In Ben Schneider's Between the Lines column (Vote Kerry: the man with a plan) in last Thursday's Post, he wrote you can't argue the facts. He's right, you can't. But, I had trouble finding many facts in his column.
He claimed Bush hasn't spoken of his (four-year plan). Did he not watch the president's convention speech? Bush spoke of initiating tax reform and new health-care incentives, increasing funds for community colleges and finalizing his tax cuts. Whether you agree with it or not, it sounds like a plan to me.
(John Kerry's) repeal of tax breaks for big companies will bring jobs back into America. Now, when you repeal something, that means you take it away. So, saying that when Kerry repeals big companies' tax breaks, meaning the government takes more of their money, they will then have more money to produce more jobs? Liberal economics just make my head spin.
Schneider also said Kerry has played the role of the positive campaigner. We all know there are two John Kerrys, so I'm assuming he's been paying closer attention to the more positive one. The negative Kerry has questioned Bush's military service -Bush has only praised Kerry's service -has mocked Vice President Cheney's Vietnam deferments and has intimated that Bush would try to suppress the black vote this election.
Schneider also claimed John Kerry's service in Vietnam ... has nothing to do with his ability to be president. In your candidate's eyes, it has everything to do with his ability. But look at Kerry's own quotes: I'm John Kerry and I'm reporting for duty ... I defended this country as a young man and I will defend it as president. And it was Kerry who questioned his own vice-presidential candidate's ability by saying When I came back from Vietnam in 1969
I don't know if John Edwards was out of diapers then. Conservatives didn't start bringing up Vietnam -John Kerry did.
Yes, the Swift Boat veterans are questioning Kerry's heroism as Schneider claimed. But don't they have a right to? Kerry has told his side of the story. I think more than 200 of his fellow band of brothers should be able to tell theirs. Plus, Kerry made some radical claims against the soldiers in Vietnam when he returned home, and if I were one of them, I suppose I would be a little ticked off, too.
That leaves me with some questions for Schneider. Should Kerry be forced to clarify his questionable Vietnam record as Bush has been repeatedly asked to answer questions regarding his National Guard service? Why has Bush signed Standard Form 180, which allows the Department of Defense to release all of his military records, and Kerry hasn't? Finally, should Kerry be forced to answer why, during the Vietnam War, he met with officials of our enemy, the North Vietnamese, in France?
And we do know the facts surrounding Kerry's vote against the $87 billion package for Iraq. On CBS's Face the Nation, when asked if he would vote down the package if his amendment did not pass, he said, I don't think any United States senator is going to abandon our troops and recklessly leave Iraq to whatever follows as a result of simply cutting and running. That's irresponsible.
Well, Kerry did abandon our troops and he is irresponsible. So I am offended that Schneider would be voting for this man. Wouldn't you be?
-Jeff Reed is a junior political communications major who wishes Arnold Schwarzenegger were Ohio's governor. Send him an
e-mail at jeffrey.reed@ohio.edu
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