Kerry Says Bush's 'Pride' Has Led to Failure in Iraq, Jobs
By Jimmy Moore
Talon News
April 30, 2004

Continuing with his negative personal attacks against President George W. Bush during the 2004 presidential campaign, likely Democratic presidential nominee John F. Kerry told supporters on Wednesday that Bush's "pride" has led to failure in Iraq and jobs.

Speaking on a live local broadcast at a campaign stop in Toledo, Ohio in front of 300 people, Kerry blasted Bush for being an illegitimately elected president in 2000 when he was "selected" by the U.S. Supreme Court.

When an elderly Democratic voter in the audience accused Vice President Dick Cheney of murdering women and children in Iraq for the sake of oil profits, Kerry responded by saying, "I know exactly where you're coming from."

Kerry added, "I know where that anger comes from, I know where the frustration comes from."

Although he has accused the Bush campaign of conducting a "smear campaign" against him by bringing up his anti-war past earlier this week, Kerry himself has continued to engage in name-calling and insults in his campaign for president.

Accusing the Bush campaign of spending $70 million this year to mischaracterize his service in Vietnam and his votes in the U.S. Senate, Kerry opined that his Republican opponent is worried about losing reelection.

"$70 million in attack ads in April by a sitting president of the United States -- sounds like desperation to me, ladies and gentlemen," Kerry gloated.

Blaming Bush directly for the loss of worldwide support in the war on terrorism, Kerry said most countries have little or no desire to work with the United States in this effort.

"A lot of countries are angry at us or they look at us and think there's too much baggage in working with us," Kerry stated.

In fact, Kerry pushed this theme even further when he asserted that Bush should stop being proud and concede that he was wrong about the war in Iraq.

He told Bush to take "your pride and put it away and go talk to these other countries and acknowledge that this is more complicated than we thought."

The Kerry campaign later clarified that Kerry was not advocating U.N. or NATO involvement in Iraq, but that the United States should not be involved in nonmilitary matters.

On the issue of unemployment, Kerry accused Bush of being uncaring and lacking compassion for people without work.

"At least come out and look the people in the eye who have lost their job and say we're going to give you the job training, we're going to give you the health care," Kerry expressed.

Bush campaign spokesman Steve Schmidt said the Kerry campaign has tried to use his service in the Vietnam War as an protective shield from being criticized regarding issues of national security during the campaign.

"His negativity and his constant politicization of the war on terror is being rejected by Americans across the country," Schmidt exclaimed in a statement.

Lest anyone forget the highly incendiary remarks made by Kerry following September 11, Schmidt noted that people should remember what the likely Democratic presidential nominee has previously said regarding Bush and citizens of the United States.

"[Kerry] makes these highly negative comments that are in a similar vein to when [he] called Republicans liars and crooks, and when he called for regime change in the United States," Schmidt exclaimed.