More Kerryisum!

[MOP]

Check your Heinz bottles in your stores

I checked and my bottle of Heinz catsup says
"Product of Canada"

Guess I'll be checking out all the Heinz products at
the store! Shortly after reading the following
e-mail content, I happened to look at the label of a
jar of Heinz sandwich slice pickles. Yep...."Made in
Mexico."

Check some of your Heinz products. Sen. John Kerry
keeps talking about U.S. corporations leaving this
country and setting up shop in foreign countries,
taking thousands of jobs with them. He is right,
because that has happened. However, he is trying to
blame it on George W. Bush. As far as I know, Bush
has not moved one factory out of this country
because he is not the owner of a single factory.
That cannot be said about Kerry and his wife,Teresa
Heinz-Kerry. According to the Wall Street Journal,
the Kerrys own 32 factories in Europe and 18
in Asia and the Pacific.

In addition, their company, the Heinz Company,
leases four factories in Europe and four in Asia.
Also, they own 27 factories in North America, some
of which are in Mexico and the Caribbean.

I wonder how many hundreds of American workers lost
their jobs when Tahhh-reeezz-ahhhh and John
relocated their plants in foreign countries? Dan
Blather will surely tell us, eh?

I also wonder if the workers in Mexico and Asia are
paid the same wages and benefits as workers in the
United States. Of course they're not. However, Kerry
demands that other companies that relocate should
pay the same benefits they did in the U.S.

Why does he not demand this of the Heinz Company,
since he is married to the owner?

If Kerry is elected, will he and his wife close all
those foreign factories and bring all those jobs
back to America?
Of course they won't.

They're making millions off that cheap labor. The
labels don't lie, Does Kerry? Check the Heinz bottle
in your store.....where did it come from?

[Islander]

Ummm.....Phil. Tearisa was a Republican until very recently.

Uhh yeah...but the Republicans aren't the ones carping about the outsourcing issue. Is there a bit of hypocrisy here perhaps?

[ToonaFish]

http://www.snopes.com/politics/kerry/heinz.asp

[DONZI]

And now for the rest of the story.
http://www.heinz.com/jsp/nonpartisan.jsp

[MOP]

I did a little skulking around the net and found that Heinz also owns DelMonte, one of the largest out sourcing firms on earth. Snopes I feel at times tells the story its told to tell, how do they maintain them selves with no advertising. Maybe a little behind the scenes help Hmmmm!

MOP

[boxy]

Phil, did you not read the article, Thersa Kerry's family owns less than 4% of Heinz Corp.
Come on you can do better than that. :redface:

[boxy]

All my Heinz ketchup says Made in Canada, how dare they sell me ketchup made from Canadian tomatoes, made by Canadians in a Canadian factory. Oh wait, I'm from Canada.... :D

[MissRepublican]

It is important to note that John Heinz, THK's deceased husband, golden goose, and "founder of the Heinz feast" for Teresa was a conservative Republican.

Teresa Heinz's donations with Heinz money, in her "real job" as a "philanthropist" (much more important that anything Laura Bush has done, in THK's opinion):

Contributor HEINZ, TERESA, BOSTON,MA 02108

Occupation: THE HEINZ FAMILY PHILANTHROPIES

Date 7/9/2003

Amount $1,000

Recipient: Cmte for a Democratic Majority

Date: 3/8/2004

Amount: $1,000

Recipient: Murtha, John P
http://www.issues2000.org/PA/John_Murtha.htm
Murtha is a Democrat, but he has a history of voting pro-life, he voted to allow prayer in schools, but only during the war on terror, he supports an amendment banning desecration of the flag.

Date: 12/5/2003

Amount: $1,000

Recipient: Delahunt, Bill
http://www.issues2000.org/MA/Bill_Delahunt.htm
Rated 100% by NARAL, indicating a pro-choice voting record. (Dec 2003)
Voted NO on federal crime to harm fetus while committing other crimes. (Apr 2001)
Voted NO on banning partial-birth abortions. (Apr 2000)
Voted NO on banning gay adoptions in DC. (Jul 1999)
Date: 12/23/2003

Rated 14% by the US COC, indicating an anti-business voting record. (Dec 2003)

Amount: $2,000

Recipient: Boxer, Barbara
http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Barbara_Boxer.htm
Voted NO on Amendment to prohibit flag burning. (Dec 1995)
Voted NO on criminal penalty for harming unborn fetus during other crime. (Mar 2004)
Voted NO on banning partial birth abortions except for maternal life. (Mar 2003)
Voted YES on setting aside 10% of highway funds for minorities & women. (Mar 1998)
Voted NO on ending special funding for minority & women-owned business. (Oct 1997)
Voted NO on prohibiting same-sex marriage. (Sep 1996)
Rated 22% by the US COC, indicating an anti-business voting record. (Dec 2003)
Voted NO on Educational Savings Accounts. (Mar 2000)
Voted NO on allowing more flexibility in federal school rules. (Mar 1999)
Voted NO on education savings accounts. (Jun 1998)
Voted NO on school vouchers in DC. (Sep 1997)
Voted NO on $75M for abstinence education. (Jul 1996)
Voted NO on requiring schools to allow voluntary prayer. (Jul 1994)
Voted YES on national education standards. (Feb 1994)
Rated 91% by the NEA, indicating pro-public education votes. (Dec 2003)

