--------------------
Wednesday, August 18, 2004
--------------------
A Military Campaign
It appears that the 2004 presidential election has shaped up to
be a referendum on two wars, Iraq and Vietnam, if recent
campaign news is any indicator.
The quest for veterans' votes intensified this week as both
President Bush and Democratic challenger Sen. John F. Kerry
addressed the national convention of the Veterans of Foreign
Wars in Cincinnati.
On Monday, Bush used a speech to the VFW to announce a plan to
cut overseas U.S. military strength by 70,000 troops over the
next 10 years. (It should be noted that the plan does not affect
current operations in Iraq or Afghanistan.) The Post's Mike
Allen and Josh White reported -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA0B884658B4F3FB52ACD0 :
"'For decades, America's armed forces abroad have essentially
remained where the wars of the last century ended,' Bush said at
the annual convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, held in
the swing state of Ohio. 'The world has changed a great deal,
and our posture must change
with it.'
"Bush's announcement of the plan -- which drew mixed assessments
from military analysts -- gave him a chance to talk about
bringing troops home at a time when his opponent, Sen. John F.
Kerry (D-Mass.), has pledged to substantially reduce U.S. troop
levels in Iraq."
Read More - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA6BB84658B4F3FB52ACD0
See also:
Bush's VFW Speech: Transcript -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA7BA84658B4F3FB52ACD0
Video Excerpt - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA5A584658B4F3FB52ACD0
Bush Assails Kerry on Missile Defense -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA6A484658B4F3FB52ACD0
Today, it was Kerry's turn to address the veterans' convention.
In his speech, Kerry strongly criticized Bush's plan, The Post's
Fred Barbash reported -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA3A784658B4F3FB52ACD0
"Kerry today attacked President Bush's plans to withdraw U.S.
troops from Europe and South Korea, saying they 'raise doubts
about our intentions and our commitments' abroad and send
'the wrong signal at the wrong time.' ...
"Kerry said he was particularly concerned about cutting troop
levels in South Korea. 'Why are we withdrawing troops from Korea
at a time when we are negotiating with North Korea -- a country
that really has nuclear weapons?,' he asked."
Read More - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA4A684658B4F3FB52ACD0
See also:
Kerry's VFW Speech: Transcript -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA9A184658B4F3FB52ACD0
Video Excerpt - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA0A084658B4F3FB52ACD0
Swift Response
The tempest over an ad that accuses Kerry of distorting his
service as commander of a Swift boat in the Mekong Delta during
the Vietnam War continues. The ad, sponsored by a "nonpartisan"
group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, ran in four states.
In response, MoveOn.org PAC began airing an ad in the same
markets and on two cable networks "attacking President Bush's
military record," according to The Post's Howard Kurtz. He wrote
-
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA7A384658B4F3FB52ACD0
"'George Bush used his father to get into the National Guard,
and when the chips were down, went missing,' a narrator says.
'Now he's allowing false advertising that attacks John Kerry, a
man who asked to go to Vietnam and served with dignity and
heroism.' The ad quotes Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) as calling on
the Bush campaign to condemn the 'dishonest and dishonorable'
ad."
Read More - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA8A284658B4F3FB52ACD0
McCain yesterday called on Kerry to denounce the MoveOn ad,
which Kerry did, reports -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA6AD84658B4F3FB52ACD0
The Post's Alan Cooperman: "'I agree with Senator McCain that the ad is
inappropriate,' Kerry
said in a statement released by his campaign about the spot."
Kerry added, "This should be
a campaign of issues, not insults."
Read More - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA7AC84658B4F3FB52ACD0
washingtonpost.com's Terry M. Neal used the Swift boat ad
controversy to address the issue of attack ad campaigns being
funded by so-called "independent" groups that violate the spirit
- and possibly the letter - of the McCain-Feingold bipartisan campaign finance reform
law.
Neal focused on the groups' claims of nonpartisanship that belie
their real agendas, writing
- http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA4AF84658B4F3FB52ACD0 :
"Three nonpartisan campaign finance watchdog groups have filed a
complaint against SBVT, saying it is skirting the new federal
campaign finance law that prohibits groups seeking to influence
federal elections from accepting unlimited soft money. Instead,
those groups should take only hard money, just as the political
parties do. For those who will argue that this is just a bunch
of liberals trying to stop the word about Kerry from getting
out, these same watchdog groups previously filed complaints
against left-leaning groups, using the argument that they were
violating federal law on Kerry's behalf."
