Kerry Knows Something We Don’t?

In today’s Boston Herald, we learn that John F. Kerry, the junior senator from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, has earned the most (compared to his fellow Senators) from investment in defense contractors –  at least $2.6 million between 2004 and 2006 from investments worth up to $38.2 million.  I’ll cut to the chase — that’s a hefty chunk of change  from an investment! 

In fairness to the Senator, his spokesman, David Wade, said Kerry staunchly opposes the war in Iraq (and this windfall) is one of many beneficiaries of family trusts that he doesn’t control. Wade also noted that Kerry does not sit on the Appropriations Committee, which has direct control of the defense budget.   Of course Mr. Wade doesn’t note that the Senator was in favor of the war before he was against it.  Moreover, who is saying that his investments are directly impacted by the war in Iraq?  

Mr. Wade further noted that Senator Kerry has a 24-year Senate record of working and voting in the best interests of our men and women in the military, not of any defense contractors.

Mr. Wade forgets one noticeable exception:

 In September 2003, Kerry implied that voting against wartime funding bills was equivalent to abandoning the troops.

“I don’t think any United States senator is going to abandon our troops and recklessly leave Iraq to whatever follows as a result of simply cutting and running,” he said.

Then, in October 2003, a year after voting to support the use of force in Iraq, Kerry voted against an $87 billion supplemental funding bill for U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. He did support an alternative bill that funded the $87 billion by cutting some of President Bush’s tax cuts.

But when it was apparent the alternative bill would not pass, he decided to go on record as not supporting the legislation to fund soldiers.

Kerry complicated matters with his now infamous words, “I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it.”

But here’s the kicker — remember that infamous interview he gave just a couple of weeks ago in the Gloucester Daily Times?

Senator Kerry said: “Defense contractors have been evading paying taxes by funneling federal payments through shell companies in the Cayman Islands.” 

Well, if he was truly concerned about tax-evading defense contractors, shouldn’t he just dump his $38.2 million investment?  But then John Kerry wouldn’t be John Kerry if he did.