Date: 7/8/2003

Amount: $1,000

Recipient: Frank, Barney
"the one man responsible for creating this revolving door was Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts, whose 1989 Frank Amendment to INS procedures paved the way for the 19 hijackers to freely enter this country, take flying lessons, and quietly prepare for their deadly attack with no notice from our intelligence agencies."

"Congressman Barney Frank, the Massachusetts Democrat who was a strong advocate of protecting civil liberties, led a successful effort to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act so that membership in a terrorist group was no longer sufficient to deny a visa. Under Frank's amendment, which seems unthinkable post-9-11, a visa could only be denied if the government could prove that the applicant had committed an act of terrorism. Rendered toothless by the Frank Amendment, the Reagan administration had virtually no way to block entry visas even when there was information linking the individuals to terrorist groups."

Date: 6/8/2004

Amount: $1,000

Recipient: Frank, Barney

Date: 10/15/2003

Amount: $2,000

Recipient: Murray, Patty
Voted NO on banning partial birth abortions. (Oct 1999)
Voted NO on Amendment to prohibit flag burning. (Dec 1995)
Voted YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage. (Sep 1996)
Voted NO on Educational Savings Accounts. (Mar 2000)
Voted NO on education savings accounts. (Jun 1998)
Voted NO on school vouchers in DC. (Sep 1997)
Voted NO on $75M for abstinence education. (Jul 1996)
Voted NO on requiring schools to allow voluntary prayer. (Jul 1994)
Voted YES on ending Vietnam embargo. (Jan 1994)
Voted NO on banning human cloning. (Feb 1998)
Voted NO on $350 billion in tax breaks over 11 years. (May 2003)
Voted NO on eliminating the 'marriage penalty'. (Jul 2000)
Voted NO on across-the-board spending cut. (Oct 1999)
Voted NO on $792B tax cuts. (Jul 1999)
Voted NO on authorizing use of military force against Iraq. (Oct 2002)
Voted YES on allowing all necessary forces and other means in Kosovo. (May 1999)
Voted YES on authorizing air strikes in Kosovo. (Mar 1999)
Condemns anti-Muslim bigotry in name of anti-terrorism. (Oct 2001)
Wage war on Terrorism, not on fellow Americans. (Sep 2001)
Move the US Embassy to Jerusalem. (Nov 1995)


Date: 4/18/2004

Amount: $2,000

Recipient: Udall, Mark
Voted NO on banning partial-birth abortion except to save mother’s life. (Oct 2003)
Voted NO on forbidding human cloning for reproduction & medical research. (Feb 2003)
Voted NO on funding for health providers who don't provide abortion info. (Sep 2002)
Date: 10/2/2003
Voted NO on constitutional amendment prohibiting flag desecration. (Jun 2003)
Voted NO on Constitutional amendment prohibiting Flag Desecration. (Jul 2001)
Voted NO on banning gay adoptions in DC. (Jul 1999)
Voted NO on Amendment to prohibit burning the US flag. (Jun 1999)
Voted YES on funding for alternative sentencing instead of more prisons. (Jun 2000)
Voted NO on allowing school prayer during the War on Terror. (Nov 2001)
Voted YES on prohibiting oil drilling & development in ANWR. (Aug 2001)
Voted YES on starting implementation of Kyoto Protocol. (Jun 2000)
Preserve Alaska's ANWR instead of drilling it. (Feb 2001)
Voted NO on limiting medical malpractice lawsuits to $250,000 damages. (May 2004)

Amount: $2,000

Recipient: Lincoln, Blanche
Voted YES on removing consideration of drilling ANWR from budget bill. (Mar 2003)
Voted NO on drilling ANWR on national security grounds. (Apr 2002)
Firmly opposed to Bush’s voucher proposal. (Jan 2001)
Voted YES on adopting the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. (Oct 1999)
Voted YES on allowing another round of military base closures. (May 1999)
Voted YES on cutting nuclear weapons below START levels. (May 1999)
Rated 77% by the AFL-CIO, indicating a pro-labor voting record. (Dec 2003)
Voted NO on $350 billion in tax breaks over 11 years. (May 2003)
Voted YES on authorizing use of military force against Iraq. (Oct 2002)

