virtue 001 wrote: Let's see. JFK was a war hero who ran to the right of Nixon on Communism, slashed taxes and invaded Cuba. Yeah, he's exactly like Obama

Ran to the "right" of Nixon? Are you mad? He only mouthed rightist platitudes because he knew to do otherwise wouldn't get him elected because Nixon and allies would attack him on his "security" creds. Hence, the charge of a non-existent "missile gap" that Kennedy made.

In fact, JFK turned out to be one of the most liberal presidents since FDR, and there is ample data, historical fact to support it. 9See also James Douglass' new book: JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters. The whole first five chapters meticulously documents how he transmogrified from a more or less cold warrior to a major threat to the national security state, starting with his National Security Memorandum 263 to pull all personnel from Vietnam by the end of 1965, to his later rapprochment with Castro - starting in early 1963.

One in fact only needs to get hold of the LIFE issue of December 19, 1960, wherein it is noted several "modest requests" for his new administration which would include(and I quote) - since I saved the issue:

- a higher minimum wage

- urban renewal

- Old age medical care operating under Social Security

- Negotiations on disarmament and nuclear testing

- halting the unfavorable dollar balance

Look at them and read carefully! Do those sound "to the right of Nixon"? Jeezus!

Let's also go on to examine his actual LIBERAL proposals or record, as documented for example in Douglass' book:

1) His 1962-63 tax proposals (you refer to "his" tax cuts, but they were not his but congress'- which he had no recourse other than to sign onto to get other legislation passed), were documented by long time political economist and researcher Donald Gibson (Battling Wall Street - The Kennedy Presidency, Sheridan Square Press, 1994, pp. 22-23):

- the elimination of all tax breaks set up in the form of foreign investment operations or companies

- the repeal of all tax advantages by corporations operating in low tax countries, such as Switzerland

- the repeal of the 100% charitable contribution write-off by the wealthy

- Withholding tax on the investments, dividends and capital of the wealthy - to ensure revenues could not be lost by too many shelters or at the 'end point'.

- Tax on investment dividends so that all those earning in excess of $180 k would pay a much higher rate.

- An anti-speculation provision that would ensure property or investments were kept at least one year - else no benefit from existing capital gains rates would apply

Resoundingly reinforcing the general perception (by now) of JFK as a 'statist' (pro dirigisme) were the withering criticisms from the financial press at the time. One of these, which appeared in Fortune accused him of "an attempt to manipulate the tax level against the business cycle". ('Activism in the White House', June, 1961, p. 117)

Two years later, FORTUNE implored Congress to "stop JFK from using tax policy as instruments to manage the economy". ('The Dream Businessmen Are Losing', Sept. 1963, p. 91).

The "central organ of finance capital" - The Wall Street Journal, also launched various articles and diatribes accusing JFK of being a "statist" and other things. See, e.g: WSJ- 8/6/62: 'No Cause for Celebration', p. 6.

2) JFK established the "Alliance for Progress' to enable low-interest loans for Latin American American nations, thereby outraging the 'Street" and the other capitalist bastions of thought which believed this to be a "giveaway" (see many of the articles previously cited in 2)

3) Perhaps the one move that may have signed JFK's death warrant was when he attempted - via Executive Order 11,110 issued on June 4, 1963 - to challenge Fed control of the money supply. (Which under the Constitution authorizes only Congress to create paper money not a private entity) This EO authorized the creation of some $4.2 billion in U.S. Notes - to replace Federal Reserve Notes. These U.S. Notes were issued by Treasury Secretary Douglas Dillon, and bore his signature.

4) In August, 1963 he outraged the extreme right fringe by signing the Nuclear test Ban Treaty with Krushchev. (They were particularly enraged at the ban on anti-missile systems)

5)Kennedy rebuffed the Joint Chiefs and their demand for use of force that would have assured U.S. conquest of Cuba but led to a nuclear war.(cf. The Baltimore Sun, Oct. 26, 1996, 'Bomb Cuba! Le May Urged JFK', p. 2A). According to this article (which I also have kept in my files because I knew from then revisionists would seek to alter the JFK's portrayal away from known historical facts):

"Tapes of secretly recorded White House conversations released this week show that President John F. Kennedy's military advisers strongly pressured him to bomb and invade Cuba during the missile crisis 34 years ago this

month. Indeed, they forecast that war would occur whether he invaded Cuba or not.

"Blasting Kennedy's cautious approach, the Air Force Chief, General Curtis LeMay, told the President at a White House meeting on Oct. 19, 1962, "This is almost as bad as the appeasement at Munich."

--snip--

Through those days Kennedy was fending off strong pressure for an attack on Cuba from congressional and military leaders such as LeMay, who told him, 'We don't have any choice but direct military action...I see no other solution...'"

I am sure that LeMay - if he heard or saw any claims that JFk was to "the right of Nixon", would have laughed uproariously and replied, "Oh yeah, then show me otherwise! If it walks like a lib, talks like a lib and ACTS like a lib, it IS is a lib!"

And as the article goes on to note, none of the JCS were happy in the least with JFK's naval blockade strategy, and they were horrified some months later on learning Kennedy had removed the Jupiter missiles from Turkey as part of the Soviets pulling their from Cuba.