As the Republican National Convention gets under way in New York City, President Bush made two campaign appearances in the U.S. states of New Hampshire and Michigan. At the same time, Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards outlined in a speech in North Carolina how his party's foreign policy would differ from the Bush administration's.
While the Republican Party was beginning its four-day presidential nominating convention in New York, President Bush continued on the campaign trail.
Speaking to a crowd at a high school in the northeastern state of New Hampshire, Mr. Bush stressed one of his main campaign themes: that his administration has been good for the U.S. economy, which has suffered from recession and corporate scandals.
"And we've been through a terror attack, all of which affected our economy, but our economy's growing, and it's getting better and its strengthening," he said.
At the University of North Carolina in Wilmington, Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards took aim at President Bush for "miscalculating" on Iraq.
"The Bush administration miscalculated by rushing to war without a plan to win the peace," he said. "The Bush administration miscalculated by deciding to go it alone without strong allies."
Senator Edwards added that his party believes the Bush administration has not done enough to stop North Korea and Iran from advancing with their nuclear programs.
Meanwhile, in an interview on NBC television Monday, President Bush said he doesn't think the war on terrorism can be won, but that conditions can be created around the world that make terrorists less acceptable.
In his speech, Senator Edwards highlighted this point as one basic difference between the Bush administration and the Democrats. "I know that there are some Americans who question whether there are differences between us and our opponents, whether it's winning the war on terror, strengthening and leading strong alliances, finishing the job in Afghanistan and Iraq," he said. "When it comes to how America fights terror and leads the world, make no mistake, this election offers the American people a very real choice. We believe, John Kerry and I, that this war is winnable. They don't. And that is a difference."
During the Republican convention, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry will mostly keep a low profile, except for one public speech on Wednesday.