Bush Is 'Unfit' to Lead U.S., Kerry Charges (excerts of the speech that followed Bush)

NY Times ^ | September 3, 2004 | DAVID M. HALBFINGER

[Former Military Chick]

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio, Friday, Sept. 3 - Roaring back at his Republican rivals, Senator John Kerry called President Bush "unfit to lead this country" for "misleading'' America into war in Iraq and said Mr. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney avoided fighting in the Vietnam War.

"For the past week, they have attacked my patriotism and even my fitness to serve as commander in chief," Mr. Kerry told thousands here at a midnight rally shortly after Mr. Bush accepted the Republican nomination for a second term and questioned Mr. Kerry's support for combat troops in Iraq.

"Well, here is my answer to them," Mr. Kerry said to cheers. "I will not have my commitment to defend this country questioned by those who refused to serve when they could've and who misled America into Iraq."

The Kerry campaign scheduled the event days ago in an effort to reclaim the initiative in the race without letting a single news cycle pass. Mr. Kerry spoke a mere half-hour after the president had ended his acceptance speech, and Kerry aides issued his prepared text even before Mr. Bush spoke.

Mr. Cheney capped a weeklong assault on Mr. Kerry's character and national-security credentials at the Republican convention on Wednesday, saying that he honored Mr. Kerry's service in Vietnam but that the senator's 20-year voting record on foreign policy and military issues made him unfit to be president.

Mr. Bush, for his part, depicted Mr. Kerry on Thursday as a tax-raising big-spending social liberal who had defended his vote against an Iraq appropriations bill by saying the question was complicated.

"There is nothing complicated about supporting our troops in combat," Mr. Bush said.

Mr. Kerry, criticizing "the anger and the distortion" of the Republican convention, hit back in his toughest appraisal yet of the incumbents' qualifications.

"The vice president called me unfit for office last night," Mr. Kerry said. "Well, I'm going to leave it up to the voters to decide whether five deferments make someone more qualified than two tours of duty."

Mr. Cheney received five deferments and did not serve in the military. Mr. Bush was in the Texas Air National Guard and did not serve overseas.

Mr. Kerry was even harsher in attacking what he called Mr. Bush's "record of failure" as president.

"Let me tell you in no uncertain terms what makes someone unfit for office and unfit for duty," Mr. Kerry said, turning to Mr. Bush. "Misleading our nation into war in Iraq makes you unfit to lead our country. Doing nothing while this nation loses millions of jobs makes you unfit to lead this country. Letting 45 million Americans go without health care for four years makes you unfit to lead this country.

"Letting the Saudi royal family control the price of oil for Americans makes you unfit to lead this country. Handing out billions of dollars in government contracts without a bid to Halliburton while you're still on the payroll makes you unfit lead this country.

"That, my friends, is the record of George Bush and Dick Cheney - and that only begins to scratch the surface."

A Bush campaign spokesman, Steve Schmidt, called the remarks "another example of John Kerry's trying to divide America over the past."

"The contrast between the president's hopeful, optimistic vision for the future that is laid out in his acceptance speech versus John Kerry's politics of anger and pessimism will be totally clear to the American people," Mr. Schmidt said.

Mr. Kerry and his running mate, Senator John Edwards, rendezvoused here outside a history museum before they and their wives fanned out on bus trips across the crucial states of Ohio, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Mr. Edwards, introducing Mr. Kerry, called the attacks on him amazing. "They'll say just about anything, won't they?" Mr. Edwards asked. "He wasn't wounded quite often enough, is that it?"

Reminding the crowd of Mr. Bush's acceptance speech in 2000, Mr. Edwards recalled how Mr. Bush had "over and over" said: " 'They have not led. We will.'

"Well, let me ask you, have they led us to more jobs? Have they led us to better health care for our people? Have they led us to cleaner air, cleaner water? Have they led us to better schools and education for our kids?

"Here's the truth. They led us from the edge of greatness to the edge of a cliff. And it's time to lead them out of town."

He scoffed at Mr. Bush's repeated references to his "next term" in his speech on Thursday, as the crowd signaled its scorn. "They seem to have forgotten they already had a term."

He listed what he called the administration's failures, five million Americans who have lost health coverage, four million who have fallen into poverty, nearly two million who have lost private-sector jobs and soaring costs for health insurance, college tuition and fuel.

Earlier on Thursday, Mr. Edwards had said Mr. Kerry's rivals were attacking him because they had achieved so little worth celebrating.

"I can understand why the vice president spent so much of his time talking about John Kerry," Mr. Edwards said at a rally in Norristown, Pa. "It's because he doesn't want to talk about what they did the last four years."

