Smooth talking Mitt Romney today unveiled a new trade policy that raises more questions than it answers, but does leave one point perfectly clear: electing Romney would mean trading one Bush Republican for another. Desperate to hide his dismal record as Massachusetts governor, Romney echoed President Bush's request that he be given fast track authority to negotiate trade deals with countries like Peru, Panama and Colombia. Romney failed to say, however, if he would negotiate terms that would stem the tide of manufacturing jobs moving overseas.

Under the Bush Administration's failed leadership, states like Michigan and South Carolina have lost thousands of jobs. Michigan's economy has lost 337,900 jobs since 2000, including 235,400 manufacturing jobs, while South Carolina has lost 85,500 manufacturing jobs on President Bush's watch. [Joint Economic Committee Reports, 9/7/07] In Romney's own state of Massachusetts, 10,000 jobs were lost on his watch. [Boston Herald, 2/21/07]

Romney also offered smooth talk on how opening international markets would boost Iowa agriculture, but avoided taking a stand on whether he supports opening Cuba's market to Iowa's corn, grain, and dairy producers, as Iowa's Republican Secretary of Agriculture has proposed. [Agri News, 10/23/07] Finally, Romney said he supported the Doha Round of trade negotiations, but refused to say how he would end the current diplomatic impasse over whether to cut farm subsidies to American farmers. [AP, 11/01/07] Earlier this year, Romney flip-flopped on farm subsidies, telling an Iowa radio host that he supports them even though he supported slashing subsidies and "virtually eliminating" the Department of Agriculture during his 1994 Senate campaign. [Sioux City Journal, 6/28/07]

"Smooth talking Mitt Romney is in for a big surprise if he thinks the American people are looking to trade one Bush Republican for another next year," said Democratic National Committee spokesman Damien LaVera. "President Bush's failed trade and economic policies have hurt America's working families and we simply cannot afford four years of more of Bush Republicans exporting good jobs."

While John McCain is claiming he'll "stop wasteful spending" and "restore trust in government" in a new TV ad running in New Hampshire, the one-time maverick continues to ignore key questions about his own record. In the United States Senate McCain sponsored pork projects that included steering $10 million to launch an academic center in his home state, and to add $14.3 million to a bill that had already been completed for an Air Force base that never even requested the money. Proving how far he was willing to go to shed his former image as a maverick, McCain even elevated a well known pork lobbyist to head his campaign's fundraising earlier this year.

"It's time for a little 'straight talk' from John McCain," said Democratic National Committee spokesman Luis Miranda. "Having herded his own pork projects through the Senate and having put a well known lobbyist in charge of fundraising for his campaign, why should New Hampshire voters trust that he'll really stop wasteful spending? "

JOHN MCCAIN'S LOVE /HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH PORK

McCain Fights Other's Pork, Pushes His Own. "Arizona Sen. John McCain is sponsoring two interesting pieces of legislation. One mounts a direct assault on congressional earmarks, those little morsels of home district pork that lawmakers slip into unrelated spending bills. The other steers $10 million to the University of Arizona to launch an academic center honoring the late Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist. Yes, McCain does seem to be saying to himself: Stop me before I sin again. McCain and co-sponsor Jon Kyl, Arizona's other GOP senator, insist their pork proposal isn't hypocritical because they aren't trying to hide anything. It is set out in stand-alone legislation to be vetted on its own merits. In Congress, it seems, the only bad pork projects are those sponsored by somebody else." [Chicago Tribune, 3/4/06]

McCain Broke His Own Pork-Barrel Spending Rules. "After years of crusading against 'pork-barrel' spending projects in Congressional appropriations bills, Senator McCain may be breaking his own rules. McCain pushed for, and got, $14.3 million for Arizona's Luke Air Force Base inserted into the just-completed fiscal 2004 military construction appropriations conference report. The only problem is the project to acquire more land near the base was not requested. [Roll Call, 11/6/03]

McCain's Chief Fundraiser Earned $3.9 Million for Creating $40 Million in Federal Pork. McCain's new Presidential campaign consigliere, and chief fundraising strategist, Tom Loeffler, founder of Loeffler Group has spent much of the last decade as a lobbyist. According to documents filed with the Secretary of the Senate, Loeffler and his associates have collected $3,920,000 over the years lobbying for the Texas cities of San Antonio, Houston, Pharr, Donna and Mercedes. In return, according to Citizens Against Government Waste, the cities received $40 Million and possibly more in Federal Government pork. [Politico, 4/4/07; Washington Post, 4/4/07; Lobbyist Disclosure Documents Filled with Secretary of the Senate, Citizens Against Government Waste Pig Book 2003-06]

John McCain takes a bag full of tricks but no treats to the Kaiser Family Foundation's Presidential Candidate Forums today as he presents a health care reform plan that would bring the Bush Administration's failed health care policies back from the dead.

The frightfully feeble plan includes a Bush-like tax credit gimmick that has been criticized as likely to lead to loss of coverage or higher costs for Americans already weighed down by exorbitant health care expenses. Adding insult to injury, McCain's plan would gut mandates in 44 states that require coverage of emergency room care, direct access to an OB/GYN, and other important services. Channeling President Bush, McCain also ignores the plight of the 47 million Americans who are uninsured, supports the President's veto of health care coverage for 10 million American children, and has voted time and again against Medicare and against helping seniors pay for prescription drugs.

"The scariest prospect this Halloween is how little John McCain would do about the health care challenges confronting the American people if he were to become President," said DNC spokesman Luis Miranda. "With votes against health care for uninsured kids, Medicare, and a tax credit gimmick that could force more Americans to lose coverage, McCain's health care plan is clearly more trick than treat. McCain ought to dress up as George W. Bush today, because he's clearly offering the same failed leadership."

Below is a DNC Research Fact Sheet on McCain's Bush-style plan:

NO HELP FOR 47 MILLION WITHOUT INSURANCE

McCain's plan does not focus on "reducing the ranks of the uninsured," of which there are about 47 million, or one in seven Americans. [Wall Street Journal, 10/11/07]

PLAN WOULD GUT REQUIREMENTS PASSED IN ALMOST EVERY STATE

McCain Would Dislodge State Regulations. McCain's plan would allow companies to offer national plans based in states that don't have requirements passed by the vast majority of other states, including emergency care, required by 44 states. "Mr. McCain would also allow people to buy insurance across state lines." [Wall Street Journal, 10/11/07]

State Mandates That Would Be Overridden Include:

• Emergency Room Care (currently required by 44 states)
• Direct Access to OB/GYN (44 states)
• Diabetes (47 States)
• Colorectal Cancer Screening (23 States)
• Mental Health Parity (45 States)
• Post-Mastectomy Breast Reconstruction (33 States)
• Off-Label Prescription Drug Use (36 States)
• Chiropractors (46 states)
• Clinical Trials (20 States)

SOURCE: National Conference of State Legislatures (http://www.ncsl.org/programs/health/hmolaws.htm), accessed 7/30/07; Council For Affordable Health Insurance, accessed 7/30/07 (http://www.cahi.org/cahi_contents/resources/pdf/MandatePub2007.pdf)

