I'm a confirmed idiot.
Democratic residential nominee US Senator John Kerry (news - web sites) is announced at a campaign rally at the Allentown Fairgrounds in Allentown, Pennsylvania.(AFP/File/Luke Frazza)
Posted on 09/12/2004 1:30:31 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Fifty days out from the US presidential election, the rhetoric is becoming nastier between George W. Bush and Democratic challenger John Kerry (news - web sites), as the US president's lead appears to be solidifying.
Kerry slammed Bush's campaign tactics, saying he "will say anything and do anything to get elected and hold on to power" in an interview in the Monday edition of Time magazine.
Kerry was especially angered over a barrage of television ads aimed at discrediting his Vietnam War service, which are widely credited with the downward slide in his polling numbers.
"I think the president's unwillingness to walk away from those comments makes it clear that he and the vice president will say anything and do anything to get elected and to hold on to power. It was a shameful and outrageous effort," Kerry said.
Meanwhile Bush's own Vietnam War-era service record continued in the news, with simmering controversy over whether some of the allegations that the president did not fulfill his stateside National Guard duty are based on forged documents.
The White House did not discuss the authenticity of the documents, but slammed what it called an orchestrated smear campaign by Democrats.
"The Democrats are focused on tearing down the president with the same old recycled attacks, because they're falling behind (in the polls)," said spokesman Scott McClellan on Friday.
"(They) are determined to throw the kitchen sink at us, and I suspect this is just the beginning," he said.
Bush holds a solid lead over Kerry ahead of the November 2 presidential election, according to two weekend polls: in a Time poll Bush leads Kerry 52 to 41 percent, while Bush leads Kerry 49 to 43 percent in a Newsweek poll. Both polls out Saturday have a four percent margin of error.
The Massachusetts senator said in the Time interview he was confident his campaign would rebound.
"You know, I've been in worse situations in my life. The attacks don't attack me as much as they attack Americans and America. They're trying to distract people from the real issues that matter," Kerry said.
Kerry also said that under Bush that country has "gone backward in Iraq (news - web sites), and we've gone backward on the war on terror."
Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) and national security adviser Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites) took to politically influential Sunday morning talk shows to defend the administration's foreign policy.
"There is an insurgency raging. We see it every day, there's no question about it," Powell said on NBC's "Meet the Press."
"But it will be brought under control," he said. "And when it has been brought under control you will find that the forces that keep Iraq together are stronger than the forces that would pull it apart.
Powell said the administration is "confident that we've done the right thing in both Afghanistan (news - web sites) and Iraq. This is not the time to get weak in the knees or faint about it but to drive on and finish the work that we started."
Rice, speaking on CBS's "Face the Nation," insisted the Iraqi insurgents are "not going to win."
"The important point is that we now have an Iraqi government which is fighting this fight," she said.
Both Powell and Rice said there were no plans to postpone Iraqi elections, currently scheduled for January.
I'm a confirmed idiot.
Democratic residential nominee US Senator John Kerry (news - web sites) is announced at a campaign rally at the Allentown Fairgrounds in Allentown, Pennsylvania.(AFP/File/Luke Frazza)
Is that too nasty 8-?
> Kerry slammed Bush's campaign tactics, saying he
> "will say anything and do anything to get elected
> and hold on to power" ...
The unintended self-confessions continue unabated.
You won't believe this, but I couldn't find one mention in that article about the CBS forgeries Rather tried to shill. < /sarcasm>
Nasty rhetoric = the truth about Kerry, as opposed to his war hero lies
Yeah, but you'll never hear him say "heavens to Betsy" or "Bring it on," because unlike you he is a real man.
I'd cheerfully vote for him for 'resident'. Which mental health facility did you have in mind?
Clearly a reference to the Swiftboat Vets ads. Of course, the diligent and scrupulously fair AFP wire clearly notes in the article that the ads did not from the Bush campaign -- NOT!
HUH? Doesn't Kerry listen to his own pandering the guy has taken every side on every issue and told every voter what they wanted to hear. He is the one that will do or say anything to try and get elected.... But Americans aren't that dumb Mr. Elitess.... We know the difference of owning an SUV and not owning one.
Pretty much nailed his own character in this rant.....
Hmmm...nothing about Kerry's claim in his 9/11 speech before a black audience that the Republicans will try to suppress the black vote on the order of 1,000,000 votes.
This is a very, very angry man; it's just not possible that he could be allowed to be POTUS.
I saw Tucker Carlson on CNN today and he said that when he interviewed Kerry two years ago about a possible candidacy, all Kerry wanted to talk about was Vietnam. For two hours.
Something is wrong with him.
Note that almost every press photo of Kerry is taken
by someone fawning at his feet. Wonder why?
It's because his "crowds" aren't worth photographing.
To show the poor turnout would only provide a reason
why he lost. As we learned last time, even when they lose,
the left want's to call into question the procedures used.
They are laying the groundwork for a shift to a straight
democracy instead of a representative republic.
It MUST BE STOPPED....NOW!
I guess I'll be booted after almost 7 years but here goes:
Kerry is telling the truth when he says Bush will say anything to get elected cause I think Bush is lying about Kerry. Bush said Kerry served America honorably. On this one point I have to think that Bush is lying just to get elected.
Kerry himself has said that Bush is trying to discredit Kerry's Vietnam service. So if Bush says Kerry served America honorably and Kerry says Bush is lying ... draw your own logical conclusions.
Look I know that Kerry served in Vietnam. For those of you who haven't heard, let me tell you it is true. However, I still haven't figured out for which side.
To: Assignment Desk, Daybook Editor Contact: Sarah Gegenheimer, 202-528-1519, Liviya Piccione, 202-712-3019, both of Kerry-Edwards 2004,
News Advisory:
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Teresa Heinz Kerry will keynote the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute's Issues Conference Luncheon on Monday, September 13th. Mrs. Heinz Kerry will focus her remarks on issues of vital importance to the Hispanic community.
Mrs. Heinz Kerry will underscore that under the Bush administration, America is going in the wrong direction. We need a new direction to build an America stronger at home and respected in the world, and John Kerry and John Edwards have a plan to do it.
The following schedule is for planning purposes only. Press who are interested in covering Teresa Heinz Kerry should contact Liviya Piccione at 202-712-3019.
Monday, September 13 -- Washington DC
12:30 pm EST
Teresa Heinz Kerry Keynotes Congressional Hispanic Caucus Luncheon
Washington Convention Center
801 Mount Vernon Place, N.W.
Room 146 ABC
Pre Set: 11:30 a.m.
Final Access: 12:15 p.m.
OPEN PRESS
Expect more dirty tricks from the Kerry camp. I'm from Massachusetts and I remember when Kerry first ran for Congress. Kerry's brother was arrested for breaking into his opponents headquarters. Nothing much was done, of course that's how it is in Massachusetts.
He is out of touch with reality and he appears to be unstable. Kerry is the one that will say or do anything to get elected. His campaign is pathetic!
Ummm, perhaps I missed it; all I saw was reports of Kerry's nasty rhetoric, Bush has been quite the gentleman, eventhough this article implies both sides getting nasty.
Cornered Rats and all that...
hehehehe
Except that Bush hasn't said anything or done anything. He's just been kicking back watching Kerry accumulate more and more self-inflicted wounds.
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