John Kerry Happy That John Kerry Wasn't Elected In 2004

By: John Caruso of The Distant Ocean

John Kerry in 2004:

John Kerry and John Edwards believe that the Kyoto Protocol is not the answer. The near-term emission reductions it would require of the United States are infeasible, while the long-term obligations imposed on all nations are too little to solve the problem. Unlike the current administration, John Kerry and John Edwards will offer an alternative to the Kyoto process that leads the world toward a more equitable and effective answer, while preserving coal miners' jobs.

In the Kerry-Edwards Administration, the U.S. will equitably match the initial efforts of our  industrial-country trading partners and competitors.  U.S. reductions will be achieved in a reasonable and realistic timeframe.  American workers and industries should not be forced to shoulder the costs of these reductions.

(The standard translations apply: "coal miners' jobs" actually means "coal corporations' profits" and "workers and industries" means just "industries".)

John Kerry now:

"It's a moment we've been waiting for, many of us, for some period of time - for eight years, to be blunt. ... after eight years of obstruction and delay and denial, the United States is going to rejoin the world community in tackling the global climate challenge," Kerry said.

I at least give him credit for recognizing that his corporation-servicing stance on global warming in 2004 didn't represent a break in the eight years of obstruction, delay, and denial.

BUT: Kerry's deft rewriting of history won't come as a surprise to most of the people who voted for him, since 74% of them had no clue about his 2004 position on Kyoto anyway.

— John Caruso