NEW YORK, 10 October 2004 — A hard-hitting President George Bush came out swinging in the second presidential debate Friday, calling Sen. John Kerry both naive and dangerous in the war on terror. Kerry countered that his opponent was running a campaign of “mass deception.”

After his defensive performance in last week’s first presidential face-off, Bush appeared sharper and more focused in Round 2 while Kerry matched him point for point.

Held at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, the harsh tones were all the more striking in the context of a town hall — a more intimate setting than a formal debate, with the candidates perched on stools in the round and fielding questions from the audience.

The wide-ranging showdown focused on Iraq, the economy, health care, abortion, stem cell research and the high cost of prescription drugs.

In the very first question of Friday night’s town hall presidential debate, Kerry was asked to explain charges that he is “too wishy-washy.”

His response — that “the president didn’t find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, so he’s turned his campaign into a weapon of mass deception” — immediately set the tone for a sharp exchange, in which both Kerry and Bush launched attack after blistering attack for 90 straight minutes.

Kerry turned almost every answer into an indictment of Bush’s record, which he used to follow up with his own policy prescriptions. He succeeded in putting Bush on the defensive, particularly in the early part of the debate, which focused on Iraq.

But Bush launched a stinging attack on Kerry’s Senate record, calling it undistinguished and far to the left of mainstream America.

“You’ve got to be consistent when you’re the president,” said Bush, charging that Kerry does not adequately understand the global war on terror. “There’s a lot of pressure.”

Kerry was quick to capitalize on a damning government report this week that concluded Saddam Hussein was not stockpiling banned weapons.

“The president didn’t find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, so he has really turned his campaign into a weapon of mass deception,” said Kerry. Bush came into the debate facing a string of bad news this week, from disappointing new job creation numbers to the weapons report that refuted his rationale for invading Iraq.

Even one of Bush’s own top officials said the United States did not send enough troops, creating a chaotic situation that has accelerated over time.

The president is also vulnerable on the economy, cited by voters as a top issue along with Iraq and national security. He inherited a huge surplus in 2000, but in four years has turned it into a record deficit of more than $400 billion this year.

There has also been a net job loss during his first term, and Kerry stated that Bush is “the first president in 72 years to lose jobs,” adding that Bush was also the first leader to cut taxes in a time of war.

Bush got a laugh when he scoffed at Kerry’s contention that he had received $84 from “a timber company.” Said Bush: “I own a timber company? That’s news to me.”

But according to FactCheck.org, on his 2003 financial disclosure form Bush does own part interest in a limited-liability company organized “for the purpose of the production of trees for commercial sales.”

Two polls taken immediately after the debate showed viewers thought Kerry had won, although by a smaller margin than last week.

The final Bush-Kerry debate, on domestic issues, will be held next Wednesday in Tempe, Arizona.