Saturday, May 29, 2004
Kerry attacks Bush foreign policy
Guardian Unlimited | "Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry last night accused the Bush administration of undermining the safety of the American people with its foreign policy.
He characterised Bush's approach as excessively belligerent, saying the administration's national security team had 'looked to force before exhausting diplomacy'.
He said: 'They've made America less safe than we should be in a dangerous world ... In short they have undermined the legacy of generations of American leadership.'
In a speech designed to set out his foreign policy thinking at the start of an 11-day segment of his campaign dedicated to the issue of national security, Mr Kerry said he would put an emphasis on building alliances and end US dependence on Middle East oil. "
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
Candidates' Iraq Policies Share Many Similarities
The New York Times | "When it comes to Iraq, it is getting harder every day to distinguish between President Bush's prescription and that of Senator John Kerry.
They still differ on some details, and Mr. Kerry continues to assert that Mr. Bush has lost so much credibility around the world that only a new president can rally other nations to provide the necessary assistance, a point he made Tuesday while campaigning in Oregon.
But as became evident with Mr. Bush's latest speech on Iraq on Monday night, which followed a detailed speech Mr. Kerry gave on Iraq's future one month ago, the broad outlines of their approaches are more alike than not. That is particularly true as Mr. Bush moves toward giving the United Nations more authority, a move long advocated by Mr. Kerry."
Kerry Weighs the Value of Delaying Nomination
washingtonpost.com | "Advisers to Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.) said yesterday they hope to make a decision this week about whether to delay the formal acceptance of Kerry's nomination for president amid concern among some Democrats that the plan could disrupt the party's national convention and hand Republicans a public relations bonanza. "
Monday, May 24, 2004
Republican split could block Bush budget
The Independent | "A deepening split between Senate and House Republicans has blocked passage of the Bush administration's 2004/5 budget, and threatens to undermine George W. Bush's re-election prospects at what is already the rockiest moment of his Presidency.
In contrast to the shoulder-to-shoulder stance of Democrats behind their candidate John Kerry, united by the overriding common purpose of defeating Mr Bush in November, the Republican quarrels are sign of how party nerves are fraying as fast as the President's approval ratings are falling."
Bill Clinton attacks Bush over Iraq
The Independent | "Bill Clinton said yesterday that the UN, not America, should be taking Iraq towards democracy, and that George Bush erred in forcing out UN weapons inspectors and going to war without UN support.
'There are so many people who suspect our motives,' the former US president said in an address in Brazil. 'I don't think Iraq was about oil and imperialism but it was about unilateralism over co-operation as a way to shape the world in the 21st century.'
Mr Clinton said the best way to take Iraq to a democracy was multilaterally, with the UN in a leading role. He said the Bush administration should have given UN inspectors a final chance to look for the weapons which it had accused the Iraqi leader of hoarding."
The ugly face of power
Guardian Unlimited | "One of Colin Powell's aides has shown TV viewers what the Bush administration is really like, says Philip James "
White House Letter: The Other Long Occupation: Bush in a Bubble
The New York Times | The Abu Ghraib prison scandal was raging, American soldiers were battling Iraqi insurgents near a Shiite shrine, and the Europeans were arguing with the United States over the powers of a new government in Baghdad.
But on that hot, troubled Washington morning of May 14, when President Bush met in the Roosevelt Room of the White House with foreign ministers from the Group of 8, the world's leading industrialized democracies, he spoke to them for exactly eight minutes, took no questions, then left.
"We listen to his speeches, and then the president is gone," said a European diplomat who asked not to be named because he did not want to be seen as criticizing Mr. Bush.
Last week, when the president made a rare trip to Capitol Hill to try to soothe Republicans who are anxious over the increasing chaos of the American occupation, he gave them a 35-minute pep talk, shook hands, took no questions, then left.
"I was hoping the president would have some back and forth," said Senator Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, the only Republican in the Senate who voted against the war in Iraq.
Specifically, Mr. Chafee said he would have liked to have asked Mr. Bush one question about Iraq: "If this thing starts spiraling downward, what are our options?"
All presidents live in a bubble, but Democrats, European officials and a group of moderate Republicans say that Mr. Bush lives in a bigger bubble than most. As the problems of the occupation and insurgency in Iraq have intensified, they say, Mr. Bush has appeared to retreat more than ever into his tight circle of aides.
Thursday, May 20, 2004
Remarks by the President to the American Conservative Union 40th Anniversary Gala
Bush has spoken to the Conservative Union. The speech is an outline of the campaign that is going to follow. All his issues are there.
He promisis to be hard and conservative. Four more years will mean four more of the same years.
Edwards Seen Positioning Himself for VP Role
NPR : "When North Carolina Sen. John Edwards was seeking the Democratic nomination for president, he persistently denied being interested in the vice presidential nomination. But now, some observers say he appears to be lobbying to be Sen. John Kerry's running mate, maintaining a busy schedule of political appearances around the country."
Kerry Woos Nader, Who Deems Him 'Very Presidential'
The New York Times > "Faced with growing concerns about Ralph Nader's potential to siphon off Democratic votes, John Kerry began a forceful but delicate effort on Wednesday to win over the man whose candidacy caused so much trouble for the Democratic nominee four years ago.
Mr. Kerry did not ask him to abandon the race, and Mr. Nader showed no signs of bowing out. But Mr. Kerry's wooing did seem to be having the desired effect already. In an interview immediately after what participants called a very friendly one-hour meeting at Mr. Kerry's headquarters, Mr. Nader called Mr. Kerry 'very presidential,' fondly recalled his antiwar leadership in the 1970's, praised his skills as a politician and quite favorably compared Mr. Kerry to Vice President Al Gore."
Wednesday, May 19, 2004
Democrats Criticize Management Contracts
"Democrats called on the Bush administration yesterday to cancel contracts with private companies hired to oversee $1.7 billion in public works projects in Iraq, saying the companies have conflicts of interests and cannot be trusted to spend the government's money wisely.
Sen. Ron Wyden (Ore.), Rep. Henry A. Waxman (Calif.), Sen. Byron L. Dorgan (N.D.) and Rep. John D. Dingell (Mich.) said their research showed that some of the management companies hired by the Coalition Provisional Authority have a tangle of close financial ties to the construction and engineering firms they are supposed to monitor."
Democrats Criticize Management Contracts (washingtonpost.com):
White House Is Trumpeting Programs It Tried to Cut
"Like many of its predecessors, the Bush White House has used the machinery of government to promote the re-election of the president by awarding federal grants to strategically important states. But in a twist this election season, many administration officials are taking credit for spreading largess through programs that President Bush tried to eliminate or to cut sharply."
The New York Times > Washington > Campaign 2004 > White House Is Trumpeting Programs It Tried to Cut:
Kerry Vies for Screen Time
"Sen. John F. Kerry was the big story here Monday. His dinnertime rally downtown with former Vermont governor Howard Dean drew thousands of supporters and dominated the local television news that night. 'Portland crowd rallies around Kerry,' a front-page headline in Tuesday's Portland Oregonian said.
But the presumptive Democratic nominee barely caused a blip on the national news media radar, even though he was paired against President Bush in ceremonies in Topeka, Kan., commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education ruling. Kerry got a one-sentence summary on the 'CBS Evening News' and a two-sentence summary on 'NBC Nightly News.' ABC's 'World News Tonight' aired a two-sentence sound bite -- to Bush's three. "
Kerry Vies for Screen Time (washingtonpost.com)
Tuesday, May 18, 2004
Bush and Kerry Mark Desegregation in Topeka
"President Bush and Senator John Kerry descended on this Kansas city on Monday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling that ended school segregation, with Mr. Kerry warning against persistent racial and economic disparities and Mr. Bush saying the nation 'has yet to reach the high calling of its own ideals.'
