John Kerry's $8,000 bike

[RonSonic]

On Mon, 02 Aug 2004 05:17:51 GMT, "bfd" <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>"Fx199" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> >Similarly, Robin Williams apparently
>> >spends a small fortune every year on bikes etc. but even his
>> >expenditures are small potatoes compared to what Jay Leno spends on
>> >collector cars or what David Letterman spends on racing cars.
>>
>> I'll bite. what is it that Robin is buying?
>
>Robin has something like OVER 60 bikes. Lance has said something like "I've
>ridden with Robin at least 50 times, and he has never had the same bike
>twice!"
>
>Robin buys from my LBS (A Bicycle Odyssey in Sausalito, CA) and I've seen a
>few bikes they've built up for him. One I remember was an all black Colnago
>C40 with Record 10 and really fancy Colnago carbon wheels. Costed him
>something like $10K - basically a latte for Robin...

Not at all expensive compared to his recreations/habits/vices of some years ago.

Ron

 

[RonSonic]

On 2 Aug 2004 14:11:42 -0700, [email protected] (JP) wrote:

>[email protected] (rocketman58) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
>
>> But I thought Kerry was the candidate for the average citizen, not the
>> rich and powerful. So why is he riding a bike that cost twice as much
>> as the rich Republican candidate? The average citizen can't afford a
>> bike a tenth of that price!
>
>That's about the stupidest application of logic I have ever heard. Are
>you saying that a rich person can't have any compassion for someone
>less fortunate than him- or herself? If your wife was worth half a
>billion would you get a REALLY nice bike, or would you ride bike that
>costs "a tenth of that price" just to prove that you care about your
>fellow human beings?
>
>(The rich Republican candidate also has a 10+ mile mountain bike trail
>on his own property, if you want to get picky.)
>
>Hell, since he's got so much money, maybe Kerry should just quit
>politics and spend the rest of his years touring the world by bicycle.
>He's not doing what he's doing because he needs the work. When I read
>his biographical data I can find no motivation for his life's work
>other than a sense of duty toward- and a love for the USA and its
>people.

Or a desire to accumulate power, prestige and wealth. Get real. He isn't
offering to take out your trash for you, he wants to rule. Now whether he says
he will rule wisely or justly or compassionately, he still wants to rule.

> I say give him his fancy bike and just be glad he didn't
>devote his life to trying to screw the rest of us, as the Bush family
>has.

Huh?

Ron

 

[B]

> When I read
>his biographical data I can find no motivation for his life's work
>other than a sense of duty toward- and a love for the USA and its
>people.

It is all about POWER.
B

(remove clothes to reply)

 

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

artistic-<< But I thought Kerry was the candidate for the average citizen, not
the
rich and powerful. >><BR><BR>

welll, altho I will vote for Mr Kerry, he has a similar silver spoon in his____
as George Bubya.

Peter Chisholm
Vecchio's Bicicletteria
1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535
http://www.vecchios.com
"Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

 

[JP]

RonSonic <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...

> Or a desire to accumulate power, prestige and wealth. Get real.

He has power, prestige and wealth.

> He isn't
> offering to take out your trash for you, he wants to rule.

You're right: he's not offering to take out the trash for me. Do you
think that by winning such an absurd point that it supports your
conclusion that "he wants to rule"?

> > I say give him his fancy bike and just be glad he didn't
> >devote his life to trying to screw the rest of us, as the Bush family
> >has.
>
> Huh?

Prescott Bush, banker for Nazi Germany; George I friend of the Saudis;
George II, friend of the corporate CEO (especially the energy CEO) and
anyone making more than a quarter of a million a year that really
feels entitled to more.

JP

 

[JP]

"Jay Beattie" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> "JP" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > (The rich Republican candidate also has a 10+ mile mountain
> bike trail on his own property, if you want to get picky.)
>
> Don't go there. Teresa could buy and sell G.W., and his bike
> trails.

Actually, the Cheney, Bush family and Teresa Heinz Kerry fortunes are
pretty comparable- somewhere in the hundreds of millions. Heinz Kerry
may be somewhat wealthier but I would not bet money on it (as if there
is any way to find out for sure). The Bush family is hard to guess
because so much of their wealth has been accumulated in ways not
subject to public reporting but it's up there. Carlysle Group, for
example, is a private investment fund. They are all extremely,
extremely wealthy. This stuff of pretending that Kerry is so wealthy
in comparison to Bush and Cheney is nothing but a Bush campaign
talking point, conveniently picked up by the mainstream media.

