The Kerry Line: Kerry's Shifting Positions on Iraq

George W. Bush ^ | September 8, 2004

[RWR8189]

"John Kerry announced his eighth distinct position on the war in Iraq this week, stealing lines from the angry attacks of anti-war candidate Howard Dean, attacks that Kerry himself criticized at the time. John Kerry voted for the war, but voted against funds for our troops, and after saying he was 'proud' of voting against money for the troops, he now says that the money could have been better used elsewhere. Americans expect a commander-in-chief to provide unconditional support to our troops on the front lines - not play politics. President Bush is funding our nation's priorities while John Kerry can't keep his story straight for 24 hours about what his priorities would be."

- Steve Schmidt, Bush-Cheney '04 Spokesman

Kerry Now Repeats Dean's Anti-War Rant

Kerry: Iraq Is "The Wrong War In The Wrong Place At The Wrong Time." "Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry on Monday called the invasion of Iraq 'the wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time' and said his goal was to withdraw U.S. troops in his first White House term." (Patricia Wilson, "Kerry on Iraq: Wrong War, Wrong Place, Wrong Time," Reuters, 9/6/04)

Dean: Iraq Is "The Wrong War, At The Wrong Time." "I firmly believe that the President is focusing . . . on the wrong war, at the wrong time, when our energy and our resources should be marshaled for the greatest threats we face. Yes, Saddam Hussein is evil. But Osama bin Laden is also evil, and he has attacked the United States, and he is preparing now to attack us again. What happened to the war against al Qaeda?" (Howard Dean, Remarks At Drake University, 2/17/03)

But Kerry Previously Disagreed With Dean’s Comment. ABC's GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: "And Senator Kerry, the first question goes to you. On March 19th, President Bush ordered General Tommy Franks to execute the invasion of Iraq. Was that the right decision at the right time?" SENATOR JOHN KERRY (D-MA): "George, I said at the time I would have preferred if we had given diplomacy a greater opportunity, but I think it was the right decision to disarm Saddam Hussein. And when the president made the decision, I supported him, and I support the fact that we did disarm him." STEPHANOPOULOS: "Now Governor Dean, you've criticized Senator Kerry on the campaign trail, saying he's trying to have it both ways on the issue of Iraq. Was that answer clear enough for you?" GOVERNOR HOWARD DEAN: "Let me be very clear about what I believe. I'm delighted to see Saddam Hussein gone. I appreciate the fact that we have a strong military in this country and I'd keep a strong military in this country. But I think this is the wrong war at the wrong time, because we have set a new policy of preventive war in this country and I think that was the wrong thing to do, because sooner or later, we're going to see another country copy the United States, and sooner or later we're going to have to deal with the fact that there may well be a Shi'a fundamentalist regime set up in Iraq, which would be a greater danger to the United States than Iraq is." (ABC's Democrat Presidential Candidates Debate, Columbia, SC, 5/3/03)

Kerry Says He Still Would Have Voted For The Iraq War

Kerry: "Yes, I Would Have Voted For The Authority." KERRY: "I'd challenge the president back. But I'm ready for any challenge and I'll answer directly. Yes, I would have voted for the authority. I believe it's the right authority for a president to have. But I would have used that authority as I have said throughout this campaign, effectively. I would have done this very differently from the way President Bush has. And my question to President Bush is why did he rush to war without a plan to win the peace?" (CNN's "Inside Politics," 8/9/04)

Kerry Foreign Policy Adviser Jamie Rubin Had Said Kerry Would Have “In All Probability” Launched A Military Attack Against Iraq If He Were President. (Jim VandeHei And Mary Fitzgerald, “Kerry Defends Position On Iraq,” The Washington Post, 8/8/04)

• Rubin Now Claims “It Is Not Knowable” Whether Kerry Would Have Gone To War With Iraq If He Were President. (Ronald Brownstein, “Advisor Retracts Remark On Kerry Supporting War,” Los Angeles Times, 8/25/04)

Kerry Previously Called Himself An Anti-War Candidate. MSNBC'S CHRIS MATTHEWS: "Are you one of the anti-war candidates?" KERRY: "I am - Yeah." (MSNBC's "Hardball," 1/6/04)

Kerry Has Offered Multiple Excuses For His Vote Against Our Troops

Kerry First Characterized A Vote Against The Funding As "Irresponsible." Doyle McManus (LA Times): "If that amendment does not pass, will you then vote against the $87 billion?" Kerry: "I don't think any United States senator is going to abandon our troops and recklessly leave Iraq to – to whatever follows as a result of simply cutting and running. That's irresponsible." (CBS, "Face the Nation," 9/14/03)

Kerry Voted Against $87 Billion War Supplemental. (S. 1689, CQ Vote #400: Passed 87-12: R 50-0; D 37-11; I 0-1, 10/17/03, Kerry Voted Nay)

Kerry Offered A Tortured Explanation Of His Vote Against The $87 Billion To Support Troops In Iraq. "I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it." (Richard W. Stevenson and Adam Nagourney, "Bush's Campaign Emphasizes Role Of Leader In War," The New York Times, 3/17/04)

Kerry Said He's "Proud" That He And Edwards Voted Against $87 Billion In Funding For U.S. Soldiers. "Here is the value that John Edwards and I will put in place. I'm proud to say that John joined me in voting against that $87 billion when we knew the policy had to be changed." (John Kerry, Remarks at "Women's Voices: A Luncheon with John Kerry," Boston, MA, 7/12/04)

Kerry Says His Vote Against Body Armor And Supplies For Troops Was "Complicated." Don Imus: "That's probably a longer answer than I would be able to give to, say, Senator Miller or Senator Hatch, but …" Sen. Kerry: "Well, you know, that's a problem. Some of these things are a little complicated. They like to simplify them and pretend to America. The pretending time is over." (MSNBC's "Imus in the Morning," 7/15/04)

[Mark]

The Zippo Warrior is running in circles.

A caller on one of the talk shows suggested that the moderator at the debates needs to ask Kerry each question twice to get the different answers.

[Christian4Bush]

It was yesterday, on Sean Hannity's end of show "Trash the Lines" segment. It was in my tagline, but I wanted to honor our soldiers with part of the poem that Zell Miller quoted.

[Republican Wildcat]

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