Date: 11/26/2003

Amount: $2,000

Recipient: Mikulski, Barbara A
Voted YES on setting aside 10% of highway funds for minorities & women. (Mar 1998)
Voted NO on ending special funding for minority & women-owned business. (Oct 1997)
Voted YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage. (Sep 1996)
Voted NO on banning partial birth abortions. (Oct 1999)
Voted NO on Amendment to prohibit flag burning. (Dec 1995)
Voted NO on education savings accounts. (Jun 1998)
Voted NO on school vouchers in DC. (Sep 1997)
Voted NO on $75M for abstinence education. (Jul 1996)
Voted NO on requiring schools to allow voluntary prayer. (Jul 1994)
Voted NO on drilling ANWR on national security grounds. (Apr 2002)


The information on these individuals--all Democrats, by the way, is available on a variety of sites, but www.issues2000.org (http://www.issues2000.org/) is one of the quickest, easiest ways to find out any member of congress' record on the issues.

And some additional fun information about 527's: Soros, of course, is the largest contributor, but you can see the inequity here: http://www.opensecrets.org/527s/527grps.asp

[boxy]

Darcy, I'm going to send you a PM, if that is all right. I'd like some more info about your post.

[ToonaFish]

Snopes I feel at times tells the story its told to tell, how do they maintain them selves with no advertising. Maybe a little behind the scenes help Hmmmm!

MOP

Um, Phil, you must have the pop up ads blocked...

[MissRepublican]

While HJ Heinz PAC donations favor the GOP over the democrats, the Heinz charities and the Heinz philanthropic organizations, also supported by Heinz money, are administered by THK, and such contributions are indeed "germane" as they are made in the Heinz name, with income from HJ Heinz. I'm just putting my happy little straw man up in the cornfield next to yours :biggrin:

[DONZI]

I thought the post was about jobs. :confused:
Bush Faces the Worst Jobs Record of Any President Running for Reelection. George Bush has presided over the loss of 1.6 million private-sector jobs. He will face re-election as the first job-loss president since Herbert Hoover in the Great Depression. Manufacturing has been very hard hit, losing 2.7 million jobs.
[Bureau of Labor Statistics
http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/mmls.nr0.htm

[MissRepublican]

Under the Bush administration:

The economy has grown 4.8% in the past year, as fast as any year in nearly two decades.
Productivity grew at the fastest 3-year rate in more than 50 years.
Since last August, over 1.5 million new jobs have been created.
The unemployment rate has fallen from 6.3 to 5.6 percent, below the average of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
This job growth is widespread – employment over the last year was up in 41 of the 50 states, and the unemployment rate was down in 47 of the 50 states.
Nearly 70 percent of the job loss we have experienced occurred during the 2001 recession and immediately after the attacks of September 11th. The attacks were a serious blow to our economy, closing the New York Stock Exchange for nearly a week and shutting down U.S. airspace for the first time ever. In the three months after September 11th, the economy lost nearly one million jobs.


And finally: The Best Current Estimate Is That 585,000 Jobs Have Been Lost Under Bush, About One-Third Of The Number Kerry Stated." ("Distortions Galore At Second Presidential Debate," FactCheck.org, Available At http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx@docID=275.html, Accessed 10/09/04

[boxy]

...the Heinz philanthropic organizations, ...are administered by THK, ... are made in the Heinz name, with income from HJ Heinz.
D, I've cut some of your quote, and I don't think I've changed the meaning, if I have I will edit it.

Here is the problem I have with that statement, what does the source of income have to do with what she spends it on ?

I am not informed enough to debate the mertits of her donations, but I can't see how it is the HJ Heinz Co's fault, or how they are responsibile for, who she gives her money to.

[MissRepublican]

You overlooked the most germane part of my post ... "I'm just putting my happy little straw man up in the cornfield next to yours :biggrin:"


(A "Straw man" is a logical fallacy...hence my little joke.) I was keeping up with the Joneses by setting up a logical fallacy to counter a logical fallacy.

[boxy]

I'm in way over my head :D
I do agree that the legal source of the money that a person uses for political donations is NOT what should be questioned, especially if it takes scrutiny away from what they are donating to.

[mattyboy]

You overlooked the most germane part of my post ...


was it over when the germanes bombed pearl habor??? ;) :rlol:

the senator

[gold-n-rod]

Under the Bush administration:

The economy has grown 4.8% in the past year, as fast as any year in nearly two decades.
Productivity grew at the fastest 3-year rate in more than 50 years.
Since last August, over 1.5 million new jobs have been created.
The unemployment rate has fallen from 6.3 to 5.6 percent, below the average of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
This job growth is widespread – employment over the last year was up in 41 of the 50 states, and the unemployment rate was down in 47 of the 50 states.
Nearly 70 percent of the job loss we have experienced occurred during the 2001 recession and immediately after the attacks of September 11th. The attacks were a serious blow to our economy, closing the New York Stock Exchange for nearly a week and shutting down U.S. airspace for the first time ever. In the three months after September 11th, the economy lost nearly one million jobs.


