An IQ test for liberals (and AndyFox :) )

[tolbiny]

"If given several objective examples"

From the quiz you just posted, i believe that you, and only you, could come up with the objective examples.
I look forward to reading them jimbo.

[wacki]

It shouldn't take much to realize that it's wrong to say conservatives or liberals are smarter. To state otherwise is to be a bigot. As far as I'm concerned the only valid arguement that you can make is here Political Brain. Even then, I think the results are premature, and incomplete, as it doesn't explain all of the behavioral differences between hardcore conservatives and liberals.

Use www.bugmenot.com to read it.

[Stu Pidasso]

Some of Kerry's Waffles

Abortion

"I think the question of abortion is one that should be left for the states to decide," Kerry said during his failed 1972 Congressional bid.

("John Kerry On The Issues," The [Lowell, MA] Sun, 10/11/72)

"The right to choose is the law of the United States. No person has the right to infringe on that freedom. Those of us who are in government have a special responsibility to see to it that the United States continues to protect this right, as it must protect all rights secured by the constitution."

(Sen. John Kerry [D-MA], Congressional Record, 1/22/85)


Double taxation on dividends

"[T]o encourage investments in the jobs of the future --I think we should eliminate the tax on capital gains for investments in critical technology companies--zero capital gains on $100 million issuance of stock if it's held for 5 years and has created real jobs. And we should attempt to end the double taxation of dividends."

(Sen. John Kerry, Remarks At The City Club Of Cleveland, 12/3/02)

Throughout 2003, Kerry opposed President Bush's tax plan, which, according to Bush, would eliminate the "double taxation on dividends." In May, Kerry voted against the final plan, which cut but didn't eliminate the tax on corporate dividends. 'This is not the time for a dividends tax cut that goes to individuals,' he said."("Kerry Says Time Is On Dems' Side," The Associated Press, 5/8/03)

Irish Heritage

"For those of us who are fortunate to share an Irish ancestry, we take great pride in the contributions that Irish-Americans..."

(Congressional Record, March 18, 1986)

"As some of you may know, I am part-English and part-Irish. And when my Kerry ancestors first came over to Massachusetts from the old country to find work in the New World, it was my English ancestors who refused to hire them."

Kerry was accused of using such comments to make his Irish-American constituents think he is one of them when, in fact, he isn't. His grandparents were Jewish who changed their names. Kerry now claims he never said it.

Intelligence

1994: Proposed Bill To Gut $1 Billion From Intelligence And Freeze Spending For Two Major Intelligence Programs

Kerry proposed a bill cutting $1 billion from the budgets of the National Foreign Intelligence Program and from Tactical Intelligence, and freezing their budgets. The bill did not make it to a vote, but the language was later submitted (and defeated – see below) as S. Amdt. 1452 to H.R. 3759. (S. 1826, Introduced 2/3/94)

1995: Proposed Bill Cutting $1.5 Billion From Intelligence Budget.

Kerry introduced a bill that would “reduce the Intelligence budget by $300 million in each of fiscal years 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000.”
No cosponsors of Kerry’s bill, Never Made it to floor
S. 1290, Introduced 9/29/95

1995: Voted To Slash FBI Funding By $80 Million. (H.R. 2076, CQ Vote #480: Adopted 49-41: R 9-40; D 40-1, 9/29/95, Kerry Voted Yea)

1997: Kerry Questioned Growth Of Intelligence Community After Cold War.

“Now that that [Cold War] struggle is over, why is it that our vast intelligence apparatus continues to grow even as Government resources for new and essential priorities fall far short of what is necessary? …” Congressional Record 5/1/97, p. S3891)

Kerry proposed cutting $1 billion from the National Foreign Intelligence Program and Tactical Intelligence budgets, and freezing their budgets. Defeated:
(Amdt.. To H.R. 3759, CQ Vote #39: Rejected 20-75: R 3-37; D 17-38, 2/10/94, Kerry Voted Yea; Graham, Lieberman And Braun Voted Nay)

"Kerry Strongly Supports Increased Intelligence Funding.” (Campaign slogan from JohnKerry.com)

[tolbiny]

1. Abortion-
13 years is not waffling. If you havent changed your mind on an important issue in the past 13 years i would venture that there is something very wrong with the way you think.

2. Several things happened during the six months between those comments that might allow someone to state that "now is not the time". Now is not the time doesnt constitute waffling in and of its self. I can believe in an idea, but also realize the implications of instituting that idea now.

