ABC on Kerry: “Long Record of Fighting for Balanced Budgets”

Reviewing Senator John Kerry’s Senate record, on Friday’s World News Tonight Linda Douglass claimed that “Kerry isn’t easy to pigeonhole,” but she grudgingly acceded to how “a respected survey on Capitol Hill ranked him as the ninth most liberal Senator in Congress.” Yet, with the words on screen for emphasis, she ludicrously asserted: “He has a long record of fighting for balanced budgets.” In fact, he has regularly earned an F from the National Taxpayers Union which has also documented the expensive spending plans he’s proposed during his presidential campaign.

Though she ran through some of his liberal positions, she also ran a soundbite of Kerry maintaining that “on some things I may be liberal. On some things I’m very conservative. I mean, being fiscally responsible is conservative.”

Douglass began her January 30 story, as taken down by MRC analyst Brad Wilmouth: “Last night, Kerry defended his record on health care, arguing that he pushed through benefits for Gulf War veterans.” John Kerry in the January 29 MSNBC debate: “I wrote that legislation so that veterans all across this country are now recognized to get Agent Orange benefits.” Douglass: “True. He also helped increase funding for AIDS.” Kerry: “We did child care, five million children have health insurance in this country.” Douglass: “Kerry did introduce an early bill, but sources in both parties say he did not play a significant role in passing the final child health care law. Scholars who study the Congress say Kerry is not known for passing many laws.” Professor James Thurber, American University School Public Affairs: “He’s known as a person who really hasn’t done much in the Senate. He’s not a leader of any legislative area, in my opinion.” Douglass: “Republicans are hitting Kerry on defense.” Ed Gillespie, RNC Chairman: “In 1995, Senator Kerry voted to freeze defense spending for seven years, cutting over $34 billion from the defense budget.” Douglass: “True, but Kerry argues he was trying to eliminate wasteful spending to shift some money to education. He has voted for the last several defense increases. Kerry isn’t easy to pigeonhole, but there is one word that always comes up. Recently, a respected survey on Capitol Hill ranked him as the ninth most liberal Senator in Congress. He consistently supports abortion rights, last year voting against the ban on so-called 'late-term abortions’ that later became law. He has voted for more gun control and opposes the death penalty, though he now supports it for terrorists. He was one of 14 Senators who voted against a law condemning gay marriage. Kerry said he opposed same-sex marriage, but:” Kerry in Senate floor in 1996: “I believe that this debate is fundamentally ugly and it is fundamentally political and it is fundamentally flawed.” Douglass: “Kerry helped block oil drilling in the Arctic Refuge. He cast a crucial vote for Bill Clinton’s $243 billion tax increase. Kerry says it helped wipe out the deficit in the 1990s. He has a long record of fighting for balanced budgets.” [That claim, “He has a long record of fighting for balanced budgets,” also appeared on screen.] Kerry: “On some things I may be liberal. On some things I’m very conservative. I mean, being fiscally responsible is conservative.” Douglass concluded: “Kerry has led aggressive investigations in Congress. Other Senators say he is not afraid of a fight. Linda Douglass, ABC News, Capitol Hill.”

A January 19 report from the National Taxpayers Union Foundation by Drew Johnson outlined the spending proposals of all of the Democratic presidential candidates. Johnson observed: “All candidates offer platforms that call for more spending than would be offset by repealing the Bush tax cut.”

Johnson’s summary of Kerry’s plans: “John Kerry leads the pack of Democratic Presidential candidates in the military/veterans policy category. The Senator's pledge to support veterans' health programs carries a cost of over $41 billion. The bulk of Kerry's spending, however, comes in the form of a $55.9 billion education agenda, an $89.88 billion health care platform, and $31.04 billion in infrastructure improvements. “Included in Kerry's education plan -- the second priciest of the Democratic proposals -- is a $2.25 billion offer of more affordable child care, an expanded Head Start program, and $25 billion in school renovations. The Kerry health care plan allows Americans to buy into the same arrangement offered to Members of Congress -- at a taxpayer cost of $89.5 billion per year. Senator Kerry's infrastructure program entails $31 billion in restored highway funding and $35 million in funding for a high-speed rail programs.”

A check of NTU’s annual ratings of how much net spending each Senator voted for finds that Kerry earned an “F” grade in 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1995, 1994, 1993 and 1992 with a “D” sneaking in in 1996. See: www.ntu.org

“In 1995, Senator Kerry voted to freeze defense spending for seven years, cutting over $34 billion from the defense budget.”

Douglass: “True, but Kerry argues he was trying to eliminate wasteful spending to shift some money to education

Kerry helped block oil drilling in the Arctic Refuge. He cast a crucial vote for Bill Clinton’s $243 billion tax increase. Kerry says it helped wipe out the deficit in the 1990s.

“John Kerry leads the pack of Democratic Presidential candidates in the military/veterans policy category. The Senator's pledge to support veterans' health programs carries a cost of over $41 billion. The bulk of Kerry's spending, however, comes in the form of a $55.9 billion education agenda, an $89.88 billion health care platform, and $31.04 billion in infrastructure improvements.

“Included in Kerry's education plan -- the second priciest of the Democratic proposals -- is a $2.25 billion offer of more affordable child care, an expanded Head Start program, and $25 billion in school renovations. The Kerry health care plan allows Americans to buy into the same arrangement offered to Members of Congress -- at a taxpayer cost of $89.5 billion per year. Senator Kerry's infrastructure program entails $31 billion in restored highway funding and $35 million in funding for a high-speed rail programs.”

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