Bush works to woo conservative Democrats, independents in Saginaw (More Kerry the hunter BS)

SAGINAW, Mich. (AP) — President Bush brought his message on the economy, education and health care on his latest visit to Michigan, but saved the bulk of his time for talking about keeping the country safe and protecting institutions such as marriage.

"If America shows uncertainty and weakness in this decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. This will not happen on my watch," Bush said Thursday evening, bringing a cheering crowd of more than 6,000 to their feet at the Saginaw Community Event Center at Wendler Arena.

Bush's visit took him far from the Republican strongholds of western Michigan, which he visited last week, into territory more hospitable to Democrat John Kerry — at least on the surface.

The trip was part of a campaign swing this week aimed at attracting independent and crossover voters in crucial battleground states like Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa and Ohio.

"When you're out registering voters, please don't overlook discerning Democrats and wise independents," Bush told the flag-waving audience during his 45-minute speech.

Bush won 56 percent of the Midland County vote in 2000, but Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore won Bay and Saginaw counties with 55 percent and 54 percent of the vote, respectively. Gore won Michigan overall by 5 percentage points.

In Saginaw, a traditionally blue-collar Democratic area whose many Catholics tend to be socially conservative, Bush is trying to move more of those voters to his side by telling them they need to stay the course with a leader who has the nation on the mend after recession and terrorist attacks.

Before his appearance, U.S. Rep. Candice Miller, of Macomb County's Harrison Township, elicited cheers and foot-stomping when she said: "We need a president who understands that a marriage is between one man and one woman."

Don Taylor, 44, of Midland attended with his wife and four young sons. The director of state operations for Dow Chemical Co. said "President Bush stands on morality and for values."

It was Bush's 18th trip to Michigan as president and his fifth in the past month. Earlier Thursday, he made a campaign appearance in Columbus, Ohio, his 20th visit to that state.

The president noted that Kerry also visited both states recently, and chastised his rival for praising Ohio State football while he was in Ohio, and the University of Michigan once he got to Michigan.

"My opponent is a Washington politician who's taken both sides of just about every issue, including Big Ten football," Bush said.

David Bonior, a former Democratic congressman whose longtime Macomb County base was similar to Saginaw County, had said he expected Bush "to go to the security issue and more of the moral issues, which is standard procedure for trying to pry off votes from the I-75 corridor" that runs from the Ohio-Michigan border up through Detroit and Saginaw to the state's rural heart.

Many of the Interstate 75 corridor's residents like their candidates plainspoken with a healthy respect for gun rights and the importance of unions.

"Factory orders are on the rise," Bush told the Saginaw crowd. "Manufacturing jobs are coming back. The unemployment rate has fallen a full percent and we're not going to rest until everybody who wants to work can find a job."

Bonior said Bush is not going to peel away many voters in the Saginaw-Midland-Bay City area with talk of an improving economy.

"We've lost 20 percent of our manufacturing jobs during this guy's reign," Bonior said. "He can't go there."

In the Saginaw-Midland-Bay City area, unemployment in June increased to 7.9 percent from 7.4 percent in May, well above the statewide rate of 6.5 percent and the national rate of 5.6 percent.

The Democratic presidential team has its own strategy in place for winning the I-75 corridor, including a visit by vice presidential candidate John Edwards on Aug. 13 that tentatively includes a rally in Flint. Elsewhere in the state, Kerry drew a crowd of around 20,000 during a rally Monday in Grand Rapids, a traditional GOP stronghold.

Retired Gen. Wesley Clark was in Saginaw Thursday afternoon to counter Bush's message.

The former presidential candidate, now campaigning for Kerry, spoke to more than 100 people who gathered in the parking lot of the Saginaw County Democratic headquarters before walking over to Wendler Arena to protest Bush's appearance.

Clark said Bush didn't do enough to prevent the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and criticized the president for then going to war in Iraq.

"We were going after Saddam while al-Qaida was coming after us," Clark said. "And that dog don't hunt."

Kevin Pelletier, 44, of Midland agreed with Clark. The executive officer with Saginaw-based Heat and Frost Insulators Local 47 said he hasn't been happy with Bush.

"Ever since he took office, everything's been going down ... I think he's been spending a little too much time on everything outside this country and not enough on things at home."

Pelletier said in the past, he has been concerned that the Democratic party isn't pro-gun enough, but he has no problem with Kerry.

"He's a hunter himself."

This crap has to be countered HARD.

I am so f'ing sick and tired of seeing this bald faced lie repeated over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.

John Kerry voted to ban the .30-30. That needs to be sent out in letters to the editor in every newspaper in the country. You can use mine. Just change a few words in it.

John Kerry has been traveling the country saying that he is a hunter and respects the Second Amendment. That is a joke, right? His twenty-year record in the senate exposes Mr. Kerry’s dishonesty when he says he supports hunting.

Mr. Kerry voted for his Massachusetts colleague Ted Kennedy’s Senate Amendment - S.AMDT.2619. Even twelve democrats, including liberals Pat Leahy and Tom Daschle voted against this extremist infringement on our rights. SAMDT.2619 bans almost all centerfire rifle ammunition that is considered “armored piercing bullets”. The bill’s definition of “armored piercing bullet” is whatever the Attorney General (Likely a Janet Reno clone under a Kerry presidency) decides it is. Mr. Kennedy specially targeted the .30-30 round in a CSPAN speech. (Source: Page S1634-S1639 Congressional Record) The .30-30 is one of America’s most popular deer hunting rounds. Since another hunting round, the .30-06 is more powerful than the .30-30, we would see that banned as well.

Mr. Kerry can not vote for this bill and say that he supports hunting or the Second Amendment. I was born at night, but not last night. John Kerry is a “Ted Kennedy” wolf in sheep’s clothing.

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