Bush pledges resources for war on terror, strengthening of domestic programs

In his speech accepting the Republican nomination for reelection, President George W. Bush sold himself to voters as a strong, consistent leader, steadfast in his support for the war on terror and committed to the reform of outdated federal programs.

"I am running for president with a clear and positive plan to build a safer world," Bush said at the Republican National Convention in New York City. To see what shape the plan will take, voters should look back on accomplishments over the past three years, he said, noting that his administration has tripled homeland security spending and trained 500,000 first responders.

Bush also pledged continued support for members of the military services working to fight terrorism abroad, and took a dig at Democratic opponent John Kerry's vote against $87 billion in supplemental spending for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. "My opponent and his running mate voted against this money for bullets and fuel and vehicles and body armor," he said.

He promised to stay "on the offensive, striking terrorists abroad so that we do not have to face them here at home," and touted progress transforming the military and strengthening intelligence services. "We owe you our thanks," Bush told troops. "And we owe you something more. We will give you all the resources, all the tools and all the support you need for victory."

On the domestic front, Bush also attempted to distance himself from Kerry: "To be fair, there are some things my opponent is for -- he's proposed more than $2 trillion in new federal spending so far, and that's a lot, even for a senator from Massachusetts."

His criticism comes despite the Kerry-Edwards campaign's plan to streamline the federal bureaucracy and reign in spending. In the plan, unveiled last month, the Democratic presidential nominee pledged that he would cut the budget deficit in half in four years and trim agencies' budgets across the board if federal spending grows faster than the rate of inflation.

Kerry's "policies of tax and spend -- of expanding government rather than expanding opportunity -- are the policies of the past," Bush continued. "We are on the path to the future, and we are not turning back."

Bush said, if reelected, he would restrain federal spending, reduce regulation, push to simplify the tax code and encourage reforms of outdated federal programs. "Government must take your side," he told convention delegates. "Many of our most fundamental systems -- the tax code, health coverage, pension plans, worker training -- were created for the world of yesterday, not tomorrow."

The administration is dedicated to helping federal programs serve citizens better, Bush said. "We seek to provide not just a government program, but a path -- a path to greater opportunity." As an example of the type of reforms he hopes to enact, Bush pointed to the No Child Left Behind effort in education. "We are transforming our schools by raising standards and focusing on results," Bush said.

Bush administration officials often use the word "results" to describe the goal of the president's five-part agenda for government reform. Clay Johnson, the president's management adviser, said the agenda differs from past administrations' efforts largely because of the focus on results. Bush's management agenda encourages agencies to improve financial management, expand electronic government, let contractors bid on certain federal jobs and link budget decisions to program performance.

Bush's speech drew sharp criticism Friday from the American Federation of Government Employees. John Gage, the union's president, called the speech "misleading" and took aim at the administration's push to open government work to contractors.

"President Bush spoke of supporting our troops, yet they were sent into murky circumstances with unclear goals, an undeveloped plan for accomplishing their mission and inadequate equipment and supplies to sustain them," Gage stated in response to the speech. "Our troops are forced to rely on profit-hungry contractors for their housing, meals and other essential needs -- contractors who on many occasions have failed our troops by refusing to show up for duty."

The Bush administration has also failed to support civilian federal workers, Gage said. At the Homeland Security and Defense departments, Bush is seeking to "end the policies that have guaranteed a nonpartisan workplace and have enabled federal employees who witness wrongdoings to speak out," he said. AFGE has voiced strong criticism of personnel reform efforts at those departments.