Cheney/Bush nothing to run on, nothing to point to with pride, nowhere to hide. Neocons only chance is to keep slinging mud and hope something sticks.
____________________
Cheney's Parade of Misleads and Half-Truths Stops in Missouri, Says Kerry Campaign
4/26/2004 4:36:00 PM
To: National Desk, Political Reporter
Contact: Chad Clanton or Phil Singer, 202-712-3000, both of John Kerry for President
WASHINGTON, April 26 /U.S. Newswire/ -- In an effort to deflect attention from the worst week of its administration (the end of the worst month of fatalities in Iraq, the Supreme Court hearing of the Cheney Energy Task Force case, the Bush-Cheney joint 9/11 testimony, and the 1st anniversary of the Mission Accomplished event that Karl Rove said was a mistake), Dick Cheney stopped off in Missouri today to attack John Kerry.
Kerry spokesperson Phil Singer said: "Dick Cheney took audacity to a new level today by going after John Kerry for positions that Dick Cheney himself has taken. At the height of the Cold War, Dick Cheney criticized President Reagan for not cutting defense spending. When he was Secretary of Defense and led the Pentagon, Dick Cheney tried to kill or gut many of the same programs he's attacking John Kerry on. Dick Cheney didn't serve in the military but he attacks John Kerry's commitment to defense. The Vice-President's shameful remarks about a decorated war hero like John who risked his life trying to save the lives of others make it clear that the Bush campaign has no problem stomping on the truth."
1) CLAIM: Cheney said John Kerry was wrong to share the White House's view that war on terror includes both law enforcement and military:
FACTS: White House Spokesperson MCCLELLAN said: Oh, we are fighting the war on terrorism on many fronts. There's the law enforcement front. There's the intelligence front. There's the financial front -- cracking down on terrorist financing. And there's certainly is the military front." (White House Briefing, 3/17/04).
Before the White House decided to politicize the war on terror, Bush Believed in role of law enforcement:
Bush: "All our successes in the war on terror depend on the ability of our intelligence and law enforcement agencies to work in common purpose. In order to better protect our homeland, our intelligence agencies must coexist like they never had before. In order to hunt the terrorists down one by one, our intelligence agencies must cooperate fully with agencies overseas." (Bush, remarks at FBI, 2/14/03)
2) CLAIM: Cheney accused Kerry of voting against intelligence budgets.
FACTS: Kerry Supports Increased Intelligence Funding -- Including $200 Billion in the Previous 7 Years -- A 50 percent Increase Since 1996 -- John Kerry, a former member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has supported increases in Intelligence funding, and, in the wake of 9/11, has supported the bipartisan call for an even larger increase in intelligence funding.
According to a report issued by the Center for Defense Information, Kerry has supported approximately $200 billion in Intelligence funding over the past seven years alone. The report concludes that Kerry has supported a 50 percent increase in intelligence funding since 1996. Recently, Kerry stressed the need for greater intelligence in order to protect the country from terrorism: (Senate Intelligence Authorization Funding voice votes 9/25/02, 12/13/01, 12/6/00, 11/19/1999, 10/8/98 & 9/25/96; 1997, Senate Roll Call vote no. 109; Jewish News Bulletin of Northern CA, 4/5/02)
3) CLAIM: Cheney falsely claimed Kerry had no plan to win the war on terror.
FACTS: John Kerry has a comprehensive plan to fight the war against terror:
I. Use Direct Military Action: Kerry will use military force when necessary to capture and destroy terrorist groups and their leaders. He will also increase active duty end strength and tailor forces to be better prepared for post-conflict and stability operation.
II. Improve International Intelligence and Law Enforcement: Kerry will strengthen communication networks between intelligence agencies, build cooperative capacity with international law enforcement agencies, increase the number of linguists trained in critical languages and create a real Director of National Intelligence with budget and personnel power.
III. Cut Off the Flow of Terrorist Funds: Kerry will impose tough financial sanction against banks or nations that engage in money laundering or fail to act against it and will launch a "name and shame' campaign against those that finance terror.
IV. Control the Spread of Weapons on Mass Destruction: Kerry will appoint a high-level Presidential envoy to lead the effort and expand the Nunn/Lugar program to buy up and destroy stockpiles of loose WMD materials.
V. Win the Peace in Iraq and Afghanistan: Kerry will bring real security in Iraq by broadening the coalition, including the United Nations, and creating a real Iraqi security force that can take care of itself and the people it is supposed to protect. In Afghanistan, Kerry would put forward a major increase in security and fund the promised a Marshall Plan for reconstruction.
VI. Win the War of Ideas and the Future of a Young Generation: Kerry will build bridges to the Arab and Islamic world by supporting and assisting human rights groups, independent media, and labor unions dedicated to building a democratic culture.
VII. Secure America's Homeland: Kerry will restore funding for the COPS program, add 100,000 firefighters to our streets, secure and protect our nuclear and chemical facilities, bolster port and aviation security.