Later, at a community recreation center, Mr. Edwards implored his audience to recall the less strident tone that the Democrats projected at their convention in July- give or take an Al Sharpton - and to compare it with what they saw on Wednesday.

When Mr. Edwards invited audience members to ask questions, one man suggested that the Democrats were campaigning too timidly, a criticism that many Democrats around the country are beginning to raise.

"You're up against the dirtiest fighters in the world," the man said. "If they hit you, you've got to hit back twice. How are you going to handle it the next two months?"

"There's a difference between how you fight and who you're fighting for," Mr. Edwards said, choosing his words carefully." It's one thing to engage in a lot of personal assaults, like some of the things we saw last night. It's another thing to fight with everything you've got for the American people and the people you believe in."

Michael Janofsky contributed reporting from Norristown, Pa.

[Mo1]

Hey Kerry .. here are 5 words you are afraid of

Secret Paris Meetings with Commies

[Free Trapper]

Kerry's five words. - This is a wake(hiccup)call.

[GoLightly]

Most of the protesters look more sane than the Democrat politicians. Pictures on post 31 are the real face of the party.

[piasa]

LOL

[elhombrelibre]

The article failed to mention that he was drunk.

[geopyg]

"Letting the Saudi royal family control the price of oil for Americans makes you unfit to lead this country. Handing out billions of dollars in government contracts without a bid to Halliburton while you're still on the payroll makes you unfit lead this country.

"That, my friends, is the record of George Bush and Dick Cheney - and that only begins to scratch the surface."

OH MAN - I can't wait until next week with Kerry out on the campaign trail saying how Bush and the Jews conspired to fly the airplanes into buildings on 9/11!

[elhombrelibre]

Michael Moore is writing his speeches now.

[GoLightly]

I think he's just trying to bring one of our international allies back to our side.

[NYCVirago]

Elephants in New York Protesters mimicking the Republican mascot ring bells as they participate in a "Ringout" observance at Ground Zero, site of the World Trade Center, on Saturday evening.

And their side is the first to complain about Republicans "exploiting" 9/11, while they're wearing mocking costumes at Ground Zero. Sheesh.

[Former Military Chick]

I did not recall the photos in question so I clicked reply to the post and their jumped out those noisy and frieghtening photos of the left. Might give a warning, might screer little ones who can't sleep.

[GoLightly]

Told ya they were worse than the protesters. Ya waz warned!! lol

[Former Military Chick]

You did. But, we will offset those with the following:

Sept. 2: Delegates wave their flags as President Bush begins his speech by accepting the GOP presidential nomination.

Sept. 2: Gen. Tommy Franks salutes during his address to GOP delegates.

Sept. 2: National security adviser Condoleezza Rice waves a flag in Madison Square Garden.

Sept. 2: Olympic gold medalists Mary Lou Retton, right, and Kerri Strug recite the pledge of allegiance.

Sept. 2: President Bush stands with first lady Laura Bush and their communications team during a sound check.

Sept. 2: Workers put the finishing touches on the presidential seal on the main stage at Madison Square Garden.

Secret location of Cheney

[BigSkyFreeper]

Throughout the evening I saw camera shots of Mary Lou Retton and Condi Rice chanting "4 More Years!" "Flip Flop!" and "Viva Bush!" along with the rest of the attendees, and I told my uncle, "Condi is really getting into the Convention!"

This whole week was great! From the speeches to the music!

[GoLightly]

Those are great!! Thank you. I saw & heard President Bush doing his sound check last night, but never realized there were so many other people around.

[Former Military Chick]

Hard to top this in years to come. With dynamic speakers like McCain, Zell and Rudy we have some wonderful and potential Presidents who tonight was supporting President Bush. It might be hopeful that it turns out that way, but, it is never to early to plan for 2008, 2012 and 2016.

It is a night that all conservatives can hold their head and say I am proud to be a republican.

[Former Military Chick]

Evidently the last photo where they are working on the stage and there are climbing to the top via platform, that was a special door that would open and Bush would go down, somewhere, seems kinda hokie but anything for our CIC.

Actually we saw one and ONLY ONE try and break in and I thought that was great.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Sure is great to be a Republican. The GOP sure has a nice talent pool to choose from. If a Democrats were to ever occupy the WH or regain control of the Congress, it will set back the progression toward full fledged Conservatism. This country needs Conservatism.

Liberal Socialism is a failed experiment that must be abandoned.

[longtermmemmory]

so from now on, the opposition will give a response speech during a candidates acceptance at their convention.

Ahhh the legacy of clinton. Its is all fair game.

[BigSkyFreeper]

I was absolutely blown away by the President's entrance!

[PeoplesRepublicOfWashington]

How many deferments did Kerry get and use before he was turned down for one to study in France?