DAVENPORT, Iowa – President Bush and challenger John Kerry brought their battle for the White House to this Mississippi River town Wednesday, staging dueling campaign events within blocks of one another, where they painted sharply contrasting portraits of the economy and U.S. policy in Iraq.
The proximity of the two candidates was a coincidence in scheduling, according to both campaigns, but their twin appearances underscored the importance of Iowa in an election that remains a tossup.
Bush and Kerry were greeted by a banner headline in the Quad-City Times that read “President Bush, Mr. Kerry, We Want You to Know …” and smaller headlines noting that the economy is the No. 1 issue for voters and that an area of the state with a preponderance of swing voters remains up for grabs .
Speaking in shirtsleeves at an outdoor rally at a riverside park, Bush claimed success for his economic policies, noting that Iowa’s unemployment rate is below the national average. He predicted that he would carry a state he lost narrowly to former Vice President Al Gore four years ago.
“The other folks talk a good game,” the president said. “We deliver.”
Kerry, who staged an economic summit with business and labor leaders at the indoor River Center, spoke about a different economy, one that has cost Iowa 25,000 manufacturing jobs in the past four years. He tweaked Bush for saying the past few days that the economy has turned the corner.
“I guess President Bush is just a few blocks from here,” Kerry said as he opened his forum. “It occurred to me that he could come here for a great discussion about America’s future if he were really willing to just turn a corner.”
Bush and Kerry circled past one another over the weekend as they campaigned through Ohio and Pennsylvania, but Wednesday’s events marked the first time they have been in the same place at the same time during the campaign.
“I don’t think anyone should be surprised the two may cross paths from time to time, given that certain states are more competitive than others,” said Scott McClellan, White House press secretary.
Bush lost Iowa by fewer than 5,000 votes out of 1.3 million cast, and both campaigns see eastern Iowa as crucial to the outcome in November. In the Quad-Cities area, independents significantly outnumber Republicans and Democrats in party registration. The two campaigns view those voters as the key to victory in November.
Associated Press
Sen. John Kerry (left) and President Bush greet supporters at separate campaign stops Wednesday in Davenport, Iowa.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
