Democrats Plan to Attack Bush on Home Front

Democratic Party leaders Friday unveiled a revised campaign strategy for the 1990 elections in the wake of the Middle East crisis: back President Bush in his confrontation with Iraq but challenge him on his handling of the economy, energy policy, the savings and loan scandal and other domestic issues.

The blueprint emerged as the executive committee of the Democratic National Committee, beginning its two-day annual fall meeting, unanimously endorsed a resolution proposed by Ron Brown, chairman of the committee, calling on the President to “stop (Iraqi) aggression in the Persian Gulf but start fighting a recession at home.”

The new battle plan reflects the transformation of the political landscape since Iraq’s Aug. 2 seizure of Kuwait led Bush to order the biggest U.S. military buildup of the post-Vietnam era. Before the events in the Persian Gulf occurred, Democrats had seized the political initiative, accusing the Bush Administration of bungling the bailout of the debt-ridden savings and loan industry. The Republicans had seemed in disarray because Bush had retracted his “read-my-lips” pledge on no new taxes.

But the Middle East crisis, by diverting public attention from domestic issues, has threatened to rob the Democratic offensive of its momentum and forced party leaders to shield themselves from criticism by proclaiming their support of the President in his role as commander in chief.

“There is no way we can have Iraq be an issue in this campaign,” Paul Tully, the party’s national political director, said in an interview. “If the voters have to make a choice on that issue, it will work only one way, in support of the President. We can’t send any mixed signals to (Iraq President) Saddam Hussein.”

Still, Democrats maintain that their patriotic stance does not prevent them from striking out at Bush and the GOP on other issues. Friday’s resolution, while expressing “support for our armed forces and the Persian Gulf policy of our commander in chief,” refers to “profound differences over national direction” between Republicans and Democrats.

The resolution denounces the President’s proposed capital gains tax cut as a “giveaway to the rich,” contrasted with Democratic efforts “to assure a fair and progressive tax system with the wealthy paying their fair share.”

The closest the resolution comes to questioning Bush’s management of the Middle East crisis is contained in a reference to the way that the burden of financing Operation Desert Shield is being shared. The resolution states that “our prosperous allies in Europe and Japan must now assume a full share of the burden of defending our mutual interests in peace.”

In an address to the executive committee, Sen. Sam Nunn (D-Ga.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said: “We’re going to have to ask the Japanese diplomatically but firmly to get off their wallets.”