divorce would likely leave him with

little at this point.

It also a myth that Kerry grew up wealthy. He did not. Hid dad lived on his Government salary. Kerry was the poor boy in aristocratic circles.

[polpilot]

77. 'poor boy in aristocratic circles' married for $300 million 1st time, $500

2nd time? Married a classmates' sister 1st time, I believe? Wonder what he's turned out like if he'd 'had money' instead of acquiring it matrimonially?

Dean '04...

[WiseMen]

78. Your Point? Want to donate to the nominee? Or just gratuituous libel.

Why do Dems seem to hate themselves so.

[oasis]

79. I'll gladly donate again to the Kerry campaign. (eom)