Here’s the deal. I did this about
the same time as all the swift boat stuff, in part as a reaction to that story.
The Swift Boat Vets and their defenders
were telling us that the reason that John Kerry’s Vietnam service was on the
table was because that was basically the only thin he was running on. I contended then, as I still contend, that
that was crap. So I went down his issues
(many of them anyway) in order to confirm that, yes, John Kerry had some other
stuff he was interested in. I originally
covered items a through f and will add one or two now, as a special bonus
feature.
Item a.
Dealing with a Contention – National Security
Item b.
A Stronger Economy
Item c.
Affordable Health Care For All
Item d.
An Energy Independent America
Item e.
A Safe and Secure Homeland
Item f.
World Class Education for All
Item g.
A Cleaner & Healthier Environment
Dealing with a Contention – National Security
At any rate to deal with this contention I've decided to spend a day dealing
with President Kerry's actual proposals. While you might disagree with what he
proposes; at least that's a step up from saying that he has no proposals at
all.
So let's start with National
Security. If you go to Senator Kerry's website, and click on one of the
issues, you see a page divided into too parts. The top part is a general
overview of the issue, and the bottom part are several
specific proposals. I'm going to focus on the proposals, and assume that you
are at least somewhat aware of the problems facing our nation in the area of
National Security.
Launch And Lead A New Era Of Alliances
The threat of terrorism demands alliances on a global scale - to utilize every
available resource to get the terrorists before they can strike at us. As
president, John Kerry will lead a coalition of the able - because no force on
earth is more able than the
This is one of
Mr. Kerry's most repeated criticisms of how the Bush Administration handled the
run-up to the Iraq War. Bush Diplomacy, which I've referred to as bully diplomacy
on more than one occasion, basically means that all the rest of the nations of
the world should do whatever the hell we say. It seems like Kerry will bring a
more balanced approach to dealing with our allies; an approach that involves
listening as well as telling. So of course this gets distorted into
"Senator Kerry won't protect
Modernize The World's Most Powerful Military To Meet New Threats
John Kerry and John Edwards have a plan to transform the world's most powerful
military to better address the modern threats of terrorism and proliferation,
while ensuring that we have enough properly trained and equipped troops to meet
our enduring strategic and regional missions.
This is standard
boilerplate. Everybody promises to upgrade the military. But one advantage
Senator Kerry will have over President Bush in this regard is that he won't be
as determined to protect a tax cut for the very wealthy. That will probably
free up some cash to spend on this and other goals.
Deploy All That Is In
The war on terror cannot be won by military might alone. As president, John
Kerry will deploy all the forces in
I have to say I
really like this approach. One of my criticisms of the Bush Administration,
which I touched on above, is their near total disdain for Diplomacy and the
Diplomatic Corps. I get the impression a Kerry Presidency would see these
people in a different light.
Free
To secure our full independence and freedom, we must free
I don't know
whether or not this goal is achievable in the short term, but it definitely has
to be part of our long term goals for a number of reasons. We don't have an
infinite supply of oil for one. For two, on of the biggest difficulties we have
with dealing with the Middle East is that it does have oil so we can't really
get tough with countries like
Anyway that's all for now. Some of you might disagree
with these proposals; I expect that there will be ones that I'm not 100%
comfortable with. But at least it's a discussion about his actual proposals
rather than pretending that he hasn't got any. If you want further details on
these proposals, you can visit the link above. On the right side of the page
are speeches and plans on the subject.
Continuing our
series from this morning; we are going to look at what John Kerry and John
Edwards plan to do about the
economy.
Create
Good-Paying Jobs
As president, John Kerry will cut taxes for businesses
that create jobs here in
This might have
been better named, as I assume all Presidents, including President Bush, would
like to create Good-Paying Jobs. The substance of the proposal, however, is
more promising. Cutting taxes on companies who employ Americans will increase
the value of American workers, which is a good thing. Enforcing our trade
agreements would also help protect and provide jobs. One of the advantages to
moving overseas is the lack of worker protections and the lack of environmental
standards (among other things). Many of these items are addressed in our
treaties, but are casually ignored. So this could be another way to make
American Companies (and our foreign Competition) play by the rules.
