From: JDPTRO@webtv.net   
      
   A few questions for John Kerry   
      
   By George Will   
      
   WASHINGTON -- In the more than 250 days until Nov. 2, John Kerry can   
   answer questions that linger in spite of, or because of, all he has said   
   so far. Such as:   
      
   Other than denoting your disapproval, what does the adjective mean in   
   the phrase ``special interest´´?   
      
   Is the National Education Association a special interest? The AFL-CIO?   
      
   You abhor ``special tax giveaways for the privileged and special   
   interests.´´ When supporting billions in ethanol subsidies, mostly   
   for agribusinesses, did you think about corn-growing, caucus-holding   
   Iowa?   
      
   Is the National Rifle Association a ``special interest´´? Is   
   ``special´´ a synonym for ``conservative´´?   
      
   When you denounce ``lobbyists´´ do you include those for Planned   
   Parenthood and the Sierra Club? Is ``liberal lobbyist´´ an oxymoron?   
      
   All the Americans affected by laws you pass -- that is, all Americans --   
   refuse to pipe down and mind their own business so that you can mind   
   their business for them. Often they hire lobbyists to exercise their   
   First Amendment right to ``petition the government for a redress of   
   grievances." Can you despise lobbyists without disparaging that right?   
      
   You say the rich do not pay enough taxes. In 1979 the top 1 percent of   
   earners paid 19.75 percent of income taxes. Today they pay 36.3 percent.   
   How much is enough?   
      
   You say the federal government is not spending enough on education.   
   President Bush has increased education spending 48 percent. How much is   
   enough?   
      
   In January 1991, after Iraq extinguished Kuwait's sovereignty, you   
   opposed responding with force rather than economic sanctions. Have such   
   sanctions ever undone such aggression?   
      
   On Jan. 11, 1991, you said that going to war was abandoning ``the theory   
   of deterrence." Was it not a tad late to deter Iraqi aggression?   
      
   The next day you said, ``I do not believe our nation is prepared for   
   war." How did unpreparedness subsequently manifest itself?   
      
   On Jan. 22, 1991, responding to a constituent opposed to the Gulf War,   
   you wrote ``I share your concerns" and would have given sanctions more   
   time. Nine days later, responding to a voter who favored the war, you   
   wrote, ``I have strongly and unequivocally supported President Bush´s   
   response to the crisis." Did you have a third position?   
      
   You say the Bush administration questions ``the patriotism" of its   
   critics. You say that as president you will ``appoint a U.S. trade   
   representative who is an American patriot." You mean the current   
   representative, Robert Zoellick, is not a patriot?   
      
   You strongly praise former Treasury Secretary Bob Rubin, who strongly   
   supports NAFTA and free trade. Have you changed your mind about him or   
   about free trade (as you have changed your mind about No Child Left   
   Behind, the 2002 war resolution, the Patriot Act, etc.)?   
      
   You oppose immediate termination of U.S. involvement in Iraq, and you   
   opposed the $87 billion to pay for involvement. Come again?   
      
   In 1994, the year after the first attack on the World Trade Center, you   
   voted to cut $1 billion from counterterrorism activities. In 1995 you   
   proposed a $1.5 billion cut in intelligence funding. Are you now glad   
   that both proposals were defeated?   
      
   You favor civil unions but not same-sex marriage. What is the   
   difference?   
      
    What consequences of gay marriage worry you?   
      
    Your state's highest court says marriage is ``an evolving paradigm." Do   
   you agree? You say you agree with what Dick Cheney said in 2000: States   
   should have a right to ``come to different conclusions" about same-sex   
   marriage. Why, then, were you one of only 14 senators who opposed the   
   Defense of Marriage Act, which protects that right? Massachusetts   
   opponents of the same-sex ruling are moving for a referendum to amend   
   the state constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman.   
   How will you vote?   
      
   You favor full disclosure of political spending. Organized labor is   
   fighting new regulations requiring full disclosure to union members of   
   the political uses of their mandatory union dues. As president, would   
   you rescind these regulations?   
      
   Praising McCain-Feingold restrictions on political contributions, you   
   said: ``This bill reduces the power of the checkbook and I will   
   therefore support it." In December you saved your sagging campaign by   
   writing it a $6.4 million check. Why is your checkbook's unfettered   
   freedom wholesome?   
      
   You deny that restricting campaign contributions restricts speech. How   
   much of the $6.4 million did you spend on speech -- broadcast messages?   
      
   Billionaire George Soros says he will spend whatever is necessary --   
   just a few million so far, but more coming -- to defeat Bush. As one who   
   believes -- well, who says -- there is ``too much money" in politics,   
   are you appalled?   
      
   There are 28 more questions where these 28 came from.   
      
   Hmm...it's no wonder John Kerry instructed Clark to drop the "intern   
   scandal" on him. I'd want to divert attention from all these questions   
   myself.   
      
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   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)