Fear and smear
By Wolf Blitzer
CNN
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Only days before the start of the Republican National Convention in New York, John Kerry came to the city and leveled this charge Tuesday, "The Bush campaign and its allies have turned to the tactics of fear and smear because they can't talk about jobs, health care, energy independence and rebuilding our alliances -- the real issues that matter to the American people."
He made no direct reference to the controversial anti-Kerry attacks ads put out by the group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. But the senator's aides say those ads were very much on his mind.
"The world will listen to what the Republicans say when they come here. But words, slogans and personal attacks cannot disguise what they have done -- and left undone," Kerry said.
Kerry spoke at New York's historic Cooper Union. This is the same location where Abraham Lincoln spoke out against the spread of slavery in 1860 -- a speech credited with propelling him to the White House.
As he often does, the Democratic candidate reminded the audience about his Vietnam experience, saying, "I defended this country as a young man and I will defend it as president."
A day earlier, President Bush had called for an end to all those tens of millions of dollars worth of third-party independent attack ads, known as 527's, including the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ads. That was not good enough for the Kerry-Edwards campaign -- which has been pressing for a specific Bush condemnation of those ads.
Tuesday on CNN, Bush-Cheney Deputy Communications Director Jennifer Millerwise was pressed by Kerry campaign Senior Adviser Chad Clanton on that:
Clanton: "Why is it difficult?"
Millerwise: "He condemned, not only yesterday, but he's condemned all 527 activity. Let's be honest Chad. Let's be honest Chad."
Clanton: "You speak for the campaign. Why can't you condemn it?"
Millerwise: "We do condemn this ad."
Meanwhile, on the campaign trail, Vice President Dick Cheney continued to hit Kerry hard.
Cheney said, "What we're hearing from the other side is the failed thinking of the past, and we're not going back."
