Here is my proposed reply to the email. I am not sending it just yet, as I’m sure there’s more fact-checking to be done. I would also like to perform a similar search in regards to the George Bush resume.
"Please don’t take this as an insult in anyway against you. This is merely an attempt for me to verify the information you received and then passed on to me. So often in life, we choose to believe what other people tell us without questioning it. Sometimes this is a good thing, but oftentimes it’s not. This is especially true in regards to the coming presidential election.
I took a lot of time to research the information contained in the Kerry resume. Much of the allegations are either horribly misleading or blatantly false. Please read what I have found and at least consider it when making up your mind this November. I have also attached a copy of a similar resume floating around the web for George Bush.
My comments on the Kerry resume are in red.
JOB RESUME: JOHN KERRY
RESIDENCE: 7 Mansions, including Washington, D.C., worth multimillions.
Between John Kerry and his wife, Teresa, they own five homes, not seven. Due to a pre-marital agreement, all assets are kept separate. The Boston townhouse (which John Kerry mortgaged in 2003 to finance his presidential bid) is the only one of these homes that they own as a couple; the other four belonged to Teresa before her 1995 marriage to John Kerry, and some of them are even still listed under the name of her late husband.
And in general, regarding the wealth issue- what, George Bush is poor? His family is loaded, too.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Law Enforcement. I voted to cut every law enforcement, CIA and Defense bill in my career as a U.S. Senator.
A rebuttal to this information can be found here. http://www.snopes.com/politics/kerry/weapons.asp I know you don’t approve of Snopes in general, but in this particular case, they are using facts, not merely opinion.
I ordered Boston to remove a fire hydrant which I considered unsightly, in front of my mansion, thereby endangering my neighbors in the event of fire.
The Kerrys didn’t “order” anything (I’m sure a Senator can’t order a city to do anything); he paid to have the hydrant moved with his own money. Note the word ‘moved,’ which means it could be somewhere else nearby and there’s no safety hazard for anybody.
MILITARY: I used three minor injuries to get an early discharge from the military and service in Vietnam (as documented by the attending doctor). I then returned to the USA, joined Jane Fonda in protesting the war, and insulted returning Vietnam Vets, claiming they committed atrocities and were baby killers. I threw my medals, ribbons, or something away in protest. Or did I? My book: “Vietnam Veterans Against the War: The New Soldier” shows how I truly feel about the military. (I deplore the military!)
Apparently a guy who goes and fights in a war forfeits the right to protest it later? It’s a sore subject, but there were atrocities committed in Vietnam. Kerry saw this first-hand, lost at least five friends to the war, and got shot at several times himself. If anyone has the right to protest that war, it’s the men who were actually in the war.
As for the medal issue… The Purple Heart regulation in effect at that time said that a wound “must require treatment by a medical officer.” The regulation does not state anything about the severity of the wound. Purple Hearts were widely given for many types in injuries, including minor ones. The Purple Heart is not something you ask for, it’s awarded to you.
COLLEGE: I graduated from Yale University with a low C average.
So did George Bush! Although I’ve never seen Kerry’s GPA cited. Apparently going to Yale is only impressive if your grades are good. Kerry went to a private school if I remember right, but he’s not a legacy. Again, why is this important?
Unlike my counterpart George Bush, I have no higher education and did not get admitted to Harvard nor graduate with an MBA.
College is “higher education.” Kerry didn’t get into Harvard, but then, neither did I - because I didn’t apply. So what? Compare their activities in college if you like; Bush led his frat and Kerry was involved in political groups. I’m not sure how Bush’s MBA makes him more qualified to lead the country.
PAST WORK EXPERIENCE: I ran for U.S. Congress and have been there ever since.
Except for his years in Massachusetts as a prosecutor and lieutenant governor before he ran for Congress. After attending law school, he began his public career in 1976 as a prosecutor in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Organized crime was one of his targets. In 1982, he was elected Massachusetts lieutenant governor. In 1984 he was first elected to the U.S. Senate. Bush also ran for Congress – and lost.
I have no real world experience except that of a gigolo…
Unbelievable and rather offensive crock. He’s been married twice, which doesn’t normally qualify for gigolo status. His first marriage lasted 14 years, hardly a fling.
…by marrying rich women and running H.J. Heinz vicariously through my wife, Teresa.
First off, Teresa Heinz Kerry does not “own the Heinz Corporation” — she has no involvement whatsoever with the management or operations of the H.J. Heinz Company, nor does she own anything close to a controlling interest of the company’s stock. According to Heinz itself, the Heinz family trust which Mrs. Kerry inherited sold most of its shares of Heinz stock back in 1995 and currently holds less than a 4% interest in the company. A 4% stake in a company as large as Heinz still represents a considerable amount of money, but it isn’t nearly large enough a share to give the holder any significant control or influence over the company’s business decisions.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: As a U.S. Senator, I set the record for the most liberal voting record, exceeding even Ted Kennedy and Hillary Clinton.
Demonstrably false. The Daily Show did a nice job with that one. Using their voting records from the last year, when they were often out of the Senate, somebody rated Kerry and Edwards as two of the most liberal Senators. Going back over the course of the last five years, they don’t rate that far left.
I have consistently failed to support our military and CIA by voting against budgets, thus gutting our country’s ability to defend itself.
Meaningless out of context, i.e. what was he actually voting for and against? Apparently the CIA and military should have a $100 jillion dollar budget and anyone who disagrees isn’t supporting them.
Although I voted for the Iraq War, and every vote is on record, now I am against it and refuse to admit that I voted for it.
In 2002, John Kerry voted for H.J.RES.114: Authorization for the Use of Military Force Against Iraq. This was a vote to pass a joint resolution that would authorize the use of force against Iraq. The administration would be required to report to Congress that diplomatic options have been exhausted before, or within 48 hours after military action has started. Every 60 days the president would also be required to submit a progress report to Congress.
