Media Monitor: Kerry's Rhetoric on Military Doesn't Match His Voting Record
by Chad Groening
March 10, 2004
(AgapePress) - A media watchdog group is calling Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry to task for continuing to lie about his anti-military stance while at the same time criticizing George W. Bush's handling of the military.John Kerry used the Democrats' weekly radio address to say that if he were president, he would never send troops into harm's way without enough "firepower and support." It was not the first time the nominee-in-waiting -- a Vietnam War veteran who participated in anti-war marches upon his return -- has made such statements. His election website quotes him as stating that "a modern military means smarter, more versatile equipment; better intelligence; advanced communications; long-range air power; and highly mobile ground forces."
But Tim Graham of the Media Research Center says Kerry's voting record does not support his rhetoric.
"John Kerry hates the idea of missile defense; he's voted against it. John Kerry voted against the MX missile. John Kerry voted against the B-1 bomber. John Kerry supporting cutting our intelligence funding. John Kerry supported cutting funding for the FBI. You're just not going to be able to deny that," Graham says. "It's going to be there in black and white."
The MRC spokesman says the terror threat was obvious in the 1990s, but Kerry -- in his capacity as a U.S. senator -- neglected to respond, despite a string of serious terrorist acts.
"They bombed the World Trade Center in 1993. They killed American soldiers in the Khobar Towers of Saudi Arabia in 1995. They bombed our embassies in Tanzania and Kenya in 1999. They blew up the USS Cole in 2000," he says. "And all the way along the line, John Kerry thought we should have a decrease in intelligence funding. We're just waiting for the media to focus on this."
Graham believes that in the coming months, the American people will come to understand that Kerry has consistently voted against measures that would have supported the U.S. military.
