The Associated Press
ANOKA, Minn. Aug. 26, 2004 - John Kerry challenged President Bush on Thursday
to weekly debates from now until Nov. 2 on campaign issues like education,
health care and national security.
"America deserves a discussion like we're having here today, which I'm prepared
to have with this president every single week from now until the election," the
Democratic presidential candidate said.
Kerry issued the challenge while speaking about health care at Anoka Hennepin
Technical College, fielding questions from a group of more than 200 people,
some of them self-described undecided voters.
The Kerry campaign picked Anoka County for its known political independence,
drawing the audience from counties surrounding Minneapolis and St. Paul. Anoka
County voted for presidents Clinton and Bush, as well as independent former
Gov. Jesse Ventura, and tends to be a bellwether for statewide candidates.
The Bush-Cheney campaign rebuffed the debate challenge.
"There will be a time for debates after the convention, and during the next few
weeks, John Kerry should take the time to finish the debates with himself,"
responded Bush-Cheney spokesman Steve Schmidt.
"This election presents a clear choice to the American people between a
president who is moving America forward and a senator who has taken every side
of almost every issue," he said.
The Commission on Presidential Debates has scheduled three presidential debates
to be held on college campuses in the battleground states of Florida, Missouri
and Arizona in late September and October.
Kerry used the health care forum to highlight new figures released by the Census
Bureau, which showed the ranks of the poor and uninsured grew last year, the
third straight annual increase for both categories.
"Today confirms the failure of President Bush's policies for all Americans.
While George Bush tries to convince America's families that were turning the
corner, slogans and empty rhetoric can't hide the real story," Kerry said.
Kerry also defended himself from Republican charges that he wavers in his
convictions on major issues.
"It's standard Republican playbook," Kerry said in response to a voter's
question. "They just say it, and if you spend enough money and say it enough,
people like you are going to ask the question."
Kerry said Bush has been the one flip-flopping over the last four years standing
against the Homeland Security Department, then embracing it; fighting against
the Sept. 11 commission, then endorsing it; promising to fund his new education
law, then failing to.
After his response got a standing ovation, Kerry said, "That's why it would be
great to be talking about this every week."
http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/ap20040826_1154.html
--
"There's an old saying in Tennessee -- I know it's in Texas -- that says, fool
me once, shame on you. Fool me -- you can't get fooled again."
http://www.diymedia.net/audio/mp3/tdntb-bushwack2.mp3
.
|
