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WHERE WE STAND: POINTS OF DIFFERENCE

Single-Payer Health Out of Iraq Marriage Equality Fair Taxes Impeach Bush/Cheney Local Renewable Energy

Click any issue in the table to see quotations from original sources.

You can also download the Points of Difference.

Single-Payer Health Care
Where We Stand - Points of Difference

All issue statements below are quoted from and linked to their sources.

Massachusetts Democratic Party Platform:

“The Democratic Party gave the country the original single payer systems: Medicaid, Medicare, and the Veterans Health Administration. Massachusetts Democrats continue to advocate for a single payer health system for all citizens.”

See also: MA Dem Party Health Agenda

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Ed O’Reilly Statement on Health Care:

“I support single payer health care and would sponsor a companion bill in the Senate to H.R. 676 [109th Congress, 2005-2006], introduced by Congressman John Conyers, Jr., joining with over half of the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation in support of a Single Payer Health Care System system for all citizens.”

See also: H.R. 676

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John Kerry Statements on Health Care:

“A Call to Service,” October 1, 2003:
“My [health] plan builds on and strengthens the current public/private system of health care….”
Faneuil Hall speech, July 31, 2006:
“What I put forward in 2004 works. It was a good plan then, and it’s a good plan now.”

http://www.edoreilly.com/

Iraq
Where We Stand - Points of Difference

All issue statements below are quoted from and linked to their sources.

Massachusetts Democratic Party Resolution, June 20, 2007:

“The Massachusetts Democratic Party urge(s) its Senators and Congressmen in Washington to support vigorously the enactment as soon as possible of H.R. 1234 [withdrawal from Iraq of all U.S. Armed Forces within three months of the enactment of the bill; simultaneous withdrawal of all U.S. contractors and sub-contractors; the closing of U.S. military bases; the reorganization of reconstruction activities in Iraq; the promotion of a United Nations-led peacekeeping mission in Iraq; and the limiting of U.S. funding to the withdrawal of troops, consultations with the Iraqi Government and other governments, and the United Nations-led peacekeeping mission].”

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Ed O’Reilly Statement on Iraq:

“My position on Iraq is clear and concise: We must begin withdrawing our troops today. … We should only re-enter Iraq as a member of a multi-national peace keeping force.”

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John Kerry on “Meet the Press” September 16, 2007:

SEN. KERRY: “You have to create uncertainty. You have to create leverage. And the only way to do that is to say to them, ‘This mission is transitioning. You have to take responsibility for this security over the course of the next year, and we’re going to take a different position.’ … We will leave troops to continue to chase al-Qaeda. … We will have troops in Iraq. … We’re changing the equation - yes, we’ll be there to protect our interests; yes, we’ll be there to prevent chaos and genocide; yes, we’ll be there to protect Iran from actually coming into the country.”
MR. RUSSERT: “President Bush said we will have an enduring relationship with Iraq and that there’ll be troops in Iraq after his presidency. Do you agree?”
SEN. KERRY: “Yes.”

http://www.edoreilly.com/

Marriage Equality
Where We Stand - Points of Difference

All issue statements below are quoted from and linked to their sources.

Massachusetts Democratic Party Platform:

“We affirm our commitment to the Massachusetts constitutional guarantee to same-sex marriage; and all of its rights, privileges and obligations; and reject any attempt to weaken or revoke those rights.”

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Ed O’Reilly Blog Posts:

Ed’s Blog, September 22, 2007:
“I am a firm supporter of marriage equality….”
Ed’s Post on Blue Mass Group Blog, June 15, 2007:
“Yesterday [when the General Court voted to block a Constitutional Amendment against marriage equality] was a great day for the many people who worked so long and hard for marriage equality to finally take a deep breath and enjoy equality in every sense of the word. It was also a great day for all of Massachusetts because we looked to our similarities rather than our differences. In the end, the similarity and understanding of human dignity won as did courage and conviction. Let us all celebrate — together!!”

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John Kerry in Third Bush-Kerry Presidential Debate, October 13, 2004:

“The president and I share the belief that marriage is between a man and a woman. I believe that. I believe marriage is between a man and a woman.”

http://www.edoreilly.com/

Fair Taxes
Where We Stand - Points of Difference

All issue statements below are quoted from and linked to their sources.

Massachusetts Democratic Party Platform:

“We support tax equity.”

