Kerry fights label of economic pessimist, Challenges record of Reagan

[JI7]

seems Kerry is fully embracing Clinton on the economy and not holding back in criticizing the record of republicans, including reagan. also, you should read the article. dumbass republicans attack kerry for telling the truth about reagan's economy.


<SAN FRANCISCO -- Democrat John F. Kerry yesterday countered Republican attempts to label him a pessimist about the US economy, arguing that criticism of the Bush administration's record of job creation actually reflected optimism that the economy could do better.

''These people are so petty, so sad, so political, all they could do was spend the whole day finding a way not to let John Kerry vote," the presumptive Democratic nominee told the annual convention of the Service Employees International Union.

The Kerry and Bush camps have been tussling for weeks over which side is more guilty of negativity and name-calling, but yesterday's shots over the pessimism label -- and Reagan's legacy -- reflected a growing confidence within the Kerry camp that increasing numbers of voters share his criticisms of Republican leadership on the economy.

Promising to ''restore fiscal sanity" to the federal government, Kerry recalled his support for the Clinton administration's efforts to reduce the deficit, saying, ''I was part of that effort in the 1990s that had the courage to do what Ronald Reagan, for all his rhetoric -- and God rest his soul, we loved him for his strength in many things -- but I don't recall vetoes of major appropriations bills. I recall a lot of talk about deficits; I don't recall balancing the budget. I recall deficits getting larger.">

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/president/kerry/articles/2004/06/24/kerry_fights_label_of_economic_pessimist/

[JI7]

1. kick

[Tellurian]

3. Go softly w/the Reagan attacks...

not worth losing Nancy and Ron Jrs support..

Let others criticize Reagan, not John Kerry!

Puggs will throw any negatives you say about Reagan in her face.
This could cause a breech Nancy will be unable to overcome.

[jobycom]

7. No, I don't agree

People aren't going to vote on what Nancy and Ron say, first of all. Reagan was not as popular as the media was pretending he was. Remember, the media created Reagan out of whole cloth, and they sold his funeral just as vigorously. He's not the icon they want us to believe. Reminds me of the selling of Lenin in Russia.

Second, Bush is using Reaganomics. If people believe that Reagan was successful, it strenghtens Bush's request to stay the course, that the problems aren't his fault. Kerry has to blame Reagan, and point out that under Reagan we had the same economic problems-- falling wages, rising unemployment, weak production, and runaway deficits-- that we are having now. If Kerry makes that connection, it weakens Bush's economic argument.

Kerry was careful to blow some sunshine over Reagan, though I'm sure it hurt him to do so. He can disagree with policy without attacking Reagan's person, and that's just what he did.

And, of course, he was right.

[Tellurian]

9. The media wasn't pretending..

There were living bodies driving 100's of miles from all over the USA to pay their respects at his wake. He IS an *icon*...the former democrat is all the freepers who aren't religious zealots have to cling to.

Let other demos bash Reagan not the future CIC..he needs to hold himself above the fray because he's better than that. It doesn't behoove Kerry to bash a dead man. And Bush has gone way beyond Reagonomics...geeze, what are you thinking?

In the end, If Ron supports Kerry, with him comes an unbelievably huge, prodigious torrent of moderate republicans that could amount to 2/3s of the Right Wing..

I don't believe in pissing people off or hurting them (the man hasn't even popped a daisy, yet) unless they've earned it.

Bush et al, are in the cross hairs and their names are on the ballots..
Bashing Reagan while extending a hand to Ron and Nancy is sheer insanity. I'd fire whoever fed him this idea and move on hoping no one would notice it ever happened.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

2. AWESOME!!! Attacking RON!

JK's got guts here!

[mhr]

4. Pessimist - I Don't Think So - See Chart With Dallas Below

The job market here has been terrible.

[abburdlen]

5. Quick aside

Saw the Bush commercial last night 40 times and the bit about "pessimism never created a job" - How then do you explain the insurance industry?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

6. LOL!

True that!

[Kinkistyle]

8. Being pessimistic about the economy? As opposed to what?

Being optimistic and completely wrong or lying about the economy?