Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry stopped in Madison Wednesday with a message of hope for the future and anger toward the current policies of President Bush.
In Gov. Jim Doyle's introduction, he stressed the wrong choices made by President Bush, including a tax break over fiscal responsibility, his allegedly choosing pharmaceutical companies over citizens and the choice to go into Iraq \alone.""
""When he had to choose between anti-choice extremists and families all over this country hoping for better cures through stem cell research, he made the wrong choice,"" Doyle said.
With his national and statewide poll numbers slipping, Kerry's message was more forceful than in other recent appearances. Early on in his speech, Kerry sought to emphasize the differences between Bush and himself. Implying dishonesty within the current administration, Kerry stated, ""[The American people] just want leadership that looks them in the face and tells America the truth.""
Kerry said problems in Iraq were caused by the President's stubborn unwillingness to listen to the advice of advisers, the United Nations, and many throughout the international relations community who advised against the invasion. He then sought to highlight his years of experience in government and knowledge of international affairs in contrast to the bluntness and inexperience of the former governor of Texas.
""The president made the mistake of rushing into the war without understanding the complexities of Iraqi nationalism or tribal feudalism,"" Kerry said.
Kerry criticized the President for allowing parts of Iraq to fall completely into the hands of resistance fighters, uncontested by coalition forces. He said America is less safe today than it was four years ago, partially due to the manner in which President Bush has chosen to wage global war on terror.
""I will fight a smarter, more effective war on terror than George Bush is,"" Kerry said.
While security and terrorism were the cornerstones of Kerry's message Wednesday, he also noted the alleged failure of the administration on domestic issues such as the rising deficit, health care costs, the expiration of the assault weapons ban and reproductive rights for women.
State Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, explained the last four years were particularly harsh on the environment and that Kerry could reverse the course in a positive direction.
""George Bush has been the worst president on the environment in the modern era. John Kerry has the very best record of any member of the U.S. Senate on environmental issues,"" Black said.
The student presence at the rally was apparent as the crowd exploded with cheers when Kerry announced his plan to give each college student a $4,000 tax credit to help with rising tuition.
However, some students were not fully convinced and expressed dismay that Bush and Kerry are the only two real choices in this crucial election.
""I'm still not 100 percent positive, I think I would either vote for John Kerry or just not vote at all because I don't want to vote for George Bush, that's for sure,"" said UW-Madison freshman Karisa Weske.
