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Media-Ready Crib Sheet: 20 Questions That John Kerry will NEVER answer
NRO ^ | August 26, 2004 | By Peter Kirsanow

Posted on 10/14/2004 6:53:55 PM PDT by JessieHelmsJr

Senator Kerry has been pretty successfully avoiding the media, but sometime between now and November 2 he'll have to sit down for a far-ranging interview on a program other than The Daily Show on Comedy Central. Thus far, most Kerry interviews have been less-than-penetrating (one recent poll even indicates that nearly a third of the electorate knows very little about John Kerry) and certainly not hostile (in comparison, see, among other things, President Bush's press conference of last spring). Bill Clinton was subjected to far-greater scrutiny by this time in the 1992 election cycle. Kerry's legendary policy flip-flops as well as his campaign's shifting stories related to the current controversy compel questioning at least as tough as that directed at Kerry's critics.

(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: kerry; topten
Senator Kerry has been pretty successfully avoiding the media, but sometime between now and November 2 he'll have to sit down for a far-ranging interview on a program other than The Daily Show on Comedy Central. Thus far, most Kerry interviews have been less-than-penetrating (one recent poll even indicates that nearly a third of the electorate knows very little about John Kerry) and certainly not hostile (in comparison, see, among other things, President Bush's press conference of last spring). Bill Clinton was subjected to far-greater scrutiny by this time in the 1992 election cycle. Kerry's legendary policy flip-flops as well as his campaign's shifting stories related to the current controversy compel questioning at least as tough as that directed at Kerry's critics.

Here are only a few of the questions Kerry hasn't adequately addressed. They don't even have anything to do with swift boats. There are no "gotcha" questions. They're posed in a respectful manner. In fact, many are softballs. After all, few interviewers would wish to alienate Kerry and foreclose the possibility of follow-up interviews. With that in mind, here goes:

1. The Bush campaign maintains that you spent 20 years in the Senate with no signature legislative achievements. What do you consider to be the five most important pieces of legislation that you've authored?

a. What's the most important piece of legislation regarding intelligence you've authored?

b. What's the most important piece of antiterrorism legislation you've authored?

c. What's the most important piece of health-care legislation you've authored?

d. What's the most important piece of education legislation you've authored?

2. You'd agree that on paper, Dick Cheney's experience and qualifications dwarf those of your running mate. Why would John Edwards make a better president during the war on terror than Dick Cheney?

a. It's been widely reported that John McCain was your first choice as running mate. If true, why did you prefer Senator McCain to Senator Edwards?

3. Earlier this year you told Tim Russert that you'd release all of your military records, yet you've failed to do so and you refuse to release your Vietnam journal. Why shouldn't the public infer that the contents of these documents would undermine your credibility or otherwise damage your candidacy?

a. When will you release the documents?

4. You've stated that you believe that life begins at conception yet you voted against the ban on partial-birth abortions. At precisely what point is a life worth protecting?

a. Is there any limitation on abortion (waiting periods, parental notification) for which you'd vote? If so, what?

5. You've promised to repeal much of the Bush tax cut and while in the Senate you voted to raise taxes an average of five times per year. If current economic trends remain largely unchanged during a Kerry presidency, would you seek additional tax increases?

a. How would you raise taxes and what are the highest marginal tax rates that you'd support?

6. You opposed the 1991 Gulf War even though Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, had invaded another country, and France and Germany had supported the war. In the current conflict no WMDs have been found, France and Germany oppose the action, and Saddam hadn't invaded another country. Yet you recently stated that knowing what you know now, you'd nonetheless authorize the use of force even though you voted against funding it. Could you please reconcile these positions?

7. You acknowledge meeting with representatives of North Vietnam and the Viet Cong in Paris in 1970. Afterward you urged Congress to accept the North Vietnamese proposals. Please explain how this wasn't a violation of the Logan Act and, if you were still in the Naval Reserves at that time, how it wasn't a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice prohibiting unauthorized communications with the enemy.

8. In several speeches before black audiences you've stated that a million African Americans were disenfranchised and had their votes stolen in the 2000 presidential election. There are no official or media investigations that support that statement. What evidence do you have to support the statement and if you believe a million blacks had their votes stolen, why haven't you called for criminal prosecutions and congressional investigations?

9. Do you dispute the National Journal's assessment that you're the nation's most liberal senator? If you do, which senators do you consider to be more liberal and why?

