On Our Allies

The President of the United States must do right by the American People, first and always. But sometimes doing right involves consulting our allies, and listening to what they have to say. We do this for our own benefit. I don't think Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney understand this; certainly they behave as if they don't.

An American President should be a hero around the world. He should be able to walk the streets of Rome or London or Delhi or Lagos with his head high, drawing cheers. President Reagan was a hero among our allies. So was President Bush's father. So was President Clinton. This President Bush can't go to London or Rome without cordoning off sections of the city; he can't go without facing massive protests, without drawing boos. That's troubling to say the least.

On Intelligence and War

Before the war, the President and Mr. Cheney met often with this fellow Ahmed Chalabi. They invited him to sit next to the first lady at the State of the Union address. Turns out, Mr. Chalabi was a bit of a con artist. I blame Chalabi for that. But I also blame the president and the vice president. They asked no questions; they heard no lies. They saw nothing wrong and heard nothing wrong. It turns out there was a whole lot wrong with Mr. Chalabi and Americans are paying the price for the president's indifference.

Now Mr. Bush is claiming he barely met the man. That's a con, too.

On Freedom and Security

It is often said that there is a trade-off between freedom and security. Sometimes the trade-off is real; sometimes it isn't. But under Bush-Cheney we have become less secure and less free at the same time.

I used to think that was impossible, but this administration has managed to do it.

On Econonomic Recovery

It's great that the economy is starting to create jobs. But it's not so great that this administration's record on job creation is the worst of any president since Herbert Hoover. There still has been a net loss of jobs under this administration.

Mr. Bush of course is taking credit, saying this little recovery is the work of his tax cuts, three years ago. But did the president accept any blame for the job losses? Of course he did not. This recovery shows the resilience of the American economy and the American workers. It also shows that the president's huge deficits -- caused by handouts to the wealthy, which we have to pay for eventually -- have naturally had some stimulative effect.

But is the economy on a sound footing? Is the government's own house in order? I think even Mr. Bush, perhaps even Dick Cheney, would admit that it is not.

On President Bush as a Leader

I don't doubt that Mr. Bush is a decisive leader. It's just that most of his decisions are wrong. Decisiveness in the wrong direction -- that's nothing to brag about.

Deciding to Go to War

The case for war can't be close; it can't be uncertain. It must be open and shut. The president must not commit this country to war, he must not send soldiers to battle, unless he the justification is clear and unless he first makes that case to the American people. The reasons can't come later. You don't start a war first and think what to do second. You have to know how we can win it, and how we an end it. President Bush, in sending us to Iraq, did none of this.

On Bush's Iraq Plan-- and Ours

President Bush got us into this war in Iraq. He dealt us a bad hand. But now we must play it. We can't fold; we can't cut and run. I think all Americans know that. But that doesn't mean we have to reward the president for putting us there. It was a bad idea, poorly thought out, and President Bush should be made to suffer the consequences. For Iraq alone, he should be voted out of office. But no matter who is elected in November, he will have to clean up Mr. Bush's mess in the best way possible.

Here is what I would do....

A Kerry Attack Intro

I respect President Bush and I don't dislike him. I think he is a good guy, a nice guy, the kind of guy I'd like to have a beer with. I don't doubt he works hard; I don't doubt he puts in an eight-hour day. But I don't think he studies the issues seriously, the way other presidents have. I don't believe he considers the consequences of his policies. As a result he makes mistakes. He never admits any of them, but President Bush has made a lot of mistakes. Let me talk about just one or two....