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BBHQ Boomer Essays: |
| Our Boomer-In-Charge here at BBHQ, Hershel Chicowitz, writes frequently about current events... from a boomer perspective. He is sometimes funny, sometimes provocative, sometimes a little of each. We hope you get a kick out of our Boomer Essays. |
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| WARNING: This essay is rated P - for Political content. Some material may be too intense for some readers. Discretion is advised. If you are not up for a serious discussion on the issues of the day, there are over 300 other pages at BBHQ with nothing but fun and nostalgia; please wander around elsewhere at BBHQ. Our recommended alternative essay this week is "Just Shoot Me." |
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I recently realized that many people do not know much about John
Kerry. Oh, a lot of people know that they are going to vote for him;
still, they do not know much about him. No one was able to clearly
explain to me why John Kerry is running the kind of campaign he is, as I
inquired earlier. In that essay I took some hits for being unkind to the Democratic nominee, including one visitor who criticized me mercilessly for expressing my "biased opinions." Oh, the humanity! So, with that in mind I thought it would be appropriate to simply lay out some basic facts about John Kerry. I know... I know. Someone will accuse me of expressing "biased facts." But, that is one of the hazards of the deal. So, here is the straight scoop on John Kerry... just the facts. And some of this might surprise even you news hounds. (And for you gossip lovers, there are some juicy, bona fide rumors about who Senator Kerry dated before he married the lovely and gracious Teresa Heinz.) The Early Years: Born: 1943, Colorado; raised in a wealthy family in Massachusetts. Education: Bachelor's degree, Yale University, 1966; law degree, Boston College, 1976.
 Marriage and Family: 1970: married Julia Thorne, daughter of a wealthy banker; two daughters, Alexandra and Vanessa; separated, 1982; divorced (or actually annulled), 1988. Rumored affairs while separated: Morgan Fairchild, Britney Spears, Cornelia Guest, Patti Davis (daughter of Ronald Reagan). 1995: married Teresa Heinz, wealthy widow of the late Senator John Heinz, of the Heinz food conglomerate; stepsons: John, Andre and Christopher.
Military Overview: U.S. Navy, 1966-1970, swift boat officer, served on a gunboat in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam; served in the Naval Reserve, 1972-1978. John Kerry was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat V, and three Purple Hearts for service in combat. He racked up all of these commendations during his 4 1/2 month stint in Vietnam, thus making him perhaps the most decorated warrior for the least amount of time served in U.S. military history.
Career Overview: 1972: ran for House seat in Congress, lost. Assistant district attorney, Middlesex County, Mass., 1976-1978; lawyer, private practice, 1979-1982. 1983-1985: Lieutenant governor, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, serving under Governor Michael Dukakis, Democrat. 1985-present: U.S. Senate, Massachusetts, Democrat. Major legislative accomplishments: Supported raise in the minimum wage; helped pass legislation on nursing shortage. Major bills introduced, sponsored and passed during his 20 years in the Senate:
Voting Record: If you listen to what John Kerry says, you might understandably be confused as to what he actually believes or what he would do as president, as he has been on virtually every side of every important issue. Perhaps the best indicator of his views lies in his voting record in the Senate, though even that has been far from consistent. Here are some highlights:
1985-86: $100 million to Nicaraguan freedom fighters -- No In essence, Senator Kerry has voted against the very military system and the intelligence mechanisms that won the cold war. National Journal rated Senator Kerry's 2003 Senate voting record as the most liberal of all 100 senators. (His running mate, John Edwards, was ranked as number four.) Additionally, with the help of his wife, who is now one of the 400 wealthiest Americans, Senator Kerry is now the wealthiest member of the Senate.
Career Ambitions: Like his Democratic predecessor, John Kerry has wanted to be president since he was a teenager. In college, he referred to himself as "the next JFK." During the summer of 1962, Kerry worked for Edward M. Kennedy's campaign for the Senate. He handed out leaflets, but apparently never met the candidate. That summer Kerry began to spend time with Janet Auchincloss, the half-sister of the first lady. What a coincidence, huh?
"By the time John Kerry began his second term as U.S. senator in 1991, his nickname among Massachusetts political insiders was "Live Shot," a reference to his relentless courting of reporters, especially those with TV cameras in tow. In the Senate, where seniority and decorum still mattered, Kerry was seen as an impatient new breed, more interested in generating headlines than mastering the tedious process of lawmaking." - Boston Globe, June 21, 2003.
Military Career Details: After John Kerry's college deferments expired, Mr. Kerry asked the draft board if he could first serve time in Paris, doing research. The board said no. Knowing he was about to be drafted, he enlisted. Kerry asked to serve on the Swift boats, the closest thing to the PT boat that his hero, John Kennedy, had commanded. At the time, swift boats were not used in combat. However, before Kerry could complete his duty, the Swift boats were assigned to combat duty, and he was thus sent to Vietnam. Senator Kerry wrote this in 1986: "When I signed up for the Swift boats, they had very little to do with the war. "I didn't really want to get involved in the war." Senator Kerry's record claims that he served two tours of duty (two years) in Vietnam. That is not correct. Senator Kerry went to Vietnam in November, 1968; he left 4 1/2 months later. For over 30 years, John Kerry has been claiming that he spent Christmas day of 1968 in Cambodia. This year has was finally forced to admit that he never went into Cambodia. Military rules in place at the time allowed a soldier to be reassigned from active duty if he received three Purple Hearts. (Purple Hearts are awarded for injuries suffered during combat from enemy fire.) John Kerry took advantage of this opportunity and left Vietnam in March, 1969. However, recent testimony by soldiers who served with John Kerry have forced the senator to acknowledge that at least one of the injuries was caused by a self-inflicted wound. Though still on active reserve duty back in the states, John Kerry joined the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, and became very active in the organization. Mr. Kerry claimed that as part of one protest he threw his medals over a fence at the Capitol. Later he claimed that he threw away this ribbons, not his medals, and then that he threw away someone else's medals. Take your pick. On April 22, 1971 John Kerry testified before a Senate committee that U.S. servicemen "personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, taped wires from portable telephones to human genitals and turned on the power, cut off limbs, blown up bodies, randomly shot at civilians, razed villages in fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan, shot cattle and dogs for fun, poisoned food stocks, and generally ravaged the countryside of South Vietnam." He said these were "not isolated incidents but crimes committed on a day-to-day basis with the full awareness of officers at all levels of command." John Kerry could not substantiate that statement, though he acknowledged that he had commited war crimes. But it is that statement and that attitude that angered thousands of other verterans who served honorably in Vietnam. Mr. Kerry has never renounced that statement or apologized for the stain he cast on his fellow soldiers.
