Fisking Kerry from Debate. Question 1

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Question #1

OTIS: Senator Kerry, after talking with several co-workers and family and friends, I asked the ones who said they were not voting for you, "Why?" They said that you were too wishy-washy. Do you have a reply for them?

KERRY: Yes, I certainly do. (LAUGHTER) But let me just first, Cheryl, if you will, I want to thank Charlie for moderating. I want to thank Washington University for hosting us here this evening. Mr. President, it's good to be with you again this evening, sir.

Cheryl, the president didn't find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, so he's really turned his campaign into a weapon of mass deception.

Which has exactly what to do with the question?

And the result is that you've been bombarded with advertisements suggesting that I've changed a position on this or that or the other. Now, the three things they try to say I've changed position on are the Patriot Act; I haven't. I support it. I just don't like the way John Ashcroft has applied it, and we're going to change a few things. The chairman of the Republican Party thinks we ought to change a few things.

What he means here is that he wants to replace John Ashcroft. And besides, this is in iteself a flip-flop. He has asked to repeal/replace the Patriot Act.

No Child Left Behind Act, I voted for it. I support it. I support the goals. But the president has underfunded it by $28 billion. Right here in St. Louis, you've laid off 350 teachers. You're 150 — excuse me, I think it's a little more, about $100 million shy of what you ought to be under the No Child Left Behind Act to help your education system here.

Loss of jobs for teachers is economics not policy. I guess you won't be attacking the president on spending. You say he isn't spending enough.... Oh, that's right, I forgot, you want to raise taxes not cut spending. Besides factcheck.org has debunked your claims on the No-Child-Left act.

So I complain about that. I've argued that we should fully funded it. The president says I've changed my mind. I haven't changed my mind: I'm going to fully fund it. So these are the differences. Now, the president has presided over an economy where we've lost 1.6 million jobs. The first president in 72 years to lose jobs. I have a plan to put people back to work.

More secret plans. And again, 1.6 miillion is a funny count (see factcheck.org).

That's not wishy- washy. I'm going to close the loopholes that actually encourage companies to go overseas. The president wants to keep them open. I think I'm right. I think he's wrong. I'm going to give you a tax cut. The president gave the top 1 percent of income-earners in America, got $89 billion last year, more than the 80 percent of people who earn $100,000 or less all put together. I think that's wrong. That's not wishy-washy, and that's what I'm fighting for, you.

Hey. You can't count. You said there were three things. You mentioned two? Besides I thought there were dozens of issues you flippy flop on.

If you are so much for higher taxes for the rich, explain why your wife takes advantage of all the loopholes she can get? Guess it's easy to talk the talk.