AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Quote of the Day STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/31/2004 10:51:04 PM ----- BODY: "To those critics who are so pessimistic about our economy, I say, Don't be economic girly men!"

-- California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), quoted by the New York Times, at the Republican National Convention. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Schwarzenegger convention ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: In Florida, It's Castor vs. Martinez STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/31/2004 10:46:37 PM ----- BODY: "Mel Martinez scrapped and scraped his way to a surprisingly easy victory Tuesday in the bare-knuckled Republican Senate primary, while Democrat Betty Castor surprised no one by sauntering into her party's nomination," the Miami Herald reports. Former HUD Secretary Martinez was the Bush administration's choice in the GOP primary.

Full results are available. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Senate Florida ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/31/2004 08:45:39 PM ----- BODY: Charlie Cook looks at the recent polls: "It really is pretty amazing how fast the conventional wisdom can change."

Here are the latest state polls: Update: Editor's Note: Strategic Vision normally does work for Republican clients, but their previous polls have been generally in line with other non-partisan polls. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry poll ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Already Gearing Up For 2008 STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/31/2004 04:47:28 PM ----- BODY: "Keenly aware that George Bush and Dick Cheney will never run again, a slew of Republicans are using the convention to start angling for the party's 2008 nomination," Knight Ridder reports.

The GOP convention "offers too tempting an opportunity for early posturing, what with all the party's power brokers in one place. While television cameras focus largely on the convention hall, would-be candidates are meeting with influential insiders at receptions and parties from breakfast until the wee hours."

The Quad City Times notes Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE), former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and New York Gov. George Pataki are all scheduled to meet with the Iowa delegation this week.

NY1 News reports Giuliani told the Iowa delegation today he is considering a run for the White House in 2008. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: 2008 presidential campaign ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Amazon.com Launches Election Boutique STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/31/2004 03:32:43 PM ----- BODY: Amazon.com opened its Great Political Debate Store. "As we head toward an election of far-reaching significance, we've rounded up a number of titles on the controversial issues that will determine America's course. Read our exclusive interviews, browse through our lists, and be sure to cast your vote." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Amazon.com election store ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Baker To Aide Bush STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/31/2004 03:25:19 PM ----- BODY: CNN reports former Secretary of State James Baker will lead President Bush's debate preparation team. Sen. John Kerry picked his team earlier this month. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry debates ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Kerry Weighs Campaign Shake Up STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/31/2004 02:31:03 PM ----- BODY: "As the Bush campaign commands an exquisitely directed convention, the faltering Kerry campaign might be on the verge of a major shake-up," the Wall Street Journal's Al Hunt reports. Aides says Kerry is "bouncing off the walls" in frustration.

The campaign "command structure" is "often frozen -- or at least tempered -- by too many chefs, a too-heavy reliance on polls or focus groups and an aversion to risks. As a result, the message often is muddled and the reaction to hard-hitting attacks from Republicans often is slow and unconvincing."

"A few very well-connected Democrats report something will occur in the next few days. One person who might assume more control is Joe Lockhart, a former press secretary to Bill Clinton and a respected public-relations figure, but one who has almost no experience in the high-stakes world of presidential campaigns. Another possibility: veteran Democratic politico John Sasso, currently at the Democratic National Committee."

Update: The National Journal reports Kerry's campaign today "announced the official addition of several 'key new staff' for the race's final weeks. Joe Lockhart joins as a senior adviser, while Joel Johnson will be director of rapid response; other additions include Lori Denham, Karen Finney, Dr. Susan Rice and former Congressman Mel Levine. Rumor has it that the recent Swift Boat skirmishes are at least part of the reason behind the hires."

Update II: Chuck Todd notes Marla Romash, spokeswoman for Teresa Heinz Kerry, is quitting the Kerry campaign for personal reasons.

Update III: Chuck Todd and CBS News have more on the possible shakeup. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Kerry campaign shake up ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Watch Romney STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/31/2004 11:55:28 AM ----- BODY: After talking to two "Republican powers," Dan Rather gives us the heads up: "Keep your eyes and ears open for Mitt Romney's convention speech Wednesday night."

"Whatever it is, it 'may be the surprise of the convention,' one of the Republican honchos added."

Meanwhile, the Providence Journal runs an interesting piece on Romney, his father and his political aspirations. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Mitt Romney ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: More to Come STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/31/2004 11:48:23 AM ----- BODY: "The blogger who triggered yesterday’s resignation of Rep. Ed Schrock (R-VA) by spreading rumors that he is gay promised 'there’s more to come,'" The Hill reports.

The blog, Blog Active, says the next target will be a member of Congress or highly-placed Bush administration official. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Schrock outed blog ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Bush's Other Brain STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/31/2004 11:04:52 AM ----- BODY: The Boston Globe profiles Ralph Reed, who is "not only a key architect of the Bush-Cheney organization, he is among the Republicans who in recent years have employed traditionally Democratic tools to make the GOP competitive on the ground in elections."

"Technically, Reed is a volunteer chairman of the Bush-Cheney campaign in Florida and four other southern states. But his role is much broader, comparable to that of his Democratic counterpart, Michael Whouley, the Massachusetts operative who served as organizational troubleshooter in the Democratic presidential campaigns of Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and, this year, John F. Kerry." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Ralph Reed ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Carville's New Book STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/31/2004 10:55:43 AM ----- BODY: James Carville has a new book out -- and it can be read in just five minutes. Lu and the Swamp Ghost is the Democratic consultant's first children's book. The story portrays Carville's mother as a little girl who feeds a hungry swamp creature.

The Washington Times notes "the book comes packaged with a CD read by Mr. Carville in his distinctive voice" to "make sure children hear the story with the correct inflections." ----- EXTENDED BODY: 0689865600 ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Lu and the Swamp Ghost ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: The Rebuttals Begin STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/31/2004 10:01:36 AM ----- BODY: Watch the first ad from Pleasure Boat Captains for Truth.

Also see Cheerleaders for Truth. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: pleasure boat captains for truth ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Ton Ten RNC Surprises STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/31/2004 09:10:32 AM ----- BODY: The Christian Science Monitor list the top ten surprises at the Republican National Convention, despite the GOP's "clever plan to stifle anger, resentment, excitement, or indeed any emotion whatsoever through what can only be described as a careful plan to lull the electorate into sufficient somnolence to allow the incumbent to slide to victory." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: convention surprises ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Nader Off Missouri Ballot STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/31/2004 09:05:33 AM ----- BODY: Ralph Nader "won't be on Missouri's ballot in November, after failing to appeal a ruling by the secretary of state" by Friday, the AP reports.

"Nader still could submit paperwork to qualify as a valid write-in candidate. The deadline for that is Oct. 22, but even then, people would have to add him to their ballots to vote for him."

Chris Bowers provides a useful update of Nader's effort to get on state ballots thus far. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Ralph Nader ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Elder Bush Fans Flames STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/31/2004 09:02:43 AM ----- BODY: Former President George H.W. Bush "fanned doubts" about Sen. John Kerry's Vietnam War record, the New York Times reports. In a television interview, Bush did not specifically challenge Kerry's record "but rather, with the subtlety of a seasoned pro, parried questions in a way to gently bat the controversy aloft." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: President Bush father ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: McCain vs. Moore STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/31/2004 08:54:01 AM ----- BODY: Sen. John McCain's mention of filmmaker Michael Moore last night was a publicist's dream. The New York Daily News notes the senator "unleashed the big guns" on Moore, "unleashing pent-up partisan fury on the Bush-bashing filmmaker as he sat in the hall."

Moore gained press credentials to the Garden by writing a piece for USA Today this morning in which he argues that many people who say they're Republican but "are quite liberal and not in sync with the Republicans who run the country."

Editor and Publisher quotes Moore: "I can't believe they'd mention the film and help the box office."

Keith Olberman: "Michael Moore’s big smile tonight wasn’t defensive, nor pasted on, nor panicky. He shouldn’t have just smiled, he should’ve sent John McCain a check."

Meanwhile, the Houston Chronicle profiles a convention delegate also named Michael Moore. ----- EXTENDED BODY: B00005JNEI ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Michael Moore ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: McCain Keeps Door Open For 2008 STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/30/2004 10:39:04 PM ----- BODY: Despite earlier comments, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) "won't put to bed the idea of a presidential run in 2008," the Los Angeles Times reports.

"McCain's continuing interest in the presidency partly helps explain, according to people familiar with his thinking, why he has increasingly fallen into the embrace of Bush, a man he held in none-too-shrouded contempt after their primary election showdown in 2000."

The New York Times interviewed the senator's mother: "I think he's working for the Republican Party and I don't know that Bush has anything to do with it or doesn't have anything to do with it." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: McCain ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Groups Unveil New Ads STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/30/2004 10:33:03 PM ----- BODY: "To counter Republican attacks, the political-action wing of MoveOn.org launched a $3.2 million convention-week television-ad blitz yesterday -- its largest buy to date," the Wall Street Journal reports. "The ads, featuring former Bush supporters who have turned against the president, will run on cable TV in Florida, Ohio and seven other battleground states."

Meanwhile, another ad from the swift boat veterans attacking Sen. John Kerry "takes aim at the Democratic candidate's antiwar activism and will appear through Friday in about half of Florida and in Nashville, Tenn. The Nashville buy, starting tomorrow, will coincide with Sen. Kerry's speech there to the American Legion." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: groups ads ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: In Lousiana, Alexander Can Run as Republican STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/30/2004 09:49:54 PM ----- BODY: Rep. Rodney Alexander (R-LA) "may run for re-election as a Republican and no new candidates will be able to join the race against him, a state appeals court said," the Lafayette Advertiser reports.

The decision reversed a lower court ruling last week.

Meanwhile, the New Orleans Times-Picayune says that "contrary to speculation," Alexander "won no assurances from the Republican leadership in the House of Representatives that he will get a powerhouse committee assignment, such as appropriations, if he wins re-election." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Rodney Alexander ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Virginia Congressman Resigns Abruptly STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/30/2004 07:05:48 PM ----- BODY: Rep. Edward Schrock (R-VA) "abruptly announced Monday that he will not seek a third term in Congress, citing unspecified allegations 'that have called into question my ability' to serve," the AP reports.

Schrock's statement "said he would not comment further on his decision, nor did he comment specifically on the allegations he is facing."

Kos says a blog -- Blogactive -- brought down the congressman by claiming he was gay.

Update: The Virginia Pilot notes "no mainstream newspapers, television stations or Web sites published the allegations. As the rumors continued to build, local Republicans began preparing for the worst."

Update II: Michael D has posted links to the audio tapes and much more. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Edward Schrock ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Nader Off Ballot in Pennsylvania STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/30/2004 04:47:47 PM ----- BODY: Ralph Nader "has lost his attempt to get on the November ballot in Pennsylvania," the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

"A three-judge panel said Nader violated state law by trying to run as an independent here, while in Michigan filing to run on the Reform Party ticket." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Ralph Nader ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: A Convention Like No Other STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/30/2004 04:35:47 PM ----- BODY: Andrea Mitchell makes an interesting observation: "The rules change by the minute, but no one knows why. The Garden, home to three previous conventions I've covered (in '76, '80 and '92) resembles no event, political or otherwise, any of us have ever seen. New York is an armed camp. Street closures change by the minute. But inside the hermetically sealed convention, you'd never know what is happening on the streets." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Republican Convention ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Miller's Words Recycled STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/30/2004 04:13:15 PM ----- BODY: The Georgia Democratic Party launched a web video challenging the credibility of the state's highest ranking elected Democrat, retiring Sen. Zell Miller. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Zell Miller ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/30/2004 04:10:51 PM ----- BODY: According to a Zogby Interactive poll, President Bush is favored by a stunning 25% over Sen. John Kerry (35%-10%) among undecided likely voters.

Update: The latest Washington Post/ABC News poll shows a statistical dead heat, with Bush and Kerry tied at 48% among likely voters.

Here are the latest state polls: Meanwhile, the Electoral Vote Predictor finds "neither candidate has the required 270 votes in the electoral college because three states are now tied." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry poll ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Bush Bashing Beats Clinton Bashing STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/30/2004 02:18:01 PM ----- BODY: "A year ago, it was still possible to debate whether the phenomenon of Bush hating had taken on the virulent dimensions of Clinton loathing in the 1990's," the New York Times reports. "On the eve of the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City, there's no longer any argument. By any measure, Bush bashing is bigger."

"The right's Clinton hating was largely personality-driven... Bush's opponents, by comparison, despise the substance of his presidency... But they often admit that they, well, kinda like the guy personally." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush bashing ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Michael Moore's Patriot Act STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/30/2004 12:56:56 PM ----- BODY: Rolling Stone has a must-read profile of filmmaker Michael Moore which includes this warning for Sen. John Kerry: "It doesn't do me any good to have him embrace me, because if he's elected, my camera will be on him." (Only an excerpt of the article is online.) ----- EXTENDED BODY: B00005JNEI ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Michael Moore ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Bush Lawyer Still Involved in Campaign STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/30/2004 12:53:40 PM ----- BODY: "Although he resigned amid controversy as outside counsel to the Bush campaign, Ben Ginsberg will still party with his party here in New York this week," Roll Call's Heard on the Hill reports. "In fact, he remains the headline 'special host' of the lavish late-night bash that his law firm, Patton Boggs, is throwing for the Bush-Cheney ’04 team on the final night of the convention at ultra schwanky Avalon on Sixth Avenue."

Meanwhile, Andrew Sullivan notes the controversy about whether the Bush campaign was behind the swift boat attack ads may have been put to rest by President Bush himself:

I loved Bush's comment yesterday about the smear-ad: "I can understand why Senator Kerry is upset with us. I wasn't so pleased with the ads that were run about me. And my call is get rid of them all, now."

"Us"?? I thought Bush had nothing to do with it.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Ben Ginsberg ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Schwarzenegger on Fundraising Roll STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/30/2004 09:50:02 AM ----- BODY: California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), "who once ridiculed politicians" in Sacramento "for taking 'dirty money' and proclaimed that he didn't need to take 'any money from anyone,' is immersed in what could prove to be the most aggressive fundraising sprint by a California governor," the Los Angeles Times reports.

"Even before the current fundraising blitz began three weeks ago, Schwarzenegger had taken in about $13 million this year."

However, Schwarzenegger's distinction "is that the money is going not to advance narrow campaign purposes, but to fight for a broader policy agenda" by taking sides on ballot initiatives. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Schwarzenegger ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Get Ready for Political Spam STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/30/2004 09:43:31 AM ----- BODY: "For the first time, a nationwide list of registered voters has been cross-referenced with multiple lists of e-mail addresses collected from magazine subscribers, catalogue shoppers, online poll participants and the like," the Washington Post reports.

"The result is that legislators, candidates for office and interest groups can buy more than 25 million e-mail addresses of registered voters and contact them at will."

Editor's Note: For those looking for a very elegant way to combat spam, I highly recommend Cloudmark Spamnet. Another good program is Norton Anti-Spam. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: In Illinois, Keyes Flips Out on News Anchor STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/30/2004 09:37:10 AM ----- BODY: In the continuing saga called the Illinois Senate campaign, ArchPundit point us to the latest outburst from Republican Alan Keyes. It's well worth watching. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Alan Keyes ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Convention Wire STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/30/2004 09:10:15 AM ----- BODY: USA Today notes that Democrats "assigned to counter the Republican convention here have already accomplished the easy part of their job -- coming up with a slogan: Mission Not Accomplished."

