Originally posted by MrCoffee
Steve, you picked a great moment to call my bluff. Actually he does but I have to run right now and cant take the time to answer your question in detail. Basicaly the economy, stronger middle class, his veteran experience and its regards to being CIC. Thats very broad but most important is how he will handle the fundamentals that I feel will affect americas future economy. Like I said earlier, I feel Bush put a bandaid on the problem and I think Kerry has a diagnoses of the real problem.
A "diagnosis" is not a treatment. He has given no details on how he will handle Iraq, the War on Terror, or the economy (other than raising taxes on the people paying the bulk of the taxes already). I’m not sure what you (or rather, Kerry) means by “stronger middle-class.” Middle-class income actually increased by nearly 5 percent between 2000 and 2002, according to the latest IRS statistics. This fact runs completely counter to the Kerry-Edwards argument about a “middle-class squeeze. Regarding the economy in general…
GOOD ECONOMIC HEADLINES [08/04 12:16 PM]
The Bush camp is insane if they don't do everything they can to publicize these economic numbers:
Reuters: New orders at U.S. factories rose by more than expected in June and May's fall was revised to show a gain, government data showed on Wednesday, while a jump in a key service sector poll added to the upbeat outlook.
The Commerce Department said factory orders advanced 0.7 percent in June, after a revised 0.4 percent gain in May that was initially reported as a 0.3 percent fall.
Wall Street had forecast orders to grow 0.5 percent in June and the data dovetailed with an Institute for Supply Management report on Monday showing U.S. factories stepped up the pace in July.
Reuters: U.S. auto sales heated up again in July, after a surprising slowdown a month earlier, even as Detroit's traditional Big Three automakers had mixed results.
Buoyed by high incentives and low interest rates, Wall Street analysts say light vehicle sales industrywide hit a seasonally adjusted annual rate between 17.1 million and 17.5 million for the month.
That would be down from a 17.8 million annual rate in May, when car sales made their strongest showing of the year so far. But it would be much better than a 15.4 million rate in June, when sales plunged to a nearly six-year low.
AFP: The American manufacturing sector sped up activity in July, cementing the longest stretch of rapid growth in more than 30 years, a survey showed.
The Institute for Supply Management purchasing managers' index (PMI), based on a survey of supply executives, rose 0.9 point from June to 62.0 in July, in line with private economists' forecasts.
It was the 14th consecutive reading above 50 points, which indicates an expansion in activity.
"The manufacturing sector continues to grow at a rapid rate as the PMI has now been above 60 percent for nine consecutive months," survey chief Norbert Ore said in a statement.
"This is the longest period of growth above 60 percent since the 12-month period of July 1972 through June 1973," he said.
AP: Wages and benefits for U.S. workers rose a moderate 0.9 percent in the April-June quarter this year, down slightly from the previous quarter's increase, as price pressures for benefits like health insurance eased significantly.
The Labor Department reported Thursday that the 0.9 percent rise in wages and benefits in the second quarter followed a 1.1 percent increase in the January-March quarter. It was the smallest quarterly increase since a 0.8 percent rise in the final quarter of last year.
Regarding his military experience, he was a lieutenant in charge of a dozen men for four months. While I applaud his (and anyone’s military service), you would have me believe that his four months in command of a patrol boat will better qualify him for commander and chief of the US military that George W. Bush’s four years
as commander in chief? I commanded a twenty-man Air Force detachment. I would hardly say that qualifies me to lead this nation's military. By the way, do you know which man, Bush or Kerry, actually spent more time on full-time duty status? Hint: “Kerry” is not the right answer. Besides, his shameful behavior when he returned from Vietnam, and his own admission that he knew of and participated in war crimes during those four months in theater pretty much disqualifies him in my mind, and in the mind of most military members.
Another tidbit, this one concerning Kerry’s character…
BAD ADJOINING HEADLINES ON GOOGLE [08/04 03:31 PM]
Team Kerry probably hopes these two headlines don't run next to each other in too many papers tomorrow:
ABCNews: Kerry Denounces Special Corporate Favors
Bloomberg: Kerry Lists Endorsements From 204 Corporate Leaders
