CNN's Bruce Morton on Friday fought back for John Kerry
against President Bush's accusation that the Massachusetts Senator
is a flip-flopper on key issues. On Friday's Inside Politics,
Morton conceded that Kerry has been on both sides of NAFTA, the
Patriot Act and going to war with Iraq, though supposedly not on
tax cuts, but then concluded by arguing Kerry is no more an
inconsistent opportunist than is Bush since Bush changed his
position on the regulation of gay marriage.
Morton concluded: "So he's changed on some issues, not on
others. But come to that, four years ago President Bush and Vice
President Cheney both said it was up to the states to regulate
marriage. Now they favor a constitutional amendment."
Of course, on that subject, state courts have forced the
issue.
Judy Woodruff set up the February 27 story, as observed by MRC
analyst Ken Shepherd: "If John Kerry wins his party's nomination,
the Bush/Cheney team already has signaled plans to make an issue
of his Senate voting record. Our Bruce Morton has more on claims
that Kerry's Senate votes are at odds with his campaign rhetoric.
Morton began: "President Bush says the Democratic front-runner
has been flip-flopping on major issues."
President George W. Bush: "Candidates are an interesting
group, with diverse opinions. For tax cuts, and against them. For
NAFTA and against NAFTA. For the Patriot Act and against the
Patriot Act. In favor of liberating Iraq and opposed to it. And
that's just one senator from Massachusetts."
Morton: "Well, let's look at that."
Bush: "For tax cuts. And against them."
Morton: "In fact, Kerry didn't vote for either the 2001 or the
2003 tax cuts. He says now he would repeal tax cuts for the rich,
those making more than $200,000 a year."
Kerry: "And it will be affordable by a combination of rolling
back George Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans."
Bush: "For NAFTA and against NAFTA."
Morton: "Yes, Kerry did vote for NAFTA. Now:"
Kerry: "If it were before me today, I would vote against it
because it doesn't have environmental or labor standards
protections in it."
Morton: "And he says he would make sure any future trade
agreements did have such standards."
Bush: "For the Patriot Act and against the Patriot Act."
Morton: "Kerry voted for the act. He isn't for repealing it.
But he does say that Attorney General John Ashcroft has violated
civil liberties, and abused his authority with unjustified
invasion of privacy, holding detainees indefinitely without cause,
and refusing to provide information on how his department is using
the act. Kerry promises to end the era of John Ashcroft."
Bush: "In favor of liberating Iraq and opposed to it."
Morton: "Kerry voted in favor of giving the President the
authority to use force but says Bush went at it wrong."
Kerry: "There was a right way to do this and there was a wrong
way to do it. And the President chose the wrong way because he
turned his back on his own pledge to build a legitimate
international coalition, to exhaust the remedies of the United
Nations in the inspections, and to go to war as a matter of last
resort."
Morton: "So he's changed on some issues, not on others. But
come to that, four years ago President Bush and Vice President
Cheney both said it was up to the states to regulate marriage. Now
they favor a constitutional amendment. Bruce Morton, CNN,
Washington." |
