Bush shifts focus of campaign message from economy to Iraq

Associated Press

MILWAUKEE - U.S. President George W. Bush is shifting his message from the economy to Iraq in a state he lost by less than 6,000 votes, a switch caused by nagging questions over whether he was justified in taking the country to war.

Bush starts his second bus tour of Wisconsin in two months in staunchly Republican Milwaukee suburbs, where he bested Vice President Al Gore by a margin of better than 2-to-1 four years ago. Bush's 133,000 votes in Waukesha County represented more than 10 percent of his total in Wisconsin.

Riding across the other side of the state two months ago, Bush highlighted his tax cuts as a key to improving the economy, lowering unemployment and creating new jobs.

Now the White House is grappling with a report from a Republican-led Senate committee that harshly criticizes unsubstantiated U.S. intelligence on weapons of mass destruction that have not been found. The faulty intelligence laid the groundwork for sending 140,000 U.S. troops to Iraq.

"The problem is how do you continue to justify the war in Iraq and connect it to the war on terrorism rather than have it tied to weapons of mass destruction," said University of Wisconsin political science professor Charles Franklin. "It's a pretty bold position that the president is taking."

Bush is offering a broad defense of the invasion of Iraq as he criticizes rival John Kerry, declaring that the Democrat's embrace of the Hollywood crowd puts him out of touch with Midwest values of strength and steadfastness, qualities the president says he has exhibited as commander in chief.

Bush roundly criticized Kerry's pronouncement that he and running mate John Edwards were proud of the fact that they opposed in the Senate the US$87 billion aid package for Afghanistan and Iraq. Kerry said they had done so because "we knew the policy had to be changed."

"Members of Congress should not vote to send troops into battle and then vote against funding them, and then brag about it," Bush said during Tuesday's trip to Marquette in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and to Duluth, Minnesota, two Midwest states that Bush lost to Gore in 2000.

Edwards said in an interview aired Wednesday on NBC TV's "Today" show that he and Kerry trusted Bush to put in place a detailed plan for Iraq, but the president failed.

"My view was I had to stand up and say `No, this is not working. We have to change course,'" Edwards said.

Bush's latest Wisconsin bus tour ends in the Green Bay area, where Kerry focused on Iraq in an appearance in May, saying that his goals would be to repair relations with allies and ensure an international force for Iraq to accelerate withdrawal of U.S. troops.

In Washington, first lady Laura Bush says she's delighted her 22-year-old twin daughters are taking part in their father's re-election campaign, saying she told them to "stand up straight and keep your hair out of your eyes."

Jenna made a trip with her father last week and Barbara is traveling with him this week on his tour through midwestern states.

"I think our children are finding this race very tough when they're watching from the sidelines," she said in an interview broadcast Wednesday on NBC TV's "Today" show.

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