Political Career Details: As a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee from 1993-2000, Kerry missed 38 of 49 public hearings, or just over 76%. Senator Kerry has refused to reveal what percentage of the closed meetings he has attended. In the year following the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center, Senator Kerry did not attent a single public meeting of the Senate Intelligence Committee. In 2004, Senator Kerry has missed over 80% of all Senate votes. With all his great ideas of what he would do as president, Senator Kerry has not seen fit to initiate legislation on any of them during his 20 years in the Senate.
Regarding the Gulf War in 1991, Senator Kerry said, "My speech on the floor of the Senate [in 1991] could not have been clearer about my support for military force." He voted against it. Senator Kerry repeatedly criticized President Bush for being too eager to go to war against Iraq. Yet, he voted in favor of the resolution allowing him to do just so. Kerry has criticized the president for not providing our troops with the materials necessary for combat, yet he voted against the measure to provide those materials. ("I actually foted FOR the $87 billion dollars... before I voted against it.") Back in 1997, when President Clinton ordered bombing of Iraq, Kerry criticized the United Nations, France and Russia for not being tougher on Iraq. On CNN's "Crossfile," the senator said that the Clinton administration was making it clear they didn't need the UN Security Council to agree to a material breach of U.N. resolutions. "I think the United States has always reserved the right and will reserve the right to act in its best interests." He went on to criticize the French for not being more helpful, and said that the issue wasn't just about weapons of mass destruction, but Iraq's breach of agreements. And yet, in 2004, Senator Kerry has criticized President Bush for doing just that! This fall, candidate Kerry is criticizing the cost to fight terrorists in Iraq. But last summer, he told NBC's Tim Russert that we should spend "whatever it takes" to win in Iraq.
 So, in a nutshell -- albeit a small one -- there you have it. That should give you a good start on understanding who John Kerry is. Is that the profile of the man you want to be commander in chief? Well, that is what elections are all about.
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Exploring My Roots: A Chicowitz History
Membership details here.
Terrific boomer memorabilia!!
Remember this?
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2005 Update:
Preparing for another run at the presidency, John Kerry has continued to maintain a high profile. The controversy about his Vietnam service has died down. But a couple of items persist. Senator Kerry's medical history has remained a mystery. On more than one occasion the senator claimed that he had released all of his medical records. That is simply not true. He has released the records that he wants to release, not all of them. It is precisely this deceit that has kept the controversy alive.
The issue could be resolved by the release of his military medical records. The senator could do this by submitting what the military calls form 180, a 3-page form giving the military authorization to release medical records. The senator got away with dancing around the matter during the campaign. But Tim Russert, the moderator of NBC's "Meet the Press," bought it up again on January 30, 2005. Here is the exchange between Mr. Russert and Senator Kerry:
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MR. RUSSERT: Many people who've been criticizing you have said: Senator,
if you would just do one thing and that is sign Form 180, which would
allow historians and journalists complete access to all your military
records. Thus far, you have gotten the records, released them through
your campaign. They say you should not be the filter. Sign Form 180 and
let the historians... SEN. KERRY: I'd be happy to put the records out. We put all the records out that I had been sent by the military. Then at the last moment, they sent some more stuff, which had some things that weren't even relevant to the record. So when we get -- I'm going to sit down with them and make sure that they are clear and I am clear as to what is in the record and what isn't in the record and we'll put it out. I have no problem with that. MR. RUSSERT: Would you sign Form 180? SEN. KERRY: But everything, Tim… MR. RUSSERT: Would you sign Form 180? SEN. KERRY: Yes, I will.
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That is the same kind of bob and weave in which the senator engaged during the campaign.
Well, as of this writing (May 2005) it is now over three months later, and Senator Kerry has still not signed form 180.
What does that tell you?
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If you like what we're doing here at BBHQ, please help us by buying stuff through our link to Amazon.com:
| The BBHQ Album of the Month is "Old Friends Live on Stage (Deluxe Edition) (2 CD/1 DVD)," by Simon & Garfunkel. If you were fortunate enough to see them in concert last year, I do not have to sell you. The concert was terrific! This album collection includes 55 songs, plus their new recording, "Citizen of the Planet," and one of the songs sung by the Everly Brothers during the concert. The DVD was recorded during their concert in Madison Square Garden in 2003. For any S&G fan, this is a must have! But then, you knew that already, didn't you? |
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The BBHQ Book of the Month is
"Vinyl Highway," by
Dee Dee Phelps. You remember her as Dee Dee, of Dick and Dee Dee.
Together, they took a decade long ride on the rock and roll roller
coaster. It was a heck of a ride! Dick Clark, Quincy Jones, the Beach
Boys, Glenn Campbell, Dionne Warwick, Bobby Vinton... Dick and Dee Dee
rubbed shoulders with all of them. This is her "behind the scenes" story.
It's pretty cool.
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