President Bush "broke his silence on Wednesday on the disappearance of 380 tons of explosives in Iraq, accusing Sen. John Kerry of making 'wild charges' about the missing explosives and of 'denigrating the actions' of troops in the field," the New York Times reports.
"That Bush addressed the issue at all... reflected the prominence the explosives have gained in the final days of the presidential race, when every moment is precious to the campaigns," the Washington Post reports. "Kerry has used the situation to question Bush's terrorism-fighting credentials, and the matter has crowded out the subjects Bush is raising, particularly an appeal to Democrats."
The Los Angeles Times says Kerry's "sharp statements dominated the day's campaign debate, putting Bush on the defensive and giving the Massachusetts senator an opportunity to question the incumbent's credentials as commander in chief."