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Kerry Hits Back at Bush As 'Contradiction'
Idaho State Journal ^ | 24 Feb 2004 | DAVID ESPO

Posted on 02/24/2004 8:22:28 PM PST by demlosers

Ap

Democratic front-runner John Kerry fired back at President Bush on Tuesday, depicting him as a "walking contradiction" who has presided over job losses, a deficit increase and frayed international alliances despite promises to the contrary.

One day after Bush criticized Kerry in his most partisan remarks of the campaign, Sen. John Edwards issued a rebuttal of a different sort.

"Not so fast, George Bush," said Kerry's sole remaining major rival for the Democratic nomination. "You don't get to decide who our nominee is."

Taken together, the exchanges underscored the state of the race for the White House _ Bush able to concentrate his energy on the general election, with Kerry eager to do the same and Edwards struggling to sustain his own candidacy.

Kerry, a fourth-term senator from Massachusetts, held a large and growing lead in the Democratic delegate chase, with 632 in the Associated Press count to 190 for Edwards. The front-runner told reporters he was "optimistic and hopeful" about padding his advantage in the day's contests _ a primary in Utah and caucuses in Idaho and Hawaii. A total of 61 delegates were at stake.

"Bush is turning me on to politics," said Kathy Locke, a first-time voter in line at the polls in Salt Lake City. "He's got to be stopped."

A day after targeting Democrats, Bush used the White House as the backdrop for an appeal for passage of a constitutional amendment banning gay marriages, a move certain to please his conservative Republican base.

"A few judges and local authorities are presuming to change the most fundamental institution of civilization," said the president, referring to a recent court opinion in Kerry's home state of Massachusetts and a decision by city officials in San Francisco to issue same-sex marriage licenses.

Both Kerry and Edwards promptly accused the president of playing politics with the Constitution _ a charge the White House denied. The two Democrats said they oppose gay marriage, but would vote against the amendment if it is brought before the Senate.

Neither Democratic contender campaigned in any of the three states, preferring to spend time and resources in the 10 delegate-rich states on next week's ballot. Increasingly, Edwards looked to Georgia and Ohio as well as upstate portions of New York to slow Kerry's rush toward the nomination.

Both men have committed to large advertising campaigns in the three states. Officials said during the day that Edwards had increased his commitment in Ohio, even though Kerry was continuing to outspend him there.

The Massachusetts senator was unveiling a new commercial for use in Ohio and parts of New York, and it focused on the Republican in the White House. The commercial calls Bush's economic policy "an astonishing failure" and promises to protect American jobs.

"We need to be on the side of America's workers," Kerry says in the ad. "George Bush won't do it. I will."

The ad was unveiled one day after Kerry said he would run a clean TV ad campaign if Bush's re-election team promised to do the same. The president's campaign is expected to begin running television commercials next week.

In his comments to reporters, Kerry was dismissive of Bush's criticisms.

"Last night was almost a fantasy speech about a world that doesn't exist for most Americans," he said. "The president talked about a prosperity that millions of Americans are not seeing, feeling or living."

On Monday night, Bush, without naming Kerry, ridiculed him as a politician who has held opposing positions on tax cuts, NAFTA, the war with Iraq and more.

Bush also sought to cast the election as a choice between "keeping the tax relief that's moving the economy forward, or putting the burden of higher taxes back on the American people."

"It's a choice between an America that leads the world with strength and confidence, or an America that is uncertain in the face of danger," the president said.

Jobs was a recurring refrain as Edwards and Kerry campaigned during the day, the front-runner in economically distressed northeast Ohio, and his pursuer in Georgia and Texas.

"Let the president come to Ohio and give a speech to the workers of Ohio about their real lives," said Kerry, who said 270,000 jobs have been lost in the state since Bush's inauguration. "Let the workers of Ohio hear from the president about how he's going to help them keep their jobs or find new jobs in an economy that's not creating jobs as fast as they are disappearing." On Wednesday, in Toledo, Kerry was picking up his latest in a series of endorsements, this one from former astronaut and retired Sen. John Glenn.

In addition, he said Bush had presided over a huge expansion in the deficit as well as a loss in jobs. Accusing the president of trying to change the subject, he said, "he can't talk about making the world really safer because he's left our allies and our relationships disappointed all around the world."

White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters that politics played no role in the president's announcement on gay marriage, made in the venerable Roosevelt Room of the White House.

At the same time, public opinion polling shows that a strong majority of the country opposes gay marriage, and members of Bush's political team have long signaled they intended to make use of the issue in the fall campaign.


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: kerry
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1 posted on 02/24/2004 8:22:28 PM PST by demlosers
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To: demlosers
One has just got to laugh, "walking contradiction", JFKerry cannot help himself.
2 posted on 02/24/2004 8:25:15 PM PST by Just mythoughts
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To: demlosers
Kerry "hit back"? That's kind of a limp wristed swat if you ask me, and it didn't even come close to hitting the target.
3 posted on 02/24/2004 8:26:50 PM PST by McGavin999 (Evil thrives when good men do nothing!)
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To: demlosers
"Bush is turning me on to politics," said Kathy Locke, a first-time voter in line at the polls in Salt Lake City. "He's got to be stopped."

Errrrr??? What's he got to be stopped from????

"Both Kerry and Edwards promptly accused the president of playing politics with the Constitution _ a charge the White House denied. The two Democrats said they oppose gay marriage, but would vote against the amendment if it is brought before the Senate."

Uhhhhhh and this is called taking a stand???

