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A Look At Presidential Debate Topics By The Associated Press October 9, 2004 President Bush and Sen. John Kerry on the issues at Friday's debate: ------ ENVIRONMENT: Bush said he was a "steward of the land" and listed some of his administration's accomplishments, including an agreement to reduce off-road diesel engines by 90 percent, a commitment to grow the wetlands and efforts to reduce air pollution from power plants. Kerry said the Bush administration is one of the worst in modern history for the environment, and sharply criticized Bush for withdrawing from the Kyoto agreement to reduce global warming. ------ DEFICIT: Bush took the country from a record surplus to a record deficit, Kerry said, adding that he would cut the deficit in half in four years. Bush said the deficit was due partly to the recession and the nation's involvement in Iraq, and said his plan would cut it in half in five years. ------ STEM CELLS: Kerry said he supports "ethically guided" embryonic stem-cell research and believes it could help cure diseases like Parkinson's and diabetes. He criticized Bush's policy, saying the lines of stem cells currently available are not adequate. Bush said he is the first president to ever allow federal funding for embryonic stem- cell research, but added that "we've got to be very careful in balancing the ethics and the science." ------ TAXES: Bush said he cut taxes to get the country out of a recession, which was one of the shortest in U.S. history, and that many people saw relief in reduced marriage penalties and higher child credits. Kerry slighted Bush's income tax cut for affecting the top 1 percent of earners and said his own plan would help a greater number of people because it cuts taxes for those earning less than $200,000 a year. ------ PATRIOT ACT: Bush contested the suggestion the Patriot Act has watered down the rights of U.S. citizens, touting it as a law that has provided law enforcement necessary tools to communicate with each other and fight terrorism. Kerry, who voted for the Patriot Act, said he doesn't like the way Attorney General John Ashcroft has applied it. "People's rights have been abused," he said. SOURCE: The Boston Globe National News, Oct 9, 2004 http://tinyurl.com/6pxpa * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn