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

To: Ms. Baby Boomer who wrote (554002)	3/20/2004 3:05:36 PM
From: Hope Praytochange	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

Bush Campaign Holds First Official Rally in Florida By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS RLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- President Bush sought re-election support Saturday in the state that put him in the White House, charging that John Kerry is a leading opponent of tax relief and has voted to raise taxes more than 350 times over his political career. Speaking before thousands of supporters in the first official campaign rally of his re-election bid, the president highlighted Kerry's vote against Bush-backed tax cuts. "Senator Kerry is one of the main opponents of tax relief in the United States Congress," Bush said. "However, when tax increases are proposed, it's a lot easier to get a yes vote out of him. Over the years, he's voted over 350 times for higher taxes on the American people." The line of attack against the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee is part of a Bush campaign effort to portray the Massachusetts senator as a tax-and-spend liberal. Bush went on to deride Kerry for "proposing a lot of new federal spending" without explaining how he would pay for it. "There's a gap between Senator Kerry's spending promises and Senator Kerry's promises of a lower deficit. It's what I call a tax gap," Bush said. "Given Senator Kerry's record of supporting tax increases, it's pretty clear how he's going to fill the tax gap -- he's going to tax all of you." "Fortunately," Bush added, to wild cheers, "you're not going to give him that chance." Bush took on Kerry for voting against tax breaks for some married couples and families with children and an expansion of the 10 percent tax bracket, as well as other pieces of the cuts that have passed during Bush's presidency. Kerry has said he supports permanently extending those cuts, which are due to expire at year's end. But he wants to roll back other breaks for people who earn more than $200,000 a year. He has said that money would be used to help cut the deficit by at least half in his first term. Kerry also has proposed a health care plan, estimated to cost about $900 billion. His campaign has said he will soon say how he would pay for that plan. Another is the accusation that Kerry flip-flops and his leadership on national security and other issues cannot be trusted. That theme also showed up in Bush's address. The president mocked Kerry for saying that some world leaders quietly back his candidacy and for explaining his vote against an $87 billion bill for military and reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan by saying he had first voted for it. "He won't tell us the name of the foreign admirers," Bush said, to loud laughter. "That's OK. Either way, I'm not too worried, because I'm going to keep my campaign right here in America." Kerry, who supported Bush's Iraq war resolution but has since opposed how Bush conducted the war, said he voted against the spending bill because he did not support the president's postwar plans. "That sure clears things up, doesn't it?" the president told his audience. "His answers aren't always clear. But the voters will have a very clear choice in this campaign." First lady Laura Bush gave a rare introductory speech on behalf of her husband. "I like to think I'm my husband's biggest fan," she said. "But looking out at you I think I've got some competition."