From: shackeld@helium.gas.uug.arizona.edu (david m shackelford )
Newsgroups: alt.politics.clinton,talk.politics.misc,alt.politics.bush
Subject: Re: ==> Rhetoric Vs. Reality--The First Debate
Date: 12 Oct 92 06:40:21 GMT
Organization: University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

In article <92285.222116U56503@uicvm.uic.edu> U56503@uicvm.uic.edu writes:
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>                         THE MISERY INDEX
>
> RHETORIC: George Bush said "...the misery index went right through
> the roof."
>
> REALITY: Under George Bush, the misery index has increased from 9.4
> to 10.4 percent in September. In the same time period, Arkansas'
> index declined by almost one-fifth.

1.  A misery index of ~10 is only 50% of its peak value during the
Carter recession.  Historically, a rate of 10% is actually very
good.

2.  It is not meaningful to compare the national numbers with state
numbers without compensating for various effects such as time of
year.  In an agricultural state, unemployment is usually at its
lowest during the harvest.  I don't remember much about Arkansas,
but my guess would be it is an agricultural area.


> DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST THE U.S.
>
> RHETORIC: "I think it's wrong to demonstrate against your own
> country. I just find it impossible to understand how an American can
> demonstrate against his own country"
>
The quote actually goes "I think it's wrong to demonstrate against
your own country IN A FOREIGN LAND."  This discrepency (sp) invalidates
the rest of the argument.

> REALITY: President Bush didn't always feel this way. During the
> Vietnam War he supported people's right to demonstrate against the
> U.S. [Houston Chronicle, 10/15/69] In his 1991 State of the Union,
> Bush said, "Democracy brings the undeniable value of thoughtful
> dissent, and we've heard some dissenting voices here at home...But
						  ^^^^^^^^^^^^

But not abroad.  This is consistent with his statements during the
past week.
	
> the fact that all voices have the right to speak out is one of the
> reasons we've been united in purpose and principle for 200 years."
> [New York Times, 1/30/91]
>
>                        CLINTON TAX PACKAGE
>
> RHETORIC: George Bush said: "Taxing people over $200,000 will not
> raise $150 billion."

This exposes the problem with Clinton's tax proposal.  Clinton
doesn't tell us where the rest of the money is coming from.  He
tries to say that the only effect will be on people making over
$200,000 -- this is manifestly false.

>
> REALITY: This charge is based on the false assumption that the only
> increase in revenue comes from raising the individual income tax
> rate.

Clinton allows this false assumption to continue because he doesn't
want people to know where the rest of the money is coming from.

         In fact, the Clinton plan raises billions from other sources,
> including $58 billion from closing corporate tax loopholes.

Increasing corporate taxes has an indirect effect on workers wages.
This indirect effect (reduction due to increased corporate expenses)
is EQUIVALENT to raising the individuals' taxes.

>
>                           TAX AND SPEND
>
> RHETORIC: George Bush said: "I agree with what he's [Perot] talking
> about in trying to get this spending down....I disagree with the tax
> and spend philosophy..."

Exactly.

>
> REALITY: On taxes. George "Read My Lips" Bush gave us the second
> biggest tax increase in American history.

Congress legislates, Presidents must either sign or veto.  Bush
could not veto the legislation for other compelling reasons.

					     He has consistently raised
> taxes on the middle class.

Only because Congress forced him to.
 
                              The conservative Cato Institute called
> Bush "the largest spender to sit in the White House in the past 30
> years"

Presidents may spend the money, but Congress writes the (bounced) checks.


>
>                            JAMES BAKER
>
> RHETORIC: George Bush said, "...I'm going to say to Jim Baker when
> this campaign is over, `You do in domestic affairs what you've done
> in foreign affairs."
>
> REALITY: Asked by Larry King what role James Baker would play in a
> second Bush Administration, George Bush said: "I mean, I would think
> he'd want to go back there [to the State Department], and I'd want
> him there."

Strawman.  Bush can give Baker any job title he wants -- that doesn't
mean that he won't be involved in other areas.

>
>                           FAMILY VALUES
>
> RHETORIC: George Bush said, "We need to strengthen family. [sic] "
>
> REALITY: George Bush has twice vetoed the Family and Medical Leave
> Act

A stupid plan that doesn't do anything to strengthen families.  Useless
government regulation which "forces" employers to do something that MOST
of them ALREADY DO.  Creates additional administrative overhead with
little to show for it.  Violates the principle of limiting government
powers.

>
>
>                           DEADBEAT DADS
> Ironically, the Republicans have yet to
> return the $400,00 contribution from Michael Kojima [...]
> -- although he owed $100,000 in child support. [reformatted]

They have placed the money in escrow awaiting court action.

>
>                           CIVIL RIGHTS
>
> RHETORIC: George Bush said, "I've tried to use the White House as the
> bully pulpit, speaking out against discrimination. We passed two very
> forward looking civil rights bills."

The ADA was indeed very forward-looking.  I can't say what the other
one was offhand.

>
> REALITY: Bush vetoed the Civil Rights Acts of 1990, only the second
> time a President has vetoed a civil rights act this century.

He vetoed a quota bill in disguise as a civil rights bill.  I
consider this evidence of his wisdom and intelligence.

>
>                               AIDS
>
> RHETORIC: George Bush said, "We have increased funding for AIDS;
> we've doubled it."
>
> REALITY: Although Bush claims to have allocated $4.3 billion to AIDS
> research in 1992, he includes Medicare/Medicaid funds being spent for
> AIDS treatment in this figure. In fact, only $2 billion will be spent
> on AIDS research -- less than half of Bush's claim. [Bush 8/19/92;

Money spent on AIDS is money spent, regardless of its origin.  Whether
it is spent on treatment or research matters little.  Would you rather
we spend it all on research instead of treatment?


>                        MEDICAL MALPRACTICE
>
> RHETORIC: George Bush said, "He failed to take on something else: the
> malpractice suit people."
>
> REALITY: Apparently, Mr. Bush hasn't read the Clinton health care
> plan. 

Bush recognizes a problem and proposes something can be done about
it.  Why is this such a big problem when Clinton and Perot agreeing
with everything Bush said about Bosnia is not.

David Shackelford