New York magazine offers quiz: "Can you tell at a glance if someone’s a Republican or a Democrat?"

The New York Times has a complete list of tonight's speakers and events. Adam Nagourney has an interactive preview.

A press release gives excerpts from speeches not yet delivered.

David Shuster says convention protesters yesterday were 99.9% peaceful. The New York Times notes the protests "went off without major violence despite fears of explosive clashes with the biggest security force ever assembled in New York." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Republican convention ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Bush Calls Iraq a "Catastrophic Success" STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/30/2004 09:04:09 AM ----- BODY: In an interview with Time magazine, President Bush declared the war in Iraq a "catastrophic success."

Sen. John Edwards responds in the Washington Post: "I, like most Americans, have no idea what that means." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush iraq war ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Quote of the Day STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/30/2004 08:44:32 AM ----- BODY: "I think Kerry going to Vietnam was more heroic than my flying fighter jets. He was in harm's way and I wasn't. On the other hand, I served my country. Had my unit been called up, I would have gone."

-- President Bush, in a Today Show interview that aired this morning. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Kerry Bush swift boats ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: How Big a Bush Bounce? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/30/2004 08:26:56 AM ----- BODY: According to Larry Sabato, incumbent presidents "usually get a convention bounce that is smaller, often about half to two-thirds, of their less well-known challengers in the other party."

"Since John Kerry got a bounce estimated to be a mere two points overall -- once all the major nonpartisan national surveys are averaged in the two weeks following the Democratic National Convention -- this 'rule' would predict that George W. Bush will gain a mere one point from New York!"

Nonetheless, due to Kerry's less-than-inspiring convention and the recent Bush revival in the polls, Sabato predicts we will likely see "a rare historical phenomenon: a convention bounce that is greater for the incumbent than for the challenger." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush convention bounce ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Hastert Links Soros to Drug Money STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/30/2004 08:21:22 AM ----- BODY: On the Sunday television shows promoting his new book, Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-IL) "insinuated that billionaire financier George Soros, who's funding an independent media campaign to dislodge President Bush, is getting his big bucks from shady sources," the New York Daily News reports.

Said Hastert: "You know, I don't know where George Soros gets his money. I don't know where - if it comes overseas or from drug groups or where it comes from." ----- EXTENDED BODY: 089526126X ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Hastert Soros ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Convention Wire STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/29/2004 10:45:30 PM ----- BODY: The New York Times quotes Republican party leaders who say they will "seize on street demonstrations to portray Democrats as extremist."

The Wall Street Journal notes that Republicans "face a challenge at Monday's opening of their national convention: the major television networks aren't broadcasting it. That means viewers must seek alternative outlets, such as cable networks or public broadcasting, to see John McCain and Rudolph Giuliani invoke the party's trademark 'security' theme."

CNN provides a viewer's guide.

Suffolk University's Beacon Hill Institute estimates that the economic benefits of the Republican National Convention to New York's economy will be about $163 million, $97 million dollars less than the $260 million figure originally quoted by Mayor Bloomberg. A similar study was conducted on the impact of the Democratic National Convention.

If watching a four-day political advertisement isn't your thing, try playing The Political Machine, a computer game for political junkies that has received excellent reviews. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Republican convention ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Brazile Memo: How to Beat Bush STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/29/2004 10:34:10 PM ----- BODY: Donna Brazile, Al Gore's campaign manager in 2000, says that Sen. John Kerry can only win the election "by understanding that he is running against a shrewd, clever and an extremely intelligent opponent who was trained in political combat by the late GOP strategist Lee Atwater."

In addition to avoiding the strategic mistakes of the Gore campaign -- such as avoiding Bill Clinton -- Kerry must focus on the following:
Message Matters: "A race against an incumbent is a referendum on the direction of the country. Kerry can make the arguments much easier for voters if he’s making a compelling case—either based on a vision for the country or something about his leadership style."

Minimize Mistakes: "In an election this close, the candidate who wins may be the one who makes the fewest mistakes."

Debates: "Don't approach these crucial presidential debates like they are a Harvard-Yale Society debate. This will serve as Kerry’s chance to show voters who he is as a person."
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Quote of the Day STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/29/2004 08:53:06 PM ----- BODY: "Sometimes I think our friends on the other side have become the people of Nine Commandments."

Former President Bill Clinton, quoted by the Los Angeles Times at a Harlem church this morning, "suggesting that Republicans were ignoring the biblical injunction against bearing false witness by attacking Kerry's military service in Vietnam." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bill Clinton Republican convention ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Meet the GOP Delegates STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/29/2004 08:29:54 PM ----- BODY: A CBS News/New York Times poll of delegates to the Republican National Convention finds they "are in agreement with GOP voters nationwide on a range of issues, including strong support for the Iraq war, the belief that government should promote traditional values, support for tax cuts, and wanting religion to be part of the 2004 campaign." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Republican delegates ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Most Forecasts Predict Bush Win STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/29/2004 07:49:26 PM ----- BODY: "The vast majority of political scientists and economists who forecast elections based on computer models will be presenting their papers at the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association this week in Chicago, and they are projecting a Bush victory over Sen. John Kerry -- in a landslide, some say."

Charlie Cook, however, is not so sure.

The reason? "To my mind, the most important figure to emerge in recent days was the revised second-quarter GDP figure, which dropped to 2.8 percent, the slowest growth rate in over a year and the lowest since the first quarter of 2003... The current economic growth rate is a lot closer to the rate in years when incumbents lose than it is to years when incumbents win."

According to Washington Whispers, pollster John Zogby also sees an uphill battle for Bush, despite his recent rise in the polls. "His surveys show that while 96 percent of Gore voters plan to vote for Sen. John Kerry, only 89 percent of those who voted for Bush in 2000 are currently committed to supporting him again in November. Bush, the way Zogby figures it, will need to boost that to 95 percent to win in November." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: election forecasts ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/29/2004 12:53:58 PM ----- BODY: A national Zogby/Williams poll of 20,900 voters finds Sen. John Kerry leading President Bush, 50.8% to 46.7%, among likely voters, with only 2.4% "undecided or so soft in their support of either candidate that they could easily change." The margin of error was less than 1 percentage point.

Meanwhile, a CNN analysis of state polls concludes Bush leads in the electoral college by 274-264. The Electoral Vote Predictor still has Kerry leading, 270 to 259.

Update: A new NPR Poll shows Kerry leading Bush, 47% to 43%. In addition, Bush's approval rating remains below 50%.

Here are the latest state polls: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry poll ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: NYT: Abolish the Electoral College STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/29/2004 10:00:09 AM ----- BODY: A New York Times editorial calls for abolishing the Electoral College. "It's a ridiculous setup, which thwarts the will of the majority, distorts presidential campaigning and has the potential to produce a true constitutional crisis. There should be a bipartisan movement for direct election of the president." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: electoral college ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Reviewing Bush's Campaign Strategy STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/29/2004 09:22:54 AM ----- BODY: President Bush's re-election campaign "reflects an unusual level of involvement from the president himself, particularly in driving attacks on Senator John Kerry that have characterized his re-election effort since the spring," the New York Times reports.

Bush has "intervened on matters as large as the themes it should strike and as small as particular shots of him in his television advertisements. While making sure Mr. Kerry is challenged at every opening, they said, the single most consuming concern for Mr. Bush is that there is an elaborate get-out-the-vote operation in November in anticipation of a contest as tight as the one in 2000."

A Washington Post piece notes Bush's decisions and political style "have virtually eliminated the political center -- sending all but a small percentage of Americans into fevered pro- and anti- camps -- and dictated a general election strategy organized around exciting core supporters and increasing turnout. This approach upends conventional reelection strategy, which holds that a president should mostly finish his base-tending the year before voting, and spend the general election softening his rhetoric and showering blandishments on independent voters in the ideological middle."

The Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times run front page stories on how Bush is in his father's looming shadow -- and desperately trying to avoid the same re-election fate. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush re-election strategy ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/28/2004 10:03:02 PM ----- BODY: According to a new Time magazine poll, President Bush is supported by 46% of likely voters, Sen. John Kerry by 44% and Ralph Nader by 5%. In the two-way race, it's dead even: Kerry 46%, Bush 46%.

Here are the latest state polls: Meanwhile, for the first time this year, President Bush has moved ahead of Sen. John Kerry in the Rasmussen Electoral College Projection. "Neither man, however, can yet count on the 270 Electoral Votes needed for victory in November."

Bush is leading in states with 200 Electoral Votes while Kerry is ahead in states with 190. There are 148 Electoral Votes in the Toss-Up column. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Kerry Bush poll ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: What Dole Really Thinks STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/28/2004 12:08:47 PM ----- BODY: Despite his defense of the attacks on Sen. John Kerry's war record, Slate says Bob Dole is now "an unlikely ally" in the Democrats' quest "to prove that President Bush has a history of these kinds of dirty tricks."

During a CNN interview when he thought he wasn't on air, Dole agreed with Sen. John McCain's 2000 primary charge that the Bush campaign engaged in dirty tricks. "Although the remark was made off-air, it wasn't made off-camera. A CNN employee who asked not to be named made a digital file of the raw camera feed from the Late Edition studio."

"Question for Bob Dole: If President Bush should be ashamed of his behavior four years ago, why aren't you ashamed now?" ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bob Dole Kerry ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Tales From the Campaign Trail STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/27/2004 01:38:35 PM ----- BODY: After reading a couple of older campaign books -- Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail '72 by Hunter S. Thompson and Re-Electing Lincoln by John C. Waugh -- the Wall Street Journal's Cynthia Crossen notes the similarities to today's presidential race:
"The behind-the-scenes stories of the elections of 1864 and 1972 prove that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Every four years since 1789, the curtains that cover the oily machinery of presidential politics are briefly pulled back. Today there may be less cigar smoke and fewer cash bribes, but behind-the-scenes deals are still the coin of the realm, as are claims, counterclaims, denials and rebuttals. Running for the American presidency is a kind of Olympics for politicians, demanding an almost inhuman disregard for anything but winning."
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: presidential campaigns ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: The Lawyers Are Ready... STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/27/2004 01:23:32 PM ----- BODY: The Economist has more on Coloardo's ballot initiative to allocate electoral votes proportionally instead of winner-take-all:
"On the same day when they choose between Messrs Bush and Kerry, Colorado's voters will also have to decide on a ballot initiative that would shift the state's votes in the electoral college from a winner-takes-all system to a proportional one, based on the popular vote. The initiative explicitly says that it applies 'retroactively' to the 2004 election. But the courts will have to decide whether it can do so."
And CNN reminds us how significant this could be:
"In 2000, if a proportional rule had been in effect, Colorado's then eight electoral votes (they have picked up one since then as a result of census reapportionment in 2002) would have been split five to three by Bush and Al Gore. As a result, Gore would have won the election with 270 electoral votes to Bush's 268 (instead of losing 271 to 268)."
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Colorado ballot initiative electoral vote ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Quote of the Day STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/27/2004 12:29:23 PM ----- BODY: "The chances of New York to host the Olympic games in 2012 were not that good. But now they were lowered to zero."

-- An International Olympic Committee member, quoted by Spiegel (translated by Florian and Google), citing the Bush campaign's refusal to pull a campaign ad that uses Olympics images. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Olympics Bush ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Bush's Silver Bullet Proposal? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/27/2004 12:14:25 PM ----- BODY: The Wall Street Journal says President Bush is mulling "a plan to free up to 50 million taxpayers from having to file annual income-tax returns. The move would hinge on altering rules for withholding; employers and possibly financial-services firms would do more of the collection work. Taxpayers with the simplest finances would benefit." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush tax filing ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Setting Expectations for the Debates STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/27/2004 11:54:45 AM ----- BODY: As we mentioned earlier, the winner of a presidential debate is not necessarily the candidate that wins on technical merits. It's all about expectations, which makes these recent comments very relevant:
Kerry on Bush: "The president has won every debate he's ever had. He beat Ann Richards. He beat Al Gore. So, he's a good debater." (Chicago Tribune)

Bush on Kerry: "He is an excellent debater. He obviously knows his subject matters." (USA Today)
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: A Window on Character STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/27/2004 11:28:24 AM ----- BODY: In a must-read column, Craig Crawford defends the recent presidential campaign focus on the Vietnam War because the "debate is telling us plenty about the characters of George W. Bush and John Kerry, which is what most voters want to know about their presidential candidates."

"No matter where you come down on the details of his combat service, we have learned that the 2004 Democratic nominee was fiercely ambitious in those days to build a war record for an intricately planned political career. During the Vietnam-era days, by sharp contrast, the 2004 Republican nominee was a slacker who safely remained stateside and apparently had no thoughts of ever even holding a full-time job. Running for president some day could not have crossed Bush's mind, given his sloppy handling of his National Guard service."

"While Americans admire ambition, they also tend to like a goof-off." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry Vietnam War ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Bush's Judges Found Most Conservative in History STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/27/2004 10:34:06 AM ----- BODY: A team of academics has published a statistical analysis of the overall decision-making behavior of President Bush's judicial appointees. "The findings indicate that the Bush judges are among the most conservative on record. In the area of civil liberties and rights, Bush’s jurists are significantly more conservative than any other president’s appointees. However, Bush jurists exhibit behavior in criminal justice and labor and economic regulation cases that is comparable to judges appointed by prior Republican presidents." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush judges ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Republicans Agree on Platform STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/27/2004 08:48:05 AM ----- BODY: "The Republican Party platform that emerged yesterday after two days of minimal conflict and no rancor is a solidly conservative but stay-the-course document, a sharp contrast to the party's ringing manifesto of four years ago," the Boston Globe reports.

"Tightly controlled by party leaders, the meeting of the 110-member platform committee featured few disputes and most of those were at the ideological margins of party orthodoxy. It was almost a mirror-image of the equally well-behaved Democrats at their platform proceedings last month."

Meanwhile, History Wire remembers "when conventions were conventions." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Republican party platform ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Aggregating Election Coverage STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/27/2004 08:29:38 AM ----- BODY: Political Wire was the first to create news aggregators specifically for political junkies. Breaking News scans more than 20 sources for the latest political headlines, while Southpaws and Wingers pull the the best observations from the blogosphere.

Now Yahoo follows us with their Election Blog Roundup. "Our goal is to aggregate a diverse selection of political blogs and let you sample a variety of opinions as election season heats up."

Meanwhile, RNC Bloggers joins Convention Bloggers, Technorati and Feedster for the latest from blogs covering the Republican National Convention next week. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: political news aggregators ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: As Maine Goes, So Goes Nebraska? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/27/2004 08:12:43 AM ----- BODY: The Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire reminds us of how tight the presidential race is: "Only those two states don't have a winner-take-all system for Electoral College votes. In a sign of how close both parties see the race, Kerry folks eye a congressional district in otherwise solidly pro-Bush Nebraska, while Bush backers do the same in Maine though they expect the state overall to favor Kerry."

Meanwhile, the Electoral College Predictor inputs the results of yesterday's state polls and notes "It looks like the swift boat ad is working. Kerry is now dropping in the state polls as well as in the national polls." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Maine Nebraska electoral vote ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Bush Says Kerry Didn't Lie About Vietnam STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/26/2004 10:38:41 PM ----- BODY: In an interview with the New York Times, President Bush said that "he did not believe Senator John Kerry lied about his war record, but he declined to condemn the television commercial paid for by a veterans group alleging that Mr. Kerry came by his war medals dishonestly."

