Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
© St. Petersburg Times, published October 12, 2002
As Election Day nears, Democrats try to change focus to economy
WASHINGTON -- With crucial midterm elections less than four weeks away, congressional Democrats sought Friday to shift the political debate from Iraq to the ailing economy, with a sometimes-heated forum on Capitol Hill and calls for an economic summit with President Bush.
Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle ticked off a litany of bad economic indicators, mocked the administration's more positive outlook, and goaded Bush to meet with Democrats "anytime, anywhere, the sooner, the better."
Republicans returned fire with charges that the president's opponents have yet to detail what they would do to speed economic growth and raise employment levels.
With Congress' bipartisan vote to authorize war in Iraq only a few hours old, Democrats' efforts to segue from foreign policy to "kitchen table" issues seemed somewhat forced.
"Now that the president has the power to declare war, you would think he would decide to declare war on the deficits, to declare war on unemployment," said Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y. "Instead, he's decided to declare war on Democrats in the House and Democrats in the Senate."
Recent public opinion polls could provide some hope to Democrats that the GOP is vulnerable on the economy. A new poll by the Pew Center for the People and the Press found voters overwhelmingly want to hear candidates talk about the economy more than terrorism and foreign policy. By 41 percent to 37 percent, they trust Democrats to handle economic issues more than they do Republicans. That's a shift from January, when Republicans held the advantage on the economic question.
But the Pew poll found no dramatic shift toward the Democrats, especially among badly hurt stock market investors who Democrats have hoped would take out their anger on the president's party. Investors who said they had lost a lot in the stock market favored Republicans, 49 percent to 43 percent. Those who said they lost a little favored the GOP 53 percent to 42 percent.
"There is no evidence that voters are connecting these recent market experiences to the congressional elections," the poll concluded.
But Democrats hope they have time to press their case. Friday's economic forum did contrast with the August economic roundtable Bush held in Waco, Texas, if only because commentators from both parties showed up this time. The bipartisan presence produced a bevy of ideas for combating a feared economic malaise, but no consensus.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Between P. Diddy's hip-hop rhythms, Brandy's slow grooves and a rate-a-record segment called "Pump It or Dump It," black listeners of KIPR-FM "Power 92" are being urged to vote Republican.
The advertisements are part of a radio campaign funded by a GOP activist group to win votes among blacks in Arkansas and 11 other states, including Florida.
"Lots of people are sort of puzzled by it," said John Altevogt, a Kansas Republican activist who arranged the ads. "The puzzlement should come from why we haven't been in these areas before."
In one ad, a black man tells listeners that his white co-workers became wealthy investing in 401(k) plans in the 1980s while Democrats, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson, encouraged him to spurn wealth.
Michael Cook, head of the Arkansas Democratic Party, accused Altevogt of "race-baiting."
Altevogt's advocacy group, Council for a Better Government, is spending $1.5-million to produce and air the commercials.
At Little Rock's predominantly black Philander Smith College, students said the ads have caught their attention.
"Some of the things they say are positive. It changes your opinions a little," said Chaffa Key, 19.