10. Why did you propose cutting the intelligence budget by $6 billion in 1994?

11. As president, would you nominate anyone to be either an attorney general, FBI director, or CIA director who had been a leader and chief spokesman for a group that had discussed and voted upon a plan to assassinate U.S. senators (even if the proposed nominee had opposed such plan)?

12. You have consistently stated that you "never, never" attended the November 1971 Kansas City meeting of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War at which a plan to assassinate six pro-military U.S. senators was discussed. Several newspapers reported that when confronted with FBI surveillance reports, your campaign "all but conceded" that you were in attendance , but claimed that this was a mere "footnote in history."

a. Were you there?

b. Did you discuss the assassination of U.S. senators? What did you say?

c. Did you vote upon such a plan? How did you vote? Were any similar plans discussed by your group at any time? What were they?

d. If the plan was voted down, what steps did you take to insure that supporters of the plan didn't carry it out anyway?

e. Especially considering that this took place in an era of political assassinations and assassination attempts (Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., George Wallace, etc.), did you report the discussion to any law-enforcement authorities? If not, why not?

f. When did you resign from the organization?

g. Do you dispute reports that you continued as a spokesman for the organization for more than a year after the Kansas City meeting?

h. If this was a mere footnote in history why have you repeatedly and vehemently denied you were there?

i. Did your campaign, as alleged in several newspaper accounts, attempt to get a witness to change his story about your attendance?

13. You have criticized the Patriot Act. What portions would you repeal or amend and why? What evidence do you have of any abuses of the Patriot Act?

14. As president, what would you do about Iran's emerging nuclear capability?

15. During your eight-year tenure on the Senate Intelligence Committee you missed more than three fourths of all public meetings. It's also been reported that you have skipped or delayed receiving intelligence briefings during the campaign. Why should the public believe that you're serious about this issue?

16. What do you think is appropriate punishment for guards (and their superiors) found guilty of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib? Do you believe they should be stripped of command and receive dishonorable discharges and prison time?

17. On May 6, 2001, on Meet the Press, you stated that you had committed "the same kind of atrocities as thousands of other soldiers" in violation of the Geneva Convention. Specifically, you said you burned villages and "used 50-calibre machine guns, which [you] were granted and ordered to use, which were our only weapon against people."

a. Who ordered you to use 50-caliber machine guns on people?

b. How many people did you shoot with the 50s and how many of them were killed or wounded?

c. When and where did these shootings occur?

d. What other atrocities did you commit and when?

e. Which village(s) did you burn down and when?

f. Were any of your crewmembers present during the commission of any of these atrocities?

g. Did you order them to participate in the atrocities? Did they follow your orders?

h. Why were there no reports of these atrocities? Did you order your crew not to report them?

i. Are any of these incidents described in your Vietnam journal? If not, why not?

j. Did you observe thousands of (or any) other troops committing atrocities? When, where and what kind? Did you report them? If not, why not?

k. In light of your admitted atrocities, if Abu Ghraib guards found guilty of abuse should receive prison time and be stripped of command, why do you believe you should be considered for commander-in-chief?

18. Who among the justices currently sitting on the Supreme Court would be a model for your nominees to the federal bench? Why?

19. In a speech before Drake University Law School you characterized U.S. allies in the war in Iraq as "some trumped-up so-called Coalition of the bribed, the coerced, the bought and the extorted,..." Do you maintain that Great Britain has been bribed, coerced, bought, or extorted? What about Italy? Japan? Poland? Please specifically identify those members of the Coalition that have been either bribed, coerced, bought, and extorted and the officials who were bribed or bought.

20. You told George Stephanopoulos that you had a plan to get out of Iraq but refused to provide details. Would you consent to having your secret plan privately evaluated by an independent, bi-partisan panel of military experts who could report the plan's merits to the electorate without divulging the details?

a. Would you also consent to privately revealing to an independent panel the names of the foreign leaders who secretly support you so that the panel can confirm your story to the electorate?

b. Ditto regarding the leaders whom you say have secretly told Senators Biden and Levin that you must win?

1 posted on 10/14/2004 6:53:56 PM PDT by JessieHelmsJr
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To: JessieHelmsJr

YIKES.......................You're right, he will never answer ANY of them.

You obviously put a lot of time and thought into this......very good.

For fits and giggles, if I were you - I'd forward it to the Kerry Kamp and the DNC.


