In war of words, Iraq is the big gun

Bush was heading to Pennsylvania today; Kerry was staying in Florida.
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) -- Arguing over who can best lead the nation in war, Sen. John Kerry charges that Americans have been left with "this incredible mess in Iraq" while President Bush says U.S. troops look at the Democratic challenger and wonder, "How can I follow this guy?"
Both candidates were rushing back to the campaign trail today trying to convince voters they each won their opening debate.
From the first question Thursday night, Kerry went on the offensive, accusing Bush of leaving U.S. alliances around the world "in shatters" and ordering a war in Iraq that was a "colossal error in judgment."
Bush noted that Kerry voted to authorize the same war he now criticizes. "That's not how a commander in chief acts," Bush charged.
Initial reactions
Three post-debate polls suggested voters were impressed by Kerry, with most of those surveyed saying he did better than Bush. Such instant polls reflect the views of debate watchers and not the public at large. Initial reactions to a debate can change after a few days have passed.
Less than five weeks before the election, Iraq dominated the debate on a day when a string of bombs killed 35 children and wounded scores of others in western Baghdad.
Kerry summed up Bush's strategy for Iraq as "more of the same." Bush acknowledged that not every American agrees with the decisions he's made. "But people know where I stand," Bush said, suggesting they don't know where Kerry stands. "People out there listening know what I believe."
From Florida, Bush was heading out today to rallies in Pennsylvania and New Hampshire, two key battleground states. Kerry was spending the day campaigning in Florida, where the presidential race was decided four years ago.
In Thursday night's encounter at the University of Miami, Bush and Kerry drew heavily on oft-repeated lines from their campaign speeches but they faced each other directly across the same stage for the first time.
Reactions to each other
Bush appeared irritated when Kerry leveled some of his charges, scowling at times and looking away in apparent disgust at others. Kerry often took notes when the president spoke. The television networks offered a split screen to viewers so they could see both men at the same time and watch their reactions.
On Iraq, Bush criticized Kerry for saying it was the wrong war at the wrong time in the wrong place. "What message does that send to our troops?" the president said. "Not a message a commander in chief gives."
Repeating a line he has used countless times to show his opponent is inconsistent, Bush tweaked Kerry for saying he voted for an $87 billion spending bill for Iraq and Afghanistan before he voted against it.
Kerry shot back, "Well, you know, when I talked about the $87 billion, I made a mistake in how I talk about the war. But the president made a mistake in invading Iraq. Which is worse?"
Toughness
Trying to persuade voters that he is tough enough to be commander in chief, Kerry said, "I believe in being strong and resolute and determined. And I will hunt down and kill the terrorists, wherever they are." He said that Bush, in invading Iraq, lost sight of the goal of capturing terrorist leader Osama bin Laden.
But Bush insisted that "the world is safer without Saddam Hussein." He called Iraq "a central part in the war on terror" and said 75 percent of bin Laden's leadership had been brought to justice.
Trying to turn Kerry's criticism against him, Bush said, "I understand what it means to be the commander in chief. And if I were to ever say, 'This is the wrong war at the wrong time at the wrong place,' the troops would wonder, 'How can I follow this guy?'"
Kerry said Bush failed to exhaust diplomatic solutions before ordering the invasion of Iraq and that the United States was left with 90 percent of the cost and 90 percent of the casualties. "Now we have this incredible mess in Iraq -- $200 billion," Kerry charged. "It's not what the American people thought they were getting when they voted."
Bush ridiculed his opponent, saying he denigrated U.S. allies in the war, voted against the $87 billion measure to aid Afghanistan and Iraq and sent mixed signals.
"What's his message going to be? Please join us in Iraq for a grand diversion?" Bush said to Kerry's contention that he could summon broader international support for the war. "They're not going to follow someone whose core convictions keep changing because of politics."
While Iraq was the dominant issue in the debate, which was moderated by PBS' Jim Lehrer, there were notable differences on North Korea and Iran, two nations suspected of pursuing nuclear weapons programs. Kerry urged that the United States hold direct bilateral talks with North Korea rather than the six-nation talks that Bush initiated to defuse the crisis.
Bush called Kerry's proposal "a big mistake" that would crush the multinational talks and remove pressure from China on North Korea to change course. Kerry said North Korea has amassed more nuclear weapons during Bush's administration. On Iran, he said the United States should have worked with allies like France, Germany and Britain to impose sanctions if Tehran refused to give up its nuclear program.