Bush-Kerry Debates

[Wakie]

What does everyone think of John Kerry's challenging Bush to monthly debates?  Should Bush accept the challenge?  Would you watch them?

[Wakie]

They tried my segment on the daily show with Gov. Bush vs. President Bush. It was great!

How did Bush contradict himself?

Bush opposed campaign finance reform but signed it into law.

Bush said he was opposed to deficits and blasted Clinton/Gore for the size of their budget.  Now he himself has a budget that is larger and creates the largest budget deficit in history.

Bush said he was for free trade, but he supported tariffs on steel, and then he repealed them.

Bush argues that state's should decide on gay marriage but takes it out of their hands by suggesting a Constituitional Amendment banning it.

In 2000 Bush said he was opposed to the US taking a role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but over the last year or so has pushed the "road map" for peace.

In the wake of 9/11 Bush said that he would provide money for firefighters, police, and other "first responders".  He dramatically cut funding to these same organizations.

Bush, "The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden."
Bush, "I don't know where he is. I have no idea and I really don't care."

As governor of Texas he opposed an HMO Patients' Bill of Rights then after it passed over his veto he tried to claim credit for it on the 2000 campaign trail.

He argued that negotiating with North Korea was a failed Clinton tactic.  Guess what?  He's negotiating with North Korea.

Bush reversed his campaign pleddge on carbon dioxide emissions within months of taking office.

Bush blasted Clinton for closing military bases, but Rusmfeld has (even after 9/11) indicated that more base closing are required.

In 2002 Bush moved quickly to embrace a tough corporate reform bill after having warned Congress that he felt such legislation was too tough on Wall Street.

The list goes on.  Yeah, Kerry has flipped on issues ... but so has Bush.  Big Time.

[Wakie]

JMFSCT, in response to your response to me .... on Bush flop-flops ....

We agree he's flipped on ...
*Campaign Finance
*Free Trade

*Big Budgets & Deficit Spending -- I'll conceed that he left a loophole wherein he said he would do it in cases of war or recession.  However, I think it is worth noting that government spending in areas besides Defense & Homeland Security has ballooned.  One can blame the GOP Congress, but Bush's nonuse of the veto should also be blamed.

*Gay Marriage -- You said he's going to the Constituitional Amendment because of "activist courts".  But isn't the correct response to said courts to elevate the case until it hits the Supreme Court?  And it would be hard for Bush to call the Supreme Court activists since the majority of the Justices were nominated by Republican Presidents.

*Israeli-Palestinean Conflict -- True, this administration has been more hands off than the Clinton administration.  But they have been there pushing the "road map to peace".  A red herring?  Perhaps ... but then why declare that you will be uninvolved AND throw out a red herring?

*First Responder Funding -- Bush made promises to deliver funding to these services and he has since failed to deliver on these promises.  If I tell you I will pay you $500 for painting my house and then only give you a $5 you would feel pretty ripped off, wouldn't you?

*Bin Laden Quotes -- Yes, Bin Laden isn't the end all be all in the "War on Terror".  However, realizing that George should not have said that catching him was the most important thing.

*TX HMO Bill of Rights -- Bush' veto of the bill is a matter of public record.  It is available on the Texas Legislature's website.  It happened in 1997 I believe.  Then in the Bush-Gore debates Bush took credit for the Bill.

*North Korea -- Yes, the situation has changed with the addition of North Korean nukes, but what would Bush have had Clinton do before that?  Invade North Korea?  As if China would have sat by and let that happen.  China, like Korea now, is a nuclear power.

*CO2 standards -- Someone else provided the link.

*Military base closings -- www.lakehurst.navy.mil/brac-news/brac-399-25a.htm has Gov Bush hiring consultants to argue against Base closings.  www.lakehurst.navy.mil/brac-news/brac-08-Dec-2001a.htm has President Bush closing bases.

*Bush on Wall St -- What changed was not the bill.  What changed was that a number of high profile corporate scandals came to light.