CALIFORNIA YANKEE

Kerry Owes America An Apology

John Kerry went too far today, effectively accusing President Bush of corruption.

In comments, caught on tape, Kerry had this exchange with union workers:

"Keep smiling," one man said to him.

Kerry responded, "Oh yeah, don't worry man. We're going to keep pounding, let me tell you -- we're just beginning to fight here. These guys are the most crooked, you know, lying group of people I've ever seen."

Shame on John Kerry! Kerry should be required to support the slanderous charges with detailed facts or apologize to President Bush and the country. What evidence does John Kerry have of corruption or lying by President Bush? John Kerry has no more evidence to support his assertion of corruption and lying than Terry McAuliffe had to support his outrageous allegations that President Bush was AWOL, Al Gore had to support his outlandish charge that President Bush "betrayed" the nation or Howard Dean's "speculation" that President Bush was warned about the 9-11 attacks.

Why can't John Kerry and other Democrats stand up and debate policies based on reason and facts? Instead of resorting to slanderous name calling, Kerry ought to try to engage President Bush in a reasoned discussion about the merits of particular policies. Why is that too much to ask?

Bush campaign spokesman Scott Stanzel chided Kerry for breaking his promise to run a clean campaign, and faulted Democrats for "harsh, angry (and) bitter" comments:

"Throughout the primary process and obviously now, Democrats have used some of the most harsh, angry, bitter rhetoric that we have seen in our country's history," Stanzel said.

"As always, we indicated that we want this to be about the issues," he added.

Stanzel said that on the night of March 3, when Kerry effectively clinched the nomination, Bush called Kerry and said he looked forward to a spirited race. Kerry replied that he hoped the campaign would stick to the issues but, Stanzel said, "It doesn't seem to me that Senator Kerry is following that statement."

Fox News reported that Bush-Cheney campaign chairman Marc Racicot called for Kerry to apologize:

"Senator Kerry's statement today in Illinois was unbecoming of a candidate for the presidency of the United States of America, and tonight we call on Senator Kerry to apologize to the American people for this negative attack," Racicot said in a statement. "On the day that Senator Kerry emerged as his party's presumptive nominee, the president called to congratulate him. That goodwill gesture has been met by attacks and false statements."

According to the Washington Post, Kerry shows no remorse for slandering president Bush:

Kerry campaign spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter said the Democratic candidate had no regrets about his characterizations of the opposition. "Not at all," she said.

If this election is to be a meaningful debate about the conduct of the war against terrorism and other important issues, the outrageous and slanderous name calling must stop. Reasoned debate requires a modicum of decorum. Accusing a sitting president of corruption and lying, without any supporting evidence, is not the sort of "debate" I expect from a former attorney general who is a U.S. Senator and wants to be president.

UPDATE: At Captain's Quarters, Captain Ed is all over this story with several posts. Ed highlights the biased way the Associated Press tried to spin the story in a way that was favorable to Kerry.

Will Collier at Vodka Pundit asks what will it take before a major, non-conservative media figure and/or outlet describes Kerry's charges as "mean" or "nasty."

Dr.dna at the Voodoo Lounge asks how long will Kerry get away with making comments such as these and answers that its not that long till November.

At annika's journal, Annika is disgusted with Kerry.

"Priceless" Man Of The People

Venomous Kate brings our attention to this priceless Associated Press article:

Massachusetts Senator John Kerry. Hairstyle by Christophe’s: $75. Designer shirts: $250. Forty-two-foot luxury yacht: $1 million. Four lavish mansions and beachfront estate: Over $30 million.

Another shot is of Kerry and Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts, with the words: “Another rich, liberal elitist from Massachusetts who claims he’s a man of the people. Priceless.”

The ad can be seen here.

Kerry Won't Be A Black President

Last week, Kerry gave an interview to American Urban Radio in which he said:

President Clinton was often known as the first black president. I wouldn't be upset if I could earn the right to be the second.

A civil rights group wants Kerry to apologize for that remark.

Today, Paula Diane Harris, founder of the Andrew Young National Center for Social Change, had this to say about Kerry's comment:

It is sad that candidates will say anything for a vote. “I consider John Kerry’s statement regarding his earning the right to be known as the second black president an insult,” stated Paula Diane Harris, Founder, President and & CEO of the Andrew Young National Center for Social Change Inc. John Kerry is not a black man-- he is a privileged white man who has no idea what it is to be a poor white in this country, let alone a black man.

Kathleen Parker, in this op-ed piece, explains why Kerry isn't going to be a black president:

Speaking strictly as a honkie, I find few pastimes more amusing than watching white people try to be black. With John Kerry's announcement that he would like to be the second black president, the next eight months promise an embarrassment of riches.

