Posted on 09/18/2002 8:14:32 PM PDT by joyce11111
Daschle attacks Bush for what senator calls `atrocious' economic record
By Alan Fram, Associated Press, 9/18/2002 17:11
WASHINGTON (AP)
Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle launched a pre-election attack on President Bush's economic record on Wednesday, accusing him of doing little to spur the listless economy or address job and stock market losses, eroded retirement accounts and vanishing budget surpluses.
The South Dakota Democrat's 35-minute address on the Senate floor, replete with poster-sized charts, came during a run-up to congressional elections that have been dominated in recent weeks by talk of war with Iraq. Democrats long have preferred campaign seasons to be dominated by domestic issues, which polls traditionally show are more to their advantage.
''Regardless of what it is we do with Iraq and the war on terrorism, I'd hope this administration can dedicate some of its time each week to economic security as well, ... to this atrocious record'' on the economy, Daschle said.
''It takes leadership not only with regard to international and foreign policy, but to help here at home on economic policy as well. We haven't seen it to date,'' he added.
Daschle's remarks prompted an immediate response from Republicans, who said Daschle and the Democratic-led Senate have done little.
''Even if you accept all that as a problem and a lot of it is, what is your plan?'' Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., said of the issues Daschle named. ''Quit being critical without offering any alternatives.''
White House budget chief Mitchell Daniels called Daschle's remarks ''a very dispiriting and disappointing performance, I'm tempted to say tantrum'' that ignored today's low interest and inflation rates.
Democrats said Daschle's remarks were part of a plan for party officials and candidates to hold events around the country emphasizing the economy's importance as an issue.
''Americans are worried about the direction the economy is headed,'' said Bill Buck, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee.
Senate Democrats are hoping to increase their 50-49 majority, plus a Democratic-leaning independent, in the November elections. But races in many states seem very close and either party could emerge in control of the Senate and the GOP-run House.
The comments by Daschle, who is mentioned as a possible presidential candidate for 2004, were reminiscent of similar attacks Democrats launched on the first President Bush in 1992, when the economy was also climbing out of a recession.
Among the statistics Daschle cited for the current Bush administration were 2 million lost jobs, a low 1 percent economic growth, a $4.5 trillion loss in stock market values, and drops in the value of workers' retirement savings and in consumer confidence.
At the same time, health care costs and foreclosures have increased, huge projected federal surpluses have all but vanished and the government is once again spending Social Security surpluses to pay for other programs, Daschle said. He also contrasted the lucrative compensation paid to many corporate executives with that of minimum wage earners.
''They have one economic all-purpose antidote for everything, and that is tax cuts, tax cuts largely dedicated to those at the very top,'' he said, sounding a familiar Democratic theme.
In a written statement, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., said Daschle ignored ''the Democrats' real desire to increase taxes to pay for more spending.''
Some Democrats though not Daschle have suggested blocking parts of last year's tax cut that have yet to take effect.
''Senator Daschle, the American people don't want more political speeches. They want tangible results,'' Hastert said.
Das Hundin von Buchenvald aka Evita Botox.
Whose hand is up DaschleQaida's clymer reaching for his vocal cords by which time he'll be calling for repeal.
By which time he'll be known as Minority Leader.
Your little prissy insignificant in comparison "kitchen table" issues can wait and actually in my view are extremely irrelevant at this period of our lives and struggle to win this critical and vital war against the "evil doers".
In other words, your leftist agenda is nothing but table scraps.
As in Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious?
Um diddle diddle diddle um diddle ay
Um diddle diddle diddle um diddle ay
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
Even though the sound of it
Is something quite atrocious
If you say it loud enough
You'll always sound precocious
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
Um diddle diddle diddle um diddle ay
Um diddle diddle diddle um diddle ay
Because I was afraid to speak
When I was just a lad
My father gave me nose a tweak
And told me I was bad
But then one day I learned a word
That saved me aching nose
The biggest word I ever heard
And this is how it goes:
Oh, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
Even though the sound of it
Is something quite atrocious
If you say it loud enough
You'll always sound precocious
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
Um diddle diddle diddle um diddle ay
Um diddle diddle diddle um diddle ay
So when the cat has got your tongue There's no need for dismay
Just summon up this word
And then you've got a lot to say
But better use it carefully
Or it may change your life
One night I said it to me girl
And now me girl's my wife!
She's supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
"When the economy was also climbing out of a recession????" Hey, who's falling down on the editing job over there at AP? God forbid, Bush should EVER get any credit for something positive happening with the economy back in '92, "the worst economy in the past forty years".
Senator daschle;
Writing you on education. Telling you to wise up. You’re looking pretty pitiful. Every day I see you trying to slide a shot in here or a shot in there at Bush. Today I see it was your, "to this atrocious record" comment.
Sheesh. Get a fricking clue man. You really are looking desperate. Tell you what....why don't you drop all this anti-American cow excrement and hop on board our side for the big win. Stop acting like a little pesky nat flying around a great man's head; distracting him with all this political garbage you need to come up with to make yourself look valuable and wise.
Your actions are proving FAR more harmful than helpful at this point....and again, are frankly making you look like the south side of a north bound horse. Either help with the war effort or shut the hell up. It isn't about your free speech. It's about your actions resulting in a divided country in time of war
Wise up 'Clarabelle'.
VERY sincerely,
{griffin}
That's right little tommy, and all of it started a year and a half before Bush became President...took you awful long to notice.
P.S. sorry your whole body is proportionate.
He was using algore's old, "Everything that should be up is down." LOL!!
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