Friday, October 29,2004 Kerry on the Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts will battle President George W. Bush on tire campaign trail, where they will face off on issues from taxes to gay marriage. Here, we look at where Kerry stands on die major issues facing the nation. ABORTION Ketre opposra Icgnlation that would restrict a womans access to an abortion and says he would only to the fcifciat judiciary who xfpoittle landmark Roe v Wade Supreme Gant decision that edtihtubcd a woman's right to an atulioa Kerry voted against harming a rare abortion procedure widely known ra "pailial buth abortion" because it did not contain an exception to protect the health of the mother "If you believe that choice is a constitu tional right, and I do, and if you believe that Roe v. Wide is the embodiment of that right... I will not appoint a justice to the Supreme Court of the United States who will undo that right " (Portsmouth. N.H. Jan. 26,2004) DEATH PENALTY Kerry, a farmer prosecutor, opposes the death penalty except in esses of terrorism. He argura that 111 people convicted of murder have been released from death row became DNA evidence proved them not guilty. “Our system has made mistakes and it \ been applied in a way that 1 think is wrong Secondly, I don't believe that, in the end, you advance the sort of level of your Jus tice and your system of your civility as a nation. Many other notions in the world most of the other nations in the world have adopted that idea that the state should not engage in killing, because they have very bad memories of what happens when the state engages in killing " (Debate, Los Angeles Feb. 26,2004) DEFICIT Kerry rays he plans to cut the deficit in half by the aid of 20C8 by repealing Bush tax cuts for Americans wkh incomes shove 1200,000 and fay crltting government ackninistrutive costs. He would call a “Balanced Budget Summit" direct ing both political parties to find cost reductions, even in their top priorities. He wants to reduce government energy costs by 20 percent by 2020, eliminate $l2 trillion in “fraud end abuse in Medicate and save money by improving federal purchasing ayrietns. He often reminds listeners that he war me of the first Democrats to endorse the l9BsGrarnm-Rudmßa-Hdlings law that set .deficit reduction targets on Congress. *7 have promised to cut the deficit in half in four years, which is precisely what ... BUI Clinton did. If Americans liked the eight years of Bill Clinton's economy, they're going to love the first four years ofi John Kerry's." (Milwaukee. Feb. 15, 2004) EDUCATION Kerry , who has a sister who teaches in Boston, voted for Bush's No Child Left Behind bnv, but ties criticized it on the campaign trail, saying k’s poorly financed and improperly applied Kerry mddcßsfcaNalnigt Education Trust Fund to pay the federal time cfeducaticn carts and mracasc government spending on puhlic-adwot education from $23.8 billion a year to $55 billion a year by 200& Kerry also would use a portion of a two-year, $5O billion economic rtiimdus fund to financially strappod stales thut are cantcm pktiqg teacher byafls, Glutting schools or short ening school years. “W£ want to raise accountability in our schools. We want to raise standards. Hi want teachers to be highly certified. What we don't want is to have it implemented the way it is being implemented by Geotge Bush. He’s making it punitive He's disre specting teachers. And he’s walked away from his awn promise to fully fund No Child Left Behind(Debate, Milwaukee. Feb 15, •2004) ENVIRONMENT Along with foreign policy, Kerry's other major legislative interest has been the environ ment He has attended iitcrralioiial summits on global warming and was one of the main sena tnm to block the Bush achnirasbatuxi's efforts to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil (hilling Kerry has angered autoworkers in Michigan for pushing Tor higher mileage sianefendh a icgidatkm that favors smaller Asian-made cars. He invokes President Kennedy's virion of putting a man an the mom in catling far cqinl commitment to rfcvetoping alternative energy sources to reduce depen dence on ail. “we can go to the moon right here on earth," he saya frequently. "H Se deserve a president who under stands that it is not a choice to America of either protecting the environment or having jobs, false choice, false leadership; the environment is jobs. And if we preserve it properly and set a goal as I will, we will produce 20 percent cfAmerica's electricity from alternative and renewable fuels by the year2o2o" (Pembroke, N.H. Feb 20.2004) GAY MARRIAGE Kerry believes marriage should be between a man and woman, but advocates civil unions for gays to guarantee gay cou ples the same rights as married couples. He voted against the Defense of Marriage Act, which permitted states to ignore gay wed dings performed in other states. He opposes President Bush's plan for a federal constitu tional amendment forbidding same-sex unions. But he rays he would not object to a similar state amendment in his home state of Massachusetts, prov ided that it otherwise gives gay couples the rame rights as married couples. "Are vwe prepared to provide rights to all Americans, so that they share the same rights as other people, not the same ter minology or status? I believe that the right, the spousal rights, the right of inheritance, the right with respect ho taxes, the right with respect to visitation in a hospital, there are a whole series of rights. I'm for those rights being afforded to every single American." (New York. Feb. 29. 