Democratic Senator Blasts Kerry at Rally (Zell Miller)

AP ^ | 03/24/04 | JEFFREY McMURRAY

[Pokey78]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Bush-Cheney campaign Wednesday unleashed its most famous Democratic booster, Georgia Sen. Zell Miller, to make the case that presidential candidate John Kerry advocates policies inconsistent with some of history's most popular Democratic presidents.

Miller, a Georgian who is the lone Democratic senator to back publicly President Bush's re-election bid, criticized Kerry in a speech announcing his leadership of a national "Democrats for Bush" effort. He was joined by a handful of lesser-known Democrats, but the campaign said it would release a more comprehensive list in the coming weeks.

The popular former governor cited the policies of Democratic Presidents John F. Kennedy and Harry S. Truman while contending that Kerry, not Bush, is outside the mainstream on issues ranging from tax cuts to war.

"John F. Kerry has the same initials as John F. Kennedy," Miller said, "but he has a far, far different view of what the government can do to help families prosper. John Kerry's spending and tax plan would stifle our economy and stall our recovery at the worst possible time."

Miller was an original sponsor of Bush's proposed $1.6 trillion tax cut, which Congress trimmed to $1.3 trillion. He argued that it represented a smaller proportion of the American economy and benefited poor Americans even more than one enacted under Kennedy in the 1960s.

[b4its2late]

No wonder why Kerry is on vacation now. He couldn't take the heat.....

[Sprite518]

I am proud that Georgia has a big time Democrat that supports Bush.

[Pokey78]

Ga. Sen. Zell Miller blasts Kerry at 'Democrats for Bush' rally

JEFFREY McMURRAY, Associated Press Writer
Wednesday, March 24, 2004

---

(03-24) 12:08 PST WASHINGTON (AP) --

The Bush-Cheney campaign Wednesday unleashed its most famous Democratic booster, Georgia Sen. Zell Miller, to make the case that presidential candidate John Kerry advocates policies inconsistent with some of history's most popular Democratic presidents.

Miller, a Georgian who is the lone Democratic senator to back publicly President Bush's re-election bid, criticized Kerry in a speech announcing his leadership of a national "Democrats for Bush" effort. He was joined by a handful of lesser-known Democrats, but the campaign said it would release a more comprehensive list in the coming weeks.

The popular former governor cited the policies of Democratic Presidents John F. Kennedy and Harry S. Truman while contending that Kerry, not Bush, is outside the mainstream on issues ranging from tax cuts to war.

"John F. Kerry has the same initials as John F. Kennedy," Miller said, "but he has a far, far different view of what the government can do to help families prosper. John Kerry's spending and tax plan would stifle our economy and stall our recovery at the worst possible time."

Miller was an original sponsor of Bush's proposed $1.6 trillion tax cut, which Congress trimmed to $1.3 trillion. He argued that it represented a smaller proportion of the American economy and benefited poor Americans even more than one enacted under Kennedy in the 1960s.

As for the war in Iraq, Miller praised Kerry, D-Mass., for his Senate vote to authorize force. However, he said Kerry later opposed an $87 billion package to further fund the effort after "spending too much time around Howard Dean," the former candidate and outspoken war critic.

Miller also criticized Kerry's view that more diplomatic channels should have been explored through the United Nations before moving almost unilaterally.

"I cannot imagine the great Democratic Party leaders of past generations waiting with their hands in their pockets while a bunch of dithering diplomats decided the future of the world," Miller said. "That is the worst kind of indecisiveness. That is the wrong kind of leadership at this critical moment in our history."

The Kerry campaign said Miller had praised his Senate colleague just two years ago, calling Kerry "an authentic hero."

"Zell Miller's new leadership role will be a lonely post," Kerry spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter said. "Democrats, and Americans of all stripes, are tired of George Bush's failed policies and broken promises."

Bush campaign chairman Marc Racicot, a former Montana governor, said the campaign would use Miller often on the trail, particularly to rally fellow Democrats to the cause. Miller urged Democratic Bush-backers to find at least five others they could persuade to support the president.

