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From Yahoo News...
Same day
Sunday, March 3, 2002

Sen. Kerry Chides GOP on War Comments, Bashes Bush

CONCORD, N.H. (Reuters) - U.S. Senator John Kerry, in New Hampshire to support Democratic candidates for Congress, on Saturday accused Republicans of hiding behind a "false cloak of patriotism" as they attacked Democrats for questioning White House plans to expand the war on terrorism.

The Massachusetts liberal was speaking at a party fund- raiser in New Hampshire, whose first-in-the-nation presidential primary will play a key role in choosing the Democrat who will challenge President Bush in 2004.

While Kerry has not declared himself a candidate for the White House, press aides hint that he is using trips to New Hampshire and other states to gauge support for a run.

"He wants to know that if he decides to do that, he can do it in a serious way knowing that resources are there," said David Wade, Kerry's director of communications.

The speech was Kerry's third appearance in the Granite state since the 2000 election and he used his remarks to launch a broadside against Republicans in the aftermath of Democratic questioning of plans to fight the war on terror on new fronts.

"Those who try to stifle the vibrancy of our democracy and shield policies from scrutiny behind a false cloak of patriotism miss the real value of what our troops defend," Kerry said, according to a prepared text of his remarks.

"We will ask questions and we will defend our democracy," he said.

In comments that sounded a lot like a presidential campaign stump speech, Kerry denounced Bush's policies on the economy, education, energy and health care.

Kerry, who is seeking election to a fourth term in the U.S. senate this November, vowed to defend a woman's right to have an abortion, protect workers' ability to unionize and fight Bush's policies that he said undermined civil rights.

"We hear a lot about values from our friends on the other side of the aisle. But values to them are too often just code words for excluding some Americans from fully sharing in rights and opportunities," Kerry said.

"We have to leave here tonight more determined than ever to resist their judicial assault on civil rights and to protect the right to choose -- and we must be determined to be a society that's inclusive and not exclusive," he said.

OVERREACTION

Earlier this week, Democratic leaders in Congress began openly questioning the White House's plans to expand the campaign against terrorism to countries besides Afghanistan. They criticized the Bush administration for failing to consult with Congress and accused it of having no clear view on how the war should be conducted.

Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle sparked the biggest storm of Republican criticism on Thursday after he said he thought the war had been successful so far but expressed concern that it was expanding "without at least a clear direction to date."

He said Saudi-born fugitive Osama bin Laden must be found if the war was to be considered a success. Washington blames bin Laden and his al Qaeda network for the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

After the comments, Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott accused Daschle of trying to divide the nation and House Republican whip Tom Delay called the remarks "disgusting".

But Kerry, a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, said the Republican response was a partisan political attack.

"Their contrived, planned political response was one of the greatest overreactions of all time, because no one in our nation has done anything except express support for our troops and honor their service," Kerry said.