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DES MOINES—
With his lead in the polls gone, President Bush today highlighted his signature domestic achievement, as he came to this swing state to sign legislation extending key provisions of his across-the-board tax cuts.
He predicted that the extensions, like his earlier three tax cuts, "will have good effects throughout the economy," and called for making the tax cuts permanent and long-term tax code changes.
Bush's pivot back to domestic issues came just four days before a town-hall style debate on Friday that is expected to be dominated by such issues as the economy and healthcare reform.
In two appearances in Iowa, the president — perhaps still smarting from the bipartisan negative reviews of his performance in last Thursday's first debate, which focused entirely on foreign affairs — also assailed Sen. John Kerry's positions on Iraq, North Korea and other foreign policy issues.
Bush issued rebuttals that, it seemed, he wished he had delivered during the nationally televised debate.
At one point, Bush all but shouted that Kerry "has no plan" to end the Iraq war; at another, the president self-consciously posed a question to himself — during an "Ask President Bush" event — to declare anew his opposition to a restoration of the military draft.
At still another point, Bush seemed to bristle at the memory of having been accused by Kerry during their debate of adopting a unilateralist foreign policy, particularly on the Iraq war. Bush noted that in his effort to persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear aspirations — and perhaps its weapons of mass destruction — he has adopted a multilateral approach, bringing in China, South Korea, Japan and Russia into the six-nation talks.
Kerry had called for direct talks between Washington and Pyongyang, an approach that Bush said had failed under the Clinton administration. "It failed once, and it's going to fail again."
Bush brought up his opposition to the draft after answering a question from the parent of a soldier now deployed in Iraq who wanted to know how long U.S. troops might remain there.
After saying that he would bring the troops home immediately after the job was done, the president asked himself whether the nation would continue to maintain an all-voluntary military.
"Absolutely!" he said, eliciting applause from several thousand invited supporters packed into a YMCA gym in nearby Clive.
The tax extension legislation, overwhelmingly approved by both houses of Congress less than two weeks ago, extends several tax-cut provisions that would have expired this year: a $1,000 child tax credit, expansion of the 10% income tax bracket, and relief from the tax code's "marriage penalty."
The legislation extends the per-child tax credit for five years, the 10% tax bracket for six years, and the marriage penalty for four years.
The bill also extended a number of business tax breaks.
Kerry also favors the middle-class tax breaks, but he is proposing to repeal the tax cuts for families earning more than $200,000 and to use the savings to make health care and education more affordable.
Iowa, with its seven electoral votes, is among a half-dozen states that were decided four years ago by less than 10,000 votes, and both Bush and Kerry are making a concerted effort here this year. Statewide polls show Bush with a slim lead over Kerry.
In remarks before signing the tax extension bill, Bush told several hundred Iowans: "Overall, 94 million Americans will have a lower tax bill next year, including 70 million women and 38 million families with children.
"The money they keep will make it easier to save for their retirement, or their children's education, invest in a home or a small business, or pay off credit card debts. "
At a second appearance, in Clive, a suburb of Des Moines, Bush delivered his standard campaign pitch, but with a twist — by taking a swipe at Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), who led a failed healthcare reform effort in 1993-94 while serving as first lady.
He predicted that the extensions, like his earlier three tax cuts, "will have good effects throughout the economy," and called for making the tax cuts permanent and long-term tax code changes.
Bush's pivot back to domestic issues came just four days before a town-hall style debate on Friday that is expected to be dominated by such issues as the economy and healthcare reform.
In two appearances in Iowa, the president — perhaps still smarting from the bipartisan negative reviews of his performance in last Thursday's first debate, which focused entirely on foreign affairs — also assailed Sen. John Kerry's positions on Iraq, North Korea and other foreign policy issues.
Bush issued rebuttals that, it seemed, he wished he had delivered during the nationally televised debate.
At one point, Bush all but shouted that Kerry "has no plan" to end the Iraq war; at another, the president self-consciously posed a question to himself — during an "Ask President Bush" event — to declare anew his opposition to a restoration of the military draft.
At still another point, Bush seemed to bristle at the memory of having been accused by Kerry during their debate of adopting a unilateralist foreign policy, particularly on the Iraq war. Bush noted that in his effort to persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear aspirations — and perhaps its weapons of mass destruction — he has adopted a multilateral approach, bringing in China, South Korea, Japan and Russia into the six-nation talks.
Kerry had called for direct talks between Washington and Pyongyang, an approach that Bush said had failed under the Clinton administration. "It failed once, and it's going to fail again."
Bush brought up his opposition to the draft after answering a question from the parent of a soldier now deployed in Iraq who wanted to know how long U.S. troops might remain there.
After saying that he would bring the troops home immediately after the job was done, the president asked himself whether the nation would continue to maintain an all-voluntary military.
"Absolutely!" he said, eliciting applause from several thousand invited supporters packed into a YMCA gym in nearby Clive.
The tax extension legislation, overwhelmingly approved by both houses of Congress less than two weeks ago, extends several tax-cut provisions that would have expired this year: a $1,000 child tax credit, expansion of the 10% income tax bracket, and relief from the tax code's "marriage penalty."
The legislation extends the per-child tax credit for five years, the 10% tax bracket for six years, and the marriage penalty for four years.
The bill also extended a number of business tax breaks.
Kerry also favors the middle-class tax breaks, but he is proposing to repeal the tax cuts for families earning more than $200,000 and to use the savings to make health care and education more affordable.
Iowa, with its seven electoral votes, is among a half-dozen states that were decided four years ago by less than 10,000 votes, and both Bush and Kerry are making a concerted effort here this year. Statewide polls show Bush with a slim lead over Kerry.
In remarks before signing the tax extension bill, Bush told several hundred Iowans: "Overall, 94 million Americans will have a lower tax bill next year, including 70 million women and 38 million families with children.
"The money they keep will make it easier to save for their retirement, or their children's education, invest in a home or a small business, or pay off credit card debts. "
At a second appearance, in Clive, a suburb of Des Moines, Bush delivered his standard campaign pitch, but with a twist — by taking a swipe at Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), who led a failed healthcare reform effort in 1993-94 while serving as first lady.
