Flashback to the 2004 Election Cycle on Port Security: Kerry Was Right

[kerrygoddess]

Flashback to the 2004 Election Cycle on Port Security: Kerry Was Right
February 22nd, 2006 @ 2:20 pm

The DSCC released information about Republican Senators and port security earlier today, see my post here. There’s a lot of chatter in the blogosphere about this deal, on the left and the right. Ron pointed out in the comments below, that conservative blog was calling Democrats “newly security conscious.” However, that is certainly not the case…

On December 17, 2003 John Kerry unveiled a “Plan to Improve Port Security and Prevent Terrorists from Obtaining WMD’s.” In another Kerry was right moment, John Kerry said:

“In this dangerous world, we don’t know what that cargo really contains. And we can’t afford to continue being in the dark. We screen millions of shoes in airports everyday, but less than four percent of the 21,000 enormous shipping containers that arrive in America’s ports every day. Any one of them could have a biological, chemical, or nuclear weapon inside. We need to invest in and employ new technologies to screen the containers, ships, trains, and trucks that come into this country.”

How ironic, that Kerry saw the need to improve port security over two years ago, yet Bush has done nothing about it. Now in the wake of this UAE state-owned Dubai Port World deal to take over 6 major U.S. ports, it certainly seems as though port security is not really a concern of the Bush administration yet during the 2004 election cycle Bush consistently said it was. In October 2004, Bush was playing politics (as Digby pointed out) when he tried to paint Kerry as soft on National Security:

I will never hand over America’s security decisions to foreign leaders and international bodies that do not have America’s interests at heart.

MORE & LINKS - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=2028

[karynnj]

1. Kerry must have quoted that 95% of the containers in the ports

were NOT inspected on a daily basis. He said it so often that when he got to those statements, I knew exactly what he was going to say. Didn't he mention it in the debates as well.

Not to mention that even before he ran, Kerry went after BCCI which operated a main branch out of Dubai. Too bad no one in either party supported him, in the pre 911 world, he was the only one who clearly saw the danger.

[Tin Man]

2. Reality is/was - Kerry too erudite to be president in today's US

'Muricans prefer squinty-eyed, simple minded, cowboy types - is Buddy Ebsen still alive? Maybe we can run him for president...

[JuniperLea]

3. Buddy Ebsen...

was the original Tin Man... ha!

[Tin Man]

5. you're right !!

LOL, it hadn't occurred to me when I first posted that comment... And you're right - Buddy Ebsen was originally cast as the Tin Man, but suffered an alergic reaction to the aluminum makeup and was replaced by Jack Haley in the role.

[babylonsister]

4. Now that's just sad; I was and still am attracted to Kerry

because of his intelligence. It's so disheartening to see what we as a country missed out on.

[LittleClarkie]

8. The delusion that people could have a beer with Bush.

I actually know people who've had one with Kerry.

[FrenchieCat]

6. Well, no surprised there!

John Kerry was widely known as the better candidate.....and should be in office as we speak.

There are a lot of things that many said that many don't know were said. That's the state of affairs in these United States as it stands!

[MasonJar]

7. The Supremes and the treasonous Pugs have a lot to answer

for by cheating Gore and Kerry out of their legitimate wins. James Baker and his cronies should be tarred and feathered and dropped in the Pacific Ocean with lead shoes. Imagine America with a Gore presidency. It is heartbreaking. Global warming and species extinction is NO.1 with Bush and the Neo-conmen.

[jean]

9. he could have used pie charts, like Perot, for people who have no clue

what 95% means.

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. He also said that this country couldn't take four more years of George Bus

[NAO]

11. Kerry spoke extensively on Port Security in the First Debate

The one where Bush was blinking, stammering and stuttering.

Many of the statements made by Kerry during the 2004 campaign cycle have been extremely astute and prescient.

[kerrygoddess]

12. Yes they have. N/T