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BERNIE.org > The Truth > FULL FUNDING AMBER ALERT
Like his other dishonest attacks, Republican Rich Tarrant's desperate attempt to disparage Congressman Bernie Sanders' strong record of fighting for Vermont's children just won't work in Vermont.
Tarrant accuses Bernie of voting against Amber Alert. The truth is that Bernie supports Amber Alert but Republicans would not offer a clean vote on the Amber Alert program-in a cheap stunt to score political points. Bernie voted against unconstitutional provisions within the bill. And that's not just Bernie's opinion. The entire sentencing scheme that these provisions were part of has been thrown out as unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court.
The record is clear. Check out the documentation and you'll see for yourself.
Republican Rich Tarrant is not being honest and he knows it.
Bernie Sanders has always fought against child predators and will continue his fight for children in the United States Senate.
So, What's Rich Tarrant's Negative Attack All About?
Republican Rich Tarrant - following the tried and true Karl Rove national Republican tactic of negative attacks and distortion - ignores Bernie's strong record and pulls a couple of isolated votes out of context.
In fact, Rich Tarrant admitted on the TV news that he was ignoring Bernies larger record on fighting for children. "I don't know about his overall record on child protection," Tarrant said, "but if you vote against Amber Alert you can't be helping children. You just can't vote against Amber Alert. It's unconscionable." [WCAX Online, 8/18/06, http://www.wcax.com/Global /story.asp?S=5299984&nav=4QcS ]
Rich Tarrant Math
Who's That Guy in the Ad?
Rich Tarrant wants us to believe that the spokesman in his ad is just an average Vermonter who is upset with Bernie. Well, this is just another layer of Rich Tarrant's web of deceit. The truth is that George Kuusela is the Republican County Chair for Windham County and is a Republican activist who helped destroy Vermont 's campaign finance reform law. [Click here to learn the truth about Tarrant's ad spokesman.]
So, why did Bernie vote against the bills Rich Tarrant cites?
Republican Rich Tarrant forgot to tell Vermonters that Congressional Republicans in a cynical political move attached to the Amber Alert to a much larger bill that contained unconstitutional provisions. And that's not just Bernie's opinion. The entire sentencing scheme that these provisions were part of has been thrown out as unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court. [ More Info ].
How come Bernie was one of only a few to vote against it?
Part of the national Republican political tools is to force members of Congress to vote on controversial bills that are then used in cynical political attacks during the next election. Some members of Congress do the politically expedient thing and vote for bills they disagree with to protect themselves from being attacked in this way. Thankfully, Bernie Sanders has the courage to stand up to Republican hit machine. That of course doesn't stop unscrupulous politicians like Republican Rich Tarrant from launching dishonest political attacks. But Bernie has confidence that the Vermonters will see through Tarrant's distortions.
But couldn't Bernie have voted for it if he was confident that the courts would throw out the unconstitutional parts?
Vermonters rightly expect that Bernie Sanders is going to stand up in Congress and call it like it is. Bernie supports the Amber Alert but had to oppose the radical effort to undermine our constitutional system. That's one of the reasons Bernie is an Independent - he doesn't follow the herd even if it's the easy or political expedient thing to do so. And, as a practical matter, passing unconstitutional bills that will ultimately get struck down may make for good press releases but it doesn't do anything to protect our children against the child predators.
Were there any other prominent people who agreed with Bernie Sanders's view?
Yes there were. The truth is that the then-Chief Justice of the Supreme Court William Rehnquist - a Republican appointee and a staunch arch-conservative sent a letter to Congress, in which he warned that the law does "serious harm to the basic structure of the sentencing guideline system and would seriously impair the ability of courts to impose just and reasonable sentences." [ Boston Globe , 5/30/03]
Weren't these same outrageous claims made two years ago by Republican Greg Parke in an ad that was condemned by leading Republicans in the state?
Yes, that's true. Here's what the Associated Press wrote in October 2004:
" A radio ad by Republican U.S. House candidate Greg Parke attacking Congressman Bernie Sanders was immediately condemned Friday by the state's two top Republican officials. The radio ad refers to Sanders as 'Crazy Bernie,' and says in part: 'Bernie loves long walks on the beach with child pornographers and pedophiles, candlelight dinners with illegal aliens and cozy evenings by the fire with al-Qaida terrorists.' But as soon as Parke's fellow Republican, Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie, heard the ad Friday morning, he issued a statement condemning it. 'We don't need that type of campaigning here in Vermont ,' said Dubie. 'Although I may disagree with Congressman Sanders on some issues, I recognize his service to this state.' The governor agreed. 'The ad is bizarre, inappropriate, and has no place in Vermont politics,' Gov. Jim Douglas said. ' I expect Greg to get back to the real issues facing Vermonters.' " [.] "Here is the text of the ad: 'Welcome to The Dating Game. 'Today's contestant: liberal socialist Bernie Sanders." [.] "'He voted against amber alert [sic], against billions in funding for vets and against.." [ Associated Press , 10/29/04]
The Truth
Bernie Sanders supports the Amber Alert program and fought to get it fully funded in Congress. [ Congressional Letter to Frank Wolf and Jose Serrano, March 29, 2004 and April 9, 2004 ] [See a copy of the letter here]
Bernie Sanders brought $130,000 in federal funds just last year to fund Vermont 's "A Child is Missing Program" - a program that supports the search for and early recovery of missing children. [H.R.2862, 109th Congress, Vote #581, 11/9/05, H.R.2862, passed 397-19, Sanders: Y; Became Public Law No: 109-108, 11/22/05]
Bernie Sanders voted for Mandatory Life Sentences for Repeat Child Sex Offenders . [Vote #64, 3/14/02, H.R.2146, passed 382-34, Sanders: Y]
Bernie Sanders voted for Zero Tolerance for Possession of Child Pornography and Increased Penalties for Internet Sexual Predators . [Vote #521, 10/12/98, H.R.3494, passed 400-0, Sanders: Y; Became Public Law No: 105-314]
Bernie Sanders voted for Tougher Federal Sentencing Penalties for Violent Crimes Against Children . [Vote #214, 6/16/99, H.R.1501, passed 401-27, Sanders: Y]
Bernie Sanders voted for Increased Federal Penalties for Crimes Against Children and the Elderly. [Vote #148, 5/7/96, H.R.2974, passed 414-4, Sanders: Y]
Bernie Sanders voted for Tougher Federal Penalties for Child Sex Crimes . [Vote #283, 4/4/95, H.R.1240, passed 417-0, Sanders: Y; Became Public Law No: 104-71]
Bernie Sanders voted for Expansion of Wiretaps to Investigate Crimes Against Children . [Vote #175, 5/21/02, H.R.1877, passed 396-11, Sanders: Y]
Bernie Sanders voted to Double the Funding to Fight Child Pornography on the Internet . [Vote #215, 5/25/06, H.R.5441, passed 348-74, Sanders: Y]