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April 1, 2004
What's Happening on Friday, April 2, 2004?
At 11:40 am EST, President Bush participates in a conversation on job training at Marshall University Community and Technical College in Huntington, WV. The President then travels on to Georgia, where he will attend two Bush-Cheney ’04 receptions in Greensboro.
First Lady Laura Bush will make remarks at the Greater Texas Community Partners "Roundup" Luncheon in Fort Worth, TX.
BC‘04 National Farm & Ranch Steering Committee member and Ohio Agriculture Coalition Chairman Jim Patterson will announce the members of the Bush-Cheney ’04 Ohio Farm & Ranch Steering Committee at a farm near Delaware, Ohio. State Representative Jon Peterson (R-DE) will also address the coalition and announce the steering committee members.
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge participates in a ceremony to award homeland security grant funds at the Cleveland Police Headquarters in Cleveland, OH.
Did you know? Today in 1792, Congress passed legislation authorizing the U.S. Mint to coin money, all to be inscribed with the Latin words "E Pluribus Unum," a motto meaning "Out of Many, One."
Posted by GeorgeWBush.com at 07:55 PM
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- Bush-Cheney '04 Today
Universities vie to register most Bush backers
Arizona State University’s State Press reports on BC’04’s March to Victory contest and the university’s current third place ranking in the leaderboard. ASU Students for Bush are energized and looking forward to the campaign season!
The Bush campaign currently is drawing in students with a March to Victory contest, which mimics the NCAA's March Madness basketball series…
Schools are divided into brackets and pitted against other colleges in their region for the top number of registered Bush supporters. ASU is third in the nation with 675 registered students, Castillo said. That puts the University 133 people out of first place, behind Syracuse University and Michigan State University…
A nationwide poll released March 21 by Zogby International showed Bush leading democratic rival John Kerry among 18- to 24-year-olds with an anticipated 51.9 percent of the vote…
As Election Day draws nearer, the student organization will plan several events on campus, said political science and justice studies junior Jared Sandella, co-chairman of the ASU Students for Bush campaign.
One prominent activity may be a campus-wide "conservative week," Sandella said. The event likely would mirror a series of rallies held at UA this year, which featured Republican speakers.
ASU Students for Bush is planning a positive campaign, Sandella said. "If we sit there and bash John Kerry, no one will know who George Bush is and what George Bush stands for," Sandella said.
But if the Students for Kerry campaign would like to challenge Bush supporters, the Republicans are ready. "If they want to debate, we're happy to debate. We're not going to shy away from the issues," Corieri said.
ASU is competing in the Bush Volunteer Tournament. As part of Students for Bush's March to Victory, 32 states are squaring off to see which state can recruit the most Student Bush Volunteers in the nation. The National Champion crowned on April 5. Watch the blog for regular tourney updates and reports straight from teams out in the field scoring slam dunks for our President!
Posted by GeorgeWBush.com at 04:53 PM
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- Students for Bush
Jobless Claims Fall, Manufacturing Grows
The AP reports on recent economic data – including today’s announcements that jobless claims fell last week and manufacturing is on the rise – which continues to show that America’s economy is strong and growing stronger.
Fewer people filed new applications to collect unemployment benefits last week, a hopeful sign that companies may be feeling less inclined to cut their already lean work forces. Manufacturing activity, meanwhile, gained ground in March.
The Labor Department reported Thursday that for the week ending March 27, new jobless claims filings declined by a seasonally adjusted 3,000 to 342,000, the lowest level in two weeks…
The Institute for Supply Management reported that manufacturing activity grew strongly in March. The group's manufacturing index clocked in at 62.5 last month, up from a reading of 61.4 in February. The performance in March was better than analysts expected. A reading above 50 signals expansion, while one below that mark suggests contraction…
Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan and other economists believe a factor in the lackluster job climate is that strong productivity gains have allowed companies to pump out more with fewer workers.
Greenspan, however, is hopeful companies may need to step up hiring in the months ahead to meet customer demand because they may be running out of ways to squeeze ever-more efficiencies from existing workers.
Posted by GeorgeWBush.com at 01:51 PM
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- Economy
What has gone right in Iraq
Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby today takes on naysayers of Operation Iraqi Freedom in a must-read piece about progress on the ground in Iraq. As an example of unreported good news, Jacoby cites a recent U.N. announcement that the tens of thousands of refugees driven out of Iraq by Saddam’s regime are now returning to their homes. Jacoby’s bottom line: “In the ancient land that America liberated, life is more beautiful and hopeful than it has been in many decades. Bush's foes may loudly deny it, but the refugees streaming homeward know better.”
