Still Rising
Friday, August 4, 2000
- TITLE: "Still Rising" The polling numbers continue to soar following the astoundingly successful GOP national convention last week.
- "…this is the bye week." The National Football League, to provide an additional week of lucrative football programming on television, invented the concept of the "bye week." Each team gets a week off during the season which allows for 17 weeks of football in a 16-week season.
- "Gallup Poll"
Bush Has 17-Point Gallup Poll Lead
WASHINGTON (AP) _ George W. Bush has a 17-point post-convention lead over Al Gore among likely voters in the CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll released Sunday, the same lead Democrat Michael Dukakis had in that poll after his convention in 1988.
Gore's campaign aides are fond of reminding that Dukakis, whose convention came first that year, eventually lost that lead in the polls _ and the election _ to George Bush, father of the current GOP candidate.
George W. Bush had 54 percent in the poll taken Friday and Saturday and Gore had 37 percent. Green Party candidate Ralph Nader and Reform Party candidate Pat Buchanan trailed well behind. A Gallup poll taken just before the GOP convention had Bush ahead by 11 points.
Two polls of registered voters taken after the convention gave Bush an 11-point lead, while he had an 18-point lead in a tracking poll of likely voters taken throughout the convention.
Bush had a 12-point lead among likely women voters in the Gallup poll and 23 points among men in the survey.
Bush led on issues such as education, Social Security and Medicare _ typically strong Democratic issues _ and had more than a 30-point lead over Gore as the candidate seen as the stronger leader.
Gore will have a chance to close the gap with Bush in the next two weeks as he chooses a running mate and then heads to Los Angeles for the Democratic National Convention.
President Clinton and former President Bush have been sparring in the news recently over the presidential campaign. When people were asked whose opinion they respected more, they picked former President Bush by 61 percent to 34 percent for President Clinton.
The poll of 653 likely voters was taken Friday and Saturday and has an error margin of 3 percentage points.
- "Ed Rendell…" Here is the Reuters story about Rendell's remarks:
Lieberman's Faith a Concern - Democratic Head
By Thomas Ferraro
EAST HAMPTON, N.Y. (Reuters) - Sen. Joseph Lieberman would ''almost be a slam dunk'' as Al Gore (news - web sites)'s choice for vice-presidential running mate if he were Episcopalian rather than Jewish, Ed Rendell, chairman of the National Democratic Committee, said on Saturday.
``Joe Lieberman would be a bold and courageous choice,'' Rendell said, calling the Connecticut Democrat ``maybe the finest person in politics'' but also acknowledging concerns about a possible backlash against his faith.
``I don't think anyone can calculate the effect of having a Jew on the ticket,'' Rendell told reporters as Gore attended a fund-raiser in East Hampton, New York. ``If Joe Lieberman was Episcopalian, I think he'd almost be a slam dunk,'' Rendell added.
- "Ben Stein" Here is Comedy Central's Ben Stein page.
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- This is a listing of Democrats' quotes about Cheney when he was selected to be Defense Secretary
What Democrats Say About Secretary Cheney
Senator Al Gore
"SEN. GORE: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. And Congressman Cheney -- or
Dick -- let me add my congratulations to those you've already heard, and my
words of welcome to your family. And we're not going to take him completely
away, I'll say. He's already worked pretty hard as a member of the House and
he won't be gone entirely. But, I want to tell you how much your colleagues
and former colleagues who had the privilege of serving with you in the
House, as I did, before coming to the Senate, respect you and wish you well
in this new endeavor to come. I applaud the choice and congratulate the
President for the choice, and pledge my best efforts to work with you as you
undertake an extremely difficult challenge at a difficult time, quite
frankly, with all of the changes in the world and all of the budget
pressures here at home."
* Hearing of the Senate Armed Service Committee, Secretary of Defense
Confirmation Hearing, March 14, 1989
"Sen. Albert Gore of Tennessee, a Democratic member of the Armed Services
Committee who served with Cheney in the House, said: 'I know of no reason
why he shouldn't be approved, but I will reserve judgment until the
hearings. . . . He is a good guy. I like him a lot, and he is well liked by
his colleagues.'"
* The Boston Globe, March 11, 1989
Representative Tony Coelho
"'Few people in Washington understand the executive and legislative branches
of government as well as Dick Cheney,' said Rep. Tony Coelho (D-Merced), the
majority whip who ranks third in the House leadership. 'This is a smart move
on the part of the President but a great move on behalf of the country.'"
- Los Angeles Times, March 11, 1989
Senator Sam Nunn
"In terms of qualifications, Congressman Cheney, I believe, is highly
qualified to be Secretary of Defense. He has had a distinguished 20-year
public career, serving in senior leadership positions in both the
Legislative and Executive branches. Beyond his leadership and management
experience, he has substantial expertise on national security and
intelligence matters. His high standards of personal conduct and integrity
will, in my view, help restore public confidence in the integrity of defense
management. He has my strong support, and I intend to vote for him for the
position of Secretary of Defense."
