Posted on 06/30/2004 3:12:13 PM PDT by SpyderTim
PHOENIX, Ariz. (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites) on Tuesday rejected any suggestion that he release records of his 1988 divorce, calling it old history that had nothing to do with anyone else.
"I have no intention of doing that at all," Kerry said during a campaign stop in Phoenix, Arizona, when a reporter asked if he would release the papers from his divorce from his first wife Julia Thorn.
In a U.S. senate race in Illinois, Republican candidate Jack Ryan quit his campaign last week after the Chicago Tribune and other media sued to have his sealed divorce records made public.
The papers revealed that his ex-wife had accused him of asking her to have sex with him in front of strangers at a club.
Kerry, who will try to unseat President Bush (news - web sites) in November, said there was no reason for him to release his divorce records.
"It's history, ancient history. My ex-wife and I are terrific friends, very proud of our children. We have stayed close through those years as an extended family," the Massachusetts senator said, adding, "It's none of anybody's business, period."
Kerry is now married to Teresa Heinz Kerry.
Dittos. In fact, it might backfire on republicans to hammer on this.
Wouldn't this statement have taken place under oath in a deposition in the divorce proceedings?
Maybe it will make you happy; but it is trivial and the public won't appreciate it.
Me too – and I am with him on little else – unless he broke the law, and that resulted in his divorce it is no our business. An extra marital affair may be relevant but I am not sure. (All other things being equal I would vote for a candidate that had not had an affair – If the one I agreed with had the affair, and the one I disagreed with had not I would vote for the one I agreed with).
Heh, Kerry's PRESENT is enough for me not to vote for him, let alone his PAST. I think most of America thinks the same way.
Here's the problem politically for Republicans. Keep in mind that Ryan ultimately chose not to appeal the ruling and voluntarily disclosed the records. If a similar lawsuit is filed against Kerry, as Illinois Leader.com is expected to do, Kerry could choose to keep appealing. He doesn't have a little kid. Ryan expressed concern about the timing of any release and the effect it might have on his son while in school. Personally, I think that it's nobody's businessm, but once the standard has been set, we can't honestly pick and choose. The real question is this: What will the Chicago Tribune say? How will they wiggle out of this one?
Just because the wrong decision was made previously dose not mean we need to repeat the mistake.
I know, the old "good for the goose is good for the gander"! I would MUCH RATHER see his wife's tax returns put out there, along with the complete set of military records!!
Whats good for the Goose has to be good for the Gander. I hope they are released just to show that Dems arent above everyone else. Remember Hillary's thesis? That was sealed for years, until it was rewritten. Had people gone after unsealing that profane document, '96 would have been a different story. But I digress; do you feel the same way about Kerry's medical records? Teresa taxes?
If Kerry refused to pay child support and was sued by his ex-wife in order to get him to pay up, it is in the public interest and should be disclosed.
I am shocked!
Oh, as far as I'm concerned, JKerry could walk on water
and I wouldn't vote for him, but I'm tires of one standard
for conservatives(give up your national guard records! NOW!~) and one for liberals (No, it's personal, I don't intend to do it).
Doesn't wash with me.
Remember Bill Clinton?
It was personal with him too, or so they told us.
Oh, you have heard the rumors about his mistress too? ;-)
So tell me, which Democratic Senator DOESN'T have a mistress? For that matter, tell me what Republican Senator doesn't have on either....
I would bet the Republican list is a lot longer....
Actually, I think it's also involved with his claims to have received an annulment and have been validly married in the Catholic Church. He has never been able to provide any evidence that this really happened.
That whole matter would be irrelevant to his political career, except that he goes around posing as a Catholic and expects to capitalize on it politically (with the support of some of the many ultra-liberal bishops, for whom the Dem party is God). So if he's not validly married in the Catholic Church, then he can't run about claiming to be in good standing with the Church, showing up for photo ops with bishops, etc. But, as another poster said, the press is going to bury the entire issue in any case.
He was also pleading poverty in order to pay as little child support as possible. And when his income started to rise dramatically, he refused to pay additional support saying he was still broke. His ex-wife sued him to provide a high level of support for his children and the judge sealed the records, also. If Kerry was a Deadbeat Dad, the truth should be made public.
I happen to agree with Kerry that his divorce is none of my buisness but he is dead wrong about his being the final arbiter of whether public records are made public.
Yeah, unfortunately politics does tend to attract the worst sort of people on both sides. :(
Zell Miller?
Yes it does....
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