|
|
October 17, 2003/Tishri 21 5764, Vol. 56, No. 4
Lieberman's plan for victory
BARRY COHEN
Editor
To take back the White House in 2004, the Democratic Party will need a candidate who can improve the economy, move the nation's social agenda to the mainstream and ensure America's security, according to Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D - Conn.).
"President Bush is losing the confidence of the American people because he hasn't made their lives better. In fact, their lives are in a lot of ways worse," said Lieberman, between campaign stops in the Valley Oct. 8, in an interview the day before the nationally televised Democratic presidential debate at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Phoenix.
"They are worried about their jobs, health care and retirement security, and they're worried about their personal security in an age of terrorism."
"This president said he was going to be a centrist," Lieberman added, referring to Bush, "but he's governed from the far right, and that doesn't reflect the values of most Americans."
Lieberman said the issue that concerns him most - and that will have the greatest impact upon Arizonans - is improving the economy.
"As (John F.) Kennedy said, 'A rising tide raises all boats.' If the economy is growing and people are finding jobs, they're going to be able to live better lives. And the government will have enough revenue to make the investments we need to make a better future - (for) education, health care, homeland security," he explained.
The presidential campaign is "all about trust," he noted. Not only does President Bush have to earn the trust of the people, but also new- ly announced Democratic candidate Gen. Wesley Clark "has to meet that test."
Clark "has been sur-prisingly unclear on some central issues in the cam-paign, most notably the war against Saddam Hussein," said Lieberman. "He's taken about three or four different positions. ... He's going to have to clarify that and other issues if he wants to gain the confidence of the Democratic Party and the American people."
Lieberman, who is Jewish, also noted that during the presidential campaign, he is not going to downplay his religious beliefs.
"One of the things that I'm not going to let this president or the Republican Party get away with is convincing people that they're the only ones who care about values or faith," said Lieberman. "They have no monopoly on either faith or values."
Contact the writer at barry_cohen@jewishaz.com.
|
