Bush Campaign Based Upon Distortions

The big question is whether George Bush can win due to a massive propaganda campaign designed to distort the record and positions of John Kerry. Rove realized that in an election between Bush and Not-Bush, Not-Bush would win. They couldn't boost Bush's support by defending his record, so they concentrated on trying to scare people from voting for Kerry.

Here's some of the biggest distortions of this campaign:

Falsely calling Kerry the most liberal member of Congress.
This is based upon a report from the National Journal which actually ranks his life time record at number 11. (He was number first one year, but National Journal reported that this was fallacious as it was based upon limited votes while Kerry was out campaigning.) Kerry has also voted conservatively on some issues, such as balancing the budget, welfare reform, and support for military spending.

False claims of flip flopping
The Bush campaign has repeatedly distorted Kerry's position in order to give the false appearance of flip flopping. This has been a common strategy used by both members of the Bush family against virtually everyone they have run against. Actually it is George Bush who has flip flopped on multiple issues, with many sites having lists, such as
http://www.americanprogressaction.org/site/pp.asp?c=klLWJcP7H&b=118263

Falsely accusing Kerry of cutting defense or intelligence spending.
Kerry has a strong record of defending defense and intelligence spending. The Republicans use a number of tricks to distort his record. For example, if Kerry voted against a budget bill they call it a vote against everything in the bill. They ignore the fact that he might support an alternative budget bill which contains financing for the same weapons system, or that Kerry also voted for budgets containing the system many times. At other times Kerry voted against weapons systems he felt were wasteful--and on several occasions Dick Cheney agreed with him in opposing the same weapons systems.

Falsely accusing Kerry of voting against supplies for the troops in Iraq
Kerry initially voted for the $87 dollar appropriation. After he voted for it, a new bill was proposed which changed the manner in which this was funded. Kerry voted against the second bill. He really did vote for the $87 before he voted against it, but this was purely a dispute over how the money would be funded, not a change in position or opposition to the supplies. Kerry made it clear that he knew the $87 would pass before he voted against it, and that if the bill were to fail the response in the Senate would be an alternative bill to fund the same supplies. George Bush also threatened to veto this bill if changes were made. If this bill was really a test as to whether someone supports the troops, then how could George Bush (who has not vetoed any bills as President) threaten to veto this?

Falsely claiming Kerry would increase taxes on the middle class
Most people would not receive a tax increase under Kerry's plans to roll back the tax breaks on people making over $200,000 per year. People making $200,000 to 350.000 would have minimal increases in taxes as the bulk of the tax cuts went to the ultra-wealthy.

Falsely claiming that Kerry's tax plans would reduce jobs by taxing small businessmen
Most small businessmen make under $200,000 per year and are not affected. Those making $200,000 to $350,000 might pay a few thousand dollars more per year in taxes, but this is not going to stop any businessmen from hiring. Kerry's health care plans and tax breaks for small business would actually lower costs for small businessmen.

Falsely claiming Kerry's health care plan is a government run plan
Kerry's plan concentrates on strengthening our system of private insurance, and offers tax breaks to small businesses so they can more easily afford to ensure their employees. It is not a government-run plan. In contrast, George Bush's health care proposals act to reduce choice. Bush's plans would force more into HMO's which are far more restrictive than government plans on doctors and patients. George Bush also restricts possible treatments by preventing meaningful stem cell research.

Falsely claiming Kerry voted to go to war
Kerry voted to authorize force as a last resort in order to give Bush the leverage to get the inspectors back in. There were specific conditions under which war would be authorized which were not met.

Falsely claiming Kerry would allow other countries or the UN to decide whether we can defend ourselves
Kerry has stated many times that other countries would not have a say as to whether we use military force. Often Kerry's statement on a "global test" has been distorted to give this impression. The "global test" was actually a statement that when we use force it be done so that we can justify our actions after the fact to other countries.

False claims on Kerry's Vietnam record
John Kerry was a decorated war hero, while George Bush used family connections to get into the National Guard, and then failed to fulfill his National Guard obligations. Bush tried to remove Kerry's advantage regarding war record by discrediting Kerry's record. Bush used many of the same people used by Richard Nixon to spread false claims about Kerry's record. The claims by the "Swift Vote Liars for the AWOL Flier" contradict the testimony of actual witnesses and the military record. In some cases the claims even contradict previous statements made by the same people now making false claims against Kerry.

False claims on Kerry's Vietnam protests
The same group has run an ad which is edited to make it appear Kerry is making a number of accusations against soldiers in Vietnam. Actually he was testifying before Congress and was reporting the statements he heard at a major anti-war conference. (In addition to editing the tapes of Kerry's testimony to alter what was said, Republicans have put out fake pictures of Kerry with Jane Fonda when they were not actually together.) The one accusation Kerry really made of war crimes was of the use of free fire zones where anyone present can be shot without any evidence that they were enemy combatants. Kerry found out after returning from Vietnam that this was a violation of the Geneva Convention. In raising this charge, he was criticizing the military leaders who devised this policy, not the actual soldiers who were involved. Kerry's protest against the war was motivated by a desire to bring home those fighting in Vietnam as soon as possible.

There are numerous articles documenting the truth about Kerry's record on these and other false charges raised against him by the Bush campaign. Many articles are available at the Kerry 2004 Reference library at http://kerrylibrary.forumflash.com.