Nonetheless, Bush's comments "undercut a central accusation leveled by the veterans group, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, whose unproven attacks on Mr. Kerry have dominated the political debate for more than two weeks."

Meanwhile, the Washington Post notes Bush and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) "joined forces yesterday to seek legal action to reduce the influence of 527 political organizations, but the two remained in disagreement over whether Bush should condemn a television ad by the group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth attacking John F. Kerry's Vietnam service." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry Vietnam ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/26/2004 05:10:19 PM ----- BODY: The latest George Washington University Battleground Poll shows Sen. John Kerry with a two point lead over President Bush, 49% to 47%, in a two-way race where the candidate is named. Just 4% of the electorate remains undecided. As this is billed as a "bi-partisan poll," strategic analysis is provided by Celinda Lake for Democrats and by Ed Goeas for Republicans.

Update: The latest Fox News Poll shows the presidential race is essentially tied with Kerry holding a one-point lead over Bush among likely voters.

Update II: A new USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll shows Bush leading Kerry 50% to 47% among likely voters, with Kerry leading Bush 48% to 47% among registered voters.

Update III: The new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll shows Bush leading, 47% to 45%, "despite troubling numbers for the president on the economy, Iraq, and the nation’s direction."

Here are the latest state polls: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry poll ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Bush May Watch Convention From Firehouse STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/26/2004 03:43:38 PM ----- BODY: President Bush "wants to watch the Republican convention from a New York City firehouse and 'bond' with the city's Bravest," the New York Daily News reports.

"The President intends to watch Wednesday night when Vice President Cheney addresses his party. Bush takes the stage on Thursday night."

Earlier reports suggested Bush wouldn't spend the night in New York City, but now campaign officials say they won't confirm any details of Bush's schedule other than he'll be in New York on Thursday night to accept the nomination. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush New York convention ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Dirty Tricks, Patrician Style STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/26/2004 03:32:29 PM ----- BODY: CBS News producer Dick Meyer writes about the Bush family business:

"Any student of Bush family campaigns could have seen the swift boat shiv shining a mile away. This old family has traditions -- horseshoes, fishing, bad syntax and having the help do the dirty work in campaigns as well as the kitchen. And they are very good at getting jobs done without leaving fingerprints, without compromising their patrician image and their alleged character."

"You get the picture. The big question is why John Kerry didn't." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Quote of the Day STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/26/2004 02:33:39 PM ----- BODY: "Zell was the Democratic keynote speaker in 1992. He was the Platform Committee Chairman in 1996. He co-chaired Al Gore's leadership PAC in 2000. And now, all of a sudden, in 2004 he's decided the party's too liberal? What's changed? On what issue has the party moved to the left from where it was when Zell was writing our platform?"

-- Paul Begala, interviewed by ABC News, on RNC keynote speaker Sen. Zell Miller (D-GA). Begala wrote Miller's 1992 DNC keynote address.

Update: Emmett Hogan reponds. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Paul Begala Zell Miller ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Kerry Challenges Bush to Weekly Debates STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/26/2004 02:29:52 PM ----- BODY: Sen. John Kerry challenged President Bush "to weekly debates from now until Nov. 2 on campaign issues like education, health care and national security," the AP reports.

"The Bush-Cheney campaign rebuffed the debate challenge." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry debates ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: The Birth of a Political Career STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/26/2004 08:20:54 AM ----- BODY: Los Angeles Magazine says California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's (R) "unlikely ascension owes almost all to his boundless ambition and wily calculation, which culminated in an exquisitely engineered business deal. It would be a deal that neutralized his most formidable enemies and deprived his detractors of their most potent weapon. It enabled him to prevail in the recall election. And it allowed him to pursue The Star turn he so long ago dreamed for himself: to be the Conan of American politics." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Schwarzenegger ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Bush Ramps Up Cable Ads STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/26/2004 08:11:49 AM ----- BODY: President Bush "is spending heavily on cable-television advertising in his bid to win re-election, and if the channels he is dropping dollars on are any indication, he is particularly concerned about voters he should already have in the bag," the Wall Street Journal reports.

"Through the first six months of this year, Mr. Bush's campaign bought almost 3,100 ads on cable, mostly on channels that attract white male viewers, many of them affluent."

The most striking statistic: "Four years ago, Nielsen research shows that the Bush-Cheney committee didn't buy any time on the cable-news networks, and the Gore-Lieberman campaign bought just 12 spots." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush cable ads ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Voting Before Election Day STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/26/2004 08:03:06 AM ----- BODY: "Early voting is transforming the way campaigns do business, and because this presidential race is so closely contested, it could have a significant impact on the outcome," the Washington Post reports.

"In some battleground states, voting will commence nearly six weeks before Election Day. For the Bush and Kerry campaigns, that means an earlier start to television, radio and mail advertising, adding to the campaign's overall cost."

For more, see our previous look at the impact of early voting. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: early voting ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: McCain Will Appeal to Bush About Swift Boat Ads STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/26/2004 07:35:47 AM ----- BODY: In an interview with the New York Times, Sen. John McCain said "that he was so annoyed over the veterans' television advertisements attacking Mr. Kerry's war record that he intended to personally 'express my displeasure' to the president when they campaign together next week."

In an interview with the Arizona Republic, McCain said, "I'm sick and tired of reopening the wounds of the Vietnam War, which I've spent the last 30 years trying to heal. Now, these wounds are being reopened in the most unsavory of fashion."

However, the Chicago Tribune notes McCain placed some of the blame with the Kerry campaign: "I don't think there's any doubt that Sen. Kerry made this a very big part of his campaign and therefore legitimized this issue."

McCain also insisted that the Kerry campaign stop using images of his primary campaign against Bush in 2000 in its own rebuttal ads. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: McCain Kerry Bush ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Poll Shows Kerry Hurt By Attacks STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/25/2004 09:40:06 PM ----- BODY: Political Wire got an advance look at the new Los Angeles Times poll showing President Bush "moving slightly" ahead of Sen. John Kerry "for the first time this year." Bush had the support of 49% of registered voters, compared to 46% for Kerry.

The newspaper's analysis indicates Kerry "has been nicked by attacks on his service in Vietnam."

The "small shift" from last month's poll "is within the poll's margin of error. But it fits with other findings in the Times Poll showing the electorate edging toward Bush over the past month on a broad range of measures, from support for his handling of Iraq to confidence in his leadership and honesty."

Independent voters split evenly, but Bush's "tentative new advantage" seems to be "his greater success at onsolidating his base. While just 3% of voters who call themselves Republicans say they will vote for Kerry, Bush is drawing 15% just over one-seventh of all Democrats, and fully one-fifth 20% of Democrats who consider themselves moderate or conservative, the poll found."

Update: The poll is now posted. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry poll ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/25/2004 07:04:01 PM ----- BODY: The presidential race is getting closer. The latest Economist poll shows Sen. John Kerry's lead over President Bush slipping to just three points, 47% to 44%. The Rasmussen Tracking Poll shows a dead heat: Kerry 47%, Bush 47%.

Meanwhile, the Electoral Vote Predictor shows Kerry just barely ahead, as a recent poll gives Florida to Bush. "We may have to wait until all the votes are counted -- several times -- before we know."

Here are the latest state polls: Update: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry poll ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Breaking News STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/25/2004 04:52:11 PM ----- BODY: "Electoral College Holds Key to Election, Again"

-- Headline on column in the Centre Daily Times. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: electoral college ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: WB Targets Political Junkies STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/25/2004 04:29:59 PM ----- BODY: "In an unusual attempt to break through the barrage of advertising for the upcoming fall television season, the WB television network has launched a guerrilla marketing campaign for its new political drama Jack and Bobby," the Wall Street Journal reports.

"The strategy is to create a cult following in political circles for the show -- about the teenage McCallister brothers, one of whom grows up to be president -- to serve as a core audience and create a groundswell of buzz...

"Among the WB's efforts: distributing DVDs of the show inside the White House and Capitol; organizing viewing parties at political rallies for local politicians; and blitzing the political conventions with fliers, placards and buttons... Copies of the show were sent to the Days Inn that serves Crawford, Texas, in hopes that bored reporters would take a look." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Jack and Bobby WB ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Bush Claimed He Served in Air Force STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/25/2004 11:52:18 AM ----- BODY: David Corn says that in President Bush's failed 1978 congressional campaign, he "claimed he had served in the US Air Force. According to a 1999 Associated Press report, Bush's congressional campaign ran a pullout ad in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal that declared he had served 'in the US Air Force and the Texas Air National Guard where he piloted the F-102 aircraft.'"

The problem? "Bush had never served in the Air Force. He had only been in the Air National Guard." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush air force ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Bush Lawyer Resigns Over Link to 527 Group STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/25/2004 11:17:22 AM ----- BODY: Benjamin Ginsberg, President Bush's election lawyer and one of his attorneys during the 2000 Florida recount, resigned from the campaign after he disclosed he gave legal advice to a 527 group running attack ads against Sen. John Kerry, the AP reports.

Bloomberg and the AP have more on Ginsberg's link to the group, Swift Boat Veteran's for Truth. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Ginsberg 527 group ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Dispute Over Vietnam Cuts Both Ways STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/25/2004 10:08:25 AM ----- BODY: Now in its third week, the Washington Post examines the controversey surrounding Sen. John Kerry's war record and balances the risks to both sides:
For Kerry: "Democratic strategists fear that attack ads against Kerry will undermine the Democratic presidential nominee's character and credibility, no matter whether the charges are accurate, because they dovetail with an argument Bush's campaign has tried to pound home in its advertising -- that Kerry is unreliable and untrustworthy. Many of the charges have been rebutted by veterans who served with Kerry and by military records."

For Bush: "Republican strategists see the potential for a backlash developing that will hurt the president, who they say must overcome doubts about his leadership on Iraq and the economy and can ill afford voters concluding that he and his campaign orchestrated the attacks on Kerry by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth."
"Whether the argument over Kerry and Vietnam turns out to be an August diversion or a significant moment in one of the most fiercely fought campaigns in modern presidential history is not clear to either side." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Kerry Bush swift boat ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Another GOP 527 Group Emerges STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/25/2004 09:40:18 AM ----- BODY: The Progress for America Voter Fund, a new 527 group "recently formed by backers of President Bush has amassed a treasure chest of $35 million and plans a barrage of commercials criticizing Democratic challenger Sen. John Kerry, even though the president this week denounced such outside organizations for running negative campaign ads," the Wall Street Journal reports.

"Now, in an election already steamrolling fund-raising records, the new Republican group's deep pockets -- matching those of some of the big Democratic groups -- seem sure to set up an intense, and highly partisan, big-money battle on airwaves this fall."

Yesterday, we noted another Republican 527 group recently formed to launch ads against Sen. John Edwards. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: 527 groups ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Blagojevich's Approval on the Rebound STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/25/2004 09:35:11 AM ----- BODY: "Despite a record-breaking budget standoff," a new Chicago Tribune/WGN-TV poll shows that Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's (D) job approval rating has rebounded, "leaving him hovering around the minimum threshold of support a midterm governor looks for heading into a re-election campaign." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Blagojevich ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Quote of the Day STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/25/2004 09:22:07 AM ----- BODY: "You'd be amazed at the number of people who want to introduce themselves to you in the men's room. It's the most bizarre part of this entire thing."

-- Sen. John Kerry on the Daily Show last night. Here's the video. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Kerry Daily Show ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Cheney Breaks From Bush on Gays STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/25/2004 09:19:00 AM ----- BODY: Vice President Dick Cheney, "whose younger daughter is a lesbian," said that "he believed that decisions about same-sex marriages should be left to the states, contending that 'freedom means freedom for everyone,'" the Los Angeles Times reports.

"That differs from the view of his boss, President Bush, who favors an amendment to the U.S. Constitution banning such marriages." However, regardless of his personal position, Cheney noted, "the president makes policy for the administration." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Cheney gay marriage ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: In Alaska, Murkowski to Face Knowles STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/25/2004 09:06:27 AM ----- BODY: Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R_AK), "appointed to the Senate in 2002 by the governor -- who also happens to be her father -- took a step closer to retaining her seat with a Republican primary win," and next faces popular former two-term Democratic Gov. Tony Knowles, the AP reports. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Murkowsi Knowles ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/25/2004 12:22:31 AM ----- BODY: President Bush "has pulled even" with Sen. John Kerry in a new IBD/TIPP Poll "amid charges the challenger may have oversold his four months of service in Vietnam."

In a three-way race, Bush and Kerry both would get 43%, with Ralph Nader at 5%. In a two-way race, Bush and Kerry deadlock at 44%.

Here are the latest state polls: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry poll ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: A Video Game for Political Junkies STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/24/2004 11:02:34 AM ----- BODY: The San Francisco Chronicle reviews The Political Machine, "a new election-themed game" for "wonkish adults who can't get enough of the political process."

"And while the visuals are limited, the end of the Political Machine -- election day 2004 -- is more satisfying than the conclusions of 99 percent of video games. You get to watch as the electoral vote slowly comes in, biting your nails to see if history will view your candidate as a Clinton or a Dukakis."

Wired has another favorable review, noting "the game itself, at least at intermediate levels, is quick-moving and addictive. I was able to hustle through the 41-week election cycle in about three hours."

CNN calls it "C-SPAN meets The Sims" and notes "one might presume a game like this would be a computerized civics lesson that's about as stimulating as a congressional budget hearing. Fortunately, The Political Machine maintains an entertaining and slightly satirical tone. And the graphics and artwork are rendered in a bright, colorful style straight out of the Sunday comics."

"Political junkies will almost certainly find The Political Machine as addictive as football fans find Madden 2005." ----- EXTENDED BODY: B0002LAUNE ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: The Political Machine ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: High Demand for Anti-Kerry Book STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/24/2004 10:21:06 AM ----- BODY: Barnes and Noble said that "it had been pinched by strong demand for a new book that questions the Vietnam-era actions of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John F. Kerry," the Los Angeles Times reports.

"The nation's largest book store chain also said Republican and Democratic critics had lodged thousands of complaints accusing it of favoring and suppressing Unfit for Command, which accuses the Massachusetts senator of distorting his military record." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: swift boat veterans ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Kerry Camp Sets Expecatations for Bush Bounce STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/24/2004 10:11:11 AM ----- BODY: Several weeks before the Democratic National Convention, President Bush's pollster Matthew Dowd tried to set expectations for Sen. John Kerry's post-convention "bounce." He predicted the race to "swing wildly" into Kerry's favor by early August.

Now it's Kerry's turn. In a new memo, pollster Mark Mellman says Bush heads into the Republican National Convention "in very weak position." To beat the typical incumbent slide of four points between the convention and Election Day, Bush "will need to be garnering 55% of the two-party vote after his convention. Anything less than that and the President will remain in grave political danger." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Republican convention expectations ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Swift Boat Vet Listed As Host of GOP Fundraiser STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/24/2004 09:56:11 AM ----- BODY: Though the Bush campaign insists it has no ties to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth group, the Dallas Morning News reports that Bob Perry, the "key bankroller" for the group, "is listed as the co-host of a New York City fund-raiser next week... whose guest list includes President Bush's top political adviser." President Bush's father is also on the guest list.

Through a spokesman, Perry said, "I never approved the use of my name. I'm not going to be there."

