Pressure Grows For Kerry to Resign From Senate; Has Only Mad
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Kerry, Senate Secretary Facing Ethics Complaint
By Jeff Gannon
Talon News
June 17, 2004WASHINGTON (Talon News) -- Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) met with Secretary of the Senate Emily Reynolds Wednesday to discuss ethics complaints stemming from his prolonged absence from the legislative body while he campaigns for president. Kerry and Reynolds were spotted by Congressional staffers slipping into one of the many antechambers of the Capitol where the pair likely reviewed options for dealing with the complaints filed against both of them.A complaint filed by Hofstra law student Jonathan Stein accuses Reynolds of willfully violating a federal statute that requires her to make deductions from Kerry's Senate paycheck for his absences. Kerry is also named in the complaint for knowingly accepting salary to which he is not entitled.The issue was first raised in a March 2004 letter to Reynolds from American Conservative Union Chairman David Keene who requested that she enforce the statute concerning Kerry's salary. Reynolds responded to Keene's letter, refusing to enforce the statute because her predecessors had not done so in other cases.Stein points out in his complaint that the failures of others who previously held Reynolds' position could not establish precedent since the statute clearly says that the Secretary of the Senate "shall" make the appropriate deductions. Stein contends that the language used in the rule is unequivocal and mandatory, allowing no instance for exception or discretion.Stein also believes that Sen. Kerry, who holds a license to practice law, should be "held to a higher standard of legal conduct than the ordinary citizen, as it is [his] job and role to know, interpret, and promulgate the law."Stein suggests that the Ethics Committee direct Kerry to return funds he was overpaid and decline to accept future illegal payments from the federal treasury.Stein told Talon News that Robert Walker, Chief Counsel for the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, confirmed receipt of his letter of complaint. He also said that Walker did not indicate if or when the committee might take up the matter.The Hofstra law student told Talon News that he decided to file the complaint in the interest of "preserving the rule of law."Having recently completed coursework on constitutional law, he says that he is exercising his First Amendment right to "petition the Government for a redress of grievances."Stein says that the law in this matter is "absolutely clear" and lawmakers cannot consider themselves above it.Kerry has voted only 14 times out of the Senate's 112 votes this year, a record Stein says is "egregious."Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, who recently called on Kerry to resign his seat, citing his dismal attendance record, shares that opinion.She said, "If any of us attended our job only 13 percent of the time, we'd be fired."Healey went on to say, "It's not fair, it's not right, and the public is not being well served.""I'm calling on John Kerry to resign so that we can fill that office with someone who is 100 percent devoted to the job of representing the people of Massachusetts," Healey added.
After seeing his personna so many times, I don't imagine alternative job offers are flowing in by the hundreds.This guy couldn't do the chicked rotisserie thing on infomercials, or worse.
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
Bush and Dole Agree: Shiftless Kerry Should Quit SenatePromiment Republicans are jumping to voice approval of Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey's call for John Kerry to quit the Senate job he gets paid for but refuses to do.Bob Dole, who resigned from the Senate in early June 1996 to run against Bill Clinton, said on CNN yesterday: "I think that would be a message to the American people. They didn't get my message, that I was willing to give up something, but it might be something John would want to consider."President Bush's campaign agreed. "I'm sure that the Romney administration feels the people of Massachusetts deserve more than just one senator representing them in the U.S. Senate," Bush spokesman Kevin Madden said. 'We'd Be Fired'As Healey noted, "If any of us attended our job only 13 percent of the time, we'd be fired."Although Kerry has kept close ally Teddy Kennedy out of sight recently now that he has to try to appeal to mainstream America, Massachusetts' senior U.S. senator came out of hiding yesterday to call the growing chorus "nonsense."As we've pointed out, Kerry is apparently taking his cue from Democrat former veep wannabes Joe Lieberman and Lloyd Bentsen: expecting to lose bids for the White House and needing something to fall back on.
Remember, Kerry only had 13 pieces of legislation he initiated pass over 19 years. 9 of those named federal buildings and bridges.Who cares if he never shows up? He does not do anything when there anyway
;)
We can be very thankful that Kerry is not voting. Among other trends, he has consistently voted on behalf of the viros against private property rights for years. See the League of Private Property Voters scorecards at http://www.landrights.org where he consistently rates straight zeros year after year.
If only we could convince our own Senators to maintain a similar attendance rate.
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Newsmax, Tuesday, June 15, 2004
Lieutenant Governor: No-Show Kerry Should Quit SenateSen. John Kerry is still on the American taxpayers' dole for a job he refuses to do, and his state's lieutenant governor says enough is enough.Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey notes that the presidential candidate has missed too many votes and has not represented constituents. According to the Associated Press, Kerry has bothered to vote only 14 times out of the Senate's 112 votes this year."It's not fair, it's not right, and the public is not being well served," observed Healey, who said she was speaking on behalf of Gov. Mitt Romney, a fellow Republican."I'm calling on John Kerry to resign so that we can fill that office with someone who is 100 percent devoted to the job of representing the people of Massachusetts."Kerry has previously refused to resign even though he repeatedly fails to show his face at work.In 1996, Sen. Bob Dole of Kansas gave up his seat in early June before accepting the GOP's presidential nomination. But some people are special. In 2000, Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., must have figured it was a poor bet to join Al Gore's bandwagon because he kept his day job. In 1988, Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, D-Texas, was likewise too crafty to quit his job when he ran with the doomed Michael Dukakis. Perhaps Kerry, like these fellow Democrats, expects to lose in November and needs a safety net to fall back on.