2004) HEALTH CARE Kerry would provide tax breaks to employers and tax credits to individuals to ensure access to the same beallheaae program available to mem bers of Congress and federal employees Under his plan, the federal government would pay 75 percent of catastrophic health coats illnesses that art more tfnn £50,000 thus reducing the cast of health insurance for employers. Kerry estimates the plan would coat an average of £72 billion a year for the first five years Mid cover about three-quarters of currently rsiin sured Americans. "Just one year ago, I mu diagnosed with prostate cancer. / stand before you 100 percent cured now. but / war lucky. A.s a US senator, l could get the best health care in the world. Most people aren’t so lucky, and we need to change that. That's why my plan gives every American access to the same kind of health care that members of Congress give themselves. We will cover 96 per cent of all Americans, and 99 percent of our children." (Cedar Rapids. lowa. Dec. 14, 2003) IMMIGRATION Kerry apposes Rush's “guest-worker" immi gration (Jen, but supports similar goals af giv ing immigrants in the United Slates illegally a chance to legalize their status. He would permit foreigners to attend cal- te* in the United States provided they gradiaii ea from high school hero. "The president's plan is really a plan to exploit workers in America It's not a teal immigration reform plan. What I want to do is hove a full immigration reform plan that involves earned legalization; involves the technology and support we need an the bor der; wok with (Mexican) President (Vicente) fax in order to have a legitimate guest worker program; and, finally, tw need to crack down on those people in America who lure people illegally and exploit work ers in the United States It makes more sense to bring them out of the shadows and start working them toward citizenship. (Debate. Las Angeles. Feh 26,2004) IRAQ Kerry voted to authorize war, but says Bush should have created a larger coalition and should have turned to war only as a last resort He voted against $B7 billion in reconstruction money far Iraq and Afghanistan, saying Bush should have paid far the amount by eliminating some of his tax cuts He says be vrorid interna tionalize reconstruction with help of U N. allies. "I voted not specifically to go to hot. I voted fin- a process The process that hy? Cout of the president by standing up to was that he was going to go to the U-N . and build an international coalition. a true international coalition. Going to imr rww a last resort. $ l had been president l would have wanted that authority. It was the only way to hold (Saddam Hussein) accountable. But if you believe / would have used that authority and gone to hot the way George Bush did, then you should not vote forme" (Portsmouth. NJI. Jan. 26, 2004} ISRAELI-PALESTIMAN CONFLICT Kerry says the Bush administration has not been engaged in tire peace process Bui he has sent conflicting signals to Arab Americans and to the Jewish community about how he wotdd become more active. At first he suggested that farmer President Jimmy Carter would be his special envoy, but when Jewish leaders object ed, he then mentioned former President Bill Clinton. He hes described Israel's security fence as a “harrier to peace," but later said Israel is entitled to secure Ms bonder In June 2002, he said Bush's decision nut to press Israel to negedafc with Ffelcstinians was a “cata strophic mistake'' "A good president has always been capable of bang able to act as an honest broker, nudging our friends, leveraging svhen we need to, respecting the notion that it's not up to us to define the peace. It's up la the partwi to negotiate the peace, and no peace that isn't properly negotiated by the parties can be a peace that holds." (Des Moines. Nov. 16,2003) KERRY ON THE ISSUES KNIGHT HI DDER/TRIBUNE issues JOBS Kerry has a multifaceted plan te boost the economy that includes repealing tax cuts for taxpayers with incomes over $200,000 and using the extra money to pay for exproded health care and college assistance, creating a two-year, $5O billion ecanamk-stimulia fund; and reducing the deficit Kerry says he would also eliminate tax incentives that encornge companies to go overseas and would enforce labor provisions in trade agreements He also would provide mamlactimjng incentives to businesses that create jobs. Kerry says his dan to seek alternative sauces af energy would cre ate jots, as would a renewed focusby bis administration