Read More - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA5AE84658B4F3FB52ACD0
Bush's Two Albatrosses
In his op-ed column on Sunday, The Post's David S. Broder wrote
-
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA1A984658B4F3FB52ACD0
about what he sees as the biggest obstacles for Bush in his reelection bid: "The
factors that
make President Bush a vulnerable incumbent have almost nothing
to do with his opponent, John F. Kerry. They stem directly from
two closely linked, high-stakes policy gambles that Bush chose
on his own. Neither has worked out as he hoped. The first gamble
was the decision to attack Iraq; the second, to avoid paying for
the war."
Read More - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA2A884658B4F3FB52ACD0
More Opinion:
George F. Will: Ignoring History in Iraq -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA8AB84658B4F3FB52ACD0
Ronald D. Asmus: Bush's Withdrawal From the World -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA9AA84658B4F3FB52ACD0
William McSweeny: No Debating a Sense of Duty -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA9D584658B4F3FB52ACD0
And the Winner Is ...
Kerry. No, Bush. With fewer than 90 days until Election Day,
political experts are tripping over themselves to predict the
outcome of the race for the White House. Poll the punditry and
you'll get clear, authoritative calls on who will win in
November, filled, of course, with the usual caveats. Kurtz, in
his online-only Media Notes -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA0D484658B4F3FB52ACD0
column on Monday, pulled back the curtain to reveal a glimpse of the wizardry of
election
handicapping. He wrote:
"I can pretty much argue the presidential election either way at
this point. ... But people who make their living as political
prognosticators seem to be buying Kerry futures. This could
prove to be a fleeting August rally, of course, but since it is
the dog days of summer, let's look at whether their exuberance
is irrational."
Read More - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA7D784658B4F3FB52ACD0
Talking Points Live
Terry M. Neal will chat with readers -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA8D684658B4F3FB52ACD0
about the latest political news on Thursday (1 p.m. ET). Submit your questions and
comments
- http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA3D184658B4F3FB52ACD0
before or during the discussion. Also tomorrow, watch Neal's video interview with
Democratic
operative John Edgell -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA4D084658B4F3FB52ACD0 , the latest in his
"Political Players" series
on Yahoo!. On Friday, Neal's Talking Points column -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA1D384658B4F3FB52ACD0
will focus on the battle for the Senate.
This Week on the Trail
Bush campaigns today in Wisconsin and Minnesota, then plans to spend several days at
his ranch
in Crawford, Texas, preparing for the Republican National
Convention that starts in New York
on August 30.
Kerry speaks to the International Association of Fire Fighters
convention tomorrow in Boston.
- Mike Snyder - [EMAIL PROTECTED] ONLINE FEATURES
George W. Bush reached into each of the spheres surrounding his life to find
fundraisers
for his first presidential bid. -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA2D284658B4F3FB52ACD0
%LINK_ID="49997739
See how President Bush and Sen. John F. Kerry compare on the major issues of the
campaign.
- http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA0DD84658B4F3FB52ACD0
%LINK_ID="49997742
OPINION
E.J. Dionne Jr.
A Test of Toughness - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA1DC84658B4F3FB52ACD0
In a purely technical sense, you have to admire President Bush's campaign for its
skill in
shaping public perceptions and in grasping at any and every
opportunity to make his opponent look bad. More -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA8DF84658B4F3FB52ACD0
Pradeep Chhibber and Ken Kollman
Tired of Two Parties? -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA9DE84658B4F3FB52ACD0
The fact that minor political parties and independents have little or no chance of
gaining
real representation in Congress or in statehouses gives rise to
a persistent myth about our two-party system, one that is as
misplaced as it is widespread: that the United States has always
been a two-party country and that there's little to be done
about it short of substantial constitutional engineering. More -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA5D984658B4F3FB52ACD0
Kevin Krajick
Why Can't Ex-Felons Vote? -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA6D884658B4F3FB52ACD0
On Election Day it will not matter to some 4.7 million Americans, including 13
percent of
African American men, whether they are Republicans, Democrats,
independents or whether they have an opinion on anything at all.
