Posted on 10/19/2004 7:12:13 PM PDT by Former Military Chick
THE VILLAGES, Fla. (Reuters) - President Bush told senior citizens in Florida on Tuesday he was doing all he could to ensure they get flu shots and accused Democrat John Kerry of using scare tactics on issues like the vaccine shortage and Social Security.
Shifting to domestic issues after launching an all-out attack on Kerry on Monday over the war on terror, Bush worked in the battleground state of Florida to defend his own record against Kerry's criticisms.
"Instead of articulating a vision or a positive agenda for the future, the senator, my opponent, is relying on a litany of complaints and old-style scare tactics," Bush told a retirement community near Ocala.
Amid charges by the Massachusetts senator that Bush's re-election would boost the chances of a military draft for Iraq, Bush insisted, "There will be no draft as long as I'm the president."
He also sought to reassure retirees -- who make up a large part of the voting population in Florida -- that their Social Security benefits would not be jeopardized by his plans to allow younger workers to shift some of their payroll contributions into private accounts.
"We will keep the promise of Social Security for our seniors," he said.
Kerry spokesman Phil Singer accused Bush of being "on the run" from his own record. The senator has accused Bush of trying to privatize and raid Social Security.
The flu vaccine, another topic on which the senator has hammered Bush, was raised by the president at his first event of the day in St. Petersburg.
"I know there are some here who are worried about the flu season," he said. "I want to assure them that our government is doing everything possible to help older Americans and children to get their shots."
Bush blamed the shortage on "a major manufacturing defect" and pledged hold to account anyone who tried to use price gouging to profit from it.
The crisis arose when the closure of a Chiron Corp. plant in Britain cost the United States half its anticipated flu shot supply for this year.
Bush's comments came a day after Kerry warned participants at a Florida rally that under Bush's plan, "you don't have a prayer of getting a flu shot."
Kerry has released a television advertisement blaming Bush's policies for the shortage. A radio ad on the subject was to start on Tuesday.
Democrats say the administration failed to heed warnings that a crisis was brewing and should have done more to encourage other companies to make the vaccine and to streamline federal approvals for it.
"This isn't a scare tactic," Singer said. "It's a fact that his administration dropped the ball."
Florida opened early voting on Monday, allowing people to cast ballots at a limited number of polling stations in advance of Nov. 2. Bush was declared the winner in Florida by 537 votes in the 2000 race after the U.S. Supreme Court halted a recount.
Many polls show a dead heat between Bush and Kerry. Domestic issues are seen as a strong point for Kerry while Bush leads in polls on homeland security. They were deadlocked at 45 percent each in a Reuters/Zogby poll on Tuesday.
(Additional reporting by Adam Entous)
...Bush insisted, "There will be no draft as long as I'm the president."
Yes! The President is fighting back! FINALLY!!
Gee, America's Most Successful Gigolo forgot to mention the tens of millions denied voter rights.
The President or the Republican Party should start fighting back on the vaccine issue. The Democrats and their trial lawyer buddies are wholly to blame for this vaccine shortage. Through litigation, they have driven the American vaccine manufacturers out of the game. Flu vaccine production is not a high profit product, so the American manufacturers have decided not to play.
Yes, I agree finally I am hearing it and it is music to my ears. I know it but it is nice to hear and read it.
(Shoulda said it....)
The media knows Bush opposes the draft, they know Kerry supports "Universal National Service" but they never run this information in their stories. Have you noticed it?? And if the AP did it they would cut it out before printing it
That's why it's up to us to send the REAL news to everyone in our address books, including easy-to-copy things like this: http://freedomkeys.com/draftscam.htm
I am never ceased to be amazed at the rediculousness and decept the rats will go to to further their lust for power. It is amazing the lies they tell.
What is the Kerry campaign`s fascination with the phrase "drop the ball?" I`d love for W. to come out and say, "the reason for the shortage is the policy mistakes of the prior administration. Senator Kerry would probably complain that we were 'outsourcing' our vaccines to a company in Great Britian and vow to give incentives for those pharmaceutical jobs to come back here, but then again he criticizes this administration for giving breaks to pharmaceutical companies...I guess he`d give them incentives before he wouldn`t"
Besides ---- with government health care that Hillary and Kerry propose, people had better get used to shortages and rationing.
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