Bush puts ‘ideology ahead of science’
By Joshua Chaffin in Hampton, New Hampshire, and James Harding in Washington
Published: October 4 2004 17:39 | Last updated: October 5 2004 00:26
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John Kerry accused President George W. Bush of putting "extreme rightwing ideology" ahead of science as he blasted him on Monday over his stance on a range of issues from stem cell research to global warming.
As the Democrats shifted from the Iraq war back to domestic issues, the Bush campaign changed its plans to give the president a chance to return to the issue of the war on terrorism.
Mr Bush was due to make a speech on healthcare in Pennsylvania on Wednesday but the White House announced that he would instead address the war on terrorism and the economy.
Coming as polls show that Mr Kerry has eroded, if not erased, Mr Bush's lead in the wake of the Democratic challenger's strong performance in last week's televised debate, the change in the president's plans was seen as a defensive move to recover momentum after a testy showing from Mr Bush.
Scott McClellan, the president's press secretary, denied that the change in programme was a response to public opinion surveys. After Mr Bush enjoyed a small but clear advantage through the month of September, a Newsweek poll over the weekend showed Mr Kerry had pulled back into the lead and a Gallup poll showed the race tied.
"Whether we were down or up, we have always said we expect the race to tighten," Mr McClellan said, acknowledging that the president and his advisers were well aware of the polls. "We have said from the get-go that this would be a close election. And there are clear choices and real differences on the nation's highest priorities: the war on terrorism and the economy. And the president will continue to highlight those differences."
On the campaign trail, Mr Kerry touted one of those issues - stem cell research - that pollsters say has the potential to sway independent voters. "We can't afford any more stubborn refusal to face the facts," Mr Kerry said, pledging to overturn Mr Bush's partial ban on stem cell research and to increase federal funding for research.
Mr Kerry's remarks were an indication of the Democratic challenger's strategy to return the argument with Mr Bush to domestic issues - a traditional party strength - after polls showed a majority of voters thought he outperformed the president during last week's foreign policy debate.
It was evident in the decor in the gymnasium at Winnacunnet High School on Monday, where martial campaign banners touting Mr Kerry's strength were largely replaced by images of female doctors caring for children and the slogan "Fighting for Us". Democrats have tried to seize on stem cell research as a wedge issue, drawing attention to Mr Bush's controversial decision three years ago to limit research that scientists think could offer cures for Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, juvenile diabetes and other illnesses.
Mr Bush defends his policy as a compromise between science and ethics but Democrats accuse him of caving in to the religious right. |
