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Kerry Misfires In Economic Blame Game
Thw Washington Post ^ | 06/16/04 | Steven Pearlstein

Posted on 06/16/2004 5:23:06 AM PDT by TonyInOhio

Kerry Misfires In Economic Blame Game

By Steven Pearlstein

Wednesday, June 16, 2004; Page E01

The critical issue of the presidential campaign is not jobs, or the deficit, or even the war in Iraq. The issue is credibility: which candidate can lead the country by telling the truth about where we are and where we need to go. And in that context, the efforts of John Kerry's team to portray the economy as being in terrible shape, and President Bush as being the Herbert Hoover of his era, are badly misguided.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Front Page News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: economy; election2004; kerry; loserkerry; napalminthemorning
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To: TonyInOhio
It slams Bush if you read carefully.

For Kerry, the danger in playing this economic blame game is that voters will come to see him as no different than a president who has used exaggeration and selective use of facts to justify a war against Iraq. Rather than offering a contrast to the Republicans' highly partisan, attack-dog approach to political discourse, Kerry mimics it -- potentially turning off moderate, independent voters. And in terms of making a compelling economic case against Bush, it is wholly unnecessary.

21 posted on 06/16/2004 6:03:06 AM PDT by finnman69 (hOcum puella incedit minore medio corpore sub quo manifestus globus, inflammare animos)
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To: Rennes Templar

hope you have your flame suit on


22 posted on 06/16/2004 6:04:45 AM PDT by holdmuhbeer
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To: gunnygail

I told you folks months ago that John Kerry would implode. The real problem is that he is not nuts like Howard Dean, but will do or say anything he thinks that will get him elected. This guy is dangerous to the N'th degree! The Democrat Party should be ashamed of nominating such a lightweight and loser! That's what happens when you let hate rule your judgement!! This guy, Kerry, if elected will get a lot of innocent Americans killed! Better wake up America and destroy this fool and his party this November!


23 posted on 06/16/2004 6:06:15 AM PDT by JLAGRAYFOX
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To: Timeout
It's in the business section. (Tony's link takes you to the "Print this article" screen). Here's a link to page E01 in today's WP.
24 posted on 06/16/2004 6:06:59 AM PDT by browardchad
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To: TonyInOhio

Well, apparently we only see this in the Post because they want to warn Kerry and give him advice. There's the part at the bottom that says that Bush's tax cuts are responsible for the evil "growing gap between the rich and the poor." ~barf~ And, of course, Bush has made no progress in protecting the solvency of Social Security and Medicare-- This article is to benefit Kerry, although it pretends to say something good about Bush. (I could've posted the Post's comments, but was concerned whether ti would be OK to do so.)


25 posted on 06/16/2004 6:07:20 AM PDT by Clara Lou
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To: numberonepal
I've thought since the first time I saw the Kerry record on Senate votes (not just this year) that it would grow to be an issue. Americans may be divided on philosophy and issues, but no one likes someone who lays out of work.

He needs to be asked the question, "President Bush is campaigning AND running the country at the same time....You are camapigning and doing nothing else.....Is it not true that the presidency requires the ability to multi-task and this being so... how would you function in office?

Kerry: Uh, no problem, I would have my secretary work in my presidential work schedule around my cosmetic appointments, my photo ops and my meetings with Jane on how to run this country right.

26 posted on 06/16/2004 6:15:40 AM PDT by Pure Country
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To: TonyInOhio
Most of all, the Bush economic program is based on the big lie that endless tax cuts are necessary to sustain economic growth.

Endless tax cuts are needed because they follow endless tax increases pushed through by the left.

27 posted on 06/16/2004 6:19:15 AM PDT by Gil4
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To: holdmuhbeer; Rennes Templar

No flame suit is needed. The first two lines are quotes from the full text of the article, not his opinion. The last line was a criticism of the WP, which is almost always allowed here.


28 posted on 06/16/2004 6:21:46 AM PDT by Gil4
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To: TonyInOhio
Just as I was beginning to conclude that someone at GOP HQ had managed to spoof the Wash Post website, I came across this closing line:

"...the Bush economic program is based on the big lie that endless tax cuts are necessary to sustain economic growth."

So it turns out this Pearlstine character is no different; only his LIES are different.

29 posted on 06/16/2004 6:24:59 AM PDT by Redbob (we're going to miss you, Ronnie!)
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To: cake_crumb
BTW, did ya'll know Kerry's a Vietnam vet?

Kerry was in Vietnam? Are you sure? I have never heard that. I wonder why he never mentions it in his campaign?

30 posted on 06/16/2004 6:33:41 AM PDT by Bubba_Leroy
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To: Gil4

Thanks for explaining my post to HMB.


