George W. Bush

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CARTOONING THE ELECTION

U.S. Sen. John Kerry said Sunday that Republican presidential nominee John McCain would continue the same policies implemented by Republican President George W. Bush.

Kerry, a frequent surrogate for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, appeared on NBC's Meet the Press in the show's final episode before the election on Tuesday.

"John McCain does not represent a break with George Bush," the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee said. "I mean, yesterday he was endorsed by Dick Cheney. He earned that endorsement by supporting this administration 90 percent of the time."

Kerry, a Boston Democrat, also criticized McCain for running a negative campaign. "This has been one of the most divisive campaigns in history," he said. "John McCain [said] he wanted this campaign to be about big ideas and he wanted it to respect the American people's desire not to be negative. It's been the most negative--100 percent of his advertising is negative."

U.S. Sen. John Kerry responded to Republican challenger Jeff Beatty's criticism Sunday, blasting Beatty for not offering a vision for the future of the country.

In an email to PolitickerMA.com, Brigid O'Rourke, a spokeswoman for the Boston Democrat, said Beatty has focused more on personal attacks than on offering his own policy proposals.

"Instead of worrying about prom dates, Jeff should just focus on his own campaign and start talking about what he stands for, because most Massachusetts voters still don't know," O'Rourke said. "Jeff has no clear stances on critical issues like providing health care to Americans, improving education, fixing our economy, or even taxes. All Jeff has been clear on is his support for guns in our schools, his reckless plan to drill our way to energy independence, and the fact that he is a faithful supporter of George Bush and the McCain-Palin ticket."

Oregon has slowly moved from the swing state column to the Democratic column over the last eight years, USA Today reported Tuesday.

Politicker Photo

U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Boston) following Monday's debate

BOSTON - U.S. Sen. John Kerry and his Republican challenger Jeff Beatty met for round two Monday in another feisty debate that ranged from social issues to the current financial crisis facing the country.

For the first time in the race, both candidates discussed social issues at length. With Monday's news of an 8-year-old's accidental death while shooting an Uzi at a gun show in Westfield, both candidates were asked what they would do to make sure such an event never happens again.

Beatty said he has worked in the past to help keep schools safe and said the country needs "to enforce the laws we have."

"I think that if we enforce the laws we have, we'll be OK," he said.

Kerry, in contrast, said the current loophole that allows citizens to purchase weapons at gun shows needs to be closed.

"It just  defies common sense that we have people that can go out, through the gun show loophole, and buy semi-automatics anywhere in the country without adequate background checks," the senator said. "We have to close that loophole."

Getty Images Photo

John McCain

Republican John McCain now has a 10 point lead over Democrat Barack Obama in the Lone Star State, according to a recently released Rasmussen poll. 54 percent of Texans support McCain, while 44 percent support the Illinois senator. McCain had held a steady nine point advantage over his opponent throughout many of Rasmussen's summer tracking polls.

U.S. Sen. John Kerry accused his challenger Jeff Beatty on Wednesday of relying on personal attacks in his campaign and failing to offer any positive policy ideas.

In a post on The Hill's Congress Blog, Kerry particularly criticized Beatty for his debate performance Monday night.

"In a debate that should have honored Massachusetts by addressing the issues that affect us most, my opponent was unable to offer one constructive plan to solve our state's and nation's pressing issues," the Boston Democrat wrote. "No plan for health care. No solution for an ailing economy. No strategy for Iraq. Beatty provided nothing but the empty, hateful rhetoric typical of a candidate incapable of providing answers or solutions."

Kerry also highlighted the debates he held with former Gov. Bill Weld in their 1996 Senate race as an example of how Senate debate should be conducted.