Kerry Uses 'Misery Index' to Hit Bush on Economy

[PfcHammer]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040412/pl_nm/campaign_kerry_economy_dc_4

Kerry Uses 'Misery Index' to Hit Bush on Economy

By Patricia Wilson

BOSTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites) on Sunday tried to keep the focus on President Bush (news - web sites)'s economic record of "middle class misery" even as violence in Iraq (news - web sites) threatened to overshadow the campaign.

In a new study for release on Monday, Kerry said a combination of rising college and health care costs, together with sluggish incomes, have squeezed America's working families since Bush took office and eliminated any financial gain from the president's tax cuts.

The core of Kerry's economic argument has been job losses during Bush's tenure, but the report pointed to another problem -- middle class families struggling with "the rising cost of health care, college tuition and gasoline at the same time that wages and incomes are stagnating and personal bankruptcies are at record levels."

Between 2000 and 2003, according to the "Middle Class Misery Index," compiled with data from government and independent sources, wages dropped 0.2 percent while the cost of tuition at public colleges and universities increased a record 13 percent.

At the same time, health insurance premiums rose by 11 percent and gasoline prices were up 15 percent, according to the Kerry campaign study.

MISERY INDEX

"The middle-class misery index worsened 13 points in the last three years -- the largest three-year fall on record," the study said.

The index combined seven different indicators: median family income, college tuition, health costs, gasoline cost, bankruptcies, the homeownership rate, and private-sector job growth. The study said six of the seven statistics worsened during Bush's term. Only home ownership rates improved.

Bush campaign spokesman Steve Schmidt dismissed the report as "a political stunt" designed "to obscure the fact that John Kerry has a lifetime record of voting to make life more difficult for middle-income Americans."

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[The_Casual_Observer]

1. My 'Misery Index'

Has been off the scale since Jan 2001, as with most people if they think about it.

[Th1onein]

2. Hahaha! Yet ANOTHER LIAR in the Bush camp!

The misery index is an age-old index to represent the quality of life for certain groups. It's NOT a "stunt."

It's nice to know we've seen proof of yet ANOTHER LIAR in the Bush camp, though.

God, please let's get RID of these arrogant, ruthless, dishonest scoundrels!

The Democrats should start impeachment proceedings NOW. Whether they will carry over into the next term or not! If nothing else it is a statement on the integrity of this administration that, for our own good consciences, needs to be made.

[SharonAnn]

6. The Democrats are not the majority in the House. They can't

"start" anything.

[Th1onein]

10. They can open their fucking mouths and ASK for it on the House and Senate

floors, can't they?

[slinkerwink]

3. didn't Dean point this out?

[robcon]

4. The misery index was started in the 70's

It's defined as the sum of unemployment rate and the inflation rate.

[waldenx]

5. Tell us HOW it is correlated to the presidency!

note to Kerry: If you are going to blame and not have your own solutions then you better back the shit up because "on Bush's watch" is completely weak.


How are those 7 factors affected by who is in the white house?
Tell the voters, John.

It is also interesting to note that he has no problem "playing politics" with trivial shit but is totally silent on Iraq.

[Broadwing]

7. Totally silent on Iraq

The unfortunate part is that Kerry doesn't have to say anything about Iraq. The stories in the news, the articles in the papers, the op-ed pieces are doing the work for him.

[krkaufman]

13. Perhaps, but silence on Iraq may be inferred as lacking a plan

Kerry is wisely not piling on at present, but he needs to be ready to offer his solution; otherwise, he may be viewed as not having a solution and, therefore, irrelevant.

Heck, he oughta offer his plan to Bush with no strings attached, saying there's no reason we should wait until next February, after his Inauguration, to get things headed back in a positive direction.

[Robbien]

8. Wow, Good GOP points there

Thanks for letting us know what the GOP is saying.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

9. ...As he should be

If Kerry tries to score political points off the recent fighting in Iraq, the blowback could be devastating. The facts alone can do all the talking for the Kerry Campaign.

[Th1onein]

11. You got it. Never try to stop a good train wreck.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

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[Th1onein]

14. WHAT ABOUT THE REPS AND SENATORS CALLING FOR IT ON THE FLOOR?

What about that? Can't we do that? Why can't we begin a letter writing campaign, asking for our legislators to do this?

At least we can make the news, right?