President Bush on target in PA

The President was en el fuego (on fire) speaking before a large campaign crowd in Wilkes-Barre, PA. on Wednesday. Without doubt it's his best exposition of his domestic and international policies of the campaign, and allays fears that he was going to give John Kerry a pass on Kerry's 20-year record of pacifism and failure as a U.S. senator.

A few of the highlights:

"We need a President who will stand up to the trial lawyers in Washington, not put one on the ticket."

"During his 20 years as a senator, my opponent hasn't had many accomplishments. Of the hundreds of bills he submitted, only five became law. One of them was ceremonial. But to be fair, he's earned a special distinction in Congress. The nonpartisan National Journal analyzed his record and named John Kerry the most liberal member of the United States Senate."

"... the Senator would have America bend over backwards to satisfy a handful of governments with agendas different from our own. This is my opponent's alliance-building strategy: brush off your best friends, fawn over your critics. And that is no way to gain the respect of the world."

"Senator Kerry assures us that he's the one to win a war he calls a mistake, an error, and a diversion. But you can't win a war you don't believe in fighting. (Applause.) In Iraq, Senator Kerry has a strategy of retreat; I have a strategy of victory."

"In our debate, Senator Kerry said that removing Saddam Hussein was a mistake because the threat was not imminent. The problem with this approach is obvious: if America waits until a threat is at our doorstep, it might be too late to save lives."

There's much more to read. Hopefully the President will bring his "A" game to the debate Friday night and use some of these points. You can read the text of his entire speech at National Review Online. Here's the link:

President George W. Bush on Election 2004 on National Review Online: "Strategy of Defeat vs. Strategy of Victory"