2 posted on 10/14/2004 6:58:21 PM PDT by Gabz (Hurricanes and Kerry/Edwards have 2 things in common - hot air and destruction.)
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To: Gabz

Not mine, picked up at another site, but hits it right on head! lmao


3 posted on 10/14/2004 7:00:28 PM PDT by JessieHelmsJr
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To: JessieHelmsJr

Good job...


4 posted on 10/14/2004 7:01:59 PM PDT by F16Fighter
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To: JessieHelmsJr

Then I'm glad you picked it up!!!!!!!


5 posted on 10/14/2004 7:11:03 PM PDT by Gabz (Hurricanes and Kerry/Edwards have 2 things in common - hot air and destruction.)
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To: JessieHelmsJr

I can't describe the mental image of wonky Chewkerry answering the jewels.
it's just funny...


6 posted on 10/14/2004 7:11:29 PM PDT by Edgerunner (The left ain't right. Hand me that launch pickle...)
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To: JessieHelmsJr

PING


7 posted on 10/14/2004 7:12:32 PM PDT by lunarbicep ("Now, if you're a Red Sox fan,,,, that's okay")
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To: JessieHelmsJr

Just sent the list to: letters@nytimes.com or faxing (212)556-3622.



8 posted on 10/14/2004 7:13:56 PM PDT by mirkwood (Flush the johns)
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To: JessieHelmsJr

"... sometime between now and November 2 he'll have to sit down for a far-ranging interview ..." You're dreaming. Ol' Feckless isn't going to sit down with anything other than a feloow liberal bilgespittlist or Dan Blather lest he be revealed for the hollow anti-American, U.N. suck-up he actually is.


9 posted on 10/14/2004 7:14:05 PM PDT by MHGinTN (If you can read this, you've had life support from someone. Promote life support for others.)
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To: JessieHelmsJr
Supurb - good dig!!

Folks, this deserves a BUMP-O-ROONIE to all your liberal friends. They might have to think a bit about their vote after reading this!!

10 posted on 10/14/2004 7:14:39 PM PDT by HardStarboard
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To: JessieHelmsJr

Great questions!!


11 posted on 10/14/2004 7:14:55 PM PDT by ditto h
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To: mirkwood

I think his damn head would blow up by the time he got done TRYING to answer them. LMAO!


12 posted on 10/14/2004 7:15:34 PM PDT by JessieHelmsJr
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To: JessieHelmsJr

19 days to election night. Still no 180 signed, no disclosure by Heinz-Kerry, no medical history.


13 posted on 10/14/2004 7:19:39 PM PDT by Graymatter (Reload Bush/Cheney 2004)
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To: JessieHelmsJr
Excellent.

Bookmarked.

14 posted on 10/14/2004 7:20:01 PM PDT by Pharmboy (History's greatest agent for freedom: The US Armed Forces)
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To: Pharmboy

now heres the weak ass rebuttal to Bush

1. Why did you go AWOL from the National Guard?
2. Why did you fail to secure the borders (allowing foreign terrorists to come in in waves and aid the insurgents) and instead focus on securing oil wells?
3. Why did a plane carrying Saudi royalty get to fly when all other US planes were grounded?
4. How did the world's most sophisticated military fail in a mission to capture one man?
5. How do you justify inheriting a budget SURPLUS, and then turning it into a budget DEFICIT?
6. How can you think Canadian drugs are a good idea, and then block it?
7. Why have you started on a middle eastern policy path that promotes racism against Muslims at home?
8. How can you continue to use the US veto in the UN to fail to condemn Isreal of acts of terror, when they too commit them?
9. How can you now justify the Iraqi War when it's very basis is now proven to be a lie?
10. Why do you continue to push legislation that is supposed to "keep us safe" but instead infringes on our civil liberties?
11. How can you say a multi-million dollar company is a "small business"?
12. Why have you not released all of your records?
13. Why do you prefer that embryonic stem cells go in the trash can versus helping people find cures?
14. Why do you oppose gay marriage, when your own running mate has a daughter who is gay, thus under your administration, could never marry?
15. How do you send soldiers into battle ill-equiped, so much so that they arm themselves often with the enemy's AK-47s?
16. How do you explain the use of back door draft policies to maintain troop levels for a now proven illegal war?
17. Can you assure the American people that you no longer have a cocaine problem?
18. Why have you chosen to only allow one company (formerly chaired by your VP), without a bid, to do the contracting for the rebuild of Iraq, when other companies combined could have bid on the jobs and cost less?
19. Why did you rush to war when it was only a matter of weeks before the issue of WMDs in Iraq was to be decided by the UN.?
20. Why do you continue to lie on a daily basis to the American people?