And finally: The Best Current Estimate Is That 585,000 Jobs Have Been Lost Under Bush, About One-Third Of The Number Kerry Stated." ("Distortions Galore At Second Presidential Debate," FactCheck.org, Available At http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx@docID=275.html, Accessed 10/09/04

Tell that to the men and women of America who have lost good jobs during the Bush administration.

It's nice that you are so adept at cutting and pasting. If you really believe that, I have a nice bridge in Arizona.....!!!!!

Personally, I'm looking forward to a week from now when the same old tired rhetoric is over and done with.

blah, blah, blah

another Randy, voting to give a village in Texas their idiot back!!

[boxy]

was it over when the germanes bombed pearl habor??? ;) :rlol:

the senator

leave him alone, he's on a roll

[MissRepublican]

Errr, gold-n-rod, did I obfuscate the issue with FACTS? I realize the left doesn't like to recognize truth, given a total inability to comprehend it...depending, of course, upon what the definition of "is" is....

[gold-n-rod]

Errr, gold-n-rod, did I obfuscate the issue with FACTS? I realize the left doesn't like to recognize truth, given a total inability to comprehend it...depending, of course, upon what the definition of "is" is....

Depends on what your definition of "FACTS" is. From YOUR source:

"Kerry misled when he claimed the economy has lost 1.6 million jobs under Bush. It is true that figures released earlier in the day show the economy is still down by 1.6 million private sector jobs since Bush took office, but the drop in total payroll employment -- including teachers, firemen, policemen and other federal, state and local government employees -- is down by much less than that -- 821,000. Furthermore, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced, with the release of the latest figures, that its yearly "benchmark" revision would add an estimated 236,000 payroll jobs to the total when made final next February. That means the best current estimate is that 585,000 jobs have been lost under Bush, about one-third of the number Kerry stated.

Kerry may turn out to be correct when he said Bush would be "the first president in 72 years to lose jobs." Payroll employment has been growing at roughly 100,000 jobs per month for the past four months, and there are only four months to go -- October, November, December and January -- until the end of Bush's term in January, 2005. (The number that will actually go into the economic history books won't be known until February 2006, when the BLS publishes its final benchmark revisions of 2004 data.)"

The street goes both ways, sweetie!

another Randy

[MissRepublican]

You sound just like John Kerry when he says he'll determine whether or not he supported the war in Iraq after he sees how it turns out....

[gold-n-rod]

Here are some more numbers shared by our former president Clinton today. Care to refute?

"There are 249,000 new cases of poverty in Pennsylvania. Some 333,000 people who lost health insurance. Unemployment is up 26 percent. About 140,000 unemployed workers were kicked off job training and 88,000 cops have been pulled off the streets."

Source: AP

another Randy

[MissRepublican]

First, the former President isn't what I would consider to be a credible source. However, I'll address your/his assertions:

I'm don’t know where the pair of you got your statistics, but Pennsylvania's Labor and Industry Secretary has the following to say: 71,000 fewer Pennsylvanians are working today than in March 2001...the beginning of the recession. Over the past 12 months, the civilian labor force has increased by 147,000 persons (+2.4%), with the gain entirely due to an increase in employment in the state.


In September 2001, the state's unemployment rate was 4.6 percent. The state’s unemployment rate for September 2004 is 5.3 percent. This is not a 26% increase.


While your statistics are interesting, they fail to take into account the fact that PA’s governor has declared 58 counties in PA to be national disaster areas due to Hurricanes Frances and Ivan. People unable to work because of the effects of the storm are immediately eligible for regular state unemployment compensation. That fact alone has a major impact on the unemployment rate.

I’m not sure what you think President Bush has to do with the loss of health insurance. The likes of Senator Edwards and his litigious ilk have had a much more significant impact on the high cost of health insurance. However, I’m not able to find updated information on the number of uninsureds in the state. By all means, provide documentation. The most recent stats I found were based on 11/2003 information. However, I think the fundamental difference here is ideological: I don’t think the government (meaning the taxpaying public) has an obligation to provide free health care.


According to the state of PA, in FY 2004-05, State Police Trooper strength is at its highest level in 32 years.


“About 140,000 unemployed workers were kicked off job training.” Again, I can’t find any information to corroborate this assertion. Please provide supporting documentation.

[Craig]

I just ate lunch with a guy from Pennsylvania. He's says he's doing fine!

