Stem cells, tax cuts take spotlight

PHILADELPHIA - Democratic nominee John Kerry accused President Bush of being a leader who "turns his back on science" as he promised Monday to lift the stem-cell research restrictions imposed by Bush three years ago.

Kerry also lambasted as "pathetic" scare-mongering the Republican criticism of his comments during last Thursday's debate in which he said the president's decision to go to war should pass a "global test" of legitimacy.

Bush, meanwhile, got to do one of his favorite things: sign a tax-cut bill. And he got to do it in the kind of place where he likes to do his fighting: the other guy's turf.

The bill signing ceremony occurred at a Des Moines YMCA - Bush lost Iowa in 2000 to Democrat Al Gore - and came a month after Congress extended middle-class tax cuts for an estimated 94-million people.

The bill extends the $1,000-per-child tax cut for five years, adds four more years to the provision providing relief for the so-called marriage penalty and continues to allow more of taxpayers' income to be taxed at 10 percent, the lowest rate, for six years.

The three provisions had been scheduled to expire this year.

"Today, with my signature, federal law will extend vital tax relief for millions of American families and add momentum to our growing economy," Bush said at the signing ceremony.

Kerry, too, began his day on the other fellow's turf, with a town hall-style meeting at a high school in New Hampshire - Bush carried the Granite State four years ago - with actor Michael J. Fox promoting new government policies on stem-cell research.

He continued to press the point later in the day in Philadelphia in an airport meeting with other stem-cell activists, arguing that restrictions imposed by the Bush administration threaten medical breakthroughs in the treatment of life-threatening diseases.

"When we have a president who dismisses scientists and turns his back on science, then we lose discovery, we lose innovation, and the people who desperately need cures become the real losers," Kerry said at both events.

Following his bill-signing event in Des Moines, Bush campaigned in Clive, taking a swipe at Kerry's health care plan by calling it a "system creeping toward Hillarycare."

He was alluding to complicated the health care plan then-first lady Hillary Clinton promoted. Kerry was one of the few Democratic senators who did not co-sponsor the plan.

During a question-and-answer portion of the event, Bush inserted comments on the draft, though nobody asked about it.

"We don't need a draft. We won't have a draft as long as I'm president of the United States," he said.

Kerry intended to keep the campaign focus on stem-cell research Monday. But when asked during his New Hampshire town hall meeting about GOP criticism of his remark about a "global test" in warmaking decisions, the four-term Massachusetts senator said, "It's almost sad; it's certainly pathetic, because all they can do is grab a little phrase and try to play a game and scare Americans."

He added, "They're misleading Americans about what I said. What I said in the sentence preceding that was, "I will never cede America's security to any institution or any other country.' No one gets a veto over our security. No one."

In the aftermath of last week's presidential debate, Bush currently leads Kerry 51 percent to 46 percent among those most likely to vote, according to polling conducted Friday through Sunday. Ralph Nader claims 1 percent of the hypothetical vote.

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