Cut Middle-Class
Taxes To Raise Middle-Class Incomes
When John Kerry is president, middle-class taxes will go down. Ninety-eight
percent of all Americans and 99 percent of American businesses will get a tax
cut under the Kerry-Edwards plan.
I'm not sure
what to think about this one; I have kind of a
"I'll believe it when I see it" attitude. On the other hand, I don't
think President Kerry is likely to raise taxes dramatically or at all on the
middle class.
Make
John Kerry will cut the deficit in half during his first four years in office.
He will end corporate welfare as we know it, roll back the Bush tax cuts for
the wealthiest Americans, and impose a real cap to keep spending in check. And
when John Kerry puts forward a new idea, he'll tell you how he's going to pay
for it.
Used to be
anybody who talked about the federal government living within a budget was a
Conservative. Times have changed. Clinton, a liberal, managed the government
and got budgets that created a surplus. President Bush, a conservative,
expanded the Government and due to his foolish fiscal policies, expanded the
deficit to an enormous amount.
Invest In The Jobs Of Tomorrow
Today, businesses are harnessing new technology to manufacture energy-efficient
cars, high-grade steel, advanced plastics and other new products. And this
requires a bigger, skilled labor force to make them. John Kerry and John
Edwards believe we should invest in these jobs and invest in the people who
will fill them.
I don't know
exactly what this means, but it sounds good. Kind of like modernizing the
military, it's something every President is going to promise. I don't see much
here on how he is actually going to train American workers to work in these
jobs.
As before if you want to see more detail on these plans, and there is
considerably more detail here, please go to the right of the screen linked to
above.
I'm going to
skip a little lighter over this section. Health Care Proposals are a Democratic
staple, so it should come as little surprise, even to someone who thinks that
John Kerry is running only on his medals, that he has one.
Cut Your
Premiums
John Kerry and John Edwards will cut family premiums by up to $1,000. That's
$1,000 in real savings people can use to buy groceries, pay the bills, and save
for their children's future. And that will mean more jobs and more competitive
American businesses.
Certainly Mr.
Kerry is right that reducing premiums would pump money into peoples
pockets, but he doesn't explain (here) how he intends to do this. For that you
need to look into the details of the plan.
Cover All
Americans With Quality Care
The Kerry-Edwards plan will give every American access to the range of
high-quality, affordable plans available to members of Congress and extend
coverage to 95 percent of Americans, including every American child. Their plan
will also fight to erase the health disparities that persist along racial and
economic lines, ensure that people with HIV and AIDS have the care they need,
end discrimination against Americans with disabilities and mental illnesses,
and ensure equal treatment for mental illness in our health system.
This is a
veritable banquet of programs, some of them quite sensible. But the question
remains; will American's accept the idea that all
Americans should have access to health care? Many would argue that those who do
not have coverage, don't have it because they have failed to plan for their
futures and so don't' deserve it.
Cut the
Cost of Prescription Drugs
The Kerry-Edwards plan will reduce prescription drug prices by allowing the
re-importation of safe prescription drugs from
I do think drug
companies have the potential to be as demonized as, say, French people, and
certainly this provision socks it to them. Even some conservatives I know
complain about the enormous profits taken by the drug companies. But the other
side to this is that they have to fund research. So what is the proper balance
between greedily gouging themselves at the expense of Americans Health and
their justifiable need to make a profit after investing so much in research and
development? It's a tricky question.
Cut Waste And Inefficiency
Today, approximately 25 percent of health care costs are wasted on paperwork
and administrative processing. The Kerry-Edwards plan harnesses American
ingenuity to cut waste, save billions, and take new steps to ensure patient
privacy.
Now this is more
like it. One of my favorite arguments against "socialized" medicine
is "Well if you have socialized medicine you'll have a bunch of
bureaucratic red tape and forms to fill out." I always wonder if the
person making that argument has actually been to a doctor recently. We already
got enormous amounts of paperwork and red tape.
More than the other sections we've covered,
understanding the details of the Kerry-Edwards health plan requires a more
in-depth reading.
I've been
thinking about health care the last hour, and I've concluded that it just isn't
that important. Don't get me wrong; in the long run fixing
One could make the argument that this subject, energy policy, is similarly
unimportant (to the current election). But I think that that is inaccurate; our
long term ability to deal with terrorism will hinge, to a certain extent, on
our ability to wean ourselves from middle eastern oil.