- Senator Sam Nunn, Executive Session of the Senate Armed
Service Committee, March 16, 1989
"The committee also discussed Representative Cheney's medical condition in
both public and executive sessions. The committee concluded that there is no
medical reason that would preclude Representative Cheney from serving as
Secretary of Defense."
- Senator Sam Nunn, Congressional Record, March 17, 1989
Senator George Mitchell
"Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell of Maine said Cheney had 'served
with distinction' in Congress. He promised to work with Nunn to ensure the
nomination gets 'prompt consideration' by the committee and the full Senate.
- Associated Press, March 10, 1989
Senator Tim Wirth
"Sen. Tim Wirth, D-Colo., said, 'He's a very able and impressive person. ...
He's one of the smartest people in Congress.'
- Associated Press, March 10, 1989
Senator Charles Robb
"'An excellent choice,' said Sen. Charles Robb, the freshman from Virginia
who was one of the last Democrats to announce his opposition to Tower."
* Associated Press, March 10, 1989
Senator James Exon
SEN. EXON: "And I happen to feel that we should also salute the President
for his prompt move to bring about the nomination of Dick Cheney, whom I
think will do an excellent job in that very important position. And I simply
second the remarks that both of you have made. And I'm looking forward to
casting my vote in support of this nominee."
- Senator James Exon, Executive Session of the Senate Armed
Service Committee, March 16, 1989
Senator Robert Byrd
Mr. BYRD. "Mr. President, I support the nomination of Mr. Cheney for the
post of Secretary of Defense. It is a pleasure to support a nominee whose
background and experience are well known to all of us. It is well known that
he brings substantial experience in the national security and intelligence
fields. He served on the House Intelligence Committee and on the committee
investigating the Iran arms-for-hostages scandal. No serious questions have
arisen in the course of the Armed Services Committee investigation and
hearings over Mr. Cheney's fitness for the office, or his integrity, or over
the issues related to conflict of interest. On the contrary, I think the
record is clear that by virtue of his temperament, his character, his
experience, his commitment to public service, that this is an excellent
nominee. I welcome his nomination, and I look forward to a solid working
relationship with him in sorting out the very difficult issues on national
security that we face in the light of our fiscal constraints."
* Senator Byrd, Congressional Record, March 17, 1989
Senator Jim Sasser
Mr. SASSER. Mr. President, I rise today in support of the nomination of
Representative Dick Cheney to be Secretary of Defense. I have known and
worked with Dick Cheney for several years. He is a man who I am pleased to
support for this crucial position. Representative Cheney is a man of
dedication, honor, and integrity. Combined with his experience in public
service and his expertise in areas of national security and intelligence,
Representative Cheney's personal attributes will enable him to perform his
duties as Secretary of Defense in an exemplary manner. I believe that he has
the ability to restore public confidence in the Department of Defense and
the officials who operate it.
- Senator Jim Sasser, Congressional Record, March 17, 1989
Source: George W. Bush for President
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Texas under Governor Bush:
- 1st in student improvement on test scores, especially for
African-American and Hispanic students.
- 1st in reducing the amount of releases and disposal of toxics -
more than all 49 other states combined.
- 1st in the nation to allow a patient to appeal an HMO's
decision to deny care.
- 1st to create a prison ministry to help offenders reintegrate
into society.
- 1 of only 3 states to require reductions of harmful pollution
from older, unpermitted utility plants.
- 1 of only 10 "highly successful" states in reducing welfare
rolls between 1995 and 1998.
- 4th in growth in total personal income.
- 9th in teacher pay, when adjusted for cost of living and teacher experience.
- $1.8 billion investment in healthcare initiatives.
- 1.2 million jobs created, representing more than 10 percent of
new jobs created nationwide and 48,000 new businesses.
- Lowest unemployment rate in twenty years -- 4.7 percent.
- Doubled the number of adoptions of abused and neglected children in Texas.
America under Clinton-Gore:
- The number of uninsured Americans increased by more than 8
million.
- Almost 70 percent of fourth graders in the highest poverty
schools cannot read at basic level.
- Teachers were victims of 1.8 million crimes at school,
including 657,000 violent crimes.
- Illegal drug use among high school seniors increased 78
percent.
- Federal prosecutions of gun-related offenses decreased by 46
percent.
- More than 12,000 U.S. soldiers are on food stamps.
- Enacted a $115 billion tax increase on Social Security enefits.
- Federal government is the nation's largest polluter, costing
taxpayers nearly $400 billion for cleanups.
- 45 convictions, 72 indictments/misdemeanor charges, and 8
imprisonments related to the 1996 campaign finance scandal, improper conduct by Clinton-Gore cabinet officials, and Whitewater.
What did Arkansas look like when Al Gore joined Bill Clinton in 1992?
- 50th in environmental policy initiatives.
- 47th in per capita state spending for education.
- 43rd in per capita spending for higher education.
- 41st in citizens living in poverty.
- 45th in children living in poverty.
- 47th in children without health insurance.
- 45th in children living in hunger.
- 43rd in infants born with low birth weight.
- 47th in personal income.
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