Kerry doesn't flip-flop

Republican interviews and speeches are beginning to become so repetitive that, like their commercials, they might as well show reruns. Their main focus: painting Sen. John Kerry as a "flip-flopper."\nMaybe this is an effort to divert attention from the current administration's lack of positive attributes, but the accusations against Kerry appear both biased and flawed like most political propaganda and do not survive close scrutiny.\nThe first criticism of Kerry is his stance on the war in Iraq. Despite having voted in favor of giving President Bush the authority to use military force against Iraq as a last resort, he didn't vote to circumvent the actions of the United Nations, but sought the involvement of other nations. Kerry also did not vote for action based on intelligence about Saddam's weapons of mass destruction that was fatally flawed, but action only justified when weapons inspections and negotiations failed. This is what he has criticized, and it is not a flip-flop but the path of diplomacy, which the arrogance of the Bush administration abandoned.\nThe second criticism made by Republicans is the idea that Kerry flip-flopped on his vote against the $87 billion spending bill for defending and rebuilding Iraq. Kerry supported it but sought additions to it, particularly the stipulation that its funding derive from a tax on the wealthier Americans.\nSince these measures did not pass, he voted against the bill. No flip-flop here, but a concern that the burden of the costs of war be fairly shared. The subsequent Republican accusations that Kerry is not supportive of U.S. forces are as vacuous as President Bush's military service in Alabama.\nThe third flip regards the Patriot Act, which Kerry supported but also criticizes. This legislation was hastily conceived and enacted. It included necessary elements to bolster national security in the wake of Sept. 11 but also contained a series of draconian measures, including property searches, which represent a loss of constitutional guarantees of personal liberty. All legislation has flaws, but an evenhanded politician like Kerry openly admits these and seeks to redress them -- a commendable quality, not a flip-flop.\nThe next two issues concern Kerry's views on abortion and gay marriage. Kerry's personal religious beliefs make him opposed to both, but he has the intelligence and the belief in democracy to realize that these beliefs are not a valid basis for restricting the rights of other citizens. That's partly why there is a separation of church and state.\nKerry supports a woman's right to choose to have a child, and a state's right to choose if it wants to legalize gay marriage. Where's the flip-flop? Republicans should recognize that some individuals don't want to force their religious beliefs on others. Isn't that an admirable quality and refreshing perspective?\nThe last criticism is Kerry's selection of John Edwards as his running mate, despite earlier remarks that about Edwards' inexperience. All candidates pass judgment on their rivals. (Didn't the senior Bush call Reaganomics "voodoo economics?)" However, Kerry has the experience, which combines with Edwards' roots and enthusiasm. Their agreement on substantive issues brings balance, not a flip-flop, but recognition that encouraging ideological debate will strengthen Kerry's presidency.\nContrary to tenuous Republican accusations, Kerry is not a flip-flopper, and in November there are two presidential candidates, discarding Ralph Nader. There is Bush, a man who has already shown us where he will drag this country with his one-sided views seen only in black and white. And there is Kerry, a man who proved himself in Vietnam, and recognizes that shades of gray exist in this world and will make rational decisions accordingly.