> Actually, Kerry is a shill for Big Ketchup. After he takes
> office, the U.S. will invade small, tomato growing countries on
> the pretext that they harbor terrorists. There will be a huge
> tomato grab, and the price of ketchup will sky-rocket, and so
> will Teresa's stock. It is all in my new documentary,
> "FarenHeinz 57." -- Jay Beattie.

That's funny. LOL. I hope you are able to recognize the difference
between your own clever satire and what is happening in Iraq.

JP

 

[RonSonic]

On 3 Aug 2004 13:51:56 -0700, [email protected] (JP) wrote:

>RonSonic <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
>
>> Or a desire to accumulate power, prestige and wealth. Get real.
>
>He has power, prestige and wealth.

And he wants more.

>> He isn't
>> offering to take out your trash for you, he wants to rule.
>
>You're right: he's not offering to take out the trash for me. Do you
>think that by winning such an absurd point that it supports your
>conclusion that "he wants to rule"?

He's running for President.

>> > I say give him his fancy bike and just be glad he didn't
>> >devote his life to trying to screw the rest of us, as the Bush family
>> >has.
>>
>> Huh?
>
>Prescott Bush, banker for Nazi Germany; George I friend of the Saudis;
>George II, friend of the corporate CEO (especially the energy CEO) and
>anyone making more than a quarter of a million a year that really
>feels entitled to more.

And Kerry and the misses have close to a freeking Billion. This is a whole
'nuther league. Bush isn't even close to that kind of money. Does that make him
a better person, of course not. But it does make me wonder what the hell you're
thinking when you praise Kerry as a man of the people.

Ron

 

[Mark Hickey]

[email protected] (JP) wrote:

>Actually, the Cheney, Bush family and Teresa Heinz Kerry fortunes are
>pretty comparable- somewhere in the hundreds of millions.

Not true.

>This stuff of pretending that Kerry is so wealthy
>in comparison to Bush and Cheney is nothing but a Bush campaign
>talking point, conveniently picked up by the mainstream media.

You ARE living in a dream world. This is all public domain stuff.

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $695 ti frame

 

[JP]

Mark Hickey <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> [email protected] (JP) wrote:
>
> >Actually, the Cheney, Bush family and Teresa Heinz Kerry fortunes are
> >pretty comparable- somewhere in the hundreds of millions.
>
> Not true.

You're right. I made a mistake with the numbers, and I admit it.

The fact is that the candidates all have net worths in the TENS of
millions, with George Jr. having the least at maybe $20 million.
However, the Bush *family* fortune is hard to put a number on but it
is probably larger than that of any of the individual candidates.

John and Teresa Kerry have a joint worth in the tens of millions of
dollars, somewhere in the same neighborhood as Cheney; the Heinz
fortune which Teresa is heir to is hers, not Kerry's, although it is
reported on Kerry's disclosure.

> >This stuff of pretending that Kerry is so wealthy
> >in comparison to Bush and Cheney is nothing but a Bush campaign
> >talking point, conveniently picked up by the mainstream media.
>
> You ARE living in a dream world.

Although I was mistaken about the numbers my statement above is still
true: This stuff of pretending that Kerry is so wealthy in comparison
to Bush and Cheney is nothing but a Bush campaign talking point,
conveniently picked up by the mainstream media.

> This is all public domain stuff.

It is public domain, and they are all extremely wealthy. I find it
more than a little sickening how Cheney and the Bushes (both Georges)
made their money turning political influence into profit. Haliburton
was fined $7.5 million yesterday for defrauding its shareholders while
Cheney was CEO. It was also discovered recently to have been illegally
trading with Iran through a subsidiary, also while Cheney was CEO. I
can't help but recall his debate with Lieberman in the 2000 campaign
where he made the famously snotty remark, "I can tell you, Joe, that
the government had absolutely nothing to do with it," ironic
considering Halliburton's government contracts, shareholder fraud, and
trading with the enemy.

JP

 

[Todd Kuzma]

I find it interesting that the wealth of Kerry's wife is
considered an appropriate target for both comedians and
Republicans. The Republican party here in Illinois is up in
arms over the Democrats making issue of our local
congressman's fiancee.

