John Kerry in The Washington Post

On Principles & Values: Voted with Democratic Party 93.5% of 306 votes

On Abortion: Life begins at conception, but we can’t legislate that

A spokesperson said that although Kerry has often said abortion should be “safe, legal and rare,” and that his religion shapes that view, she could not recall him ever publicly discussing when life begins. “I can’t take my Catholic belief, my article of faith, and legislate it on a Protestant or a Jew or an atheist,” he continued in the interview. “We have separation of church and state in the US.“

President Bush’s campaign spokesman said these instances are further evidence of what it says is Kerry’s propensity for misleading flip-flops. ”John Kerry’s ridiculous claim to hold conservative values and his willingness to change his beliefs to fit his audience betrays a startling lack of conviction on important issues like abortion that will make it difficult for voters to give him their trust.“

On Civil Rights: Personally believes marriage is between a man & a woman

On War & Peace: Karl Rove: “Kerry gave green light to Bush on Iraq”

“Iraq has developed a chemical weapons capability,” Rove quoted Kerry saying in October 1990. In 1998, Kerry said that Hussein was “pursuing a program to build weapons of mass destruction,” and in October 2002, he said, “The threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real. I am prepared to hold Saddam Hussein accountable.”

Kerry’s main response was that Bush did not press hard enough or long enough with the UN, that he did not plan for the aftermath, and was too eager to go to war when Hussein was isolated and weak. But Rove believed they had Kerry pretty cold on voting to give the president a green light for war and then backing off when he didn’t like the aftermath.