Posted on 01/17/2005 10:58:24 PM PST by kattracks
BOSTON -- Sen. John Kerry, in some of his most pointed public comments yet about the presidential election, invoked Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy on Monday as he criticized President Bush and decried reports of voter disenfranchisement.
The Massachusetts Democrat, Bush's challenger in November, spoke at Boston's annual Martin Luther King Day Breakfast. He reiterated that he decided not to challenge the election results, but "thousands of people were suppressed in the effort to vote." "Voting machines were distributed in uneven ways. In Democratic districts, it took people four, five, eleven hours to vote, while Republicans (went) through in 10 minutes - same voting machines, same process, our America," he said.In his comments, Kerry also compared the democracy-building efforts in Iraq with voting in the U.S., saying that Americans had their names purged from voting lists and were kept from casting ballots.
"In a nation which is willing to spend several hundred million dollars in Iraq to bring them democracy, we cannot tolerate that here in America too many people were denied that democracy," Kerry said.
Voting irregularities in Ohio drove primarily Democratic challenges to the Nov. 2 election, but Congress affirmed President Bush the winner. The Ohio Supreme Court last week dismissed a lawsuit that cited Election Day problems including long lines, and a shortage of voting machines in predominantly minority neighborhoods.
GOP Concerns
Republican Gov. Mitt Romney cautioned that there are also GOP concerns about voter fraud on the Democratic side.
"I think it's helpful if elected officials and leaders look at both sides of the issues, and that we take action to make sure that citizens qualified to vote do vote, and that people do not defraud the system," Romney said after the breakfast.
Outside the hall, Kerry discussed his recent two-week trip to the Middle East and Europe.
"All of the Arab world is deeply disturbed by the absence of sufficient political diplomacy - the reconciliation necessary between Shia and Sunni," he said of the war in Iraq and the Jan. 30 election there.
Kerry said the Bush administration has failed to properly train Iraqi forces to handle uprisings.
He said he found similar concerns in Europe.
"Throughout Europe, as I met with European leaders, it's clear that they're prepared to do more, but the (Bush) administration has not put the structure together for people to be able to do it," he said.
Kerry declined to specify which leaders expressed a desire to help more with Iraq, or how. He met separately last week with French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. Both leaders have been critical of the U.S.-led invasion.
"And I promise that I will spend the next four years whining like a little girl! This is my pledge to you, the American people!"
--Sen. John Kerry
Your insights are very fascinating, Mr. Kerry, but this is Hollywood Squares. Does X get the square or not?
AHA! So that was his secret plan!
Got any proof about this, John?
My God, I'm tired of this fool!
At least Clinton wasn't boring and stupid. Darn, at least Bill was the better traitor.
Is he comparing our elections to Iraqs???
Somebody put a sock in this a$$holes mouth.How come its only the rats with all the problems?
So it's Congress' fault??
And where was Kerry during this process .. hmmmm ???
Kerry said the Bush administration has failed to properly train Iraqi forces to handle uprisings
Oh and Kerry .. it's our Military that are training the Iraqis ..
Just like algore did.
He compares the disenfranchised islamofascists to his own party. Saddam was impeached by the republicans, now they're holding a vote supervised by extreme right wing christians.
The only voters that are being disenfranchised, are those who voted for Bush and are constantly hearing about how Kerry and company were cheated.
The only voter fraud I've seen proven, what that conducted by the left.
Get over it Kerry. you're sounding more like that loserman Al Gore every day.
I ain't touchin' that mouth. I know where it's been. (All over Tah-RAY-Zah's butt!)
Don't flatter yourself John, some of the people voted for Bush some against, but nobody voted for you.
OH, Gawd. That draws a picture that I DID NOT want to see.
ITS ALL PRESIDENT BUSH'S FAULT!
You think you got it bad? I'm the poor soul who had to have that thought in the first place! *WAIL*
I had a dear colleague (whom I love to p!ss off) say those very words to me the other day. My reply to him was thus:
"It is? Well, at least that shows that Bush is doing something. Tell me, what's John Kerry done in the past 20 years except for side with the enemy?"
Kerry mentiones that 'Thousands' were disenfranchised. Not bad out of 'Millions' of voters.
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