posted on October 11, 2004 01:57:48 PM
Can or should we accept the truth revulsion that we are living through today?
While some politicians have shaded the truth, most of them still stop at deliberate lies. While truth tampering did not begin with Bill Clinton's election, an era of sanctioned evasion began in 1992. But only a few spoilsports cared.
The international post-war reputation of the United States for honesty in diplomacy, commerce, law and in day-to-day transactions became a joke. A handful of people made a lot of money from the financial disasters of Enron, Global Crossing, Xerox and years passed before one or two culprits faced jail time. The message was loud and clear. In an ethical society, it is easy for an unethical person to become rich and successful; honesty has no currency.
John Kerry certainly is following in the Clinton tradition.
Unlike President George W. Bush, former Vice President Al Gore and most candidates for office, Kerry refuses to allow the Pentagon to release his military records. Speculations are rife, from his Purple Hearts, to criteria about his medals, and why Kerry did not receive an honorable discharge until March 2001, nearly 30 years after his service ended on July 1, 1972.
No explanation has been offered.
Informed guys in the Pentagon believe Kerry originally was discharged in the 1970s with a "general" discharge and used his pro-Clinton votes during the impeachment of Boy Bill to apply political pressure for an upgrade. Obviously, his military records would contain material on his appeal, and might explain the 30-year delay.
From the scant information available, John Kerry signed his enlistment contract with the U.S. Navy on Feb. 18, 1966. He was discharged from "total active duty" on Jan. 3, 1970, with three years and 18 days of active duty. On that date, he was posted to the Naval Reserve Manpower Center in Bainbridge, Md., with "ready reserve" status and required to do 48 drills and 17 days of active duty a year until 1972. That year, on July 1, he was transferred to "standby reserve -- active" and was discharged from the U.S. Naval Reserve on Feb. 16, 1978.
Kerry's friends can and will argue about dates. But here are some irrefutable facts:
# Kerry was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy
# Kerry was an official of Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW), a self-styled revolutionary organization giving aid and comfort to our enemies
# Kerry was and is a U.S. senator
# Kerry was and is in violation of the U.S. Constitution.
In May 1970, Kerry, a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy, was in Paris on his honeymoon. He met with Madame Nguyen Thi Binh, the Viet Cong's foreign minister. The next month he joined the Communist-controlled VVAW and helped organize their seditious Winter Soldier hearings in Detroit, along with their march to Washington. These events were designed in rebellion against the U.S. government and to change its policies.
On April 22, 1971, Kerry, still an officer in the U.S. Navy, gave evidence to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee of his shame in being an American and told horror stories of the behavior of the U.S. military. Throughout the next six months, Kerry remained active with the VVAW as a leader and a spokesman, appearing on national television to claim that he had been a war criminal and a delegate at meetings with the Viet Cong in Paris.
During this period, Lt. John Kerry attended many VVAW meetings and mass rallies at which the Viet Cong flag was displayed and the U.S. flag desecrated. He also attended a VVAW conference where the assassination of U.S. senators was discussed. He took no action to close that discussion or report it to the FBI, despite the participants' planning murder. He did, however, leave before a vote was taken on how to implement the crime.
It could be argued that, in 1970 and 1971, John Kerry, an officer in the U.S. Navy, violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Article 104, part 904; and the U.S. Code 18 USC 953, for violating the U.S. Constitution.
From these facts, Kerry also may be in direct violation of the 14th Amendment, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, which states, "No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President" having previously taken an oath to support the Constitution of the United States who has "engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof."
Even though it was 33 years ago, the Constitution places no time limit on prosecution. If Kerry placed himself in violation of our laws, there are many witnesses available and willing to provide testimony of those events. Let's uncover the revolting truth.
Dateline D.C. is written by a Washington-based British journalist and political observer.
"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The person who has nothing for which he is willing
to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."
--John Stuart Mill
posted on October 11, 2004 02:09:03 PM
And while you're uncovering the revolting truth about Kerry, don't forget about your law breaking President that illegally went to war with a country under false pretenses.
posted on October 11, 2004 02:59:46 PM
Kraft, can't you do better that that half baked idea. Remember your idol kerry saw the same intel info as Pres Bush and voted to go to war before he voted against going to war.
Hey, hey Ho, ho Kerry - sign the 1-8-0
"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The person who has nothing for which he is willing
to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."
--John Stuart Mill
posted on October 11, 2004 03:32:36 PM
Also, don't forget Bush who's time served in still in question. And let's not forget Cheney who sought deferment 3 times while he went to college, then got his wife knocked up so he could claim a hardship.
Bigots are miserable people. Prevent Bigotry through Education.
posted on October 11, 2004 03:40:57 PM
Bear don't forget that both Bush and Cheney are failed CEO's along with being failed leaders. Don't forget the shady Bush stock deal.
