Bush Calls Out Kerry on 1995 Senate Bill(Weak on Intelligence)

AP ^ | 03/08/04 | SCOTT LINDLAW

[nypokerface]

CRAWFORD, Texas - President Bush is accusing John Kerry of having proposed big cuts in intelligence spending just two years after the first attack on the World Trade Center, part of a re-election effort to depict his Democratic rival as weak on national security and the war against terrorism.

Bush, who was traveling to Dallas for a fund-raiser Monday, planned to call attention to a 1995 bill that Kerry sponsored to trim intelligence spending by $1.5 billion over five years. The cut was part of what Kerry called a "budget-buster bill" to strip $90 billion from the budget and end 40 programs that he said were "pointless, wasteful, antiquated or just plain silly."

Kerry's proposal, which followed the collapse of the Soviet Union and calls for a peace dividend after decades of spending to thwart the Cold War opponent, failed to attract any co-sponsors and did not come up for a vote.

Republicans hope to raise doubts about Kerry's ability to fight and win the war against terror, suggesting that his rhetoric does not match his 20-year record in the Senate. To fend off such criticism, Kerry has relied in large part on his decorated Navy service in Vietnam.

On Sunday, Kerry accused Bush of "stonewalling" separate inquiries into the events leading up to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, as well as into the intelligence that suggested Saddam Hussein was hiding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The Bush campaign contended the president has cooperated fully with investigators.

The president was attending two Texas fund-raisers on Monday, including the popular Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Texas, the state that vaulted him to the presidency, remains a bedrock of Bush's political support. It has sent his re-election campaign in excess of $13.2 million, more than any other state, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a campaign watchdog group. Dallas is among the top five metropolitan areas by volume of donations to his campaign.

Bush's trips come two days after Kerry, his likely Democratic opponent in November's election, campaigned in Houston and accused him of leaving a "four-year trail of broken promises."

Kerry called on the president to leave his ranch near Waco to "come out and talk to people who have lost their jobs." Bush played host there to Mexican President Vicente Fox on Friday and Saturday.

Monday's money swing opens another week that will also take Bush to Long Island, N.Y., for fund raising. He has collected more than $155 million for his re-election and is closing in on his goal of $170 million. Aides said last week they expect him to stop at that mark, but they wouldn't rule out more.

The Texas trip also started Bush's first full week of campaigning for re-election, following Kerry's victory in a wave of primaries last week that cemented his grip on the Democratic nomination.

[Betaille]

"accused him of leaving a "four-year trail of broken promises.""

Can we accuse John Kerry of a thirty-year trail of dead americans? I'm glad to see that Bush is hitting Kerry on his National Security record finally, but why isn't it being done in Ads??

[John Thornton]

He has collected more than $155 million for his re-election and is closing in on his goal of $170 million. Aides said last week they expect him to stop at that mark, but they wouldn't rule out more.

Why would he consider stopping? Kerry gets free fawning media coverage of everything he says while Bush has to pay to get his message out.

[CasearianDaoist]

About time.

[Owen]

>
Bush, who was traveling to Dallas for a fund-raiser Monday, planned to call attention to a 1995 bill that Kerry sponsored to trim intelligence spending by $1.5 billion over five years. The cut was part of what Kerry called a "budget-buster bill" to strip $90 billion from the budget and end 40 programs that he said were "pointless, wasteful, antiquated or just plain silly."
>


Planned? Planned? Why is the content of his speech being pre-released so the Dems have more time to respond to it before he even makes the speech? What is wrong with the Bush campaign staff? They have been doing poorly for weeks.

These releases should be timed to the news cycle. The Kerry team is sequenced to instant response mode right now. It is absurd that the Bush campaign is making it easy for them. The Bush team should be timing their data release so that there is no time for Kerry's team to formulate an instant response and the initial articles will be absent rebuttal. The rebuttal can come later, but there will be at least several hours, or maybe even a day, with no response.

[Semper Vigilantis]

Okay, so Kerry served in Viet NAm. At most that proves he can follow orders. His record since then proves that he still does what he's told and cannotthink for himself. A vote for Kerry is a vote for Teddy.

