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Jewish World Review Feb. 9, 2004 / 17 Shevat, 5764
Jack Kelly
An 'undistinguished' Senator's 30 years- old credentials
http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com |
The slogan of Sen. John Kerry's campaign is "the Real Deal." He is not
referring to his platform, what he plans to do if he is elected president.
He is referring to himself.
This is remarkable. FDR didn't do that. Harry Truman didn't do that. Jack
Kennedy didn't do that. Not even Bill Clinton - who is second to none in
the self love department - did that.
It is all the more remarkable given Kerry's record in the senate. To
describe that record as "undistinguished" would be, perhaps, pejorative.
But Kerry has been in the senate for 19 years. What landmark piece of
legislation do you associate with him? What successful legislation of any
kind do you associate with the Real Deal?
Faux populism is a hallmark of all the Democratic campaigns, which says
something about the integrity of the candidates, and more about the
gullibility of their audience. Howard Dean rails against the special
interests in Washington...and hires a millionaire lobbyist to run his
campaign. John Edwards rails against the special interests...but almost all
his campaign money comes from trial lawyers. Wesley Clark rails against
lobbyists...but he himself was one.
But the Real Deal takes the cake in the hypocrisy contest. Kerry was born
with a silver spoon in his mouth, and traded up for a platinum one when he
married the heiress to the Heinz ketchup and pickle fortune. Kerry takes a back seat to none in railing against the special interests. But according to the Washington Post, he also takes a back seat to none in collecting campaign money from special interests.
"Sen. John F. Kerry, who has made a fight against corporate special
interests a centerpiece of his front-running campaign for the Democratic
presidential nomination, has raised more money from paid lobbyists than any
other senator over the past 15 years, federal records show," said the Post's
Jim VandeHei in a Jan. 31 story.
Newsweek's Michael Isikoff reports (in the Feb. 9 issue) that in 1996, Kerry
received a $10,000 contribution -- through the good offices of convicted
felon Johnny Chung -- after doing a favor for Liu Chaoying, allegedly a
Hong Kong businesswoman.
Liu was in fact a lieutenant colonel in the Chinese army, and the
contribution was illegal. There is no evidence Kerry knew this at the time,
but he's dissembling about it now. He claims he hadn't met Chung until the
Sep. 9 fundraiser at which the illegal contribution was made. But Kerry had
sent a note to Chung the previous July 31 that said: "It was a great
pleasure to have met you last week."
It is clear that John Kerry wants very much to be president. But it isn't
clear in what direction he would lead the country. He voted to authorize
the war in Iraq, but now denounces it. He voted for the Patriot act, but
now condemns it. He voted for Bush's education reform bill, but now opposes
it. He voted for the North American Free Trade Agreement, but now
criticises NAFTA. Little in his record is consistent, save ambition.
Kerry will - in all likelihood - be the Democratic nominee for president.
But he'll be the nominee largely by default, because he was left standing
after Howard Dean imploded and Wesley Clark fizzled, and before John Edwards
could light a fire under his candidacy.
Some compare Kerry's candidacy to that of Bob Dole's in 1996. But that is
unfair. Dole has a sense of humor, and was a very influential lawmaker.
Kerry has been in politics for longer than most of his rivals. But what he
touts mostly in his campaign is what he did before he entered politics - his
service in the Navy during the Vietnam war. Lt(jg) Kerry was a hero, and deserves much honor for that. But there is something pathetic about a candidate for president whose chief credential for the office is something he did 30 years ago. Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in Washington and in the media consider "must reading." Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
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