I'd also like for someone to explain to me why is it that when President Bush criticizes Kerry on the very valid issue of his spineless poltical practices the AP labels it as "partisan attacks". Yet when John Kerry talks trash, it goes unchallenged by the AP?

I know, I'm asking a rhetorical question aren't I?

4 posted on 02/24/2004 8:31:20 PM PST by Tempest (<a href="http://www.michaelmoore.com" target="_blank">)
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To: McGavin999
OBTW, just in case you missed it...F'in Kerry is a Vietnam veteran!
5 posted on 02/24/2004 8:32:13 PM PST by RoseofTexas
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To: demlosers
but would vote against the amendment if it is brought before the Senate

You mean they might actually go to the Senate and vote once this year?

6 posted on 02/24/2004 8:35:35 PM PST by optimistically_conservative (If consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds, John F. Kerry’s mind must be freaking enormous. T.B.)
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To: demlosers
I'd say you're a walking contradiction when you blame a Republican president for a bad economy that's due to a recession he inherited from a Democrat and a terrorist attack that was planned for five years with no action ever taken to prevent it by the previous Democrat. And you do this just as the policies enacted by the Republican are causing the economy to improve.

As far as "playing politics with the Constitution" goes, when did the Constitution start requiring 60 votes in the Senate to confirm a judge? And this amendment wouldn't even be necessary if liberal judges and liberal mayors hadn't decided that the Constitutional somehow gives them the right to make law rather than interpret it. An amendment is actually the only legitimate way to change the Constitution via a majority vote reflecting the will of the American people, which is why Democrats are scared silly of it.

7 posted on 02/24/2004 8:38:53 PM PST by HHFi
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To: demlosers
"We need to be on the side of America's workers," Kerry says in the ad. "

Personally,I don't think that a "man" who has never had to work a day in his life is on my side.

The creatures emerging from the DemocRAT cesspool are especially disturbing this political season.
8 posted on 02/24/2004 8:44:06 PM PST by Redcoat LI ("If you're going to shoot,shoot,don't talk" Tuco BenedictoPacifico Juan Maria Ramirez)
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To: Tempest
The two Democrats said they oppose gay marriage, but would vote against the amendment if it is brought before the Senate."

The RATS want to stop terrorism but would vote against action if it is brought before the Senate.

9 posted on 02/24/2004 8:45:09 PM PST by Mike Darancette (Bush Bot by choice)
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To: demlosers
all kerry has to do is await a month or so and then take some commercial totally out of context and claim that george w has violated the rules of engagement and then commence his vulgar attack. typically the dems rely upon the first strike rule were thy rely on the fact that the first report of the facts is automatically given a high credibility factor. whether it is true or not. this is a general rule when dealing with the public and I have run into it personnally while dealing with libs. its kinda weird when you have a private discussion in public and then the peerson gets up and says outloud so everyone can hear "are you threatening me. Ill call the police if you lay a hand on me". how do you react in a situation like that when everybody looks at you as if you just murdered someone. some people are so quick to belive the apparently obvious. its as if they have not yet come to realize how often they have been misled or are not willing to admit it.
the dems truly live in a dream.
10 posted on 02/24/2004 8:51:11 PM PST by butthead
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To: demlosers
"You don't get to decide who our nominee is."

Hey John Boy. Maybe if you won a primary other than in your birth state, the President would take you seriously.
11 posted on 02/24/2004 9:11:24 PM PST by Democratshavenobrains
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To: demlosers
Media Bias Alert! Notice how they quote Kerry but paraphrase Bush's comical comments about Kerry's flipflops in the most pedestrian langauage possible for these bozos.
12 posted on 02/24/2004 9:37:03 PM PST by rebel_yell2
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To: Just mythoughts
A man is only as good as his word. I thought we voted on our public officials because of their beliefs. My beliefs are rock solid. He will do everything to get the vote, including, giving up his beliefs. Kerry stands up for no one. From what I see he stands on rocky ground. He has given up his faith, for what? For we the American people. I want a rock solid President like Bush. Just try to change his beliefs. It will never happen. The way the world is today, I don't think it is wise to gamble on Kerry.
13 posted on 02/24/2004 9:45:35 PM PST by Cloried (Pray for Kerry , He needs communion.)
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To: RoseofTexas
OMG, you're kidding! He was actually IN the Vietnam war? I didn't know that.
14 posted on 02/24/2004 10:05:05 PM PST by McGavin999 (Evil thrives when good men do nothing!)
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To: demlosers
Walking contradiction... now that's classic.

And this from the guy who has trouble going an entire afternoon without saying something completely opposite to that which he said in the morning?
15 posted on 02/24/2004 10:06:58 PM PST by William Martel
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To: demlosers
Gosh, the nitwit Kerry sounds more like Fidel Castro every day.

What's next? Will Kerry call Bush stupid? Liberals wet themselves over that idiotic soundbite.

16 posted on 02/24/2004 11:20:05 PM PST by Reactionary
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To: demlosers
They quote a first time Democratic voter from Utah instead of from a swing state? Kerry can carry Utah if the Mormons there ever turn liberal.
17 posted on 02/25/2004 4:28:37 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: demlosers

18 posted on 02/25/2004 5:20:03 AM PST by atomicpossum (Only Hillary Will Lick Bush in '04!)
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To: atomicpossum
Kerry is the French Waffle Of 2004.
19 posted on 02/25/2004 5:22:17 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: McGavin999
OMG, you're kidding! He was actually IN the Vietnam war? I didn't know that.

I bet he got out as fast as he could...
20 posted on 02/25/2004 5:29:08 AM PST by johnb838 (J. Effing Kerry, Esq., Traitor, Benedict Arnold was a war hero)
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