Meanwhile, in a scathing and must-read editorial, the Los Angeles Times says it doesn't believe the swift boat veteran's effort is independent of the Bush campaign. "The technique President Bush is using against John F. Kerry was perfected by his father against Michael Dukakis in 1988, though its roots go back at least to Sen. Joseph McCarthy."

Update: Josh Marshall digs up an old Financial Times article quoting a senior Republican official: "By the time the White House finishes with Kerry, no one will know what side of the (Vietnam) war he fought on." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Swift boat fundraiser Bob Perry ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Pennsylvania May Hinge on Philly Suburbs STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/24/2004 09:37:30 AM ----- BODY: The New York Times says the battle for the Philadelphia suburbs will decide whether Sen. John Kerry or President Bush wins Pennsylvania and its 21 electoral votes.

"For several weeks, Mr. Kerry has been leading in state polls by five or six percentage points. Depending on the poll, Mr. Bush is losing the suburbs or is only slightly ahead, but not by enough to carry the state, at least now." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Pennsylvania Bush Kerry ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New 527 Group to Run Ads Against Edwards STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/24/2004 09:06:00 AM ----- BODY: "The political ad wars are about to get nastier," the Wall Street Journal's Alan Murray observes.

"A group of well-connected Republicans, backed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, has formed a new group to run advertisements in battleground states attacking Sen. John Edwards, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, and his ties to trial lawyers." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: November Fund ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Political Apocalypse Now STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/24/2004 08:18:18 AM ----- BODY: In an excellent piece, Larry Sabato notes that the "extraordinary emotional exchanges we are witnessing daily" about our presidential candidates' war records "leads us to one unavoidable conclusion: For only the second time in our nation's history, the bitterness of a bloody, lost war will shadow national politics until generational replacement has removed all the brave soldiers who experienced the event first-hand."

"The Civil War did not end until everyone who had fought in it had passed away -- and then some... Much like the Civil War, the Vietnam War continues to roil our elections almost thirty years after the inglorious collapse of U.S.-supported South Vietnam."

David Broder echoes the theme: "What's happening with the bitter dispute over John Kerry's role in Vietnam confirms my fears that my generation may never see the day when the baby boomers who came of age in that troubled decade are reconciled sufficiently with each other to lead a united country." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry Vietnam ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: In Louisiana, Judge Orders Ballot Re-Opened STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/24/2004 08:03:30 AM ----- BODY: A Louisiana judge ruled Rep. Rodney Alexander's (R-LA) party switch -- from Democrat to Republican -- came "so late that no viable Democratic candidate could file to oppose him," the Los Angeles Times reports. It was deemed an attempt "to subvert a fair and honest election process for his own personal gain. His actions were marked by a total disregard for the electorate."

As a result, the judge ordered the ballot re-opened so new candidates could enter the race. New candidates will be allowed to file on Wednesday and Thursday this week.

The unusual decision "caught lawyers for both sides off guard, although each claimed victory."

Update: A Political Wire reader notes Alexander's campaign bio still identifies him as "a conservative voice in the Democratic Party in Congress." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Rodney Alexander ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Beyond Bumper Stickers STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/24/2004 08:00:26 AM ----- BODY: "No longer are supporters limited to T-shirts and bumper stickers," the Wall Street Journal reports. "Now they can show their allegiance in a number of creative ways. The Bush site is pushing its AOL Instant Messenger buddy icons (which come in English and Spanish), while the Kerry camp is touting a Kerry weekly pill box for more senior supporters. Both candidates have their own online stores for a wealth of campaign paraphernalia." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Kerry Bush bumper stickers ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Ad Asserts Bush-Nader Alliance STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/24/2004 07:51:37 AM ----- BODY: The New York Times notes "a new advertising campaign satirizing the Republican financial support of Ralph Nader's independent campaign for the presidency sums up the effort this way: Bush-Nader '04."

"In a 60-second television advertisement that begins running on Tuesday an announcer alludes to an unlikely partnership between Mr. Bush, the conservative incumbent, and Mr. Nader, the long shot who has made a career out of championing liberal causes. The advertisement displays state by state where Republican groups have supported Mr. Nader."

A print ad is also being run.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post reports a "clear picture of which state ballots will list Nader -- who in 2000 was on ballots in 43 states plus the District -- may not emerge until early October, when most ballots are finalized." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Ralph Nader Republican support ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/24/2004 06:49:44 AM ----- BODY: Here are the latest state polls: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry poll ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Kerry Jumps to Large Lead In Battleground STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/23/2004 07:04:24 PM ----- BODY: "At first glance, John Kerry's numbers look even better than they did during the Democratic Convention. But his lead may be more fragile than it seems."

In the latest Zogby Interactive poll, President Bush "musters a lead in just two battleground states. The other 14 states in the poll go to Mr. Kerry, giving him his biggest lead -- in terms of the number of states -- since Zogby began conducting twice-a-month polls for WSJ.com in late May."

Zogby's new electoral vote count shows Kerry leading 324 to 214, an even larger lead than the most recent Electoral Vote Predictor.

"Still, there are a lot of reasons to view Mr. Kerry's lead with caution." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: electoral map ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Bush Denounces Ads STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/23/2004 01:59:27 PM ----- BODY: President Bush "denounced TV ads by outside groups attacking both John Kerry and himself on Monday and called for a halt to all such political efforts," the AP reports.

Update: Anyone who thought Bush's remarks would end the controversy hasn't been following this campaign very closely. The New York Times notes that in a speech tomorrow, Kerry "is expected to continue to talk about the history of dirty tricks that Republicans have waged against political opponents of Mr. Bush and his father for several years." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush ads ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/23/2004 12:31:33 PM ----- BODY: Republican polling firm Fabrizio, McLaughlin and Associates notes that likely voters "have a much more favorable opinion of First Lady Laura Bush than they have of Theresa Heinz Kerry. Mrs. Bush has a net favorable rating of nearly 48% while Mrs. Heinz Kerry has a net favorable rating of only about 10% -- Mrs. Bush enjoys nearly a 5 to 1 net favorable margin over Mrs. Heinz Kerry."

Here are the latest state polls: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry poll ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Where the Right Went Wrong STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/23/2004 11:09:01 AM ----- BODY: Matt Drudge "breaks the embargo" of Pat Buchanan's new book, Where the Right Went Wrong: How Neoconservatives Subverted The Reagan Revolution And Hijacked the Bush Presidency.

Among the better quotes:

"There is no conservative party left in Washington. Conservative thinkers and writers who were to be the watchdogs of orthodoxy have been as vigilant in policing party deviations from principle as was Cardinal Law in collaring the predator-priests of the Boston archdiocese." (Page 9)

"The Beltway Right has entered into a civil union with Big Brother." (Page 176) ----- EXTENDED BODY: 0312341156 ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Pat Buchanan book ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Quote of the Day STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/23/2004 11:02:21 AM ----- BODY: "And here's, you know, a good guy, a good friend. I respect his record. But three Purple Hearts and never bled that I know of. I mean, they're all superficial wounds. Three Purple Hearts and you're out."

-- Former Sen. Bob Dole, quoted by the AP, questioning Sen. John Kerry's war medals. The Kerry campaign responded that Kerry has "shrapnel in his thigh" as a result of one of the wounds.

Update: Josh Marshall notes that in his own autobiography Dole described one of his own war wounds as "the sort of injury the Army patched up with Mercurochrome and a Purple Heart." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bob Dole ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: The Debate Factor STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/23/2004 10:29:36 AM ----- BODY: According to modern polling data, presidential debates appear crucial in determining the winner -- particularly in close elections. Since 1960, the Gallup poll conducted just after the debates accurately predicted the winner of the election each time. On three occasions -- 1960, 1980 and 2000 -- the ultimate loser actually led in the pre-debate poll.

Of course, it's not necessarily the technical winner of the debate that gets the bump in the polls. In most cases, like the 2000 election, it's the candidate that does better than expectations that is the real winner. Low expectations is a great asset in presidential debates.

For more on this year's presidential debates, see the Commission on Presidential Debates website. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: presidential debates ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: The Free Media Multiplier Effect STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/23/2004 09:46:16 AM ----- BODY: Despite a relatviely small time buy in a few states, the recent swift boat veterans advertisement claiming Sen. John Kerry lied to obtain his Vietnam War medals was seen many, many more.

"In a dramatic illustration of the power of free media such as talk radio and cable talk shows to assist an independent group in getting its message out, recent polling by the University of Pennsylvania's National Annenberg Election Survey finds that more than half of the country has heard about or seen the ad."

Meanwhile, Kerry hit back with an ad of his own, blaming the Bush campaign of using "tired, old smear tactics." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: swift boat veterans ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Pataki Eyes White House STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/23/2004 09:02:21 AM ----- BODY: Newsweek reports that New York Gov. George Pataki (R) "recently held a strategy meeting with key advisers to discuss a possible" presidential bid in 2008.

"In recent months Pataki has been stumping for Bush around the country, and plans to do more." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Pataki presidential campaign ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Dual Voting Scandal Exposed STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/23/2004 08:58:57 AM ----- BODY: "Some 46,000 New Yorkers are registered to vote in both the city and Florida, a shocking finding that exposes both states to potential abuses that could alter the outcome of elections," a New York Daily News investigation shows.

"Registering in two places is illegal in both states, but the massive snowbird scandal goes undetected because election officials don't check rolls across state lines."

The investigation "found that between 400 and 1,000 registered voters have voted twice in at least one election, a federal offense punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: dual voter registration ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Blogads Work STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/23/2004 08:50:40 AM ----- BODY: Gannett News Service notes that more political candidates "have been turning to political Web logs, or blogs, to boost their campaign coffers."

Notes a campaign strategist for Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD), who ran several ads on Political Wire: "We made back our investment within the first hour of putting them up."

If you're interested in running an ad on Political Wire, premium and regular sponsorships are available. Premium ads run one at a time at the top of the left hand column. Regular ads appear just below the top slot and are rotated randomly. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: blogads ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Blackball STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/23/2004 08:38:57 AM ----- BODY: Washington Whispers notes that after Hardball host Chris Matthews complained about a RNC advertisement that used footage from his show out of context, Republicans think Matthews is biased in favor of Sen. John Kerry. "As payback, they've stopped urging Republicans to appear on the show." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Chris Matthews ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Bush May Not Stay in New York City STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/23/2004 08:25:44 AM ----- BODY: The New York Times notes the Bush campaign, which once hoped nextw eek's Republican National Convention "would flow into the third anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks," may change tactics. Bush may not even spend a single night in New York City next week.

"Republicans acknowledge that one reason for the president's quick drop-by is their concern that he not be seen as taking advantage of the deaths of 3,000 people. What seemed like a good idea a year and a half ago, before Mr. Bush put on a flight suit and declared major combat operations in Iraq at an end, does not seem like such a good idea in the highly charged political environment now." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Nader Bumped in Four States STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/23/2004 08:21:59 AM ----- BODY: Ralph Nader has been denied a spot on the presidential ballot in Illinois, Maryland Missouri and Virginia, with state elections officials saying his campaign workers "either did not submit enough valid signatures on ballot petitions or failed to follow proper procedures," the Washington Post reports.

Meanwhile, the Detroit Free Press notes the head of the Michigan Democratic Party "says signatures gathered by Republicans to put Nader on the ballot show a pattern of fraud, a charge Republicans deny." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Ralph Nader ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Corzine Would Run STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/23/2004 08:17:12 AM ----- BODY: Sen. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) said that New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey's "recent revelations have created a 'a crisis of confidence' in New Jersey government and that he remains prepared to run for governor in a special election if McGreevey changes his mind and steps down by Sept. 3," the Newark Star-Ledger reports.

However, in a New York Times op-ed yesterday, McGreevey dug in. "While I see the merits of both sides of the debate, I stand firm with my decision. My obligation is to complete the important work already started and to achieve an effective transition of state government." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Corzine McGreevey ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Republicans Brace for Protests STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/22/2004 12:22:38 AM ----- BODY: President Bush's "advisers said they were girding for the most extensive street demonstrations at any political convention since the Democrats nominated Hubert H. Humphrey in Chicago in 1968," the New York Times reports.

"But in contrast to that convention, which was severely undermined by televised displays of street rioting, Republicans said they would seek to turn any disruptions to their advantage, by portraying protests by even independent activists as Democratic-sanctioned displays of disrespect for a sitting president." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: convention protests ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: In Illinois, Obama Holds Huge Lead STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/22/2004 12:09:58 AM ----- BODY: "Barack Obama has opened an even bigger lead over Alan Keyes than he had over Jim Ryan," according to the latest Chicago Tribune/WGN poll. The poll shows Obama with a 41 percent lead over Keyes. "Obama sweeps all necessary constituencies by large margins, including African-American voters by 93 percent to 3 percent. Moreover, 51 percent of Illinois voters disapprove of the selection by Republican Party leaders of Alan Keyes as the candidate for senate."

"Conservative Republican leaders said they recruited Keyes to enter the race because Obama was "out of the mainstream" with Illinois voters. But Obama leads among Moderates 76 percent to 10 percent and wins a good share of fairly conservative voters -- 49 percent." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Obama ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/21/2004 11:57:30 PM ----- BODY: Here are the latest state polls from the presidential race: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry poll ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/20/2004 12:03:39 AM ----- BODY: According to the latest CBS News poll, the race for the presidency "is now essentially tied, with a gap between the two major party candidates within this poll’s margin of error."

In a three-way race, Kerry would get 46%, Bush 45% and Nader 1%. In a two-way race, Kerry leads Bush 47% to 44%.

Here are the latest state polls: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry polls ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Kerry's Ex-Girlfriend Takes Down Site STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/19/2004 09:47:40 PM ----- BODY: "A woman who claims to be an old flame of US presidential hopeful John Kerry says she plans to take down details of their relationship she put on the web," the BBC reports.

"Lee Whitnum, an aspiring novelist writing under the surname Roystone, said she had received 500 hate e-mails from Democrats and Republicans." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Kerry ex-flame ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Gore Caught Speeding STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/19/2004 05:26:03 PM ----- BODY: Former Vice President Al Gore "was cited for speeding as he drove a rented car to visit family on the coast," the AP reports.

"Gore, who was alone, was issued a $141 ticket for driving 75 mph" on a road there the speed limit is 55. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Al Gore ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/19/2004 02:39:07 PM ----- BODY: The latest Economist poll has Sen. John Kerry leading President Bush 48% to 41%. An astonishing 61% of those surveyed are dissatisfied with "how things are going in the U.S." In addition, 55% disapprove of how Bush "is handling his job."

Meanwhile, a new Harris Poll shows Bush and Kerry are tied, 47% to 47%, among likely voters.

Here are the latest state polls from the presidential race: Update: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry polls ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Retro America vs. Metro America STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/19/2004 11:38:20 AM ----- BODY: Self-made billionaire John Sperling is financing a $2 million advertising campaign that’s intended to highlight the differences between "Metro" America and "Retro" America, USA Today reports. Sperling, who’s also known for his plans to clone his dead pet dog and his project to extend human life, will point out in the ads that "Retro America, marked by religious fundamentalism and militarism, is the irretrievable bastion of Republicans... The metro states are the home of racial tolerance, economic dynamism and growth, which should serve as a roadmap for Democrats to retake political power."

