One of the hottest topics this election year has been the issue of John Kerry’s voting record during his time in the Senate.

Something many people may not be aware of is that Vice President Dick Cheney is also a former congressman, serving from 1978 until 1989 in the House of Representatives for his home state of Wyoming.

His experience serving in Congress is not something that is emphasized on the campaign trail, however.

I feel that one of the reasons Cheney does not talk about his time in Congress is because even some Republicans would be shocked to hear what his voting record looks like.

Some of the “highlights” include voting against the Clean Water Act, opposing the Equal Rights Amendment and being against sanctions on South Africa because of apartheid (he was also against the release of Nelson Mandela from prison).

And even though he now claims to be a strong supporter of our troops, he also consistently voted against funding for the Veterans Administration. One of the things he did vote for, however, was the legalization of armor-piercing bullets, also knows as “cop-killer bullets.” What kind of America does Vice President Cheney want us to live in?

How can so many people throw their support behind a man with such radical ideals and “values?” His opposition to so many things that have benefited America is appalling.

By supporting President Bush and Cheney, voters are also putting their support behind a man whose voting record portrays a drastically different person than the image that the Republican Party would like America to see.

His record makes me scared of the fact that he is the second most powerful person in this country, and I don’t see how anyone can support a man with such dangerous ideas.

Joe Campos

Senior

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