Democrats Claim Mantle of Fiscally Responsible Ticketdeficits threaten S.S

[papau]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-dems4aug04.story
THE RACE TO THE WHITE HOUSE
Democrats Claim Mantle of Fiscally Responsible Ticket
Kerry and Edwards say Bush's record deficits threaten Social Security and future generations.
By Michael Finnegan and James Rainey Times Staff Writers
August 4, 2004

BELOIT, Wis. — With the country facing a record $445-billion federal deficit, Democratic presidential nominee John F. Kerry and running mate John Edwards stepped up efforts Tuesday to cast themselves as more fiscally responsible than President Bush.<snip>

In central Louisiana, Edwards told supporters at a town hall forum that fiscal responsibility was "not some abstract Washington thing."

"This affects people's lives," he said in Alexandria, a small town on the Red River. "And the deeper and deeper we go into deficit, the more and more Social Security is at risk. We are leaving our children with a debt and a responsibility that's not theirs."

Like Kerry has sought to do, Edwards framed the matter as one of "values."

"Talk about values, and our moral responsibility to our children and grandchildren?" Edwards asked. "How would you feel … if you were leaving your child with $20,000 in debt, instead of leaving them better off?"

At a similar forum Kerry headlined here, the Massachusetts senator touted his support for a line-item veto of federal spending bills — newly designed to survive court challenges that have derailed it previously — to curb excess expenditures by Congress.<snip>

[CarolynEC]

1. Very encouraging

JK and JE need to grab this theme/meme and run with it. The facts are so overwhelmingly in their favor, when it comes to the repugs record on fiscal discipline.

As for the "values" talk... I'm not a big fan of politicians lecturing about values. But we're trying to win this thing, so if that's an idea that resonates with voters, go for it.