Response to John Kerry's Speech at Temple University

My priority will be to find and capture or kill the terrorists before they get us.

Oh Boy! Let's see what we have in store for this speech.

As president, I will expand our Army by 40,000 troops so that we have more soldiers to find and fight the enemy. I will double our Army Special Forces capacity. And we will accelerate the development and deployment of new technologies to track down and bring down terrorists.

How will you expand troops? How are you going to recruit additional troops to join the armed forces? Will you institute the draft? Are you assuming that young men and women will automatically sign up for the military if you become President? I'm sure more people will likely stay out of the military if you were elected.

Terminating the Draft - Senator John Forbes Kerry voted NO.

How will you double the Army Special Forces, Senator Kerry? Will you lower the standards for Special Forces entry? Don't you think that would be an unwise decision since Special Forces are suppose to be our elite military power?

I will strengthen our intelligence system to detect and stop the terrorists before they can strike.

How can you possibly say this when you have a 20 year history of being soft on strengthening our defense systems?

Missile Defense - Senator John Forbes Kerry voted NO.
Space-Based Laser Development - Senator John Forbes Kerry voted NO.
Vote on an amendment to reduce funding for a national missile defense program. - Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
Fiscal04 Supplemental for Iraq and Afghanistan-Passage - Senator John Forbes Kerry voted NO.

I will create a National Intelligence Director with all the budget and personnel authority the Commission says is needed to keep us safe. I will double our overseas clandestine service, train the linguists and Arab experts we need, and make sure the operation – hunting down bin Laden and al Qaeda -- has all the resources it needs.

Why do we have a National Security Advisor, Secretary of State, Department of Defense, and Directory of the CIA? The answer is NOT more government Senator Kerry.

I will secure all nuclear weapons and materials in the former Soviet Union within four years. At President Bush’s pace, it will take 13 years.

How will you do this? What are the means and methods for this 4 year timeline? How will you make Russia and other rogue nations comply?

I will make it clear to Iran that we will lead an international effort to impose tough sanctions if they do not permanently suspend their uranium enrichment program and provide verifiable assurances that they are not developing nuclear weapons.

How are you able to enforce this? Through sanctions? Do you think they care? Will you go plea to the UN for international effort?

Third, as president, I will wage a war on terrorist finances every bit as total as the war we wage on the terrorists themselves. We will trace terrorist funds to their sources and freeze the assets of anyone -- any person, bank, business or foreign official -- who is financing terrorism.

President Bush started freezing assets of these financiers immediately after 9/11. This is old news...

At our seaports we’re physically inspecting only 5% of the cargo coming into America. The Bush Administration is spending more in Iraq in four days than they’ve spent protecting our ports for all of the last three years.

Senator Kerry, you are more willing to anticipate terrorists to come to our shore and then retaliate for an attack? How about trying to stop them from even reaching our shores?

So we will win when we show that America uses its economic power for the common good, doing our share to defeat the abject poverty, hunger, and disease that destroy lives and create failed states in every part of the world. The world’s poorest countries, suffering under crushing debt burdens, need particular attention. As president, I will lead the international community to cancel the debt of the most vulnerable nations in return for them living up to goals of social and economic progress.

Senator Kerry, the Islamic Terrorist do not care about poverty nor do they care about economic aid. They have an agenda...that agenda is to destory anything that is American. They will continue to live in poverty for the prospect of destroying America. Giving them aid will only further this cause. It shows that you are detached from this world.

I will be clear with repressive governments in the region that we expect to see them change – not just for our sake but for their own survival.

How are you going to do this? Through the UN? Wage War?

But the Bush administration would have you believe that when it comes to our allies, it won’t make a difference who is president. They say the Europeans won’t help us, no matter what. We’re not going to get more cooperation in the war on terror, no matter what. Ordinary people around the world will resent us, no matter what. But I have news for President Bush: just because you can’t do something, doesn’t mean it can’t be done.

How will you gain a coalition? France has already said they will not deploy additional troops if you were elected. What is your strategy? Which countries will back you on this coalition?

Excerpts taken from: Speech at Temple University