Democrats Rap Bush on Broken Vows, Timidity

Democratic leaders took the offensive today against President Bush’s high approval ratings, accusing the President of broken promises and timid leadership and vowing to end his “free ride.”

Sen. Lloyd Bentsen of Texas, the vice presidential nominee on the party’s losing 1988 ticket, told the Democratic Leadership Council that Bush’s campaign pledge of no new taxes has become “pure Bushlips.”

Bentsen said the Administration has proposed an array of “crypto-taxes” such as user fees, surcharges and other levies. He also accused Bush of being too worried about public opinion to help emerging democracies around the globe.

“Can you imagine Harry Truman hesitating to unveil the Truman Doctrine or the Marshall Plan or the Berlin Airlift because he feared public opinion polls? Can you imagine John Kennedy doing a poll before he dealt with the Cuban missile crisis?” Bentsen asked.

The same theme was sounded by Sen. Sam Nunn (D-Ga.)

“Precisely as our principles and values are prevailing throughout the world, America’s trumpet is sounding an uncertain note,” Nunn said.

The often-fractious Democrats were trying to play down their differences today as two major party groups met in separate cities to plot strategy for their next attempt to recapture the White House.

While the leadership council, dominated by elected officials, met in New Orleans, the Democratic National Committee was meeting in Indianapolis.