Posted on 01/12/2005 3:26:29 PM PST by kattracks
(CNSNews.com) - In clarifying his vision of the Democratic Party's future and its values, U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy Wednesday slammed President Bush for his plan to partially privatize Social Security, his prosecution of the war in Iraq and his attempt at "packing the federal courts with reactionary judges."
But Kennedy waited until page 9 of his 10-page speech to discuss the issues of abortion and "gay rights," even though more voters (22 percent) in the Nov. 2 presidential election said moral values represented the single most important issue to them -- more important than the war in Iraq, terrorism, the economy and education, according to exit polling.
"There's no doubt we must do a better job of looking within ourselves and speaking out for the principles we believe in, and for the values that are the foundation of our actions," Kennedy told an audience at the National Press Club.
"Unlike the Republican Party, we believe our values unite us as Americans, instead of dividing us," he added, in a vague reference perhaps to the culturally contentious issues of abortion and homosexual marriage. Kennedy didn't elaborate on those issues until nearly the end of his speech.
Reminding his audience that he "wholeheartedly" supports the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion, Kennedy nevertheless insisted that "[t]here is a way America can find common ground on this issue (abortion).
"Surely, we can all agree that abortion should be rare, and that we should do all we can to help women avoid the need to face that decision," Kennedy said. But, he said, "If we are serious about reducing the number of abortions ...we must adopt policies with a proven track record of reducing unwanted pregnancy." He did not specify which policies he meant.
Kennedy also waited until the end of his speech to address the issue of homosexual marriage, which has been legalized in his home state of Massachusetts.
"I continue to strongly support civil marriage" for homosexuals, Kennedy said.
"We cannot and should not require any religion or any church to accept gay marriage. But it is wrong for our civil laws to deny any American the basic right to be part of a family, to have loved ones with whom to build a future and share life's joys and tears, and to be free from the stain of bigotry and discrimination," he added.
In addressing the election results of Nov. 2 that saw his fellow Massachusetts Democratic senator, John Kerry, lose to Bush, Kennedy said he rejects the claim that the president won "even a miniature mandate for reactionary measures like privatizing Social Security, redistributing the tax burden ... or packing the federal courts with reactionary judges."
Kennedy went on to call Iraq "George Bush's Vietnam," labeling the decision to topple Saddam Hussein's regime a "catastrophic choice ... that has bogged down America in an endless quagmire."
The Massachusetts senior senator also hit Bush and the Republican Party on the environment. "We should stop the non-scientific, pseudo-scientific, and anti-scientific nonsense emanating from the right-wing, and start demanding immediate action to reduce global warming, and prevent the catastrophic climate change that may be on our horizon now."
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BTTT
Yes!! Fat Ted knows all about values, doesn't he!
HUH?
..anyone know he has lost the ability to use an old American saying? "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it"
Doogle
Confusing your young rising star with a mass murdering terrorist.
And they say Kennedy hates racists.
Ted Kennedy and Democrat in the same sentence with values. Now that is funny.
UGH!! My eyes! My eyes!
Drowning your pregnant girlfriend, perhaps?
brought to you by the "swimmer" now turned into the "floater"
In Teddy's case, it's "We'll drive off that bridge when we get to it."
1.F*** all women.
2.Let them drown if its too much of a nuisance to save them.
3.Kill any babies produced by f****** them.
Ain't it the truth??!! ugh is right!
Teddy Kennedy is a buffoon of the first rank.
"speaking out for the principles we believe in"
Herein lies the problem. These people don't have any principles they believe in. What they SAY is not what they BELIEVE - it's what YOU will be willing to believe about what they say - in other words - how can we fool them today.
Surely this can't be good for the "abortion-at-any-time" crowd.
We're winning, people. Even TED flippin' KENNEDY has accepted that abortions are, by nature, bad. Now, we're just arguing degree. This is an extremely encouraging sign.
Keep 'em talkin'. 2004 was only a prelude!
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