John Kerry - not fit for duty
Following the failure of Barack Obama's first effort to name a new Secretary of State to replace outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, he's trying again with Massachusetts Senator John Kerry.
This idea was so rotten that even The Onion dropped it's usually highly-satirical tone to come out firmly against his nomination:
Until John Kerry steps forward and answers these questions with the transparency and specificity we require, we will not cease assailing him, and we will not cease our opposition to his candidacy for Secretary of State. Senator Kerry, if you truly value the openness and truthfulness that is part and parcel of this vaunted office, you will promptly come clean and, following that, formally remove yourself from consideration for this position.
There are plenty of good reasons why Kerry is wrong for the job. Many of them have to do with his lack of candor about his Vietnam service and his subsequent efforts to oppose the war and tarnish the image of those who served there. In 2004, the group Swift Vets and POWs for Truth went after Kerry, most prominently via a series of TV ads which featured numerous Vietnam War veterans who questioned Kerry's service record and claims about Vietnam. Their website, which remains online today, raises troubling questions about his record and honesty.
Some additional concerns have been raised by Billy Simons, a Lowcountry GOP activist who assailed Kerry's recent record on foreign policy issues:
Kerry's Senate record, along with those questions which were a major campaign issue in Kerry's failed 2004 bid for the Presidency, should matter to Senators. Our Secretary of State should be loyal to American interests and straightforward above all else.
While there must be a Secretary of State and it's likely this President will not seek to appoint one who will meet every wish of Republicans, Kerry's lack of candor and questions about his conduct during and after his Vietnam service cannot be ignored. As votes are for those who believe in democracy and defend it, not those dishonored and undermined it, the Senate should deny him a confirmation vote.
America's veterans and democratic values deserve to be honored and defended - and they certainly deserve to have someone better than John Kerry representing them as our Secretary of State.
Recent events demonstrate that there will be no challenge to the status quo in a Kerry State Dept. Several actions show this to be the case. A few examples of a lack of leadership on civil society and democracy promotion can be seen in his suspension of USAID funding in Cuba, lack of interest in the expulsion of USAID from Russia, and carrying the water for the White House in attempting to block the Magnitsky Act. In a nation weary of war, the expression of soft power around the globe is essential. The above examples, as well as others, raise questions about his leadership on promoting democracy and human rights.
Kerry's Senate record, along with those questions which were a major campaign issue in Kerry's failed 2004 bid for the Presidency, should matter to Senators. Our Secretary of State should be loyal to American interests and straightforward above all else.
While there must be a Secretary of State and it's likely this President will not seek to appoint one who will meet every wish of Republicans, Kerry's lack of candor and questions about his conduct during and after his Vietnam service cannot be ignored. As votes are for those who believe in democracy and defend it, not those dishonored and undermined it, the Senate should deny him a confirmation vote.
America's veterans and democratic values deserve to be honored and defended - and they certainly deserve to have someone better than John Kerry representing them as our Secretary of State.
For those who haven't seen the ads from 2004 which feature Vietnam vets who questioned Kerry, here are some of them:
In this particular case, he has been proven wrong.