Bob Weiner Media Points July 23, 2004

• Given Bush polls tanking since the war (now by 53%-40% Independents say won’t vote for him, and his popularity down to 46% from 92% two years ago), Iraq weapons missing, White House leaking, the expose of White House blocking clean air as a giveaway to corporations, spinning a few jobs created while losing 3 million, giving millionaires and corporations the big tax breaks, state revenues at record lows while the national deficit is at an all time high and skyrocketing (in contrast to Clinton’s surplus), Americans are going to seek change.  In addition: 

• 2M more uninsured health care numbers (6% more in 2002, 44 million)
• Highest poverty in a decade, now 35 million, 1 in 8 Americans. 
• 3M lost jobs—first president since Hoover to have net loss; all Bush can do now is spin success of 100,000 jobs up in a month after 3-years with 3-MILLION lost – versus Clinton’s 26 million jobs GAINED.
• Greater drug abuse and crime now versus when Clinton/McCaffrey made the issue visible and dropped the numbers.
• Destruction of environment by disarming Clean Air, Clean Water, and Superfund toxic cleanup; and pander to Cheney secret energy committee of contributors who are the polluting corporations.
• Tax Cuts Most to Millionaires.  Bush of, by, and for the wealthy. 
• Destroying $500 billion surplus and creating $500 billion annual deficit
• Misleading and false info on Iraq
•  “Mission Not Accomplished: How Bush Misjudged the Task of Fixing Iraq”—TIME Cover, Oct. 6, 2003.   
• Cheney/Halliburton/Republican business billions in Iraq but cost to Americans $200 billion + a year.  Where is int’l community on troops or funds?
• Where are the WMD?  And wouldn’t $200 billion reconstruct the US nicely for OUR hospitals, electrical grids, roads, health care, jobs, and phone systems? Do we really care more about new toilets in Iraq when they’ve been peeing in the Euphrates River for 6000 years, than we do about giving health care to children, seniors, and families in the U.S.?  & denying court-earned money to tortured American Gulf vets!
• Distortion of national guard priorities: need at HOME for fires and domestic problems.
• Ignoring priority of Korea nukes, Iran real source of Al Qaeda support, Burma heroin and freedom, Afghanistan Taliban return and more heroin, Syria home of terrorists, and first defenders funding in US.  
• Democratic congressional and cabinet heroes I've worked for -- Pepper/Conyers/Rangel/Kennedy/Koch/McCaffrey
• Pepper would roll over in his grave about Bush's Social Security and
  Medicare destruction proposals to privatize and arm both for big business, for $200 BILLION new annual profit for drug companies – money FROM seniors’ care. 
• IS NO SOCIAL SECURITY DEFICIT: Fund solvent 40 yrs. and counting, boomers lowest birth rate as parents means lowest draw on SS, and people working longer.
• Republican revisionism when they try to paint Clinton as unpopular:
  Clinton actually left office with the highest popularity of ANY president in the history of both the Harris and Gallup polls – his 65% was higher than Reagan, Eisenhower, Bush, Ford, Johnson, Carter, and obviously Nixon, upon leaving office.  And the more the Republicans victimized him the higher his popularity grew.  By the way he and Hillary have been married 30 years -- who wouldn't take that -- with a wonderful daughter they love; and since half of all marriages end in divorce, usually by unfaithfulness, isn’t it nice that he and Hillary love each other despite what's happened? Somehow that question is never asked or answered.
• Dems won most recent two special cong. elections. If voter anger the issue, Bush and congressional Republicans are in trouble.
• Usurpation of democracy when Republicans can’t win fair—Florida/U.S., Texas, California.  Aren’t Americans tired of giving up their voting rights?  California deficit only part of Bush-created deficits in 46 states including California. Voter anger properly is serious problem for Bush and incumbent Republican Senators, House members, and state legislators.

           ***    OUR CANDIDATES were ALL STRONG, ALL BETTER THAN BUSH:    ***

*  Dean: unprecedented new strategies, young voters, Internet, now also getting some  traditional key union support.

*  Gephardt: thorough understanding of the issues, strong labor union support. “Bush miserable failure” perfect.

*  Clark: brilliant 4-Star General’s military mind, int’l coalition in Kosovo succeeded

*  Lieberman: reaches centrists, actually won national election with Gore in 2000.

*  Sharpton: powerful, funny, candid, great reactions at debates and important that Party reaches out to African Americans.

*  Braun: courageous, thoughtful approach to issues, and also good message to both women and African Americans.

*  Kucinich: traditional liberal, key part of Democratic constituency, candid anti-war, and domestic budget priorities.

 ** KERRY’S VICTORY WELL EARNED! SHOWED DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF THE ISSUES, EMPHASIZED NEED FOR INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT OF WAR, AND NEED FOR CHANGING SPECIAL INTEREST ACTIONS OF ADMINISTRATION AT HOME.

*  Edwards: mainstream and dynamic, epitomizes new Southern Democrat, PROPERLY emphasized Bush “of, by, for the wealthy”.