TAX CREDITS & INDIVIDUAL MARKET: BUSH ALREADY TRIED THIS AND FAILED

McCain Wants To Move Away From Employer-Based System. "The existing tax break for employer-sponsored insurance would be eliminated, taking a step away from the work-based model in place for the last half century and toward an individual market." [Wall Street Journal, 10/11/07]

• Bush's Plan Panned For Eroding Employer-Sponsored Health Care. Experts criticized Bush's health care plan proposed early in 2007 because it would "erode the employer-sponsored system that still provides coverage to more than half of all Americans." It prompted fear among many that the plan "would prompt more employers to drop health coverage and offer employees an immediate increase in wages to buy coverage on the individual market. But those plans tend to be more expensive, less comprehensive and harder to get for consumers who are already sick." [Washington Post, 1/25/07]

McCain Just Like Bush Plan. "President Bush proposed a similar idea" to the tax credits in McCain's plan, which was dead-on-arrival in Congress in early 2007, because the plan only awarded those who purchased insurance in the private market. [Wall Street Journal, 10/11/07; Washington Post, 1/25/07]

Experts "Skeptical" Of Fundamentals. "But health-care policy experts yesterday were skeptical …saying it will be hard to entice people to leave employer-based programs and also difficult to push marketplace prices down so much that the uninsured can jump in." [New York Newsday, 8/1/07]

Experts: McCain's Plan Would Make It Hard For Those Who Need It Most To Find Coverage. In a plan like McCain's for individual coverage, it would be "difficult for older, sicker people to find affordable coverage or, in some cases, any coverage at all." [Wall Street Journal, 6/7/07]

NY Times: Danger Of Cherry-Picking. Among the central criticisms of moving away from an employer-based system" is the concern that insurance companies would "'cherry pick' by insuring only healthier people, or by charging much higher rates to more vulnerable people -- like those with chronic diseases." [New York Times, 8/1/07]

McCain Has Long History of Votes Against Medicare & Prescription Drug Help for Seniors

1997: McCain Voted in Favor of Raising Eligibility Age, Means Testing. McCain voted in support of provisions that would increase the age for Medicare eligibility to 67, impose a new $5 copayment for home health care visits, and means test Medicare. He also voted in support of provisions that would gradually raise the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67 between 2003 and 2027. [CQ Vote 115, 1997, Rejected 25-75, 6/25/97; Vote was on motion to waive the budget act; CQ Vote 112, Motion to waive the budget act passed 62-38, 6/24/97]

1999: McCain Voted for Tax Plan That Threatened Medicare. McCain voted against a Democratic proposal to save Social Security and extend the solvency of Medicare. Instead, McCain voted for a risky $792 billion tax cut that failed to protect the Social Security program and would have required dipping into the Social Security Trust Fund by $124 billion over five years. [Boston Globe, 3/26/99, Washington Post, 3/26/99; CQ Vote# 59, 3/25/99, DPC Press Release, "A 'Groundhog Day' Report,", 2/2/00; CQ Vote# 86, 4/15/99; New York Times, 4/15/99]

2002: McCain Voted For Less Prescription Drug Coverage for Seniors. In 2002, McCain voted to provide a new voluntary prescription drug benefit for eligible Medicare beneficiaries. It would limit monthly premiums to $24, establish a $259 deductible in 2005 and a 50 percent cost share between $251 and $3,450, and a catastrophic limit of $3,700 for out-of-pocket expenses. It would provide beneficiaries a choice of at least two competing plans. [S 812, Vote 187, 7/23/02, Failed 48-51, D 2-48; R 45-3; I 1-0]

2005: McCain Voted to Cut Billions From Medicare and Medicaid. McCain voted for the budget reconciliation bill that cut $3.9 billion from the amount Medicaid pays for prescription drugs, and cut $3.2 billion by allowing states to reduce benefits and increasing the amount beneficiaries pay. The bill also reduced spending on Medicare by $6.4 billion by requiring that beneficiaries purchase medical equipment and cutting payments to home health care providers. [Senate CQ Vote #363, 12/21/05; CQ, 12/26/05]

WASHINGTON - On a three day swing through New Hampshire, John McCain once again highlighted a major contradiction in his campaign rhetoric. While McCain often refers to Osama Bin Laden and has promised to capture him if elected President, he won't answer what he would do differently from the Bush Administration in Iraq, a conflict that has diverted resources and distracted attention from the capture of Osama Bin Laden.

In the latest example, McCain claimed yesterday that the Al Qaeda leader's new tape is "a clear sign that we are succeeding in Iraq." But when asked by an undecided voter if he would "follow President Bush's path and stay in the war, or reduce the number of U.S. troops" in Iraq, McCain answered by stating "that he believes the troop escalation over the past year has been effective." [AP, 10/22/07]

"If John McCain is promising to follow the same path as George W. Bush," asked DNC spokesman Luis Miranda, "how can the American people expect anything but four more years of our brave troops being bogged down in Iraq while Osama Bin Laden remains free to operate out of his Al Qaeda propaganda studio?"

McCain will Allow Iraq to Distract From Bin Laden, Al Qaeda, and Afghanistan. On the trail, McCain has avoided explaining how he would capture Bin Laden, declining "to indicate how he thought he could succeed where other presidents have failed and he evaded a question whether he would willingly invade countries that are allies to the United States, such as Pakistan, to achieve his end." Despite acknowledging that the "Taliban's recent resurgence...threatens to lead Afghanistan to revert to its pre-9/11 role as a sanctuary for terrorists with global reach," McCain offers more of the same Bush rhetoric, insisting that Iraq is the "central front" on the "war on terror" and refusing to change course there, noting that he supports "continuing efforts to win in Iraq." [Iowa Caucuses Gazette Online, 9/12/07; Foreign Affairs, Nov/Dec 2007]

McCain Allies Worried About Loeffler's Role As Saudi Arabia's Lobbyist. The National Journal reported that "some McCain allies privately worry that Loeffler's heightened role in the campaign will also bring more attention to his lobbying practice and his representation in Washington of Saudi Arabia, America's less-than-reliable autocratic ally. The Saudi government paid the Loeffler Group a whopping $7.9 million from December 1, 2005, though November 2006 -- the largest fee collected from a foreign government by any lobbying firm in 2006 -- for help in Washington, including working Republicans on Capitol Hill." [National Journal, 4/7/07]

• Loeffler Lobbied For Saudi Arabia To Join WTO While Kingdom Continued Israel Boycott. Tom Loeffler was hired to help Saudi Arabia "gain admission to the World Trade Organization, although the kingdom continues to officially boycott Israel, a WTO member nation." According to the New York Sun, The Loeffler Group was retained in December 2002, and was paid "$840,000 a year to lobby the White House and Congress on 'trade issues,' including matters relating to the World Trade Organization, according to documents filed by the firm with the Department of Justice." [New York Sun, 1/10/03; O'Dwyer's PR Services Report, Pg. 40 Vol. 20 No. 9, September 2006]

McCain Wants Massive Military Buildup, But Has No Plan To Obtain the Resources. According to John McCain's essay in Foreign Affairs, his administration would "increase the size of the US Army and the Marine Corps…to 900,000 troops," as well as drastically increasing the amount spent on national defense, "which currently consumes less than four cents of every dollar that our economy generates -- far less than what we spent during the Cold War." However, McCain's plan is mostly "wishful thinking," as he gives no plan as to where the resources for building up the military will come from; "the country is already in deficit, a deficit McCain's tax policies will deepen." [Foreign Affairs, November/December 2007; TheAtlantic.com, Matthew Yglesias, 10/15/07]