Sperling discusses this polarization in more detail in his new book The Great Divide. ----- EXTENDED BODY: 0976062100 ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Retro Metro America ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Bush Loses Adviser on Catholic Vote STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/19/2004 11:29:06 AM ----- BODY: Deal Hudson, the "architect of a Republican effort to court Catholic voters," is leaving the Bush campaign because of "a Catholic newspaper's investigation into accusations of sexual misconduct involving a female student at a college where he once taught," according to the New York Times. A spokesperson at Fordham University "confirmed that the episode had led to Mr. Hudson's resignation."

Meanwhile, the Washington Post notes ten teachers "of Christian ethics at leading seminaries and universities have written a letter to President Bush criticizing his campaign's outreach to churches, particularly its effort to gather church membership directories." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Catholic vote ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Moore to Release Two New Books STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/19/2004 10:32:30 AM ----- BODY: Michael Moore plans to release two new books before the November election, the Los Angeles Times reports. Simon and Schuster hopes to put out both The Official Fahrenheit 9/11 Reader, a companion book to the DVD, and Will They Ever Trust Us Again?, a collection of letters written to Moore by U.S. soldiers in Iraq. ----- EXTENDED BODY: B00005JNEI ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Michael Moore ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Miller to Nominate Bush STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/19/2004 09:35:51 AM ----- BODY: "The Republican National Committee is turning to a Democrat to nominate President Bush in New York at the convention," the New York Times reports.

The choice of Sen. Zell Miller (D-GA), "will be announced by party leaders on Thursday, officials familiar with the decision say. Mr. Miller, as governor of Georgia, nominated Bill Clinton for president in 1992."

Meanwhile, the Tallahassee Democrat notes the president's brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) "might skip" the convention, "or cut short his time there, because of Hurricane Charley." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Zell Miller ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Swift Boat Veteran's Records Contradict Claims STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/19/2004 09:27:11 AM ----- BODY: "Newly obtained military records of one of Sen. John F. Kerry's most vocal critics, who has accused the Democratic presidential candidate of lying about his wartime record to win medals, contradict his own version of events," the Washington Post reports. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: swift boat ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Legal Challenges Stall Nader STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/19/2004 08:01:59 AM ----- BODY: Ralph Nader's "efforts to get his name on presidential ballots in swing states are becoming mired in legal challenges and charges of fraud by Democrats who have mounted an extensive campaign to keep him from becoming a factor in this year's election," the New York Times reports.

According to the article, Nader has been kept off the ballot in three states, is close in 11 state, still waiting for verfication in 20 states, and has yet to formally file in 18 states.

Meanwhile, KYTV says Nader will not be on the Missouri ballot as "supporters failed to get the 10,000 valid signatures they need."

However, the Nader campaign claimed enough signatures to get on the ballot in West Virginia and Ohio. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Ralph Nader ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: National Security Tops Economy STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/18/2004 11:02:44 PM ----- BODY: "For the first time since the Vietnam era, foreign affairs and national security issues are looming larger than economic concerns in a presidential election," according to a new Pew Research Center Poll.

The September 11 attacks "and the two wars that followed not only have raised the stakes for voters as they consider their choice for president, but also have created deep divisions and conflicting sentiments over U.S. foreign policy in a troubled time."

"Nowhere is the partisan divide more evident than in views of America's global standing. Fully 80% of Democrats and 74% of independents say the U.S. is less respected by other countries than in the past. Only about half of Republicans (47%) believe the U.S. has lost respect." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: national security election ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Corzine Says He Won't Push McGreevey STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/18/2004 10:56:18 PM ----- BODY: Sen. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) "made his first public statement" today about New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey's "impending resignation, saying that he accepted Mr. McGreevey's decision to remain in office until Nov. 15 and would not push for a special election this fall," the New York Times reports.

"But Mr. Corzine's statement left open the possibility that he might run to succeed Mr. McGreevey if the governor bows to pressure from Democratic Party leaders and decides to step down sooner."

"It was unclear whether Mr. Corzine's statement would end or simply complicate the effort to oust Mr. McGreevey immediately."

The Newark Star Ledger says McGreevey told Corzine "that he will not budge from office sooner than planned and the senator suspended his bid for the job." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Jon Corzine McGreevey ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/18/2004 05:13:21 PM ----- BODY: A new poll finds kids would rather vote for Sen. John Kerry than President Bush. Though the poll’s respondents were not yet old enough to vote, 44% said they support Kerry, whereas 38% support President Bush.

Here are the latest state polls from the presidential race: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry poll ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: The Impact of Early Voting STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/18/2004 01:48:18 PM ----- BODY: "Many Americans don't realize it, but large-scale voting in the tight 2004 presidential race will begin well before Election Day in many battleground states," the Wall Street Journal's John Harwood reports. "Some analysts estimate that nearly one in three voters will mark ballots before Nov. 2 -- accelerating efforts by both parties to mobilize targeted constituencies."

"Most of the potential battleground states in the contest between Mr. Bush and Sen. John Kerry will allow voters to cast ballots before Election Day -- without requiring a reason."

A Boston Globe piece notes political scientists "estimate that this year more than 20 percent of voters are likely to cast their ballots for president before Nov. 2, up from 15 percent four years ago." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: early voting ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Quote of the Day STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/18/2004 01:19:25 PM ----- BODY: "I've reached the conclusion, retrospectively, now that the inadequate intelligence and faulty conclusions are being revealed, that all things being considered, it was a mistake to launch that military action."

-- Rep. Doug Bereuter (R-NE), commenting on the Iraq war "in a letter to constituents in the final days of his congressional career," quoted by the Lincoln Journal Star. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bereuter Iraq ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: In New Jersey, Kean Says He Won't Run STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/18/2004 09:07:20 AM ----- BODY: Addressing speculation yesterday, former New Jersey Gov. Thomas Kean (R) "told state Republican leaders today that he has no interest in running for Governor in a November 2004 Special Election," PoliticsNJ.com reports.

"Kean's refusal leaves businessman Douglas Forrester as the front-runner for the still hypothetical contest for the '04 Republican gubernatorial nomination... Former Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler, an active candidate for the '05 nomination, is not viewed as having enough party support to win a small establishment nominating process." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Tom Kean McGreevey ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Jersey Needs a Lieutenant Governor STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/18/2004 08:05:17 AM ----- BODY: The Philadelphia Inquirer notes New Jersey's "feud over gubernatorial succession has united leaders from both parties on one point: The time has come for a lieutenant governor."

"In 45 other states, there would be no controversy over the succession: The lieutenant governor or secretary of state would prepare to take office... But in New Jersey -- as in Maine, New Hampshire, Tennessee and West Virginia -- there is no statewide elected leader waiting in the wings after a governor leaves office early."

The Jersey Journal says that to make the change "there would need to be a three-fifths vote in both houses of the Legislature to get the measure on the ballot, then it would have to approved by the voters." It is "almost certainly too late to get on this November's ballot." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: New Jersey lieutenant governor ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Senate Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/17/2004 11:17:05 PM ----- BODY: Here are the latest Senate polls from around the country: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Senate poll ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: AstroTurf is Back STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/17/2004 05:19:26 PM ----- BODY: Kos discovers at least 60 newspapers that printed as a "letter to the editor" a form letter available on the Bush campaign website that praises the president's economic policies.

Regular Political Wire readers will remember a similar plot was exposed in early 2003. At the time, newspapers pledged to fight back. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush astroturf ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Teacher Denied Chance to See Bush STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/17/2004 05:12:01 PM ----- BODY: Bush campaign staffers "tore up the ticket" of a 55-year-old social studies teacher and refused her admission to hear the president speak "because she sported a small sticker on her blouse that touted the Democratic ticket of John Kerry and John Edwards," the Traverse City Record-Eagle reports. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush screening events ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Matthews Takes on RNC Ad STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/17/2004 02:24:26 PM ----- BODY: Hardblogger notes Chris Matthews objected to the use of "a sound bite from a Hardball show that aired on January 6, 2004. The soundbite in question was used in an RNC web-video recently to claim that Kerry had 'flip-flopped' on his Iraq war position and that he was the 'anti-war' candidate."

Make sure to watch video clip (or read the transcript) from last night's show to see Matthews "set the record straight" with Bush strategist Matthew Dowd. It's very entertaining. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Chris Matthews ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/17/2004 01:08:37 PM ----- BODY: "President Bush's full-term effort to court Jewish Americans has failed, according to a new poll that shows him trailing Sen. John Kerry among those voters in the race for president by 53 percentage points," the Washington Times reports. This press release has more details.

Meanwhile, a new poll shows Muslim support for Bush falling as well, eroding "so swiftly" that it "could swing the presidential election in key battleground states."

It's not good for Bush, but it's interesting to see Jews and Muslims agreeing on something.

Update: Chris Bowers notes an interesting difference between poll results of registered vs. likely voters. "On average, Bush does three points better under likely voter models than he does under registered voter models."

Here are the latest state polls: Update II: Zogby has declared that four additional states -- Arizona, Colorado, North Carolina and Virginia -- are swing states based on recent polling. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry poll ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Hackers Take Aim at GOP Sites STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/17/2004 12:13:18 PM ----- BODY: "Online protests targeting GOP websites could turn out to be more than symbolic during this month's Republican National Convention, possibly blocking a critical communications tool for the party," Wired reports.

"Hardened electronic activists are planning to jam up the servers of GeorgeWBush.com, GOP.com and related websites, once the Republican National Convention gets underway Aug. 29."

Says one hacker: "We want to bombard (the Republican sites) with so much traffic that nobody can get in." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: hackers GOP websites ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Political Trivia of the Day STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/17/2004 11:20:06 AM ----- BODY: Q. Which state is most over-represented in the Electoral College?

A. Since Electoral Votes are allocated to each state based on its number of Senators plus the number of Representatives, Wyoming, with the lowest population of all the states, has the greatest number of Electoral Votes relative to its population. Conversely, California with 55 Electoral Votes, is the most under-represented state.

As an example of the disparity, Brendan Loy observes that 11 "red states" make up "the heart of the solid Republican Mountain West and Great Plains" and have a population of 18.6 million. The state of New York, in contrast, has a population of 18.9 million. Nonetheless, New York has 33 electoral votes while the other 11 states have a combined total of 52. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: electoral college ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: The Bachelor STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/17/2004 10:27:07 AM ----- BODY: In the most recent issue of GQ, Sen. John Kerry names Charlize Theron, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Marilyn Monroe as his favorite leading ladies. He also discusses his time as a bachelor in Washington: "Those were not good days… I think if you ask anyone, Bob Kerrey, or anyone who's been single on Capitol Hill, you'll find it's no fun... That's not a good world, and everyone wants a piece of you, and all I can say is thank God I found Teresa." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Kerry bachelor days ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Quote of the Day STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/17/2004 09:08:03 AM ----- BODY: "The evil is the same... The evil that we fight is but the shadow of the evil that we do."

-- Illinois U.S. Senate candidate Alan Keyes (R), quoted by the Chicago Sun Times, saying that women who choose to undergo abortions are "essentially terrorists." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Alan Keyes abortion ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Corzine Indicates He'll Run if McGreevey Goes STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/17/2004 09:00:38 AM ----- BODY: With Sen. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) "signaling that he would run for governor in a special election this fall, key Democratic leaders are intensifying their efforts to persuade Gov. James E. McGreevey to quit immediately," the Newark Star-Ledger reports.

The New York Post says McGreevey "is willing to resign soon and allow a special election, but only if" Corzine "makes a personal plea." However, a McGreevey op-ed in USA Today sounds like he's standing firm on when he'll step down.

The New York Times notes the tug of war over Corzine: "New Jersey Democrats want" him "to run for governor, while Washington Democrats want him to help win back the Senate."

Meanwhile, the Trenton Times reports Republicans "also have been calling on McGreevey to step down now" and "floated" former Gov. Tom Kean's (R) name "as the possible GOP candidate."

Update: Another New York Times piece notes two lawyers filed a class action yesterday "to compel the state to order an election for governor on the Nov. 2 ballot. The lawyers, Bruce Afran and Carl Mayer, who are not affiliated with either party, argue that Mr. McGreevey effectively vacated the office when he announced his departure."

What the article doesn't mention is that both lawyers are former Green Party candidates. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: McGreevey ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Kerry's Front-Porch Strategy STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/17/2004 08:31:31 AM ----- BODY: The New York Times reports on the Kerry campaign's newest tactic -- the "front porch visit." They are "low-key, invitation-only events, where perhaps 100 people sit around red-checked picnic tables, raising hands with questions rather than waving signs with slogans, mimic the town-hall style campaigning for the Iowa caucuses at which both" Sens. John Kerry and John Edwards excelled.

"Situated mainly in swing states, the visits are intended to emphasize the Democrats' kitchen-table economic appeal - light on partisanship, laden with 'we're here for you.'" ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Kerry front porch ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Nader Challenges Arizona Ballot Laws STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/17/2004 08:20:44 AM ----- BODY: Ralph Nader "filed suit in federal court challenging the constitutionality of state laws that kept him from qualifying for the Nov. 2 ballot in Arizona," the Arizona Republic reports.

Meanwhile, the Charleston Post and Courier notes Nader "lost his bid to get on South Carolina's presidential ballot as a petition candidate."

And the Oregonian says "a public employees union claimed Monday that it has uncovered widespread fraud" in the Nader campaign's "effort to gather enough signatures to qualify for Oregon's ballot."

But the Portland Press Herald reports Nader will likely be on the ballot in Maine. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Ralph Nader ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/16/2004 07:33:43 PM ----- BODY: Here are the latest polls from the presidential race: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry poll ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Parties Try to Force McGreevey Out Now STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/16/2004 06:35:20 PM ----- BODY: New Jersey Democrats and Republicans seem to agree on one thing regarding the scandal that brought down Gov. Jim McGreevey (D) last week: they both want him to leave office immediately.

The New York Times notes that though McGreevey "intends to stay in office until his announced resignation date of Nov. 15, many of his fellow Democrats are trying to devise a way to ease him out of office this month and draft U.S. Sen. Jon S. Corzine to run in a special election in November."

And the Philadelphia Inquirer says Republicans "take to the court of public opinion, urging McGreevey to resign immediately to make way for a gubernatorial election Nov. 2."

Update: A new Survey USA poll shows most voters also want McGreevy to leave office: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: McGreevey ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Senate Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/16/2004 06:11:35 PM ----- BODY: Here are the latest Senate polls from around the country: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Senate polls ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Colorado Considers Electoral Vote Change STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/16/2004 05:18:18 PM ----- BODY: A plan to scrap the winner-take-all system of allocating electoral votes in Colorado will be on the ballot in November, the AP reports. If passed, the amendment "would make Colorado the first state to allocate electoral votes proportionately according to the popular vote, rather than giving a winner all of the state's electoral votes."

Supporters gathered enough signatures to put the measure on the ballot. Had the proposal had been in place four years ago, Al Gore would be president today.

"Only two other states do not have winner-take-all systems of casting electoral college votes. Nebraska and Maine give two votes to the winner of each state, and remaining votes are cast to show who won each congressional district." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Colorado electoral votes ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Kerry Ends National Tour STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/16/2004 01:10:41 PM ----- BODY: Sen. John Kerry "now departs the political stage -- temporarily -- as President Bush prepares to ascend it," the Dallas Morning News reports. Kerry "wrapped up his two-week national tour Friday on the West Coast, hoping his slight lead in most polls can withstand the coming blast from the Republican convention."

"Then comes eight weeks of furious stumping, punctuated by what both sides view as the next major milestone: the debates."

