posted on March 9, 2001 12:14:29 PM new
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - President Bush is turning up the heat on Senate Democrats who might be swayed to his economic plan, stumping in their home states and claiming momentum after passage of his income-tax cut in the House.
``One house down, and now the Senate to go,'' Bush told more than 7,000 people at a sports arena in Fargo, N.D., on Thursday before flying to South Dakota for an appearance at a community health center Friday.
In Washington, the House passed Bush's $958 billion, across-the-board tax reduction proposal Thursday afternoon, sending it to the Senate, which is divided 50-50 along party lines. Many Democrats believe it is too expensive, and others say it is excessively risky without ``triggers'' that would make tax cuts contingent on reaching goals in paying down the debt. Bush opposes such an idea.
With the future of his proposal uncertain in the Senate, the president adopted a campaign-style mode, methodically choosing states with Democratic senators.
The four states he is visiting on this swing - North Dakota, South Dakota, Louisiana and Florida - have two Democratic senators each. Likewise, a state he is scheduled to visit next week, New Jersey, has a pair of Democrats in the Senate.
The states have something else in common: Bush carried all of them in the November presidential election, with the exception of New Jersey.
That could serve as a reminder to Democratic senators leaning against Bush's tax plan - particularly those up for re-election next year - that their constituents back Bush.
Sen. Tim Johnson D-S.D., won his seat in 1996 by a margin of less than 3 percentage points. Bush carried South Dakota even though he did not campaign there last year.
Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., won her seat by less than one-half of 1 percentage point and is up for re-election next year.
White House officials have publicly maintained that Bush is simply ``talking directly to the American people'' in his travels, and they downplay the role of politics.
Bush said Thursday, ``I feel good about the Senate,'' but he is open about the intention of his tour.
``If you like what you hear today, maybe e-mail some of the good folks in the United States Senate from your state,'' he told the crowd in Fargo.
The White House has carefully choreographed Bush's appearances on the road to extract maximum political gain.
In North Dakota, the state Republican Party oversaw distribution of most tickets, ensuring the audience was packed with enthusiastic Bush backers.
Indeed, Bush received rock-star treatment from the audience at North Dakota State University. The crowd sent up an eardrum-splitting roar as he strode down a runway toward his podium. Supporters screamed for autographs, flashguns popped and one man sold T-shirts reading, ''$1.6 trillion - just right.'' Bush's plan calls for a 10-year, $1.6 trillion tax cut.
About 200 protesters opposed to his plan demonstrated in the snow outside the arena, but the cameras captured the throng inside furiously waving flags distributed at the door.
``The air may be cold, but the reception is unbelievably warm,'' Bush told the crowd.
posted on March 9, 2001 11:02:02 PM new
Can't imagine why....the family farmer is getting scr**ed without a kiss.
And of course Dumbya has to bend over squeel like a pig for his "budyas."
posted on March 9, 2001 11:56:39 PM new
Ignore all of the SD votes in the Senate goin to the Reps.!!!
As a native, I can tell you that SD "traditionally" votes for Rep. Presidential Candidates, and they almost ALWAYS win the state....
However...MOST long term Senators, and Representatives have been Dems.
Any logic?..None that I could ever figure out...Hell...McGovern was a Senator of "choice" for quite some time..yet when he ran for Pres, he couldn't carry his home state ( the ones who had elected him to the Senate!!!)
Keith
I assume full responsibility for my actions, except
the ones that are someone else's fault.
posted on March 10, 2001 02:19:11 AM new
Step One to getting reelected, almost accomplished!
What happened to lowering the deficit and saving millions, maybe billions in interest? What happened to the war on crime and hard drugs? And the environment too. And aren't we still behind on our U.N. Fees? Well, we won't have to worry about a surplus anymore.
I'm sure this will affect the lower classes not at all and the middle class very little.
posted on March 10, 2001 05:29:30 AM new
Dubya IS da man!!! Go George, Go George, Go George!!!
He might serve just 4 years, but at least it'll be 4 years without Hillary/Bill/Al in the White House. Now Bill can concentrate on shoring up is legacy. But despite his best efforts and his friend's deep pockets there isn't much that he can do to remove the stains. Ask Monica, I'm pretty sure she'll back me up on that one. And it ain't gonna be pretty.
posted on March 10, 2001 06:40:05 AM new
Polls show Bush to have a popularity rating of 67% now. This includes an increase among blacks from 13% to 33%. Like it or not, he will be a good President. As far as the "Dumbya" statement, I hope the Demoncrats keep laboring under this false assumption. By the time they wake up to the truth, it will be to late.
And the C*****ns approval rating is now down to 36%. I hope the fall from glory does not bruise to bad because his petard is all he will have to fall back on. The one good thing about all his antics, is he has killed the future politicaly for his wife.
posted on March 10, 2001 10:46:53 AM new
In ND you could get a ticket in the Fargo Forum newspaper. Also in Grand Forks (70 miles away) you could get them at the grocery store so the Republicians didn't control the tickets. That being said if I had went, I would have been one of the protesters! I watched it on tv. It was sickening. In ND the democratic Senators won by a bigger margin than Bush did.