Jerry Weller, my congressman, is engaged to the daughter of
a former Guatemalan dictator, Rios Montt, who was
responsible for the genocide of over 70,000 people. The
daughter is a current member of the Guatemalan legislature.
She tried, unsuccessfully, last year to get her father
back into the presidency.

The Republicans are quite angry that the Democrats have made
this an issue while gleefully talking up Teresa Heinz Kerry.

Personally, I have no problem talking about the Heinz family
money. However, I think that it is quite relevant to
dicsuss whether it is appropriate for a US congressman, and
member of the International Relations Committee, to be
married to the daughter, and supporter, of a genocidal dictator.

Todd Kuzma
Heron Bicycles
Tullio's Big Dog Cyclery
LaSalle, Il 815-223-1776
http://www.heronbicycles.com
http://www.tullios.com

 

[Paul Richardson]

On 8/3/04 6:23 AM, in article [email protected],
"Qui si parla Campagnolo" <[email protected]> wrote:

> artistic-<< But I thought Kerry was the candidate for the average citizen, not
> the
> rich and powerful. >><BR><BR>
>
> welll, altho I will vote for Mr Kerry, he has a similar silver spoon in
> his____
> as George Bubya.
>
> Peter Chisholm
> Vecchio's Bicicletteria
> 1833 Pearl St.
> Boulder, CO, 80302
> (303)440-3535
> http://www.vecchios.com
> "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

In his "****" is that what you meant to say ?

 

[Mark Hickey]

[email protected] (JP) wrote:

>Mark Hickey <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
>> [email protected] (JP) wrote:
>>
>> >Actually, the Cheney, Bush family and Teresa Heinz Kerry fortunes are
>> >pretty comparable- somewhere in the hundreds of millions.
>>
>> Not true.
>
>You're right. I made a mistake with the numbers, and I admit it.
>
>The fact is that the candidates all have net worths in the TENS of
>millions, with George Jr. having the least at maybe $20 million.
>However, the Bush *family* fortune is hard to put a number on but it
>is probably larger than that of any of the individual candidates.

You're still wrong unless you count the Bush family that makes the
baked beans (I have a sneaking suspicion they're tied in with the
Heinz family to get a better price on tomato products). ;-) Face it
(unless you can actually come up with something other than a WAG -
Kerry's richer than the other guys.

>John and Teresa Kerry have a joint worth in the tens of millions of
>dollars, somewhere in the same neighborhood as Cheney; the Heinz
>fortune which Teresa is heir to is hers, not Kerry's, although it is
>reported on Kerry's disclosure.

It's interesting to note that in order to finance his campaign early
on, John Kerry mortgaged "his" house worth many millions of dollars.
Of course, there'd be no way in the world on his income he could
possibly HAVE a house worth many millions of dollars... I don't hold
his wealth against him, BTW... but it's kinda ludicrous to try to
paint him as the common man up against the weathy.

>> >This stuff of pretending that Kerry is so wealthy
>> >in comparison to Bush and Cheney is nothing but a Bush campaign
>> >talking point, conveniently picked up by the mainstream media.
>>
>> You ARE living in a dream world.
>
>Although I was mistaken about the numbers my statement above is still
>true: This stuff of pretending that Kerry is so wealthy in comparison
>to Bush and Cheney is nothing but a Bush campaign talking point,
>conveniently picked up by the mainstream media.

The Kerrys are worth between $500 million to a BILLION dollars... John
obviously has access to some of that money, no?

>> This is all public domain stuff.
>
>It is public domain, and they are all extremely wealthy. I find it
>more than a little sickening how Cheney and the Bushes (both Georges)
>made their money turning political influence into profit. Haliburton
>was fined $7.5 million yesterday for defrauding its shareholders while
>Cheney was CEO. It was also discovered recently to have been illegally
>trading with Iran through a subsidiary, also while Cheney was CEO. I
>can't help but recall his debate with Lieberman in the 2000 campaign
>where he made the famously snotty remark, "I can tell you, Joe, that
>the government had absolutely nothing to do with it," ironic
>considering Halliburton's government contracts, shareholder fraud, and
>trading with the enemy.

I hadn't heard about the fines - it's not at all unusual for a company
dealing with the government to run afoul of the (many) regulations.
It's happened to companies I've worked for as well.

