the more that i read or hear anything about the democratic candidates, the more disappointed i get. imo, they have no idea about how the american public feels about the war on terrorism.
Dems Criticize Bush, Omit Facts Sometimes
By NEDRA PICKLER
Associated Press Writer
December 9, 2003, 8:18 PM EST
WASHINGTON -- The Democratic presidential candidates criticized President Bush's record on the economy and fighting terrorism in a debate Tuesday night, but some of their jabs left out important facts.
Sen. Joe Lieberman declared it would take a Democratic president to "get this economy going," but the economy has been gaining momentum over the last several months since Bush's second tax cut took effect.
Weekly claims for unemployment insurance have fallen since April, and economic growth and productivity in the third-quarter reached 20-year highs.
Two of the candidates used a favorite attack line against Bush -- Lieberman said "3.5 million people have lost their jobs" and Howard Dean said "3 million jobs lost are 3 million too many" -- but their statements also ignored the improving economy.
It is true that about 3 million jobs were lost during the early months of the Bush presidency. But that trend has been reversing for several months as the jobless rate has dropped from a peak of 6.4 percent in June to 5.9 percent last month.
Several of the nine Democrats attacked the tax cuts Bush pushed through Congress. But none mentioned that Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, who has served both Republican and Democratic presidents, has cited those cuts as a reason for the recent growth of the economy.
"Economic activity perked up in late spring and then accelerated further this summer as tax cuts provided a substantial booth," Greenspan said recently.
Both Wesley Clark and Dean accused Bush of "not fighting terrorism." Although al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden remains at large, the administration's war has substantially thinned the ranks of his network, including the arrest earlier this year of Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. The administration also has thwarted dozens of attacks through increased cooperation with allies.
On the Iraq front, Dean declared "I think we need to bring in foreign troops," suggesting Americans have been going it alone. While some big Western allies, like Germany and France, have refused to provide troops for Iraq, the campaign has received thousands of troops from the likes of Britain, Poland, Japan, Italy, Hungary, Denmark and Ukraine.
NATO countries have sent about 24,000 soldiers, compared to 130,000 U.S. troops.
Even Ted Koppel, the ABC newsman who moderated the debate, waded into the gray area of truth when he declared that Dean had raised more money than anyone in the campaign.
While Dean's $25 million through September tops the Democratic field, it is dwarfed by the more than $100 million Bush has already raised as a Republican with no primary opponent
Dems Criticize Bush, Omit Facts Sometimes
By NEDRA PICKLER
Associated Press Writer
December 9, 2003, 8:18 PM EST
WASHINGTON -- The Democratic presidential candidates criticized President Bush's record on the economy and fighting terrorism in a debate Tuesday night, but some of their jabs left out important facts.
Sen. Joe Lieberman declared it would take a Democratic president to "get this economy going," but the economy has been gaining momentum over the last several months since Bush's second tax cut took effect.
Weekly claims for unemployment insurance have fallen since April, and economic growth and productivity in the third-quarter reached 20-year highs.
Two of the candidates used a favorite attack line against Bush -- Lieberman said "3.5 million people have lost their jobs" and Howard Dean said "3 million jobs lost are 3 million too many" -- but their statements also ignored the improving economy.
It is true that about 3 million jobs were lost during the early months of the Bush presidency. But that trend has been reversing for several months as the jobless rate has dropped from a peak of 6.4 percent in June to 5.9 percent last month.
Several of the nine Democrats attacked the tax cuts Bush pushed through Congress. But none mentioned that Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, who has served both Republican and Democratic presidents, has cited those cuts as a reason for the recent growth of the economy.
"Economic activity perked up in late spring and then accelerated further this summer as tax cuts provided a substantial booth," Greenspan said recently.
Both Wesley Clark and Dean accused Bush of "not fighting terrorism." Although al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden remains at large, the administration's war has substantially thinned the ranks of his network, including the arrest earlier this year of Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. The administration also has thwarted dozens of attacks through increased cooperation with allies.
On the Iraq front, Dean declared "I think we need to bring in foreign troops," suggesting Americans have been going it alone. While some big Western allies, like Germany and France, have refused to provide troops for Iraq, the campaign has received thousands of troops from the likes of Britain, Poland, Japan, Italy, Hungary, Denmark and Ukraine.
NATO countries have sent about 24,000 soldiers, compared to 130,000 U.S. troops.
Even Ted Koppel, the ABC newsman who moderated the debate, waded into the gray area of truth when he declared that Dean had raised more money than anyone in the campaign.
While Dean's $25 million through September tops the Democratic field, it is dwarfed by the more than $100 million Bush has already raised as a Republican with no primary opponent