But in 2005, McCain Voted Against Appropriating $70 Million To Identify And Track Shipments Of Hazardous Materials. In 2005, McCain voted against waiving Budget Act to consider Schumer amendment which would appropriate $70 million to identify and track shipments of hazardous materials using global positioning system technology for the Transportation Security Administration. [HR 2360, Vote 181, 7/14/05, Failed 36-62, D:35-8, R:0-54, I:1-0]

2003: McCain voted To Kill An Effort to Increase Port Security By $100 Million and Coast Guard Security Funding By $42 Million. McCain voted for the Cochran, R-Miss., motion to table (kill) the Byrd, D-W.Va., amendment that would increase funding for port and maritime security grants in the bill by $100 million and funding for Coast Guard operations and security by $42 million, and that would designate $50 million for assessing chemical plant security. [Vote 300, HR 2555, 7/24/2003, Passed 51-45 D 1-43 R 50-1 I 0-1]

2003: Voted Against $1 Billion in Funding for Port Security. McCain voted against appropriating a total of $1 billion for port security, including $840 million for the Customs Service, the Transportation Security Administration and grants to states and localities; $150 million for the Coast Guard; and $10 million for a federal law enforcement training center. [S 762, Vote 115, 4/2/03, Passed 52-47, D 1-46; R 51-0; I 0-1]

2003: McCain Said Bush Led With "Clarity" And Did Not Exaggerate the Case for War. In 2003 McCain praised Bush's leadership on the Iraq war saying, "I think the president has led with great clarity and I think he's done a great job leading the country, don't you all?" And asked if he thought the president exaggerated the case for war, McCain said, "I don't think so." [MSNBC, Hardball, 4/23/03; Fox News, 7/31/03]

2003: McCain Said The End Is "Very Much In Sight." Senator McCain was asked "At what point will America be able to say the war was won?" McCain said there were oil fields to secure and "die-hards" to take care of but "it's clear that the end is very much in sight, and today I think Americans should be very proud of their leadership". [ABC News, Good Morning America, 4/9/03]

2005: McCain Said That Another Year Will Prove "Stay the Course" Is Working. "McCain believes that the U.S., and the cause of Iraqi independence, are moving forward in Iraq, a little bit at a time. 'I think the situation on the ground is going to improve,' he says. 'Overall, I think a year from now, we will have made a fair amount of progress if we stay the course.'" [The Hill, 12/8/05]

2006: McCain's Top Political Advisor Says McCain's Support for the War is "Stay the Course, No Matter What." John McCain's top advisor explained McCain's support for the war and the impact it would have on McCain's future aspirations saying, "It is stay-the-course, no matter what. And if it dooms McCain, so be it." [Bloomberg News, 4/20/06]

2006: McCain Said That Iraq Was "On The Right Track" As The Country Moved Closer To Civil War. Speaking on the "Imus In The Morning" radio show on March 1, 2006, McCain played down the increasing civil violence in Iraq. When Imus remarked that Iraq "already looks like a civil war," McCain responded, saying, "I keep trying to look at the bright side of this because we have to because the consequences of failure are catastrophic. But the gathering of the seven most respected religious leaders the day before yesterday, calling for calm and calling for some kind of reconciliation, I think, was important. I think, at least we're on the right track here." [MSNBC, Imus in the Morning, 3/1/06]

2007: McCain Called For Long-Term Troop Presence In Iraq. "Most Americans should accept a long-term United States military presence in Iraq as long as the number of U.S. casualties can drop to almost nothing, Senator John McCain said. 'We have had troops in South Korea for 60 years and nobody minds,' McCain said." [Des Moines Register, 6/2/07]

2007: McCain Claims Political Success, Pleads for More Time for Surge. McCain told MSNBC that "the security situation is such on the ground that we can have the Iraqi military take over more of those responsibilities. There is great local political progress being made." McCain argued for more time for the surge despite lack of progress on key benchmarks telling CBS that, "this new strategy's only had a few months." [MSNBC, 9/11/07; CBS Early Show, 9/11/07]

###

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement after President Bush announced his nomination of retired Lt. General James Peake to head the Department of Veterans Affairs.

If confirmed, Peake will take over a highly criticized Bush Veterans Affairs Department which has failed to provide promised services, properly care for our wounded veterans at medical centers like Walter Reed, and left the personal financial information of America's 26.5 million veterans vulnerable.

Democrats have kept their promise to make improving health care and benefits for veterans a top priority, passing the largest increase in veterans' health care funding in our nation's history.

"Lt. General Peake has a tremendous responsibility ahead of him if he's confirmed. The Bush Administration has failed America's veterans, asking them to risk their lives for a disastrous Iraq policy and then neglecting them after their brave service. This must change. Democrats will continue to stand up to President Bush, fighting to fully fund veterans' health care services and to fix the VA. Lt. General Peake must stand with America's veterans and military families, not the partisan politics of the Bush Administration. We owe our troops and veterans better."

Washington, DC - Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement after President Bush threatened to veto funding important to the American people:

"President Bush has it all wrong. Voting to end the war in Iraq is not wasted time. Voting to give low income kids health care is not wasted time. And voting to care for our brave veterans is not wasted time. The hypocrisy from this White House is almost unbelievable, even from President Bush. After signing $3 trillion in new spending, President Bush and his Republican allies are playing political games to distract from their dismal fiscal record but Congress will not be bullied into giving him a blank check for his failed policies. Democrats will continue to fight for the American people, and voters will elect a Democratic president next year to ensure that the White House will listen to them."

REPUBLICANS GET A FAILING GRADE FOR THEIR RECORD ON SPENDING BILLS:

Republican Congress Failed to Adopt a Budget. Last year, as in 2004, the Republican Congress failed to approve a budget resolution. [CQ Budget Tracker]

Republican Congress Failed to Pass Almost Half of Appropriations Bills. During Bush's first six years in office, 38 appropriations bills were enacted individually while 36 were covered through omnibus spending bills, minibus spending bills or continuing resolutions. [Congressional Research Service]

President Bush Never Vetoed a Spending Bill from the Republican Congress. "Before Democrats took control of Congress from Republicans in January, Bush never vetoed any of these regular spending bills, even though they created record deficits and ran up the federal debt by about $3 trillion." [Associated Press, 7/26/07]

President Bush Signed Legislation that Exceeded His Request. In each of the past five years, President Bush signed appropriations levels that exceeded his requests. [Congressional Research Service]

• President Bush Has Been Willing to Accept Higher Levels of Total Appropriations. The difference between actual appropriations and the Bush request was nearly $16 billion in FY 2002, $9.5 billion in FY03, $10.5 billion in FY04, $4.7 billion in FY05, and $53 billion in FY06 (more than twice the increase proposed in this year's congressional budget resolution). [Congressional Research Service]

Tomorrow, the Democratic Leadership of the House Judiciary Committee will hold an oversight hearing on the Voting Section of the Department of Justice, an office politicized by the Bush Administration to promote their own divisive brand of politics. Testifying at the hearing will be John Tanner, chief of the Voting Section. Earlier this month at a meeting of the National Latino Congreso, Tanner asserted that voter ID laws do not disenfranchise minorities because "minorities don't become elderly the way white people do; they die first," a statement that has been widely criticized. [FOX News.com, 10/20/07]

Under the Bush Administration's politicized Justice Department we have seen an outright attack on voting rights. While the Democratic Party has worked to protect every American's right to vote and have that vote counted, Republicans have aimed to create roadblocks for certain Americans to exercise their right to vote through restrictive voter ID laws, voter purging, and voter intimidation tactics. In their latest scheme, the Republican Administration has manipulated the mission of the Department of Justice, firing US Attorneys who were unwilling to pursue phony "voter fraud" cases, and politicized the Civil Rights Division.