[MissRepublican]

I can’t find any information to corroborate this assertion. Please provide supporting documentation.
Resounding silence....those "pesky" facts....:rlol:

[gold-n-rod]

Resounding silence....those "pesky" facts....:rlol:

If you are referring to me, I'm still awaiting your response to post #24. Yawn.

another Randy

[gold-n-rod]

I'm don’t know where the pair of you got your statistics, but Pennsylvania's Labor and Industry Secretary has the following to say: 71,000 fewer Pennsylvanians are working today than in March 2001...the beginning of the recession. Over the past 12 months, the civilian labor force has increased by 147,000 persons (+2.4%), with the gain entirely due to an increase in employment in the state.


Really? Here's what he also said: HARRISBURG: Labor & Industry Secretary Stephen M. Schmerin today commented on the fluctuation in Pennsylvania’s job market, noting that manufacturing lost another 2,100 jobs in September and the number of people forced to work part-time jobs is steadily increasing.

“Pennsylvania’s nonfarm job count rose by 4,600 last month to 5,647,100, but remains 71,000 below the number of people working in March 2001,” Schmerin said. “The nearly stagnant job growth in Pennsylvania mirrors the slow recovery of the nation as a whole.

“Regretfully, the number of jobs being created in Pennsylvania is not even keeping pace with our population growth. So far in 2004, Pennsylvania’s Employment to Population Rate — the portion of the state’s working-age population that is employed — is down to 60.7 percent, compared to 62.5 percent in 2001.

“Meanwhile, the steady rise in the number of people working part-time ‘for economic reasons’ is another indicator of the unstable economy. U.S. Department of Labor survey statistics show the year-to-date number of Pennsylvanians working part-time for economic reasons because they cannot find full-time work is 63,000 – a 17 percent increase since 2001.”


source: http://www.dli.state.pa.us/landi/cwp/view.asp?Q=217080&A=3



According to the state of PA, in FY 2004-05, State Police Trooper strength is at its highest level in 32 years.

Is that so? Better read this: Statewide, crimes dropped 8.1 percent between 1999 and 2003, said Pennsylvania State Police Press Secretary Jack J. Lewis. Crime index offenses include murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft and arson.

"In recent years crime index offenses have been dropping but the percentage of decline in recent years has been decreasing -- from 2002 to 2003 the decrease was 7/10th of 1 percent," said Lewis.

The downward crime trend is remarkable to Labron Shuman, an associate professor of administration of justice at Delaware County Community College in Marple.

"Most police officers do not have sufficient resources to deal with crime in general. They need more men. They need more equipment," maintained Shuman.

He is particularly disturbed by the phase-out of the Community Oriented Policing or COPS program, part of President Bill Clinton’s 1994 federal crime bill that has provided funding for 118,000 new police officers across the country. Delaware County police forces including Marcus Hook and Yeadon have benefited from the funds.

"Under Clinton 100,000 police were paid for with federal funding and that’s being eliminated," said Shuman, an attorney who has taught at Delaware County Community College for about 20 years.

The Bush administration has cut COPS funding because, Republicans say, the program has already exceeded its goal of adding 100,000 new officers, and the money is needed for homeland security and emergency first responders.

The International Brotherhood of Police Officers who, in the 2000 presidential election backed Bush, has endorsed Sen. John Kerry because of his support of the COPS program. The police union is also unhappy that the Republican-dominated Congress allowed the 1994 federal ban on 19 types of assault weapons to expire on Sept. 13.

"No one knows the implication of rescinding the ban on automatic weapons. With the increase of availability of automatic weapons, comes the increase of risk to every policeman," said Shuman.

He noted that law enforcement officials need more resources to keep pace with technology in such areas as Internet crime and the preservation of DNA evidence.

"Every police force is stretched thin, it is not unique to cities," said Shuman. "Federal funding is imperative. States and cities are hard-pressed to do it themselves."

Source: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1675&dept_id=18171&newsid=13114627&PAG=461&rfi=9



“About 140,000 unemployed workers were kicked off job training.” Again, I can’t find any information to corroborate this assertion. Please provide supporting documentation.

That's prolly because you are scanning the Republican provided claptrap. I'll keep looking. And if I'm wrong, I'll step up and admit it..... something your man, Shrub, seems incapable of doing. :biggrin.:

another Randy

[MissRepublican]

Statewide, crimes dropped 8.1 percent between 1999 and 2003, said Pennsylvania State Police Press Secretary Jack J. Lewis. Crime index offenses include murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft and arson.

"In recent years crime index offenses have been dropping but the percentage of decline in recent years has been decreasing

This seems to be fairly standard from the perspective of the left: things are getting better, but not fast enough. It should be noted that the majority of the drop in crime has been during the Bush administration. PA reported a 6% drop in crime between 2000 and 2001, the first year of the Bush presidency. One should note that the more significant reductions in crime rates occurred under Republican governor Tom Ridge. The steady slide in percentage of decline has been under a Democratic governor—Edward Rendell.



