Kerry hits at Bush 'mistakes' in Iraq

Senator John Kerry accused President George Bush of repeating Vietnam-era mistakes in Iraq and pledged on Sunday to combat Republican attacks.

Looking ahead to a battle against Bush, Kerry said during a Wisconsin debate: “I’m prepared to stand up to any attack they come at me with. I’m ready for what they throw at me.”

Rival John Edwards, resisting Kerry’s suggestion that the nomination fight was over, said: “We’re going to have an election here in Wisconsin and we got a whole group of primaries coming up, and I, for one, intend to fight with everything I’ve got for every one of those votes.”

Howard Dean tried to sound just as confident, calling Kerry “a fine person”.

He said that if Kerry wins the nomination he will support him. “But I intend to win the nomination,” he added.

Kerry leads Dean, Edwards and two other Democrats in Wisconsin, where Democrats hold a critical primary tomorrow. The Massachusetts senator, victor in 14 of 16 contests, hopes to force his major foes from the race with another overwhelming victory.

Dean’s own advisers are urging him to abandon the fight if he loses tomorrow and predicted that he soon would.

“We are not bowing out,” Dean said. But campaign chairman Steve Grossman said that with a loss tomorrow, Dean would marshal his political network on behalf of the party and Kerry.

The 90-minute debate, perhaps the last of the primary season, ended without Kerry stumbling or taking heavy flak from Dean and Edwards.

Uncharacteristically, Dean pulled his punches in the debate – passing up an opportunity to repeat his criticism of Kerry for accepting special interest money. Instead, the fallen front-runner seemed to defend Kerry against criticism from the White House.

“I think George Bush has some nerve attacking anybody on special interests,” Dean said, though he added that both parties kow-tow to special interests.

A week after raising questions about Bush’s Vietnam-era service in the National Guard, the four-term senator and decorated Vietnam veteran refused to comment on the controversy. But Kerry said, “I would say that this president, regrettably, has perhaps not learned some of the lessons of that period of time, when we had a very difficult war.”

On Iraq, he repeated, “I think this president rushed to war.”

Kerry avoided direct answers to questions about his shifting positions on trade, education and Bush’s anti-terrorism legislation.

After Wisconsin and its 72 delegates, the remaining candidates will focus on March 2 elections in California, New York, Ohio and seven other states. Edwards hopes Wisconsin voters will bounce Dean from the race, leaving him standing alone against Kerry.