Posted on 09/06/2004 2:59:40 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
RACINE, W.Va. - (KRT) - Seizing on a common campaign sign that features President Bush's middle initial, Sen. John Kerry on Monday declared that "W stands for wrong," shifting his focus from the rhetorical quagmires of Iraq and Vietnam to pocketbook issues.
Kerry spent Labor Day in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina blaming Bush for economic problems that he said were the worst since the Great Depression. He also retooled his campaign team on the fly.
"As the president likes to say, there's nothing complicated about it," Kerry said, speaking to a crowd of about 2,000 at a United Mine Workers Labor Day picnic. "It all comes down to one letter: W. W stands for wrong. Wrong choices, wrong judgment, wrong priorities for our country."
Aides said that Kerry is jettisoning the talk about his own Vietnam war record that dominated his message throughout the summer and will hit the economy hard, believing that job losses, falling wages and rising health care costs will convince millions of voters that they are worse off than they were four years ago.
"We're going to close the tax loopholes that reward companies for shipping jobs overseas, and we're going to reward companies that believe that American workers do the best job in the world," Kerry said. He also promised to get health care costs under control.
Bush also went through the traditional Labor Day campaign kickoff ritual, but limited his campaigning to a single evening rally in Missouri.
Kerry's day began with a front-porch question and answer session with supporters at the home of Dale and Jody Rhome on West College Street, a tree-lined block in Canonsburg, Pa.
Citing falling wages and rising health care costs, as well as Bush administration rules restricting overtime pay, Kerry said the president had "dishonored" workers and that "the average American worker was moving backwards."
Boisterous pro-Bush protesters at the end of the block screamed "flip flop" and "four more years," drowning out speakers at the event. As Kerry blasted Bush for deficit spending driven by tax cuts and a $200 billion war in Iraq, the catcalls grew louder.
"They don't like to hear the truth - it's kind of funny," Kerry said. "Every one of those people screaming over there, they all have a bigger debt to pay."
Even as he focused on the economy, questions from the audience brought Kerry back to Iraq. "It's the wrong war, in the wrong place and the wrong time," he said. Kerry said he believes he could have U.S. troops home by the end of a first term, which would be 2009.
Bush, in prepared remarks, responded: "After voting for the war, but against funding it, after saying he would have voted for the war even knowing everything we know today, my opponent woke up this morning with new campaign advisers and yet another new position.
"Suddenly he's against it again. No matter how many times Senator Kerry changes his mind, it was right for America and it's right for America now that Saddam Hussein is no longer in power."
Kerry on Sunday brought veteran operative John Sasso in to travel with him and help make strategic decisions faster.
"He wanted a peer, someone his own age," a senior adviser said. "John Sasso is smart and tested."
The two men have been friends for years, and Sasso has enough history with Kerry to be able to reel him in when necessary.
Mary Beth Cahill, a former aide to Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., will continue as campaign manager, running things from headquarters, advisers said. In recent weeks, Clinton veterans have joined the campaign, including Joe Lockhart, the former White House press secretary, and Joel Johnson, a communications adviser to Clinton. Some Democrats are also urging other former Clinton advisers to take active roles.
Upheaval is common in presidential campaigns - Kerry, for example, fired his first campaign manager just three months before the Iowa caucuses - but it is rare to do it this close to Election Day. The moves follow weeks of mounting concerns among Democrats as Kerry has foundered and lost ground to harsh attacks on his character and fitness for office.
President Clinton told Kerry in a 90-minute phone conversation Saturday that the endless back-and-forth on the Vietnam war - and Kerry's role as a veteran and a protester - was starving the campaign of oxygen.
Aides say they had long planned to buttress the campaign staff and the moves were not a sign of panic, downplaying suggestions that the Clintonistas and existing Kerry staff in headquarters would clash. "It's all hands on deck," said spokesman David Wade. "There is one team."
K stands for
kinder and gentler war Kerry
kindred spirit with the Communists Kerry
kaleidescope Kerry -- every time he turns around he changes!
You saw it here first!
WAR TIME President!
So, is that the best the Clinton advisors could come up with?
I'm impressed. Ha!
W stands for so many things. But most of all, W stands for WINNER!!!!!!
K stands for nothing, that's his problem.
W stands for Whoo Hoo.
I have the same reaction to Kerry's attempts to speechify.
This is the best the 'new' Clinton campaign Team could come up with?? What a Waste are better words.
Don't forget fool...complete, utter, dismal, sissy-faced fool.
Take courage!!
If KERRY has to come up with a "spin" on W -- it only means Dubya is setting the agenda!!! (and eating Kerry's lunch)
Uh...you forgot Fool.
...and false
...and fabricate
And this is Kerry's tough, new fight-back strategy? "W" is for WOW. I am totally underwhelmed. Furthermore, just how much fear do you suppose Kerry was able to generate among those miners that their jobs were the next to be outsourced? This ain't exactly what I'd call bringing it on, Senator.
Bush knows how to work. Kerry knows how to get out of work. Just look at the way Kerry has avoided his day job in the Senate for the last 6 months.
Q: How many Americans does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Three.
Bush to change the bulb and Kerry and Edwards to stand around telling Bush he should have done it differently.
Just what I thought. This means sKerryis conceding that "W" is in control and he can only (pitifully) respond with some trite name-calling! And every time he calls "W" he only reminds the voters who the real president is. Way to show you're presidential timber, Lurch.
Kerry sounds like he coming up w/ slogans for dim's bumper stickers.
"F" stands for Feckless
According to Star Trek's Ensign Chekov, W stands for Wictory!...:))
I nearly barfed when I heard kerry being ever so proud of himself for being so "K"ute.
"F" stands for fop.
As long as Kerry keeps bashing Bush instead of laying out a positive vision, I am not worried.
The only way I would be worried would be if Kerry laid out a serious plan:
1. End illegal immigration.
2. Cut wasteful spending
3. Be more agreesive with terrorists.
"W is for wrong"
Did BillyJeff come up with that one for his friend John while in his pre-surgery drug-induced daze? How profound, how scintillating, such depth.
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