Still, the level of "proof" required by many on the left seems to
require nothing more than a hypothetical supposition on the part of a
partisan hack. That's really sad because it means REAL problems go
unnoticed because everyone's always crying wolf. That's not political
debate - it's simply propaganda.

Perhaps you can post some citations on the above fines - I haven't
seen a thing on the Haliburton fines, including a search on the
excellent drudgereport.com site.

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $695 ti frame

 

[Mark Hickey]

Todd Kuzma <[email protected]> wrote:

>I find it interesting that the wealth of Kerry's wife is
>considered an appropriate target for both comedians and
>Republicans. The Republican party here in Illinois is up in
>arms over the Democrats making issue of our local
>congressman's fiancee.
>
>Jerry Weller, my congressman, is engaged to the daughter of
>a former Guatemalan dictator, Rios Montt, who was
>responsible for the genocide of over 70,000 people. The
>daughter is a current member of the Guatemalan legislature.
> She tried, unsuccessfully, last year to get her father
>back into the presidency.
>
>The Republicans are quite angry that the Democrats have made
>this an issue while gleefully talking up Teresa Heinz Kerry.
>
>Personally, I have no problem talking about the Heinz family
>money. However, I think that it is quite relevant to
>dicsuss whether it is appropriate for a US congressman, and
>member of the International Relations Committee, to be
>married to the daughter, and supporter, of a genocidal dictator.

OTOH, the same Illinois Democrats made hay by dragging out that a
potential Republican candidate had propositioned (get this...) his
wife (in some sort of raunchy club apparently).

Let's face it - real debate (either side) is getting increasingly hard
to come by. There are fewer and fewer facts, and lots and lots of
wild speculation and hyperbole. Such is the political silly season,
no?

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $695 ti frame

 

[gwhite]

JP wrote:
>

> ... and
> anyone making more than a quarter of a million a year that really
> feels entitled to more.

The actual situation is reversed. Someone makes a good buck and some
other loser thinks they are entitled to it.

 

[Tom Sherman]

Mark Hickey wrote:

> ...
> OTOH, the same Illinois Democrats made hay by dragging out that a
> potential Republican candidate had propositioned (get this...) his
> wife (in some sort of raunchy club apparently)....

It was mostly the press - a "sex scandal" involving a celebrity actress
(Jeri Ryan) gets good ratings. One of the parties that sued to have the
Ryan's divorce records unsealed was the Chicago Tribune - hardly a
liberal bastion (they usually end up endorsing the Republican candidate).

To his credit, Democratic candidate Barack Obama refused to discuss the
issue, saying it was irrelevant.

--
Tom Sherman – Quad City Area

 

[Pat]

> >
> ><snip>
> >more than a little sickening how Cheney and the Bushes (both Georges)
> >made their money turning political influence into profit. Haliburton
> >was fined $7.5 million yesterday for defrauding its shareholders while
> >Cheney was CEO. It was also discovered recently to have been illegally
> >trading with Iran through a subsidiary, also while Cheney was CEO. I
> >can't help but recall his debate with Lieberman in the 2000 campaign
> >where he made the famously snotty remark, "I can tell you, Joe, that
> >the government had absolutely nothing to do with it," ironic
> >considering Halliburton's government contracts, shareholder fraud, and
> >trading with the enemy.

>
> I hadn't heard about the fines - it's not at all unusual for a company
> dealing with the government to run afoul of the (many) regulations.
> It's happened to companies I've worked for as well.
>
> Still, the level of "proof" required by many on the left seems to
> require nothing more than a hypothetical supposition on the part of a
> partisan hack. That's really sad because it means REAL problems go
> unnoticed because everyone's always crying wolf. That's not political
> debate - it's simply propaganda.
>
> Perhaps you can post some citations on the above fines - I haven't
> seen a thing on the Haliburton fines, including a search on the
> excellent drudgereport.com site.
>
> Mark Hickey

Here ya go:

Halliburton to pay SEC $7.5 million
Firm admits no fault in disclosure complaint from Cheney years


09:04 PM CDT on Tuesday, August 3, 2004

By JIM LANDERS / The Dallas Morning News


Halliburton Co. agreed Tuesday to pay $7.5 million to the Securities and
Exchange Commission, settling a complaint that it failed to disclose an
accounting change that inflated earnings during two years of Vice President
**** Cheney's leadership.