What he voted for, of course, is legislation to authorize Bush to use force if he felt it was necessary, not something as direct as ‘for the war.’ Kerry has certainly not ‘refused to admit’ this. He has talked about that vote any number of times and stood by it.
A short note on this tactic: many politicians use the “He voted against this seemingly perfect bill, therefore he must be evil” campaign a lot. In actuality, every bill presented to Congress is very complicated and one cannot pick and choose from within that bill what to approve and what not to approve. In one such bill to allocate funding for the Iraq War that Kerry voted against, he felt that the proposed bill did not provide for enough accountability on the part of the people spending the money.
I voted for every liberal piece of legislation.
Again, what does that mean without context?
I have no plan to help this country but I intend to raise taxes significantly if I am elected.
Well, that’s not what he says, but we can’t go believing that, now can we?
My wealth, (although it is not all my own), so far exceeds that of my counterpart, George Bush, that he will never catch up.
I’m confused as to why this matters. George W. Bush is not a poor, self-made man any more than Kerry is, and maybe less so. He’s a multimillionaire and when George H. W. Bush dies I’m sure there will be a large inheritance. Why this matters at all I don’t know. They’re both very rich and it’s a matter of degree. And if the wealth isn’t Kerry’s, why is it relevant? I guess it’s an attempt at calling him a mooch?
I make very little, if any, charitable contributions and have never agreed to pay any voluntary excess taxes in Mass., despite family wealth in excess of $700 million.
“If any?” Does the author know one way or the other? Here’s what I found in regards to his charitable contributions: In 2002, he reportedly had an income of $144,091. He paid $29,946 in federal taxes, $7,286 in Massachusetts state taxes, and gave $18,600 to charity. In 1997, Kerry reportedly had a taxable income of $217,338 and gave $21,795 to charity. In 1996, according to the Boston Globe, Kerry had a taxable income of $143,795 and paid $31,328 in federal taxes and $8,235 in Massachusetts state taxes. He donated $14,325 to charity.
I (we) own 28 manufacturing plants at Heinz outside of the U.S. in places like Asia, Mexico and Europe. We can make more profit from the cheaper cost of labor in those countries, although I blame George Bush for sending all the jobs out of the country.
Again, John Kerry and Teresa Heinz do not own the Heinz company. Heinz is a U.S.-based global business which sells its products in dozens of other countries, and like other food companies it has to localize some of its production at factories located in its foreign market areas. (It makes little sense from either an economic or a freshness standpoint to be shipping fruits and vegetables and/or finished food products halfway around the world rather than producing them locally.) One wouldn’t expect, for example, every can and bottle of Coca-Cola sold anywhere in the world — whether it be Australia, China, or Portugal — to be produced by U.S. bottlers.)
As the H.J. Heinz Company notes, well over half its sales come from foreign markets, and it therefore operates overseas facilities to serve those markets:
“Currently, 60% of the sales of the H.J. Heinz Company are outside the United States and to accommodate those customers by providing facilities closer to those markets, the company maintains a number of overseas facilities that provide products for consumers in those markets. This allows Heinz to pack the freshest ingredients, tailor its recipes to local tastes and deliver the finished products in a timely and efficient manner. In the United States, Heinz makes its flagship ketchup in factories in Fremont, Ohio; Muscatine, Iowa; and Stockton, California.”
Although I claim to be in favor of alternative energy sources, Ted Kennedy and I oppose windmills off Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard as it might spoil our view of the ocean as we cruise on our numerous yachts.
I was unable to find anything about this particular issue. However, I did find a lot about his voting record in regards to energy bills.
In 2003, John Kerry voted to pass an amendment (bill number S 14) that called for the Department of Energy to set targets and timelines to maintain the production of 100,000 hydrogen-powered vehicles by 2010, and 2.5 million vehicles annually by 2020. It also called for the department to set targets for the sale of hydrogen at fueling stations. The bill also required the Energy secretary to submit a yearly progress report to Congress.
He also voted to pass an amendment that called for the president to develop and implement measures to lessen dependence on foreign oil by 1 million barrels per day by 2013. It also required the president to submit a yearly progress report to Congress.
He also voted to pass a bill that would overhaul the nation’s energy policies, reorganize the electricity system and make available approximately $15 billion in energy-related tax incentives. It also would direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to establish a new CAFE standard within 15 months to two years. It would support the use of alternative energy and call for utilities to increase their dependence on renewable fuels.
More information on his voting record can be found here: http://www.vote-smart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=S0421103
RECORDS AND REFERENCES: None for you to read.
PERSONAL: I ride a Serotta Bike. My Gulfstream V Jet is called “The Flying Squirrel.”
I call my $850,000 42 ft. Hinckley twin diesel yacht the “Scarmouche.”
So he’s got money and uses it to buy nice things. Where’s the problem?
I am fascinated by rap and hip-hop and feel it reflects our real culture.
Yes, he said this. But there’s a lot more to what he said than a little blurb. The quote was taken from an interview with MTV’s Gideon Yago during an MTV Choose or Lose forum. Here’s the web site with a full article on the topic. http://www.sohh.com/thewire/read.php?contentID=5697
I own several large SUVs including one parked at my Nantucket summer mansion, although I am against polluting inefficient vehicles and blame George Bush for the energy problems.
One of these two men set the country’s energy policy, and it’s not Kerry.
Please consider voting for me!
Yes, please do!
Now I leave you with a similar resume for George Bush. "
(See link in above post)
One of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth guys claims he really treated Kerry and that his wound was minor, but he can’t prove it (someone else’s signature is on the relevant report).
