REPUBLICAN party lingo these days seems to be rather interesting. A carefully thought-out change of position after many years of consideration by a senator, for example, is a "flip-flop," while a president who changes positions within days of polls showing his position unpopular is a "wise, open-minded leader." At the same time, a senator sticking to belief in policies that have never been given a chance to work or which have actually worked in the past is using "the same old tricks and politics," while a president stubbornly sticking with policies that have failed is a "strong, decisive leader."
But mixed in with Republican half-truths and doublespeak is something even more disturbing.
Bald-faced lies.
One of the favorite attacks by Republicans of late on Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry is his vote against various weapons systems (most notably the B-1 and B-2 bombers, several fighter jets and several tanks) which have proven crucial in current American warfare, especially in the war on terrorism. These attacks were, of course, most articulately stated by Georgia Sen. Zell Miller during his keynote address to the Republican National Convention, in which he asked if Kerry planned to have the U.S. Armed Forces fight with "spitballs."
These claims, if true, would be particularly damning against Kerry. In a country set in a national security mindset during a war brought on by a terrible attack against it, being the candidate against arming our military is a sure way to lose an election. The fact is, however, these claims are not even half-truths. They are flat-out lies.
As reported by slate.com, the story of Kerry's votes on the weapons systems first began in February, when the Republican National Committee started attacking Kerry for these alleged votes. In fact, according to the Republicans' own fine print, the votes referred to were Kerry's votes (along with 15 other senators) against the 1990 and 1995 Defense Appropriations Bills. These bills, among many other things, did include funding for the various weapons programs Kerry is accused of opposing. To say, however, that opposing these two bills because of their fiscal irresponsibility is equivalent to opposing those weapons systems is about as absurd as saying that Republicans in Virginia who voted against the budget last year because it included a tax hike have opposed having public schools in Virginia.
Even stranger, beyond the absurdity of these claims against Kerry is the fact that Dick Cheney himself, while secretary of defense, often called for cutbacks in the very same programs Kerry is accused of opposing. One case cited by slate.com, for example, is Cheney's Jan. 31, 1992, testimony to Congress where he complained to Congress, "You've directed me to buy more M1s, F14s, and F16s -
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