FACTS: Bush Claimed 10 Months Ago "Mission Accomplished," But "Bush Policy Appears Adrift," "Scrambling for an Exit Strategy." "And far from setting a course for the region, Bush administration policy appears adrift. The diplomatic follow-up to the Iraq war, for instance, the so-called Roadmap to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict, has hit a complete dead end. In Iraq itself, U.S. troops are struggling to beat back a bloody insurgency that Washington never anticipated. ... While vowing to stay the course, the Bush administration is scrambling for an exit strategy, constantly revising its slapdash plans for a transition to democracy next summer, bending to pressure from Iraq's ayatollahs and facing mounting protests in what used to be the quiet Shiite south of the country." (Newsweek, 1/26/04)
4) CLAIM: Cheney accused Kerry of voting against defense measures that CHENEY wanted to cut when he led the Pentagon.
FACTS: Cheney Criticized Reagan for NOT Cutting Defense. As a House leader, Cheney went on record and specifically attacked President Reagan for not cutting defense spending: If Reagan "doesn't really cut defense, he becomes the No. 1 special pleader in town...The severity of the deficit is great enough that the president has to reach out and take a whack at everything to be credible...If you're going to rule out the other two (Social Security cuts and a tax increase), then you've got to hit defense." (Source: Washington Post, 12/16/84)
FACT: Here's a quick rundown of programs Cheney tried to cut that Kerry has backed:
APACHE HELICOPTER: Kerry has supported $13 billion in defense authorizations for the Apache
AEGIS SHIPS: Kerry has supported at least $53 billion defense authorizations for the Aegis program.
BRADLEY: Kerry backed at least $8.5 billion in defense authorizations for Bradley Fighting Vehicle
BLACKHAWK: Kerry backed at least $13 billion in defense authorizations on versions of the Blackhawk
B-2 BOMBER: Kerry has supported over $16.7 billion in defense authorizations for the B-2 program
C-17 CARGO JETS: Kerry supported at least $34.5 billion in defense authorizations for the C-17
F/A-18 FIGHTER JETS : Kerry supported at least $60 billion in defense authorizations for F/A-18 & F-18
F-16 FIGHTER JETS: Kerry supported at least $25 billion in defense authorizations for the F-16.
TOMAHAWK MISSILES: Kerry supported at least $6 billion in defense authorizations for the Tomahawk.
C-130 CARGO JETS: Kerry supported at least at least $12 billion in defense authorizations for the C-130.
SOURCES ON KERRY: CQ Almanacs, 1986-2002; House Armed Service Committee Authorization Conference Report Summaries; Conference Reports for Defense Authorizations, FY1986 - present
5) CLAIM: Cheney lauded the Department of Homeland Security.
FACTS: Bush opposed the Homeland Security Dept. In October 2001, White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said Bush opposed creating Office of Homeland Security position for Ridge. "(T)he president has suggested to members of Congress that they do not need to make this a statutory post, that he (Ridge) does not need Cabinet rank, for example, there does not need to be a Cabinet- level Office of Homeland Security is because there is such overlap among the various agencies, because every agency of the government has security concerns," Fleischer said. (White House Press Briefing, 10/24/01)
FACTS: BUSH HASN'T Implemented Key Homeland Security Initiatives
1) Fingerprint Database Not Ready Until 2008. FBI Director Robert Mueller testified this week that they are still working out obstacles with the Justice Department that have prevented the integration of fingerprint systems with the Border Patrol. Mueller testified the project could be delayed until 2008. The Justice Department inspector general has said the delays leave the U.S. vulnerable to infiltration at the border by terrorists. "I need to know, when are you going to do this?" asked Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., during a hearing of the House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees the FBI budget. "The report by Glenn A. Fine, the Justice Department inspector general, concluded that there is a 'significant risk' that the Border Patrol will continue to release criminals and terrorists because agents will be unable to quickly learn their arrest or deportation histories through fingerprints." (Associated Press, 3/17/04)
2) Only Half Finished with Terrorist List Database. "Mueller also said that an effort to combine several U.S. government terrorist watch lists into a single database is half complete, with a goal of finishing this summer. That database, called the Terrorist Screening Center, is a combined effort of numerous agencies overseen by the FBI. The center began operating Dec. 1 and has been providing some information about potential terrorists to requesting agencies." (Associated Press, 3/17/04)
3) Pre-Screening Program Facing Serious Problems-May Never Work. "According to a GAO report released this morning, the new Computer Assisted Passenger Pre-screening System (CAPPS II) faces "major risks" to its successful deployment and implementation. The GAO says CAPS II has problems with everything from means to prevent abuse of the system to ways to let passengers correct wrong biographical information. At a hearing this morning before the House Aviation Subcommittee chaired by Rep. John Mica, (R- Fl.) lawmaker after lawmaker expressed serious doubts that CAPPS II will ever provide the security it was created for. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), for one, said as the government continues to spend money without creating a viable product he is worried that CAPPS II will "collapse under its own weight." (White House Bulletin 3/17/04)
6) CLAIM: Cheney touted non-proliferation efforts:.
FACTS: WHITE HOUSE CUT FUNDING TO SECURE LOOSE WMD: Despite President Bush's rhetorical support for non-proliferation efforts, the Center for Defense Information reports the Administration has requested a $41.6 million (9.3 percent) decrease in funding for the Pentagon's Cooperative Threat Reduction program - the government's chief program to secure loose nuclear material that could be obtained by terrorists. The Administration also proposes in 2005 to cut $21 million (8 percent) out of Energy Department programs aimed at securing nuclear material in Russia. (Source: CDI, 2/20/04; Arms Control Association, 3/04)
usnewswire.com
-0-
/© 2004 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
releases.usnewswire.com |
