Posted on 09/03/2004 1:13:20 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
PENDLETON, Ore. - Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) told supporters Friday that Democrat John Kerry (news - web sites), a senator from the Northeast, doesn't understand their needs.
"He says he's in touch with the West. He must mean western Massachusetts," Cheney said.
The vice president criticized Kerry for his position on a bill Cheney said was aimed at "keeping forests healthier and communities safer." Neither Kerry nor running mate John Edwards (news - web sites) were present for the vote. Bush signed the measure into law in December.
"Sen. Kerry did not support the Healthy Forests Act when it came time to vote," Cheney said. "Now, Sen. Kerry says he likes a lot of the parts of the law. That makes one thing clear: it's not only wildfires that shift with the wind."
The Kerry campaign responded that the Bush administration hasn't fully funded the Healthy Forests Act as they had proposed. "They left firefighters out to dry this summer," said Laura Capps, a Kerry-Edwards spokeswoman. She said the Democrats worked with western governors to put together a forest management plan that emphasized protecting communities.
Cheney and his wife, Lynne, made a beeline for Republican territory in the eastern part of Oregon from the party's convention in New York. In 2000, Al Gore (news - web sites) won Oregon but Bush carried Yumatilla County, where Cheney spoke, 2-1.
The vice president trumpeted Bush's second-term agenda, pledging to "continue our pro-growth, pro-jobs agenda." Cheney said the ticket will "make the Bush tax cuts permanent," "work to end lawsuit abuse," enact medical liability reform and put together "a comprehensive energy policy."
Of the Democrats, Cheney said: "Their big idea for the economy: raise our taxes," as the crowd booed.
In his 30-minute speech before a GOP-friendly crowd, Cheney ignored Kerry's criticism a day earlier in which the Democrat accused both the vice president and the president of avoiding service in Vietnam and being "unfit to lead the nation."
Responding to the comment, Anne Womack, Cheney's spokeswoman, said: "The Republicans just came out of a really exciting positive convention in which President Bush (news - web sites) laid out an aggressive agenda for next four years. Senator Kerry's only response is to lash out and make personal attacks about the past. We think this election is about the future."
Cheney's was traveling to Nevada later Friday before heading to New Mexico on Saturday, two other battleground states.
HA! I(unfortunately) live in western MA and John Forbes Kerry hasn't been spotted around here in 19 years!
This guy views anything west of Brookline as 'the frontier'! The jackass seldom ventures west of the Connecticut River and if he does, it's to one of 'Mama-T's' multi-million dollar flop-downs.
He knows the wine country of France better than he knows his own state fer' crissakes!
Gee, we never see any wide shots of Kerry/Edwards campaign stops. That's because they only bus in fifty paid flunkies...paid by MamaT. They get a box lunch and per diem, no doubt. But journalists are said to have in their hot little hands, chapter and verse about Kerry campaign finance 'irregularities'. Hmm, I wonder when we'll see this stuff in print or on tv? Maybe Fox will have it soon. Or would that be piling on, since Kerry is glug, glugging down for the third time.
The only thing Kerry is in touch with is TerAYsa's wallet.
I think Cheney's probably doing the right thing ignoring Kerry's desperate, pathetic criticism of the VP's lack of military service. Effin's just frantic enough to keep bringing it up and getting even more hysterical about it, and Cheney can just look on with bemusement, watching him implode.
Bev! The VEEP in Pendleton! He sure got across the country fast.
Looks like the Vice President is speaking to a packed arena. Contrast that to Edwards Front Porch talks with empty chairs. FOFLOL
The Dems are now wishing that somehow they can pull out a miracle in the 3 debates...in the meantime, expect Senator Kerry to go Iraq or Afghanistan to see our troops...and expect Senator Edwards to either resign so that he can "devote all of his energy to his campaign" or else have a coming out party as McGreevy did in New Jersey.
In other words, the Dems have to roll out their publicity stunts now.
5 Legislative Days Left Until The AWB Expires
I can see Bush eeking out a narrow victory in Oregon in November.
I like this Bush/Cheney good cop/bad cop routine, as it allows us to whack Kerry without Bush ever looking like a negative campaigner. Kerry/Edwards are also probably trying it but are too inept, and the latter is certainly too lightweight to land serious blows on us.
Certainly the Republicans think Oregon is in play. Otherwise Cheney would not be there. Amazing. I never thought Bush would have a chance in Oregon. Kerry really is in trouble.
I'm telling ya. Fifty-five percent and forty states. That's what Bush is gonna get. Kerry, OTOH won't even get 200 Electoral Votes. In fact, I am beginning to doubt that Kerry will get much over 38-40% of the vote.
Secretary of Defense trumps Lt jg.
Good points, snugs. I was in Pendleton a month ago...briefly....and was struck by its distance from the east coast.....
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