By the way I will be waiting for your answer to my question to you about the 140 billion tax break for business post.
posted on October 11, 2004 04:40:12 PMAlso, don't forget Bush who's time served in still in question. And let's not forget Cheney who sought deferment 3 times while he went to college, then got his wife knocked up so he could claim a hardship.
Bush served, received a Honorable Discharge, end of story.
As opposed to kerry who was granted 5 deferments, then requested a 6th to study in Paris.
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Bear don't forget that both Bush and Cheney are failed CEO's along with being failed leaders. Don't forget the shady Bush stock deal.
Tell that to the Texas Rangers baseball team. Cheney still receives payment from defered income from corps he headed. Nothing about failed CEO's there. Shady stock deals? Talk to kerry about about that
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An off-shore tax shelter
Documents obtained by the Globe detail John Kerry's 1983 investment of between $25,000 and $30,000 in offshore companies registered in the Cayman Islands. The document below, signed by Kerry, shows his pledge to purchase 2,470 shares of Peabody Commodities Trading Corp. through Sytel Traders, registered in the Caymans.
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kerry's new tax plan, "Do as I say, not as I do.
Middle Class Pay Higher Tax Rate Than Heinz Kerry And Kerry
Kerrys Paid Just 12% in Federal Income Taxes in 2003
Massachusetts Senator paid skimpy tax bill despite calls for rich to "pay their share"
WASHINGTON, D.C. - John Kerry has repeatedly called for increasing taxes on the "wealthy" so the affluent "pay their fair share" for the "common good." Ironically, John and Theresa Heinz Kerry, who comprise one the richest families in the world, pay relatively little income tax.
Last year, John Kerry and his wife paid just 12% of their combined income in income taxes, despite their assertion that the rich should contribute increased amounts to government coffers. In contrast, President and Mrs. Bush, who had a substantially lower income than the Kerry's, paid over 28% in taxes.
"John Kerry wants other Americans to pay higher taxes while he and his wife manage to pay a rate lower than most of the middle class," said ATR President Grover Norquist. "Apparently, the Kerrys think everyone else should pay higher taxes but them."
In addition to finding loopholes and write-offs to decrease his taxes, John Kerry has declined to pay a small, voluntary tax in his home state. The Massachusetts state income tax code contains a provision allowing payers to contribute an extra .6% of their income to benefit the commonwealth. Kerry has consistently failed to pay the extra money, which would have amounted to $687 dollars last year.
"John Kerry thinks other hardworking Americans should pay more taxes while he and his billionaire wife pay as little as possible," continued Norquist. "The hypocrisy John Kerry shows on his own tax return is not indicative of the character and judgment America needs in our President."
Well, John Kerry has his own version. It goes like this. You can make a billion dollars and pay almost no taxes. First, marry a billionaire. Second, hire a gaggle of tax accountants and lawyers to bring your tax rate down to about half what many middle-income families pay. Except for John Kerry, this is no gag; it’s reality. According to the Kerrys’ own tax records, and they have not released all of them, the couple had a combined income of $5.5 million in income last year and paid $704,227 in income taxes. That means their effective tax rate was a whopping 12.8%. And it was all (presumably) done legally.
Now don’t get me wrong: I’m not against people paying a 12.8% tax rate. Far from it. I just believe that all Americans — even those who can’t afford to hire tax attorneys to set up complicated trusts and find legal ways to stash income in other tax-sheltered investments like municipal bonds — should have a shot at that kind of non-confiscatory tax rate.
Under the current tax system the middle class pays far more than the Kerry tax rate. In fact, the average federal tax rate — combined payroll and income tax — for a middle-class family is closer to 20% or more. George W. and Laura Bush, who had an income one-tenth of the Kerrys’, paid a tax rate of 30%.
Of course, there is delicious irony in the Kerry family tax-return data. Here is the man who finds clever ways to reduce his own tax liability while voting for higher taxes on the middle class dozens of times in his Senate career. He even voted against the Bush tax cut that saves each middle-class family about $1,000.
The Kerrys have unwittingly made the case for what George W. Bush says he wants to do: radically simplify and flatten out the tax code. Dick Armey and Steve Forbes have persuasively argued over the years that America should have a flat tax with a rate of 17% to 19%. John Kerry has consistently opposed a flat tax, because he says it would be a tax break for the rich. But the truth is with a 19% flat tax, some rich people with lavish tax shelters, like John Kerry, would pay more taxes. I calculate that the Kerrys would pay another $500,000 of taxes if we had a flat tax.
So before John Kerry is given the opportunity to raise taxes again on American workers, shouldn’t he and Teresa at least pay their fair share?
"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The person who has nothing for which he is willing
to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."
--John Stuart Mill
Prevent Bigotry through Education.
