John 'Ko' Kerry vs. George 'bomber' Bush: date: Tuesday, November 2 opening bell 6 a.m

Current Events, Oct 29, 2004

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the ultimate heavyweight fight of the free world! In this corner, wearing blue trunks and weighing 180 pounds, is the challenger, the "Massachusetts Mauler," John F. Kerry! In the other corner, wearing red trunks and weighing 190 pounds, is the reigning president of the United States, the "Texas Titan," George W. Bush!

Who will go down on Election Day? It's anyone's guess. But this is sure to be of the closest contests in recent history. An ABC News/Washington Post poll taken in early October shows it's either man's match--with 49 percent of those polled favoring Bush and 47 percent putting their money on Kerry. The two political heavyweights traded blows in three presidential debates last mouth. Turn the page to find out how the candidates match up on the major campaign issues.

Round One: War in Iraq

Bush: In March 2003, the United States invaded Iraq on the basis of intelligence reports that the country's dictator, Saddam Hussein, was developing weapons of mass destruction that threatened the United States and its allies in the Middle East. Though no such weapons were found, Bush stands by his decision to go to war. He says the war toppled a ruthless dictator and a declared enemy of the United States. Despite insurgent uprisings, Bush says the war in Iraq is a success. In July, the United States installed an Iraqi-led interim government, and the country is scheduled to have democratic elections in January. Bush vows that he "won't abandon the Iraqi people" and that U.S. troops will remain until the country is stabilized.

Kerry: As a Massachusetts senator, Kerry voted in favor of the war in Iraq but now says he did so based on faulty U.S. intelligence. In 2003, Kerry voted against Bush's request for an additional $87 billion to fund continued military action and reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan. Kerry claims the invasion of Iraq was a "colossal failure of judgment with "no plan for peace." U.S. troops and dollars, he says, could be better spent fighting the real war on terror. Kerry says that if elected, he will persuade member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the United Nations to help the United States rebuild Iraq.

Round Two: Economy

Bush: To jump-start the struggling U.S. economy, Bush pushed two sweeping tax cuts through Congress, in 2001 and 2003. Bush maintains that the cuts have pumped more than $1.35 trillion dollars into the economy. Though the tax cuts are scheduled to expire in January, Bush wants to make them permanent. Bush says tax cuts create growth by allowing businesses to invest the savings in companies and hire more workers. In addition, he says, lowering individuals' taxes leaves them more money to spend on products and services, further strengthening the economy.

Though the United States had a huge projected budget surplus in 2000, it now has a huge deficit. Bush has proposed steps to halve the deficit by 2009 by cutting federal spending.

Kerry: Kerry says as president he would roll back Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. He claims that the Bush administration unfairly favors big business and affluent Americans. Kerry plans to extend the recent tax cuts only for middle- and low-income people. Kerry says he believes that creating jobs is the best way to bolster the economy. If people have jobs, he says, they'll spend money. Kerry has a plan to create 10 million jobs over four years. His plan also calls for closing tax loopholes, establishing tax incentives to encourage companies to create jobs to the United States rather than overseas, and offering tax breaks to small businesses. Kerry say he'll cut the deficit by eliminating corporate tax breaks that encourage U. S. companies to outsource, or send work to countries where labor is cheaper.

Round Three: Homeland Security

Bush: In October 2001, shortly after the devastating 9/11 terrorist attacks, Bush signed the Patriot Act into law. The law expanded the government's powers to monitor citizens detain terrorism suspects. Bush believes the law should be renewed when it comes up for review in 2005. Bush also created the Department of Homeland Security in 2002 to keep airports, borders, and seaports safe. The new department brought together 170,000 workers from 22 different government agencies, such as the U.S. Coast Guard and the Secret Service. That marked the largest government reorganization in more than 50 years.

Kerry: As a senator, Kerry supported both the Patriot Act and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. Kerry supports renewing parts of the Patriot Act but says he believes that some of its provisions infringe on citizens' rights. Kerry plans to remove sections that allow the government to seize library and some business records. He also would make it tougher for federal agents to obtain secret wiretaps without strong suspicion of wrongdoing, he says. Kerry opposes the indefinite detention of U.S. citizens accused of supporting terrorism and proposes giving basic rights to those detained. Kerry says his "Defend America" plan will better protect the nation's borders, ports, and airports. Kerry also proposes beefing up funding for state law enforcement and emergency responders.