"Yes, Virginia, Democrats are hypocrites...."

Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts recently took delivery of a 76 foot, 7 million dollar yacht.  The boat, christened "Isabel", was designed in the U.S., but built in New Zealand.  This has raised the ire of U.S. boat builders, particularly in Kerry's own "backyard" states in New England, as local yacht builders struggle to survive the current economic climate.

As Jane Wellahan, President of the trade group "Maine Built Boats" told the Boston Herald newspaper: "Darn, that would have been a wonderful job for a Maine builder.  If someone comes to build a $7 million boat, that would employ half the population of some towns for a year or two. Boat building is such a critical component of our coastal economy."

Kerry has also raised eyebrows by docking the good ship "Isabel" outside of his home state of Massachusetts, thus avoiding sales and excise taxes totalling over half a million dollars.  Kerry's office, in a press release, claims the boat is being birthed in Rhode Island for "long term maintenance, upkeep, and charter purposes".  If a yacht is birthed in Massachusetts within six months of purchase, sales tax is due, according to the state of Massachusetts.

Senator Kerry, to the Massachusetts Dept. of Revenue

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When asked about his purchase, and the fact the yacht is being docked in tax-free Rhode Island, Kerry said:  ""It's being worked on.  It's under warranty down there. It's being worked on and it will come to Massachusetts and I look forward to that."  When asked "Did you berth the boat in Massachusetts?" he dodged, "That depends on who owns it."

Then, he turned to his driver and exclaimed, "Can I get out of here please?"

Since "Newport", a popular Rhode Island yacht port, is emblazoned on the stern, one wonders if it will take six months to redo the paint scheme.

Kerry, who as a U.S. Senator has repeatedly voted for tax increases upon the people of America, appears to be confirming the very premise that Democrats always like to hang around "Rich Republican" necks:   Rich people looking for tax loopholes really is "The American Way".  It's particularly hypocritical of the Kerry's to dodge their home state's taxes, consdering Theresa Heinz-Kerry has a net worth is in the neighborhood of 1 billion dollars, and can well afford to pay whatever taxes would be due to cash-strapped Massachusetts if they docked their boat at home.