And to add even more reasons to send this guy packing
SEN. JOHN KERRY’S HYPOCRISY, VOL. I, ISSUE 5
Kerry Blasts Special Interests
But Loved Their Honoraria
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Candidate Kerry: “I have a message for the influence peddlers, for the polluters, the HMOs, the big drug companies, that get in the way, the big oil and the special interests who now call the White House their home. We’re coming, you’re going, and don’t let the door hit you on the way out.” (CNN’s “CNN Live,” 1/28/04)
TOOK THOUSANDS IN SPECIAL INTEREST
HONORARIA FROM BIG OIL AND WALL STREET
Between 1985 And 1990, Kerry Accepted Over $120,000 In Special Interest Honoraria. “Back when federal lawmakers legally could be paid for speaking to outside groups, John Kerry collected more than $120,000 in fees from interests as diverse as big oil, tobacco, the liquor lobby and unions, records show … In 1985, Kerry’s freshman year in the Senate, he supplemented his $75,000 salary with $19,480 in speaking fees. The next year the fees grew to $22,725.” (John Solomon, “Kerry Pocketed Speaking Fees,” The Associated Press, 2/9/04)
“Kerry, Who Sharply Criticizes Special Interest Money And Big Oil Companies While Campaigning, Earned Handsomely From Some Of Washington’s Most Famous Lobbies As Well As Corporate America.” (John Solomon, “Kerry Pocketed Speaking Fees,” The Associated Press, 2/9/04)
Kerry Accepted Thousands From Large Corporations Like Chevron, Paine Webber, J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Allied Signal And Textron For Speeches. “For instance, oil giant Chevron paid him $2,000 in 1986 for participating in a round-table discussion. Large financial companies, among them Paine Webber, J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs, also paid to hear Kerry speak, as did the Chicago Board of Trade and defense contractors such as Allied Signal and Textron.” (John Solomon, “Kerry Pocketed Speaking Fees,” The Associated Press, 2/9/04)
“Kerry Also Spoke For Pay To The National Restaurant Association ($1,000 In 1985), The National Association Of Independent Insurers ($1,000 In 1986), The American Bankers Association ($2,000 In 1986) And The National Association Of Manufacturers.” (John Solomon, “Kerry Pocketed Speaking Fees,” The Associated Press, 2/9/04)
Ø Paid Speaking Engagements Gave Lobbyists Opportunity To “Bend The Ears” Of Politicians Like Kerry. “The Distilled Spirits Council, which paid Kerry $2,000 for a speech in 1987, said such engagements gave a chance for the liquor lobby to bend the ears of policy-makers on issues such as taxes, free trade and restrictions on alcohol ads. ‘When lawmakers speak with us, there’s an exchange of views and they come away with more information about what’s important to our industry,’ said Frank Coleman, the council’s senior vice president.” (John Solomon, “Kerry Pocketed Speaking Fees,” The Associated Press, 2/9/04)
