Still More -- The Other Side of John Kerry

Dyre Straits · Feb 13, 2004, 12:00 PM

Published in the Atlanta Journal/Constitution on Tuesday, February 11, 2004:

"Kerry a special friend to special interests

David Brooks - New York Times
Tuesday, February 10, 2004

John Kerry has been railing against the special interests, and I don't think that's very nice, because it implies that some people's interests are not so special. I like to think that everybody's interests are special in their own way.

What's more, I think Kerry knows this, because if you look over his long career, you see that he loves all our interests, big and small, near or far. For example, a Chinese businesswoman named Liu Chaoying dreamed of having her company listed on a U.S. stock exchange. That's certainly a special dream.

Maybe as a little girl she would come home from school, gather up her little dollies and tell them about her dream of ringing the bell to start the trading day, or of having little Lucite tombstones on her desk to mark her mergers and acquisitions. Maybe some of the other little girls in school told her she'd never have a company on a U.S. exchange, because you know how cruel little kids can be.

But she had an interest, and to her it was the most special interest in the world. And she kept at it. And that cute little girl grew up to become a lieutenant colonel in China's People's Liberation Army, which is a very special army, even measured against the armies of other human rights-violating dictatorships. And what's more, she had a $300,000 bank account with funds supplied by the head of Chinese intelligence, which is certainly quite special indeed.

And Liu came to America in search of her dream, for this is the nation of dreams. And she went to see a most special man named Johnny Chung. And in July 1996, according to Newsweek, Chung took Liu to see his special friend John Kerry about her dream, and Kerry recognized its specialness. So his aides faxed over a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission about the dream, and the very next day Liu and Chung had a private briefing with a senior SEC official about making her special dream come true.

And then a few weeks after that, Chung threw a fund-raiser for Kerry in Beverly Hills. And Kerry came away with $10,000 in very special contributions. I like to think they were written on special designer checks, maybe with rainbows or kittens or Chinese long-range missile designs shaded on the back, because special dreams deserve special checks, and when a man as special as Kerry takes up an interest, that makes it a special interest all by itself.

Liu Chaoying's interest was not the only interest John Kerry took a special interest in. According to The Associated Press, Kerry took a special interest in the insurance giant American International Group. When Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) proposed legislation that would have ended a federal contracting loophole benefiting AIG, Kerry did not look away, as others might have done.

A loophole may not seem like much to you and me, but to AIG it was a very special loophole --- the cuddly kind of loophole you can hold under the blankets and tell your secrets to late at night. And according to The AP, John Kerry preserved the little loophole. And by sheer coincidence, AIG donated $30,000 to help start Kerry's presidential campaign.

While sitting on the commerce and finance committees, Kerry has seen many interests, and you could forgive him if he didn't think they were all special. But Kerry has raised more money from Washington lobbyists than any other senator. He's raised more than $30 million over the past nine years, and you just ask the folks in the telecom industry if he doesn't make them feel special.

You just ask David Paul, one of the big figures in the savings and loan scandal, if Kerry didn't make him feel special. You just ask high-tech executive Bob Majumder how special Kerry made him feel, at least until Majumder was charged with 40 counts of conspiracy, witness tampering, fraud, tax evasion and illegal campaign contributions. Ask the law firms, the brokerage houses, the oil companies, the HMOs and the drug companies, which have donated tens of thousands of dollars to Kerry.

Oh, he sometimes pretends that he doesn't care about our special interests. He puts on that callous, populist facade. But deep down he cares. Maybe he cares too much. When he's out on the stump saying otherwise, he's just being a big old phony.

David Brooks is a New York Times columnist. His column appears Tuesdays."

~~bluelight~~ · Feb 15, 2004, 02:58 PM

Well we all know Bush has no special interests.

Bluelight

BluntmaN · Feb 15, 2004, 06:58 PM

Does anyone remember something called Enron?

Come on your intire politics system is based on companies and lobbies paying politicians to help those "special interests".

Now I am not a Kerry fan and infact I am not a democrat or a republican (who is who again?). But this whole personal attack suspiciusly looks like a classic dirt digging campaing.
The real questions is who is attacking him and why is it Bush cause he is scarred, is it other democrats who dont want him running for office or maybe an interest group?

BTW this article looks like it was writen by a 6 yo and in many ways copies Moore's irronical style without being funny.

raid517 · Feb 16, 2004, 06:49 AM

Yeah... I guess Bush's own campaign funds just mysteriously fell out of the sky and on his head. As far as I recall Bush's election campaign was one of the richest and most extravagant in history, with an estimated cost in excess of $36 million - all raised from his own brand of 'special interests.' Don't lets start down this road, because I can dig out full details (at least those that are public) for you if you want, some of which will undoutedly look just as dirty - if not more so than this guy.

