Kerry, AWOL ???

[FREEBIRD]

From: "ConservativeAlerts.com"
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 2004 08:52:24 -0800

When it comes to Senator John "Flip-Flop" Kerry (D-MA),
the Secretary of the Senate refuses to enforce the law:

http://www.conservative.org/lawsuit/

So now, the American Conservative Union (ACU) -- the
nation's oldest conservative lobbying organization -- is
going to court, with a lawsuit to compel the Senate to
enforce the laws of the land.

Here are the facts: in 2003 Sen. John Kerry missed 292
votes, or 64 percent of the votes in the Senate. This year
he has missed ALL of the first 22 Senate votes... until
he rushed back to Washington at the behest of the gun
control crowd to cast votes for a series of anti-Second
Amendment measures.

In fact, according to the Boston Herald (3/1/04), "Kerry
has been a virtual no-show in the U.S. Senate over the past
14 months, but he hasn't missed a paycheck," even though
"federal law says some of his $158,000 salary should have
been withheld."

U.S. Code allows a Senator to be absent from the Senate
ONLY because of serious illness or illness in an immediate
family member. Under the law, if a Senator is absent while
the Senate in session, his pay MUST be docked for every
day he is AWOL.

But the Secretary of the Senate REFUSES to dock Sen.
Kerry's pay for the days he is absent running for President.
In fact, in response to ACU's letter demanding that she
enforce the law, the Senate Secretary said that, because
her predecessors had failed to enforce the law, she wouldn't
enforce it either!

THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS. In response, the ACU is preparing to
file a lawsuit in U.S. District Court to compel the
Secretary of the Senate to enforce the law and dock the
AWOL John Kerry's pay. The ACU's lawyers say they have an
excellent chance of success in court.

But this action will be expensive. It could cost as much
as $20,000 OR MORE to prepare the case and plead it in
court, money the ACU has not budgeted for 2004.


Let her know what you think of her refusal to enforce
the law against Sen. Kerry. Be sure to forward this Alert
to everyone you know who wants to see JUSTICE applied to
John Kerry's AWOL behavior in the U.S. Senate. Thank you!

[25snakeman02]

Thanks Freebird! Godd Skinny. Please keep us informed!

[TracGunny]

Double-edged sword?

If it were applied to Sen. Kerry, would it not have to be applied to all who fall under the law?

I know using the words "fair" and "political campaign" in the same sentence is ludicrous and an oxymoron, but how do you level the playing field if incumbents are handy-capped in ways outside challengers are not.

It seems things like campaign finance reform are inside jokes for politicians, why would fines for missing votes be any different.

[USMC-FO]

Good observaton "TracGunny" These sorts of efforts clearly can cut n two drectons.....

The 'eye' on my computer has gone to glory hense the problems spellng ....

[namgrunt]

I find it interesting for Kerry to be termed AWOL. After all the noise he made about GWB and National Guard service, it seems only fitting that holes are found in the Massachusetts Senator's socks. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

Why didn't the Senator go back and spend time in the Senate, fulfilling his job as a representative, rather than doing a snow-bunny tour on the ski slopes? If I was paid to do a job, and ended up anywhere but the worksite, I would be canned. Of course, I don't have a river of Ketchup to float upon in case my ship sank.

This problem, pointed out by the ACU, is not the dim past, like Vietnam Era service. It is current and ongoing. If Mr. Kerry retains his senatorial seat after he blows the election, then the fix is in.

Thats how I see it.