DNC Chairman Howard Dean and DNC Voting Rights Institute Chair Donna Brazile issued the following joint statement before Tanner's testimony:

"The right to vote is critical to our democracy, yet under Republicans the Justice Department has waged an outright assault on this fundamental right. John Tanner's outrageous comments underscore the GOP's utter disregard for the integrity of our nation's election system and are an affront to the spirit of the Voting Rights Act. He should be fired immediately and replaced with someone who will work to make sure that all citizens are able to vote and have their vote counted. In order to even begin to undo the damage done by Bush Republicans, if confirmed as Attorney General, Judge Mukasey must commit to replacing Tanner with someone who will protect our rights, not ignore them for a partisan agenda."

Tanner Claims Voter ID Laws Don't Help Minorities Because Minorities "Die First." At an Oct. 5 meeting of the National Latino Congreso, when asked about voter ID laws Tanner said, "'Our society is such that minorities don't become elderly the way white people do; they die first,' Tanner said. 'There are inequities in health care,' Tanner continued. 'There are a variety of inequities in this country. And so anything that disproportionately impacts the elderly has the opposite impact on minorities; just the math is such as that.'" [FOX News.com, 10/20/07]

Even though it would cost more than 8,700 kids in New Hampshire needed health care coverage, Rudy Giuliani continues to oppose the bipartisan plan to provide 10 million children nationwide with health care. In Manchester today, he'll likely continue to back President Bush's veto threat of the plan while also trying to justify his support for borrowing $196 billion just for one year of the war in Iraq. [CNBC Interview, July 2007, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgnOhJtJ6_E; AP, 9/26/07, Families USA, 9/25/07]

Giuliani unveiled a new radio ad today but failed to address his support for President Bush's veto and his long record of cutting health care services for children. As mayor of New York City, he routinely slashed millions of dollars for city-run child health care clinics serving the poor and cut city funding for Medicaid and an asthma initiative for kids in the Bronx. [Newsday, 5/10/00, 3/11/97]; Kids First New York; Children's Impact Analysis of the Mayors FY96 Executive Budget, Citizens Committee for Children of New York; Daily News, 2/26/98, 2/27/98]

"Like President Bush, Rudy Giuliani would spend billions of dollars on a failed strategy in Iraq and then block funding for doctor visits kids need when they're sick and the checkups they need to stay well," said DNC Spokesman Dag Vega. "Given that he routinely cut health care benefits for kids as mayor of New York City, do Granite State voters really want four more years of a leader who would deny our kids health care?"


Giuliani Radio Ad :60
"Chances" (New Hampshire)
10/29/07
http://www.joinrudy2008.com/article/pr/941

RHETORIC
RUDY GIULIANI: "I had prostate cancer, five, six years ago. My chance of surviving prostate cancer, and thank God I was cured of it, in the United States, 82%. My chances of surviving prostate cancer in England, only 44% under socialized medicine."

• REALITY
  Experts: Giuliani Plan Likely To Discourage People From Seeing Doctors, Unlikely To Actually Reduce Cost of Care. Under Giuliani's plan, individuals would be encouraged to pick the least expensive plans - those with lowest premium costs. The Concord Monitor noted that young healthy individuals would probably opt for "the equivalent of liability insurance." However, this would discourage visits with doctors; the Wall Street Journal wrote that "Experts say that providing greater benefits encourages patients to see doctors before an illness progresses too far and is costlier to treat." [Concord Monitor, 8/1/07; Wall Street Journal, 6/7/07]

RHETORIC
RUDY GIULIANI: "You and I should be making the decisions about what kind of health care we get with our doctors, not with a government bureaucrat. What we need to do is to give people a $15,000 deduction for a family, a $7500 deduction for an individual so they can go out and by their own health insurance."

• REALITY
  Deduction Is "Essentially Meaningless" For Many Families, Especially Low Income Families Likely To Be Uninsured. "Married couples with two children earning less than $42,850 this year will owe no income tax, so the $15,000 tax deduction will be essentially meaningless to them. For similar families earning $60,000, $90,000 and between $120,000 and $150,000, a $15,000 tax deduction increases annual after-tax income by $2,250, $2,450, and $3,750, respectively. In a world of $13,000 annual family health premiums, there would be little incentive for workers to replace heavily subsidized employer-provided health insurance with insurance purchased on the open market." [Editorial, Washington Times, 8/4/07 (emphasis added)]
  

RHETORIC
RUDY GIULIANI: "If we do that, and we end up with a market of 50, 60 million Americans buying their own health insurance, without a mandate, the cost of health insurance will come down and the quality will come up

• REALITY
  New York Times: Giuliani's Plan Might Actually Raise Costs. "The big risk here, it seems, is that people will fail to get the kind of preventative care that can prevent bigger, more expensive problems." ["The Caucus," NYtimes.com, 7/30/07 (http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/07/30/giulianis-health-care-plan)]
  
  FactCheck.org: Giuliani Similar Claim Was "Unsupported By Any Evidence. "Giuliani made a claim, unsupported by any evidence we can find, that health insurance rates would drop by half if more citizens bought their own health insurance." [Factcheck.org, 10/22/07, http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/florida_fandango.html]

RHETORIC
RUDY GIULIANI: "Government has never been able to reduce costs. Government never increases quality. We have the best health care system in the world. We just have to make it better."

• REALITY
  Giuliani Cut Health Programs, Including Prostate Screening Program, As Mayor. "Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's budget, unveiled last month as he was being tested for prostate cancer, would eliminate a $ 750,000 program that provides free screenings for the disease for uninsured New Yorkers." [Newsday (New York), 5/10/00]

As Mayor, Giuliani Pushed More Onto Government Health Programs. "Giuliani launched a massive 'HealthStat' program in 2000 to get city employees to increase the number of uninsured, low-income kids and adults into public programs such as Medicaid, Child Health Plus and Family Health Plus."

RHETORIC
VOICEOVER: "Rudy Giuliani. Leadership. Principle. Results."

RUDY GIULIANI: "I'm Rudy Giuliani and I approved this message."

