The Hindu : International : Clinton fires up Democrats

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 28, 2004

International

International

Clinton fires up Democrats

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

NEW YORK, JULY 27. In sharp but measured tones, senior Democratic party leaders at the National Convention set the stage for the November elections with a simple message: America would be better off having Senator John Kerry at the White House in January 2005.

The former President, Bill Clinton, made a scathing review of the domestic and foreign policies of the Bush administration saying, "Strength and wisdom are not opposing values."

With the soon to be official nominee John Kerry slightly ahead in the polls and expecting to get the `bounce' after the four-day convention in Boston, two former Presidents and a former Vice-President took to the podium assailing the general drift in the administration's four years in office.

`Reputation' hit

"Recent policies have cost our nation its reputation as the world's most admired champion of freedom and justice. The United States has alienated its allies, dismayed its friends and inadvertently gratified its enemies by proclaiming a confused and disturbing strategy of `pre-emptive' war," said the former President, Jimmy Carter. The achievements of Camp David under his leadership and that of Mr. Clinton "are now in peril" because George W Bush has allowed West Asia to be `swept' by anti-American passions, he said.

`Clean-up' speaker

But the prime time "clean up" speaker was Mr. Clinton who was particularly critical of the Republican attempt to portray Mr. Kerry as being soft on terrorism.

"We Americans must choose for President between one of two strong men who both love their country but who have very different worldviews.

"Our nominee John Kerry favours shared responsibility, shared opportunity and more global cooperation. And their President and their party in Congress who favour concentrated wealth and power," he said.

Mr. Clinton said on a lighter note that as a wealthy ex-President he benefited from the Republican tax cuts, which had adverse impact on education, health care and crime prevention.

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