Bush Shifts From Terror to Kitchen Table

Washington Post ^ | 10/25/02 | Mike Allen

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Democrats have been trying for months to steer the focus of the elections from terrorism to economic and retirement issues, and President Bush is giving them their wish during his final 13 days of barnstorming.

White House officials said they have become concerned that domestic issues are helping Democrats suddenly gain traction in a string of critical Senate races, and Bush is counterpunching by recalibrating his stump speech to emphasize jobs, prescription drugs and education.

Bush devoted his radio address last Saturday to new administration efforts to protect 401(k) retirement accounts. A Sunday night briefing about his plan to speed generic drugs to market was scheduled so hurriedly it was held during Game 2 of the World Series...

[Real Cynic No More]

What the Republicans, and especially Bush, need to do is point out, with illustrative examples of specific bottled-up legislation, how the Democratic leadership in the Senate - aka Tom Daschle - has delayed the economic recovery by its refusal to act on legislation designed to do just that. Tell the people how many months the recovery has been delayed and their pocket books have suffered as a result of the partisanship of the Democratic leadership!

And he needs to point out that the reason it's bottled up is because the Democrats did not want an economic recovery to be in evidence prior to the election so as to preserve their majority, and that what they've done is play politics of the worst kind, costing people their jobs and restricting their livelihood.

This message needs to be played around the clock until election day!

By again co-opting the Democrats' strategy, The Republicans can turn the tables on their attempts at false blame.

President Bush has the ability to be heard by enough people, and the charisma to be paid attention to, hopefully to get the Senate back on track.

[Real Cynic No More]

This is the time for Bush, and the Republicans, to play the same hardball game that James Carville, Terry McAuliffe, and Paul Begala have been playing all along.

[The Mayor]

BUMP!

they need to call a spade a spade..

they need to respond to every issue the dems lie about.

[Real Cynic No More]

they need to respond to every issue the dems lie about.

And they need to dominate their messages with the responses as to how the Democrats continue in their attempts at misleading the public!

[The Mayor]

I agree 100%

I get sick and tired of just seeing them talk about issues and ignore the lies that are being thrown out without them being confronted and refuted.

Everyday I argue with and try to set people straight about issues. It's their job to get it out on the television and radio. I do the best I can, but I can only reach a few where they can reach the most.

I only live 2 hours from DC and am so tempted to go there everyday and try to confront the issues. It would be impossible for me cause i'm not independently wealthy, I have to work for a living.

One of these days I'll get a job in DC and will try to do just that. I would love to get the chance to get the coverage that Carville gets just for breathing never mind lying.

[johnb838]

I think this article is crap. The public hasn't been focused on anything but the beltway snipper for the last three weeks taking the demons off message more than ever. Now that the killer appears to be an anti-american black muslim, terror is in the forefront even more.

Here's my take on what the Republican message ought to be: "All through this crisis I've heard people saying 'Where's Homeland Security'. I'll tell you where it is... it's sitting on Tom Daschle's desk along with all the other legislation that the democrats have been too busy demagoguing (sp?) to act on".

[mwl1]

They go together... job-creating legislation is stalled in the Senate just as homeland security is. Obstruction is the common theme.