April 23, 2004

QUOTABLES:

"I pledge to you when I am president no deal will be cut and no legislation will be written by polluters in exchange for campaign contributions and support," John Kerry said.

I don't know where John Kerry eats, or what restaurants he attends in New York City," Mr. DeLay said. "But I tell you, at the Taste of Texas restaurant — it's this great steakhouse in Houston, Texas — the only foreign leader you meet there is called filet mignon." said Tom Delay.

"I just want to make sure Senator Kerry understands that just because you go into an International House of Pancakes does not mean you are meeting with foreign leaders — unless of course you are referring to their Belgian waffles, stuffed French toast or German pancakes," said Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, Florida Republican.

"On this day in 1971, John Kerry showed his true colors, and they are not red, white and blue," said Rep. Sam Johnson of Texas, who was captured and held prisoner by the North Vietnamese. "Before the Senate, before America, and before the world, he blasted our nation, chastised our troops and hurt our morale," Mr. Johnson said. "Is it any wonder that my comrades from Vietnam and I have a nickname for him similar to 'Hanoi Jane.' It's called 'Hanoi John.' "

"Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry and his mega-rich wife, Teresa Heinz, own a gas-guzzling private jet, an energy-eating power yacht, have five mansions that consume thousands of gallons of oil to heat and cool — and keep a fleet of SUVs running night-and-day outside their Beacon Hill mansion," NewsMax.com reports – Happy Earth Day Kerry.

JUST POLITICS

Kerry flipflops on OPEC

Sen. John Kerry previously made charges based on Bob Woodward’s book that Saudi Arabia was cutting a deal to keep gas prices low. The charges were that it was ‘sad and reprehensible’ that this effort was taking place. The charges by Kerry received the rebuke of both Woodward and Saudi Arabia that Kerry took his attacks too far.

Now, rather than attack President Bush for his diplomatic measures with Saudi Arabia, Kerry is calling on the President to use diplomatic measures to jawbone down the price of gas.

"Mr. President, I'm here today to say if there was no deal, no agreement ... then stand up today and jawbone OPEC to lower the price now," Kerry said.

Kerry added, "I don't know, and nor do you. I don't know if it was a deal. I don't know if it was a secret pledge. I don't know if it was just a friendly conversation among friends. But here is the simple truth: The fact remains that whatever it was, Americans are getting a bad deal today."

Kerry pro-abortion

Sen. John Kerry has scheduled a rally today to show his support for abortion. Kerry supports abortion rights and has said he would nominate only Supreme Court justices who support his position. Bush approves of abortion only in cases of rape or incest or when the pregnancy endangers a woman's life.

Much of the presidential election debate over abortion centers around appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court. Kerry has added a line to his stump speech that covers the subject: "If you need any motivation let me give you three little words — the Supreme Court…"

Kerry’s rally for abortion comes at a time that has the Vatican releasing a document that may complicate his religious actions and his campaign. The document puts further in question whether Kerry will be able to take communion in the Catholic Church.

A 70-page Vatican document, called "On Certain Matters To Be Observed Or To Be Avoided Regarding The Most Holy Eucharist," turns the screws on many practices that have become common in some local churches, such as joint communion services with non-Catholic Christians.

The section on communion which could apply to Kerry says: "The Church's custom shows that it is necessary for each person to examine himself at depth and that anyone who is conscious of grave sin should not celebrate or receive the Body of the Lord without prior sacramental confession... ."

Kerry’s service defended

The Washington Post has a lengthy article that defends Sen. John Kerry’s military record. The Post glosses over the contradictions in the medical records that were reported by the Washington Times yesterday and points out that anyone commanding a swift boat in the Mekong Delta was not without hazards.

The article did point out the fact that there is a group of Vietnam Vets with "a web site -- www.vietnamveteransagainstkerry.com -- is dedicated to raising questions about his record and reminding voters that he returned home to become a leader in the antiwar movement, which critics allege demoralized the very troops he fought beside."

Gorelick should testify

Eleven Republican senators sent a letter to the September 11 commission yesterday, asking that panel member Jamie S. Gorelick testify publicly about her role in defining the relationship between law enforcement and intelligence during her tenure in the Clinton Justice Department.

"It is our firm belief that any committee report or recommendations will be incomplete without public testimony by Ms. Gorelick about her activities while serving as deputy attorney general," Sen. Christopher S. Bond, Missouri Republican, wrote in the letter.

Heinz tax filling extended

The Boston Globe reports that Teresa Heinz Kerry has filed for an extension in filling her taxes:

Teresa Heinz Kerry has filed for an extension on her 2003 US income tax forms, giving her husband John F. Kerry's presidential campaign until mid-August to decide whether to make her tax records public, as some Republicans and newspaper editorial boards have demanded.

Campaign spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter said yesterday that Heinz Kerry's tax returns, whenever they are filed, would not be made public, because she is a private citizen who is under no requirement to do so. Yet in recent days, some campaign aides have discussed among themselves whether to release the records in order to settle questions raised by Republicans and in the media about whether her considerable wealth -- estimated at about $500 million, from the ketchup fortune of her late husband John Heinz -- is benefiting Kerry or his campaign in ways that would not be apparent from his tax returns.