A REAL DEAL:

"...I want to lay out some of what I’ll do in the first hundred days of a Kerry Administration to make the Real Deal a reality. In the weeks ahead, I’m going to lay out an Action Plan for the First 100 Days. The specific steps we will take to change America – the steps I will fight for in the early days of a Kerry Presidency...” - John Kerry


ONE HUNDRED DAYS TO CHANGE AMERICA

(1) END INFLUENCE PEDDLING AND SECRET DEALS.

We will reinstate the five-year ban on lobbying so that government officials - like Bush’s former campaign manager and FEMA director - cannot cash in by peddling influence. We will also shine the light on the secret deals in Washington by requiring every meeting with a lobbyist or any special interest deal inserted into a bill by a lobbyist be made public.

(2) FIRST MAJOR LEGISLATIVE PLAN: AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE.

John Kerry’s first major proposal to Congress will be a realistic plan that stops spiraling healthcare costs, covers every child in America, and makes it possible for every American to get the same health care as any Member of Congress.

(3) REWARD COMPANIES THAT CREATE JOBS NOT PHONY CORPORATE PROFITS.

We will work to reward companies that create jobs by helping with health care costs, a new manufacturing jobs tax credit and new assistance for small businesses. We will also close every single loophole for companies that take jobs offshore and apply new criminal penalties, such as RICO penalties, on companies that defraud their customers and workers.

(4) A NEW NATIONAL EDUCATION TRUST FUND.

We will propose a National Education Trust Fund to make sure that, for the first time ever, we fully fund our schools so they have the tools to assure our kids can succeed in the 21st century economy. We will make a new deal on education – if Washington is going to mandate something for our schools, then the funding should be mandatory.

(5) END THE ‘ERA OF ASHCROFT’.

John Ashcroft has launched an all-out assault on individual rights, allowing for a wholesale invasion of attorney-client conversations, e-mails and telephone calls. Immediately after the election, John Kerry will name a new Attorney General whose name is not John Ashcroft. We will also fight to protect women’s rights, civil rights and workers rights and enforce anti-trust laws.

(6) REPEAL BUSH ASSAULT ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND MAKE U.S. ENERGY INDEPENDENT.

We will rollback the George W. Bush assault on clean air and clean water and work to strengthen our nation’s environmental laws. Kerry will also put forward a plan to make the U.S. energy independent of Middle East oil in ten years—and create 500,000 jobs by investing in energy renewable sources, such as ethanol, solar, and wind.

(7) A NEW ERA OF NATIONAL SERVICE.

John Kerry will call on Americans of all ages – from students to America’s seniors - to serve in our classrooms, after school programs, nursing homes and nursery schools. We will fight to allow students to earn four years of college tuition in exchange for two years of national service. His plan will require mandatory national service for high school kids and enlist a million Americans in service a year.

(8) CREATE A MIDDLE CLASS ECONOMY AND END THE PRIVILEGED CLASS ECONOMY.

We will fight to repeal the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans so that we can invest in education and health care. We will also protect middle class tax cuts, such as the child credit and the elimination of the marriage penalty and propose additional tax credits to help middle class families make ends meet.

(9) CUT THE DEFICIT IN HALF IN FOUR YEARS.

We will put forward a budget to restore fiscal sanity, eliminate corporate welfare, and cut the deficit in half in four years. However, we will keep our compact to seniors by securing Medicare and Social Security and protecting our children and veterans.

(10) REJOIN THE COMMUNITY OF NATIONS.

We will immediately declare the Bush policy of unilateralism over and work to rebuild our shattered alliances all across the globe. We will launch a successful war against terrorism and also restore trust here at home and abroad by making sure that America always tells the whole truth.
http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/100days/index.html

Disagree with Kerry's plans if you want, but Kerry is fighting the good fight, as he has all his life.

the john f. kerry steering committee is amazing!

I think people are going to start paying attention. Soon at least 50 % will know who is running. Then look out.

I know I'm excited.

Dean '04...

Wasn't it since the mid 80s? Just like Kerry?

Except Kerry also helped to end THREE wars and exposed more government corruption than any other lawmaker in modern history. Yet you find time to mock his service to this nationv.

Dean '04

.

This isn't finished yet, but it looks like you're short some information on what the Senator's been up to.

Jan. 3, 1970, Kerry requested that his superior, Rear Admiral Walter F. Schlech, Jr., grant him an early discharge because `I've got to get out. I've got to go do what I came back here to do, which is, end this thing,'" Ran for Congress.

One of the organizers of the first Earth Day in Massachusetts in April 1970. The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species acts.

Organized with Vietnam Veterans Against the War, led the Washington protest in April 1971 and testified to Congress that drew the attention of President Nixon who said “Apparently, this fellow, uh, that they put in the front row, is that what you say, the front the real star...Kerry.” and “Apparently the guy that's really good, the only good one of the damn veterans group, only good from a PR stoundpoint, is Kerry.” One of 4 founders of Vietnam Veterans of America who fought for veteran’s rights.

1977-1982 Prosecutor, Put the #2 Crime Boss in New England behind bars, organized one of the first domestic abuse and sexual assault units in the country.

1983 - 1985 Lt. Governor Massachusetts, began his work on acid rain which culminated in February 1984 resolution of the National Governors Association calling for cuts in sulfur dioxide emissions

1985 – Within weeks of taking office in the Senate took his first fact finding trip to Nicaragua and began the investigation in what would become the Iran/Contra scandal
http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/packages/kerry/062003.shtml

1985 Author Civil Rights Protection Act to end discrimination based on sexual orientation.

1988 – 1992 BCCI Scandal, Noriega and drug trafficking and its relation to U.S. foreign policy and law enforcement.

1990- Cosponsor Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act

1990 – Clean Air Act Amendments

1991 – Chairs newly established POW/MIA Affairs Committee to locate missing Vietnam remains.

1994 Violence Against Women Act providing funding for shelters, hotlines, increased law enforcement and more.

1994 Crime Bill, cops on the street

1995 – Along with John McCain push for Normalization of Vietnam relations

1996 Women’s Health Equity Act

Time Magazine's "Honest Man in Politics Award" for being only Senator up for reelection in 1996 to vote against Defense of Marriage Act

1997 Early Childhood Development Act,

1998 "Zero to Three" Association's "Achievement Award" for work on early childhood development issues

1999 Women’s Small Business Center Program

2000 Early Learning Opportunity Act

U.S. Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria Act
led to the unanimous passage in May 2003 the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria Act of 2003

original cosponsor of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act

marine mammal protection act

Sorry, post is already here, not nice to clog up the board!

http://democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=108&topic_id=89490

Why does his campaign suck so bad?

People believe it, that's all.

And what lie might that be?

What lies has anyone else told? Certainly not accusing people of voting for tax cuts that they didn't vote for. Or having a different position on the war than he did. Or being the nice guy who only defends himself against those meanie cockroach insiders. Lies, there's only one campaign I can think of with more lies than Dean's.

Right. I totally agree, I should have read your sig. before mouthing off! Oops! I'm a Kerry supporter too! Sorry!

This is so fucked up. So completely and totally fucked up. rotfl.

He will do better if he takes this kind of tack.