IPW Daily Report – Wednesday, March 17, 2004
"He [Sen. John Kerry] speaks as if only those who
openly oppose America's objectives have a chance
of earning his respect,"
Vice President
Cheney said.
"I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I
voted against it,"
John Kerry
responding to not voting to support our troops.
“In straining to clear the national security bar,
Kerry tends to say things that sound like a sort
of combination of the worst tendencies of Bill
Clinton, Al Gore and Howard Dean. “ --
writes ABC’s
The Note.
"We are still bogged down in Iraq — and the
administration stubbornly holds to failed policies
that drive potential allies away. What we have
seen is a steady loss of lives and mounting costs
in dollars, with no end in sight. The lesson here
is fundamental: At times, conflict comes, and the
decision must be made. For a President, the
decision may be lonely, but that does not mean
that America should go it alone,"
excerpt from
John Kerry’s speech today at George Washington
University.
"The president was the one who dragged our troops
into Iraq, which, apparently, has been a factor in
the deaths of 200 Spaniards this weekend,"
said Howard
Dean.
"The American people will have a clear choice in
the election of 2004 — at least as clear as any
since the election of 1984,"
said Vice
President Cheney.
“Today, you and I can send a powerful message to
John Kerry. We can promise him that we will never
let him stand alone in the face of Republican
attacks. In the days ahead, you'll be hearing from
forceful voices from all across the Democratic
Party -- all united in our determination to carry
our values to victory in 2004. But, don't wait to
act. Join me in making 3/16/04 a day you and I
will always remember -- and one Republicans will
never forget” --
writes Bill Clinton asking for $10 million for
Kerry.
Megaphone Bush bashing
Howard Stern continues his assault on President
Bush and urges his 8.5 million listeners to vote
for Kerry and drive Republicans out of office.
Some view Stern’s efforts as a measure of
self-interest after the FCC levied a heavy fine on
Clear Channel Communications for Stern’s sex talk
and Clear Channel Communications pulled Stern from
six of their stations.
Who Wins?
Terry M. Neal of the Washington Post offers an analysis of how both
Bush and Kerry could win the election. Note:
Item number six for both is something of a
summary:
Bush
6. With the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks
still seared into the collective memory of the
nation, voters want more than ever a president who
makes them feel safe. Sure, Bush has plenty of
detractors on foreign policy and his handling of
the war in Iraq, but most voters would rather have
an aggressive president who takes the war to the
terrorists--even if that means occasionally
overreaching and making mistakes--than an overly
cautious multinationalist who's afraid to pull the
trigger or offend U.S. allies.
Kerry
6. It's the issues, darn it. According to the
latest Washington Post/ABC News poll, conducted
earlier this month, Bush is at or under 50 percent
approval for his handling of the economy, taxes,
Iraq, education, job creation, health care costs
and availability, Social Security, the budget
deficit, the issue of same-sex marriage and
prescription drug benefits for the elderly. Bush
scored above 50 percent approval only in his
handling of the war on terrorism and protecting
constitutional rights and freedoms. How can a
president win with such low approval ratings in so
many areas? The answer: He can't.
Filling the room
Sen. John Kerry has to clear the bar that he is
capable of defending America in order to be
elected. He has been having trouble clearing that
bar. So, Democrats are going to provide him with
more back-up today as he gives a foreign policy
speech at George Washington University. A surprise
guest will be former Joint Chiefs Chairman John
Malchase. David Shalikashvili, former Secretary
William Perry, former Secretary of State Madeleine
Albright will also be in attendance.
Bush numbers improve
The CBS News/New York Times poll shows Bush's job
approval rating is at 51 percent with 42 percent
disapproving. This is a 6-point improvement over
the numbers in the previous poll taken in late
February where Bush's approval rating was 47
percent and his disapproval rating was 44 percent.
Among registered voters in the United States, Bush
is ahead of Kerry 46 percent to 43 percent.
This represented a 4-point difference over a
mid-February poll that found Kerry leading the
president by one percentage point at that time.
homepage
