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The New Republic Online: Matter of Interest

One big reason for John Kerry's recent political surge has been his ability to convince voters that he's the Democrat with the best record on fighting special interests--the one with "the courage to do what's right for America," as his television ads proclaim. Just yesterday, he told a crowd in Nashua, New Hampshire, "I have spent 35 years fighting for the values you and I believe in, standing up for people, and taking on powerful interests--as a matter of conviction, as a matter of duty, fighting the fights that are hard."

Back in 1995, [Kerry] backed a controversial measure that severely limited the ability of investors to sue companies engaged in fraudulent accounting practices--a legal change widely believed to have contributed to the accounting scandals of the last few years. The law, which consumer groups opposed vociferously precisely because they feared it would lead to white-collar crime, was part of Newt Gingrich's Contract With America. Yet Kerry voted for it anyway, not once but twice--the second time overriding a veto by President Clinton.