Posted on 10/01/2004 3:13:03 PM PDT by ambrose
Bush Ridicules Kerry Call for Summit on Iraq
Fri Oct 1, 2004 05:58 PM ET
By Steve Holland
MANCHESTER, N.H. (Reuters) - President Bush accused Democrat John Kerry of new contradictions and ridiculed his call for a international summit on Iraq on Friday as he sought to rebound from a debate that many Americans thought Kerry won.
The day after the first presidential debate, Bush swept into two battleground states, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire, and many of his jabs against Kerry sounded like what he wished he had said at the Miami encounter on Thursday night.
Bush advisers conceded that Kerry gave an articulate performance -- "a slick debater," in the words of one -- after snap polls taken after the debate showed Kerry won the first of three debates.
But as for the substance, Bush took issue with many of Kerry's positions and wasted little time in aggressively attacking them, particularly his pledge that if elected he would call a summit to seek more international help on Iraq.
"I've been to a lot of summits. I've never seen a meeting that would depose a tyrant or bring a terrorist to justice," Bush said at a rally in Allentown, Pa.
Traveling with Bush was Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, a one-time Bush rival who considers Kerry a friend on the other side of the aisle. McCain said Kerry had handled the debate well and Bush should not underestimate him in the next two.
But he differed with Kerry on trying to get more international support in Iraq. "We're not going to get additional support. The burden is going to be carried by the Americans, and British and our other coalition partners."
McCain said Kerry's call for direct U.S. talks with North Korea over its nuclear weapons program was a failed policy from the previous Clinton administration. Bush prefers six-party talks involving China.
Bush, who held a lead in national polls going into the debate, also accused the Massachusetts senator of new contradictions on Iraq by first saying that "the president made a mistake in invading Iraq" but then saying Americans were not dying in Iraq for a mistake.
"You can't have it both ways," Bush said. "You can't say it's a mistake and not a mistake. You can't be for getting rid of Saddam Hussein when things look good, and against it when times are hard."
And in both Allentown and Manchester, he lashed out at Kerry's contention that the United States had the right to take preemptive action abroad if it "passes the global test."
Bush promised to work with U.S. allies and the international community, "But I will never submit America's national security to an international test. The use of troops to defend America must never be subject to a veto by countries like France."
Kerry spokesman Phil Singer responded that "the global test is not asking for a permission slip. It's making sure that your decisions stand up to scrutiny and are backed by facts."
Bush campaign advisers praised their man for his plain-spoken delivery at the debate.
"We always expected him (Kerry) to be an articulate debater," said Bush campaign manager Ken Mehlman. But he said "Americans aren't electing a debater-in-chief, they're electing a commander-in-chief."
He played down the relevance of instant polls. "(They) focus on the fine points of college debating," Mehlman said.
Bush advisers also dismissed Democrats who drew attention to the way Bush scowled and looked irritated at times when Kerry was speaking.
"That wasn't irritated. I know irritated," said senior Bush adviser Karl Rove. Instead, he said Bush was "pensive" and "focused."
Outstanding point, and it is yours now!
Hey, one little tid bit I found, in honor of Jimmy Carter's birthday...I found a quote by President Reagan about the Iran Hostage crisis:
"What I do think should be done, once they are safely here with their families, and that tragedy is over - we've endured this humiliation for just lacking one week of a year now - then, I think, it is time for us to have a complete investigation as to the diplomatic efforts that were made in the beginning, why they have been there so long, and when they came home, what did we have to do in order to bring that about - what arrangements were made? And I would suggest that Congress should hold such an investigation. In the meantime, I'm going to continue praying that they'll come home."
Now, did that investigation into this terror act against our country ever happen? Can we republicans check up on the actions of the Democrats as to the findings of that report--in the years following that report?! What did Mr. Kerry have to say about the hostage crisis at the time?
Kerry spokesman Phil Singer responded that "the global test is not asking for a permission slip. It's making sure that your decisions stand up to scrutiny and are backed by facts."
Ah yes, the scrutiny of the French, how ....penetrating!
How inportant to our security! We must "explain" it to
them, before we act.
Didn't we have a problem in Kosovo with a French nato officer who was "explaining" our moves to the wrong people?
Hell, if we want a debator, get the Rev. Al or Jimmy Swagart.
In the next debate, W needs to stand up straighter, smile, not grimace when Kerry attacks and say more about Iraq than Kerry had the same intel.
At the Normandy beaches in 1944, we had a coalition that consisted basically of us, the British and the Canadians.
I think FDR should have held a summit and gotten more international support before going in. As it turned out, we paid most of the cost and took almost all the casualties.
And what were we doing invading France anyway? Didn't anybody tell Roosevelt that it was Tojo who attacked us, not Hitler???
That jumped out at me as well. In political speech terms this was a crotch stomp. Good for him.
Bet FN John wears gloves?
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