Having said that though, I have to be honest that I don't like this guy. He looks like a bit of a freak - kinda like that lion faced guy from that TV show Beauty and the Beast. He does seem a bit shifty too. Probably just more awkward and stiff than anything. I can't understand why they chose him over that nice looking young guy John Edwards. He kind of reminds me of JFK and would certainly help inject some glamour and charisma back into the Whitehouse. Besides which a lot of female voters would probably flock to vote for him.

Still he is still young I guess. Hopefully he will get another chance some time in the future.

If it came to a choice between Kerry and Bush - right now if I was an American I would be finding it hard to care. There doesn't look like much to choose between either of them.

GJ

BluntmaN · Feb 16, 2004, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Yeah... I guess Bush's own campaign funds just mysteriously fell out of the sky and on his head. As far as I recall Bush's election campaign was one of the richest and most extravagant in history, with an estimated cost in excess of $36 million - all raised from his own brand of 'special interests.' Don't lets start down this road, because I can dig out full details (at least those that are public) for you if you want, some of which will undoutedly look just as dirty - if not more so than this guy.

Dont go there some ppl in here will call you anti-Bush, a Bush hater etc. You see it is ok to talk about scandals but as soon as you mention Bush this topic will turn into a mild flame zone.

raid517 · Feb 16, 2004, 08:02 PM

Yeah that's ok man, I do hate Bush - and nowadays I have even more reason to. And what's more I don't give a flying f*ck one way or another what these guys think about it. It isn't a crime to hate ignorant dim witted buffoons, and if anyone deserves my hatred Bush certainly qualifies.

That is the problem with pursuading everyone to vote you get a bunch of ignorant country oiks who go out and make their mark on a ballot paper and who look at George Bush and think he's an intelectual..

Oh well...

GJ

BluntmaN · Feb 16, 2004, 08:17 PM

Quote:

That is the problem with pursuading everyone to vote you get a bunch of ignorant country oiks who go out and make their mark on a ballot paper and who look at George Bush and think he's an intelectual..

No actually that is the problem with defective education. Getting everyone to vote is good cause it actually makes it more like a democracy. If every American voted and an idiot ended up president I would be worried. It would go as a bright example to all of the world of the dangers of watching too much TV. It turns your brain into a pulp.

digerati · Feb 17, 2004, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BluntmaN
Does anyone remember something called Enron?

Come on your intire politics system is based on companies and lobbies paying politicians to help those "special interests".

Now I am not a Kerry fan and infact I am not a democrat or a republican (who is who again?). But this whole personal attack suspiciusly looks like a classic dirt digging campaing.
The real questions is who is attacking him and why is it Bush cause he is scarred, is it other democrats who dont want him running for office or maybe an interest group?

BTW this article looks like it was writen by a 6 yo and in many ways copies Moore's irronical style without being funny.

Enron was with the democrats, including my former govenor Grey Davis, which is why we booted his ass out. Which reminds me, how has Arnold been doing does anyone know?

bird chest · Feb 17, 2004, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ^_^
Enron was with the democrats, including my former govenor Grey Davis, which is why we booted his ass out. Which reminds me, how has Arnold been doing does anyone know?

Supprisingly good. If you watch the tv you will se his adds for props, if you are in california obviously. He has proposed one that says the people (I can not think of the word, tip of the tongue) who come up with the budget that they do not get paid till they make the budget, since they would finish it in like june. The other prop he has made is that California can not spend in debt period end of story. He is cutting programs across the board as far as I have seen. The only protest is from the far left and they are mad that he is cutting spending on schools for one year and cutting back on some healthcare programs. But most people agree it has to happen.

GutterPunk · Feb 24, 2004, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BluntmaN

But this whole personal attack suspiciusly looks like a classic dirt digging campaing.
The real questions is who is attacking him and why is it Bush cause he is scarred, is it other democrats who dont want him running for office or maybe an interest group?

Why is it Bush?? Because he has the spread the spotlight out. Kerry and other Democrats have criticized and attacked Bush throughout their campaigns. Why not dig dirt on the front runner to maybe slow him down, and take everything off of Bush. Whats this with Kerri Contradicting himself throughout his voting? Voted pro patriot act, now he criticizes it... Voted pro liberating Iraq.... He is against it now... Im glad Bush pointed this out... how do we know that he is gonna do what he says anymore?

BluntmaN · Feb 25, 2004, 04:11 AM

Dirt digging is the lowest form of politics though if he used any of the things you said it would be all good. Besides why is he letting others do his work, if it is really Bush behind that and not some lobby. These attacks have no real power tho and are usually warnings of things to come. I would like to see a good race but I think with Bush's ability for public speach a debate would really destroy him. So I find it a bit cowardly to dig dirt to toss at somebody this early in a campain. Btw I also said that it could be another democratic candidate behind all this.

P.S. Anyone following the Dem's race did Kerry win or what?