Values that Kerry believes in, but doesn’t live by

Ipse Dixit found this quote from a speech John Kerry gave in New Jersey:

"Working families all across our country are living by the oldest and greatest of American values - hard work, service, and caring for one another. I'm running for president because I believe that our government should live by those values, too."

Stop right there.

“Hard work” – In twenty years in the Senate, John Kerry has sponsored and passed exactly three bills of any consequence: two on fishing rights and one for small businesses. Except in the most peripheral and vicarious way, he’s never championed successful legislation on health care, energy policy, funding for higher education, or any of the other issues on which he now campaigns.

“Service” – John Kerry has missed 87% of the roll call votes in the Senate this session; he missed 64% of votes in the last session. Senate colleagues consider him more of a show horse than a workhorse and his penchant for high-profile investigations over passing legislation earned him the nickname of “Live Shot Kerry.”

“Caring for one another” – Before he launched his campaign for the White House, Kerry’s contributions to charity were, by any measure, paltry. From 1991 to 1995, tax returns indicate that Kerry donated a miserly sum of $3,034 ($0 in both 1991 and 1995) while showering himself with expensive gifts.

Leading by example seems to be a foreign concept to John Kerry.

[Cross-posted on Blogs for Bush]