on science and technology. SOCIAL SECURITY Kerry opposes plans to iet indriiduats invest portions of their Social Security taxes in the stock market and opposes moves to cid back benefits. He has argued that an improved eoxt omy will help put Social Security on sound financial footing, but has not offered any specif ic plan to address the pnasise on Social Security placed by retiring baby boomers Kerry voted against Bush's tax cuts in 2001 and 2000. He wovid repeal President Bush's tax cuts for these earning more then $200,000. He would retain tax breaks armed at the middle class, such as the child tax credit, the reduction in the so-called marriage penalty and lower tax rates. He also would lower capital grnnn and drvicknd taxes for the midde doss Kerry would use tax credits to hdp people obtain health care and a college education Biarinesse would get lax incentives to create jobs, but he would eliminate other corporate tax breaks. TRADE liny has > long record of voting Tar liberal ized trade from the 1993 North American Free Track- Agreement to the 2002 legislation that gave the president greater powers to negoti ate trade deals. Kerry has adjiatcd on the cam paign trail; he says existing trade agreements will undergo a l2&-day review to ensure that trading partners are living rq> to tbc pacts He opposes the pending Central American Free Trade Agreement and the Free Trade Area for the saying they lack adequate labor and environmental enforcement province!* VETERANS Kerry, a Vietnam Whr combat veteran, fas portrayed himself on the stump as the reluctant warrior the decorated Navy swift boat akimer who then protested the war He rays he would improve veterans' health care and resolve one of the bittc test disputes between disabled veterans and the federal government the inability cf many dirafcled veterans to receive the full araouit at thtir retirement pay while receiving the full amount of their disability compensation. Kerry said he would support incrcasuig the combat death benefit to families from $6,000 tx> sl2f)Qo. Today, 90,000 veterans are wiling for care at VA hospitals, and4l,ooo veterans are Hotting far their first doctors ' vuita. Hfe shouldn't be neglecting the care far our troops and their families before, during and after war." (Des Moines, lows, Nov. 10.2003) "VW? put people back to work by being fair, by closing loopholes, by investing in education, by investing in job training, by imvsting in manufacturing, all choices that the Bush administration doesn't want to talk about, ham ’(talked about and chooses to ignore." (Washington. March 11, 2004) "No matter what was said in Washington ...the wrong way to cut the deficit is to ait Social Security benefits If lam president, we're simply not going to do it. And if lean the Democratic nominee, I welcome dm debate. This is a debate that I wiß win and iw wilt win and we will restore our economy in a uny that is fair to Americans without destroy ing the solemn contract of Social Security in this nation." (Los Angeles. Feh 25,2004) "It's wrong when companies turn their hacks on the country, their coirsn unity and their workers to chase tax loopholes and tax avoidance. It's time we had an econo my that's rwt not just by the values of our stacks but the values of our families." (Bedford, NJf. Jan. 7,2004) ' ‘ There 's been a dramatic shift in the world and what hat happened la jobs over the course of the last few years. Perhaps three or four years ago, f began talking about haw it is critical that in any trade agreement, we now need to negotiate labor and trade, labor and environment stan dards.'’ (Milwaukee, feb. 15, 2004) James Kufmhenn, Knight Kidder Washington correspondent The Behrend Beacon Five significant achievements in the Senate IRaMflmwMi Vtomm. In 199(5 Keny wished in partnership with Sen. JkJm McCain, R-Ariz., in helping to achieve normaliz ing idahom with Vietnam. 2POWati Boi4fMMt Aaia. In 1991-92 Kerry chaired a 15-morth inrcatiatian into POWsmdMlAsin Southeast Asia, con cluding, along with McCain, Hat there wm "mcampdliiig evidence" thHt American craaacrs nae dill alive in Victim ardsc wheic in Southeast Asia. FrJn a iiboommiHßC Kciry chaired cxian alkgotioiH against Ramu s Gen. Manuel Antonio discovering that U S. oflWaria overicaked Noriega’s rule in trafficking to protect U.S. interests in fonama. Tbc inves tigation also led to an examination of the Sank c£ Crctfit andCtammeroc Intemational A flap art an HCortrmln 1985-86 Kerry irwestupted claims that NtcaragiEn Contm were run ning gunaand mugging guns. His 19ti6report allied that the Rcajpn administration had iSefpl links to the Oonhai a claim later upheld amid finding that acfcnio ishation officials had diverted banian arm sales proceeds to tbc ft II ll IHW SMUMiofMC monay In his lour clcotiais to the Senate, Kerry has refused money from Fblitkai Aotkn Committees, a rarity in the Senate, He makes up lor it by being a prolific fund-raiser cf indi vidual derations. James Kuhnhenn
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers