Democratic White House challenger John Kerry accused US President George W. Bush on Wednesday of being more interested in election-year photo opportunities than providing funds to defend against another Sept. 11-type attack.
Kerry used the new concerns this week about a possible attack on the US before the November presidential election to step up his criticism of Bush, who has hoped to make his war on terror a centerpiece of his re-election campaign.
The Massachusetts senator blamed Bush for inadequately secured ports, chemical plants and nuclear facilities, underfunded fire stations and cutbacks in a federal program designed to put more police on the street.
"We deserve a president of the United States who doesn't make homeland security a photo opportunity and the rhetoric of a campaign," Kerry told a rainy-day rally of a few thousand people in Seattle.
"We deserve a president who makes America safer," Kerry declared, drawing sustained applause and cheers.
"We should not be opening firehouses in Baghdad and shutting them in the United States of America," Kerry said.
Kerry admitted the US could not protect every potential target, but added: "What we can do is protect against catastrophe. What we can do is protect those places that are the most logical places for the largest potential damage."
He complained that Bush, who has repeatedly cut taxes to the delight of fellow conservatives, had failed to provide states and localities with the money they needed to do their job.
"We deserve a president who puts American taxpayer dollars where the need is, not just where the ideology wants it to go," Kerry said.
Steve Schmidt, a Bush campaign spokesman, dismissed Kerry's attacks as "baseless and factually inaccurate."
Since 2001, Schmidt said, "President Bush has distributed more than US$13 billion to state and local law enforcement" for anti-terror efforts.
Kerry made the remarks the day before what aides say will be a major address in Seattle on foreign policy, national security and the war in Iraq.
Polls show Kerry running about even with or slightly ahead of Bush in the White House race.
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