Bush, Kerry spar on 'values' issues

The Kerry and Bush presidential campaigns spent yesterday trading salvos over ''values" issues that have been in the political spotlight lately, as Republicans called for Senator John F. Kerry to release a videotape of a raunchy New York celebrity fund-raiser, and the Democratic side replied by demanding that President Bush release his complete military service records and the minutes of a White House energy task force.

Kerry's advisers also released a state-by-state analysis of job losses and wage decreases, pounding the Bush administration with its own prediction, in early 2001, that some 6 million jobs would be created in the president's first term; the US economy has had a net loss of about 1 million jobs over that time. The Bush team fought back, saying its policies stimulated the economy and helped Wall Street rebound from its steep falloff two years ago.

With these attacks, the Bush campaign has sought to portray Kerry as an economic pessimist and out-of-touch liberal who would countenance off-color remarks like those made at the fund-raiser, while the Democrats hope to caricature Bush as untruthful about his military record and ineffectual as a steward of the economy. Over the past week, both sides have cast their strategies as part of a ''values debate," as each party makes the case that its honesty and integrity is more in line with the values of independent and swing voters.

As is often the case in this campaign, both sides lobbed their rhetorical attacks against each other while giving no quarter. Kerry campaign manager Mary Beth Cahill mocked the Republicans' ''paparazzi-like obsession" with last Thursday's fund-raiser, where comedian Whoopi Goldberg made a sexual pun on Bush's name and others referred to him as a ''thug" and a warmonger. Cahill refused to consider the request for the tape -- made by Bush campaign manager Ken Mehlman -- until Bush released a range of materials that Democrats have sought, including documents on no-bid contracts for Vice President Dick Cheney's former company, Halliburton, to help rebuild Iraq and documents explaining interrogation methods used on Iraqi prisoners.

Mehlman contended that voters should hear from the celebrities, since Kerry praised them at the event for conveying ''the heart and soul of our country."

The Democratic analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data, meanwhile, contended that Bush was ''7 million short of his job-creation goal nationally" and that most new jobs under Bush have come in ''low-wage industries." During separate campaign conference calls yesterday, reporters in the key swing states of Iowa and Wisconsin pounced on data showing that in industries that were adding jobs, the average wages were $6,858 and $7,210 lower, respectively, than in industries that have shed jobs.

Bush campaign policy director Tim Adams replied that the administration's early estimate of 6 million new jobs was not met because of factors that could not have been predicted at the time, such as the Sept. 11 attacks, subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the rising price of oil.

Meanwhile, in Washington yesterday, the schedule for the Democratic National Convention, July 26-29 was unveiled under a guiding theme, ''Stronger at Home, Respected in the World." Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter will speak that Monday, as will Al Gore, Democratic Party and Kerry campaign officials announced. That Tuesday the speakers will include Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts and Kerry's wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry. Wednesday night will feature Kerry's vice presidential pick, Senator John Edwards of North Carolina, who will be introduced by his wife, Elizabeth.

Kerry will speak on Thursday after being introduced by former senator Max Cleland of Georgia. As has often happened on the campaign trail, Kerry will be lauded by some of his former Vietnam crewmates, as well as by James Rassmann, who credits Kerry with saving his life during a firefight in Vietnam. Kerry's daughters, Alexandra and Vanessa, will also speak, as will two of his stepsons, Chris and Andre Heinz.

Bill Richardson, New Mexico's governor and chairman of the convention, said 40 percent of the delegates are minorities, which he contends is a record.

Richardson was asked who arranged the scheduled appearance on Tuesday of Ron Reagan, son of the late president, who has said he would support Kerry. Richardson said the arrangement was mutual and that Reagan would focus his speech on allowing more use of embryonic stem cells for medical research. ''This is not politics, this is science," Richardson said.

Democratic officials, asked whether the convention delegates would hear from other high-profile Democrats such as Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, said many more speakers would be named as the gathering in Boston approaches.

Michael Kranish of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Patrick Healy can be reached at phealy@globe.com.