Bush drops war drum for 20 puffs on peace pipe [View All]

[DoYouEverWonder]

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/07/21/1090089223027.html?oneclick=true

July 22, 2004

After launching two wars, President George Bush said he wanted to be a "peace president" and took swipes at his Democratic rivals for being lawyers and weak on defence.

With polls showing public support for the war in Iraq in decline, Mr Bush cast himself as a reluctant warrior and assured Americans they were "safer" as he campaigned in the battleground states of Iowa and Missouri against the Democrat candidate, John Kerry, and his running mate, former trial lawyer John Edwards.

"The enemy declared war on us," Mr Bush told a re-election rally in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday. "Nobody wants to be the war president. I want to be the peace president ... The next four years will be peaceful years," said Mr Bush, who used the words "peace" or "peaceful" 20 times.

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"For a while we were marching to war. Now we're marching to peace. ... America is a safer place. Four more years and America will be safer and the world will be more peaceful," he said. But a few hours later, in St Charles, Missouri, Mr Bush warned "the world will drift towards tragedy" if America shows "weakness".