Wrong, every one of them, along with all the other doomsayers, Bush-haters, "Not In Our Name" fanatics, and sundry "peace" activists who flooded the streets and the airwaves to warn of onrushing disaster. How many have had the integrity to admit that their visions of catastrophe were wildly off the mark? Or that if they had gotten their way, the foremost killer of Muslims alive today -- Saddam -- would still be torturing children before their parents' eyes? Instead they chant, "Bush lied, people died," and seize on every setback in Iraq as proof that they were right all along.
But they were wrong all along. Operation Iraqi Freedom stands as one of the great humanitarian achievements of modern times. For all the Bush administration's mistakes and miscalculations, for all the monumental challenges that remain, Iraq is vastly better off today than it was before the war.
And the Iraqi people know it. In a nationwide survey conducted by Britain's Oxford Research International, 56 percent of Iraqis say their lives are better now than before the war; only 19 percent say things are worse. Because of "Bush's war," Iraqis today brim with optimism. Fully 71 percent expect their lives to be even better a year from now; less than 7 percent say they'll be worse. Iraq today may just be the most upbeat, forward-looking country in the Arab world…
Nearly a year after the fall of Baghdad, Iraq is hugely improved. Unemployment has been cut in half. Wages are climbing. The devastated southern marshlands are being restored. More Iraqis own cars and telephones than before Saddam was ousted. Some 2,500 schools have been rehabbed by the US-headed coalition. Spending on health care has soared thirtyfold, and millions of Iraqi children have been vaccinated. Iraqi athletes, no longer terrorized by Saddam's sadistic son Uday, are training for the summer Olympics in Greece.
Above all, Iraq's people are free. The horror and cruelty of the Saddam era are gone forever.
Posted by GeorgeWBush.com at 11:36 AM
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- National Security
Students for Bush Roundup
Georgia Students for Bush campaigning outside of March Madness at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta
Students for Bush continue their amazing work throughout the country, recruiting nearly 13,000 new volunteers in thirteen days since the start of the March to Victory Tournament! March has really been a busy month all around -- click the links below for more photos showing how the President's campus supporters have been revving up for November in just the last few days.
Help your state reach the Final Four -- sign up!
Posted by GeorgeWBush.com at 09:31 AM
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- Students for Bush
What's Happening on Thursday, April 1, 2004?
President Bush participates in a Celebration of Greek Independence Day at the White House. The President and Mrs. Bush will later attend the National Republican Congressional Committee Dinner in Washington, DC.
Michigan State Sens. Wayne Kuipers and Valde Garcia will join Michigan State Reps. Tom Casperson, Bill Huizenga and Scott Hummel at a BC’04 Gas Tax Press Conference in Lansing, MI. The group will speak about Sen. John Kerry’s support of a 50-cent per gallon gas tax and Rep. Kuipers will highlight the effects that a Kerry-supported gas tax would have on Michiganders and their local economy.
BC’04 Campaign Chairman Governor Marc Racicot will be a live guest on CNN’s Inside Politics at 3:30 pm EST. Tune in!
Nevada BC’04 Chairman Attorney General Brian Sandoval, Nevada Secretary of State Dean Heller, and Nevada State Treasurer Brian Krolicki will host the grand opening of the Nevada Bush-Cheney ’04 Campaign Office in Las Vegas.
BC’04 staff will be on hand to lead volunteer training sessions with supporters in Kennebunk, ME; Ashtabula, OH; Chanhassen, MN; and, Belle Plaine, IA.
Did you know? Today is known as April Fool's Day or All Fool's Day. A holiday of uncertain origin, it is known as a day for practical joking. The holiday is considered to be related to the festival of the vernal equinox, which occurs on March 21st. The English gave April Fool's Day its first widespread celebration during the 18th century.
Posted by GeorgeWBush.com at 06:41 AM
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- Bush-Cheney '04 Today
March 31, 2004
Arizona Kids for W!
Supporters of all ages are lending a hand to support the President’s re-election effort in Arizona. This picture shows the Patterson family, pitching in to re-elect President Bush.
Last week the Patterson family came in to volunteer at the Bush/Cheney ’04 Campaign’s newly established office in Phoenix, Arizona. Mary Ann Patterson’s children each had a shirt saying “God Bless George W. Bush,” with a personalized reason why they like President Bush. Catherine’s shirt said, “I think George W. Bush is good at being President because he treats our country like a treasure and he does a good job of taking care of us. I think he is the best president ever.” Timothy’s shirt was emblazoned with, “I like George W. Bush because he makes great decisions. He’s a great leader for our country, and I hope he is elected again.”