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Ed O’Reilly Blog Posts:

Ed’s Blog October 18, 2007:
“I was appalled by the Democrats’ failure to address a tax loophole (hedge fund managers’ profits taxed as capital gains, as reported by The Washington Post) for some of the wealthiest people in America. This tax loophole for billionaires has been called the size of a Mack truck by David Sirota in The Huffington Post. It is a sad day in America when the only common ground that Republicans and Democrats have found is the bowing to powerful special interest lobbying.”

See also: Ed’s October 15, 2007, YouTube video statement on hedge fund tax break

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John Kerry:

Article by Charlie Cray & Christopher Hayes, The Nation Mobile, November 12, 2007:
“The Democrats proposed closing the multibillion-dollar tax loophole for managers of hedge funds and private equity firms [H.R.3996, Temporary Tax Relief Act of 2007 (Placed on Calendar in Senate)]. Under the current tax code, they now pay a mere 15 percent capital gains rate on the fees and bonuses (i.e., ‘carried interest’ income) they get paid to manage investment funds they do not own, rather than the 35 percent rate they’d pay under normal income tax schedules. Estimates are this loophole — actually, it’s more the size of a levee breach — will sap the Treasury of $26 billion over the next ten years.

John Kerry refused to support closing the hedge fund tax loophole, suggesting the hedge funds be given a ten-year grace period before the loophole is closed. [emphasis added]

According to one lobbyist (who doesn’t work for the firms), two prominent Boston-based firms that are members of the Private Equity Council — Bain Capital Private Equity and Thomas H. Lee Partners — have been lobbying Kerry hard on the issue. Moreover, FEC data indicate that not long after closing the loophole was first proposed back in April, a number of Bain private equity partners started to make big contributions to Kerry. Partners Josh Bekenstein, Diane Exter and Jonathan Lavine have all given in excess of $4,000 each to the Kerry Senate campaign fund. Bain’s mananging director, Mark Nunnelly, and two staffers have also all maxed out to Kerry this cycle with $4,600 each to his Senate campaign.”

See also: The New York Times, July 12, 2007: “Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts expressed reservations about changing the [hedge fund tax] rules, and as he has in the past….”

Bloomberg News, November 7, 2007: “John Kerry of Massachusetts … raised concerns about the proposal [to increase the tax rate on so-called carried interest] in Finance Committee hearings….”

http://www.edoreilly.com/

Impeach Bush & Cheney
Where We Stand - Points of Difference

All issue statements below are quoted from and linked to their sources.

Massachusetts Democratic Party Resolution, June 20, 2007:

“The voters of the Massachusetts Democratic Convention call upon the Massachusetts delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives to investigate these charges and if the investigation supports the charges, vote to impeach George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney as provided in the Constitution of the United States of America.”

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Ed O’Reilly WHMP-AM radio interview, June 22, 2007:

“I think we should start the [impeachment] process. I would not be afraid to vote for impeachment in the Senate. … Let’s have hearings on what got us into Iraq. The toll on families of veterans and on veterans themselves is almost infinite … I think we have to get at why we got into Iraq. If we were deceived. I think impeachment would be a very gentle, a very gentle, alternative.”

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John Kerry:

National Journal Hotline December 15, 2005:
“MA Sen. John Kerry said last night that if Dems retake the House, there’s a ‘solid case’ to bring articles of impeachment’ against President Bush for allegedly misleading the country about pre-war intelligence, according to several Dems who attended. … Kerry then quickly added, according to several in the audience, ‘Don’t tell anyone I said that.’ Kerry Comm. Dir. David Wade, in an email, said his boss was joking.”

http://www.edoreilly.com/

Local Renewable Energy
Where We Stand - Points of Difference

All issue statements below are quoted from and linked to their sources.

Massachusetts Democratic Party Agenda - Economy:

“We assert … that it is the public sector, not the private sector, which has the distinct capacity to deliver efficient, high quality service in many areas. … We understand that serving the public interest involves maximizing efficiency and productivity without sacrificing the quality of service delivered to our citizens.”

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Ed O’Reilly Statement on Energy:

“In Massachusetts there are 40 Municipally Owned Electric Companies and over 2,000 across America. We can build a National Renewable Energy program based upon this Municipal and Regional model, directed by locally elected boards, with each municipality and region having an increasing mandate to invest in Renewable Energy sources at the local level. Renewable energy will bring new educational programs and create new job opportunities in manufacturing, installation, and construction.”

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John Kerry:

No specific statement or position on publicly-owned renewable energy.