Bush's moves on war, economy fall short, Kerry campaign says
WASHINGTON -- Outreach to allies and the United Nations over Iraq, a decline in jobless numbers, and even gas prices that have dipped in recent days are allowing President Bush to chip away at some of John F. Kerry's campaign criticisms, but aides to the Democratic candidate believe the improvements are too little, too late, and swing voters will break their way come November.
''John Kerry is in a stronger position than any challenger has been against an elected incumbent in the last 50 years, George Bush in a weaker position than any elected incumbent has been in the last 50 years," Kerry pollster Mark Mellman said yesterday during a briefing for reporters called to signify the reengagement of the general election campaign following a weeklong hiatus for funeral services for President Ronald Reagan.
Bush's reelection committee disagrees, and recent developments indicate a battle plan to undercut Kerry's key campaign criticisms.
While Kerry has complained that Bush has ignored allies in the Iraqi war, last week the president embraced France and Germany -- two wartime opponents -- during the Group of Eight economic summit in Georgia. While Kerry has accused the president of unilateralism, last week he also won approval of a United Nations resolution giving the multinational body a central role in Iraq's interim government.
And in each of the last three months, the nation created jobs, rebutting Kerry's claim of a jobless recovery.
''The US economy is firing on all cylinders," said an e-mail sent to political reporters yesterday by the Bush-Cheney Committee. ''Under President Bush's leadership, we have created 1.4 million jobs since August and the economy is growing at its fastest rate in 20 years. Despite this positive news, John Kerry continues his misery tour and furthers his efforts to talk down the growing economy."
And while Democrats criticize Bush for failing to be the compassionate consensus builder that he said he would be when he first campaigned for the White House in 2000, Bush yesterday even lauded Bill Clinton, back at the White House for the unveiling of the Democrat's official portrait, saying, ''Over eight years, it was clear that Bill Clinton loved the job of the presidency. He filled this house with energy and joy. He's a man of enthusiasm and warmth, who could make a compelling case and effectively advance the causes that drew him to public service."
Nonetheless, the Kerry camp says the administration's long-term record on the economy and foreign affairs will overshadow any recent upticks. The campaign says it will continue focusing on the economy, especially items affecting middle-class pocketbooks such as rising college tuition and health care costs. The campaign also recently concluded an 11-day focus on national security issues and plans to make it a recurrent theme in the on-going campaign.
''If you get D-minuses for 3 years in college, and one semester at a B-minus, it doesn't put you on the honor roll," said Gene Sperling, a Kerry campaign economist and formerly chief economic adviser to Clinton.
Added Mary Beth Cahill, Kerry's campaign manager: ''We've noted, certainly, that Senator Kerry has been urging the president to reach out to the international community over the course of this entire campaign, and he's moving in our direction. That's good for the country. But we feel they are failing to lay out, or even paying attention to, the major economic concerns of the country."
A Los Angeles Times poll released last week showed Kerry leading Bush head-to-head, 51 percent to 44 percent. When third-party candidate Ralph Nader was factored in, Kerry still led, 48 percent to 42 percent, with Nader drawing 4 percent. Nearly three-fifths said they believed the country was on the wrong track, the highest level recorded by the newspaper during Bush's presidency, while 58 percent said they found Bush ''too ideological and stubborn," compared with 16 percent for Kerry.
At the same time, Bush fared better in three battleground states: He maintained a nearly double-digit lead over Kerry in Missouri -- where Bush campaigned yesterday for the fifth time this year -- and the two were essentially tied in Ohio and Wisconsin.
Nonetheless, majorities disagreed with Bush's handling of the war in Iraq and the economy, dovetailing with Kerry campaign criticisms. Today the senator kicks off a weeklong focus on middle-class issues with a speech in Atlantic City, N.J. He also will be speaking in Columbus, Ohio, Detroit, and Washington, D.C. Tomorrow, he is scheduled to hold meetings focused on his vice presidential search.
In his critique, Sperling told reporters, ''No question, George Bush had a couple of bad breaks, most specifically 9/11 and a slowing economy in 2001. But he also inherited 4.1 percent unemployment, a doubling of productivity, the strongest fiscal situation in our country, and he had a Congress that three different times did what he wanted" by passing tax cuts.
Asked later about his labeling of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack, which killed nearly 3,000, as a ''bad break," Sperling said, ''I, obviously, was not trying to give a description of 9/11, which was truly one of the most grave and a tragic moment in our country's history. What I was trying to do was recognize that President Bush did inherit or did have some things that hurt the economy that were beyond his control."
Tad Devine, one of Kerry's top communications advisers, noted that Bush has already spent more on campaign ads -- $83.1 million -- than the $75 million each candidate will receive from the federal government for his general election campaign. The vast majority of it has been spent on ads criticizing Kerry.
''We believe voters are looking for answers and not insults," Devine said
Cahill remained cautious in light of Bush's recent moves. ''We've said from the beginning that this is going to be an extremely close election."
Glen Johnson can be reached at johnson@globe.com. 