Split decision on Bush's speech

Area Republicans laud, Democrats assail the President's words at GOP convention.

President George W. Bush's acceptance speech at the Republic National Convention Thursday received mixed reviews from area politicians and activists, who split across party lines.

Nancy Parr, candidate specialist for the Grant County Democrats' Get Out The Vote program, said that while the president had been very prepared and had kept his speech simple, he had emphasized too much the dangers of today's world.

"He played the fear card," she said.

The comments of Bush about his opponent, Democratic U.S. Sen. John Kerry surprised Parr, who said she did not expect so many personal attacks on the Massachussetts senator.

When it comes to the president's domestic agenda, the speech touched on many issues, she said, but it had been the same things he had said four years ago.

"And nothing has changed," she added. "(Bush) can't come up with something new. He has got tunnel vision."

From across the party aisle, state Rep. Janea Holmquist, R-Moses Lake, had nothing but praise for the speech of her party's leader.

"I loved it," she said. "I am so proud of the president."

Holmquist said Bush had shown compassion, strength and hopefulness in the future of the nation.

"He nailed it," she said, underlining the president's mention of health care reform, tort reform, and the revamping of the tax code as some of the

highlights of the speech.

"When he talked about helping community colleges, I was going 'Yay, BBCC,'" she said, referring to Big Bend Community College.

Holmquist said she was not surprised by the president's words about his opponent.

"You have to address your opponent to a certain extent and he did it perfectly," she said.

The chairman of the Democrats' Get Out The Vote initiative, Ellen Webb found nothing perfect about the speech.

"I feel lied to," she said. "This speech ignored the realities of our economy."

The president's words will help maintain a divisive climate in America, Webb said. As long as people hear the invasion of Iraq was done in order to defend America when Al-Qaeda was not even there, division will persist, she said.

"So many lives lost, so many billions of dollars spent," she said of the war in Iraq, "and no Al-Qaeda, no connections between (Iraq and Al-Qaeda)."

Webb was not too impressed with the president's words on his domestic agenda, either, saying that it was ludicrous that he had professed the success of the No Child Left Behind Act on education, when the act had been underfunded throughout his administration. Same with his words supporting Pell grants, which she said the president had reduced.

"I have a real problem with the level of honesty (of the speech)," she said.

State Sen. Joyce Mulliken, R-Ephrata, said the speech had been wonderful, and that the president clearly has a plan to take care of, among others, health care costs.

Mulliken said the president reminded Americans that they are safe because of the work of the armed forces.

Bush's mention of the Defense of Marriage Act was not lost on Mulliken, and neither was his description of what the next four years under his watch would be like.

"It was very visionary," he said. "It was a good reminder of where we have been and where we need to go. I was pretty darn impressed."

Mulliken said that the speech should spur Bush's supporters into action and motivate them to make sure the president is re-elected. Bush also has work to do, she said.

"He has to get the message out to all American voters," she said. Holmquist predicted a "medium-to-big" bump up in the polls for the 43rd president.

Parr disagreed, saying the negativity of the speech would ultimately backfire on the GOP.

"It showed that they are afraid," she said. "It showed that they do not have their ducks in a row. An incumbent should never stoop so low to attack his opponent."

Holmquist said the president should keep doing what he has been doing in order to win in November.

"He just needs to stay the course," she said. "I am confident he will be serving another four years."ears."