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Politics : Just the Facts, Ma'am: A Compendium of Liberal Fiction -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: American Spirit who wrote (5186)	3/13/2004 10:08:00 PM
From: PROLIFE	Respond to of 90947

Need Intelligence? Don't Ask John Kerry From The Tampa Tribune By C.W. Bill Young and Porter Goss Op-Ed March 10, 2004 With the end of the Cold War, some in the Clinton White House and the Democrat-controlled Congress saw the opportunity in the 1990s to sharply curtail spending on … the Central Intelligence Agency. … Overseas intelligence operations were canceled and about 40 percent of those recruited to spy for America's interests were let go. Officers in the clandestine service - the core of our overseas intelligence operations - declined by about 25 percent. Approximately one-third of overseas offices watching America's enemies were shut down. Little effort was made to upgrade desperately needed language and regional expertise to confront emerging threats in the Middle East. In short, the United States lost its eyes and ears in many parts of the world. … Where was the junior senator from Massachusetts? Serving as a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee … Did he fight the cuts in intelligence spending or the restraints on U.S. intelligence operatives? Far from it. In fact, he was leading the way to make deep and devastating cuts. … Tragically, while Kerry was leading efforts in Congress to dismantle the nation's intelligence capabilities, the world was getting more dangerous. … Kerry, like many other Democrats, now complains that U.S. intelligence has been inadequate to meet the challenges of the war on terrorism and Iraq. … [I]f John Kerry wants to criticize those shortcomings, he should first account for his own record. In the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, the Bush administration has made the most sweeping reforms in intelligence in decades. Budgets are up, recruitment of key capabilities is up, morale is up and U.S. intelligence operatives are leading in new and innovative ways to try to keep America safe from terrorism. ... [B]ecause of President Bush's leadership, we are certainly safer as a result of his support for a revitalized, well-funded and more effective U.S. intelligence community. And, as the record shows, all without the support of the junior senator from Massachusetts. tampatribune.com

To: American Spirit who wrote (5186)	3/13/2004 10:10:01 PM
From: PROLIFE	Respond to of 90947

Kerry Vs. Strong U.S. Defense By all accounts, Navy Lt. John Kerry was an admirable and heroic officer as a Mekong Delta riverboat combat commander for four months during the Vietnam War … No one should denigrate that record. But in selecting a president of the United States, one of the most important attributes for a commander in chief of our armed forces should be his dedication to a strong national defense to maintain the security of the United States and the American people in a challenging world. In that respect, it is important to examine the record of Sen. Kerry as illustrated by his comments and his votes in Congress. * For example, he has said: "I'd like to see our troops dispersed throughout the world only at the directive of the United Nations." * And he has said he'd like "to almost eliminate CIA activity." * Sen. Kerry supported cancellation of many weapons systems essential to a strong U.S. defense -- the kind that were so effective in quick victories in Bosnia, in Afghanistan and in Iraq. … But we shudder to think of the potential danger to the United States, the American people and freedom throughout the world if Sen. Kerry's long record of voting to weaken the American military forces and deny them sufficient modern weapons were allowed to express itself with the power of the president as commander in chief of the armed forces of the United States. timesfreepress.com

To: American Spirit who wrote (5186)	3/13/2004 10:11:33 PM
From: PROLIFE	Respond to of 90947

KERRY WOULD RAISE TAXES AT LEAST $900 BILLION Kerry Promises To Raise Taxes. “[W]e have to roll back George Bush’s irresponsible tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and invest in education and health care to do it.” (CNN’s “Paula Zahn Now,” 2/2/04) $900 Billion, And That’s Just For Starters. Emory University Professor and former Clinton Administration official Kenneth E. Thorpe calculates Kerry’s health care plan will cost $895 billion. (Ronald Brownstein, “Costly Plans Could Cost Democrats,” Los Angeles Times, 5/25/03; “National Health Care Analyst Kenneth Thorpe Joins Emory University Faculty,” Emory Health Science Press Release, 10/4/99) DID KERRY EXPLAIN HIS OVER $7.5 BILLION IN PROPOSED INTEL CUTS? In 1995, Kerry Proposed Bill Gutting $1.5 Billion From Intelligence Budget. The bill “[r]educe[d] the Intelligence budget by $300 million in each of fiscal years 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000.” S. 1290 had no cosponsors and never made it to the floor for a vote. (S. 1290, Introduced 9/29/95) In 1994, Kerry Proposed Amendment To Gut Intelligence Budget By $6 Billion Across The Board. The amendment cut $1 billion from FY 1994 and $5 billion for FY 1995 through 1998. 75 Senators, including Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) voted against Kerry’s amendment. (Amdt. To H.R. 3759, CQ Vote #39: Rejected 20-75: R 3-37; D 17-38, 2/10/94, Kerry Voted Yea; Kennedy Voted Nay) AT THE TIME, SOME OF HIS DEMOCRAT COLLEAGUES DID … Then-Senate Intel Chair Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ) Said Previous Cuts Were “As Deep As The Intelligence Community Can Withstand,” And Kerry’s 1994 Proposal Ignored Terrorism, Imperiled National Security. “[L]ast year’s intelligence cut was as deep as the intelligence community can withstand during its post-cold-war transition. … We no longer seem immune from acts of terrorism in the United States and the scourge of narcotics has hardly abated. … It makes no sense for us to close our eyes and ears to developments around the world …” (Sen. Dennis DeConcini, Congressional Record, 2/10/94, p. S1360) Sen. Daniel Inouye Warned Kerry’s Proposed 1994 Cut “Would Severely Hamper” Intel Efforts And Ignored Threats Of North Korean Nukes And Terrorism. “[T]he intelligence budget has already been cut by almost 18 percent over the past 2 years. An additional reduction of $1 billion would severely hamper the intelligence community’s ability to provide decision makers and policymakers with information on matters of vital concern to this country. … These issues include nuclear proliferation by North Korea … as well as terrorist threats against American citizens and property.” (Sen. Daniel Inouye [D-HI], Congressional Record, 2/10/94, pp. S1330-S1332)