>Status: U >Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1999 23:09:35 -0500 (EST) >From: Gene Crum <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: Democratic News -- August 19, 1999 (fwd) >MIME-Version: 1.0 > > > >---------- Forwarded message ---------- >Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1999 13:56:18 -0500 >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: Democratic News -- August 19, 1999 > >Welcome to Democratic News! August 19, 1999 > >****************************** >IN THIS ISSUE > >- ON THE WEB >- PROGRESS VS. PARTISANSHIP >- BUSH-LITE > >****************************** >ON THE WEB: Democratic Governors' Association > >To learn more about the upcoming gubernatorial elections, visit the 1999 >Election and the 2000 Election sections on the Democratic Governor's web >page at: > >http://www.democraticgovernors.org/ > >****************************** >PROGRESS VS. PARTISANSHIP >August 18, 1999 > >1. PRESIDENT CLINTON LEADS DISCUSSION ON YOUTH VIOLENCE >A new anti-violence initiative was unveiled this week as President Clinton >and the Ad Council launched a public service campaign to encourage open >communication between parents and children. The television spots encourage >"parents to talk with their children about violence in the wake of shootings >at public schools and a community center," reports the Washington Post. >Emphasizing the important shared responsibility by everyone from Hollywood >to Capitol Hill, President Clinton stated, "'We ought to give our kids back >their childhood, and we can do it, if we do it together.'" [Washington >Post, 8/18/99] > >2. REVIEWS IN FROM AROUND COUNTRY - JUST SAY NO TO GOP TAX PLAN >Republican loyalties obviously lie with wealthy supporters, not with >America's children. Nevada's Reno Gazette-Journal this week panned the >Republican tax plan noting that "[i]n their haste to cut taxes, Washington >Republicans don't tell you about the other side of the coin. On that other >side, valuable programs will be cut or go unfunded." In particular, the >editorial cites the drastic reductions in government support for vaccinating >toddlers. Cuts in 1998 and again this year will leave the program able to >aid only 39% of Nevada's children resulting in an expected decline in the >total number of vaccinated youngsters. What is worse, the trade off for >failing to provide health services to children is that "defense contractors >would be able to deduct earnings from foreign sales...saving them $1.1 >billion over 10 years." [Reno Gazette-Journal, 8/17/99] > >3. AS TODDLERS TO TEENAGERS RETURN TO SCENES OF VIOLENCE, DEMOCRATS WANT TO >ASSURE THEIR SAFETY >Earlier in the week, anxious parents accompanied their children as they >returned to classes at Columbine High School in Colorado and to the North >Valley Jewish Community Center in California with the cautious optimism that >this year will be safer. On Sunday, 1,000 people participated in a rally to >show their support for community action and new anti-violence initiatives. >California Democratic Governor Gray Davis "said he was working with >legislative leaders on a program that would help plan and pay for greater >security at child-care centers and churches...[T]he program would be modeled >on legislation passed earlier this year that seeks to do the same thing for >schools," reports the L.A. Times. Meanwhile, U.S. Attorney General Janet >Reno "wants prospective gun buyers to be required to take a written and >manual test 'demonstrating that they know how to safely and...to lawfully >use [a weapon] under state law.'" Such concrete Democratic efforts on both >the federal and state level will help keep public institutions safe for >everyone. [Los Angeles Times, 8/16/99] > >4. DESPITE THE SPIN, REPUBLICAN RECORD OF INTOLERANCE REMAINS >Richard Cohen's opinion piece in the Washington Post this week addresses an >article that recently appeared in the New York Times about the Republican >Party's increasing "tolerance" of gays and lesbians. "The fact remains that >for all the good intentions of certain Republicans, the party itself remains >much too hospitable to anti-gay bigots," Cohen writes. Cohen also points >out that the leaders of the Republican Party are themselves the worst >offenders. Those who freely spout anti-gay rhetoric include congressional >leaders and presidential candidates such as Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT). "The >list of GOP gay-bashers is long and troubling. It includes the Senate >majority leader, Trent Lott, and the majority leader in the House, Dick >Armey. It also features Sen. James Inhofe...and Gary Bauer, No.4 in the >Iowa straw poll but maybe first in his emphasis on the immorality of gays." > No matter how Republicans re-package their pitch, the GOP continues to >embrace prejudice. [Washington Post, 8/17/99] > >****************************** >Bush-Lite >Made with Less Leadership, Less Experience, & More Right-Wing Flavor > >August 19, 1999 > >IS THE HONEYMOON OVER FOR THE ANOINTED ONE? > >Criticism of George W. Bush has increased of late as the presidential >wannabe still refuses to back up his flowery rhetoric with a substantive >vision for America. After failing to meet expectations at the Ames Auction, >research of recent mentions of Bush in the press reveal a common theme -- >George W. Bush is not ready for prime time. Words such as frat boy, >lightweight, cocky, and arrogant are increasingly used in descriptions of >Bush. Here is a sampling of the Bush references in just the past three >weeks alone. > >Since August 1 Bush has been referred to as the following: > >"Frat Boy" >1. In a recent column, conservative pundit George Will described Bush's >demeanor as suggesting "an atmosphere of adolescence, a lack of gravitas -- >a carelessness, even a recklessness, perhaps born of things having gone too >easily so far." Will concludes, "Bush is taking a political party along on >his ride. He and it will care if on November 7, 2000, people think of him >as an amiable fraternity boy, but a boy." [Washington Post, 8/11/99] > >2. CNN's Bernard Shaw suggested "Bush's casualness may come across as a lack >of gravitas, as evidence that he's not ready for prime time. The frat-boy >rap originated in rumors of Bush's colorful past. But it persists because >of his seemingly casual attitude toward running for president." [CNN's >"Inside Politics," 8/17/99] > >3. The Dallas Morning News described Bush at Yale as being "a hard-drinking >frat leader." [Dallas Morning News, 8/18/99] > >4. Defending Bush, conservative journalist Tucker Carlson said, "I don't >know. I like unserious frat-boy types." [CNN's "Reliable Sources," 8/15/99] > >5. During an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press," a Bush spokeswoman was >asked, "Why are these conservatives trying to cast George W. Bush as this >unprepared frat boy?" [NBC's "Meet the Press," 8/15/99] > >6. CNBC's Chris Matthews summarized the latest criticism of Bush saying, "if >they are not saying [Bush] is a lightweight, they are certainly saying he is >not a serious guy. He's a frat boy. The kind of guy that walks around with >tasseled loafers on campus and doesn't have too many books under his arms >but probably has a date that night." [CNBC's "Hardball," 8/12/99] > >7. Marilyn Quayle, the wife of former Vice President Quayle, called Bush >"the party frat-boy type," saying there's no "there" there. "The caricature >they made of Dan in '88 is George W." [Washington Post, 8/12/99] > >"Lightweight" >1. In his aforementioned column titled "Bush Lite," George Will also writes, >"A critical mass of lightness in a candidate causes the public mind to snap >closed, with the judgment, 'Not ready for prime time.'" [Washington Post, >8/11/99] > >2. Newsday columnist Robert Reno clarifies Will's point, writing, "This is >Will-speak for saying Bush is a raving lightweight." [Newsday, 8/18/99] > >3. Newsweek described presidential contender Steve Forbes' strategy as >"suggesting, for starters, that Bush is an intellectual lightweight, simply >not up to the challenge of facing a Democratic nominee." [Newsweek, 8/23/99] > >4. A Calgary Sun headline screams, "Get Serious George! After a Series of >Verbal Blunders, Candidate Bush Needs to Ensure He's not Tagged a >'Lightweight.'" [Calgary Sun, 8/15/99] > >5. The recurring criticism sparked Chris Matthews to ask a "Hardball" >panelist, "Well, in other words, do you think George W. Bush is anywhere >near the threshold where he might be declared too lightweight -- not >lightweight intellectually -- but lightweight in seriousness?" [CNBC's >"Hardball," 8/13/99] > >"Cocky" >1. In discussing Bush's failure to shine at the first major cattle call of >GOP presidential hopefuls, a strategist for Elizabeth Dole said, "He gave a >speech as if he were already president. I thought it was cocky -- when it's >the first major candidate speech and you're talking as if you're already >taking the oath. There wasn't a lot of red meat in it." [Buffalo News, >8/16/99] > >2. The New York Times warned, "George W. Bush, with his dauphin's >presumption that the Presidency is his for the taking and his cocky refusal >to depart from his canned stump speech, may risk repeating Dewey's [1948] >error and give his opponent the sentimental underdog's advantage." [New York >Times, 8/15/99] > >3. When asked by CNN colleague Judy Woodruff if he thinks Bush is cocky, >pundit Bob Novak responded, "Well, I said almost cocky, but I'll change it. >I'll say he's cocky." [CNN, 8/14/99] > >4. Discussing the Bush campaign's outlandish straw poll predictions -- >predictions campaign representatives later claimed they never made -- >journalist Tom Oliphant said "his campaign is very cocky going into this >[straw poll] and in fact so is he. They really want that 50 percent >showing, and they, at any rate, expect to get it. And in addition, they are >looking for about a 20-point spread between Bush and what they expect will >be Steve Forbes." [PBS' "The Newshour with Jim Lehrer," 8/13/99] > >5. Registering its disapproval of Bush, the conservative Manchester Union >Leader editorialized, "Bush has declared earlier that as a young man he was >not a saint, and given his still cocky ways, that's easy to believe." [Union >Leader, 8/11/99] > >6. In a profile on Bush, National Journal reports, "Cocky, boisterous, >flippant -- these were the traits George W. was developing as a young man. >They were anathema to his formal father." [National Journal, 8/7/99] > >"Arrogant" >1. The Des Moines Register reported, "Four Republican presidential >candidates used the Midwest Republican Leadership Conference in Omaha to >criticize presidential front-runner George W. Bush for not showing up, >maintaining the Texas governor is arrogant and has no compelling message." >[Des Moines Register, 8/8/99] > >2. Bush's absence from the recent Midwest Republican Leadership Conference >sparked on conference attendee to say, "I think it's arrogant of him not to >come." [CNN, 8/8/99] > >3. Regarding Bush's decision to skip several high profile Hispanic events, >the Houston Chronicle reported, "In an election season, the decisions seem >clueless or arrogant." [Houston Chronicle, 8/3/99] > >****************************** >This is a read only email. Please do not reply to this email if you wish to >send an email to the DNC. Please use the Guest Book entry on the DNC's >homepage at <www.democrats.org> or send your mail to: ><[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. Thank you! > >Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee. > >****************************** >Democratic National Committee >430 S. 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