Another Kerry flip flop(death penalty for terrorists?)

CNN transcript | Feb 27 2004 | Freeper Cboldt and Summer

[Dog]

While reading the live thread from last evening's Democratic debate I came across Freeper Cboldt's link to a Senate vote in 1989 S.B 1798

Senator Kerry was one of the twenty Senators to cast a NO vote on A bill to provide for the imposition of the death penalty for the terrorist murder of United States nationals abroad..

Freeper Summer was kind enough to post a link to the debate transcript

This is how Senator Kerry answered the question posed by Larry King.

King: You are against capital punishment, except in the case of terrorism.

KERRY: Correct.

[Dog]

fyi...

[Cboldt]

Maybe he changed his mind since 1989. Who knows. Kerry is as looney as the media.

[cyncooper]

Thank you. I heard Matt Lauer speak to Chris Matthews this morning on the Today Show about last night's debate, and he prefaced a question with "Senator Kerry is against the death penalty, except for terrorists..." and Matthews concurred, though pointed out Kerry's anti-death penalty stance with that one caveat, will hurt him, but they both asserted the "except for terrorists" stance.

[Dog]

He may have but.... he is on record as casting a NO vote to put terrorists to death.

[cyncooper]

President Bush will add it to his list of things Kerry voted for but is now against, except on this issue Kerry voted as being against something and is now for it....at least he says he is. I don't believe him. I'll bet he is NOT for the death penalty for terrorists. I'll bet he advocates an international court or some such garbage.

Let's hope this issue gets explored some more. I'm sure the republicans will address it.

[Cboldt]

I hear ya. One has to wonder though, why the roll-call vote isn't brought up in the course of the supposed "media grilling." It's not as though the fact is buried or anything. I first bumped into it a couple days ago, at least, looking for Kerry's position vis-a-vis the luxury tax that damaged the yacht industry.

[commish]

Kerry may be the first person to be for and against everything. I suggest we add a new word to the FREEPER Dictions :

Kerryistic - The ability to be for AND against every issue one is asked about. Sometimes as often as the same statement.

[cyncooper]

Is there any vote Kerry has cast that he has not changed his position on?

[Always Right]

He may have but.... he is on record as casting a NO vote to put terrorists to death.

Kerry is on record against everything, but that won't stop him from changing his position to try to get elected.

[commish]

Hopefully one of the Debates will have a Conservative Questioner who remembers the Dukakis-Bush I debates. Kerry - the MASSACHUSETTS LIBERAL - needs to be asked the same Death Penalty question about someone killing his wife.

[Dog]

Look at what I found a Rush Limbaughs site....seems he discussed this very issue on Feb 4,2004

Here

In the audio link below, I rolled you John Kerry on Larry King Alive. Guest host Jeff Greenfield asked Kerry if his positions on issues such as opposing the death penalty for terrorists mean "he's not going to make any inroads into the traditional blue-collar, more conservative Democratic base." Kerry responded, "I am supportive of the death penalty for terrorists," then claimed that the Bush people "know it, and they'll try to distort it, but it is a fact."

Note his words: "I am supportive of the death penalty." The Weekly Standard reports that the senator's stand on the death penalty has "evolved." Quote: "For years, Kerry opposed capital punishment in all cases. In 1996, during a debate with Massachusetts governor William Weld, who was challenging Kerry for his Senate seat, Kerry said Weld's support of capital punishment for terrorists 'would amount to a terrorist protection policy.' Kerry's position, on the other hand, 'would put them in jail.'"

In 2002, Kerry flipped again, telling Tim Russert: "I am for the death penalty for terrorists because terrorists have declared war on your country," but cautioned he opposed it "in the criminal justice system because I think it's applied unfairly." Time magazine reports: "'John Kerry never met a side of an issue he didn't like,' says Dean spokesman Jay Carson. And it is true that some positions have changed...." Expect Kerry to keep changing his positions, and then say, "They know I'm for this." That's what he's going to have to do, because he cannot stand on his voting record.

[cyncooper]

Well, this issue broached Dukakis terrority. King asked the question, pointing out the supposed Kerry stance of being against the death penalty except for terrorists.

Then King went on to ask "what about someone who killed a five year old?" and Kerry answered that he'd personally want to strangle that person with his own hands, but in light of all these people recently being released from death row thanks to DNA evidence he does not support the death penalty. And besides, he said, we're more civilized than that.

So it kind of reminded me (and others who commented) of the question you bring up.

[cyncooper]

Excellent find.

[monocle]

The media has and will continue to characterize Kerry's inconsistencies as "nuanced positions".

[Dog]

Look at this ...

Guest host Jeff Greenfield asked Kerry if his positions on issues such as opposing the death penalty for terrorists mean "he's not going to make any inroads into the traditional blue-collar, more conservative Democratic base." Kerry responded, "I am supportive of the death penalty for terrorists," then claimed that the Bush people "know it, and they'll try to distort it, but it is a fact."

He flopped and Greenfield gave him a pass..

[Jinjelsnaps]

if / when there's a debate between Kerry and Our Pres, I would just love for Bush to have a huge "laundry list" of issues Kerry has contradicted himself on, and then ask "for the record, just what the hell is your stance on ANY issue????"

...

"And don't mess with Texas."

;-)

[commish]

Ah yes, he is just being "Cautious" and "careful"

The Rick and Bubba Show this morning savaged Kerry on his "Cautious and Careful" answer about the Passion.

They did a Q&A on every major issue and Rick (playing Kerry) answered "well we have to be cautious about this and careful in what we do" to every question. They topped it off by Rick changing his voice from Kerry to CLINTON on the last question.

When he did that Bubba replied "Oh yeah, I knew I had heard this crud before!"

[Dog]

He is not in favor of the death penalty.......he is supportive.

"I am supportive of the death penalty for terrorists,"

[Dog]

fyi.