The remarks by the president and Mr. Kerry, his likely Democratic opponent, came in two separate if perhaps unequal events to commemorate the anniversary of the case, Brown v. Board of Education, which sprang from this city 50 years ago."
The New York Times > Washington > Campaign 2004 > Bush and Kerry Mark Desegregation in Topeka:
Monday, May 17, 2004
Fahrenheit 9/11 could light fire under Bush
"Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 is without doubt the most flaming-hot ticket at the Cannes film festival. And with good reason: Moore hopes that it will bring down the US government.
The American film-maker has hitherto kept a tight lid on the contents of the documentary, saying only that it includes evidence of alleged links between the Bush and Bin Laden families. However, in two appearances in Cannes at the weekend before its premiere today, he revealed that the movie contains shocking footage from Iraq. "
Guardian Unlimited | US elections 2004 | Fahrenheit 9/11 could light fire under Bush:
Kerry Urged to Put Gephardt on Ticket
"Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kerry should tap Rep. Richard A. Gephardt (Mo.) for vice president as a way to maximize union enthusiasm and turnout this fall, James Hoffa Jr., president of the Teamsters, said Sunday. "
Kerry Urged to Put Gephardt on Ticket (washingtonpost.com)
Friday, May 14, 2004
Polls Show Bush's Job-Approval Ratings Sinking
"As President Bush was traveling through the Midwest on his exuberant bus tour last week, his campaign aides still sounded confident that the revelations of how Iraqi prisoners were abused would do far more harm to the United States' image abroad than to the president's standing at home.
But only a week later, at the very moment Mr. Bush's aides had hoped to be basking in the glow of improving economic numbers, months of setbacks in Iraq are clearly taking their toll.
Mr. Bush's job-approval numbers have sunk to all-time lows, with a majority of Americans now saying, for the first time, that the invasion of Iraq was not worth the mounting cost. At the same time, they give the president far higher marks for his execution of the battle against terrorists, even though he has argued that they are all part of one war."
The New York Times > Washington > Campaign 2004 > Polls Show Bush's Job-Approval Ratings Sinking:
Thursday, May 13, 2004
Kerry says he wants Republican McCain as defence secretary
"The Democratic presidential candidate, John Kerry, yesterday made a dramatic bid for crossover votes, declaring that if elected, he would choose John McCain, an outspoken Republican senator, as defence secretary.
Senator Kerry named another senior Republican, Senator John Warner, currently chairing hearings into the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal, as an alternative.
Senator McCain is a personal friend of Senator Kerry, a fellow Vietnam veteran, and the Kerry campaign has used a picture of the Democratic candidate with his arm around Mr McCain in its TV advertisements. There has even been talk of Mr McCain being picked as Mr Kerry's vice-presidential candidate."
Guardian Unlimited | US elections 2004 | Kerry says he wants Republican McCain as defence secretary:
Kerry Assails Bush On Iraq
"Sen. John F. Kerry, breaking momentarily from his cautious approach to turmoil in Iraq, blasted President Bush on Wednesday for running an 'extraordinarily mismanaged and ineptly prosecuted war' and strongly suggested Bush is partly to blame for abuses at Abu Ghraib prison.
'They dismiss the Geneva Conventions, starting in Afghanistan and Guantanamo, so that the status of prisoners both legal and moral becomes ambiguous at best,' the senator from Massachusetts told radio host Don Imus.
In his most expansive comments on U.S. mistreatment of Iraqis at Abu Ghraib, the presumptive Democratic nominee said this amounts to 'major failures in command.'
Asked if Kerry is assessing partial blame to Bush in the prison scandal, Rand Beers, a Kerry foreign policy adviser, said in an interview, 'Undoubtedly, that kind of ambiguity, yes, is a failure of leadership.' "
Kerry Assails Bush On Iraq (washingtonpost.com)
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
Anti-gun rally held in Washington
"About 2,000 people have marched in Washington to urge President George W Bush to renew a ban on assault weapons.