Kerry, whose soul quotient makes George Bush look like James Brown, made the remark Tuesday following his anointing as the Democratic presidential nominee: "President Clinton was often known as the first black president. I wouldn't be upset if I could earn the right to be the second."

How does one earn the right to be a black president? That may depend on what your definition of "black" is.

The definition that got Clinton thus dubbed was provided by Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison, who wrote in a 1998 New Yorker essay that Clinton was our nation's first black president because he "displays almost every trope of blackness: single-parent household, born poor, working-class, saxophone-playing, McDonald's-and-junk-food-loving boy from Arkansas."

If that's the definition of "black," then there are legions of blacks out here posing as white boys, but John Kerry - born and married rich, Boston Brahmin, guitar-playing, goat-cheese-loving Beacon Hill boy - ain't one of them.

John Kass, writing in the Chicago Tribune, isn't impressed with Kerry's black aspirations either:

Great. That's just what Urban Radio Network listeners need: a rich white guy married to an even richer white woman to form the second black family to occupy the White House.

I just got used to the idea that Kerry wasn't Irish, and now he's gone and confused me even more by becoming black.

What's next? Will Kerry pass out old copies of the book "Black Like Me" at his first presidential news conference?

We all have wishes and dreams. Well, I wouldn't be upset if my wife surprised me by inheriting hundreds of millions of dollars in ketchup cash.

[. . .]

And after spending my wife's new ketchup fortune on boats and fine cars, Cape Cod vacation homes, gigantic plasma TVs, and so on, I'd happily condemn those evil, rich special interests.

How long before Kerry flip flops on this issue?

A Step In The Right Direction

Iraq's interim constitution was signed today moving a free Iraq a step closer to democracy. This is just as an important step for the U.S. as it is for Iraq.

Promoting freedom democracy in the Middle East is one of the long-term goals of the war against terrorism. President Bush set forth this strategy very eloquently in the Advance of Freedom speech he gave at the National Endowment for Democracy and the Three Pillars speech he gave at Whitehall Palace.

If this strategy is to have a chance to succeed, we must ensure that governmental structures are in place that will give freedom a chance. Iraq's interim constitution seems to lay the groundwork to do just that.

The interim constitution lays out the framework for how Iraq will be governed after the U.S. ends the "civil occupation" this summer. The interim constitution calls for elections to be held by the end of January 2005 to select a 275-member transitional assembly. That group will serve as a legislature, draft a constitution and choose the president and two deputy presidents. The presidents, in turn, will select a prime minister and a cabinet to run the government. The transitional government will remain in power until a permanent constitution is approved in a national referendum and new elections are held.

The return of Iraqi sovereignty is governed by the November 15 Agreement signed by the Iraqi Governing Council and The Coalition Provisional Authority.

Under the interim constitution Iraq will be republican, federal, democratic, and pluralistic. Federalism will be based on geography, history, and the separation of powers and not on ethnicity or sect.

According to the Washington Post the interim constitution includes the following features:

Islam will be the official religion of the State and will be considered a source of legislation. The Law will respect the Islamic identity of the majority of the Iraqi people and guarantee the freedom of religious belief and practice.

The Transitional Iraqi Government will contain checks, balances, and the separation of powers.

The Transitional Legislative Authority will be vested in a National Assembly, which will pass laws and help select and oversee the work of the executive authority. The National Assembly will be freely elected by the people of Iraq, under an electoral system designed to achieve representation of women of at least one-quarter of its members, as well as fair representation of all of Iraq's communities.

The Transitional Executive Authority will consist of the Presidency and the Council of Ministers, including the Prime Minister.

The Presidency Council will consist of the President and two Deputy Presidents, and will be elected by the National Assembly as a group. The Presidency Council will represent the sovereignty of Iraq, may veto laws, and make appointments. All decisions of the Presidency Council will be taken unanimously.

The Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers will oversee the day-to-day management of the government.

The Federal Judicial Authority will be independent. A Federal Supreme Court will be created to hear judicial appeals and to ensure that all laws in Iraq are consistent with the Transitional Administrative Law. It will consist of nine members, who will be appointed by the Presidency Council upon the recommendation of an impartial Higher Juridical Council.

Federalism and local government will ensure a unified Iraq and prevent the concentration of power in the central government that enabled decades of tyranny and oppression. This will encourage the exercise of local authority in which all citizens are able to participate actively in political life.

The Kurdistan Regional Government will be recognized as an official regional government within a unified Iraq, and will continue to exercise many of the functions it currently exercises. Groups of governorates elsewhere in Iraq will be permitted to form regions, and take on additional authorities.