31 posted on 06/16/2004 6:39:58 AM PDT by Rennes Templar
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To: TonyInOhio

The article was clearly written by a democRAT who wants Bush to lose and is frustrated that Kerry isn't doing the job. The thrust of the entire article can be summarized as follows: "Kerry you fool, your lies aren't working. Use these lies instead!"


32 posted on 06/16/2004 6:41:07 AM PDT by Bubba_Leroy
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To: Rocket1968

last week the GAO said the SS system was in better shape and ahd money until 2053, ten years later than their previous forecast. This writer says President Bush has done nothing to help, but the GAO says that improved economic models show the benefit to the long term health of the system. Who is right? not the post writer.


33 posted on 06/16/2004 6:50:45 AM PDT by q_an_a
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To: TonyInOhio

The only one who I wish had misfired was Kerry's dad.


34 posted on 06/16/2004 6:54:04 AM PDT by Piquaboy
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To: TruthShallSetYouFree

Your post "Lets Do Kerry" gave me a good chuckle and took me way back to my college days!


35 posted on 06/16/2004 7:39:11 AM PDT by RangerVetNam
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To: TonyInOhio
The president inherited an economy that was already in a recession that, in the experience of most households, businesses and governments, lasted until the early months of 2003. This recession came after an unusually long expansion characterized, at its end, by a giant investment bubble that burst. It was only natural that such a downturn would require a longer-than-usual period of painful adjustment... In this country, presidents don't "preside over" economies, and they certainly don't control them. They can implement a limited range of economic policies that affect the economic cycle at the margin. And on that score, Bush deserves high marks.
The partisan shills who run the media like to toss out the occasional op-ed like this one to make it look as if they aren't what they are. Despite the constant not too subtle slams against GWB found throughout, which work as qualifiers and disclaimers to feed the biases of their usual readers (akin to the disclaimer PBS' "Frontline" used years ago when it covered the Sandinista atrocities in Nicaragua), it's a pretty fair piece -- directed though toward John Kerry's campaign, not toward general readers and voters. "Beat Bush, just don't do it this way," is the theme.

Obviously, if NAFTA is a threat, let's look to see which president pushed it through Congress -- oops, can't do that. And what about GWB's opposition to and alleged withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol?
Environmental Fast-fact Source
Posted on August 28, 2002
Matt Richardson draws attention to Ten Second Response, a reference site maintained by the National Center for Public Policy Research, providing concise answers and facts to the most commonly encountered questions and misconceptions regarding environmental issues...
Ten Second Response
National Center for Public Policy Research
Issue: George W. Bush killed the Kyoto Protocol.

Response 1: President Bush did not kill the Kyoto Protocol. It was dead when he took office. Senate Res. 98, approved 95-0 on July 25, 1997, states that the Senate will not ratify any climate treaty that would harm the U.S. economy or fails to require developing nations to reduce emissions. Kyoto fails both tests. The President simply recognized these facts.

Response 2: President Clinton signed appropriations bills in 1999, 2000 and 2001 prohibiting the Environmental Protection Agency from using any funds to "issue rules, regulations, decrees of orders for the purpose of implementation, or in preparation for implementation, of the Kyoto Protocol" until the Protocol is ratified by the Senate.
A couple of election prediction pages, which are kept updated, are Federal Review and Dales' Electoral College Breakdown 2004
George W. Bush will be reelected by a margin of at least ten per cent

36 posted on 06/16/2004 10:24:09 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Unlike some people, I have a profile. Okay, maybe it's a little large...)
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To: jwalsh07

What is funny is that the Wash Post is right. Kerry doesn't need to make an economic case. Most people are far to uneducated or don't really care enough to know who's fault the economy is. All they know is that 3 million jobs are lost or more importantly.. they are out of work.

The fact remains that the economy goes through cycles.. no matter how many people attack policies the real reason the economy failed was the internet stock boom.. too much capital going out to too many companies with no return in which investors got caught up in the action of making millions and found out all they were really doing was buying stock at 55 bucks that was really only worth a penny.

Millions lost money trying to have a low odds lottery and got pounded... which is kinda of funny because the stock boom was a real life taking of money from the masses to give to the rich.. Exec's cashed out huge sums while investors continued to convicence themselves that the internet boom would never end.

Now couple that with 9/11 and you got yourself a massive well resilent economy that two blows within 2 years time frame and of course it's going to get a little indigestion.

Now that the economy(and it's people) are a little wiser things will hop right back on track. Of course the only way to conveince people to put money back into an econcomy that kicked their collective butts 3-4 years ago was to put money into their pockets.. write some deficits and let people regain confidence.

Ahh yes.. it's not rocket science.. it's just common sense.


37 posted on 06/16/2004 11:31:46 AM PDT by Almondjoy
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To: All

Kerry, who had an ethical bypass at birth, only tells the truth by accident.

38 posted on 06/16/2004 11:50:03 AM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist ©®)
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