Sen. Kerry's Latest Outrageous Claim

[Texan_Til_I_Die]

In an interview with Katie Couric this morning on NBC:

[ QUOTE ]
COURIC: He (Bush) wanted to train 70,000 additional teachers in math and science.

KERRY: That's terrific. But 53 percent of our children don't graduate from high school. Kids don't have after-school programs... He didn't ask America to sacrifice anything to achieve great goals and the biggest example is making the tax cut permanent for the wealthiest people in America. The average American struggles to find time to take carry of families, working two or three jobs... It's a disgrace. He did not tell the real state of the union.

[/ QUOTE ]

The actual high school graduation rate nationwide is 85.9%. Still too low in my opinion, but nowhere near the vastly deflated number Sen. Kerry quoted. Why wouldn't a national figure and leader of a major politcal party take the time to do some basic research and get their facts straight before making such an absurd comment?

After all, it would only have taken Sen. Kerry or one of his staffers a couple of minutes on Al Gore's Internet to find the correct numbers...

[JimT]

I dont know about that clown.

[slugshooter]

[ QUOTE ]
Why wouldn't a national figure and leader of a major politcal party take the time to do some basic research and get their facts straight before making such an absurd comment?


[/ QUOTE ]

Ummmm, like WMD's and Yellow Cake Uranium? Sorry, couldn't resist.

Seriously though, I watched him on The Today Show this AM giving the interview mentioned. I don't really remember him saying that, I remember him saying something about education levels, for some reason I was thinking he was talking about reading levels, which, even at 53% would be an egregiously low figure. I wonder if he thought about it later and thought to himself, did I really say 53% of kids aren't graduating from high school? I can't find a transcript for the interview and really don't remember much of what he said, I've stopped paying a whole lot of attention to him.

[slugshooter]

I'm also not exactly sure what is meant by "after-school programs." Are these supposed to be after-school tutoring programs that actually help the kids, or after-school programs like sports that take away study time for kids.

[AllArmyoutdoorsSD]

Have you ever been in an argument when you feel like you are being tossed around and get fustrated to the point where you say things just to hurt or antagonize the other person? I imagine that is how the kerry's and kennedy's etc feel about now

[buckee]

"after-school programs."

Yeah, that statement has me wondering what was mean't too. What the heck is an after-school program ?
I never had those when I was young. Accept for my News-Paper Route
I think they should start focusing on the in-school programs, never-mind the so-called "after-school" ones.

[jdickey]

It wouldn't matter what ole JFK would and did say this morning.....

He would FLIP-FLOP anyway!

[AllArmyoutdoorsSD]

"after-school programs."

When I was in school that was a job!

[johnf]

I teach in one of the poorest schools in one of the poorest states, and guess what. We have after school tutoring provided by all students grades 1-12 who do not meet the "proficiant" level on the standardized test here in AR. Furthermore any student who did not score advanced can also get the same tutoring for free at the request of the parents.

This is all provided by Federal money that was not there before Bush came into office.

Kerry is full of....... poo poo.

[arrow32]

That guy is kinda nutty.

[stevebeilgard]

kerry didn't think anything after his speech. or before it what an idiot. just spout numbers and hope folks buy it. well, we don't . 53% don't graduate? bull. the only one dumb enough to believe that was katie...

[oldksnarc]

[ QUOTE ]
"after-school programs."

When I was in school that was a job!

[/ QUOTE ]

Today it's a program to try and keep kids out of crime and drugs. Whatever happened to jobs, studying, parenting? Parents won't parent so the government has to step in and try to "fix" the problem?