The Patterson kids have been tremendous volunteers, and they'll continue to help through the election. If you would like to lend a hand to the President’s re-election effort, go to www.georgewbush.com/signup/ and become a Bush Volunteer.
Paul Boyer
Arizona Field Representative
Bush-Cheney '04
Posted by Paul Boyer at 08:01 PM
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- From the Field
Bush Better Than Kerry for GDP, Hiring, Stocks, U.S. CFOs Say
Bloomberg reports that U.S. Chief Financial Officers believe that President Bush would do a better job than John Kerry to boost the economy, employment, and the stock market. America’s CFOs agree with President Bush that, “Tax and spend is the enemy of job creation. Taxing and spending in excessive amounts in Washington, D.C. is not creating an environment for the entrepreneurial spirit to flourish.”
Sixty-four percent of CFOs said Bush's policies would raise gross domestic product more than Kerry's, according to the poll, conducted by Duke University and the trade group Financial Executives International. Thirteen percent of the respondents said Kerry's economic growth agenda would do more to speed economic growth, the survey of 216 CFOs last week found.
On employment, 44 percent sided with Bush's plans, while 28 percent picked Kerry, a Democratic senator from Massachusetts. Fifty-eight percent of the CFOs surveyed said Bush would do more than Kerry to lift the stock market, while 12 percent said Kerry's election would benefit stocks more.
Duke finance professor John Graham, director of the survey, said the CFOs were asked about Bush and Kerry for the first time this month, and their presidential preferences will become regular questions for the next several surveys. For CFOs, the presidential race is shaping up as a perceived choice between Bush's free trade policies and lower taxes, versus Kerry's higher taxes and trade protectionism, Graham said.
“CFOs like free trade, they like low interest rates and they like tax cuts because it spurs spending,'' Graham said in an interview. ``They don't like regulation and restrictions, but overall all they think protectionism slows down economic growth.''
Posted by GeorgeWBush.com at 07:35 PM
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- Economy
Radio Alert: Campaign Manager Ken Mehlman on Hugh Hewitt
Campaign Manager Ken Mehlman will be a live guest on Hugh Hewitt's nationally syndicated radio show at 7:20 p.m. eastern time. You can tune in by going to www.hughhewitt.com and clicking "Listen Online."
Posted by GeorgeWBush.com at 06:46 PM
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- On TV & Radio
Online Chat with BC'04 Policy Director Tim Adams
The Chat Center is the place where you get to go inside the Presidential campaign, posing your questions to Bush-Cheney '04 campaign leaders and surrogates. Today's guest is Tim Adams, policy director for BC'04, who will answer your questions about the economy and the differences between President Bush and John Kerry on jobs and economic growth.
The online chat begins at 5:30 p.m. eastern time. Submit your question now.
Posted by GeorgeWBush.com at 02:30 PM
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- Campaign News
Opinion: Bush and Kerry present a clear choice for voters
As President Bush frequently remarks, “Great events will turn on this election.” Writing in today’s Toledo Blade, David M. Shribman, executive editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, highlights the differences between the President and John Kerry as we approach November 2, 2004. Shribman notes many points of distinction and declares that, “these two approaches represent a clear choice.”
The difference between collective security and independent action in foreign affairs. …Indeed, the most important new doctrine in American foreign affairs since George F. Kennan's concept of containment is Mr. Bush's doctrine of pre-emptive action. This is a dangerous period in world affairs, and the difference between these two approaches represents a clear choice, not only for Americans but also for commentators worldwide who see Mr. Kerry and Mr. Bush as the same guy with different haircuts…
The difference in their approaches to the craft of politics. Neither man is a citizen-politician in the purest sense. Though Mr. Kerry held office since he became lieutenant governor of Massachusetts in 1983 and Mr. Bush didn't take office until he became governor of Texas in 1995, both sought congressional seats as young men, Mr. Bush losing a House race in 1978 and Mr. Kerry losing one in 1972. Since then, Mr. Bush has run an oil company and a baseball team and Mr. Kerry has served in the Senate. The result is that, by experience and temperament, Mr. Kerry is an insider and, despite a decade in politics, including four years in the White House, Mr. Bush remains something of an outsider.
The two men aren't the same. And we haven't spoken a word about tax policy.
In remarks to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Monday, Vice President Cheney discussed the sharp contrast between the President's principled leadership on the economy and John Kerry's campaign promises that are inconsistent with his long history of opposition to tax relief and policies of economic isolation. Read more.
Posted by GeorgeWBush.com at 12:58 PM
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- Campaign News
A Look Inside the Bush White House
 Karen Hughes has worked beside President George W. Bush since, as she says, "the motorcade was only one car and he was sometimes the one driving it." As counselor to the president, she brought the working mom's perspective to the White House, often asking of President Bush's policies, "What does this mean for the average person?"
