The $87 billion and the 87 flip-flopping senators

[shockingelk]

John Kerry and Joe Biden introduced an amendment to roll back tax cuts for the richest Americans to pay for the famous $87 billion emergency funding appropriation. Kerry didn't get his way, but he voted for the Senate's version of the bill anyway, not to do so would be childish and irresponsible - see transcript of his comments on Face the Nation, September 14, 2003. The Senate passed their bill, which would have made part of the funding for reconstruction a loan to Iraq instead of an outright grant.

After the Senate had passed their version, the White House threatened a veto of the bill if it arrived on Bush's desk with any loans in it. In other words, Bush said he'd leave our troops high and dry if he didn't get exactly everything he wanted - the same type of childishness Kerry said would be irresponsible regarding his own desires for the bill.

Congress caved in to the White House's childishness, the House passed a version without loans, it came back to the Senate without loans and it passed. Kerry and a few other principled Senators voted "no" to register their exasperation at the White House's selfish intimidation. If one wishes to say any Senators flip-flopped, it was those who gave in to White House intimidation - all 87 of them.

[rumguy]

1. Kerry also wanted to roll back some of the tax cuts to the richest

to help pay for it...

Oh and let's not forget all the handouts to *'s corporate pals...

Kerry's vote was about principle, something * has no understanding of...

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. The veto.

No one talks about the veto.

[IronLionZion]

3. Now how can we condense that into a sound byte

Because the fact is that BUSH was the one leaving the troops high and dry. That's after he sent untrained national guardsmen without body armor or armor-plated humvees.

what an asshole!

Shrubster has been flip flopping and screwing the troops the whole time and nobody has the balls to talk about it on TV!

[buycitgo]

4. Bush threatened to veto his own bill to support the troops

something along those lines?

this is one of their main talking points against Kerry, and he REFUSES to defend his stance, as of This Week show today

see my thread on this, in which I'm vilified by such nasty, mean people who dare to disagree with me

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=104

[IronLionZion]

6. your link goes to the forum, not the thread

[buycitgo]

8. oops

Did Kerry F up badly? or something like that

lots of vitriol, saying I'm barking up the wrong shrub

he's got to deal with this question, as it's maybe going to be the base of their attacks, saying he DOES NOT support the troops

he HAS to deal with it

it won't go away

[shockingelk]

7. Kerry watched our bottom line, Bush saw Iraq in a welfare line.

or,

Kerry stuck to his guns, Bush stuck it to the middle class.

[kentuck]

5. But Kerry cannot offend these Senators ???

He may need their support later.... :shrug:

[shockingelk]

9. it doesn't have to come up

the important parts are

- Bush played thuggish politics
- Kerry wanted to lighten the load on the middle class
- Kerry switched voted "no" to protest Bush threatening to leave our troops unfunded

Actually, Bush's threatened veto is the most important part - I don't think most Americans understand how bills become law passed the understanding that the President can veto whatever comes out of congress.