More -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA2DB84658B4F3FB52ACD0
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Analysis
Shirtsleeves Style Is a Strong Suit for Bush -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA3DA84658B4F3FB52ACD0
President Bush has formidable obstacles to reelection, but he served a reminder last
week
that he is a politician with formidable strengths. Anyone who
doubts it should spend some time watching the shirtsleeves
campaign. More -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA1C584658B4F3FB52ACD0
Unscripted Kerry a Hit With Audiences -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA2C484658B4F3FB52ACD0
Younger Voters Rapidly Deserting Bush -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA9C784658B4F3FB52ACD0
Mounting concerns over the war and the sluggish economy have sent President Bush's
popularity
plummeting among young adults in the past four months,
complicating his bid for reelection and challenging Republicans
to increase their efforts to win over new or lightly committed
young voters. More -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA0C684658B4F3FB52ACD0
Cheney and Edwards: The Me 2 Campaign -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA5C184658B4F3FB52ACD0
It would be tough to find two greater stylistic opposites in American politics than
John Edwards
and Dick Cheney. Edwards is a populist outsider; Cheney is a
capitalist insider. Edwards, who is 51 but looks younger, is
known for his oratorical flair and exuberance. Cheney, who is 63
but looks older, is known for his reticence and discretion. More
-
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA6C084658B4F3FB52ACD0
The Reliable Source
The GOP's Star-Spangled Party Plans -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA3C384658B4F3FB52ACD0
Though a culture war flares regularly between the showbiz community and the Bush
administration,
GOP operatives are striving mightily to add a Hollywood sheen to
the Republican National Convention. Plus, a mild-mannered math
professor from Ohio wore a Kerry-Edwards shirt to a rally for
President Bush, then a Bush for President shirt to a John Kerry
rally. Find out which campaign team ignored him and which one
showed him the door. More -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA4C284658B4F3FB52ACD0
New York Vs. the Protesters -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA2CD84658B4F3FB52ACD0
N.Y. Mayor to War Protesters: Shop Till You Drop, Too -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA3CC84658B4F3FB52ACD0
OTHER ELECTIONS NEWS
Democrats Press McGreevey to Quit; Some in N.J. Back Corzine for Governor -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA0CF84658B4F3FB52ACD0
Embattled New Jersey Gov. James E. McGreevey (D) is under increasing pressure from
state Democratic
power brokers to leave office immediately and clear the way for
Sen. Jon S. Corzine (D-N.J.) to run this fall to succeed him.
More -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA1CE84658B4F3FB52ACD0
Al Kamen's In the Loop
How to Sweep an Accusation Under the Rug -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA7C984658B4F3FB52ACD0
And now, the winners in the In the Loop Carpetbagger Deflector contest. This was to
help our
Gaithersburg neighbor and new Illinois GOP Senate candidate,
Alan Keyes, come up with a deft sound bite to overcome
allegations that he is a carpetbagger. More -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA8C884658B4F3FB52ACD0
--------------------
Advertisement
Get your news just the way you like it. -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA4CB84658B4F3FB52ACD0
Add your favorite columnists and topics to a washingtonpost.com newsletter delivered
to your
in-box each morning. It's a free and easy way to make sure you
never miss a thing. Personalize your e-mail today -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA5CA84658B4F3FB52ACD0
and enjoy customized articles tomorrow.
--------------------
E-Mail Newsletter Services
To sign up for additional newsletters or get help, visit the E-mail Preferences Page
- http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA4F584658B4F3FB52ACD0
To unsubscribe, visit the E-mail Preferences Page -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA5F484658B4F3FB52ACD0
(do not reply to this e-mail).
For feedback, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] - [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Report Newsletter .
For advertising information, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] - [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Newsletter Feedback .
To subscribe to the print edition of The Washington Post newspaper, click here -
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA2F784658B4F3FB52ACD0
Privacy Policy - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT0453BA3F684658B4F3FB52ACD0
--------------------
Copyright 2004 The Washington Post Company
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7GT06B97B8F284658B4F3FB52ACD0
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~-->
Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar.
Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free!
http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/BCfwlB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kumpulan/
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