The National Assembly will be responsible for drafting the permanent constitution.

After consulting with the Iraqi people and completing a draft, the proposed constitution will be submitted to the public in a referendum, which will occur no later than 15 October 2005. If the constitution is adopted, elections for a new government under the constitution will be held, and the new government will take office no later than 31 December 2005.

A complete executive summary of the interim constitution is available here via the Washington Post.

The interim constitution, while not perfect, is unprecedented in the Middle East with regard to the protections of individual freedoms. The Washington Post reports that the constitution includes a Bill of Rights protecting the following:

• "All Iraqis are equal in their rights without regard to gender, sect, opinion, belief, nationality, religion, or origin, and they are equal before the law. Discrimination against an Iraqi citizen on the basis of his gender, nationality, religion, or origin is prohibited. Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and the security of his person. No one may be deprived of his life or liberty, except in accordance with legal procedures. All are equal before the courts." (Chap 2, Article 12)

• "Public and private freedoms shall be protected." (Chap 2, Article 13)

• "The right of free expression shall be protected." (Chap 2, Article 13)

• "Each Iraqi has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religious belief and practice. Coercion in such matters shall be prohibited." (Chap 2, Article 13)

• "Torture in all its forms, physical or mental, shall be prohibited under all circumstances, as shall cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment . . . ." (Chap 2, Article 15)

• "Each Iraqi has the right to demonstrate and strike peaceably in accordance with the law." (Chap 2, Article 13)

• "The right of free peaceable assembly and the right to join associations freely, as well as the right to form and join unions and political parties freely, in accordance with the law, shall be guaranteed." (Chap 2, Article 13)

• "Every Iraqi . . . has the right to stand for election and cast his ballot secretly in free, open, fair, competitive, and periodic elections. No Iraqi may be discriminated against for purposes of voting in elections on the basis of gender, religion, sect, race, belief, ethnic origin, language, wealth, or literacy." (Chap 2, Article 20)

• "Anyone who carries Iraqi nationality shall be deemed an Iraqi citizen. No Iraqi may have his Iraqi citizenship withdrawn or be exiled unless he is a naturalized citizen who, in his application for citizenship, as established in a court of law, made material falsifications on the basis of which citizenship was granted. Each Iraqi shall have the right to carry more than one citizenship. Any Iraqi whose Iraqi citizenship was withdrawn for political, religious, racial, or sectarian reasons has the right to reclaim his Iraqi citizenship." (Chap 2, Article 11)

• "The right to a fair, speedy and open trial shall be guaranteed." (Chap 2, Article 15)

• "All persons shall be guaranteed the right to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, regardless of whether the proceeding is civil or criminal . . . ."(Chap 2, Article 15)

• "The accused is innocent until proven guilty pursuant to law, and he likewise has the right to engage independent and competent counsel, to remain silent in response to questions addressed to him with no compulsion to testify for any reason, to participate in preparing his defense, and to summon and examine witnesses or to ask the judge to do so. At the time a person is arrested, he must be notified of these rights." (Chap 2, Article 15)

• "After being found innocent of a charge, an accused may not be tried once again on the same charge." (Chap 2, Article 15)

• "Slavery and the slave trade, forced labor, and involuntary servitude, with or without pay, shall be forbidden." (Chap 2, Article 13)

• "The individual has the right to security, education, healthcare and social security." (Chap 2, Article 14)

• "Each Iraqi has the right to privacy." (Chap 2, Article 13)

• "Police, investigators, or other governmental authorities may not violate the sanctity of private residences, whether these authorities belong to the federal or regional governments, governorates, municipalities, or local administrations, unless a judge or investigating magistrate has issued a search warrant . . . ." (Chap 2, Article 15)

• "No one may be unlawfully arrested or detained, and no one may be detained by reason of political or religious beliefs." (Chap 2, Article 15)

• "The right to private property shall be protected . . . . No one shall be deprived of his property except by eminent domain, in circumstances and in the manner set forth in law, and on condition that he is paid just and timely compensation." (Chap 2, Article 16)

• "There shall be no taxation or fee except by law." (Chap 2, Article 18)

• "This Law is the Supreme Law of the land and shall be binding in all parts of Iraq without exception. No amendment to this Law may be made except by a three-fourths majority of the members of the National Assembly and the unanimous approval of the Presidency Council." (Chap 1, Article 3)

Not a bad list of protected freedoms.