"It'll be easy to recruit Democrats in Florida," said the state's former Democratic lieutenant governor, Wayne Mixson, who joined Miller on a conference call Wednesday. "I was with a bunch of business people yesterday, and I've already got my quota if that's all you want me to get."

Miller, who is retiring when his term ends in January, has by far the Senate's most conservative voting record among Democrats. He has backed the president on virtually every key issue and recently published a best-selling book, "A National Party No More: The Conscience of a Conservative Democrat."


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/03/24/politics1450EST0672.DTL

[sarasota]

The Kerry campaign said "Miller praised his colleague Senator Kerry two years ago? So what? He praised him before he decided to slam him. Sound familiar?

[John Thornton]

Miller also criticized Kerry's view that more diplomatic channels should have been explored through the United Nations before moving almost unilaterally.

Kerry holds to this view while simultaneously criticizing Bush for using too much diplomacy against bin-Laden before September 11th....

[Recovering_Democrat]

Miller...was joined by a handful of lesser-known Democrats...

IF THIS WERE JOHN McLAME it WOULD BE THE LEAD STORY on ABC, CBS, NBC, PMSNBC & CNN tonight.

I bet it doesn't even get mentioned on the three loser networks tonight.

[lilylangtree]

"John F. Kerry has the same initials as John F. Kennedy"

Hope Miller said it with dripping sarcasm.

[zbigreddogz]

I kinda wish Zell were running again. If he were, and I lived in Georgia, I would vote for a D for a major office for the first time in my life.

Zell is a true patriot.

[zbigreddogz]

Umm, did you bother to read the rest of the quote?

[zbigreddogz]

Truth: Zell has said good things about a lot of D's personally, saying they are good people etc. He hasn't said ANYTHING good about their policies that I've seen, and believe me, I've been looking. Zell's one of my favorite politicians.

[Sprite518]

He just does what every loyal American should do, and that is to put his country ahead of his party. The Demo-rats to are doing everything in their power to destroy what has made us great.

[lilylangtree]

Yes. However, after reading previous posts, I gathered that Ketchupman prides himself on having the same initials as his mentor, Kennedy. So when Zell Miller mentioned his initials and that's the first I've seen of a demoncRAT publicly making fun of his initials, I found it humorous and hoped that Miller used a lot of sarcasm.

[GailA]

Make hanio john NAME the broken promises..or is this just like the foreign leaders he says that want him to win?

Dubya promised us TAX CUTS..we got them.
Dubya promised medicare drugs for seniors..we got them..even though most conservatives grouse about it.
Dubya promised us saddam...we got him
We got a ban on partial birth abortion. Which hanoi john will over turn.

These are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. Everyone come on and name some more promises Dubya has kept.

Then we need to put a list up of Dubya's promises kept vs hanoi john's flip flops.

[NYCVirago]

This is such a biased article:

Miller, a Georgian who is the lone Democratic senator to back publicly President Bush's re-election bid, criticized Kerry in a speech announcing his leadership of a national "Democrats for Bush" effort. He was joined by a handful of lesser-known Democrats, but the campaign said it would release a more comprehensive list in the coming weeks.

If a Republican senator endorsed Kerry, I guarantee you that none of these negative buzzwords would be in the story. Did you ever hear Jim Jeffords referred to as "the lone Republican senator to leave the party," for example?

[ChevyZ28]

I continue to be amazed that the Democrat party does not do and try everything in its power to discredit Senator Zell Miller. This can't be good for Kerry to have any Democrats regardless of how "lesser known" they may be to back Bush and be against Kerry. I will be interested in the coming days.

[ChevyZ28]

I bet old "Jumping Jim Jeffords" wished he had stayed where he was and been faithful to the party.

[commish]

GO ZELL GO!

Of course, the limp noddles will just site Miller's voting record anc claim "He really is a Republican anyway"

[Fishface]

Why doesn't Zell Miller get as much press for criticizing Kerry that Chuck Hagel gets for critizing Bush?

I heard Zell on Imus a month ago just tearing apart Kerry's character. It was quite refreshing to hear a politician tell it like it is. Zell Miller is a real man. He is the great "democrat" hope of government.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Shouldn't the AP be reporting about "Zell Miller--maverick Democrat Senator"?