Posted on 10/05/2004 6:53:04 PM PDT by Former Military Chick
CLEVELAND (AP) -- In a debate at close quarters, Democratic Sen. John Edwards bluntly accused Vice President Dick Cheney Tuesday night of "not being straight with the American people" when it comes to Iraq.
"I'm confident that in fact we'll get the job done," insisted the vice president, who said reconstruction efforts are continuing and elections are scheduled for January. He said it is essential to view the war in Iraq as part of a global war on terror.
The 90-minute debate format encouraged give-and-take, and both men went at it eagerly.
Cheney noted that Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry had opposed the first Persian Gulf War, and said it was "part of a consistent pattern over time of always being on the wrong side of the fence."
Edwards said Cheney had previously suggested ties between the terrorists responsible for the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 and Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
"You've gone around the country suggesting that there is some connection. There is not," he said.
Cheney, 63, and Edwards, 51, sat a few feet apart around a semicircular table on a stage at Case Western Reserve University. Gwen Ifill of PBS, moderator for the evening, faced them.
It was the only debate of the campaign for Cheney and his Democratic opponent.
Kerry and Bush debated for 90 minutes last week in an encounter widely viewed as a victory for the Democratic challenger. The four-term Massachusetts senator has gained ground in the polls in the days since, narrowing the gap with the president in some nationwide surveys and moving into a statistical tie in others.
Bush and Kerry will debate twice more, on Friday in St. Louis and Oct. 13 in Arizona.
In a reprise of comments Kerry made in last week's debate, Edwards said the United States has paid 90 percent of the costs and suffered 90 percent of the casualties in the war in Iraq.
The figure is "dead wrong," Cheney replied, adding that the Iraqi security forces have suffered almost 50 percent of the casualties. "Your facts are just wrong," he said - again, for emphasis.
Edwards also accused the Bush administration of the "height of hypocrisy," saying it had sent troops into war without sufficient body armor and by lobbying to cut their pay.
"It's hard to know where to start, there's so many inaccuracies there," Cheney said.
© 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
that was why I posted it ... not finished but reporting it as if it were
Amen to that statement, the gloves need to come off and get the dirt out in the public about Kerry. He's not squeaky clean (well squeaky, but not clean). That deal was a money maker for his cousin, and you can bet he his cousin didn't forget him when the money started coming in.
I'm sick of both Kerry and Edwards taking advantage of a new question to get a further rebuttal to the previous question. This is supposed to be against the rules and the host didn't stop Kerry when he did it and tonights host did not stop Edwards when he did it.
Hey I like your tagline, I have an extra screwdriver if you need it when giving adjustments.
Well cut me another piece of apple pie, Dick Cheney, you took the ship to good harbor. What can one say? With all respect to the President, in this debate Dick Cheney’s wagon took over hauling the payloads of George W. Bush’s perceived shortcomings in his debate, a debate which was only five days ago but somehow now seem a century ago. Thank you, Vice President Dick Cheney, you were fabulous, and the school boy took the loss thanks to your aptitude, acumen and presentation of the issues. This was a home run for the Bush-Cheney team. There is no question about it.
That as well as many others are going to leave a real ugly black mark on the KE campaign. The VP is hitting and hitting hard with no pulled punches and no rope-a-dope dance and nuances like Silky Pony.
Kerry did it, and just now Edwards did it. While listening to a rebuttal, they both picked up a pen and started writing in a really intense and focused way.
Guys, does your debate coach seriously not see how phony that looks?
And I'm sick and tired of the FnKerry and Edwards 'point' with a closed fist and that THUMB nuckle sticking up. I can just scream when they do this. I wonder who got that gesture from whom? FnKerry from Edwards or Edwards off of FnKerry!
"We stumble into town just like a sacred cow
Visions of swastikas in my head
Plans for everyone
It’s in the white of our eyes"
Best Cheney line to Johnny Boy IIRC - "I've been president of the Senate for 4 years and until you walked onto this stage I've never met you"
Thanks, but for libs I prefer the trusty sledgehammer.
I know what you mean, but I look at it the same way I look at cats that have wool sucking syndrome. They have that fist closed like a little boy holding onto Mama's hand.....hmmm or maybe each others. Hey I also heard that people who talk with closed hands instead of open hands show a sign of being closed for fear of being exposed. Now that's an answer I can agree with. I think that's a good one to get out among the masses.
They don't have the capability to retain more than three words, so it must be written down.
Hey, now that's an attitude adjustment big time. Don't let me stand in your way, go for it.
Dick Morris just used one on Alan Colms. Colms just said that Cheney using the Iraqis in the casulty figures was a screw up, and was like comparing apples to oranges. Morris came back and said, "they are human beings, they are not apples and oranges" Silence, next subject.
Now we're cooking.
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