"Under Clinton 100,000 police were paid for with federal funding and that’s being eliminated," said Shuman, an attorney who has taught at Delaware County Community College for about 20 years.

The Bush administration has cut COPS funding because, Republicans say, the program has already exceeded its goal of adding 100,000 new officers, and the money is needed for homeland security and emergency first responders.”


October 18, 2004 - President George W. Bush signed the FY 2005 Homeland Security Appropriations Act, which provides $28.9 billion in net discretionary spending for the Department of Homeland Security. This is $1.8 billion more than the FY 2004 enacted level-- reflecting a 6.6% increase in funding for the Department over the previous year. Including Project BioShield, mandatory and fee-funded programs, a total of $40.7 billion will be available to the Department in FY 2005.

The funding provided in FY 2005 reflects the ongoing commitment by the Administration and the Congress to secure the homeland. The act will allow the Department to build upon significant investments by improving our safeguards against terrorism--strengthening border and port security, improving aviation security, supporting first responders, increasing disaster response capacity, enhancing immigration security and eliminating the immigration backlog--while sustaining the many other important departmental activities.


“The International Brotherhood of Police Officers who, in the 2000 presidential election backed Bush, has endorsed Sen. John Kerry because of his support of the COPS program.”


September 10, 2004

President Bush Accepts First-Ever Unanimous FOP Endorsement
On Ohio Bus Tour, President Meets with Fraternal Order of Police Leadership

CUYAHOGA FALLS, OH - During his Ohio bus tour today, President George W. Bush met with the Fraternal Order of Police leadership to accept their unanimous endorsement of his reelection. The FOP's endorsement of the President is the organization's first-ever unanimous endorsement of a presidential candidate.

In between his events in Mansfield and Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, President Bush met with National President of the Fraternal Order of Police Kenneth C. Canterbury, Executive Director James Pasco and FOP of Ohio President Nicholas DiMarco to thank them for their support and officially except their endorsement.

The FOP endorsed President Bush at their national board meeting in New Mexico on September 10th. In their endorsement, Canterbury said, "For the past four years, President George W. Bush has proved himself to be one of the very best friends that rank-and-file law enforcement officers have ever had...President Bush and his Administration have enacted some of the most beneficial changes to American law enforcement in the past five decades."

President Bush has made combating crime a top priority of his administration. During his time in office, he has launched unprecedented efforts to crack down on gun crime, rein in corporate fraud, and reduce criminal recidivism. Thanks to President Bush's efforts, the violent crime rate is down 21 percent to a 30-year low. The President has also successfully sought historic funding levels to support the efforts of first responders and increased funding for first responders 680 percent from the previous administration.

The FOP is the largest law enforcement labor union in the nation with 318,000 members. It has state lodges in 43 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada, and is the largest professional police organization in the country. The FOP of Ohio is the state's largest law enforcement organization representing officers at the local, county, state, and federal level.



“the union is also unhappy that the Republican-dominated Congress allowed the 1994 federal ban on 19 types of assault weapons to expire on Sept. 13.”

With regard to the expiration of the assault-weapons ban; if you hold Bush at fault, you must hold Kerry equally or MORE at fault. Kerry is a 20-year veteran of Congress. It is his place to introduce legislation. He did not. Nor did he step forward to support or introduce a renewal of the assault weapons ban. President Bush NEVER said he would have vetoed any legislation renewing it.

Despite pushing for bans against so-called assault weapons, Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry admitted he owns a ‘Communist Chinese assault rifle.’ ''My favorite gun is the M-16 that saved my life and that of my crew in Vietnam,'' Kerry told Outdoor Life magazine for its October issue. ''I don't own one of those now, but one of my reminders of my service is a Communist Chinese assault rifle.'' (Note: The M-16 was infamous for jamming at the most inopportune moments. Most infantrymen in Vietnam despised it.)

During the Oct 13 debate, John Kerry stated that he “would have fought to keep the assault weapons ban alive” as a means of “preventing assault weapons from being in the hands of criminals.” Kerry used an anecdotal story wherein he told of a hunting trip with a sheriff during which the sheriff pointed to a former drug house and stated, "see that house? We did a drug bust there last year and they guy had an AK47 laying on the bed.” John Kerry would reinstate the ban to prevent such occurrences. To state the obvious, that anecdotal story occurred DURING THE ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN.

To bring up a petty, unimportant thing like the US Constitution, “The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be abridged.”

[gold-n-rod]

This seems to be fairly standard from the perspective of the left: things are getting better, but not fast enough.

No, not "fairly standard from the left." I won't speak for "the left" but I will speak for myself. Things are not getting better, at any speed. Bush inherited a strong economy and job market and his Republican policies and actions have reversed those trends and increased the federal debt and deficit to record numbers.

