Heinz Kerry rebukes heckler; crowd cheer
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| Mon, 09-27-2004 - 2:10pm |
PUEBLO, Colo. (AP) - A group of 600 Democrats crowded the 4H Auditorium at the State Fairgrounds Friday hoping to see for themselves whether presidential candidate John Kerry's wife was as outspoken and sharp-tongued as some have described her.
Teresa Heinz Kerry delivered for her supporters when she talked back to a heckler who implied her husband's a flip-flopper.
During a question and answer session, a young man demanded to know why Kerry voted to give Bush authority to attack Iraq but voted against an $87 billion appropriation bill to support the war effort there.
"Is that the kind of thing he would do as president?," the man asked.
Heinz Kerry sharply asked the man whether he had read the legislation that was voted on.
When he said no, she told him that Kerry had supported $60 billion in military appropriations for Iraq, but would not vote for the full $87 billion because he considered it a "blank check." Kerry was one of 11 Democrats to vote against the bill.
"And we knew they'd already given Haliburton millions in no-bid contracts," she snapped, referring to the company formerly led by Vice President Dick Cheney.
"If you want to say (Kerry) flip-flopped, just say so, don't try to hide," Heinz Kerry scolded.
The young man responsed with chanting "Four more years!" as he walked out of the auditorium. The partisan crowd's cheer of "Six more weeks!" quickly drowned him out.
Roberto Costales of Canon City liked the way she dealt with her heckler.
"Did you notice how she handled that one guy? I bet she doesn't back down from anybody," he laughed.
In appearances here and before a crowd of 1,700 in Fort Collins, Heinz Kerry echoed her husband's views about terrorism, national security, crime, health care and education.
She said the United States needs a different approach in the world.
"The way we live in peace in a family, in a marriage, in the world, is not by threatening people, is not by showing off your muscles. It's by listening, by giving a hand sometimes, by being intelligent, by being open and by setting high standards," she said at the CSU rally.
In Pueblo, Heinz Kerry sounded a similar theme, criticizing the Bush administration for sending warning signals to Iran about developing nuclear weapons.
"There are about 50 countries in the world that have the capability to build nuclear weapons. Are we going to attack them all?" she said.
Gina Maggrett, of Pueblo, liked what she heard.
"(She's portrayed) as this caustic person but I thought she was really warm and intelligent. A lovely person," she said.

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Suppose a woman ran for pres & won, would you say her hubby had to stay out of politics? What if he was a Governor or Senator? Would you want him to resign? What if he was just a Mayor?
I never heard before that Hillary wanted to be Atty General, where did you read that?
< The "place" of the First Lady is to support the President and to stay out of politics and policy making. She is not the one being elected, and I guess Hillary and Teresa dont like that.
Hillary was annoyed that when Bill was elected that she could not be named as the Attorney General, and wanted a hand in picking that person. This is one example. Another is Hillary's failed attempt at National Healthcare, where the brainchild was none other than Howard Dean. >
I would MUCH rather have a president who can't pronounce "nuclear" than one who makes the following statements:
"And so a lot of people say there's too much personal freedom. When personal freedom's being abused, you have to move to limit it. That's what we did in the announcement I made last weekend on the public housing projects, about how we're going to have weapon sweeps and more things like that to try to make people safer in their communities."
President Bill Clinton, March 22, 1994, MTV's "Enough is Enough"
"We can't be so fixated on our desire to preserve the rights of ordinary Americans."
President Bill Clinton, March 1, 1993, during a press conference in Piscataway, NJ.
USA TODAY, March 11, 1993
"The purpose of government is to rein in the rights of the people."
President Bill Clinton, MTV interview, 1993
"You know the one thing that's wrong with this country? Everyone gets a chance to have their fair say."
President Bill Clinton, May 28, 1993 speech in the city hall courtyard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
"You can't say you love your country and hate your government."
President Bill Clinton, 1995, commenting on the Oklahoma City bombing
"If the personal freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution inhibit the government's ability to govern the people, we should look to limit those guarantees."
President Bill Clinton, August 12, 1993
Hmm. Yet, they see little clips out of F-911 and pass judgement.
Still the double standard and hypocrisy. Thanks for the confirmation.
Edited 9/29/2004 6:28 pm ET ET by liberal_idiot
Palak's defense of Clinton that he was elected twice is irrelevant. OJ was aquitted of murder. Do you really think he didn't do it?
After Bush is elected twice, will you begin to forgive his "blunders" because he was elected twice?
Edited 9/29/2004 6:52 pm ET ET by liberal_idiot
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