Yet the move from Texas to Washington was hard on her family, and in a controversial, headline-making decision that reverberated across America, she summoned the courage to say, "Mr. President, I love you, but I need to move my family home to Texas." With President Bush's full support, Hughes and her family returned to Austin, where she continues to advise the president.
Hughes's new book, Ten Minutes from Normal, available online at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com, gives us a keenly insightful look at American politics and America's forty-third president.
Karen's first-hand experience of the deep concern for all Americans that forms the cornerstone of George W. Bush's presidency comes through loud and clear. Most important, in a post-9/11 world, Hughes redefines the very notion of what is "normal" as something special and precious, never to be taken for granted in America again.
Her book brings a message of optimism to families all over America. "I hope my work in the White House and my decision to come home say several things: that you can be measured by the quality of your work, not how long the lights stay on in your office; you are not trapped by circumstances and the most important thing you can do in life is to choose your loves and order them very carefully."
Find out more about Hughes's new book, Ten Minutes from Normal, online at Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com.
Posted by GeorgeWBush.com at 11:04 AM
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"Bush Attack Fatigue" Sets In
Writing in the New York Post, John Podhoretz notes that something interesting happened last week to the long line of attacks on President Bush: they stopped working. More and more, people see Richard Clarke's stories as just the latest in a series of partisan attempts to smear the President -- and Podhoretz says Americans have had enough:
The assaults against the president have been so constant for so many months - on every subject under the sun from his handling of the economy to the war in Iraq and now to the War on Terror - that a law of diminishing returns has set in. The people willing to believe the worst of George W. Bush have already gotten the message. The people who like him have tuned out the liberal criticism. And everybody else is just sick of the negativity.
Clarke's effort to recast the events before and after 9/11 in a fashion almost entirely unfavorable to the president has made him famous and rich. He has been embraced by the Michael Moore-Al Franken crowd, and has been canonized by a liberal media that has basically decided it will do whatever it can to prevent Bush's re-election. ...
The hysterical tone of Clarke's "Against All Enemies" and his absurd claim that he fears the White House is seeking to "destroy" him - this from a man who stands to make as much as $5 million to $10 million on this book alone - means that he has surrendered the possibility of talking to the great American middle.
Ordinary Americans of all political leanings remember vividly the days after 9/11 (it was, after all, only 31 months ago) and formed a pretty solid opinion of Bush's handling of the matter that won't be shaken so easily by Clarke's score-settling and profiteering.
Posted by GeorgeWBush.com at 08:14 AM
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What's Happening on Wednesday, March 31, 2004?
President Bush participates in a luncheon with members of the Baseball Hall of Fame at the White House. The President also attends a Bush-Cheney '04 reception in Washington, DC.
First Lady Laura Bush and Mrs. Marta Sahagun de Fox visit Martha's Table Community Center in Washington, DC, where they will meet with volunteers and children at the Child Development Center.
Tim Adams, Bush-Cheney '04 Policy Director, participates in an online chat on the President's jobs and growth agenda at 5:30 pm EST. Adams will discuss the choice between President Bush's and Senator Kerry's economic policies on Election Day 2004. Visit the chat center to submit a question!
BC'04 staff will be on hand to lead volunteer training sessions with supporters in Hilliard, OH; Charles City, IA; Beaver, PA; and, Lawrence County, PA.
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge participates in the quarterly meeting of the Homeland Security Advisory Council. Secretary Ridge will also delvier the keynote address at the Homeland and Global Security Summit in Washington, DC.
Veterans' Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi testifies before the House Appropriations Committee's Veterans Affairs, HUD, and Independent Agencies Subcommitte hearing on FY2005 appropriations for the Veterans Affairs Department.
Secretary of State Colin Powell travels to Berlin for the International Conference on Afghanistan this week.
Did you know? Today in 1918, Daylight Saving Time went into effect throughout the United States for the first time.
Posted by GeorgeWBush.com at 06:49 AM
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- Bush-Cheney '04 Today
March 30, 2004
Bush's war on terror is on the right track
E. Thomas McClanahan, a member of The Kansas City Star's editorial board, weighs in today with his belief that September 11th was a defining moment for U.S. foreign policy. Looking ahead toward the presidential election, McClanahan notes that Americans will chose between the strategic approach, articulated by the President as the Bush doctrine, and the tactical approach, outlined by John Kerry as, "primarily an intelligence and law enforcement operation."
The main point is how we react from what we learned on Sept. 11. Two competing approaches have emerged for conducting the war on terror. One is essentially tactical, the other strategic. One of them will be implicitly chosen by the voters in November.