Update: The AP notes Kerry "is adding some of the Democratic Party's most experienced strategists to his team for the stretch drive against President Bush, including hometown allies from Boston and top advisers of former President Clinton." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Kerry national tour ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: The Other Heinz Son STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/16/2004 11:17:03 AM ----- BODY: The Washington Post profiles John Heinz IV, the stepson of Sen. John Kerry that "you did not see at the Democratic National Convention or on Larry King Live. He is the one who doesn't want his picture in the newspaper, who won't do interviews, who is fiercely independent and even more fiercely private."

"We could fill volumes with what we don't know about Heinz IV. With information available on the Internet and some words with the very few folks who will talk about Heinz, the puzzle pieces of his life begin to fit together."

Newsday notes his silence "has transformed him into perhaps the most intriguing of John Kerry's and George W. Bush's kids and stepkids, though one of the least known and least knowable. Not to mention least accessible."

Meanwhile, Political Wire makes an interesting discovery: Heinz IV donated $1000 to Ralph Nader in the 2000 election. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: John Heinz IV ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Switchers STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/16/2004 10:28:35 AM ----- BODY: The New Yorker profiles Errol Morris -- the director of the "inventive and stylized documentaries" The Thin Blue Line, Mr. Death, and The Fog of War -- who is making "a series of documentary political ads featuring Republican switchers, people who voted for George W. Bush in 2000 and will vote for John Kerry this time around."

The ads are available from MoveOn. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Errol Morris ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: The Skull and Bones Election STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/16/2004 10:20:24 AM ----- BODY: "For the first time in history, two members of Yale's secretive Skull and Bones Society are running for president," the Hartford Courant reports. Neither Sen. John Kerry or President Bush "will talk about the elite club. But instead of putting the question to rest, their silence has only given conspiracy theorists more fodder."

The AP notes the group's activities "are swathed in secrecy, leading to wild rumors that its members are grave robbers, murderers and thieves." ----- EXTENDED BODY: 0316720917 ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Skull and Bones ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Quote of the Day STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/16/2004 09:19:03 AM ----- BODY: "I'm Vernon Robinson and I approve this message because Akhtar didn't come here to live the American dream. He came here to kill you."

North Carolina congressional candidate Vernon Robinson (R), quoted by the AP, in an ad mentioning the Pakistani man recently arrested after videotaping Charlotte skyscrapers. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Vernon Robinson ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Hagel Will Explore Presidential Bid STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/16/2004 09:14:31 AM ----- BODY: "After months of national media speculation and cautious words" from Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE), the Lincoln Journal Star reports "he said it squarely" during an airplane interview last week: "I will consider a race for the presidency."

"Significantly, Hagel expects to make appearances at caucus meetings of the Iowa and New Hampshire delegations during the Republican National Convention in New York later this month."

The Omaha World Herald notes Hagel "said he will also consider two other options - running for re-election to the Senate or returning to the private sector."

The AP quotes Hagel: "If I decide to run for the presidency -- or seek re-election -- it will be for the right reasons, and the reasons are that I think I can make a contribution and help effect change in our country and have some influence over the direction of this country." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Chuck Hagel ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Party Switches Common in Lousiana STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/16/2004 08:55:44 AM ----- BODY: The recent party switch of Rep. Rodney Alexander (R-LA) "was déjà vu all over again for voters in the Bayou State," Roll Call reports.

"Over the past two decades, Louisiana has produced more high-profile party switchers in its Congressional delegation than any other state."

The most important explanation is the state’s open primary system, "the only one of its kind in the United States. Under Louisiana law, all candidates for a particular office run in an open primary in November. If no one receives 50 percent of the vote, the two top votegetters, regardless of party affiliation, advance to a December runoff."

Meanwhile, the Baton Rouge Advocate notes the fallout over Alexander's switch continues. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Rodney Alexander ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Bush Leads in Contribution Disclosure STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/16/2004 08:24:59 AM ----- BODY: The Truth Laid Bear notes a significant difference in the "quality of disclosure" in reporting presidential campaign contributions. According to current data, the Bush campaign has fully disclosed 93% of its contributors compared to just 76% for the Kerry campaign.

Federal campaigns must make a "best effort" to obtain and report the name, address, occupation and employer of each contributor who gives more than $200 in a calendar year.

One caveat: "Since the data comes from contributors themselves it isn't clear to me whether you can really fault the Kerry campaign for the deficiency --- unless they are supposed to refuse contributions that don't provide adequate disclosure, and that doesn't seem to be the case under FEC regulations as I understand them." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: campaign finance disclosure ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Washingtonienne Cashes In STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/15/2004 10:35:59 PM ----- BODY: The Washington Post looks at the brief blogging life of former congressional aide Jessica Cutler (a.k.a. Washingtonienne.)

"Jessica's unapologetically snarky chronicle of her busy sex life, her audacious refusal to keep the pawing patriarchy's dirty secrets, her contempt for honest but unglamorous public service, her cynical wit and sexy looks would combine with the power of the Web to launch her into low-orbit celebrity."

"She posed for Playboy in a pictorial that will run this fall, just in time for the election. Book agents pursued her, and a literary bidding war netted her a six-figure book deal." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Jessica Cutler ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: FBI Looks for Political Troublemakers STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/15/2004 10:22:43 PM ----- BODY: The Federal Bureau of Investigation "has been questioning political demonstrators across the country, and in rare cases even subpoenaing them, in an aggressive effort to forestall what officials say could be violent and disruptive protests at the Republican National Convention in New York," the New York Times reports.

"F.B.I. officials are urging agents to canvass their communities for information about planned disruptions aimed at the convention and other coming political events, and they say they have developed a list of people who they think may have information about possible violence." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: F.B.I. political protests convention ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Kerry's Buzz Strategy STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/15/2004 10:11:05 PM ----- BODY: "After worrying about their message, advertisements and grass-roots drive," President Bush's campaign "now has another concern on the horizon: the buzz generated by theatrical events, celebrity endorsements, and heavy supporter turnout on the other side, adding the glow of momentum to the Kerry campaign in a race that is locked in a statistical dead heat in most voter surveys," the Boston Globe reports.

"Kerry, with the help of an occasional rock star joining him on stage, has sustained crowds into the tens of thousands since the convention in Boston, in a few instances clearly dwarfing the ticketed events President Bush tends to hold. Kerry, with fewer security concerns than a sitting president, can throw open his doors in ways Bush cannot, giving him a logistical advantage in building big audiences."

The crowds "generate a persistent story line in the local media wherever he goes: that the Kerry camp is more open to members of the public." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Kerry Bush buzz ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Thanks to our Sponsors! STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/15/2004 09:54:42 PM ----- BODY: Please give a round of thanks -- and your attention -- to the latest Political Wire sponsors: If you're interested in becoming a sponsor, premium and regular ads are available. Premium ads run one at a time at the top of the left hand column. Regular ads appear below and are rotated randomly.

Thanks to all for your support. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: blogads ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: In New Jersey, Corzine Looks Likely to Run STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/15/2004 08:24:19 PM ----- BODY: As we mentioned last week, Sen. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) seems likely to run for governor of New Jersey. The Newark Star Ledger says he "makes no secret of his desire to run" for the office; the only real question is when? "Corzine believes his best shot would come this November in a special election, according to a source familiar with his thinking."

"Corzine in the last few days has been weighing the reasons to run now. He is frustrated by the seniority rules in the Senate that would force him to wait years before becoming chairman of a committee. The role of chief executive is more his style. He also sees an opportune political moment that could disappear. Republicans are divided, and none of the current field of candidates could hope to match Corzine's name recognition within a few months." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Corzine McGreevy ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Behind a Governor's Downfall STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/15/2004 08:19:22 PM ----- BODY: The New York Times runs an excellent piece chronicling New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey's swift fall from power.
"The 20 days between the phone message and the staggering exit line, according to the governor's aides, were marked by a torrent of confidential phone calls and bitter negotiations and a frenetic public schedule that offered no inkling that the governor's political career was imploding. It also included a series of wrenching discussions about his hidden sexual life, with friends, political allies and, with special counselors gathered downstairs in the governor's mansion, his wife."
Interestingly, a new a Star-Ledger/Eagleton-Rutgers poll shows McGreevey's approval rating has not yet suffered from the "bombshell" disclosures from last week. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Jim McGreevy ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: More on Peggy Noonan's Homecoming STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/15/2004 04:32:22 PM ----- BODY: Last week, we noted Peggy Noonan's return to speechwriting. Now Time magazine has more details: "Noonan won't be penning this Bush's speech... instead, she will lend her hand to the addresses of New York Governor George Pataki and Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum. Though from different wings of the party—Santorum is a faith-based conservative and Pataki a moderate—both are believed to harbor national ambitions and could use Noonan's help in making the most of their moment in the spotlight." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Peggy Noonan ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/15/2004 03:44:31 PM ----- BODY: Sen. John Kerry leads President Bush among likely voters, 47% to 43%, when Ralph Nader, Libertarian, Constitution and Green Party presidential candidates are factored into the 2004 presidential race, according to a new Zogby America poll. In a two-way race, Kerry leads Bush, 50% to 43%.

The most interesting statistic: "Voters with active passports prefer Kerry 58% to 35%, while those without a passport are for Bush 48% to 39%."

Here are the latest state poll from the presidential race: For the latest electoral vote snapshot based on state polls, check out the Electoral Vote Predictor.

Also interesting is an electoral vote prediction based on political futures contracts instead of polls. This site takes state-by-state totals from TradeSports.com/InTrade, and makes an electoral map projection based on that data. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry poll ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/13/2004 09:34:07 AM ----- BODY: A new Gallup Poll "shows a slight improvement" in President Bush's overall job approval rating, "while the presidential contest remains essentially unchanged." In a two-way contest with Sen. John Kerry, Bush leads 50% to 47% among likely voters. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry poll ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Power, Turmoil and a Crashing End STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/13/2004 09:22:11 AM ----- BODY: The New York Times looks at the fast track Jim McGreevy rode to the top of New Jersey state politics, noting "few of Mr. McGreevey's early admirers, if any, could have imagined how and why he would have to stop being governor: declaring publicly yesterday that he was gay, and that he had, in effect, led something of a double life, one that included an affair with a man he had once put on the state payroll."

The Newark Star Ledger profiles "the man who toppled a governor," though, if the corruption and harrassment allegations are true, McGreevy actually toppled himself.

Meanwhile, Stateline compiles a list of other governors who have resigned amid political scandal. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: McGreevy ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Mayor's E-Mails Subpoenaed STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/13/2004 09:20:34 AM ----- BODY: "Federal prosecutors investigating possible corruption in city contracting have subpoenaed Mayor James K. Hahn's e-mails, moving their investigation closer to the mayor and all but ensuring that Hahn will be forced to campaign for reelection under the shadow of the criminal investigation," the Los Angeles Times reports. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: James Hahn ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Give Bush a Makeover STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/12/2004 10:39:19 PM ----- BODY: Why wait until the Republican National Convention? You can build a Better Bush now! ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: better Bush ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Quote of the Day STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/12/2004 10:31:47 PM ----- BODY: "Let me put it to you bluntly: In a changing world, we want more people to have control over your own life."

-- President Bush at an "Ask President Bush" event on August 9, 2004. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bushism ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: In New Jersey, Corzine Will Run for Governor STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/12/2004 08:44:23 PM ----- BODY: In the wake of New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevy's (D) stunning resignation today, ABC News reports that two sources say Sen. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) "is the intended 2005 gubernatorial candidate for the Democrats in New Jersey."

If you haven't seen McGreevy's announcement yet, you need to watch it. It's one of the more remarkable events in political history and will be talked about for years.

The Wall Street Journal echoes my sentiments saying the speech was "a made-for-TV moment perfect for our times, and as such it seems destined for years of discussion -- perhaps not least about his injection of a huge dose of identity politics into an already-messy situation in New Jersey."

CBS News has the reason for the McGreevy's decision: "The man involved in the affair, a former government employee, demanded 'an exorbitant sum of money to make it go away.'" However, ABC News says "a male former aide is filing a sexual misconduct lawsuit against the governor in a New Jersey court." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: McGreevy Corzine ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/12/2004 03:39:57 PM ----- BODY: In the latest Economist national survey, Sen. John Kerry leads President Bush 48% to 44%. In addition, 57% say they are disatisfied with "the way things are going" and 53% disapprove of how Bush is "handling his job as president."

Update: The latest AP/Ipsos poll, "conducted after the Democratic National Convention, puts Bush-Cheney and Kerry-Edwards nearly even, with the two candidates and tickets running as closely as they have been each month since March."

Update II: A new Pew poll shows Kerry leading Bush by just two points, 47% to 45%. In addition, the survey shows Americans remain "largely dissatisfied with economic conditions and with President Bush's stewardship of the economy."

Here are the latest state polls from the presidential race: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry poll ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: The Political Machine STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/12/2004 03:38:52 PM ----- BODY: The Political Machine, a new computer strategy game that lets you be the campaign manager, was released today. You can work for either Sen. John Kerry or President Bush -- or you can even create your own candidate. Other features: ----- EXTENDED BODY: B0002LAUNE ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: The Political Machine ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: McGreevy May Step Down STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/12/2004 03:35:40 PM ----- BODY: New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey(D) announced a news conference at 4:00 p.m., where McGreevey is expected to discuss sexual harassment allegations made by a former male aide, WABC-TV reports.

"There was discussion as to whether McGreevey with either leave in November or not seek re-election in 2005. He is not expected to announce his resignation today, however, a senior official cautioned that the situation is fluid."

Update: WNBC-TV says McGreevy will step down.

From PoliticsNJ.com: "Next in the line of succession is Senate President Richard J. Codey, a 57-year-old Democrat from Essex County who has served in the legislature since 1974."

"If McGreevey were to resign before September 15, New Jersey would have a special gubernatorial election on November 2, 2004. If he were to resign after that date, Codey would hold the office until the end of McGreevey's term in January 2006." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Jim McGreevey ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: In Illinois, Thompson Refuses to Back Keyes STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/12/2004 01:41:47 PM ----- BODY: Former Illinois Gov. Jim Thompson (R) "refused to endorse" Senate candidate Alan Keyes (R), "saying some of Keyes' stands on the issues made him 'uncomfortable,'" the Chicago Sun Times reports.

"Thompson criticized the Republican State Central Committee for choosing Keyes instead of home-grown candidates." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Thompson Alan Keyes ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: With Few Swing Voters, Campaigns Look to Non-Voters STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/12/2004 12:04:22 PM ----- BODY: "With the pool of swing voters drying up quickly, Democratic and Republican groups are increasingly courting unregistered and unreliable voters, a strategy some campaign experts call expensive, unpredictable and necessary," the Los Angeles Times reports.

"Typically referred to as nonvoters, unregistered and infrequent voters were often ignored by pollsters and strategists, who preferred to invest time and dollars reaching the voters who were most likely to show up at the polls on election day."

"With polls in key states deadlocked, campaign bank accounts flush and most likely voters leaning toward a candidate, the two major parties and like-minded groups say they are willing to look for new targets." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: non-voters ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Top Evangelicals Still Await GOP Invite STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/12/2004 11:57:53 AM ----- BODY: A number of prominent evangelical Christians have not yet received invitations for this month’s Republican National Convention, the AP reports.

