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Kerry: McCain Is The Real Flip-Flopper
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ShareJune 19, 2008 5:07 PM
ABC News' Teddy Davis and John Santucci Report: Maligned as a "flip-flopper" during his 2004 presidential run, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, D, argued Thursday that Arizona Sen. John McCain, R, is the one who truly deserves the "flip-flop" label.
"There was one issue on which the entire Republican campaign based itself last time about a flip flop which was that I voted for something before I voted against it in an amendment on the floor of the Senate. It was a vote of principle. It was not a change of position," said Kerry. "Our fault was in not explaining it adequately."
Kerry went on to contrast himself with McCain, whom he approached in 2004 about crossing party lines to be his running mate. Kerry argued that the presumptive Republican presidential nominee has flip-flopped on a series of substantive issues.
"In the case of John McCain," said Kerry, "he has changed now on torture, which is a fundamental value. He has changed on taxes which he once called dangerous, and now he is in favor of the permanent Bush tax cut which he once voted against. A complete change of position on the actual substance."
"He's changed on the intolerance towards Jerry Falwell and the evangelical movement's right wing," Kerry continued. "He's changed on oil drilling. He's changed now, or he's indicated a willingness to change, on the Artic Wildlife Refuge. He's changed on a windfall profits tax. He's changed on the mandatory cap issue. And he's fast moving down the Mitt Romney road of changing on all the fundamental precepts."
McCain senior adviser Steve Schmidt responded to Kerry's criticism by saying, "It looks like John Keerry was for John McCain before he was against him."
While Kerry's "I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it" line was the most vivid illustration of President Bush's flip-flop argument against Kerry, the Massachusetts senator is wrong in portraying the funding measure as the only issue on which he reversed himself.
The 2004 Democratic presidential nominee had also altered his stance on whether Bush was fighting the wrong war or whether he was simply pursuing the war in Iraq in the wrong way.
During a July 11, 2004, interview with CBS' Leslie Stahl on "60 Minutes," Kerry said that what was wrong about President Bush's handling of Iraq was "the way the President went to war." But at a Sept. 6, 2004, "front porch" event in Cannonsburg, Pa., Kerry said of the Iraq War: "It's the wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time."
June 19, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan | Permalink | User Comments (64)
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Yeah...maybe McCain's a WORLD-CHAMPION FLIP-FLOPPER. But he has an excuse...his advanced age has addled his brain.
Posted by: wilderrr | Jun 19, 2008 6:46:59 PM
Is this coming from the original flip-flopper? Lol.
Posted by: JULIE | Jun 19, 2008 6:52:00 PM
Who cares what any neo-con or liberal thinks. Both groups, which are the extremes of the two parties have created this country (mess) we are in. Bush and his neo-cons ruined it and since the dems have had power, what have they done to fix it? Remember, they promised to bring our troops home and the American people believed it. Now we know who the true liberals are by seeing who backed B.Hussein Obama (blame his parents, I didn't name him, he should change it if it is offensive, it is to me). Say what you want about McCain, but he is the only moderate who has run since Wild Willie.
Posted by: James | Jun 19, 2008 6:57:26 PM
Some of these posts are from people who sound like they voted for Bush Junior. Hey...don't they know that NOBODY IN AMERICA cares what they think anymore? Endlessly wrong...wrong about everything...and STILL they have an "opinion". These people must have egos the size of that "Mission Accomplished" banner from five years ago! ROTFLMAO.
Posted by: wilderrr | Jun 19, 2008 7:01:07 PM
the one thing that he probably won't flip flop on is something like picking Pawlenty as his VP... and then he can go forward with on his plans to take the gas tax moneys out of the state infrastructures and get a gimmick to get elected.
That won't be a flip flop...
(Pawlenty was the guy who took money away from his states infrastructure by promising to reduce the taxes that paid for that infrastructure... you know that paid for bridges and highways and LEVEES...just like John McCain wants to do...
oh wasn't it Pawlenty's state that had that little bridge collapse situation...
atleast maybe John shows he'll stick with one principal...give the voters 30 bucks and let their levees, bridges and roads rust out.
smart leaders...really smart leaders.
Posted by: dl | Jun 19, 2008 7:05:07 PM
Kerry is hilarious!
Kerry asked McCain to be his vice-presidential running mate in 2004, but turns on him when McCain becomes the Republican presidential nominee in 2008.
Is Kerry disappointed that McCain doesn't want him as his vice presidential running mate this year?
LOL
Posted by: USmarine0331 | Jun 19, 2008 7:10:43 PM
sonia........ I'm sorry to tell you that Becky is sooo right about McCain's adultry. As a matter of fact he has admitted being unfaithful to his first wife......read all about it in his autobiography........Ally
Posted by: Ally | Jun 19, 2008 7:17:02 PM
I guess Kerry comes with Obama's "change" package. Too bad.
Posted by: Mack | Jun 19, 2008 7:30:26 PM
Why is this guy still talking as if his opinion matters?
Posted by: mpCT | Jun 19, 2008 7:53:24 PM
McCain was unfaithful to his first wife after he came back from the Hanoi Hilton - Obama is unfaithful to his principles - Public Financing, NAFTA, Israel, Iran, Iraq... he cheated on his high minded promises of Hope and Change.
One makes Mccain an imperfect husband... the other makes Obama unfit to be the POTUS!
Posted by: SmartPrimate | Jun 19, 2008 8:02:49 PM
Why are you making this about John Kerry? He is telling the truth about all McCains flip flops. You and the rest of the media always excuse & give Teflon John a pass on crutial issues.
Posted by: straighttalk? | Jun 19, 2008 8:44:02 PM
Is Kerry still hold a grudge against McCain for not being his VP in 2004?? So a flip-flopper call other a flip-flopper?? Sounds like a liar call other a liar.
Posted by: aaron | Jun 19, 2008 8:44:22 PM
John Kerry's, Obama's mentor, nickname is flip-flopper. No wonder why Obama keeps on flip flopping.
Posted by: al4mcattack | Jun 19, 2008 8:45:32 PM
The rest of the media give mccain a pass??? are you kidding me??? it's obama that got all the pass. McCain is too vetted for anyone to not know his position. People knows John McCain. People don't know Barack Obama and give him a pass when something comes up.
Posted by: aaron | Jun 19, 2008 8:47:12 PM
The best thing John Kerry can do is shut up. Who is he to call McCain a flip-flopper when he is famous for flip-flopping? Didn't he vote for the Iraq War?
Posted by: al4mcattack | Jun 19, 2008 8:50:59 PM
I'm glad john mccain want to drill here. The gas price wasn't $4 8 years ago Mr. Kerry. We have the capacity and resources here so DRILL HERE DRILL NOW!!! Chinese and Cubans are drilling 60 miles from floriday. Even if drill only serve just Floriday, we should still DRILL HERE DRILL NOW. Drill in ANWR too the Alaskans want us to drill there. so Why not..
Posted by: hannah | Jun 19, 2008 8:51:47 PM
I just thought it's funny "looks like John Kerry was for McCain before he was against him" LOL. that's funny!
Posted by: hannah | Jun 19, 2008 8:52:56 PM
Kerry was for Mc Cain before he was against him.
Posted by: NED | Jun 19, 2008 8:56:40 PM
I agree there should be more than the five debates proposed by Barack obama. I think there should be six. One should be Mccain 2004 Vs Mccain 2008.
Posted by: eyes like summer sun | Jun 19, 2008 9:20:20 PM
Keep talking Kerry, the more you talk better for McCain.
Posted by: Moe | Jun 19, 2008 9:23:54 PM
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