Posted on 09/25/2004 1:29:39 AM PDT by The_Victor
WACO, Texas - President Bush (news - web sites) opened several new scathing lines of attack against Democrat John Kerry (news - web sites), charges that twisted his rival's words on Iraq (news - web sites) and made Kerry seem supportive of deposed dictator Saddam Hussein (news - web sites). It was not unlike the spin that Kerry and his forces sometimes place on Bush's words.
Campaigning by bus through hotly contested Wisconsin on Friday, Bush sought to counter recently sharpened criticism by Kerry about his Iraq policies:
_He stated flatly that Kerry had said earlier in the week "he would prefer the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein to the situation in Iraq today." The line drew gasps of surprise from Bush's audience in a Racine, Wis., park. "I just strongly disagree," the president said.
But Kerry never said that. In a speech at New York University on Monday, he called Saddam "a brutal dictator who deserves his own special place in hell." He added, "The satisfaction we take in his downfall does not hide this fact: We have traded a dictator for a chaos that has left America less secure."
_Bush attacked Kerry for calling "our alliance 'the alliance of the coerced and the bribed.'"
"You can't build alliances if you criticize the efforts of those who are working side by side with you," the president said in Janesville, Wis.
Kerry did use the phrase to describe the U.S.-led coalition of nations in Iraq, in a March 2003 speech in California. He was referring to the administration's willingness to offer aid to other nations to gain support for its Iraq policies.
But Bush mischaracterized Kerry's criticism, which has not been aimed at the countries that have contributed a relatively small number of troops and resources, but at the administration for not gaining more participation from other nations.
_Bush also suggested Kerry was undercutting an ally in a time of need, and thus unfit to be president, when he "questioned the credibility" of Iraqi interim leader Ayad Allawi.
"This great man came to our country to talk about how he's risking his life for a free Iraq, which helps America," the president said in Janesville. "And Senator Kerry held a press conference and questioned Prime Minister Allawi's credibility. You can't lead this country if your ally in Iraq feels like you question his credibility."
Bush repeated the attack later in the day and Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) echoed the message in Lafayette, La. "I must say I was appalled at the complete lack of respect Senator Kerry showed for this man of courage," Cheney said.
Kerry's point was that the optimistic assessments of postwar Iraq from both Bush and Allawi didn't match previous statements by the Iraqi leader, nor the reality on the ground, and were designed to put the "best face" on failed policies.
"Facts can be stubborn things," said Kerry spokesman Phil Singer. "When there's a gap between the reality and the words coming out of the White House, we are going to point them out."
That's not to say Kerry hasn't been playing fast and loose with Bush's words.
Just Friday, the Kerry campaign sent an e-mail to supporters entitled "He said what?" citing Bush's remark that he had seen "a poll that said the right track/wrong track in Iraq was better than here in America."
The e-mail from campaign manager Mary Beth Cahill accused the president of having "no plan to get us out of Iraq" and thinking "the future of Iraq is brighter than the future of America."
Bush has a plan for Iraq — Kerry just disagrees that it is working. And the president wasn't comparing Iraq's future to that of the United States, only accurately reflecting one recent survey in Iraq and the latest trends in America that asked participants for their assessment of the direction their countries are going. After campaigning in Wisconsin, Bush settled into his ranch in Crawford, Texas, which will be his base of operations for several days as he crams for the first debate of the presidential campaign, to be held Thursday in Coral Gables, Fla. The first practice session was expected to take place Saturday night, with Sen. Judd Gregg (news, bio, voting record), R-N.H., playing the part of Kerry for a couple of hours and a slew of Bush's most senior White House aides and outside advisers on hand, spokesman Scott McClellan said.
Maybe Dan the blather- Rather will go to work for AP.
He qualifies....also his protegee' ...Michael(BO) Moore.
Must read:
excerpt:
This is a moment that's been a very long time coming. For four decades now, conservatives have been convinced, with supreme justification, that the institutional, ideological, and cultural biases of the mainstream media represented a danger to the causes in which they believe and the ideas they hold dear. What has happened over the past weeks isn't the beginning of a transformation. It's the culmination of a 40-year-long indictment that has, at long last, led to a slam-dunk conviction.
The "story" by Loven remains the same, but the headline now reads:
Bush, Kerry Twisting Each Other's Words
By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writer
hugs, Marty
(I'm so proud to be a member of FR)
John McCain is personally responsible for crap like this.
His campaign finance reform elevated the "news" media to a special status. It gave them enhanced power, but, it appears, no enhanced responsibility.
When is someone going to sit down with this guy and force him to answer why he thinks the AP has a right to editorialize like this that you don't have. Why doesn't the AP have to register as a 527? What's special about them?
Is he okay with this article?
Gad, I loathe McCain--his BS Free Speech Restriction Act will be the undoing of America.
Really? Even with twisting he doesn't sound bad.
Care to cite an example or two?
Hey! Cool! I just noticed you can send out a press release there. Has anyone considered sending out a press release talking about the bias of the AP--particularly this article?
I wonder if it would get through; I've seen some pretty questionable press releases pass through before.
Check out PowerLine's latest on this. Loven's husband has ties to the Kerry campaign.
If we're going to regulate campaign contributions, this should be illegal. Shut down the AP.
Well you could start the list with this babe.
Everyone fire off letters to AP. Doing that makes you feel good.
Well, ... I don't have the time -- or the knowledge.
I just remembered another story we were really up in arms about..I fairness to the author we have had this kind of thing happen before..AP uses the main author and combines it with others at times..I wish I could recall when one author was really hit and it was AP that did the additions from other reports...(They are allowed to do that!)We will find out who did the "twisted part"...
There's a thread about this now.
You can't spell "CRAP" without AP!
http://www.thesakeofargument.com/archives/000066.html
http://memeorandum.com/
This little hit piece editorial is gaining attention..
Thanks for the ping!
I relish every opportunity to ping my ((FRiends)) ...
.
I appreciate your pings! Here's a volley bump for 'ya.
Here is a sampling of recent Loven quotes that have appeared on the AP Wire.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1227206/posts
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