DERRY — Answering the latest criticism on Iraq from Democratic challenger Sen. John Kerry, President George W. Bush again turned Kerry’s own words against him during a re-election campaign forum here.
“Today my opponent continued his pattern of twisting in the wind, with new contradictions of his old positions on Iraq,” Bush said to a friendly crowd of about 2,000 at the SportsZone. “He apparently woke up this morning and has now decided, no, we should not have invaded Iraq, after just last month saying he still would have voted for force even knowing everything we know today.”
At a campaign appearance in New York yesterday, Massachusetts Democrat Kerry said, “Is he (Bush) really saying to Americans that if we had known there were no imminent threat, no weapons of mass destruction, no ties to al-Qaida, the United States should have invaded Iraq? My answer is resoundingly no because a commander in chief’s first responsibility is to make a wise and responsible decision to keep America safe,” The Associated Press reported.
 President George W. Bush speaks to an audience of about 2,000 at the SportsZone in Derry during a campaign stop yesterday afternoon. (BOB LaPREE/UNION LEADER) |
“Incredibly,” Bush said yesterday afternoon, “he (Kerry) now believes our national security would be stronger with Saddam Hussein in power, not in prison.” Bush’s words were followed by immediate loud boos from the crowd.
“Today, he said, I quote, ‘We have traded a dictator for a chaos that has left America less secure,’” followed by more boos.
“He’s saying he prefers the stability of a dictatorship to the hope and security of democracy,” Bush said, continuing to draw more boos from the crowd toward Kerry. “I couldn’t disagree more.
“And not so long ago, so did my opponent,” Bush said to loud applause.
“Last December he said this, and I quote, ‘Those who doubted whether Iraq or the world would be better off without Saddam Hussein and those who believe we are not safer with his capture don’t have the judgment to be President or the credibility to be elected President,’ end quote,” Bush said. “I could not have said it better.”
The President made no mention of criticism of his administration’s policy in Iraq this week by Indiana Republican Richard Lugar, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. Lugar said Sunday that problems with reconstruction show there is “incompetence in the administration,” while McCain said he would like to see the President be more clear about the dangers in Iraq.
Bush reminded his audience that, pressed to explain his vote, Kerry previously responded, “I voted for the $87 billion right before I voted against it.”
“That’s not the way people talk here in New Hampshire,” Bush said.
“Our work in Iraq is absolutely essential in Iraq, essential for our country’s security,” Bush said. “For our children and grandchildren to grow up in a safer world, we must defeat the terrorists and the insurgents and complete our mission to rebuild Iraq into a stable democracy.
“When you’re out there gathering the vote, remind people of this fact: Four people in the United States Senate voted to authorize the use of force and did not vote to fund our troops, two of whom are my opponent and his running mate,” Bush said.
Bush also spoke of his vision for a more peaceful future. “I believe that liberty can transform nations from places of hopelessness to hope, from places of darkness to light. We’re seeing that in Afghanistan. Today, 10 million registering to vote is a phenomenal statistic. It is such a hopeful number, isn’t it? In spite of the fact that the Taliban are pulling women off buses and killing them because they were trying to register to vote.”
In the audience before Bush’s introduction by New Hampshire Gov. Craig Benson, 18-year-old Lindsay Daniels said, “I really like Bush. I’m a big supporter of him, and I’d like to see his presentation.”
Amanda Bull and Lauren Rosenzweig described themselves as Kerry supporters, but said they wanted to hear what the President had to say.
“New Hampshire has been good to President Bush, and President Bush has been great to the state of New Hampshire,” Gov. Craig Benson said in introducing Bush.
A number of audience members told the President how his policies have improved their lives.
Kathy Helm of Deerfield told the President how his tax cuts, in particular increasing the child tax credit to $1,000 per child, have helped her and husband, Tom, an audio visual manager at Southern New Hampshire University, and their three young children.
They used their child tax credit check to purchase a new dining room table, she said.
The Helms saved approximately $1,700 in 2003 and will save approximately $2,200 in 2004.
Jim Bell, president and CEO of Electronic Production Equipment (EPE) Corp. in Manchester, said his company invested $100,000 in new automatic optical inspection equipment in 2003. He hopes to save $34,000 in federal taxes from the increased small business expensing by investing approximately $200,000 in 2004.
Purchases like the Helms’ dining room table and EPE’s new inspection equipment create jobs by helping to stimulate the economy, Bush noted.
“So his (Bell’s) decision ripples throughout the economy. So the tax relief plan encourages new job creation is what I’m telling you. But, as well, it makes his workers more productive. In other words, he is now more likely to be able to compete, I guess,” Bush said.
“You bet, sir,” Bell said.
Ken Holmes, principal and general manager of North Branch Construction in Henniker, said he was concerned about the impact of health-care costs on his business.
North Branch Construction pays 100 percent of its employees’ monthly premiums and 30 percent of dependents’ coverage. The costs have increased by approximately 10 to 15 percent each year for the past five years, and for 2004, the company will pay approximately $170,000 in health care premiums.
Holmes said he supports the President’s Association Health Plans, which allow small businesses to create large pools across state lines to negotiate lower health insurance premiums.
Dozens of protesters carrying signs such as “Bush Lied” were kept about a half-mile away in a grassy area alongside Crystal Avenue, near Burger King.