VOICEOVER: "Paid for by Rudy Giuliani Presidential Committee Incorporated. Visit joinrudy2008.com"

McCain Supports Replacing Social Security Benefits With Risk-Based Private Savings Accounts. In 2006, McCain voted for the Social Security Reserve Fund. The GOP proposal would shift Social Security's annual surpluses into a reserve account intended to be turned into risky private accounts. In 2005, McCain voted to keep the option open for Congress to pass a Social Security plan that could require deep benefit cuts or a massive increase in debt. That same year, McCain voted against legislation that would prioritize Social Security solvency over tax cuts for the wealthy. And, in 1998 McCain voted twice to replace Social Security's guaranteed benefits with income from risk-based private investments. [SCR 83, Vote 68, 3/16/06, Failed 46-53, D:0-44, R:46- 8, I:0-1; SCR 18, Vote 49, 3/15/05, Failed 50-50, D:44-0, R:5-50, I:1-0; S.Amdt.144 to SCR 18, Vote 47, 3/15/05, Failed 45-55, D:44-0, R:0-55, I:1-0; Vote No. 56, SCR 86, 4/1/98, motion passed 51-49 (R 49-6, D 2-43); Vote No. 77, SCR 86, 4/1/98, motion passed 50-48 (R 49-5, D 1-43)]

McCain Voted Against Protecting Social Security Over Several Years. In 2003 Senator McCain voted to use Social Security to pay off federal debt. In 2001, McCain opposed a move that would reduce upper-bracket tax cuts and create a strategic reserve for Social Security. In the same year, McCain voted against a proposal that would have created lockboxes to protect Social Security and Medicare. [(Vote 201, HJR 51, 5/23/2003, Passed 52-46 D 1-45 R 51-0 I 0-1); (Vote 145, (Motion rejected 41-57: R 0-48; D 41-9 (ND 36-5, SD 5-4)), HR 1836, Senate RPC, 5/22/01); (Vote 22, (Motion rejected 53- 47: R 3-47; D 50-0 (ND 41-0, SD 9-0)), S. Amdt. 29, Senate RPC, 3/13/01)]

Romney Does NOT Have a Plan to Fix Social Security; Might Consider Cutting Social Security Benefits. Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said, "Governor Romney has not put out a specific plan with regard to Social Security, but he has stated his opposition to raising taxes." Fehrnstrom said Romney might consider cutting benefits to "high income individuals," but Romney hasn't said who fits that definition. [Boston Globe, 10/15/07]

Romney Praised Personal Accounts for Social Security. Mitt Romney supported the notion of personal accounts for Social Security recipients, a key component of President Bush's Social Security reform plan that failed in Congress. Romney said it would be a good idea to use the Social Security trust fund to allow personal accounts, which could earn higher rates of return for beneficiaries. Romney said, "Personal accounts would be a big plus." [New Hampshire Union Leader, 6/7/07]

Thompson's Plan For Social Security Would Results In A Loss of Benefits For Retirees. Thompson's plan for 'saving' Social Security is to replace the current system of indexing to wages "with a system indexed to the growth in inflation, which typically grows at a lower rate than wages," which would mean that "now-promised benefits could be cut for some workers by 10 percent in the short term and possibly much more in the longer term." Thompson's campaign acknowledged this and even provided an example: "a $40,000-per-year worker born in 1975 would receive $1,562 per month under the current system, compared with a $1,424 a month under Thompson's proposal." [Boston Globe, 10/15/07]

Thompson's Benefit Cuts Plan Would Most Adversely Affect Low Income Workers...And Cause Poverty Among the Elderly. According to the Congressional Budget Office, if Thompson's plan were enacted, "would have benefits 24 percent lower than promised under the current system if the change were implemented next year. Those eligible for benefits in 2050 would receive 40 percent less." In addition, the change Thompson is proposing "would be hard on lower-income workers, who rely heavily or entirely on Social Security in retirement." According to the Congressional Research Service, "if we were doing what Thompson wants, there would be 10 million elderly Americans living in poverty today instead of just three million." [Washington Post, 10/12/07; MSNBC, 10/11/07]

Thompson Supported Bush's Failed Social Security Plan And Co-Sponsored Legislation To Create Personal Savings Accounts. Fred Thompson vigorously supports President Bush's plan to privatize Social Security. In 2000, when speaking to a group of Tennessee Republicans, he "applauded Bush for his plan to change Social Security," and in 2001 he appeared on CNN and defended the president's plan as providing a better return in the long run. In 1999, Fred Thompson co-sponsored legislation that would allow Americans "to divert a portion of their payroll taxes to a personal savings account." [Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN), 8/22/00; CNN's Wolf Blitzer Reports, 3/24/01; Fred Thompson Weekly Senate Column, 5/28/99, http://web.archive.org/web/19990902113121/thompson.senate.gov/052899.html]

Washington, DC - Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement on the California wildfires:

"As the wildfires continue to rage, our thoughts and prayers go out to the people of California. In this time of crisis, you are not alone. I also want to thank the firefighters, rescue workers, volunteers, National Guard and all who have answered the call to help. Their service and sacrifice demonstrates the best of America and affirms that in times of need, we come together to help one another."

###

WASHINGTON, DC - El Presidente Bush ofreció un discurso sobre la política hacia Cuba de su Administración luego de casi ocho años de ofrecerle promesas vacías a la comunidad Cubano Americana, y luego de haber repatriado a unos 8,000 refugiados Cubanos que huían del regimen Castrista durante su presidencia. [New York Times, 10/23/07; AP, 10/24/07; New York Sun, 1/18/06]

El discurso, demasiado poco y demasiado tarde, sigue una serie de errores torpes cometidos por los potenciales sucesores del Presidente en el Partido Republicano durante su búsqueda de apoyo en la comunidad Cubano Americana en Florida. Mitt Romney ha usado frases de Castro y promovido estereotipos, Fred Thompson ha acusado a los refugiados Cubanos de traer bombas en maletas a la vez que ha defendido su hábito de fumar cigarros ilegalmente traídos de Cuba, y Rudy Giuliani le ha enviado mensajes confusos a la comunidad.

"Si los esfuerzos torpes de los candidatos Republicanos nos dicen algo, es que otra Administración Republicana sería tan irrelevante en torno a Cuba como lo ha sido la Administración Bush," dijo el portavoz del Comité Nacional Demócrata Luis Miranda. "El historial Republicano es uno de fracasos, no solo en los temas de Cuba, sino también por seguir avanzando políticas que le harían daño a la comunidad Cubano Americana como la privatización del Seguro Social y el veto de la cobertura de cuidado médico para los niños de nuestro país. En el tema de Cuba, en el cual estamos unidos en querer ayudarle al pueblo Cubano lograr la libertad y la democracia, al igual que en temas domésticos, la comunidad Cubano Americana se merece más que promesas vacías."

