Kerry Exaggerates Role in Some Key Legislative Battles

He says he "led the fight" on several fronts, but few bills bear his name.

January 30, 2004

http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docid=134#

Summary



John Kerry is fond of saying "I led the fight" on a lot of things -- against Arctic drilling, against Bush's Medicare prescription drug legislation, for federal grants for 100,000 new police officers, against Newt Gingrich's attempts to lessen environmental regulations.

But reporters who cover Congress often gave others credit for the leading roles in some of those fights -- with scant mention of Kerry.

And The Associated Press last July found that only eight laws had Kerry as their lead sponsor, five of them "ceremonial," two relating to the fishing industry, and one providing federal grants to support small businesses owned by women....more...

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Damning analysis -- this is one of the problems I have with Kerry -- although he claims leadership, there is very little evidence that he actually has led on an issue of import. He seems more form that substance. Puffery seems a good word to attach to him. Guys I am trying to warm up to this guy -- but he just seems so wishy-washy. I mean as the junior senator from liberal Mass. he could safely vote liberal on many a issue, but when he faced hard votes like the IWR and Patriot Act, he failed us. Now I know most democrats in congress did, but I think that strategy is a failed one. Also his boast that he somehow is strong on defense and foreign policy because he served in Vietnam is bogus -- I hope that our next Democratic President can create and build a more humanistic, cooperative foreign policy and not continue to equate our security with military might.

He also engages in a little inflation of his record elsewhere:

January 31, 2004
Democrats Assail, and Tap, 'Special Interests'
By GLEN JUSTICE and JOHN TIERNEY
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/31/politics/campaign/31DONA.html?pagewanted=print&position=

While Senator John Kerry regularly promises to stand up to "big corporations," his campaign has taken money from executives on Wall Street and those representing the telecommunications industry, which is under his purview in Congress. Mr. Kerry denounces President Bush for catering to the rich, but he has depended more heavily on affluent donors than the other leading Democrats except for another populist, Senator John Edwards. Mr. Kerry's spokeswoman, Stephanie Cutter, said the contributions had no effect on his votes.

Note: That's pretty much what they all say, isn't it?


Kerry raps K Street But senator cozy with lobbyists, too
By Alexander Bolton
http://www.thehill.com/news/011404/kerry.aspx

To energize his flagging presidential campaign, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) has taken recently to denouncing inside-the-Beltway corruption and influence peddling.

Last Friday in New Hampshire, he railed against the influence of lobbyists and pledged to shine light “on the secret deals in Washington.”

But during his Senate career, Kerry has helped special interests, even against the apparent interests of his own constituents. This helped cement ties with lobbyists who donated thousands of dollars to his campaign.

Looks like the same wink, wink, nod, nod type of tough talk George W. Bush engages in.


Kerry Leads in Lobby Money
Anti-Special-Interest Campaign Contrasts With Funding
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64727-2004Jan30.html?nav=hptop_tb
By Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, January 31, 2004; Page A01

Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), 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.

Looks like a pattern to me. The kind they call hypocrisy. It's definitely a fair campaign issue. He is, after all, the one who touts a record that just isn't there.

But searching records of the Senate Foriegn Relations Comittee for the word 'Kerry' typically only gets a hit on the membership list and on occasion on the role call. Finding record of him speaking on an issue is pretty rare.

to vote for Kerry. I think a lot of my resistance to him is due to his IWR vote but that isn't all of it. I dislike the fact that he is Skull & Bones and I just don't get the feeling that he is honest with us.

Will admit that I am a Dean supporter so that has something to do with my resistance to Kerry also.

But bottom line--Kerry is a typical politician, he's been in DC for 20 twenty years which makes me think he is part of the problem, not the solution.