Some speculate that this is part of the Bush campaign’s strategy to "sideline its more polarizing supporters during a tight presidential race." So far, The Rev. Franklin Graham, "who delivered the invocation at President Bush's inauguration, has had no request to attend," and The Rev. Jerry Falwell, "who offered a prayer at the 2000 convention, said he has not yet been asked to do so this year." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Evangelicals Bush ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Giuliani Raises Forceful Voice for Bush STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/12/2004 08:23:16 AM ----- BODY: Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani "is emerging as a central player in the Bush re-election effort, attacking John Kerry, racing around the country campaigning and directly leveraging the events of Sept. 11 in ways that President Bush and many of his closest allies have not dared," the New York Times reports.

Giuliani said in an interview that in his address to the Republican National Convention later this month, "he will speak almost exclusively about that fateful day."

The New York Daily News says Giuliani "is refusing to rule out a cabinet post" if Bush wins "but insists that's not why he's stumping for him."

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times notes another high profile Republican could come to Bush's side. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says he may "reverse course" and campaign out of state for Bush. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Giuliani ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: The Pros and Cons of Felon Voting STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/12/2004 08:20:14 AM ----- BODY: The Wall Street Journal reports on the Democrats' latest dilemma: "Should they push for voting rights for ex-felons -- which would bring them votes and goodwill in some minority communities -- even if they risk being portrayed as soft on crime?"

"Much of the controversy surrounding felons' voting rights involves purge lists. Problems with the lists have emerged most dramatically -- and repeatedly -- in Florida. The state, which bars felons from voting unless they win clemency through a personal appeal to the governor, first restricted felons' voting rights in 1868 by adopting a constitution that critics say discriminates against African-Americans. Today, one in three black men in Florida can't vote because of the restrictions." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: felon voting ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Quote of the Day STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/11/2004 04:00:38 PM ----- BODY: "I couldn't get a job with CIA today. I am not qualified."

-- CIA Director-designate Porter Goss, quoted by Matt Gunn, apparently from Fahrenheit 9/11 outtakes.

Update: Reuters confirms the quote saying Goss "could be his own worst enemy when it comes to making the case that he deserves to lead the U.S. intelligence agency." Filmmaker Michael Moore notes that Goss granted the interview "to two of his producers without first checking to see who they worked for." ----- EXTENDED BODY: B00005JNEI ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Senator Says Kerry Saved His Life STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/11/2004 03:43:17 PM ----- BODY: Former Sen. Chic Hecht (R-NV) "is a staunch Republican, but he thanks his lucky stars for Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts," the Las Vegas Sun reports.

Apparently, Hecht was choking on a piece of apple when he "stumbled out of the room" and "quickly passed out in the hallway. Just then, Kerry stepped off an elevator, rushed to Hecht's side and gave him the Heimlich maneuver -- four times."

Every year, Hecht and his wife "thank Kerry for thinking so quickly in the Senate halls that day. And Kerry tells them that their phone call is one of his favorites of the year." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Kerry Hecht ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Keyes Performs STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/11/2004 03:10:06 PM ----- BODY: Another priceless moment from the U.S. Senate campaign in Illinois: Alan Keyes (R) performs "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" for local CBS News television cameras. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Alan Keyes ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/11/2004 11:32:56 AM ----- BODY: Here are the latest state polls on the presidential race: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Bush's Challenge STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/11/2004 10:52:30 AM ----- BODY: "President Bush must have a change in the dynamics and the fundamentals of this race if he is to win a second term," Charlie Cook writes. "The sluggishly recovering economy and renewed violence in Iraq don't seem likely to positively affect this race, but something needs to happen. It is extremely unlikely that President Bush will get much more than one-fourth of the undecided vote, and if that is the case, he will need to be walking into Election Day with a clear lead of perhaps three percentage points."

"This election is certainly not over, but for me, it will be a matter of watching for events or circumstances that will fundamentally change the existing equation — one that for now favors a challenger over an incumbent." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Kerry's race to lose ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: One Protector Per 2.4 Guests STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/11/2004 10:20:18 AM ----- BODY: The Republican National Convention is expected to attract 48,000 visitors to New York City, including delegates, lobbyists and media personnel, and another 20,000 law-enforcement officials will be on hand to provide security. The New York Observer points out that, with those figures, there will be one security officer for every 2.4 guests.

"This platoon of protectors will prowl the avenues and train stations, many sporting bulletproof vests and hoisting weaponry that is the stuff of video-game fantasies, casting a watchful eye over a city that is primed to be emptied of many of its inhabitants and workers through the steamy final days of August." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Republican National Convention security ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Polls vs. Markets STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/11/2004 09:26:45 AM ----- BODY: There's an interesting imbalance between recent polls on the presidential race and the "political futures markets" which use traders to determine odds of victory. The New York Times ran a story on the phenomenon over the weekend.

As of this morning, the Iowa Electronic Market puts Bush's odds of winning re-election at 51%. The Intrade market puts his odds at 52%.

In contrast, the current Rassmussen Tracking Poll shows Bush trailing Kerry by 3%. And the Real Clear Politics average of the most recent national polls has Bush behind by 3.4%. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: polls political markets ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Reform Party is Broke STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/11/2004 09:17:31 AM ----- BODY: The Reform Party, which has backed Ralph Nader’s presidential bid, said it has less than $20 in the bank, the Los Angeles Times reports. William D. Chapman, the party’s treasurer, also told the Federal Election Commission the party should be terminated.

In a separate story, the Libertarian Party of Minnesota "is rebuilding its meager finances after the party treasurer admitted stealing from its bank accounts," the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Reform party ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Candidate's Husband Votes Shirtless STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/11/2004 09:09:23 AM ----- BODY: The husband of a Connecticut state Senate candidate "voted shirtless" yesterday "after becoming enraged when told he could not enter the polls wearing a T-shirt with a political message that endorsed his wife's candidacy," the New London Day reports.

Apparently, "the shirt was a violation of state statutes that require endorsement materials to be kept 75 feet away from the polls." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: shirtless candidate's husband ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Will Microsoft Pull Plug on Hardball? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/11/2004 09:04:32 AM ----- BODY: A "tipster" tells the New York Daily News that the proposed sale of Slate has talk show host Chris Matthews "worried that MSNBC parent Microsoft might pull funding and shutter Hardball. That would force Matthews to look for another berth -- possibly on Fox." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Chris Matthews Hardball ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Kerry Sets State Fundraising Record STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/11/2004 08:59:04 AM ----- BODY: Sen. John Kerry "has raised more money" from California "than any candidate has ever collected in one state in any election," the Los Angeles Times reports.

"Fueled by a fierce sentiment against President Bush, California donors have given nearly $3 million more to Kerry's presidential bid than Bush has raised from his home state of Texas, traditionally his biggest source of campaign cash." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Kerry fundraising ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Kerry Attack Deleted STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/11/2004 08:40:48 AM ----- BODY: "The Bush-Cheney campaign briefly stripped from its Web site yesterday an attack on Sen. John F. Kerry (D-MA) by Rep. Porter J. Goss (R-FL), several hours after President Bush nominated Goss as the director of central intelligence," the Washington Post reports.

"The campaign later restored the statement and said removing it was a mistake."

Despite what the newspaper report says, the original page is still deleted, though a copy is available in the Google cache. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Goss Kerry attack ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Finally, a Kerry Bounce STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/11/2004 08:35:33 AM ----- BODY: Nielsen/NetRatings found that traffic to Sen. John Kerry's official web site "increased by 191 percent during the week of the convention, making it the fastest-growing major Web site in the country (for that week, anyway)," the Washington Post reports.

In addition, "Kerry's readership far eclipsed that of his Republican rivals." In fact, President Bush's campaign web site "did not have enough visitors to register" with the ratings firm. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: JohnKerry.com ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Schwarzenegger May Take Plan to Voters STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/11/2004 08:14:29 AM ----- BODY: California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) said "he wants a 'revolutionary kind of change' in state government and might be forced to bypass the legislature and take to the ballot a plan to streamline what he called a dated and creaky bureaucracy," the Los Angeles Times reports.

Meanwhile, a new Field Poll shows Arnold Schwarzenegger "continues to ride a crest of very favorable voter reaction to his performance as Governor." Roughly two-thirds of voters say they approve of the job he's doing.

In addition, more voters "continue to disapprove (49%) than approve (33%) of the job the state legislature is doing overall." Though by a 52% to 33% margin voters "oppose the idea of changing the state legislature from one that works full-time to one that operates only part time." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Schwarzenegger ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Attempt to Extend Houston's Term Limits Stalls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/11/2004 08:11:18 AM ----- BODY: "Political insiders' efforts to change Houston's term limits" -- allowing the mayor and council members to stay in office for eight years, two years longer than now permitted -- "are going nowhere because of timing and lack of consensus," the Houston Chronicle reports. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: term limits ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Senate Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/10/2004 11:44:07 AM ----- BODY: There are Senate primaries in Colorado and Georgia today.

Here are the latest polls from U.S. Senate races: Update: In Georgia, Rep. Denise Majette (D) "easily defeated a millionaire businessman Tuesday to capture the Democratic nomination for an open Senate seat, becoming the first black candidate in Georgia ever nominated to the Senate," the AP reports.

In Colorado, Attorney General Ken Salazar (D) won the Democratic Senate nomination, while the Beer magnate Pete Coors led former congressman Bob Schaffer in the Republican primary, according to the Denver Post. Results are here. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Senate polls ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Quote of the Day STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/10/2004 09:33:11 AM ----- BODY: "I read four or five papers a day if I can."

-- Sen. John Kerry, quoted by the Madison Capital Times, on his newspaper reading habits. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: John Kerry newspaper reading ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Democrats Outspending Republicans STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/10/2004 09:24:18 AM ----- BODY: According to the Los Angeles Times, Democrats and other pro-Kerry groups have spent more than twice as much as President Bush’s campaign on television advertisements for the first weeks of August. Though Bush spent nearly $4.4 million in 19 states on advertisements, organizations backing Kerry spent a combined $11 million. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Dmeocrats Republicans spending ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Small Bounce But Big Opportunity STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/10/2004 09:03:23 AM ----- BODY: The latest Democracy Corps strategy memo by Democratic consultants James Carville and Stan Greenberg acknowledges Sen. John Kerry's smaller-than-normal convention bounce, but argues he still has an opportunity to make gains.

"These gains are possible because the basic structure of the race remains amazingly unmoved by events, with Bush actually weakening on some key indicators. Frankly, 55 percent of the country are ready to vote for change of some kind: 55 percent say the country has gotten seriously off on the wrong track, 54 percent say that we should move in a significantly different direction rather than continue Bush’s direction, and 55 percent say they are no better off since Bush came to office." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: convention bounce ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: The Scripting of the President STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/10/2004 08:47:31 AM ----- BODY: "When President Bush picks up a microphone, bounds onto a stage and engages his cheering audience in a rambling discussion of topics from Iraq to the economy, it comes off as relaxed, informal and largely spontaneous," USA Today reports. "But these 'Ask President Bush' campaign forums... leave little to chance."

"Depending on the message Bush wants to put across," the local campaign office "lines up some carefully chosen locals to take the stage with him and explain how Bush's policies are helping them afford college, buy a home, save money on health insurance or expand a business. They are given 'talking points' ahead of time."

One reason these events are so carefully scripted can be explained when listening to President Bush's response last week to a question not on the official talking points. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Ask President Bush ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Book on Kerry Gets Surprise Makeover STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/10/2004 08:35:19 AM ----- BODY: "Shoppers at Barnes and Noble.com looking for a controversial new book on Democratic presidential nominee John F. Kerry got a surprise yesterday, when someone gained access to the site's computer system and altered the book's cover and title," the Boston Globe reports.

"The book Unfit to Command alleges that Kerry has made false assertions about his actions as a Navy lieutenant during the Vietnam War... But yesterday shoppers found that the book's cover had been altered. The photo of an older Kerry was replaced with one of Kerry as a young man in Vietnam, surrounded by comrades. And the title was changed to Fit to Command."

Human Events has pictures of the altered cover. ----- EXTENDED BODY: 0895260174 ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Parties Cash In Despite Reforms STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/10/2004 08:26:12 AM ----- BODY: "Though they can no longer raise unlimited soft-money contributions, Republicans and Democrats collected more money through their national parties in the 18 months ending in June than they raised during the same period before the 2000 election," the New York Times reports.

"Republicans and Democrats have traded on a polarized electorate to attract dollars in new ways, retooling finance efforts to lure individual contributions rather than large checks from companies and unions. Mail, phone and Internet solicitations have played a major role."

Meanwhile, Texas State Democratic Chairman Charles Soechting has told state donors to stop sending funds to the DNC, largely because he feels the national party has neglected the state. The Houston Chronicle reports that Soechting "decided to start urging Texas donors to keep their money in the state after the DNC offered $5,000 to the Texas party to send staff to battleground states that could be won by the Kerry presidential campaign." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: party fundraising ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: The Folly of Political Ads STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/09/2004 08:05:17 PM ----- BODY: The Christian Science Monitor runs an interesting piece on running political ads in an election with so few undecided voters.

"All told, the two campaigns and their allies have spent more than $250 million in ads thus far in an election cycle that features unparalleled intensity, unusually early. And in the end, all this message-mongering sways very few votes." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: political ads ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/09/2004 06:12:25 PM ----- BODY: Here are the latest state polls on the presidential race: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry poll ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Quote of the Day STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/09/2004 04:49:23 PM ----- BODY: "The really rich people figure out how to dodge taxes anyway."

-- President Bush, quoted by the AP, on the campaign trail.

In a statement on April 15, 2004, Bush pledged to "make sure that tax cheaters are found, make sure the IRS gets after those who don't pay taxes; make sure that the system is fair for those of us who do pay taxes." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush taxes ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: The Impact of the Jobs Report STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/09/2004 02:48:06 PM ----- BODY: According to Reuters, last Friday's employment report was a "sharp blow" to President Bush's re-election campaign, "making it much more difficult for him to argue on the campaign trail that the economy has turned the corner." In fact, with just two more employment reports before the election, Bush may be the first president since Herbert Hoover to see a net job loss during his term. He'll need another 1.1 million jobs to avoid that fate.

But the report's impact on the election is less clear. A new Associated Press/Ipsos-Public Affairs CASH Index -- which measures consumer attitudes -- "soared" in the last month. This improvement "can’t be good news for Kerry-Edwards, especially as past polling has shown that disappointing economic performance and concern about unemployment have been central rallying points for the Democrats’ supporters."

One important thing to note: The next jobs report comes out less than 12 hours after Bush gives his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention. Weak employment numbers could limit Bush's post-convention "bounce." Since the White House gets advance notice of these reports -- about 5:30 pm the evening before -- there may be clues in Bush's speech. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: employment report ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Election to be Monitored by International Observers STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/09/2004 02:30:04 PM ----- BODY: "A team of international observers will monitor the presidential election in November," CNN reports. It will be the first time such a team has been present for a U.S. presidential election."

"The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe was invited to monitor the election by the State Department." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: election observers ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Fahrenheit 9/11 Coming on DVD STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/09/2004 02:15:32 PM ----- BODY: Fahrenheit 9/11 will be released on DVD just one month before the presidential election. ----- EXTENDED BODY: B00005JNEI ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Fahrenheit 9/11 ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Bush-Bashing Books Flood Stores STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/09/2004 10:17:40 AM ----- BODY: "With less than 100 days to go to the US presidential election, dozens of new books criticizing President George W. Bush are about to flood US bookstores," AFP reports.

Due in bookstores this week is All the President's Spin, which describes the president's communications team as "the most aggressive White House PR team ever assembled."

