Democrats, Remember JFK?

Since most of what I get in the way of rhetorical response these days are the Democratic talking points, spun back to me unhampered by any enlightening facts or even reasoned argument, I'm going to revive some old JFK quotations to remind Democrats how far they've strayed ideologically from their old favorite son, the engineer of the first "Camelot" (second coming soon to follow, if the media is right--and of course they always are, except--oops, Harry Truman). In other words, lets just drop the pretense of thoughtful discourse and retreat to slogans.

The only time I've heard Obama quote Kennedy is from his inaugural address, because Obama thought this quote provided defense for his desire to sit down and talk with leaders of terrorist-sponsoring states without precondition. Only problem is, Kennedy's inaugural address preceded his disastrous meeting with Kruschev, which brought us to the brink of nuclear war---"Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate". Words do matter, but they must be supported by contemporary or historical fact in order to be instructive, right?

Decide for yourself which current presidential candidate best expresses the Kennedy doctrine:

"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty."

Most of old Europe may be praying for (strike that, substitute "channeling") an Obama victory, but you can bet that Georgia and the Ukraine are lighting little candles for McCain. Without (much) additional comment, here are some more Kennedy quotes to compare to those of the current aspirants to his old office:

"It was involuntary. They sank my boat." ---Remark when asked how he became a hero.

"And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."

"In the long history of the world only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom at its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility, I welcome it."

"It is a paradoxical truth that tax rates are too high and tax revenues are too low and the soundest way to raise the revenues in the long run is to cut the rates now ... Cutting taxes now is not to incur a budget deficit, but to achieve the more prosperous, expanding economy which can bring a budget surplus."

"Lower rates of taxation will stimulate economic activity and so raise the levels of personal and corporate income as to yield within a few years an increased – not a reduced – flow of revenues to the federal government."

"Our tax system still siphons out of the private economy too large a share of personal and business purchasing power and reduces the incentive for risk, investment and effort – thereby aborting our recoveries and stifling our national growth rate."

"A rising tide lifts all boats."

"There is always inequality in life. Some men are killed in a war and some men are wounded, and some men never leave the country....Life is unfair."

When was the last (or only) time you heard Barack Obama defend freedom as more important (and more achievable) than ensuring, through government action, "fairness for all"?

According to our Constitution, we are endowed by our Creator with certain liberties, and it is the purpose of this nation to protect them. The Constitution does not grant freedoms, it merely enumerates them, recognizing them as God-given (as opposed to government-given) rights.

Fairness, having never been dispensed to men by God or life, can only be mandated by men and their governments. Freedom is only the guarantee of opportunity, while Fairness is the implied guarantee of success, and, as far as I know, is not listed as a protected "right" in the American Constitution. In the archival cases in the halls of the European capitals, maybe, and it seems that most modern-day Democrats are quite comfortable with this bedrock of socialist philosophy, "fairness for all".

I wonder if JFK would be...