The tactical approach recoils from the doctrine of pre-emption as articulated by President Bush.
The tactical approach sees the war on terror — as Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry put it — as “primarily an intelligence and law enforcement operation.” It attempts to dilute al-Qaida's strength through close cooperation with our allies and by choking off its sources of money and support...
The strategic view, as pursued by Bush, employs intelligence and law-enforcement, but its overall goal is to carry the fight to the enemy rather than wait for him to strike first. It is offensive, not defensive. It seeks to drain the swamp in which terrorism breeds by planting the seeds of democracy in the Middle East, a region teeming with anger and decades of frustrated hopes...
Arguments can be made for both approaches. But to me, the strategic approach offers the only hope of prevailing. Bush has put the United States on the right side in the Middle East — in favor of freedom and democracy, a stance profoundly threatening to the region's autocratic regimes.
By comparison, the tactical approach borders on defeatism. It sees the war on terrorism essentially as a holding action. It's based on the pipe dream that we can rely mainly on our ability to foil terrorist plots before they're hatched.
Certainly, neither approach can guarantee perfect security, but depending mainly on the tools of law enforcement and intelligence would put us in much greater danger. Such a policy would return the initiative to the terrorists, who could worry less about what we might do, while planning to attack at a time and place of their choosing.
Bush has been clear about how he plans to deal with this threat. Kerry, however, still has important blanks to fill in.
Posted by GeorgeWBush.com at 06:46 PM
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- National Security
Survey Finds Bush TV Ads Effective
USA Today says that the Bush campaign's TV ads have been effective in communicating the President's message and highlighting why John Kerry would take America in the wrong direction on taxes and defense:
The ads have been one factor in wiping away an inflated lead Kerry held in [swing] states. Most of them have had primaries or caucuses that allowed Democrats to dominate the news and Kerry to emerge as a victor. In a survey taken in mid-February, Kerry led Bush by 28 percentage points in those states, 63% to 35%. Now Bush leads Kerry in them by six points, 51% to 45%. ...
The Bush campaign also has begun defining Kerry before he has defined himself. In the states where the ads have run, Kerry's unfavorable rating has risen 16 points since mid-February. In the other states, it's up just five points. The margin of error for each group of states is +/-5 percentage points.
Watch the TV ads, and send them to your friends.
Posted by GeorgeWBush.com at 05:44 PM
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- Campaign News
Cedar Rapids Rallies for President Bush!
Students for Bush and College Republicans from all across eastern Iowa converged on the final home game of the Cedar Rapids Rough Riders Hockey Team to show their support for President Bush. Over 54 college students attended the pre-game rally where speakers emphasized the key role students would have in this historic election.
During the game, Students for Bush and College Republicans filled an entire section of the hockey stadium with BC04 shirts, bumpers stickers and American Flags as the game commenced. The hockey announcer gave a warm welcome to “Students for Bush” over the PA system which was met with a powerful cheer by our section and by fellow supporters in the arena.
Great job everyone! As Students for Bush, we can keep the momentum moving for President Bush here in Iowa.
Zach Johnson
Iowa Students for Bush
Posted by Zach Johnson at 03:33 PM
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- Students for Bush
Wisconsin Rep. Green rallies against Kerry
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that U.S. Rep. Mark Green was joined by local citizens in Glendale, WI yesterday at a rally to protest John Kerry's support of a 50-cent per gallon gas tax. Throughout his tenure during the Dukakis/Kerry Administration and in the Senate, John Kerry has repeatedly supported higher gas taxes.
The gathering at the Kaul Mart station on W. Silver Spring Drive served as a warm-up to President Bush's appearance in Appleton today and sparked an exchange of criticisms from surrogates to the two candidates seeking votes in this important swing state...
Green is a co-chairman of Bush's campaign in Wisconsin, where the president lost by fewer than 6,000 votes in 2000. "This is a classic swing state," said Green, a Republican from De Pere. "It's a state both candidates realize they have to win to win the White House."
Standing next to the gas pumps, where the price of regular stood at $1.79 per gallon, Green accused Kerry of supporting a 50-cent-per-gallon gas tax increase as a means to reduce the federal budget deficit in 1994. Green said Kerry had supported numerous other increases in gas taxes as a senator and as the lieutenant governor of Massachusetts.
Additional gas tax increases now, when the average price across the country has reached a record, would hurt tourism, drive up manufacturing costs and devastate the trucking industry, Green said.
President Bush is in Appleton, WI today to discuss his policies to strengthen the economy and help small businesses create jobs for all Americans. Read more about hissix-point plan. The President’s principled leadership on the economy stands in sharp contrast to John Kerry’s campaign promises that are inconsistent with his long history of support for higher taxes.
