WASHINGTON – Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry missed most of the public hearings of the Senate Intelligence Committee during his eight years on the panel, according to his colleagues.
During his tenure on the committee, which provides oversight of national intelligence agencies, Kerry was absent for 38 of 49 public hearings, according to Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga.
"There's been a total avoidance of discussion of the voting record of John Kerry," said Chambliss last week, following Kerry's acceptance of the Democratic presidential nomination. "But that's not surprising. There's one area that he claims to have a lot of expertise and that's in the area of national security and on the issue of terrorism."
Chambliss said Kerry's vice presidential candidate, John Edwards, is a current member of the committee, "And I'll just tell you that in the last year and a half we haven't seen a whole lot of his running mate. And I would hope that he would agree to release to you the record of his attendance at meetings and hearings of the Senate Intelligence Committee over the last year and a half, or his total service on that committee."
Chambliss also questioned some of the votes Kerry did cast.
"For example, in1993 after the World Trade Center bombing Senator Kerry introduced a number of measures that were to reduce funding for the intelligence community by $7.5 billion, including a bill that he introduced in 1995 that called for the reduction in funding for the intelligence committees and intelligence communities by $300 million a year for five consecutive years," he said.
Chambliss points out those five years led up to Sept. 11. Kerry did not get any co-sponsors on that bill.
"He's been in the Senate for 20 years," said Chambliss. "Nobody has come to the platform to say, 'This is what John Kerry has done in his 20 years in the Senate.' They're not doing that because they can't do that."
"The natural family is a man and woman bound in a lifelong covenant of marriage for the purposes of:
*the continuation of the human species,
*the rearing of children,
*the regulation of sexuality,
*the provision of mutual support and protection,
*the creation of an altruistic domestic economy, and
*the maintenance of bonds between the generations."
posted on August 2, 2004 03:38:06 PM newHe's been in the Senate for 20 years," said Chambliss. "Nobody has come to the platform to say, 'This is what John Kerry has done in his 20 years in the Senate.' They're not doing that because they can't do that."
I know....in the aftermath of the DNC convention when op-ed writers were discussing his 'big' speech many mentioned how much time [and some even how many words] he gave to different parts of his approx. 5700 word speech.
Very few were spent on what he'd accomplished in 20 in the Senate...but tons on his short 4 months spent in VN - trying to impress us all.
It's hard to talk about something that's just not there....his accomplishments for 20 years. And I've already addressed his lack of support for our intelligence or our military.
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"One thing is for sure: the extremists have faith in our weakness. And the weaker we are, the more they will come after us." --Tony Blair
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"The War on Terror will not be won until America is united. And as long as Democrats target the Bush administration -- not the terrorists -- as the enemy, we are in trouble." --Oliver North
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many mentioned how much time [and some even how many words] he gave to different parts of his approx. 5700 word speech.
And I've already addressed his lack of support for our intelligence or our military.