Algunos de los errores más notables de los candidatos Republicanos incluyen los siguientes:

Fred Thompson

Thompson Dijo Que Los Cubano Que Huyen del Regimen Castrista Pueden Traer Bombas en Maletas a los E.E.U.U. During a speech, Thompson "decried the flow of illegal immigrants from Cuba,saying: 'I don't imagine they're coming here to bring greetings from Castro. We're living in the era of the suitcase bomb.'" [Associated Press, 6/27/07]

Thompson No Tiene Problema Con Fumar Cigarros "Ilegales" Cubanos. "In a Political Connections interview airing...on Bay News 9, Thompson brushed off the apparent contradiction between the embargo and his fondness for Cuban stogies. 'If I have a friend that occasionally passes me a cigar, I don't check its heritage,' he said. 'You know, if it's good, I smoke it.' Miami-Dade Democratic chairman Joe Garcia questioned whether law-and-order voters will embrace a candidate 'who smokes something illegal.'" [St. Pete Times, 9/16/07]

Mitt Romney

Romney Usó Frase de Castro en Un Discurso. Romney triggered outrage in Miami by quoting Cuban dictator Fidel Castro's traditional sign-off line "patria o muerte, venceremos" - a "Communist rallying cry" which means "Fatherland or death, we shall overcome." The incident and Romney's woeful explanation of it prompted one local activist to call him an "empty suit," while others criticized his lack of preparation on Cuban issues. [Miami Herald, 3/20/07; Boston Herald, 3/21/07]

La Defensa de Romney Empeoró el Escandalo, Dijo Que la Frase le Pertenecía a Una Cuba Libre. Scholars and prominent Cubans said "Patria o muerte, venceremos" has always been a Communist rallying cry and that it represents the oppressive regime of Fidel Castro. Florida state-Representative Rene Garcia said, "It means communism. It means Fidel Castro. It's a Communist catch phrase." However, Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said, "The phrase belongs to liberators, not oppressors. It doesn't belong to Fidel Castro. It doesn't belong to Hugo Chavez. It belongs to a free Cuba." Garcia said Romney was "ill-advised" to mention the saying, especially at the epicenter of the Cuban-American struggle. Garcia said, "When you come into our community, you should be a little better-prepared." He added that Romney's comments "left a negative taste with local officials." [Boston Herald, 3/20/07]

Romney Ofendió a la Comunidad Cubano Americana Con Uso de Estereotipos. Romney delivered a speech to the Miami-Dade Republican Party that was heavy on anti-communist rhetoric but full of errors. First, he condemned the Venezuelan president who has embraced Castro. Romney said, ''Hugo Chávez has tried to steal an inspiring phrase -- Patria o muerte, venceremos. It does not belong to him. It belongs to a free Cuba.'' Actually, the quote belongs to Castro who is abhorred in the Cuban American community. The quote, for many Cuban Americans, represents the oppressive regime of Fidel Castro. Then, "he punctuated his speech with 'Libertad, libertad, libertad!' to show his support for freedom in Cuba. But to some, he was echoing a line from Scarface, a movie notorious for its stereotyped portrayal of Cuban immigrants." [Miami Herald, 3/19/07]

Rudy Giuliani

Rudy Envía Mensajes Confusos. During a recent visit to Miami, Rudy Giuliani "repeated his mantra that Fidel and Raúl Castro are 'tyrants and thugs.'" At the same event, "asked if he would push for a grand jury indictment of the ailing Castro and his brother...Giuliani did not go as far as saying there should be a grand jury convened." Asked why he didn't say the same things "to Spanish-speaking voters when he was invited to debate on Univision, [Giuliani] said he had so many debate invitations he just couldn't fit it." [AP , 10/19/07; Miami Herald, 10/24/07]

###

For Immediate Release
October 24, 2007

Contact: Luis Miranda - 202-863-8148

WASHINGTON, DC - President Bush delivered a speech today on Cuba policy after almost eight years of offering Cuban Americans empty promises, having repatriated some 8,000 Cuban refugees fleeing the Castro regime during his tenure. [New York Times, 10/23/07; AP, 10/24/07; New York Sun, 1/18/06]

The President's too little, too late speech also comes after his would-be successors in the Republican Party have left a less than favorable impression after tripping over their own feet while trying to court the Cuban American community in Florida. Mitt Romney has quoted Castro and promoted unflattering stereotypes, Fred Thompson has accused Cuban refugees of bringing suitcase bombs but defended the fact he smokes illegal Cuban cigars, and Rudy Giuliani has sent the community mixed messages.

"If the bumbling efforts of the Republican presidential candidates are any indication, another Republican Administration would be just as irrelevant on Cuba as the Bush Administration has been," said Democratic National Committee Spokesman Luis Miranda. "The Republican Record is one of failure, not just on Cuba issues, but for continuing to promote policies that would hurt the Cuban American community like threatening to privatize Social Security and vetoing health care for our nation's children. On Cuba, where we all stand united to help the Cuban people achieve freedom and democracy, as well as on domestic issues, the Cuban American people deserve more than empty promises."

Some of the highlights from this year's Republican presidential candidates include:

Fred Thompson

Thompson Says Cubans Fleeing the Castro Regime Would Bring Suitcase Bombs Into the US. During a speech, Thompson "decried the flow of illegal immigrants from Cuba,saying: 'I don't imagine they're coming here to bring greetings from Castro. We're living in the era of the suitcase bomb.'" [Associated Press, 6/27/07]

Thompson OK Smoking "illegal" Cuban stogies. "In a Political Connections interview airing...on Bay News 9, Thompson brushed off the apparent contradiction between the embargo and his fondness for Cuban stogies. 'If I have a friend that occasionally passes me a cigar, I don't check its heritage,' he said. 'You know, if it's good, I smoke it.' Miami-Dade Democratic chairman Joe Garcia questioned whether law-and-order voters will embrace a candidate 'who smokes something illegal.'" [St. Pete Times, 9/16/07]

Mitt Romney

"Empty Suit" Romney Embraces Castro Rhetoric. Romney triggered outrage in Miami by quoting Cuban dictator Fidel Castro's traditional sign-off line "patria o muerte, venceremos" - a "Communist rallying cry" which means "Fatherland or death, we shall overcome." The incident and Romney's woeful explanation of it prompted one local activist to call him an "empty suit," while others criticized his lack of preparation on Cuban issues. [Miami Herald, 3/20/07; Boston Herald, 3/21/07]

Romney Response Worsens Scandal, Claimed Castro Phrase Belongs to "Free Cuba." Scholars and prominent Cubans said "Patria o muerte, venceremos" has always been a Communist rallying cry and that it represents the oppressive regime of Fidel Castro. Florida state-Representative Rene Garcia said, "It means communism. It means Fidel Castro. It's a Communist catch phrase." However, Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said, "The phrase belongs to liberators, not oppressors. It doesn't belong to Fidel Castro. It doesn't belong to Hugo Chavez. It belongs to a free Cuba." Garcia said Romney was "ill-advised" to mention the saying, especially at the epicenter of the Cuban-American struggle. Garcia said, "When you come into our community, you should be a little better-prepared." He added that Romney's comments "left a negative taste with local officials." [Boston Herald, 3/20/07]

Romney Offended Cuban Americans with Stereotypical Comments. Romney delivered a speech to the Miami-Dade Republican Party that was heavy on anti-communist rhetoric but full of errors. First, he condemned the Venezuelan president who has embraced Castro. Romney said, ''Hugo Chávez has tried to steal an inspiring phrase -- Patria o muerte, venceremos. It does not belong to him. It belongs to a free Cuba.'' Actually, the quote belongs to Castro who is abhorred in the Cuban American community. The quote, for many Cuban Americans, represents the oppressive regime of Fidel Castro. Then, "he punctuated his speech with 'Libertad, libertad, libertad!' to show his support for freedom in Cuba. But to some, he was echoing a line from Scarface, a movie notorious for its stereotyped portrayal of Cuban immigrants." [Miami Herald, 3/19/07]