I believe it is you that has the skewed perspective. Your misguided comments below are what prompted me to reply to this thread. Hopefully, by hearing other perspectives, some list members will have the information they need to make informed choices.

[garbage on]


Under the Bush administration:

The economy has grown 4.8% in the past year, as fast as any year in nearly two decades.
Productivity grew at the fastest 3-year rate in more than 50 years.
Since last August, over 1.5 million new jobs have been created.
The unemployment rate has fallen from 6.3 to 5.6 percent, below the average of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
This job growth is widespread – employment over the last year was up in 41 of the 50 states, and the unemployment rate was down in 47 of the 50 states.
Nearly 70 percent of the job loss we have experienced occurred during the 2001 recession and immediately after the attacks of September 11th. The attacks were a serious blow to our economy, closing the New York Stock Exchange for nearly a week and shutting down U.S. airspace for the first time ever. In the three months after September 11th, the economy lost nearly one million jobs.


And finally: The Best Current Estimate Is That 585,000 Jobs Have Been Lost Under Bush, About One-Third Of The Number Kerry Stated." ("Distortions Galore At Second Presidential Debate," FactCheck.org, Available At http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx@docID=275.html, Accessed 10/09/04

[garbage off]

another Randy

[gcarter]

Bush inherited a strong economy and job market and his Republican policies and actions have reversed those trends and increased the federal debt and deficit to record numbers.

another Randy
Randy, unfortunately, this statement is not true.
The last TWO quarters of the Clinton Administration had declining numbers!!!!! Remember, two declining quarters make a recession.
They had cooked the books to make it look better.
THEN 9-11 happened.
Seems that a lot of people overlook this fact.

[Islander]

Seems that a lot of people overlook this fact.

George,
Like 50% of the people. :rolleyes:

Miss Republican,
Excellent command of the facts...and with perfect civility. You have rightly earned your name.

[BUIZILLA]

I just reviewed by investment statements from Shearson/Smith-barney in that era. It clearly shows a downturn starting in late July-early August, BEFORE THE ELECTIONS, it also carried thru until the spring, had a mild up-bump until 9-11, then it tanked ever since.... I am still behind 6 figures from mid 2000.
In other words, it was on a distinct skid b4 Dubya ever sat on the throne...

JH

[BUIZILLA]

[garbage on] [garbage off]

another Randy

enough already... :alligator

[springs]

[/QUOTE]The police union is also unhappy that the Republican-dominated Congress allowed the 1994 federal ban on 19 types of assault weapons to expire on Sept. 13.[/QUOTE]I usually sit back and just enjoy reading the post on this site. I have especially enjoyed the post during this election season. There always seems to be someone willing to jump in and defend my position and they also always seem to type a little faster than me.

With that said here’s my .02 on the Assault Weapons Ban

In 1994, the Federal Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 was passed. This law banned rifles that had detachable magazines and two or more of the following characteristics:

A folding or telescoping stock
A pistol grip
A bayonet mount
A flash suppressor, or threads to attach one (a flash suppressor reduces the amount of flash that the rifle shot makes. It is the small birdcage-like item on the muzzle of the rifle)
A grenade launcher.
In reality the Assault Weapons Ban was no more than a gun accessory law. It would be the equivalent of making it illegal to install through hull exhaust and paint a red stripe down the bow of a Bayliner and then calling it a Donzi (which probably should be illegal).

Grenade Launcher-As far as the grenade launcher goes they had long been illegal and regulated by the ATF as “destructive devices”.

Flash Suppressor – The flash suppressor was included in the ban because most militaries around the globe use an item known as a rifle grenade. This grenade attaches to the muzzle of the rifle and is launched by firing a round into the base of the grenade. Civilian flash suppressors were the identical diameter of the military ones making them capable of firing grenades. So in turn the Ban classified the flash suppressor as a grenade launcher even though the possession of a grenade was already illegal.

Pistol Grip-This one really gets me. When the last time someone busted in your local watering hole and shouted “You better be glad this rifle doesn’t have a pistol grip, or I’d kill everyone here”.

Bayonet Mount-Again, when’s the last time you heard about someone getting bayoneted on the 11 o’clock news.

The law took very little concern in the actual operation of the rifle. It was more about the cosmetic bells and whistles.

For example, The Remington Arms Co. manufactures a model 7400. It is a gas operated semi-automatic high power hunting rifle generally preferred for it’s lighter recoil and quick follow up shot among hunters. The functional operation of this rifle is practically identical to that of an M-16 or an AK-47 except for the fact that it can be purchased with a much more powerful caliber than both the rifles considered assault weapons. The list goes on and on.

The Federal Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 was nothing more than an appeasement for the gun control lobby. It was a waste of taxpayer money. If the law had been working to reduce violent crime in would have been renewed.

