Kerry Turns From Vietnam To Jobs

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry returned the focus to his domestic agenda Friday after a day dominated by the ongoing attacks on his Vietnam war record by a right-leaning group of Vietnam veterans funded by a close Bush ally.

Kerry came to North Carolina, a state hit hard by job losses, to tout his plan for curbing the export of jobs by cutting corporate taxes and enforcing trade agreements

He traced the state's job losses over the past four years to President Bush's fixation on tax cuts for the wealthy and indifference to the needs of everyday Americans.

"I think every American deserves to have leadership that understands the difficulties of average folks," Kerry told about 300 supporters at a Charlotte community college that focuses on job retraining.

North Carolina has lost 162,000 manufacturing jobs since Mr. Bush took office.

Kerry made his second appearance of the summer in this conservative Southern state before flying to southwest Florida to survey the wide swath of damage inflicted by Hurricane Charley.

Kerry chose this economically struggling state, where polls show him pulling within reach of Mr. Bush, to pitch a job creation plan that includes enforcing trade agreements and curbing the outsourcing of jobs by ending tax credits for companies that ship jobs overseas.

He also detailed his proposal to roll back the Bush tax cut for those making more than $200,000, reduce the corporate tax rate by 5 percent, and give companies tax credits for new manufacturing jobs created in 2005 and 2006.

In a quip, Kerry said he was already working hard to create at least one new local job.

"Let it never be said that I'm not doing my best for North Carolina jobs," Kerry said. "I'm trying to promote John Edwards."

The Bush campaign said that Kerry's vow to rollback the tax cut would take money out of the hands of employers rather than help them create a stronger economy.

"John Kerry's promise of more taxes, more regulation and his opposition to lawsuit reform are going to slow down the economic recovery that has created 1.5 million jobs this year," said Bush campaign spokesman Steve Schmidt.

Also Friday, the group that caused a furor with its television commercial attacking Kerry's war record released a second ad. The new commercial from the

On Thursday, Kerry for the first time rebutted the group's claims that he exaggerated his war record in order to win medals. Kerry also accused President Bush of relying on front groups to challenge his record of valor in Vietnam, asserting, "He wants them to do his dirty work."

Defending his record, Kerry said, "Thirty years ago, official Navy reports documented my service in Vietnam and awarded me the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts."

"Thirty years ago, this was the plain truth. It still is. And I still carry the shrapnel in my leg from a wound in Vietnam."

Despite the fact that a number of media outlets have found Pentagon records that confirm Kerry's version of events, a new CBS News poll shows the anti-Kerry ads may be affecting the campaign. Kerry's support among veterans has dropped since the ads began airing, and the overall race is now essentially tied, with 46 percent of Americans saying they favor Kerry, and 45 percent for the president.

Mr. Bush and the White House have refused to condemn the ads, which are funded by supporters of the president, despite calls to do so — from Sen. John McCain, a Republican who is a former Vietnam prisoner of war, as well as from Democrats.

The Bush campaign said the charge "leveled by Senator Kerry is absolutely and completely false."

"The Bush campaign has never and will never question John Kerry's service in Vietnam. The president has referred to John Kerry's service as noble service," spokesman Steve Schmidt said.

At the same time, neither the president nor any of his spokesmen condemned the ad.

The Kerry campaign also released

Recalling when his boat came under attack more than 30 years ago, Jim Rassmann says, "It blew me off the boat. All those Viet Cong were shooting at me. I expected I'd be shot. When he pulled me out of the river, he risked his life to save mine."