3. I dont really care about this one. Using ones background to gain votes isnt uncommon. To forget you said something fairly inconsequential to you 18 years earlier also not uncommon.

4. people who take campaign slogans seriously have not been paying attention to politics for the past, oh say, 4,000 years.

FYI- waffling means to speak or write evasivly. In none of those examples did you show how kerry "waffled".

[jdl22]

I didn't read the rest, just the first one.

[ QUOTE ]

Abortion

"I think the question of abortion is one that should be left for the states to decide," Kerry said during his failed 1972 Congressional bid.

("John Kerry On The Issues," The [Lowell, MA] Sun, 10/11/72)

"The right to choose is the law of the United States. No person has the right to infringe on that freedom. Those of us who are in government have a special responsibility to see to it that the United States continues to protect this right, as it must protect all rights secured by the constitution."

(Sen. John Kerry [D-MA], Congressional Record, 1/22/85)

[/ QUOTE ]

Something happened in between 1972 and 1985. What happened? Well the Supreme Court of the United States decided in little known and rarely discussed case Roe v Wade that the right to choose is the law of the United States. The court found that abortion laws by individual states were not constitutional.

So what happened? Well John Kerry felt abortion was an issue that should be decided by the states. He didn't say in the quote how he thought his state should have it but I think we can assume he was of the pro choice persuasion. Then the supreme court rules that states do no have the right to pass legislation on the matter. At this point our Mr. Kerry had no choice (pun intended) but to change his views. Legally speaking it could not be a state issue.

[John Cole]

Flag sales seem to have diminished, so I think Ray should send ninety-nine dollars.

[Stu Pidasso]

[ QUOTE ]
Something happened in between 1972 and 1985. What happened? Well the Supreme Court of the United States decided in little known and rarely discussed case Roe v Wade that the right to choose is the law of the United States. The court found that abortion laws by individual states were not constitutional.


[/ QUOTE ]

Roe V Wade was argue December 13, 1971, Reargued October 11, 1972(same day John made the quote) and decided January 22, 1973.

[ QUOTE ]
Then the supreme court rules that states do no have the right to pass legislation on the matter. At this point our Mr. Kerry had no choice (pun intended) but to change his views. Legally speaking it could not be a state issue.

[/ QUOTE ]

You are in error. Our government is set up on a system of checks and balances. Sen Kerry was under no legal or moral obligation to change his views. He was, however, under political pressure to changed them.

Stu

[tolbiny]

Then the supreme court rules that states do no have the right to pass legislation on the matter. At this point our Mr. Kerry had no choice (pun intended) but to change his views. Legally speaking it could not be a state issue.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



You are in error. Our government is set up on a system of checks and balances. Sen Kerry was under no legal or moral obligation to change his views. He was, however, under political pressure to changed them.



Kerry was not "forced" to change his views. However, his previous view was rendered irrelevent by the supreme court. Unless he either wanted to attempt to change the constitution to allow for the abortion issues to be addressed by the state or he wanted to have no relevant opinion on the subject, he had to change his view.

[Stu Pidasso]

[ QUOTE ]
FYI- waffling means to speak or write evasivly. In none of those examples did you show how kerry "waffled".

[/ QUOTE ]

It also means a soft indented cake cooked in a waffle iron. Yummy!

In anycase you are correct that my examples would be correctly classified as John Kerry flip-flops instead of John Kerry waffles.

I was just hoping that if I posted something that sounded smart, someone would send me a hundred bucks. Man if I had a hundred bucks on me, id be at IHOP right now.

Stu

[tolbiny]

In anycase you are correct that my examples would be correctly classified as John Kerry flip-flops instead of John Kerry waffles.

I dont think changing my mind with a 13 yrs gap inbetween is a flip flop.
I dont care about his attempts to exploit his irish heritage for votes- and i still don't think it fits in the flip flop catagory as much as it either fits in the 18 years have gone by and i forgot what i said, or the i intentionally misled people for votes, but now dont want to own up to it. with the former being more likely IMO.
Stating now is not the time for something doesnt mean you changed your mind on it. Unless Kerry's speech said "we have to, at any cost cut dividend taxes" and then voted against it would i agree with you.
in the six months between the speech and the vote kerry could have seen the war in iraq taking alonger and more costly route than he had previously believed, as well as the economy continuing to stall and not believing dividend tax cutting would alliviate that would, in my mind, constitute good enough reasons to change his.
campaing slogans are just slogans and dont mean anything, like walla walla bing bang, or give peace a chance.

Kerry's waffle house? if he loses the election at least he has a new buisness idea with tons of free marketing.