10 Democrats vs. Bush

TWO HOURS is a long time for a presidential debate, even one featuring 10 wordy Democrats. Yesterday's engagement in New York City included more honest public discussion on American economic policy than President Bush has offered in his entire term.

On fair trade, health care, tax cuts, job creation, Social Security, energy independence, corporate responsibility, and the role of labor unions, the 10 Democrats parsed their differences but were united in their disdain for the Bush administration, calling his policies "reckless," "ill-advised," and "a failure."

Taken together, the Democrats' accusations add up to a broad condemnation that Bush will find difficult to ignore for the 10 months left before the Democratic convention.

There were differences among the Democrats -- even a bit of friction, much of which focused on former Vermont governor Howard Dean. After US Representative Richard Gephardt said Dean sided with Republican Newt Gingrich on Medicare cutbacks, Dean bristled, saying, "Nobody up here deserves to be compared to Newt Gingrich."

There is plenty of heat in the primary campaign, a fact made clear to reporters attending the debate by the rapid volleys from the various staffs charging opposing candidates with making wrong, exaggerated, and misleading statements -- even as they were still debating. But overall the focus was on Bush -- especially his tax cuts and other economic policies. As Senator John Edwards of North Carolina put it, the sum of these policies is that "we have a train wreck coming."

While much of the predebate focus was on the newest candidate, retired General Wesley Clark, he drew no special attention from his competitors. While some of Clark's answers showed him more adept at delivering sentences than substance, he showed promise of becoming a debater to be reckoned with.

John Kerry staked out his defense of the middle class firmly, though some of his responses lacked clarity. And some of the questioners -- making good on their "Jeopardy" theme -- pushed too hard for simplistic answers, as if any hint of complexity betrayed weakness.

For the most part, the candidates were effective in contrasting the economy during the Clinton administration, which produced millions of new jobs and budget surpluses, with the current economy, with its job losses and budget deficits.

An added theme was the Bush administration's insistence on helping its wealthy and powerful friends, as symbolized by the defense contractor Halliburton. As Senator Joe Lieberman put it, referring to reconstruction work in Iraq: "Halliburton writes the specs and then gets the no-bid contract."

Normally an incumbent president likes to see the challengers in the opposing party battle each other before he engages. But this year Bush's declining poll numbers and the public's worries about the economy argue for more of a response than a series of photo opportunities. The Democrats have given him plenty to answer for.