Promises to Keep

The flip-flop label that Republicans have used to describe John Kerry has stuck. Billboards in Florida use images of flip-flops; a September Pew Center Sept indicates that 53 percent of voters believe Kerry "changes his mind too much."

But has President Bush been as steadfast as his campaign suggests? Truthful? You decide. [Unless otherwise noted, quotations are the words of the President.]

9-11 Commission
May 2002: "President Bush took a few minutes during his trip to Europe Thursday to voice his opposition to establishing a special commission to probe how the government dealt with terror warnings before Sept. 11." [CBS News]
Sept 2003: "President Bush said today he now supports establishing an independent commission to investigate the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks." [ABC News]

9-11 Commission - National Intelligence Director
1992: Then Defense Secretary Cheney urged veto of legislation which would have created a national intelligence officer with budget authority over Pentagon spy agencies. [Capital Hill Blue]
2 Aug 2004: "We expect that the National Intelligence Director would have significant input into the development of a budget, and that it would have to be a developed budget consistent with other agencies." [Chief of Staff Andrew Card]
24 Aug 2004: "A far-reaching proposal by Senate Republicans to dismantle the CIA and remove key intelligence agencies from the Pentagon ran into heavy political opposition yesterday ... Bush .... cautioned he would oppose any proposal that would create a new layer of bureaucracy in the president's national security team." [Washington Post]
8 Sept 2004: "We believe that there ought to be a national intelligence director who has full budgetary authority."

9-11 Commission - Time Extension
Jan 2004: "President Bush and House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) have decided to oppose granting more time to an independent commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks." [Washington Post]
Feb 2004: "The White House announced Wednesday its support for a request from the commission investigating the Sept 11, 2001 attacks for more time to complete its work." [CNN]

Air Pollution
2000: When running against Al Gore, Bush said he would include carbon dioxide on a list of air pollutants requiring federal oversight. Campaign Web Site: "Governor Bush will work to... establish mandatory reduction targets for emissions of four main pollutants: sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, mercury and carbon dioxide."
March 2003: "I do not believe, however, that the government should impose on power plants mandatory emissions reductions for carbon dioxide, which is not a 'pollutant' under the Clean Air Act."

Budget - Deficits
March 2001: "...Future generations shouldn't be forced to pay back money that we have borrowed. We pay back money that we have borrowed. We owe this kind of responsibility to our children and grandchildren..."
2004: Budget deficits have hit a record high; national debt hits record high and is passed on to future generations. The National Debt has increased an average of $1.69 billion per day from Sept 2003 - Sept 2004. Also, see Social Security.

Budget - Federal Debt Load
2001 Budget: "The President's plan will accelerate this trend to record rates by retiring an historic $2 trillion in debt over the next 10 years." [Budget, Web Site Document]
2004: All of President Bush's budgets have run deficits. The outstanding U.S. public/national debt as of 23 Sept 04 is $7.4 Trillion. The National Debt has increased an average of $1.69 billion per day from Sept 2003 - Sept 2004. [US Public Debt Clock]

Campaign Finance
Campaign 2000: "George W. Bush opposes McCain-Feingold...as an infringement on free expression." [Washington Post]
Jan 2000: George Will: "[W]ould you veto the McCain-Feingold bill, or the Shays-Meehan bill? Bush: "That's an interesting question. I — I — yes I would. The reason why is two — for one, I think it does respe — res — restrict free speech for individuals. As I understand how the bill was written, I — I - I think there's been two versions of it, but as I understand the first version restricted individuals and/or groups from being able to express their opinion." [ABC News This Week]
Mar 2002: "[T]his bill [McCain-Feingold] improves the current system of financing for Federal campaigns, and therefore I have signed it into law."

Campaign Finance - 527s
Campaign 2000: "That's what freedom of speech is all about. ... People have the right to run ads. They have the right to do what they want to do, under the -- under the First Amendment in America." [CBS Face the Nation, in response to 527 ads attacking Sen. John McCain]
Aug 2004: "I don't think we ought to have 527s... I hope my opponent joins me in condemning these activities of the 527 -- I think they're bad for the system." [Press Conference, reported by CNN]