George Bush has the audacity to call John Kerry a flip-flopper?! Take a look at the following statements, all from the 2000 Republican Party National platform (each followed by my commentary):
1. Reducing [the national] debt is both a sound policy goal and a moral imperative. Our families and most states are required to balance their budgets; it is reasonable to assume the federal government should do the same.
This graph accurately describes what the Bush Administration has done to the Budget surplus that it was handed. The war in Iraq doesn't even begin to account for all of that spending. And let's not forget all the lost revenue from those tax cuts for the rich.
2. Citizens must have the confidence that their personal privacy will be respected in the use of technology by both business and government. That privacy is an essential part of our personal freedom and our family life, and it must not be sacrificed in the name of progress.
Yes, that's right, this came from the party, led by John Ashcroft, that has done more to erode personal privacy than any administration in history. The Patriot Act was passed with the idea that it would help the fight on terrorism, but the Justice Department has been unable to show any evidence that those new powers have been used to catch criminals or terrorists.
3. [I]t is obvious that state and local governments must assume most of the responsibility to improve the schools, and the role of the federal government must be progressively limited as we return control to parents, teachers, and local school boards.
The Bush Administration ignored this statement as well, passing (and subsequently underfunding) the "No Child Left Behind" Act. It imposes federal standards and micromanagement onto local schools, ultimately impeding the learning process.
4. Overall college costs, however, continue to climb, usually far ahead of inflation. Whatever the reasons, these costs squeeze the budgets of the middle class. Many families feel they're on a treadmill, working harder to pay tuition bills that never stop rising.
Bush's education budget cuts (coupled with states' fiscal irresponsibility) have caused college costs to skyrocket. I can attest to this one personally. Where's the change that we were promised?
5. It's time to give older Americans access to the same health insurance plan the Congress has created for itself, so that seniors will have the same choices and security as Members of Congress.
The new Medicare bill is a joke, that was sold out to drug companies. Instead of allowing cheaper alternatives, the bill forces seniors to pay higher premiums so that Glaxxo and the like can continue making stellar profits on designer drugs.
6. Sending our military on vague, aimless, and endless missions rapidly saps morale. Even the highest morale is eventually undermined by back-to-back deployments, poor pay, shortages of spare parts and equipment, inadequate training, and rapidly declining readiness.
Wow. Sounds eerily like the situation in Iraq. Lack of body armor, demoralized National Guardsmen being forced into seemingly endless deployments... need I continue?
7. The American people cannot be content with the current unemployment rate of recently separated veterans, or with the significant number of veterans among the homeless.
Veteran support?? Ha! The administration just tried to slash veteran's benefits and cut combat pay for soldiers. That'll show the military that we're behind them 100%, eh?
8. [Our European] alliances are not just for crises. They are sustained by the kind of joint planning, political and economic as well as military, that defines and reinforces common interests and mutual trust.
I think any trust that we had in our repertoire with the international community is gone. Fighting unilateral wars and a "with us or against us" attitude tends to do that.
Thanks to The Gadflyer for the quotes and the inspiration. It's a new site, and a damn good one