Bush Keeps Courting Florida Voters

President Bush spent President's Day in the state that decided the 2000 election, arguing his tax cuts are helping the economy and suggesting Democrats would endanger America's fiscal health by raising taxes.

On the second day of his 19th visit to Florida as president, Mr. Bush said the country is recovering from its economic downturn. He blamed the recession, corporate scandals, and the 2001 terrorist attacks for the problem, but said his policies turned the economy around.

"Those were a lot of obstacles and hurdles for our nation to handle and yet our economy is strong. I will argue vociferously that one of the reasons it is strong is because the Congress wisely heeded my call and let people keep more of their own money," Mr. Bush told employees gathered in a warehouse of NuAir Manufacturing, a small but thriving window and door manufacturer.

"The tax relief plan you hear some people maligning around our country helped small business growth."

But the John Kerry campaign got Florida Sen. Bob Graham to counter that message by putting out the word that Florida has lost 69,000 jobs since Mr. Bush has been in office, reports CBS News White House Correspondent Mark Knoller.

In a conference call with reporters arranged by the Kerry campaign, Graham called the president's policies "misguided" and said they have cost thousands of Floridians their jobs. He said Mr. Bush should have talked to some of those in Tampa who lost jobs rather than just those who benefited from tax cuts.

With more than 8 million Americans out of work, jobs are a sensitive issue for Mr. Bush as he seeks re-election in November. While the U.S. economy is on the upswing, job growth has been slow, allowing Democrats to repeatedly highlight the estimated 2.2 million jobs lost during the Bush presidency.

Mr. Bush was on the other side of the Sunshine State the day before, opening the Daytona 500 and watching most of stock car racing's ultimate prize.

The appearance included an Air Force One flyover of the track, a partial lap around the oval for Mr. Bush's motorcade and nationally televised shots of him happily mingling with fans and drivers. Lee Greenwood's patriotic singing providing a gauzy backdrop.

It allowed Mr. Bush enormous exposure to the millions of NASCAR fans who have become one of this election year's most prized voter profiles.

Mr. Bush has labored to defend his economic record and show he has a plan to keep things going in the right direction. In the last three weeks, he has devoted four speeches to the economy, in other politically important states such as Pennsylvania and in key primary states like New Hampshire.
The administration also is dispatching Treasury Secretary John Snow, Commerce Secretary Don Evans, Labor Secretary Elaine Chao and Small Business Administrator Hector Barreto to the Pacific Northwest on Tuesday and Wednesday to promote Mr. Bush's economic policies.

Before his remarks at NuAir, the president walked an assembly line staffed with workers busily wiping windows newly attached to frames. The president, wearing goggles, picked up a tool briefly and then mingled with employees. One, whom he hugged, told him "I love you" in Spanish.

But just after Mr. Bush left to take the stage for a "conversation" with NuAir executives, employees and local business leaders, the line was deserted.

The president's chief economic proposal is to ensure the tax cuts passed under his watch do not expire as planned, and that was the focus of his appearance here.

"You hear people in Washington saying, 'Oh, let's not make the tax cuts permanent.' When you hear somebody say that, they're saying, 'We're gonna tax you. We're gonna raise your taxes,'" Mr. Bush said. "From an economic perspective, I'm telling you, now is not the time to raise the taxes on the American people."

Mr. Bush did not name who might be ready to raise taxes, nor even mention Democrats. But with the election year in full swing, his meaning was clear.

"It's a fundamental debate going on in this country," he said. "It's pretty clear where I stand. I stand with the people in this debate. I want them to have more of their own money."