You can read the rest of the story at the Dallas Morning News site.

It came out yesterday, August 3.

Pat in TX

 

[Fx199]

>Subject: Re: John Kerry's $8,000 bike
>From: "Pat" [email protected]
>Date: 8/4/2004 9:11 PM US Eastern Standard Time
>Message-id: <[email protected]>
>
>
>> >
>> ><snip>
>> >more than a little sickening how Cheney and the Bushes (both Georges)
>> >made their money turning political influence into profit. Haliburton
>> >was fined $7.5 million yesterday for defrauding its shareholders while
>> >Cheney was CEO. It was also discovered recently to have been illegally
>> >trading with Iran through a subsidiary, also while Cheney was CEO. I
>> >can't help but recall his debate with Lieberman in the 2000 campaign
>> >where he made the famously snotty remark, "I can tell you, Joe, that
>> >the government had absolutely nothing to do with it," ironic
>> >considering Halliburton's government contracts, shareholder fraud, and
>> >trading with the enemy.
>
>>
>> I hadn't heard about the fines - it's not at all unusual for a company
>> dealing with the government to run afoul of the (many) regulations.
>> It's happened to companies I've worked for as well.
>>
>> Still, the level of "proof" required by many on the left seems to
>> require nothing more than a hypothetical supposition on the part of a
>> partisan hack. That's really sad because it means REAL problems go
>> unnoticed because everyone's always crying wolf. That's not political
>> debate - it's simply propaganda.
>>
>> Perhaps you can post some citations on the above fines - I haven't
>> seen a thing on the Haliburton fines, including a search on the
>> excellent drudgereport.com site.
>>
>> Mark Hickey
>
>Here ya go:
>
> Halliburton to pay SEC $7.5 million
>Firm admits no fault in disclosure complaint from Cheney years
>
>
>09:04 PM CDT on Tuesday, August 3, 2004
>
>By JIM LANDERS / The Dallas Morning News
>
>
>Halliburton Co. agreed Tuesday to pay $7.5 million to the Securities and
>Exchange Commission, settling a complaint that it failed to disclose an
>accounting change that inflated earnings during two years of Vice President
>**** Cheney's leadership.
>
>
>
>You can read the rest of the story at the Dallas Morning News site.
>
>It came out yesterday, August 3.
>
>Pat in TX

Nickles and dimes in their operation.
Grow up

 

[Todd Kuzma]

in article [email protected], Mark Hickey at
[email protected] wrote on 8/4/04 8:09 PM:

> OTOH, the same Illinois Democrats made hay by dragging out that a
> potential Republican candidate had propositioned (get this...) his
> wife (in some sort of raunchy club apparently).

The Democrats basically said nothing about it. Barack Obama called it
irrelevant. The state Republicans were upset that Ryan had lied to them
about it, and they have been a bit gunshy since the Gov. Ryan scandals. I
think that they were afraid of another scandal, but the sad part is that
their search for a replacement candidate has been far more embarassing that
anything that Jack Ryan did.

I didn't think Ryan's sex club story was a very big deal. It certainly had
nothing to do with whether he would have made a good Senator. I think that
the state Republican party over-reacted.

Todd Kuzma
Heron Bicycles
Tullio's Big Dog Cyclery
LaSalle, IL
http://www.heronbicycles.com/
http://www.tullios.com/

 

[Andrew Lee]

"Mark Hickey" <[email protected]> wrote:

> >Although I was mistaken about the numbers my statement above is still
> >true: This stuff of pretending that Kerry is so wealthy in comparison
> >to Bush and Cheney is nothing but a Bush campaign talking point,
> >conveniently picked up by the mainstream media.
>
> The Kerrys are worth between $500 million to a BILLION dollars... John
> obviously has access to some of that money, no?

The Los Angeles Times said that the Kerry's were worth $500 million in 1995,
and they are now estimated to be worth between $900 million and $3.2
billion! Here is a link to the story:
http://www.network54.com/Forum/message?forumid=72035&messageid=1088433531

Kerry buying two $8000 bikes would be comparable to me buying a 50 cent
doughnut.

 

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

I think one of the points not mentioned is that in today's political arena,
only the wealthy can really participate, at the highest levels. Too bad because
there are some really great, but not wealthy, leaders out there.

Peter Chisholm
Vecchio's Bicicletteria
1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535
http://www.vecchios.com
"Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"