Political stuff

[heidi]

Short, so not cut:

Salon has an interesting article today about how speakers at the RNC this week aren't letting facts get in the way of their speeches - they mention things like Zell Miller not mentioning that as regards the weaponry that Kerry voted against in the early 90s, said vote was in line with then-president-Bush's 1992 State of the Union Address, where he, on recommendation from his Sec of Defense, Dick Cheney, said failing to cut defense spending would be "insensible to progress."

And Mitt Romney made the well-refuted claim that Kerry had voted to raise taxes 98 times - the problems with that number, though, as the Annenberg Public Policy Center have said, though, are legion:

Annenberg explains that 43 of the 98 "tax increase" votes were actually votes on budget resolutions that did not, in and of themselves, raise taxes. Moreover, in several instances, the total of 98 includes multiple votes on the same piece of legislation: By the GOP's math, Kerry's support for President Clinton's 1993 deficit reduction package as it wound its way through Congress should count as 16 separate votes to raise taxes. Kerry gets dinged six times for a single 1996 budget resolution, seven times for a 1997 budget resolution, and six more times for supporting a proposal to raise the cigarette tax. That proposal was sponsored by Sen. John McCain -- a Republican.

And so it goes. If you're supporting Kerry and you have Bush-fans who enjoy trying to debate you or slam Kerry, you might want to print the article out & carry it around so you have handy facts on your side.

Comments

[nc-kat2002.livejournal.com]

It's criminal, the way Cheney's going after Kerry, and I'm disgusted by the whole thing. A friend and I are utterly convinced that the Vietnam flap was conceived in order to draw attention away from the real issues - the economy and Iraq.

[(Anonymous)]

I think I'm convinced that Kerry ignored the whole 527 problems because they were only attacking Bush. Now, they attack him and he's in an uproar about them.
--Nihaochan (who doesn't have a live journal account!)
Fonder, Node-3.net
ChanceClay@gmail.com

[hedda62.livejournal.com]

My mom sent me this link and I found it amusing:

Zell Miller praises John Kerry (http://miller.senate.gov/speeches/030101jjdinner.htm)

But yes, the fact-twisting is infuriating.

[goldie-black.livejournal.com]

I happened to catch the start of the convention last night and Zell Miller made me want to pick of my 69-pound TV and throw it. Cheney made me want to puke, but I shut off the TV and went to bed instead. The Bush twins made me do a doubletake. They did not just mention Outkast and 'shake it like a polaroid picture' at the RNC?? Yes, they did. Dorks, the lot of them.

[kokopoko.livejournal.com]

Or when you have other lj people spouting rhetoric! :P

[airemay.livejournal.com]

Great article. Thanks for sharing it. :)

Just Politics

[(Anonymous)]

This article says that Republicans are ignoring Kerry's "good" votes?! Well, yes this is true, but that's just politics! You bash your opponent and try to make yourself look better than they are.
I don't hear your criticism about Kerry ignoring the good Bush has done. Nor do I hear you complaining that Kerry is ignoring the good that Bush has done in office...

-Nihaochan

Re: Just Politics

[heidi8.livejournal.com]

A good vote in that article's terms is when a candidate votes in line with the oponent who is making the criticisms. Ignoring, in this case, means that the person who is making the criticisms is misrepresenting the votes, which is the equivilent of lying. And no, you don't see me complaining in the other direction because, well, using those definitions, nobody from the kerry campaign is ignoring 'good votes'.

Criticizing your opponent's position is fair game. Lying about it, in every campaign prior to this, including 2000, is not something that is regularly done at conventions.

[cat-mom.livejournal.com]

It's times like this that I wish I could morph into Jon Stewart.