October 31, 2004
Sunday

Taking the advice of Paul Gronke I checked the "net and found the following:  Paul is mistaken about Kerry not having a super liberal track record.
 
Kerry's Lifetime Liberal Vote Rating From Americans For Democratic Action Is Two Points Higher Than That Of Ted Kennedy. While Kennedy rates a 90 lifetime average, Kerry has a lifetime average of 92. (Americans For Democratic Action Website, www.adaction.org, Accessed 1/21/04)

In 1991, Kerry Said:  "I'm A Liberal And Proud Of It."  "'I'm a liberal and proud of it. We will always believe in social justice,' said Kerry, a Vietnam veteran touted as a potential presidential candidate."  ("Gee, There Were So Many In 1988," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 7/21/91)

Nonpartisan National Journal Scored Kerry's Votes Most Liberal In Senate For 2003. (National Journal Website, "How They Measured Up," http://nationaljournal.com, 2/27/04)

• Kerry Has Topped Liberal Charts Before. "Kerry has compiled a generally more liberal voting record. After winning election to the Senate in 1984, he ranked among the most-liberal senators during three years of his first term, according to National Journal's vote ratings. In those years - 1986, 1988, and 1990 - Kerry did not vote with Senate conservatives a single time Kerry had a perfect liberal rating on social issues during 10 of the 18 years in which he received a score, meaning that he did not side with conservatives on a single vote in those years. That included his 1996 vote, with 13 other Senate Democrats, against the Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibited federal recognition of states' same-sex marriage laws." (National Journal Website, "How They Measured Up," http://nationaljournal.com, 2/27/04)

In 2003, Kerry Voted With Ted Kennedy 93% Of The Time. (CQ Online, www.cq.com, Accessed 1/21/04)

On CQ Key Votes, Kerry Voted 100% Of The Time With Ted Kennedy In 2003, 2001, 1999, 1998, 1993, 1992, 1989, 1988, 1987, 1986, and 1985. (CQ Online, www.cq.com, Accessed 1/21/04)

KERRY CALLED A LIBERAL

Newsweek's Howard Fineman: "Basically He's A Massachusetts Liberal " NEWSWEEK'S HOWARD FINEMAN: "[T]he big thing the President can do, whenever Kerry talks about taxes, is talk about Kerry's record. And that's what the President is going to spend the last three weeks of this campaign doing, talking about Kerry's Senate record, which has tons and tons and tons of votes for taxes for all kinds. Kerry is pretty much, with some exceptions - you know, he did vote for a balanced budget resolution a couple times and he did vote for welfare reform - but basically he's a Massachusetts liberal and that's what Bush is going to hit him with the last three weeks of the campaign." (MSNBC's "Imus In The Morning," 10/11/04)

Washington Post's David Broder: "Kerry, Like Most Massachusetts Politicians, Has A Markedly Liberal Record. An Avowed Opponent Of The Death Penalty, He Opposes Gay Marriage But Supports Civil Unions, And Backs Abortion Rights And Restrictions On Guns." (David S. Broder, "Tight Race For A Divided Nation," The Washington Post, 3/3/04)

National Journal: In 2003, Kerry "Consistently Took The Liberal View" On Social Issues And Foreign Policy. Kerry's heavy absenteeism in 2003 prevented him from getting scores on social issues & foreign policy. However, a "separate analysis showed that of the votes that Kerry cast in the two categories in which he did not receive scores in 2003 - social policy and foreign policy - he consistently took the liberal view within the Senate." (National Journal Website, "How They Measured Up," http://nationaljournal.com, 2/27/04)

U.S. News & World Report: "Kerry's Voting Record Puts Him To The Left Of Most Senate Democrats." (Dan Gilgoff, "Resisting Labels," U.S. News & World Report, 2/16/04)
 

Mark Neckameyer
Irvine, CA - USA

Related Viewpoint:

Distorting Kerry's Voting Record Does a Disservice to Voters by Paul Gronke - Portland, OR - USA

 

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