So let's see what Kerry and Edwards plan to do.
Explore And Develop New Energy Sources
Tomorrow's energy economy will be fueled by new energy sources. The
Kerry-Edwards plan will invest in the research and exploration needed to turn
ideas into fuel and develop renewable energy sources.
Well this is a
good start, if not exactly a detailed plan. I can fill in the blanks myself
(they will push for funding of alternative energy research and so on), but it's
not much more concrete than saying they want to modernize the military.
Develop
Tomorrow's Technology Today
Under the Kerry-Edwards plan, America will take the lead in developing the new
technology and production methods needed to ensure that resources such as coal
and natural gas are used more efficiently and cleanly, and fully integrated
into the New Energy Economy.
There's are long
running urban legends about cars that run on water or lightbulbs
that never need changing that are surpressed by big
business. There's a reason such myths have such longevity; because human nature
is such that they are believable (at least the part about big business quashing
such ideas). How many of you would support a proposal that, despite having long
term real benefits for your neighbors and fellow-citizens, would also put you
out of a job? Still our reliance on coal and natural gas will require us to
figure out ways to use these fuels better and more efficiently, and obviously
developing the technology to do so is a good idea.
Make
Our security in the war on terror demands an end to our dependence on
This of course
is the point to focusing on energy.
As always, please check to the right of the Kerry Web Page if you want more
details on these plans.
OK. So now we
are back to one of the key issues of the campaign. As the Vice President has
made extremely explicit, if you vote for John Kerry you are running the risk of
Track And Stop Terrorists
Many of the intelligence problems that allowed terrorists to slip into our
country before 9/11 have not been addressed. John Kerry and John Edwards will
improve our ability to gather, analyze, and share information so we can track
down and stop terrorists before they cause harm.
I'm not sure
what specific problems they are proposing to fix here. I mean it is clear that
many of the recommendations of the 9/11 committee and others have yet to be
implemented. But beyond that this is mostly a good idea, not necessarily a
plan.
Protect Our
Borders And Shores
Today, our borders, our ports, and our airports are not as secure as they must
be. John Kerry and John Edwards will make our airports, seaports, and borders
more secure without intruding upon personal liberties.
This is a common
complaint, but an accurate one. The Bush Administration in pursuing its war in
Harden
Vulnerable Targets
Chemical industry lobbying has kept the Bush administration from
strengthening security at chemical plants, where an attack could endanger 1
million Americans. John Kerry and John Edwards will always put Americans'
safety ahead of big business interests and take strong measures to harden
likely targets-including nuclear plants, trains, and subways-against possible
attack.
Another very good proposal. And one that illustrates the ideological differences between
President Bush and Senator Kerry. President Bush favors a hands-off
approach to corporations, even when such an approach might be dangerous for the
American people. Senator Kerry favors a more realistic approach.
Improve
Domestic Readiness
Our first defenders will respond to any attack with
courage and heroism-but they also need the equipment and manpower to do the
job. John Kerry and John Edwards will back up their words with resources and
ensure that
There's an old
poem / parable about a fence up on the hill or an ambulance down in the valley
that I suspect Bush Supporters like to trot out. Yes, providing better
equipment, training, and compensation to first responders doesn't answer the
question of stopping terrorists from hitting us. But it is still a damn smart
thing to do, as both President Bush and Senator Kerry and everybody else with
half a brain has admitted that the odds are very good we will be hit again no
matter what we do.
Guard
We must always remember that terrorists do not just target our lives - they
target our way of life. John Kerry and John Edwards believe in an
This is a not
very well disguised critique of the PATRIOT act, but it is something to
consider. It is comforting that Edwards and Kerry at least recognize the
inherent difficulties in giving up a little liberty for security.
As before feel free to look along the right of the linked webpage for more
details.
Continuing and
concluding our series on Kerry's proposals, let's look at what Kerry and
Edwards plan to do about
education.
Meet Our
Responsibilities To Our Schools
John Kerry and John Edwards will establish a National Education Trust Fund to
ensure that schools always get the funding they need. They will also ensure
that No Child Left Behind works for schools, states, and teachers by rewarding
those who meet higher standards and rewarding schools that turn around and
improve.
