[Vision2020] Ask Bush to stand up to a real debate

Tom Hansen thansen@moscow.com
Tue, 23 Mar 2004 08:12:40 -0800


And besides, it seems that Bush has to conduct "damage control" with some
spin every time another Republican rolls over on him.

Question:  Who wil be the next Republican to roll over?

Take care,

Tom Hansen

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Carl Westberg [mailto:carlwestberg846@hotmail.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 2004 7:33 AM
> To: pduffau@adelphia.net; thansen@moscow.com; vision2020@moscow.com
> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Ask Bush to stand up to a real debate
>
>
> While the idea of monthly debates between Kerry and Bush is laudable, it
> will never happen.  The Bush administration will just continue to
> make snide
> comments, and avoid actual face to face debate, because the fact is that
> Dubya's handlers won't allow it.  The thought of George W. Bush in an
> unscripted dialogue without benefit of a teleprompter?  Surely Comedy
> Central material.
>
>
>
>
>
>                                                            Carl
> Westberg Jr.
>
>
> >From: Paul Duffau <pduffau@adelphia.net>
> >To: thansen@moscow.com, vision2020@moscow.com
> >Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Ask Bush to stand up to a real debate
> >Date: Mon, 22 Mar 2004 18:06:18 -0800
> >
> >Tom,
> >Why spoil the fun?  I'm enjoying Kerry debate himself.  He's for $87
> >billion for Iraq then he's against it.  He's for weapons systems that he
> >was against.  He's against tax cuts but he's for them.  Please, please,
> >please don't stop the Kerry v.Kerry show.  It beats anything (except the
> >NCAA's) on TV.
> >
> >Paul Duffau
> >
> >At 08:12 PM 3/22/04 +0000, you wrote:
> > > >From Moveon.org -
> > >
> > >Several weeks ago, Tom Cole, a Republican Congressman in
> Oklahoma spoke
> >to
> > >supporters about the upcoming election.  "If George Bush loses the
> >election,
> > >Osama bin Laden wins the election," he told them. (1)  Later, he said
> >that a
> > >vote against Bush was like a vote for Adolf Hitler.
> > >
> > >These hateful and outrageous remarks ­- which neither the RNC nor the
> > >Bush/Cheney campaign will repudiate -- are representative of
> the negative
> > >campaign being rolled out against John Kerry.  Bush is now airing the
> >first
> > >negative ads of the season, which according to nonpartisan monitors (2)
> > >seriously misled viewers about Kerry's record.
> > >
> > >In response, Senator Kerry is taking the high road.  He's
> asked President
> >Bush
> > >to engage in a series of monthly debates on the country's future --
> >debates on
> > >the real substance of the issues that face us.  It's a simple proposal
> >that
> > >could elevate the campaign and truly educate the country about the
> >positions
> > >and records of each candidate.  But President Bush's campaign
> brushed off
> >the
> > >suggestion with a snide remark. (3)
> > >
> > >Today, we're asking President Bush to stand up and face a real debate.
> >You can
> > >join our petition asking President Bush to debate Kerry on the
> future of
> >our
> > >country at:
> > >
> > >http://www.moveonpac.org/debate/?id=2476-1614596-IIN5sQ7ftxxAuZNEtUftUA
> > >
> > >We'll send your comment on to the Bush/Cheney campaign and
> highlight this
> >issue
> > >in the media.
> > >
> > >The negative tenor of the campaign so far even has Republicans worried.
> > >Senator John McCain reprimanded the President for the negative
> campaign,
> > >saying, "Already, I'm hearing from people here that are saying, 'Look,
> >I'm not
> > >even going to vote if this is the way the campaign's going to be
> >conducted.'"(4)
> > >
> > >Here's a summary of some of the attacks that have unfolded just in the
> >first
> > >two weeks.
> > >
> > >  * In the first negative ad of the general election, President Bush
> >claimed
> > >that Kerry would raise taxes by $900 billion.  The figure
> turned out to
> >be
> > >entirely made up -- John Kerry promised to lower taxes on working
> >families, not
> > >raise them. (5)
> > >
> > >  * President Bush personally accused Kerry of attempting to "gut" the
> > >intelligence budget in a "deeply irresponsible" move:  Yet, as
> >independent
> > >media monitor factcheck.org pointed out, "the proposal Bush criticized
> >would
> > >have amounted to a reduction of roughly 1%. And senior congressional
> > >Republicans supported a cut two-thirds as large at the time." (6)
> > >
> > >  * Vice President Cheney told reporters that he believed
> Kerry does not
> >have "an
> > >impressive record for someone who aspires to be commander in chief in
> >this time
> > >of testing for our country." (7)
> > >
> > >By any standard, the campaign is already one of the most negative in
> >political
> > >history.  But by engaging in a forward-looking debate, President Bush
> >could
> > >turn things around.  It's much easier to make misleading
> claims in TV ads
> >than
> > >to someone's face, and both Kerry and Bush would have hours -- not
> >seconds --
> > >to make their case to the public.
> > >
> > >Join us in asking President Bush to take the high road now at:
> > >
> > >http://www.moveonpac.org/debate/?id=2476-1614596-IIN5sQ7ftxxAuZNEtUftUA
> > >
> > >Sincerely,
> > >--Adam, Carrie, Eli, James, Joan, Laura, Wes, and Zack
> > >The MoveOn PAC Team
> > >March 22nd, 2004
> > >
> > >Footnotes:
> > >
> > >1. "Inside Politics," Washington Times, 3/4/04
> > >http://washingtontimes.com/national/20040304-111104-3096r.htm
> > >
> > >2. "Bush Strains Facts Re: Kerry's Plan To Cut Intelligence Funding in
> >'90's,"
> > >FactCheck.org, 3/15/04
> > >http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docID=153
> > >
> > >3. "Kerry Suggests Monthly Debates With President; Bush
> Campaign Rejects
> >the
> > >Idea,"
> > >Washington Post, 3/13/04
> > >http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56468-2004Mar13.html
> > >
> > >4. "McCain, Lieberman on 'Fox News Sunday'," Foxnews.com, 3/21/04
> > >http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,114763,00.html
> > >
> > >5. "George Bush's Credibility Problem: The Truth Behind His New Attack
> >Ad,"
> > >JohnKerry.com, 3/12/04
> > >http://blog.johnkerry.com/dbunker/archives/001352.html#001352
> > >
> > >6. See 2, above.
> > >
> > >7. "Cheney calls Kerry weak on defense," CNN.com, 3/18/04
> > >http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/03/17/cheney.reut/
> > >
> > >
> > >PAID FOR BY MoveOn PAC
> > >P.O. Box 9218, Berkeley, CA
> > >94709
> > >
> > >---------------------------------------------
> > >This message was sent by First Step Internet.
> > >            http://www.fsr.net/
> > >
> > >
> > >_____________________________________________________
> > >  List services made available by First Step Internet,
> > >  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> > >                http://www.fsr.net
> > >           mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com
> > >ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
> >
> >
> >_____________________________________________________
> >  List services made available by First Step Internet,
> >  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> >                http://www.fsr.net
> >           mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com
> >ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> MSN Toolbar provides one-click access to Hotmail from any Web page – FREE
> download! http://clk.atdmt.com/AVE/go/onm00200413ave/direct/01/
>