Posted by GeorgeWBush.com at 01:32 PM
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- Economy
How Much Would John Kerry's Vacation Cost? Use the Kerry Gas Tax Calculator!
 Some people just have wacky ideas that don't make any sense -- like John Kerry, who supported raising gas taxes 50 cents a gallon. What would Kerry's idea mean to the rest of us? With the new Kerry Gas Tax Calculator, you can see just how much more Kerry would cost you at the pump. Plug in the make and model of your car, how many miles you drive in a week, and see how much more Kerry would cost you every week, every month, and year-round. Taking a vacation or just driving across town? See how much more your trip would cost under Kerry -- complete with map and driving directions!
Even John Kerry is likely to feel the bite of this disastrous tax increase. Suppose John Kerry were to take a cross-country trip for his next vacation -- starting out at his mansion in Boston's exclusive Louisburg Square and winding his way to his private ski chalet in Ketchum, Idaho. Kerry's vacation would cost him $174.36 more at the pump, driving a 2004 Cadillac Escalade EXT (for all that extra ski and snowboard equipment) at an average gas price of $1.75. Here are the details:
| Kerry's Gas Tax increase | = | $174.36 | | Total trip cost at the pump | = | $782.90 | | Est. Distance | = | 2,615.5 miles | | Est. Time | = | 37 hours 53 minutes |
An extra $174 may not be much for John Kerry, but Kerry's 50-cent gas tax increase would leave most American families running on empty.
Watch the new ad on Kerry's gas tax increase and try the calculator.
Posted by GeorgeWBush.com at 10:29 AM
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- Economy
What's Happening on Tuesday, March 30, 2004?
At 11:30 am CST, President Bush makes remarks on the economy in Appleton, WI. Tune in to the cable news networks for live coverage!
First Lady Laura Bush and Mrs. Marta Sahagun de Fox tour the exhibit and attend a dinner to honor the opening of the Courtly Art of the Ancient Maya and the Cubist Paintings of Diego Rivera: Memory, Politics and Place at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.
BC’04 staff will be on hand to lead volunteer training sessions with supporters in West Bloomfield, MI; Rochester, MN; Ellsworth, ME; Portland, OR; and, Gahanna, OH.
Education Secretary Rod Paige delivers remarks on and signs an agreement with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities in Washington, DC.
Secretary of State Colin Powell travels to Berlin for the International Conference on Afghanistan this week.
Treasury Secretary John Snow hosts an event to discuss Treasury's efforts to implement Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) at the Treasury Department.
Did you know? Today in 1867, Secretary of State William Seward reached an agreement with Russia for the purchase of Alaska for $7.2 million in gold.
Posted by GeorgeWBush.com at 07:50 AM
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- Bush-Cheney '04 Today
March 29, 2004
March to Victory: Minnesota Surges to the Front of the Pack
In his first rally of the campaign, President Bush said that we needed to act now. This week, Minnesota students heeded his call. In just five days, 1,900 Minnesota students signed up as Bush Volunteers, placing Minnesota at the front of the pack in the Students for Bush Volunteer Tournament, and even besting the previous round's champion -- Michigan -- in a thrilling matchup for the ages.
Four Minnesota schools are now in the top 20 on the school leaderboard -- St. Olaf College, the University of St. Thomas, Bethel College, and leading the pack, the new #1 school in the nation, the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers! Thanks to everyone who worked tirelessly to recruit new volunteers and make this week truly sweet!
Best of luck to all of the states, and at the end of the Tournament on April 5th, let’s truly prove that the youth of this nation stands behind President George W. Bush. We look forward to a hard fought week ahead, when anything can still happen. Iowa, you may have beaten us in football, but in Student Bush Volunteers, Minnesota is #1!
Jake Grassel and Tara Anderson
Minnesota Students for Bush
Posted by Minnesota Students for Bush at 07:17 PM
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- Students for Bush
Minnesota Turning Toward President Bush
Four years ago I was like most people. I would show up to vote and hope that my candidate won. September 11th changed all that. It made me aware of just how important that it is that we have a strong leader in office. I support President Bush because he is the only candidate that has the courage to do what is necessary to win this War on Terror.
Many people here in Minnesota agree with me. A recent precinct training leadership session in Minneapolis was standing room only. I've never seen the Republicans so motivated and organized this early. This is a real paradigm shift in Minnesota politics. People from all walks of life came to join us to see what they could do to help our President win Minnesota and four more years in the White House.