The Iraqi constitution does a much better job of protecting rights and freedoms than does the Afghan constitution. It provides reason to be optimistic that we may be able to prevail in the war against terrorism. We will only succeed by bringing freedom and democracy to the long oppressed peoples of the Middle East and Central Asia. The constitution signed today is a huge step in the right direction.

Kerry Vs. Kerry

The Republican National Committee today unveiled Kerry Vs. Kerry, an interactive Internet game designed to highlight Kerry's history of changing his position on thirty different issues:

“If voters are interested in finding out about Senator Kerry’s multiple positions on multiple issues they can inform themselves by going a few rounds with Kerry Vs. Kerry. We think they’ll find the only thing consistent about Senator Kerry’s record is its inconsistency,” said RNC Communications Director Jim Dyke.

“Voters will be enlightened and entertained as they click to flip and then flop with Senator Kerry on all the important issues of the day. From taxes to national security to education, if you have a position, chances are good Senator Kerry has shared that position, and also opposed it, at some point in his Senate career. We invite voters to take a closer look, and have a little fun at the same time,” Dyke said.

You can read Kerry's multiple positions without playing the game here.

This Week's Toast Is Up

Steven Taylor, at PoliBlog, has posted this week's Toast-O-Meter.

The Toast-O-Meter has been transformed into a round-up of the presidential race and enriched with lots of linkage.

New Fox Poll Finds Presidential Race Tied

The race for the presidency is in a 44% to 44% tie according to a new Fox News poll.

There is plenty of good news in this poll for President Bush:

Majorities say the country is safer today than before 9/11 (58 percent) and agree with Bush’s view that taking military action abroad is necessary to keep from fighting terrorists on U.S. soil (57 percent).

Most rate the quality of life for Americans as either excellent (30 percent) or good (45 percent), and almost two-thirds (62 percent) rate their current personal financial situation positively. In addition, those rating their financial situation as “excellent” doubled in the last three months. Compared with five years ago, a plurality (42 percent) says their financial situation is better today, a quarter say worse and about a third say their financial situation is the same today as it was five years ago.

In addition, a majority today feels optimistic about the nation’s economy and over a third feels pessimistic — the same as six months ago. The poll finds that economy-related issues continue to be the most common conversation topic with friends and neighbors right now, with the next closest being Iraq/terrorism.

An interesting finding of the Fox poll is that President Bush's support is much more committed than Kerry's. 75% of those favoring President Bush "strongly support" him. Only 55% of those favoring Kerry "strongly support" him.

The Fox poll also offers support for the recent Associated Press poll which found 6% supporting Nader. The Fox poll found 11% supporting "Not sure/Other." This number is up 2% from two weeks ago.

Polling for the Fox poll was conducted March 3-4, 2004 and has a margin of error of ±3 percentage points.

President Bush Defends Sept. 11 Focus

President Bush dismissed calls that he pull political ads that use images of the devastated World Trade Center to show him as a strong leader in troubled times:

"I will continue to speak about the effects of 9/11 on our country and my presidency," Bush told reporters at a joint news conference with Mexican President Vicente Fox at Bush's Crawford, Texas ranch. "How this administration handled that day as well as the war on terror is worthy of discussion and I look forward to discussing that with the American people."

Mayor West Barred From Performing Gay Marriages

The Associated Press reports that New York state judge barred New Paltz Mayor Jason West from performing any more same-sex marriages for a month:

"The mayor in substance ignores the oath of office that he took to uphold the law," state Supreme Court Justice Vincent Bradley of Ulster County said in granting a temporary restraining order.

I'm glad to see that the rule of law prevails in New York.

President Bush Ahead Of Kerry In New Poll

The Associated Press reports that a new poll finds President Bush tied with Kerry:

The Republican incumbent had the backing of 46 percent, Kerry 45 percent and Nader, the 2000 Green Party candidate who entered the race last month, was at 6 percent in the survey conducted for The Associated Press by Ipsos-Public Affairs.

In another example of media bias, the AP headline and opening sentence assert that President Bush and Kerry are "tied." While some reports about polls point out that a race may be a statistical dead heat when the difference is within the poll's margin of error, the Associated Press doesn't bother to clarify that detail.

The poll also showed a slight improvement in President Bush's approval rating:

Bush's job approval in the AP-Ipsos poll was 48 percent, with 49 percent disapproving, which is essentially the same as last month when 47 percent approved of the president's job performance.

Again the Associated Press fails to recognize the admittedly slight improvement for President Bush.

The most interesting aspect of the poll is the indication that Nader may actually be a significant force in the election.

This poll represents good news for President Bush as it was taken before the new Bush-Cheney campaign ads appeared.

The AP-Ipsos poll of was conducted March 1-3 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent.