Kerry attacks Bush as ‘unfit’ to lead nation

NANTUCKET, Mass. – As the Republican National Convention drew to a close, Sen. John Kerry flew to Ohio on Thursday to give his rebuttal at a midnight rally in which he called President Bush “unfit” to lead the nation because of his record on Iraq and his failure to create jobs, improve health care coverage and put an end to the Saudi royal family controlling U.S. energy costs.

In a blistering response to the GOP convention, during which Vice President Dick Cheney and others challenged his credentials to be commander-in-chief, Kerry singled out Cheney’s deferments during the Vietnam War, urging American voters to make up their own minds “whether five deferments makes someone more qualified to defend this nation than two tours of combat duty.”

Kerry, who served two combat tours in Vietnam, laid out his view of what makes someone “unfit for duty.

“Misleading our nation into war in Iraq makes you unfit to lead this nation. Doing nothing while this nation loses millions of jobs makes you unfit to lead this nation. Letting 45 million Americans go without health care makes you unfit to lead this nation. Letting the Saudi royal family control our energy costs makes you unfit. Handing out billions of government contracts to Halliburton while you’re still on their payroll makes you unfit,” the text said.

“That’s the record of George Bush and Dick Cheney. And it’s not going to change. I believe it’s time to move America in a new direction.”