Rudy Giuliani

Rudy's Mixed Messages. During a recent visit to Miami, Rudy Giuliani "repeated his mantra that Fidel and Raúl Castro are 'tyrants and thugs.'" At the same event, "asked if he would push for a grand jury indictment of the ailing Castro and his brother...Giuliani did not go as far as saying there should be a grand jury convened." Asked why he didn't say the same things "to Spanish-speaking voters when he was invited to debate on Univision, [Giuliani] said he had so many debate invitations he just couldn't fit it." [AP , 10/19/07; Miami Herald, 10/24/07]

Washington, DC - El Presidente del Comité Nacional Demócrata Howard Dean emitió la siguiente declaración hoy en respuesta a que la Casa Blanca se declaró en contra de la ley Sueño (DREAM Act) y que los Republicanos en el Senado bloquearon el proyecto de ley: [White House Statement of Administration Policy, 10/24/07]

"El Senador Reid y los Demócratas en el Congreso se merecen muchos elogios por su trabajo a favor de encontrarle soluciones a los temas de la seguridad fronteriza y la reforma migratoria. Los Republicanos se deben sentir avergonzados por seguir obstaculizando ambas cosas. Niños que llegaron a nuestro país con sus familias con la esperanza de tener una mejor vida, sin tener la culpa de haber venido y en muchos casos habiendo llegado en su infancia, y que ademas consideran Estados Unidos su hogar, se merecen la oportunidad de buscar el Sueño Americano. Estos jovenes quieren prestar servicio en las fuerzas militares y también ir a la universidad con la esperanza de triunfar y poderle contribuir a nuestro país. Que podría ser mejor representación de los valores Americanos? Las acciones de los Republicanos hoy, negandole la educación a niños inmigrantes luego de que le negaron la cobertura de cuidado médico a 10 millones de niños estadounidenses, no representan los valores con los que se fundó nuestra nación."

Washington, DC - Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement today after the White House issued a Statement of Administration Policy opposing the DREAM Act and Bush Republicans blocked consideration of the bill in the Senate: [White House Statement of Administration Policy, 10/24/07]

"Senator Reid and the Democrats in Congress deserve a lot of credit for working toward solutions for border security and immigration reform. Republicans ought to be ashamed of themselves for continuing to stand in the way of both. Children who came to our country with their families in hope of a better life, often in their infancy and through no fault of their own, and who call America home deserve a shot at the American Dream. These kids want to serve in the military and go to college, hoping to succeed and give back to our country. What could be more American? Republicans' actions today, denying immigrant children an education after they denied 10 million American children health care, do not represent the values our country was founded on."

###

WASHINGTON, DC - President Bush delivered a speech today on Cuba policy after almost eight years of offering Cuban Americans empty promises, having repatriated some 8,000 Cuban refugees fleeing the Castro regime during his tenure. [New York Times, 10/23/07; AP, 10/24/07; New York Sun, 1/18/06]

The President's too little, too late speech also comes after his would-be successors in the Republican Party have left a less than favorable impression after tripping over their own feet while trying to court the Cuban American community in Florida. Mitt Romney has quoted Castro and promoted unflattering stereotypes, Fred Thompson has accused Cuban refugees of bringing suitcase bombs but defended the fact he smokes illegal Cuban cigars, and Rudy Giuliani has sent the community mixed messages.

"If the bumbling efforts of the Republican presidential candidates are any indication, another Republican Administration would be just as irrelevant on Cuba as the Bush Administration has been," said Democratic National Committee Spokesman Luis Miranda. "The Republican Record is one of failure, not just on Cuba issues, but for continuing to promote policies that would hurt the Cuban American community like threatening to privatize Social Security and vetoing health care for our nation's children. On Cuba, where we all stand united to help the Cuban people achieve freedom and democracy, as well as on domestic issues, the Cuban American people deserve more than empty promises."

Some of the highlights from this year's Republican presidential candidates include:

Fred Thompson

Thompson Says Cubans Fleeing the Castro Regime Would Bring Suitcase Bombs Into the US. During a speech, Thompson "decried the flow of illegal immigrants from Cuba,saying: 'I don't imagine they're coming here to bring greetings from Castro. We're living in the era of the suitcase bomb.'" [Associated Press, 6/27/07]

Thompson OK Smoking "illegal" Cuban stogies. "In a Political Connections interview airing...on Bay News 9, Thompson brushed off the apparent contradiction between the embargo and his fondness for Cuban stogies. 'If I have a friend that occasionally passes me a cigar, I don't check its heritage,' he said. 'You know, if it's good, I smoke it.' Miami-Dade Democratic chairman Joe Garcia questioned whether law-and-order voters will embrace a candidate 'who smokes something illegal.'"

Mitt Romney

"Empty Suit" Romney Embraces Castro Rhetoric. Romney triggered outrage in Miami by quoting Cuban dictator Fidel Castro's traditional sign-off line "patria o muerte, venceremos" - a "Communist rallying cry" which means "Fatherland or death, we shall overcome." The incident and Romney's woeful explanation of it prompted one local activist to call him an "empty suit," while others criticized his lack of preparation on Cuban issues. [Miami Herald, 3/20/07; Boston Herald, 3/21/07]

Romney Response Worsens Scandal, Claimed Castro Phrase Belongs to "Free Cuba." Scholars and prominent Cubans said "Patria o muerte, venceremos" has always been a Communist rallying cry and that it represents the oppressive regime of Fidel Castro. Florida state-Representative Rene Garcia said, "It means communism. It means Fidel Castro. It's a Communist catch phrase." However, Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said, "The phrase belongs to liberators, not oppressors. It doesn't belong to Fidel Castro. It doesn't belong to Hugo Chavez. It belongs to a free Cuba." Garcia said Romney was "ill-advised" to mention the saying, especially at the epicenter of the Cuban-American struggle. Garcia said, "When you come into our community, you should be a little better-prepared." He added that Romney's comments "left a negative taste with local officials." [Boston Herald, 3/20/07]

Romney Offended Cuban Americans with Stereotypical Comments. Romney delivered a speech to the Miami-Dade Republican Party that was heavy on anti-communist rhetoric but full of errors. First, he condemned the Venezuelan president who has embraced Castro. Romney said, ''Hugo Chávez has tried to steal an inspiring phrase -- Patria o muerte, venceremos. It does not belong to him. It belongs to a free Cuba.'' Actually, the quote belongs to Castro who is abhorred in the Cuban American community. The quote, for many Cuban Americans, represents the oppressive regime of Fidel Castro. Then, "he punctuated his speech with 'Libertad, libertad, libertad!' to show his support for freedom in Cuba. But to some, he was echoing a line from Scarface, a movie notorious for its stereotyped portrayal of Cuban immigrants." [Miami Herald, 3/19/07]

Rudy Giuliani

Rudy's Mixed Messages. During a recent visit to Miami, Rudy Giuliani "repeated his mantra that Fidel and Raúl Castro are 'tyrants and thugs.'" At the same event, "asked if he would push for a grand jury indictment of the ailing Castro and his brother...Giuliani did not go as far as saying there should be a grand jury convened." Asked why he didn't say the same things "to Spanish-speaking voters when he was invited to debate on Univision, [Giuliani] said he had so many debate invitations he just couldn't fit it." [AP , 10/19/07; Miami Herald, 10/24/07]

The following is Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean's schedule for the coming week. All listed times are local.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2007, PHILADELPHIA, PA
Who: DNC Chairman Howard Dean
What: Annual Session of The National Baptist Convention USA
When: Thursday, September 6, 2007 at 3:00 pm
Where: Pennsylvania Convention Center, 1101 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

*For press credentials please contact: Yvonne Drayton at 215-882-3765. The press filing room will be Room 204 A of the Philadelphia Convention Center.

