So, if elected, will he be capable of doing the job? Or will he always 'be out of the office?' 
Posted on 06/17/2004 6:21:22 AM PDT by jmstein7
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) met with Secretary of the Senate Emily Reynolds Wednesday to discuss ethics complaints stemming from his prolonged absence from the legislative body while he campaigns for president. Kerry and Reynolds were spotted by Congressional staffers slipping into one of the many antechambers of the Capitol where the pair likely reviewed options for dealing with the complaints filed against both of them.
A complaint filed by Hofstra law student Jonathan Stein accuses Reynolds of willfully violating a federal statute that requires her to make deductions from Kerry's Senate paycheck for his absences. Kerry is also named in the complaint for knowingly accepting salary to which he is not entitled.
The issue was first raised in a March 2004 letter to Reynolds from American Conservative Union Chairman David Keene who requested that she enforce the statute concerning Kerry's salary. Reynolds responded to Keene's letter, refusing to enforce the statute because her predecessors had not done so in other cases.
Stein points out in his complaint that the failures of others who previously held Reynolds' position could not establish precedent since the statute clearly says that the Secretary of the Senate "shall" make the appropriate deductions. Stein contends that the language used in the rule is unequivocal and mandatory, allowing no instance for exception or discretion.
Stein also believes that Sen. Kerry, who holds a license to practice law, should be "held to a higher standard of legal conduct than the ordinary citizen, as it is [his] job and role to know, interpret, and promulgate the law."
Stein suggests that the Ethics Committee direct Kerry to return funds he was overpaid and decline to accept future illegal payments from the federal treasury.
Stein told Talon News that Robert Walker, Chief Counsel for the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, confirmed receipt of his letter of complaint. He also said that Walker did not indicate if or when the committee might take up the matter.
The Hofstra law student told Talon News that he decided to file the complaint in the interest of "preserving the rule of law."
Having recently completed coursework on constitutional law, he says that he is exercising his First Amendment right to "petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
Stein says that the law in this matter is "absolutely clear" and lawmakers cannot consider themselves above it.
Kerry has voted only 14 times out of the Senate's 112 votes this year, a record Stein says is "egregious."
Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, who recently called on Kerry to resign his seat, citing his dismal attendance record, shares that opinion.
She said, "If any of us attended our job only 13 percent of the time, we'd be fired."
Healey went on to say, "It's not fair, it's not right, and the public is not being well served."
"I'm calling on John Kerry to resign so that we can fill that office with someone who is 100 percent devoted to the job of representing the people of Massachusetts," Healey added.
Some conservative media wit ought to stick Kerry with the title "Senator 13%". I think it might catch on.
Also, if he refuses to resign his Senate seat, conservatives can point out that Kerry probably doesn't really expect to be elected President. Therefore he holds on, Lieberman style, to his safe Senate seat.
Another appellation that fits would be "Senator from Massachusetts for Life".
I think that if enough people alert Drudge to the story, it might catch his attention. Whether or no he'll carry it is a different story... but it can't hurt to try.
So, if elected, will he be capable of doing the job? Or will he always 'be out of the office?'
Teresa Heinz-Married will have to increase his allowance if he gets canned from the senate.
Heh-heh.
Asking Kerry to submit to this ordeal is just plain cruel.
Let's show some class and humanity for the man and for us. The thought of forcing Kerry to get it on with Our Lady of Botox behind some darkened back seat of a campaign bus is, well...not something we should be proud of and may haunt us forever.
It seems that you are arguing with the wrong person. JMStein didn't make the assumption that Kerry and Reynolds were meeting to discuss the ethics complaint - the writer of the article did. I think everyone agrees it is a reasonable assumption, especially since Kerry is rarely near the Senate these days.
Kerry has voted only 14 times out of the Senate's 112 votes this year, a record Stein says is "egregious."Jean Keri is 87% AWOL !!
Yup :)
Give 'em hell, Harry...er, uh Healey.
>
Jonathan Stein, do you KNOW who I am ?!?!
Ha ha ha!!! Love it!
So thick, in fact, that I'm reminded of a slogan... "Heinz. It's worth the wait..."
(Although, in retrospect, that is one very nasty thought... shudder)
Yuck! LOL!
You must have been readig an "Onion" story. There is no way that sexy woan would say something so dumb....she's not even a tad Blonde!!
kerry is so self centered, he would never do that. I don't know how anyone can stand him. His "speeches" put me to sleep.
Of course he wont resign!!! What will he do in November after he gets humiliated?!!? Make ketchup?
No, Jim Stein is the Freeper who posted this. He is also the poster who did all that excellent work on the anti-Kerry ads that were posted. He's a real one man army.
How 'bout the putative nominee is also a putative Senator.
Heheh...
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