First of all
they commit to making sure that schools get the funding they need, but they
also commit to No Child Left Behind stays in effect (which punishes schools for
poor performance). I'm not sure about the balance here.
Continue
Reform And Put A Great Teacher In Every Classroom
Great teachers are the foundation of a great school. As president, John Kerry
will enact a new bargain that offers teachers more, including better training
and better pay in troubled schools, and asks for more in return, including
fast, fair ways to make sure that teachers who don't belong in the classroom
don't stay there.
I have mixed
feelings about this one as well. Clearly the key to getting ambitious and
creative people to go into our schools is to reward them. Anybody who looks at
going into the teaching profession these days knows that it is a route to
economic mediocrity. So certainly if we are going to get better teachers,
something has to be done about that. On the other hand, the second part of the
paragraph might be clearer. Making it easier to fire teachers is a good thing
when it comes to issues like abuse. But there has to be a balance; teachers
like a certain amount of job security same as the rest of us.
Offer 3.5
John Kerry and John Edwards are strong supporters of after-school programs.
They give students extra help, keep them out of trouble, and offer peace of
mind to working parents. The Kerry-Edwards "School's Open 'Til 'Six" initiative will offer after-school
opportunities to 3.5 million children, through programs that are open until 6
p.m. and offer safe transportation for children.
The unfortunate
reality is that this is really a good idea. Kids need supervision, and since
all of our modern conveniences have allowed us to work longer hours (funny how
that worked out), than there needs to be something available. Plus this might
very well be a back end way to get music and arts back in the hands of kids.
As president, John Kerry will offer a fully refundable College Opportunity Tax
credit on up to $4,000 of tuition for every year of college and offer aid to
states that keep tuitions down. And he will launch a new effort to ensure that
all of our workers can get the technical skills and advanced training they
need.
I like this too
(was impressed by college tax credit when it was proposed on the West Wing).
College isn't the silver bullet, but it is key, and
making it more attainable is always a good thing. On the other hand, I think
the real work has to be done in the high-schools and junior highs getting kids
ready for college.
Anyway I've decided to skip the environment, mainly
cause I read some articles yesterday and today that I
want to comment on, and also because the environment isn't going to be an
election deciding issue this time around. For those who don't know, Kerry has a
pretty good record on the environment and is likely to continue working in
support of these issues.
Hope you have enjoyed this review; please feel free to refer to it the next
time someone says "Well, Kerry isn't running on anything but
A Cleaner & Healthier Environment
This issue I
originally wrote off as something nobody would care about in these times of
terrorist terror, but I’ve decided to revisit the environment it in
my update.
Create Cleaner, Greener Communities
Together, we can
improve the environment in backyards and communities across
Well this is another nice smorgasbord of
issues. I’d like to know how they are
going to revitalize the contaminated industrial sites—does this mean reworking
the Superfund issue so that polluters actually pay for the mistakes they make? I hope so.
Enact A Conservation Covenant With
John Kerry and John
Edwards believe that Americans are united in our respect for the land. They
will enact a Conservation Covenant with
Well I’m not exactly sure what this means, but
it sounds nice. On reading the “Vision for a Cleaner America”
over there on the left of the page, I discover this has a lot to do with
protecting our public lands. It’s no
secret that President Bush hasn’t been exactly kind to public lands, and John
Kerry promises to do better.
Protect Our Health By Reducing
Dangerous Air Emissions
As president, John
Kerry will reverse the Bush-Cheney rollbacks to our Clean Air Act, plug
loopholes in the law, take aggressive action to stop acid rain, and use
innovative, job-creating programs to reduce mercury emissions and other
emissions that contribute to global warming.
This is a little more promising. Obviously the industries affected by these sorts
of laws are going to scream bloody murder, but we need a President who will put
the lungs of the American people ahead of the wallets of big business.
Restore
Today, approximately 45
percent of our nation's waterways do not meet the "drinkable, swimmable and fishable" standard set out by the Clean
Water Act 30 years ago. As president, John Kerry will implement a "Restore
America's Waters" campaign, an integrated approach to protecting our
precious, limited water resources. He will work with states on the toughest
water quality challenges, restore damaged watersheds, protect wetlands, invest
in our waterfronts and coastal communities, and protect our oceans.
This is important too. Water is important, and the ecology of our
rivers and lakes and so on is important too.