During a campaign stop in the Palmetto State today, smooth talking Mitt Romney once again refused to say how he would address America's health care crisis, saying only that he would leave it up to individual states to decide. [Associated Press, 8/31/07] Yet, in the face of intense criticism from conservative activists, Romney has been working overtime to distance himself from the Massachusetts health care plan he championed and once bragged about passing.

Romney also flip-flopped this week on the question of whether his health care agenda would include tax exemptions to help uninsured Americans pay for health care. During a nationally televised debate on August 5, Romney said tax exemptions are not the way to provide health insurance to every American because many uninsured Americans don't pay taxes. But just two weeks later, he outlined a plan to use tax exemptions to expand health coverage. [Wall Street Journal, editorial, 8/27/07] Worse still, Romney's latest health care plan also rehashed President Bush's failed plan for health savings accounts.

With so much confusion and shameless political posturing, it is no wonder Romney is stuck in single digits among South Carolina Republicans. The most recent American Research Group poll of South Carolina Republicans showed Romney tied for fourth place, with just 9 percent. [Campaigns & Elections, 8/30/07]

"Smooth talking Mitt Romney's flip-flops and blatant pandering are not a prescription for the kind of health care reform the American people want," said Democratic National Committee spokesman Damien LaVera. "While Romney is busy running from his own health care record and rehashing President Bush's failed agenda, the voters are looking for real leaders who can defend their records and tackle the tough challenges facing our country."

Washington, DC- As Americans celebrate Labor Day this weekend, new Census data from last week confirms that Americans are struggling to get by. In 2006, wages declined, the number of Americans without health insurance rose to 47 million, and the number of children without health insurance grew to 8.7 million children.

In honor of Labor Day, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement:

"Americans across the country will observe Labor Day this weekend by honoring the contributions of America's working families. But under the failed leadership of President Bush and his Republican friends, wages have declined, the number of uninsured has increased, and gas and college costs have risen. Yet President Bush and his Republican allies continue to put their special interest friends ahead of American families.

"Democrats are keeping their promises to America's families. Under a Democratic Congress we have increased the minimum wage for the first time in over a decade, passed a bill to make college more affordable by cutting student loan interest rates, passed legislation to give health care to millions of low-income children and fought to protect workers' rights to bargain collectively and form unions. Instead of working with Democrats, Republicans prefer to block progress, and President Bush has threatened to veto legislation that is critical to America's working families.

"As we look towards 2008, the choice between the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates is clear. All of the Democratic candidates are committed to making sure the American Dream is available to everyone, while the Republican candidates want to continue President Bush's narrow special-interest agenda. Electing a Democratic president next year will ensure that America's working families come first."

###

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean today issued the following statement on the passing of Karen Marchioro, a longtime DNC member from Washington State:

"Karen Marchioro was a passionate believer in our Party and its principles who worked tirelessly to elect Democrats at all levels of government. I am proud to consider myself one of her friends and have appreciated her support and counsel both personally and on the DNC. We will all miss her."

As smooth talking Mitt Romney dashes into South Carolina today, his campaign is hitting the airwaves in Iowa and New Hampshire with a new ad that stumbles on the perfect metaphor for his campaign: Romney running. In his desperation to convince Republican primary voters to ignore his real record, Romney has sprinted through an endless array of flip-flops on everything from immigration to abortion to gun control to gay rights. But, with just seven percent of South Carolina Republicans supporting his campaign, Romney seems to be running in place. [Bloomberg, 8/29/07]

In just the last week, Romney has been called out for trying to sprint away from his tax-raising record as Massachusetts governor. Romney's new ad--which features him jogging near his summer home on New Hampshire's Lake Winnipesaukee--claims he inherited a state facing "huge deficits" and "turned it around" without raising taxes. [Boston Globe Political Intelligence blog, 8/29/07] But the Associated Press reported this week that on Romney's watch "Massachusetts led the nation" in new fees imposed on taxpayers. In just his first year in office, Romney raised fees and fines by $501 million, including $140 million in what Romney called business tax "loophole closings." Romney earned the nickname "Fee-Fee" after increasing fees paid by the disabled, gun owners, people seeking training to combat domestic violence, used car buyer--even horseback riding instructors. [Associated Press, 8/28/07]

"Smooth talking Mitt Romney's 'Running Man' ad is the perfect metaphor for a candidate who can't run far enough or fast enough from his dismal record as governor or his previous positions on the key issues in this campaign," said Democratic National Committee Press Secretary Stacie Paxton. "Romney may be desperate to leave his past in the dust, but it's going to take more than new running shoes and slick campaign ads to convince the American people to ignore his flip-flops and blatant pandering."

Romney Rhetoric vs. Reality

ANNOUNCER: "A state losing jobs with huge deficits. Governor Mitt Romney turned it around. Cutting spending, instead of raising taxes."

Massachusetts Lost 10,000 Jobs During Romney's Watch. Romney oversaw a net decrease of more than 10,000 jobs in Massachusetts. [Boston Herald, 2/21/07]

Romney Raised $500 Million in Fees, Imposed More Fee Hikes Than any Other State in the Nation. "A survey of states grappling with spending crises has found that Massachusetts imposed more fee hikes than any other state in the nation this year -- at least $500 million, the Boston Globe reported. GOP Gov. Mitt Romney and the Legislature, faced with a multibillion dollar shortfall, made it more expensive to get a marriage license or a divorce, file a court case, buy a house, renew a driver's license, or tap into a host of other state services. The study by the National Conference of State Legislatures found that Massachusetts was one of 30 states that enacted fee increases this year." [Congress Daily, 8/28/03]

Property Taxes Rose to Highest Level in 25 Years. Romney's cuts to local aid forced Massachusetts property taxes to their highest level in 25 years. [Quincy Patriot Ledger, 12/16/05; Boston Globe, 10/24/05]

Associated Industries of Massachusetts: Romney Forced Hike in Local Commercial Property Taxes. Romney "signed a measure that allowed local officials to raise the commercial property tax rate, which cost business owners $100 million, according to Associated Industries of Massachusetts, the state's largest business group." [Quincy Patriot Ledger, 12/16/05; Boston Globe, 10/24/05]

Romney's Economic Record As Governor Is Shaky At Best. "Since January 2003, when Romney took office, through the end of last year Massachusetts ranked 46th in job growth, up just 1.1 percent. In the last year, the gap between Massachusetts and the nation has widened, with the state's employment rising only four-tenths of 1 percent, or less than a third the national average of 1.3 percent. That put Massachusetts tied for 44th in the country. If all things in life are measured against expectations, Romney will have a particular problem explaining away the economy. He was going to be our CEO Governor, the state's top salesman who could talk businessman-to-businessman and bring home those good-paying jobs. It was all bunk, of course. But he said it, and he will have to live with it. There are 40,000 fewer people in the workforce than when Romney took over." [Boston Globe, 2/15/06]