15 posted on 10/14/2004 7:23:35 PM PDT by JessieHelmsJr
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To: JessieHelmsJr
Awesome questions. Should be made into a flyer with header "Don't vote for John Kerry until he answers these questions".

Here's a couple that might be good also:

1.If you give Iran nuclear fuel for "peaceful purposes" and set up cameras to verify that the Iranians are using the fuel for "peaceful purposes"...What would you do if the Iranians decide to disable the cameras?

2.If nuclear fuel can be given to known terrorist nations like Iran ( which has 9% of all the worlds oil and is very prone to strong earthquakes ) for "peaceful purposes"...Should the US be aggressively building new nuclear energy plants in our own country or is that less "peaceful"?

16 posted on 10/14/2004 7:26:09 PM PDT by Jim_Curtis (Liberals lie at the premise, accept their premise and you can only lose the argument.)
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To: Jim_Curtis

1. Why did you go AWOL from the National Guard?

Did I? Well I released the 180 records. YOu have no proof of your accusations, just bs spin, Dan Rather and sound bites of DNC to back your claims.

2. Why did you fail to secure the borders (allowing foreign terrorists to come in in waves and aid the insurgents) and instead focus on securing oil wells?

Oh and I guess Clinton did and Kerry would? *They bith suck in this regard*


3. Why did a plane carrying Saudi royalty get to fly when all other US planes were grounded?

In the 911 report this was proven to be false, only when traffic was allowed to fly, did the plane leave and after the FBI had done the interviews of those of interest, another lie, I thought you could read Senator, its published in this book called the 911 report and last I checked they are a bit more trustworthy than Michael Moore


4. How did the world's most sophisticated military fail in a mission to capture one man?

You have no understanding of the military and this is obvious to anyone who does. Btw, have you heard from him lately? Check with your Iranian connections and see if he is still safe ok? My Saudi sources tell me they wonder if the SH&*head is dead


5. How do you justify inheriting a budget SURPLUS, and then turning it into a budget DEFICIT?

Another sound bite, I did this to the USA didnt I? Yup, the economy started a downward spiral right about the time I announced my candidacy, yup my fault. 911 was my fault and I just wanted to to get more money for my buddy Cheney and Halliburton.......you really are Naive !!!


6. How can you think Canadian drugs are a good idea, and then block it?

Well you ever had food poisening? Same principle here. Oh yeah, and those Canadian drugs in which you speak might be made from outsourced US jobs....cant win if you loose huh? Plus as President I am to protect the security of the citizens and if I cannot guareetee that what you think you are getting is what you ARE getting 100% of the time, then I will wait until we have a better way to insure it. I personally do not want drugs made in the third world to unknown standards, you might, but then again, you have pretty decent heathcare in Congress dont you? Do you buy your drugs from Costa Rica Mr. kerry?


7. Why have you started on a middle eastern policy path that promotes racism against Muslims at home?


Why do the Muslims not speak more vocally when Christians are attacked and the US is attacked, when beheadings happen? I didnt see ANY Muslim nation that came to Bosnian muslims aid, I saw a CHRISTIAN nation do it.


8. How can you continue to use the US veto in the UN to fail to condemn Isreal of acts of terror, when they too commit them?

Why do I not see the UN condem Palestian Terror? That is what the VETO is for....the UN is to one sided and except for the USA, ISRAEL would cease to exist if left to the UN. We remember a verse in the Bible that states God will bless those who Bless his people and curse those who dont. In reality the US remians blessed, I wonder why?

9. How can you now justify the Iraqi War when it's very basis is now proven to be a lie?

Well Because you poeple just cant get it through your head (1) Prove to me saddam did not get his WMD out of the country before the invasion becuase he sure as hell had the time since I wasted time working with the UN(2)He supported not only international terror, but DID have connections with ALQueda per 911 report(3)The US hold no difference between the terrorist and those who HARBOR them, Abu Nidal was just one. YOu are clueless to the real world, and your ignorance is obvious!

10. Why do you continue to push legislation that is supposed to "keep us safe" but instead infringes on our civil liberties?


