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Kerry Wrong for Defense and Foreign Policy

Kerry Is Weak On National Security

In 1993, Kerry Introduced Plan To Cut Numerous Defense Programs, Including:

ü Cut the number of Navy submarines and their crews

ü Reduce the number of light infantry units in the Army down to one

ü Reduce tactical fighter wings in the Air Force

ü Terminate the Navy’s coastal mine-hunting ship program

ü Force the retirement of no less than 60,000 members of the Armed Forces in one year. (S.1163, Introduced 6/24/93)

In 1996, Kerry Introduced Bill To Slash Defense Department Funding By $6.5 Billion. Kerry’s bill had no co-sponsors and never came to a floor vote. (S. 1580, Introduced 2/29/96)

In 1995, Kerry Voted To Freeze Defense Spending For 7 Years, Slashing Over $34 Billion From Defense. (S. Con. Res. 13, CQ Vote #181: Rejected 28-71: R 2-51; D 26-20, 5/24/95, Kerry Voted Yea)

Running For Senate In 1984, Kerry Again Proposed Cuts As His “Overall Defense Strategy.” “Joining Kerry was Michael Nacht, chairman of Kerry’s foreign policy task force and an instructor at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, who said Kerry’s proposal was ‘unique’ because it was an overall defense strategy, not just a pro or con statement about certain Reagan administration programs.” (“Kerry Asks $54 Billion Cut In Reagan Defense Budget,” Berkshire Eagle, 5/30/84)

“[T]he Congressional Record Shows That Kerry’s First Speech In The Senate, On March 19, 1985, Was Made In Opposition To President Reagan’s Push To Build 21 MX Missiles.” (Glen Johnson, “Kerry Admits To An Error In Boast About 1st Speech,” The Boston Globe, 5/1/03)

Kerry’s Shifting Stance On Iraq

In 1997, Kerry Warned Conflict Will Only Worsen If We Wait To Hold Saddam Accountable. “In a more practical vein, Mr. President, I submit that the old adage ‘pay now or pay later’ applies perfectly in this situation. If Saddam Hussein is permitted to go about his effort to build weapons of mass destruction and to avoid the accountability of the United Nations, we will surely reap a confrontation of greater consequence in the future. The Security Council and the United States obviously have to think seriously and soberly about the plausible scenarios that could play out if he were permitted to continue his weapons development work after shutting out U.N. inspectors.” (Sen. John Kerry, Congressional Record, 11/9/97, p. S12256)

In February 2002, Kerry Complained “Some In This Country” Not Willing “To Hold Saddam Accountable.” “Kerry noted that Saddam has failed to respond to past U.S. warnings about permitting United Nations arms inspectors to do their job in Iraq. ‘It’s clear that Saddam Hussein continues to be a major threat . . . in part because some in this country were slow-footed and didn’t have the stomach to hold Saddam accountable.’” (Andrew Miga, “Bush Sends Warning To Saddam Hussein,” The Boston Herald, 2/14/02)

In October 2002, Kerry Voted For Iraq War Resolution. (H.J. Res. 114, CQ Vote #237: Passed 77-23: R 48-1; D 29-21; I 0-1, 10/11/02, Kerry Voted Yea)

Then In January 2003, Kerry Decried “Rush To War.” “[W]hile American security must never be ceded to any institution or to another institution’s decision, I say to the President, show respect for the process of international diplomacy because it is not only right, it can make America stronger - and show the world some appropriate patience in building a genuine coalition. Mr. President, do not rush to war.” (Sen. John Kerry, Remarks At Georgetown University, 1/23/03)

As War Began In March 2003, Kerry Said Saddam Choose “To Make Military Force The Ultimate Weapons Inspections Enforcement Mechanism.” “Senator John F. Kerry … had lambasted Bush’s diplomatic efforts, despite voting last fall in support of a congressional resolution authorizing military action to disarm Iraq of any weapons of mass destruction. ‘It appears that with the deadline for exile come and gone, Saddam Hussein has chosen to make military force the ultimate weapons inspections enforcement mechanism,’ Kerry said.” (Glen Johnson, “Critics Of Bush Voice Support For The Troops,” The Boston Globe, 3/20/03)

But In April 2003, Kerry Claimed His Vote Was To Threaten Force, Not Use It. “I voted to give the President to have a legitimate threat of force for the reasons he gave: to go to the United Nations and form a coalition. This President failed. It was a failure of diplomacy …” (Stephen Seitz, “Kerry: America Needs A ‘Regime Change’ Too,” The [Manchester] Union Leader, 4/3/03)

In October 2003, Kerry Voted Against Funding Our Troops In Iraq. (S. 1689, CQ Vote #400: Passed 87-12: R 50-0; D 37-11; I 0-1, 10/17/03, Kerry Voted Nay)

In January 2004, Kerry Says He Is An Anti-War Candidate. CHRIS MATTHEWS: “Do you think you belong to that category of candidates who more or less are unhappy with this war, the way it’s been fought, along with General Clark, along with Howard Dean and not necessarily in companionship politically on the issue of the war with people like Lieberman, Edwards and Gephardt? Are you one of the anti-war candidates?” KERRY: “I am -- Yes, in the sense that I don’t believe the president took us to war as he should have, yes, absolutely.” (MSNBC’s “Hardball,” 1/6/04)

And Now Kerry Claims Iraqis Are “Lashing Out” At America. “Because of the way the White House has run the war, we are left with the United States bearing most of the costs and risks associated with every aspect of the Iraqi transition. We have lost lives, time, momentum and credibility. And we are seeing increasing numbers of Iraqis lashing out at the United States to express their frustration over what the Bush administration has and hasn’t done.” (Sen. John Kerry, Op-Ed, “A Strategy For Iraq,” The Washington Post, 4/13/04)

Kerry’s Weak Record On Intelligence

Not Long After First World Trade Center Bombing, Kerry Proposed $7.5 Billion In Across The Board Intelligence Cuts. In 1994, Kerry proposed rescinding $1 billion in FY1994 Intelligence budget and freezing the budget at that level through at least FY1998, which would cut $5 billion from Intelligence funding during that period. Kerry’s proposal was defeated by a vote of 20 to 75, with even Sen. Ted Kennedy voting against the measure. Then in 1995, Kerry proposed a bill to, “[r]educe the Intelligence budget by $300 million in each of fiscal years 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000.” This bill had no co-sponsors and never reached the Senate floor for a vote. (Amdt. To H.R. 3759, CQ Vote #39: Rejected 20-75: R 3-37; D 17-38, 2/10/94, Kerry Voted Yea; Kennedy Voted Nay; Sen. Dennis DeConcini [D-AZ], Congressional Record, 2/10/94, p. S1360; S. 1290, Introduced 9/29/95)

In 1995, Kerry Voted To Slash FBI Funding By $80 Million. (H.R. 2076, CQ Vote #480: Adopted 49-41: R 9-40; D 40-1, 9/29/95, Kerry Voted Yea)

12 Days After September 11, Kerry Said Intelligence Is Most Important Weapon In War On Terror. “And the tragedy is, at the moment, that the single most important weapon for the United States of America is intelligence. It’s the single most important weapon in this particular war, unlike other wars where it was overwhelming force or Air Force or something.” (CBS’s “Face The Nation,” 9/23/01)

12 Days After September 11, Kerry Said U.S. Was Weakest In Intelligence And It Would Take Time To Build That Area Up. “And we are weakest, frankly, in that particular area [intelligence]. So it’s going to take us time to be able to build up here to do this properly.” (CBS’s “Face The Nation,” 9/23/01)