And for those who feel the need to fact check see below and save yourself some time.

* Police View: Over 100,000 police officers delivered a message to Congress in 1990 stating that only 2% to 3% of crimes are committed using a so-called "assault weapon." (16)

* Florida study: In Florida, only 3.5% of the guns recovered by the police were guns that could loosely be defined as "assault weapons." (17)

* California study: The California Department of Justice suppressed an official report showing that "assault weapons" comprised only 3.7% of the guns used in crime. (18) While the report was eventually leaked to the media, it received little press coverage.

* Virginia task force: A special task force on assault weapons found that only 2.8 percent of the homicides involved "assault-type weapons" during 1992. (19)

* Connecticut: The Department of Public Safety reports that only 1.79% of all confiscated firearms were "assault type weapons." (20)

* New Jersey: The New York Times reported that, "Although New Jersey's pioneering ban on military-style assault rifles was sold to the state as a crime-fighting measure, its impact on violence in the state . . . has been negligible, both sides agree." (21) Moreover, New Jersey police statistics show that only .026 of 1 percent of all crimes involve "assault rifles." (22)

* Nationwide: The Bureau of Justice Statistics reported in 1993 that violent criminals only carry or use a "military-type gun" in about one percent of the crimes nationwide. (23)

* Knives more deadly: According to the FBI, people have a much greater chance of being killed by a knife or a blunt object than by any kind of rifle, including an "assault rifle." (24) In Chicago, the chance is 67 times greater. That is, a person is 67 times more likely to be stabbed or beaten to death in Chicago than to be murdered by an "assault rifle." (25)

1. Officer William R. McGrath, "An Open Letter to American Politicians," The Police Marksman, May/June 1989, p. 19.
2. Calif. Political Week, Sept. 2, 1991 at 1.
3. USA Today, May 24, 1990 at 3A.
4. State of New Jersey, Bill No. 166 (as enacted) at 5.
5. The Washington Post, 18 May 1990.
6. The Washington Post, 31 December 1989, at A3.
7. Los Angles Times, 6 February 1991 at A21.
8. Los Angeles Times, 22 April 1991 at A3.
9. Los Angeles Times, 25 June 1991 at A3.
10. Id.
11. L.A. Times, 3 April 1991 at A11. The Times estimates there are 300,000 privately owned guns covered by the law, but California REACT chairman T.J. Johnston estimates there are at least 500,000 such firearms in the state.
12. Letter from Daniel R. Black of the BATF to Senator Larry Craig, December 20, 1993.
13. Neal Knox, "Semi-Auto Deception," Handloader, May/June 1994.
14. Ibid.
15. Ibid.
16. Congressional Record, 13 September 1990, p. E 2826, citing [Police Advertisement], Roll Call, 3 September 1990. Also, see Howard Schneider, "Gun Owners Take Shot at Schaefer Assault-Weapon Bill," The Washington Post, February 15, 1991.
17. State of Florida Commission on Assault Weapons, Report, 18 May 1990, pp. 34-41.
18. David Alan Coia, "Assault rifles said to play small role in violent crime," The Washington Times, 27 June 92.
19. Mark Johnson, "Assault-type weapons rarely used," Richmond Times-Dispatch, 4 August 1993.
20. Memo by Major Kenneth H. Kirschner, Commanding Officer, Bureau of Police Support Services, State of Connecticut, Department of Public Safety, Division of State Police, 11 March 1993.
21. Iver Peterson, "Both Sides Say Trenton's Ban on Assault Rifles Has Little Effect on Crime," The New York Times,20 June 1993.
22. Ibid.
23. U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, "Survey of State Prison Inmates, 1991," March 1993, p. 18.
24. FBI, "Crime in the United States," 1994, p. 18.
25. Matt L. Rodriguez, Superintendent of Police for the City of Chicago, 1993 Murder Analysis at 12, 13.

[MissRepublican]

<Standing and applauding springs>:hyper:



Nicely done.

PS: We're the NRA and we vote.

[springs]

one more thing

Darcy,
If I were not already married to a wonderful conservative woman I'd be wooing you and Ann Coulter to my heart's extent.

[MissRepublican]

I respect Ann Coulter for her wit, her politics, and her delivery (although she really needs to eat a potato before she withers away), so that is quite a compliment. Thank you, kind sir!

I can't wait to see Digger's response when he reads your defense of the 2d Amendment. He'll love it! Glock, anyone?

[gcarter]

Darcy, did you know that Ann and Matt Drudge are (or were) an "item"?

[MissRepublican]

I did not know that...


Matt "Lewinskygate" Drudge is a bloodhound. I wish I had his job/connections. Oh, to impact the world in such a way! He's amazing.

[gcarter]

Matt and Lucianne are my HEROS!!!
:wavey: