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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Thomas A Watson who wrote (417445)	6/22/2003 12:19:38 AM
From: calgal	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

United Against Bush, Dem Presidential Hopefuls Focus on Economy URL:http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,90099,00.html Saturday, June 21, 2003 NEWTON, Iowa — At a forum focused on the economy and job creation, five Democrats running for the White House said Saturday they favored tougher trade rules and universal health coverage. They joined in attacking Bush administration economic policies they said had driven American jobs to low-cost countries and lowered the U.S. standard of living. "What's happening is a race to the bottom and it's hurting families," Missouri Rep. Dick Gephardt (search) said. "People are giving up because jobs are leaving." Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry (search) called for tougher labor and environmental standards in trade agreements, and an economic policy focused on more than simply cutting taxes. "We need a manufacturing policy that helps our companies compete," Kerry said. The forum, organized by state Democrats, drew a crowd of about 350 people to this central Iowa city. Newton is a Democratic stronghold, fertile ground for the candidates in a state where precinct caucuses in January will begin the presidential nominating season. The city's biggest employer is the Maytag Corp., (search) where workers are represented by the United Auto Workers (search) union. The company just moved operations from an Illinois factory to Mexico and there are deep worries that the Newton plant could close too. "We have to have a plan in place to replace the manufacturing jobs we've already lost," said North Carolina Sen. John Edwards (search). "We've lost 2 million jobs under this administration." Al Sharpton (search) drew some of the loudest cheers when he accused President Bush of abandoning ordinary families. "This government protects the multinational conglomerates rather than protecting the citizens," Sharpton said. "The president is not elected to be the business agent in Washington for billionaires." Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich said his first act as president would be to repeal the North American Free Trade Agreement, which is unpopular with labor groups. Kucinich argued that trade deals have meant "not only a loss of jobs, it's meant communities breaking up, it's meant a loss of dreams. It's caused a transfer of wealth out of this country." Edwards said he has tangled with big business as a trial lawyer and cast Bush as an ally of corporate interests. "This president is not part of the solution because he is part of the problem," Edwards said. "I have stood up these companies all of my adult life." Universal health coverage was endorsed by the five, with Sharpton and Kucinich calling for a single-payer system run by the government. Gephardt, Kerry and Edwards have made proposals to broaden health coverage. "This is a moral issue, not just an economic issue," Gephardt said. Sharpton said Bush "talks about leaving no child behind, but he really means leave no billionaire behind." Later Saturday, Kerry headed to a forum sponsored by Sen. Tom Harkin, who organized an effort to introduce Democratic candidates to party activists and Kerry continued the assault on Bush. He ridiculed Bush for his showy landing on an aircraft carrier returning from combat, pointing to his own service as a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War. "I know something about aircraft carriers," said Kerry. "and landing on an aircraft carrier as president does not make up for a failed economic policy." Chad Colby, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee, argued that the GOP is putting into place policies that the Democrats merely complain about. "They are choosing politics over progress," said Colby. Not all the White House hopefuls attended. Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean canceled his campaign schedule after his 17-year-old son had a run-in with the law in Vermont. Florida Sen. Bob Graham cited scheduling conflicts. Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, an observant Jew, does not campaign on Saturdays. Former Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley Braun did not accept an invitation to the forum.

To: Thomas A Watson who wrote (417445)	6/22/2003 12:20:16 AM
From: calgal	Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 769670

Transcript: Bush Radio Address URL:http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,90085,00.html Saturday, June 21, 2003 The following is a transcript of the President's radio address for Saturday, June 21, 2003. Good morning. Ten weeks have passed since the fall of the Iraqi regime. Since that time, our work in Iraq has focused on two goals. First, we are working to make Iraq secure for its citizens and our military. Second, we are working to improve the lives of the Iraqi people after three decades of tyranny and oppression. Making Iraq secure is vitally important for both Iraqi citizens and our own forces. The men and women of our military face a continuing risk of danger and sacrifice in Iraq. Dangerous pockets of the old regime remain loyal to it and they, along with their terrorist allies, are behind deadly attacks designed to kill and intimidate coalition forces and innocent Iraqis. Our military is acting decisively against these threats. In Operation Peninsula Strike and Operation Desert Scorpion, our forces have targeted Baath party loyalists and terrorist organizations. In Baghdad, more than 28,000 American combat forces and military police are enforcing the law and arresting criminals. We are also training Iraqis to begin policing their own cities. As we establish order and justice in Iraq, we also continue to pursue Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction. Military and intelligence officials are interviewing scientists with knowledge of Saddam Hussein's weapons programs and are poring over hundreds of thousands of documents. For more than a decade, Saddam Hussein went to great lengths to hide his weapons from the world. And in the regime's final days, documents and suspected weapons sites were looted and burned. Yet all who know the dictator's history agree that he possessed chemical and biological weapons and that he used chemical weapons in the past. The intelligence services of many nations concluded that he had illegal weapons and the regime refused to provide evidence they had been destroyed. We are determined to discover the true extent of Saddam Hussein's weapons programs, no matter how long it takes. To date, the United States has provided Iraq with more than $700 million in humanitarian and reconstruction assistance. This month the World Food Program is distributing food rations to about 25 million Iraqis. America and our partners are also repairing water treatment plants to provide more clean water. Each week, through our efforts, more electricity is made available to more people throughout the country. And after years of neglect, Iraq's 4.2 million children under the age of five are receiving vaccinations against diseases such as polio, measles and tuberculosis. Iraq's long-term success also depends on economic development. Our administrator in Iraq has announced a $100 million fund to pay Iraqis to repair buildings and utilities. Billions of dollars taken from Iraqis by a corrupt regime have been recovered and will be spent on reconstruction projects. Iraq is already in the process of selling oil on world markets, which will bring in much needed revenue to help the Iraqi people. This week the port at Umm Qasar opened to commercial traffic, and Baghdad International Airport is expected to reopen next month. For the first time in over a decade, Iraq will soon be open to the world. And the influence of progress in Iraq will be felt throughout the Middle East. Over time, a free government in Iraq will demonstrate that liberty can flourish in that region. American service-members continue to risk their lives to ensure the liberation of Iraq. I'm grateful for their service, and so are the Iraqi people. Many Iraqis are experiencing the jobs and responsibilities of freedom for the first time in their lives. And they are unafraid. As one Iraqi man said, "We are ready to rebuild our country." For the people of free Iraq, the road ahead holds great challenges. Yet at every turn, they will have friendship and support from the United States of America. Thank you for listening.