[Mb-civic] US rivals clash on domestic plans BBC

[Michael Butler]

 US rivals clash on domestic plans
 President George W Bush and his Democratic challenger John Kerry have
clashed over domestic policy and security in their last TV debate.

 The two men revealed sharp differences over taxes, jobs and health care but
neither was seen as an outright winner.

 Both made pointed attacks - Mr Kerry that Mr Bush had ruined the economy
and health care, Mr Bush that Mr Kerry was dangerously out of the
mainstream.

 It was their last chance to address a mass audience before the November
poll.

 The candidates will now travel to battleground states for non-stop
campaigning in the last three weeks of what polls suggest will be a very
tight race for the White House.

 Competing claims 

 The debate at Arizona State University was the last face-to-face meeting
for Mr Bush and Mr Kerry before the 2 November election.

 There's a mainstream in American politics and you sit right on the far-left
bank  
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 It was scheduled to address mainly domestic issues, which have been often
overshadowed in the campaign by the conflict in Iraq and homeland security
amid Mr Bush's war on terror.

 Mr Kerry charged that five million Americans had lost health insurance
coverage during Mr Bush's time in the White House, meaning many could not
afford to be treated.

 "The president has turned his back on the wellness of America, and there is
no system and it's starting to fall apart," he said.

 Mr Bush hit back with what has become his chief attack line of recent
weeks, that Mr Kerry is a lifelong liberal who would raise taxes and
government spending.

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 "There's a mainstream in American politics and you sit right on the
far-left bank," he told his opponent.

 In their clashes over the economy, Mr Kerry drew attention to the fact that
Mr Bush is set to be the first president in 72 years to see a net job loss
during his time in office.

 Mr Bush retorted that he had had to deal with huge problems that were not
of his making, and that he had done so successfully.

 Security spat 

 During the 90-minute debate, the two men also outlined their differences on
gay marriage and abortion rights and addressed their different faiths.


 
 They also returned to homeland security and the war on terror that have
become the central themes of this year's campaign.

 Mr Bush quoted a Kerry interview against the Democrat challenger. "My
opponent just this weekend talked about how terrorism could be reduced to a
'nuisance', comparing it to prostitution, illegal gambling," he said.

 "That attitude and that point of view is dangerous."

 Mr Kerry rejected that argument and said he would wage a "smarter, more
effective war on terror".

 "This president, regrettably, rushed us into a war, made decisions about
foreign policy, pushed alliances away and as a result, America is now
bearing this extraordinary burden where we are not as safe as we ought to
be," he said.

 The BBC's Rob Watson in Arizona says both campaigns will be pleased with
the performance of their candidates.

 An instant poll taken by Gallup for CNN and USA Today after the debate
found more viewers believing Mr Kerry had won the debate, while other
surveys and commentators scored the contest as a draw.

 Mr Bush has moved on to Nevada for campaign stops on Thursday before moving
to another swing state, Oregon, while Mr Kerry was to address the American
Association of Retired Persons, an influential group representing senior
citizens.

 Story from BBC NEWS:
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/3739376.stm

 Published: 2004/10/14 09:54:16 GMT

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