The Bush grassroots organization in Minnesota is taking campaigns to a level of sophistication that has never been seen before. All of our volunteers here in Hennepin County are being identified, precinct-by-precinct. In my city there were only two volunteers during the 2002 election. I have already identified over 200 Bush Volunteers and we are constantly using e-mail to communicate with one another. We are in the process of building a small army of volunteers in Hennepin County -- and John Kerry should be worried.
Rob Hewitt
Hennepin County, Minnesota
Posted by Rob Hewitt at 05:23 PM
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- Grassroots
What are the experts saying about John Kerry's tax plan?
“‘The Kerry plan is a step toward isolationism and protectionism that will lead inevitably to a lower standard of living in the United States,’ said Margo Thorning, chief economist at the American Council for Capital Formation, a business-backed public policy group.” (Sam Zuckerman, “Kerry's solution to offshoring,” San Francisco Chronicle, 3/27/04)
"Pitting U.S. companies against each other is not wise economic policy," said Bruce Josten, US Chamber of Commerce. "And raising the top individual tax bracket across the board - which will hurt millions of small businesses that create most of the new jobs in America - to pay for a targeted tax cut will interrupt our economic recovery." (Dow Jones Newswires, 3/26/04)
“‘All it's going to do is force U.S. companies to move their headquarters and re-base their companies in other countries where they don't have this kind of tax system,’ said Bruce Bartlett, an economist at the National Center for Policy Analysis.” (Chicago Tribune, 3/27/04)
“‘What he gives on the one hand with corporate rate reductions, he may more than take away with the end of foreign deferral,’ said National Association of Manufacturers executive vice president Michael Baroody.” (Sam Zuckerman, "Kerry's solution to offshoring; Democrat seeks to curb tax breaks for firms that set up abroad," The San Francisco Chronicle, 3/27/04)
“Gary Hufbauer, an analyst at the Institute for International Economics, a Washington D.C., think tank specializing in trade, said the plan would become an invitation for corporations to shift assets into foreign-owned entities to avoid losing tax breaks for work done overseas. … ‘It would stimulate a K Street boom in creating joint ventures and spin-offs for operations that sell into the U.S. market,’ said Mr. Hufbauer, referring to the Washington street that's home to the capital's lobbying and legal industry.” (The Wall Street Journal, 3/26/04)
“‘What you could have is a situation where the corporation gets double-taxed, paying the taxes in the country where the product is made and then taxed again in the United States. You could have a 60-percent tax rate, which would be destructive,’ said Alan Whitman, an accountant and international-tax expert for the Bingham Farms accounting firm of Virchow, Krause & Co.” (Detroit Free Press, 3/27/04)
Posted by GeorgeWBush.com at 04:14 PM
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- Economy
Economists see 'booming economy'
USA Today recently conducted a survey of economists and today reports that the results are good news for the U.S. economy! The economists polled believe that employers will soon begin to add jobs steadily as the economy continues to expand and that strong consumer spending will continue.
In an optimistic outlook, the 56 economists also predict businesses and consumers will continue to spend more as the unemployment rate falls. Inflation will stay low, they say, letting the Federal Reserve keep interest rates at historic lows a bit longer…
"I consider it a booming economy," says Timothy Rogers, chief economist at Boston-based Briefing.com, a site that provides data and analysis for investors.
Rogers and other economists are most heartened by the big pickup in business spending. Businesses sent the economy into a recession as they cut spending starting in late 2000. After picking up last year, business investment is expected to increase by double digits each quarter through 2004.
"Business looks really very, very good," Decision Economics President Allen Sinai says, noting that corporate profits are rising rapidly. That means firms can spend on new technology and other improvements.
They also may finally spend on hiring. In the survey conducted March 19-24, 31% of the economists said they expect hiring to begin in earnest in the second quarter. More than half expected considerable gains in the second half.
Posted by GeorgeWBush.com at 02:21 PM
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- Economy
What's Happening on Monday, March 29, 2004?
President Bush participates in a ceremony to mark the enlargement of NATO at the White House. The President will welcome the Prime Ministers of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia, as well as the NATO Secretary General, to mark the formal accession of these nations to the North Atlantic Treaty. President Bush will also welcome the Prime Ministers of Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia, the three nations seeking NATO membership and participating in NATO's Membership Action Plan.
Vice President Cheney delivers remarks at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC at 10:30 am EST.
At 9:30 am EST, First Lady Laura Bush makes remarks to the National School Boards Association's 64th Annual Conference in Orlando, FL. At noon, Mrs. Bush makes remarks at a Bev Kilmer for Congress luncheon in Tallahassee, FL.
BC’04 staff will be on hand to lead volunteer training sessions with supporters in Medina, OH; Mason City, IA; China, MI; and, Stillwater, MN.