The ban - approved 10 years ago after a series of high-profile shootings - is due to expire in September.
Sunday's protest was much smaller than a similar event that attracted 750,000 people four years ago."
BBC NEWS | Americas | Anti-gun rally held in Washington:
Tuesday, May 11, 2004
Kerry's new problem is Clinton
"Bill Clinton was tucked away in his country home last week putting the final touches to his memoirs. The book promises to be the publishing event of the year, with an initial print run of one-and-a-half million copies.
Most of America is eagerly awaiting publication of the story of one of its most successful and controversial Presidents. Yet John Kerry, fighting to be the next Democratic President, is dreading it.
The last thing his faltering campaign needs is Clinton to dominate the airwaves. The book will suck up publicity Kerry desperately needs to show himself capable of defeating George Bush. "
Guardian Unlimited | US elections 2004 | Kerry's new problem is Clinton:
US president's popularity hits all-time low
"Americans have given President Bush his lowest approval rating since he came to office and are more dissatisfied with where the country is going than at any time in the last eight years, says a Gallup poll.
The survey shows 62% of Americans are dissatisfied with the way things are going, while only 49% approve of the way Mr Bush is handling his job, on a par with the lowest figure he has reached during his presidency.
The poll, conducted early this week, continues to show a polarised nation split right down the middle, with major events such as those taking place in Falluja and the pictures of Iraqis being tortured having little impact on attitudes because most of the electorate has already made up its mind. "
Guardian Unlimited | US elections 2004 | US president's popularity hits all-time low
Kerry Addresses Health Care Costs
"Sen. John F. Kerry charged Monday that President Bush was ignoring soaring health care costs, as the Democratic presidential candidate launched a week-long campaign to highlight his plan to reduce insurance premiums and extend coverage to 27 million uninsured Americans.
U.S. health care spending has increased by about 10 percent a year since President Bush took office, and the number of people without health care insurance has risen to 43 million. Kerry is promoting a plan designed to cut costs largely by retooling or expanding existing government programs.
Under the Kerry approach, the federal government would pay for the most expensive health expenses, known as catastrophic costs. The plan would also provide tax credits and other benefits to businesses to provide lower-cost coverage to employees and would permit the reimportation of prescription drugs from Canada, among other things. The idea is to push prices down by easing pressure in several areas, from business to bureaucracy, simultaneously."
Kerry Addresses Health Care Costs (washingtonpost.com)
Sunday, May 02, 2004
Kerry's Pick for No. 2 Remains Guarded
"Rarely has so much speculation generated so little information.
James A. Johnson, a well-regarded figure in Democratic politics tasked by Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.) to screen prospective running mates, has for weeks been quietly making the rounds on Capitol Hill, talking to dozens of House members and senators, and consulting party officials and stalwarts about the ticket. But after about 60 meetings and consultations in a profession not known for discretion, the wags have come up almost dry.
This much is known: The Kerry campaign is seriously vetting at least two candidates for vice president, but the process is still wide open, and the campaign has all but ruled out announcing the choice in May. "
Kerry's Pick for No. 2 Remains Guarded (washingtonpost.com):
Kerry Struggling to Find a Theme, Democrats Fear
"Two months after Senator John Kerry effectively captured the Democratic presidential nomination, party officials say his campaign is being regularly outmaneuvered by the White House as it struggles to find a focus and to make the transition from the primaries to the fight with President Bush.
Even while expressing confidence about Mr. Kerry's prospects, Democratic Party officials said they were concerned about what they described as his trouble in settling on a defining theme for his candidacy, the pace of his advertising and his progress in setting up field organizations in battleground states.
'George Bush has had three of the worst months of his presidency, but they are stuck and they've got to move past this moment,' said Donna Brazile, who managed Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign."
The New York Times > Washington > Campaign 2004 > Kerry Struggling to Find a Theme, Democrats Fear:
