Bush bullish in wake of Kerry gaffe
“I don’t believe it’s over until everybody votes,” Mr Bush said before leaving on his tour. “And I believe that people are concerned about the amount of taxes they pay, and I know many people are concerned about whether or not this country is secure against attack.”
The president was campaigning in Montana and Nevada yesterday before spending the night in Missouri in advance of appearances there today.
Senator John Kerry, meanwhile, Mr Bush’s opponent in the 2004 race for the White House, was regrouping a day after apologising to service members for remarks that many interpreted as an insult to US forces in Iraq.
Mr Kerry had been campaigning actively for Democratic candidates coast-to-coast, but cancelled appearances in three states after a furore generated by his remarks on Monday at a California college. Senate candidates from Montana to New York distanced themselves from his remark.
Mr Kerry apologised to “any service member, family member or American” offended by remarks deemed by Republicans and some Democrats alike to be insulting to US forces in Iraq. He has characterised the remarks as the result of a botched joke.
Mr Kerry stirred controversy when he told a group of students that individuals who don’t study hard and do their homework would likely “get stuck in Iraq”.
Aides said that the senator had mistakenly dropped one word from his prepared remarks, which was originally written to say “you end up getting us stuck in Iraq.” In that context, they said, it was clear Mr Kerry was referring to Mr Bush.
But six days before the election, he said he wanted to avoid becoming a distraction in the final days of the battle for control of Congress. He added he sincerely regretted that his words were “misinterpreted to imply anything negative about those in uniform.”
Yet his apology, issued after prominent Democrats had urged him to cancel public appearances, was designed to quell a controversy that party leaders feared would stall their drive for big gains on November 7.
With polls showing the public opposed to the war in Iraq, Democrats have expressed increasing optimism in recent days that they will gain the 15 seats they need to win control of the House. Democrats must pick up six seats to win the Senate, a taller challenge, and both parties made last-minute efforts to increase the number of competitive races.
Democrats cringed at the prospect of Mr Kerry becoming the face of the party for the second consecutive national campaign. “No one wants to have the 2004 election replayed,” said Hillary Clinton, a potential candidate for the 2008 presidential election.
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