Let's go to some US Presidential Election news
CORAL GABLES, Florida : US President George W. Bush and Senator
John Kerry clashed on Thursday on terrorism and the war in Iraq as
they faced off in person for the first time in a debate that could
decide their battle for the White House.
With millions of Americans watching the televised confrontation,
Kerry threw the first punch by confidently declaring "I can do a
better job" in Iraq and on thwarting another terrorist attack like
the September 11, 2001, strikes.
"This president has made, I regret to say, a colossal error of
judgement. And judgement is what we look for in the president,"
said Kerry, who accused Bush of diverting resources from the hunt
for Osama bin Laden to the war in Iraq.
"We have capability of doing both," countered Bush, defending his
decision to invade Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein. "To say that
there's only one focus in the war on terror doesn't really
understand the nature war on terror.
"The world is better off without Saddam Hussein," said Bush, who
enjoyed a slight edge over Kerry in most national polls and in many
of the key up-for-grabs states that will decide the November 2
election.
Before confronting each other on the debate's official topic of
national security, the Republican president and his Democratic
challenger shared a brief handshake and tense smile before taking
cover behind matching lecterns.
After months of accusing Kerry of emboldening terrorists with
ever-changing positions on Iraq, Bush turned aside a question about
whether the United States faced a higher risk of terrorist attack
if his rival were elected.
"I don't believe that's going to happen. I believe I'm going to win
because the American people know I know how to lead," said the US
president, who noted that Kerry had voted to authorise the war in
Iraq.
"I don't see how you can lead this country to succeed in Iraq if
you say wrong war, wrong time, wrong place. What message does that
send our troops? What message does that send to our allies? What
message does that send the Iraqis?" said Bush.
"No, the way to win this is to be steadfast and resolved and to
follow through on the plan that I've just outlined," said the
president.
"I've had one position, one consistent position, that Saddam
Hussein was a threat. There was a right way to disarm him and a
wrong way. And the president chose the wrong way," said
Kerry.
"Iraq was not even close to the center of the war on terror before
the president invaded it," he said.
The first of three scheduled presidential debates, focused on Iraq,
came after the latest Iraqi tragedy, as at least 49 people were
killed there, dozens of them children, in three nearly simultaneous
car bomb attacks on Thursday.
The candidates' different styles were on display early, as Kerry
sought to back up his policy proposals with statistics and details
and Bush countered with broad principles he said fueled his
outlook.
The two clashed on approaches to the North Korean nuclear crisis -
Bush warning against Kerry's call for bilateral talks - and to
Iran's moves to develop a nuclear programme.
But both agreed that the most serious threat to US national
security was the possibility that terrorists like Osama bin Laden's
Al-Qaeda network might get their hands on nuclear materials.
Kerry, a four-term Massachusetts senator is in a clear second-place
in the race. Polls show that undecided voters may be open to a
change of president, but have yet to warm to him.
Bush would settle for a draw, but hoped to build on a 5-8 point
edge in national polls and leads in many of the battleground states
expected to decide one of the most hard-fought elections in recent
US history.
A Gallup poll released on Thursday gave Bush a nine-point lead
among likely voters in the pivotal southeastern state of Florida,
which other research groups had earlier said was deadlocked.
Gallup also had Bush opening a three-point margin in the eastern
state of Pennsylvania, which voted Democrat in 2000 and is a
must-win for Kerry.
But the senator narrowed Bush's lead in the midwestern state of
Ohio that is critical to the Republicans.
Security at the sprawling University of Miami campus was pervasive,
amid warnings that the election campaign was a tempting target for
terror groups.
Roads around the University's Convocation Hall were closed off
behind miles of barriers, while many nearby student sports halls
and facilities were deserted.
Armies of journalists covering the debates were searched by Secret
Service agents elsewhere on campus before heading to the site on
secured buses.
The debate and the reaction to it will set the endgame strategy for
the remaining days of the campaign, helping the two sides decide
where to allocate resources in the decisive state-by-state
battles.
The series of televised faceoffs was scheduled after weeks of
negotiations on the most minute aspects of the event, including the
height of podiums, the temperature of the room and allowable camera
angles.
Kerry and Bush will have a second, "town hall" debate, on October 8
in the Midwestern city of St. Louis, Missouri, and finish with a
session on domestic policy October 13 in the southwestern city of
Tempe, Arizona.
Vice President Dick Cheney and Kerry's Democratic running mate,
John Edwards, will hold a single debate on October 5 in the
Midwestern city of Cleveland, Ohio