Bush Is 'Unfit' to Lead U.S., Kerry Charges

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http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/03/politics/campaign/03kerry.html

Bush Is 'Unfit' to Lead U.S., Kerry Charges
By DAVID M. HALBFINGER

PRINGFIELD, Ohio, Friday, Sept. 3 - Roaring back at his Republican rivals, Senator John Kerry called President Bush "unfit to lead this country" for "misleading'' America into war in Iraq and said Mr. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney avoided fighting in the Vietnam War.

"For the past week, they have attacked my patriotism and even my fitness to serve as commander in chief," Mr. Kerry told thousands here at a midnight rally shortly after Mr. Bush accepted the Republican nomination for a second term and questioned Mr. Kerry's support for combat troops in Iraq.

"Well, here is my answer to them," Mr. Kerry said to cheers. "I will not have my commitment to defend this country questioned by those who refused to serve when they could've and who misled America into Iraq."

The Kerry campaign scheduled the event days ago in an effort to reclaim the initiative in the race without letting a single news cycle pass. Mr. Kerry spoke a mere half-hour after the president had ended his acceptance speech, and Kerry aides issued his prepared text even before Mr. Bush spoke. <snip>

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1. and Millions of Americans agree...

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2. Kerry calls rival ‘unfit,’ rips VP on deferments

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/09/03/kerry_calls_foe_145unfit146_rips_vp_on_deferments?mode=PF

Kerry calls rival ‘unfit,’ rips VP on deferments
By Patrick Healy and Glen Johnson, Globe Staff | September 3, 2004

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio -- John F. Kerry blasted President Bush as ''unfit for office and unfit for duty" because of the Iraq war and lost jobs at home at a midnight rally in this battleground state.

In his sharpest language of the presidential race thus far, the Democrat late last night also directly assailed the student deferments received by Dick Cheney in the 1960s, as he responded to attacks this week by the vice president and others on his antiwar activities after returning from Vietnam and on his Senate votes opposing some military weapons programs.

''For the past week, they attacked my patriotism and even my fitness to serve as commander in chief," Kerry said to loud boos at the rally here. His remarks were released to reporters two hours before Bush spoke last night at the Republican National Convention in New York -- an effort to steal some of the spotlight from Bush's nomination for reelection. ''Well, here is my answer to them: I will not have my commitment to defend this country questioned by those who refused to serve when they could have and who misled the nation into Iraq."

''The vice president even called me unfit for office last night. Well, I'm going to leave it up to the voters to decide whether five deferments makes someone more qualified than two tours of combat duty," Kerry said.

''Let me tell you in no uncertain terms what makes someone unfit for office and unfit for duty," he continued. ''Misleading our nation into war in Iraq makes you unfit for duty. Doing nothing while this nation loses millions of jobs makes you unfit to lead this nation. Letting 45 million Americans go without health care for four years makes you unfit to lead this country. Letting the Saudi royal family control the price of oil for Americans makes you unfit to lead this country."<snip>

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3. Kerry Takes Off Gloves

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57365-2004Sep2.html

Kerry Takes Off Gloves

By Lois Romano and Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, September 3, 2004; Page A26


SPRINGFIELD, Ohio, Sept. 3 -- John F. Kerry lashed back at his Republican critics early Friday morning, denouncing the GOP convention for its "anger and distortions" and belittling Vice President Cheney for avoiding the military draft during the Vietnam War era.

Just 40 minutes after President Bush completed his acceptance speech in New York, Kerry -- in his sharpest and most personal remarks yet -- called Bush "unfit" to lead, saying he misled the country on the Iraq war and citing his failed record on jobs, health care and energy costs.

"I'm not going to have my commitment to defend this country questioned by those who refused to serve when they could have and by those who have misled the nation into Iraq," Kerry thundered at the midnight rally, in remarks that campaign aides say signals the debut of a more confrontational campaign style.

More than 15,000 people attended the rally in front of a historic city building here. The event was quickly scheduled to respond to the four days of harsh attacks from the GOP convention this week, questioning Kerry's fitness to be president. The decision to come out swinging followed meetings with an expanded team of advisers that includes two Clinton White House veterans who will help direct Kerry's message.<snip>

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4. Bush is also unfit to follow!

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5. Kerry: Jobless Rate Points to Failures

Chicago Tribune:

Snip:

Cheney and Sen. Zell Miller, D-Ga., led a chorus of Republicans who challenged Kerry's credentials to be commander in chief, arguing that although they respected his decorated Vietnam War service, Kerry's 20-year voting record in the Senate on national security issues made him unfit for the nation's top job.

Bush served stateside in the Texas Air National Guard during Vietnam. Cheney, a former secretary of defense, received five deferments and did not serve in the military.

Kerry said Bush and the Republicans avoided talking about "real issues" at the convention -- jobs, the economy, health care and high gasoline prices -- because of Bush's "record of failure."

"They did everything except talk about that. We've had insults, we've had anger from Republicans. And I'll tell you why," Kerry said. "Because they can't come to you and talk to you about having created jobs since they've lost them. They can't come to you and talk to you about creating health care since 5 million Americans have lost it.

"Their own labor secretary talks about exporting jobs overseas," he said. "They can't talk about their record because it is a record of failure. And so all they do is attack."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/specials/elections/conventions/rnc/sns-ap-cvn-democrats.story