President accuses GOP of deception

PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Sitting on the sidelines in warm and humid Florida, President Clinton accused Republicans of using their convention in Philadelphia to deceive the public.

"Their strategy is to talk about compassion and all that, and it's a brilliant strategy, a pretty package, and they're hoping if they wrap it tight enough, nobody will open it before Christmas," Clinton said Monday.

Democrats must make sure that voters focus on the reality and implications of GOP programs well before the November election, Clinton said.

In appearances in Tampa and Palm Beach, Clinton raised $1 million for Democratic Senate candidates, including Florida Insurance Commissioner Bill Nelson.

He dismissed the prescription drug plan drafted by House Republicans as "a bunch of baloney" that would help drug companies, not the elderly.

He portrayed Republican-proposed tax cuts as the will-of-the-wisp day dreams of people who spend lottery winnings before they actually win any money.

Clinton noted that the Treasury Department will pay off $221 billion of federal debt this year and called that "the largest one-year debt pay-down in American history, a giant step toward paying off the entire national debt by 2012.

Republican-backed tax cuts would prevent the government from achieving that goal, Clinton said.

The president ripped Republican plans and policies on the environment, on maintaining economic prosperity, on education, crime, health care, civil rights and raising the minimum wage.

"Now their strategy is to blur all that," Clinton said, asserting that Republicans are using phrases like "compassionate conservatism" to paper over the harshness of their programs.

"They're not bragging about shutting the government down twice anymore, or trying to shut the Department of Education down, or having the biggest Medicare and education and environmental cuts in history," he said at the Palm Beach event. "Gone is the harsh rhetoric and mean words of 1992 through 1999."

He compared the Republican eagerness for tax cuts to overindulgence in a cafeteria.

"Every time I go to a cafeteria, everything I see looks good, but if I eat it all, I'll get sick," the president said.

He said the Republicans appear bent on spending the entire surplus, even if emergencies arise for which the money is needed.

It's a lot like getting one of those letters in the mail, the one that says "you MAY have won $10 million", the president said.

"But did you go out and spend that $10 million the next day?" he asked. "If you did you should support Republicans in this election. But if you didn't, you better stick with us."

The president planned to linger in Florida through Tuesday afternoon, giving politics a momentary rest and focusing on his golf game.

Copyright 2000 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Tuesday, August 1, 2000

• GOP lays down military, foreign policy vision at convention
  
• McCain: Bush can lead 'safer, freer and more prosperous world'
  
• Schwarzkopf: Another commander-in-chief named Bush would be great
  
• Pentagon spokesman defends Clinton administration record on military, defense
  
• Secretary Powell? Bush hints at former general's role
  
• Ronald Reagan's golf balls? Step right up!
  
• George W. Bush: 'My heritage is part of who I am'
  
• Republican convention honors former GOP presidents with video salute
  
• 230 arrested, 2 officers injured in Philadelphia protests
  
• Events to watch at Tuesday's convention session
  
• Bush ends preconvention road trip vowing to rally 'armies of compassion'
  
• Lazio pokes fun at Hillary Clinton at GOP convention
  
• Group struggles to plane one plank of GOP platform
  
• Gore effort 'compromised' naturalization process, report says
  
• Clinton says his enemies are now Hillary''s
  
• Gore's guide to loosening up for a run
  
• President accuses GOP of deception
  
• latimes.com: A strong case for change is played down
  
• Now making her bow: The un-Hillary
  
• The Politics Junkie: Three words: Diversity, Diversity, Diversity
  
• Kansans to vote in Board of Ed 'evolution' primary
  
• Gore campaign faults GOP speakers
  

ARCHIVES