Democrats' Theme: Mission Not Accomplished

[RedEarth]

WASHINGTON - Democrats say they will have a rapid and simple response to the Republican National Convention that starts next week: Mission not accomplished.

It's a play on President Bush (news - web sites)'s flight in May 2003 to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, where he addressed U.S. troops standing beneath a banner that said "Mission Accomplished" and declared an end to major combat in Iraq (news - web sites). The banner has been criticized as the fighting in Iraq continues and the U.S. death toll approaches 1,000.


Matt Bennett, a spokesman for the Democratic "rapid response" effort, said Bush has forgotten about the middle class and has pursued a narrow agenda benefiting powerful special interests.


"We're sending the message that George Bush (news - web sites) simply hasn't accomplished the mission," he said.


Steve Schmidt, a spokesman for the Bush re-election campaign, said Democrats are trying to obscure John Kerry (news - web sites)'s record of indecision on the Iraq war and support for tax increases

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040826/ap_on_el_pr/convention_democrats&cid=694&ncid=2043