Well read the 911 report, something had to be done, but the Patriot act goes to far, it needs amended inplaces



11. How can you say a multi-million dollar company is a "small business"?

you nocompoop, ever heard of a farmer? It is called assets, even a fram can be incorperated


12. Why have you not released all of your records?

well gee....Bush signed the 180 form, why wont Kerry? Could it be he had a dishonorable discharge for conduct unbecomming and officer? Why do most Vietnam veterans consider him a TRAITOR?Especially almost 100% of the POW's. You know the answer but are in DENIAL

13. Why do you prefer that embryonic stem cells go in the trash can versus helping people find cures?

Well why do you hold no value to human life? Adult stem cells work just as well and a life doesnt have to be murdered to get them, remember the fetal cells? That one didnt fly either

14. Why do you oppose gay marriage, when your own running mate has a daughter who is gay, thus under your administration, could never marry?

Well because, as a married man I think it should stay between an man and a woman, you humanists keep pecking away at my lifestyle, and assault at it really. Why isnt a civil union good enough? I mean you would get all the same financial benifits. I will tell you why, becuase the agenda in which you follow will never stop until God is completely gone from our nation. That is the real goal

15. How do you send soldiers into battle ill-equiped, so much so that they arm themselves often with the enemy's AK-47s?

Horsepucky, you dimwhit, all the troops have M16's we have plenty of them to go around. What you really meant was why do all the humvee's not have armour? Well becuase my predecessor decided to gut the military so bad that f-15s that should be combat capable are being scalped for parts. I am making headway in this arena. Plus if you have to know, humvees are the replacements for Jeeps, how many Jeeps had armour in WWII? SO FDR also didnt care for the troops?

16. How do you explain the use of back door draft policies to maintain troop levels for a now proven illegal war?

It is called a CONTRACT, when you sign it, by passing the ASVAB, you show that you are intelligent enough to read it. IT is a nessesity of a all volunteer force, please learn the information behind these sounds bites you puke out


17. Can you assure the American people that you no longer have a cocaine problem?

You are a joke, I bet if I were to have a beer you would ahve a field day, maybe you can run to the press the next time I ahve communion, and yell "President is on the binge again". I have told you I am clean are you? By the way, how come you wont sign the 180 form?

18. Why have you chosen to only allow one company (formerly chaired by your VP), without a bid, to do the contracting for the rebuild of Iraq, when other companies combined could have bid on the jobs and cost less?

Oh yee of twitty soundbites, why did your blessed Clinton do the same thing with the same company? Becuase only Halliburton had the organization to get the job done on the scale we needed, same as Clinton in his Balkan adventures. How come you use the US Mail to recieve your letters? Why not FED EX them all?

19. Why did you rush to war when it was only a matter of weeks before the issue of WMDs in Iraq was to be decided by the UN.?

Because the UN is corrupt and toothless and had already been bought off by Saddam, there was no chance of a passage of "Force" because the French were so surgically attached to saddams



20. Why do you continue to lie on a daily basis to the American people?


Gee, I guess you never lie? Mr Flipper Flopper himself? I ahve not lied to the USA, you can read the facts if you care do so. We were all misled by the faulty intelligence services of which my predecessor gutted into a dysfuntional government agency. Btw, if you dont lie, why will you not sign the 180 form? Are you hiding some potentially character flaws that you KNOW the American people will not accept?


17 posted on 10/14/2004 7:35:22 PM PDT by JessieHelmsJr
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To: JessieHelmsJr; Brainhose

bttt


18 posted on 10/14/2004 7:42:52 PM PDT by Christian4Bush (John Kerry: a WJD--Weapon of Job Destruction. Vote Bush/Cheney 2004!!!)
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To: JessieHelmsJr

If Bush had of testified before congress to such crimes as you did, would he ever have been Prez? Ever nominated?


19 posted on 10/14/2004 8:34:34 PM PDT by Waco
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To: Waco

Exactly!


20 posted on 10/15/2004 1:52:15 PM PDT by JessieHelmsJr
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To: JessieHelmsJr
I'm not so sure that Kerry has been so skillful at avoiding the media as the media has been skillful at avoiding John Kerry.There is no way tha this lightweight could stand up to a real interview. All of your proposed questions are great, but we all know that the lame-stream media won't be asking them :)
21 posted on 10/15/2004 6:35:03 PM PDT by Brainhose (THINK OF THE KITTENS!)
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To: Brainhose

I now am heating up the soldering iron to burn my eyes out.
I accidently responded to the wrong message. May my armpits be infested by the fleas of a thousand camels!


22 posted on 10/15/2004 6:47:34 PM PDT by Brainhose (THINK OF THE KITTENS!)
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