Blue Collar Democrats

Discussion in 'Politics' started by Maverick74, Apr 26, 2004.

  1. Maverick74

    Maverick74

    It looks like John Kerry and his wife are just your typical blue collar democrats.

    Sen. John Kerry's gazillionaire wife Teresa Heinz has stock investments worth over $141 million - at least 25 percent of her vast Heinz Foods inheritance - her husband's Senate financial disclosure forms show.

    Mrs. Heinz continues to stonewall on the release of her tax returns, and even sought an extension from the IRS that would allow her to file her 2004 return after the Democratic convention. But CBSNews.com offered a summary on Friday of what Kerry's Senate financial disclosure forms reveal about the would-be first lady's wealth.

    "A CBS News analysis of the 2002 disclosure shows that Heinz Kerry has up to $1,430,000 in a series of general bank accounts, and 141 stocks valued at over $1,000,000 each. These stocks include DelMonte as well as Heinz, Pfizer, Walgreen, Anheuser Busch and Gannett," the network reports.

    "THK’s disclosure stretches for 47 pages. Her husband’s only take up four pages," notes CBS.

    Not covered on Kerry's disclosure form are Teresa's real estate holdings, including mansions in Boston, Pittsburgh, Idaho, Georgetown and Nantucket, with a combined value reportedly topping $26 million.

    Neither was there any mention of Heinz Kerry's $35 million Gulfstream V private jet or her husband's $800,000 yacht.

    A 2003 update on Heinz Kerry's gazillions will be filed with the Senate on May 17 and should be public by June.

    But Kerry still won't release his wife's tax returns, which would offer a much better disclosure as to her personal finances and her potential conflicts if she becomes First Lady.
     
  2. Mav, while Kerry's as phony as they come (and in all likelihood a closet Frenchman), I actually find the above somewhat comforting. After all, such impressive wealth and an obvious taste for the finer things it can buy, together with a possible inclination for tax minimization schemes, might indicate a better appreciation for the value of limited taxation and wealth through capital appreciation than his voting record and numerous misguided public statements would otherwise suggest.

    Thus, in the unlikely event that Hanoi John should ever come to occupy the Oval Office, it might very well be his most committed supporters on the left who end up feeling the most betrayed by a Kerry presidency (bite my tongue). Still, despite the constant harangue by the hyperactive Bush demonizers and imbecilic terrorist fellow travelers, I remain fully confident that that hypothesis will never be put to the test.
     
  3. Maverick74

    Maverick74

    Well see here's the problem. I have said this before on ET and I will say it again now. Most if not all democrats are really republicans in principle, they just run as democrats because it's easier to win elections by promising things to people. Let me give some examples.

    Let's start with taxes. Most democrat politicians are very very wealthy. They actually go to great lengths to avoid paying taxes like the rest of us. They create tax shelters, move money offshore, create all sort of trusts and what have you but when they run for office, they run on income redistribution, even though they don't actually believe in it. While they are knocking Cheney and others on the right for tax evasion they are doing the exact same thing!

    Taxes on dividends and capital gains same thing. They do everything they can to minimize taxes on short term gains and dividends yet they go to Washington and lobby to raise taxes on dividends and capital gains.

    The environment. They talk and talk and talk about the environment, yet at the end of the day, they drive around in SUV's, gas guzzling private jets and private yachts!

    Education. They talk and talk and talk about the virtues of the public education system but where do they send their kids? To private schools!!!!!!

    I mean I could go on and on and on. You get the point. The bottom line is both republicans and democrats live by the same principles in their private lives but for some odd reason, democrats like to run for office on principles that totally contradict their own personal lifestyle choices. Go figure. I don't blame them for living their lives like republicans, I just wish they would stop running for office on platforms that go against what they really believe in.
     
  4. kernan

    kernan

    So Kerry married a rich woman. Wow!

    No way I would vote for him now.

    :eek:
     
  5. Maverick74

    Maverick74

    Well, Kerry was pretty well off before he married her. Not a lot of guys on the welfare rolls with 800k yachts.
     
  6. Kerry's biggest problem is that he is the prototypical modern politician: All about getting elected, nothing about any principled mission or goal after gaining office (regardless of whether you agree or disagree with any chosen principle).

    He is the consumate poll watching crowd pleaser.

    Why do people hate Bush? Because he says what he thinks and many disagree.

    Why do people loathe Kerry? Because he says whatever the current audience/situation will respond most favorably to.

    Politicians have always been politicians, but today's are the worst. With the emergence of the internet and 24/7 'news' networks it means that the campaigns never actually end and the job never begins.

    When is the last time John Kerry spent a full day in the capitol building as a Massachussetts Senator? This break-neck campaign pace has been going since October of last year.

    Think about that: It's April. APRIL....and you would think the election was next week. By the time that November Tuesday rolls around, most will be celebrating...not that their candidate won, but that they will finally shut up....maybe....