[plain talk]

Kerry called on the president to leave his ranch near Waco to "come out and talk to people who have lost their jobs."

Did Kerry call on Clinton to do so in 1996 when the unemployment rate was the same thing it is today?

Bush and company have not been positive enough about the economy. Clinton touted accomplishments every two seconds. Here we have better economic numbers for inflation, growth and unemployment rate right now then there was in 1996 and Bush and Co are defensive and allowing dems to harp on job growth numbers as a distraction when the key number is unemployment rate. 5.6% is good.

[God luvs America]

About time!!! Hit and hit them where it hurts most; with the truthfullness of their actions/words/deeds!!!!

[MrB]

Okay, so Kerry served in Viet NAm.

Kerry served in Viet Nam? Wow, I hadn't heard about that.
Did he get any medals?

[Sir Valentino]

President Bush is accusing John Kerry of having proposed big cuts in intelligence spending just two years after the first attack on the World Trade Center, part of a re-election effort to depict his Democratic rival as weak on national security and the war against terrorism.

What drives me *CRAZY* is that the pressholes call this "part of a re-election effort." Bush is saying this for the *GOOD* of our country!

[observer5]

"a re-election effort to depict his Democratic rival as weak on national security"

let's go and find this type of wording in any AP release about Kerry attacking Bush...

Hahahahaha good luck

What a bunch of phonies.

[IGOTMINE]

"...part of a re-election effort to depict his Democratic rival as weak on national security and the war against terrorism."

And where Kerry spews lies that isn't part of his election effort? I have yet to see his rhetoric described that way.

Rat bastards.

[John from Manhattan]

Planned? Planned? Why is the content of his speech being pre-released so the Dems have more time to respond to it before he even makes the speech? What is wrong with the Bush campaign staff? They have been doing poorly for weeks.

These releases should be timed to the news cycle. The Kerry team is sequenced to instant response mode right now. It is absurd that the Bush campaign is making it easy for them. The Bush team should be timing their data release so that there is no time for Kerry's team to formulate an instant response and the initial articles will be absent rebuttal. The rebuttal can come later, but there will be at least several hours, or maybe even a day, with no response

Exactly!! What is wrong with the Bush campaign??!! On the Bush side, there IS NO rapid response team! Haven't these people learned anything?

[tagawgrag]

well its about darn time!

[expatpat]

He'll probably get more air-time from news/analysis coverage of these comments, than he would from running ads -- and it's all free!

[Frank_Discussion]

"The Kerry team is sequenced to instant response mode right now."

I've done a little fencing in my time, that is, swordplay, and I think there is a method to this madness. When two fencers exchange thrusts and parries, moving back and forth along the ground, you can get a rhythm going. Usually one person has control of this rhythm, and has some control over the distance between the two people.

If YOU can control this distance, you can draw your opponent close and easily SKEWER him.

This approach works in the fencing of words, as well. At some point I expect Kerry to get too close, and Dubya will run him through. I seem to remember him doing this before...

[expatpat]

To be fair, Bent Willie was good at talking about such issues (share their pain) -- the direct opposite of Bush I. Bush II needs to follow Clinton's example, not his father's, in empathizing.

[Betaille]

"He'll probably get more air-time from news/analysis coverage of these comments"
Hmm... I'm not quite sure thats true, but even if it is, you know the message is going to be skewed and destroyed through the media-filter. Bush's statements will only be seen through the filter of the media defending Kerry and making counter-points against Bush. Also, the air-time from ads would be much more valuable because it could be articulated and shown in the way most fitting to the campaign and without counter-point from kerry or the media.

[BSunday]

"pointless, wasteful, antiquated or just plain silly."

Surely Mr. Kerry must have been referring to the kind of programs that take money from working people and give it to those who refuse to work, right ? /sarcasm

[TomGuy]

The big question: When is Kerry going to stop generalizing and start being specific?

Hey, Kerry, the Bush-is-bad is getting old. You keep saying you have a plan. Ok, what is it?

Show us your specifics, Kerry, because the continuing spew of Bush-is-bad is already old and tiresome rhetoric. And it's still 8 months to the election.