Veterans' Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi addresses the American Medical Association's National Advocacy Conference in Washington, DC.
Interior Secretary Gale Norton addresses the National Ocean Industries Association annual meeting in Washington, DC.
Did you know? Today in 1848, Niagara Falls stopped flowing for the first time in recorded history. An ice jam in the Niagara River above the rim of the falls caused the water to stop.
Posted by GeorgeWBush.com at 07:17 AM
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- Bush-Cheney '04 Today
March 28, 2004
'Up and way up': Meaning taxes, if Kerry has his way
The Oklahoman editorial board today looks at the $1.7 trillion gap between John Kerry’s proposed new federal spending and reality, and concludes that, “Every American’s taxes would have to go up. A lot.” In fact, Kerry’s plan would raise taxes by at least $900 billion in his first hundred days in office.
Kerry's new problem is a Grand Canyon-sized gap between the cost of new federal programs he's proposed on the campaign trail and actually finding the money to pay for them. According to the Republican National Committee, in the 16 months since Kerry became a candidate for president he has proposed 73 new programs, 28 of which are detailed enough to calculate their cost. They add up to $1.7 trillion over 10 years.
On the revenue side of the ledger, the Massachusetts senator has proposed raising taxes on Americans in the top income tax bracket, resurrecting the estate or "death" tax and closing corporate tax loopholes.
Republicans say those measures would raise $650 billion over 10 years. What's left is more than $1 trillion in unaccounted for red ink over a decade. "If John Kerry is elected president your taxes are going to go up and way up," said Sen. Don Nickles of Oklahoma, the Budget Committee's chairman. "And not just for the wealthy."
A trillion-dollar shortfall on what Kerry has proposed -- and the price tag is known for only about a third of his spending ideas -- is a lot of zeroes. Nickles is right. Every American's taxes would have to go up. A lot. It's a reconciliation Sen. Kerry probably is going to have to spend a lot of time explaining.
Posted by GeorgeWBush.com at 08:35 PM
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- Economy
Bob Dole: President Bush has the facts on his side
Bob Dole, former U.S. Senator and the Republican candidate for president in 1996, penned an op-ed for today’s New York Times in which he sizes up the issues in the presidential election. Dole sees a growing economy and foreign policy success on President Bush’s watch, and he encourages the President to continue to highlight John Kerry’s inconsistencies on the most important issues. On both the war on terror and the economy, “President Bush has the facts on his side.”
The good news for President Bush this year is that the economy is looking up on his watch, too. All the major indicators are moving in the right direction. America has enjoyed nine consecutive quarters of economic growth. In the second half of 2003, the economy grew at the fastest rate in nearly 20 years. Meanwhile, inflation is down and interest rates are at historic lows. The result is that ownership of homes and automobiles is at a record high…
And here's the kicker: some economic indicators are even more favorable now than they were back in 1996. The misery index — the combination of unemployment and inflation — is actually lower now than it was at this point in 1996. And less misery is a good thing for incumbents…
President Bush also has one clear advantage that President Clinton never enjoyed: people view him as a robust leader on defense and security issues. Over the last several months the Democrats have directed a lot of firepower at the president, trying to soften up his foreign policy record…
President Bush ought to continue to point out Senator Kerry's inconsistencies. And the president should also remind voters that he has maintained a single, unified vision and pursued a relentless strategy for carrying out the war on terrorism since 9/11.
The Democrats will try to exploit voters' impatience with the situation in Iraq, and events like the recent bombing in Madrid will make people uneasy. But the president can't let the voters forget some key facts: Saddam Hussein is in jail; Iraq has a new Constitution built on democratic principles; the Taliban have been overthrown; 50 million people in Iraq and Afghanistan now are getting a little taste of freedom; and other rogue leaders, like Muammar el-Qaddafi of Libya, now know that the United States means business.
The war on terrorism and the economy will be on voters' minds as they watch this campaign unfold — and when they go to the ballot box on Nov. 2. On both issues, President Bush has the facts on his side. His job now is simply to remind voters that America is safer and more prosperous than it was on the day he was sworn into office.
Posted by GeorgeWBush.com at 05:19 PM
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What's Happening on Sunday, March 28, 2004?
The President and Mrs. Bush are spending the weekend at their ranch in Crawford, TX.
BC’04 National Spokesman Terry Holt will be a live guest on CNN’s Inside Politics Sunday at 10 am EST. Tune in!
Did you know? Today in 1776, Juan Bautista de Anza, one of the great western pathfinders of the 18th century, arrived at the future site of San Francisco, CA with 247 colonists.
Posted by GeorgeWBush.com at 08:23 AM
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- Bush-Cheney '04 Today
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