    ...Just remember, the cable news headlines during December 2004 will read that Campaign 2008 Coverage begins in 2 weeks.

    My prediction: YThe first candidate to just shut the hell up will win by the popular 'Mercy Vote' of gratitude.

    It's April, people.
     
  7. Maverick74

    Maverick74

    You know what's funny. Kerry has like one of the worst attendance records in the US Senate. I think he has not even voted for a bill in over 6 months. Folks, thats your tax dollars paying his salary and he doesn't even show up to work!!!!! I would like to see an employee at Goldman Sachs get away with that. Hell, I would like to see an employee at Blockbuster Video get away with that. What makes anyone think he will show up for work if he's President?
     
  8. Maverick74

    Maverick74

    Doesn't get more blue collar then this. LOL.


    XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX TUE APRIL 27, 2004 12:59:04 ET XXXXX

    $1000 HAIRCUT? KERRY FLIES IN HAIRDRESSER FOR TOUCH-UP BEFORE 'MEET THE PRESS'

    **Exclusive**

    On the Friday before his MEET THE PRESS appearance, Dem presidential hopeful John Kerry flew his Washington, DC hairdresser to Pittsburgh for a touch-up, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

    Cristophe stylist Isabelle Goetz, who handles Kerry's hair issues, made the trek to Pittsburgh, campaign sources reveal.

    "Her entire schedule had to be rearranged," a top source explains.

    A Kerry campaign spokesman refuses to clarify if Goetz flew by private jet on April 16 or on the official Kerry For President campaign plane.

    The total expense for the hair touch-up is estimated to be more than $1000, insiders tell DRUDGE.

    One source suggests the hairdresser was flown to Pittburgh on Teresa Heinz Kerry's 'Flying Squirrel', a Gulfstream V private jet.

    [The 'Flying Squirrel' is worth about $35 million. A deluxe model; plasma TV, two bathrooms, fancy mahogany and burlwood paneling, gold-plated fixtures.]

    "Senator Kerry thinks Isabelle does a superb job," a campaign source said.

    Goetz grew up in a small town in eastern France. She also does Hillary Clinton's hair.

    Developing...
     
  9. Maverick...you are really grasping at straws.

    Your posts seem very much like the GWBs campaign commercials.

    All about Kerry. Not a word about Bush himself.

    Now it is an issue how much Kerry spends for a haircut? How much money his wife (or even he) has?.

    Don't get me wrong. I am no fan of Kerry's. But for you to jump on him for not "showing up for work" while he's been campaigning; what about the fact that GWB did not show up for work as President until 9/11? Between the inauguration and the attacks on our country, the man was in the Oval Office how many days?

    This is the most negative campaign I have ever seen. Really sickens me. Kerry's spots are just weak, but Bush's are a disgrace. You would think with all the money they have to spend, they could find a piece of film to make Kerry look and sound bad and have his lips synchronized with his words. Apparently not.

    Why can't Bush run on his own wonderful acheivements? Why are 100% of the new TV spots for Bush attacks on Kerry?

    This is a strategy that can backfire easily. Kerry is walking around saying "Bush doesn't have a record to run on, just a record to run away from".....and Bush's campaign plays right into that?

    What am I missing?

    :confused:

    Peace,
    RS
     
  10. Maverick74

    Maverick74

    RS, now now, easy there. I never said Bush did not have his faults. He has many and I agree with you, if I was his campaign manager, it would be a lot uglier. LOL. That I can guarantee you. Karl Rove is weak. When I was done with Kerry, he would not only drop out of the race but he would move to France and never come back. You know I'm a pitbull. LOL.

    I just find it amusing that the man that speaks about the rights of the common working man, the blue collar folk, the minorities, goes around the country in his wife's private jet, relaxes in his 800k yacht and gets $1000 haircuts but then goes into the hood and tells the brothers he is one of them! LMAO!!!!!!!

    Hey, you gotta love politics. The reason I don't have a problem with Bush is at least he is honest about who he is. You might disagree with him, and I do too on many issues, but he is catering to big and small business and I've never heard him say he was just like the brothers. LOL. What you see is what you get with him. That works in his favor at times, and at other times it works against him. But at least I know where he stands. It's kind of the like the drunk uncle everybody has. You know he is a drunk and you never invite him over for the holidays. But what about the other uncle, you know the successful one, the good looking one, drives a nice car, seems like a nice guy, always smiles all the time, he turns out to be the child molester. And then you hear people say, we never knew he was like that. Well, I think if Kerry was elected people would be saying, wow, I never knew he was really like that or I didn't know that is how he really felt on that issue. With Bush you know.

    Expect this upcoming campaign to be the nastiest in history. I will say one thing, all the money that both parties are running on ads is wasted money. The debates are going to decide this election. Not the commercials. And I can't wait for the debates to start.
     
    #10     Apr 27, 2004