Other notable Anti-Bush books coming soon: Says one industry wag: "I've never seen anything like this, in terms of the volume and energy of books attacking a sitting president in an election year." ----- EXTENDED BODY: 0743262514 ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Books ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: All Politics Is Still Local STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/09/2004 09:41:25 AM ----- BODY: "The prospect of... attention from local television stations is what motivated the Kerry campaign to arrange a two-week post-convention tour of the swing states by road, rail, water and air," the New York Times reports.

Meanwhile, Washington Whispers notes the Bush campaign will be stressing the president’s reputation as a "common man" by visiting more local restaurants. The campaign will be making more stops at "cafes, gas stations, and, of course, barbecue joints." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: local politics Kerry Edwards ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Own a Part of American History STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/09/2004 09:29:59 AM ----- BODY: This has to be the most unique auction I've ever seen on eBay:
"Own a part of American history; own the napkin containing sweat from Ambassador Alan Keyes' forehead, immediately following Alan Keyes' historic announcement that he agreed to replace Jack Ryan as the Republican candidate for U. S. Senate in Illinois to take on Democrat Barak Obama."
Meanwhile, the Chicago Tribune has more on Keyes. "In a half-hour nomination acceptance speech, Keyes said his decision to enter the contest was based on Obama's voting record in the state legislature--primarily a vote against what he termed 'live-birth abortion' legislation." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Alan Keyes ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Conservatives Tap Blogs for Bucks STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/09/2004 09:14:05 AM ----- BODY: Wired reports on RedState.org, "an outlet for conservative bloggers and blog readers. Borrowing tactics from progressive activist blogs, such as Daily Kos and Eschaton, Red State encourages readers to support Republican candidates in tightly contested races." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: bloggers fundraising ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Franks Still Undecided On Endorsement STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/09/2004 08:53:38 AM ----- BODY: Retired Gen. Tommy Franks, "producer of the early military successes in Afghanistan and Iraq, said Sunday that criticism of John Kerry's war record is political hyperbole and Kerry is 'absolutely' qualified to be commander in chief," the AP reports.

Franks also said he has not decided whether to endorse President Bush for re-election, though he is "leaning in that direction."

Franks "has been making television appearances in recent days to publicize his just-published memoirs, American Soldier." ----- EXTENDED BODY: 0060731583 ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Tommy Franks ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Politically Charged Music Pays STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/09/2004 08:28:16 AM ----- BODY: "Battles for politically outspoken bands demonstrate the burgeoning commercial potential for music that was, until recently, deemed too partisan or controversial," the Wall Street Journal reports.

"There are signs that new political rebels can hit such chart-topping numbers. The Fat Wreck Chords label -- the current home of Anti-Flag and Against Me -- is set to release this week Rock Against Bush Vol. 2, which features several high-profile bands including No Doubt and the Foo Fighters. The first Rock Against Bush, released in April and featuring mostly lesser known bands, has sold over 300,000 copies, according to Mike Burkett, a musician who is the label's founder. Interest in the second compilation was so high that Mr. Burkett had to turn away some bands." ----- EXTENDED BODY: B0002IQKDQ ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: music against Bush ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/08/2004 09:52:41 AM ----- BODY: Here are the latest state polls on the presidential race: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry polls ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Frist's Fall STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/07/2004 08:01:26 PM ----- BODY: "Nineteen months ago, Sen. Bill Frist's political ascent ranked among the most impressive in decades," the Washington Post notes. "After only eight years in public office, all in the Senate, the handsome heart surgeon was elected majority leader with help from his friend President Bush. Supporters openly speculated that Frist would run for president in 2008."

"The Tennessee Republican and his allies have not ruled out a presidential bid, but Frist's rocket ride has slowed dramatically in recent months to an often bumpy, bruising slog. As he absorbs more setbacks than victories this summer, Capitol insiders and analysts suggest Frist's relatively thin legislative experience leaves him poorly equipped to handle one of Washington's toughest jobs." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bill Frist ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Could You Run For Senate? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/07/2004 07:52:07 PM ----- BODY: With Maryland's Alan Keyes as the likely GOP U.S. Senate candidate from Illinois, you might be wondering what other states allow such carpetbagging. Slate has the answer:

"All of them. The U.S. Constitution has only three requirements for senators: They must be at least 30, have at least nine years of U.S. citizenship under their belts, and be an inhabitant of the state they represent at the time of the election... These rules are dictated by the Constitution (rather than left to the states' discretion) because the document's framers wanted what the Supreme Court has called 'a uniform national legislature.'" ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Senate carpetbaggers ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/07/2004 10:31:16 AM ----- BODY: If the 2004 election for President were being held today, Sen. John Kerry would get 48%, while 43% would vote for President Bush and 4% would vote for Ralph Nader, according to a new Time magazine poll. Interestingly, 54% say that "it’s time for someone else to be president while 42% say Bush deserves to be re-elected."

Meanwhile, while a majority, 54%, believes that the Bush administration would not "use a terrorism alert for political reasons," 38% think that the alerts might be used for political reasons, with 7% undecided.

Other national polls just out: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Kerry Bush poll ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/06/2004 10:30:32 PM ----- BODY: The latest national poll from The Economist shows Sen. John Kerry leading President Bush, 48% to 43%. More striking, however, is that 58% of those surveyed were disatisfied with "the way things were going in the United States" and 53% disapproved of President Bush's job performance.

In the latest AP poll, Kerry leads Bush 48% to 45%. Bush led by four points in the last poll.

Here are the latest state polls: Update: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry polls ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Bush Approval vs. Terror Alerts STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/06/2004 09:44:15 AM ----- BODY: Julius Civitatus put together an interesting chart of President Bush's approval ratings with an overlay of the announcement of new terror warnings.

A complete timeline and description of the terror alerts is also provided. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Quote of the Day STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/06/2004 09:22:38 AM ----- BODY: "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."

-- President Bush, quoted by the BBC, making his latest gaffe. ----- EXTENDED BODY: 0743262522 ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bushisms ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Kerry Names Debate Team STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/06/2004 09:16:20 AM ----- BODY: The Arizona Republic says Sen. John Kerry will have "a five-person team" that "hashes out the crucial ground rules of the televised presidential debates with counterparts in the Bush campaign."

On the team: Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, Attorney Vernon Jordan, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Attorney Robert Barnett and Vice Presidential Search Head Jim Johnson.

"Kerry's debate team will probably meet with members from the Bush-Cheney campaign next month to hammer out the guidelines. The Bush campaign has not yet announced its debate negotiation team because the president hasn't formally accepted the debate schedule." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Kerry Bush debates ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: In Illinois, Keyes Will Accept Senate Nomination STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/06/2004 09:11:52 AM ----- BODY: "Maryland conservative Alan Keyes, a former Republican presidential contender and talk-show host, has agreed to accept the nomination as the Illinois GOP nominee for Senate and plans a public rollout for his campaign on Sunday," the Chicago Tribune reports.

"Keyes' decision comes as ideological rifts finally have come to a head between conservatives and moderates within an Illinois Republican Party battered by scandal and struggling to find its vision."

The Chicago Sun Times says the decision sets "the stage for a three-month debate between two gifted, Harvard-educated orators from opposite ends of the political spectrum."

Josh Marshall is giddy over the thought of a Keyes candidacy: "In an era of political drama often tilting toward tragedy, comedy isn't always an easy thing to summon from the news. But I'm confident that Keyes will be helping to rectify that problem." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Alan Keyes ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Why Kerry's Bounce Fell Flat STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/06/2004 08:44:42 AM ----- BODY: As far as polls go, this election "is proving to be a history-defying year in many ways," John Zogby writes. "For starters, summer conventions are generally held in periods when about 20 to 25 percent of the voters are still undecided in national polls, and another 20 percent tell us pollsters that they could still change their minds."

"Compare that with this year: Only 5 percent are genuinely undecided and only 3 percent of each candidate's supporters say they could still change their minds. There just is not the elasticity in 2004 to produce the kinds of dramatic bounces of the past."

"Given all of this, don't expect any real bounce after the Republicans convene in New York later this month." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Kerry convention bounce ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Veteran Retracts Kerry Criticism STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/06/2004 08:26:58 AM ----- BODY: Yesterday, "a key figure in the anti-Kerry campaign, Kerry's former commanding officer, backed off one of the key contentions" the group's leaders have made in their new book, Unfit for Command, the Boston Globe reports.

"Lieutenant Commander George Elliott said in an interview that he had made a 'terrible mistake' in signing an affidavit that suggests Kerry did not deserve the Silver Star -- one of the main allegations in the book. The affidavit was given to the Boston Globe by the anti-Kerry group to justify assertions in their ad and book."

Says Elliot: ''It was a terrible mistake probably for me to sign the affidavit with those words. I'm the one in trouble here."

The AP notes "a wealthy Texas Republican donor is helping bankroll" the ad. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Kerry swift boat veterans ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/05/2004 10:49:45 PM ----- BODY: According to the latest Fox News poll, the presidential race "remains tight" with Sen. John Kerry "receiving a small bump after his party's convention in Boston." The poll shows Kerry leading Bush, 46% to 43%.

"In addition, little movement in the race can be expected in the remaining 90 days of the campaign as majorities of voters say they strongly support their candidate and that their minds are definitely made up."

Here are the latest state polls on the presidential race: Update: Note: Also note that Strategic Vision is a Republican polling firm. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry polls ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Quote of the Day STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/05/2004 03:15:18 PM ----- BODY: "Had I been reading to children and had my top aide whispered in my ear that America is under attack, I would have told those kids very nicely and politely that the president of the United States has something that he needs to attend to."

-- Sen. John Kerry, quoted by Editor and Publisher, referring to the moment, "now immortalized in Michael Moore's film Fahrenheit 9/11, when Bush refused to leave a group of schoolchildren in Florida for seven minutes after being notified of the second attack on the World Trade Center." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Kerry Michael Moore ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Noonan Goes to Work for GOP STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/05/2004 10:21:19 AM ----- BODY: Peggy Noonan, perhaps the Wall Street Journal's most famous columnist, announced today that she will be taking three month’s leave from the Journal to work and support the Republican Party. In today’s column, she writes, "Every four years everyone says ‘this is the most important election of my lifetime,’ but this year I believe it is true." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Peggy Noonan ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Will Overseas Military Votes Count? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/05/2004 09:42:21 AM ----- BODY: A Chicago election official warned President Bush that "thousands of votes from U.S. troops overseas could go uncounted again in November without emergency legislation extending deadlines for the ballots," the Chicago Sun-Times reports. In 2000, nearly 30% of the military’s absentee ballots were not submitted in time.

The Copley News Service notes that because "a handful of states could decide" the election's outcome, "both campaigns are engaged in possibly the most intense effort to attract military voters since the Civil War." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: overseas military votes ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Overheard on a Train in New York STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/05/2004 09:10:50 AM ----- BODY: Q. Do you really think George Bush would scare New Yorkers about a potential terrorist attack if it was only based on four year old information?

A. They invaded a country based on 12 year old information.

On a related note, the Kansas City Star notes that Vice President Dick Cheney blasted Howard Dean "who questioned the timing of the most recent elevation in terror levels in some cities." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush terror warnings ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Keyes Asked To Replace Ryan STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/05/2004 09:06:07 AM ----- BODY: "Illinois Republican leaders late Wednesday asked conservative talk-show host Alan Keyes to be their candidate for the U.S. Senate, but Keyes said that he would take until Sunday to decide whether to run," the Chicago Tribune reports. This story was first reported last night by two Internet news services.

"Keyes' response extended for at least several days the tortured quest to find a Republican to run against Democratic nominee Barack Obama, continuing to paralyze the party six weeks after GOP primary winner Jack Ryan dropped out of the race."

The Chicago Sun-Times notes thoe choice paved "the way for a historic matchup between two African Americans known for their oratorical prowess."

Update: A Keyes for Senate web site, at the address first used for his Maryland campaign, is back online. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Alan Keyes ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Vets Challenge Kerry's War Record STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/05/2004 08:59:51 AM ----- BODY: A group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth "was set to launch a 60-second ad today" in the swing states of Wisconsin, Ohio and West Virginia claiming that Sen. John Kerry "had lied about his war record, had engineered the injuries that led to combat medals and was unfit to be commander in chief," the Los Angeles Times reports.

Glenn Reynolds saw the ad and says Kerry "played right into this with all the stuff about Vietnam and medals."

Update: Sen. John McCain, "a former prisoner of war in Vietnam, called an ad criticizing John Kerry's military service 'dishonest and dishonorable' and urged the White House on Thursday to condemn it as well," the AP reports. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Kerry swift boat veterens ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Voters Question McGreevy's Integrity STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/05/2004 08:47:35 AM ----- BODY: "More than half of New Jersey voters have serious concerns about Gov. James E. McGreevey's integrity as a result of criminal charges against two Democratic fund-raisers, according to a Quinnipiac University poll that also showed a backslide in the governor's job approval rating, the Newark Star-Ledger reports. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: McGreevy New Jersey ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Phishers Target Political Donors STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/04/2004 10:42:12 PM ----- BODY: "For the first time ever, phishers have targeted people who contribute to political campaigns," Internet Week reports. In this case, a scam email encourages people to donate to the Kerry-Edwards campaign via a fake web site.

Of course, most Political Wire readers know the campaign stopped accepting donations after the Democratic National Convention last week.

Nonetheless, that phishers "are using a political angle shouldn't be much of a surprise. Candidates in the 2004 race have ventured into online advertising like never before, leading some Internet industry analysts to anticipate a banner year for political advertising online."

PC Magazine has a lot more on the scam -- and how to recognize it -- if you're interested. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: phishers political campaigns ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Ads for Kerry Pick Up -- at No Cost to Him STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/04/2004 10:35:56 PM ----- BODY: The New York Times notes that "for the second time" during this presidential campaign "outside groups that are not legally allowed to coordinate" with Sen. John Kerry's campaign "are riding to its rescue at a crucial time in its advertising campaign against President Bush -- the most expensive on record. The spots hit just when Mr. Kerry ceased advertising and when Mr. Bush increased his."

"The advertisements introduced this week were not paid for by Mr. Kerry's campaign, but from a newly formed arm of the Democratic Party, which is running a $6.5 million advertising campaign in Missouri and 19 others this week, and The Media Fund, which is running a $2.5 million campaign in five swing states, and the New Democratic Network, which is spending $500,000 on Spanish-language commercials in 11 cities." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Kerry ads ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: In Illinois, GOP Interviews Two Senate Candidates STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/04/2004 10:06:17 PM ----- BODY: Illinois Republican leaders interviewed two candidates to replace Jack Ryan on the ballot to face "Democratic rising star Barack Obama" for the U.S. Senate, the AP reports.

The two candidates: Either choice "would set up the first U.S. Senate election with two black candidates representing the major parties, almost assuring Illinois will send Washington only its fifth black U.S. senator in history."

Update: Illinois Leader and World Net Daily report Keyes was picked as the Republican Senate nominee. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Campaigns Use Cable TV to Target Voters STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/04/2004 09:58:48 PM ----- BODY: "Politicians, like many advertisers, long have been frustrated with the scattershot nature of television advertising, in which a message might reach hundreds of people who care about it and thousands of people who don't," the Wall Street Journal reports.

"But until recently, political campaigns have generally spent less than 10% of their TV-ad budgets on" cable television, "in part because it was difficult to negotiate with multiple cable operators and cable channels. New technology, however, is making it increasingly easy for advertisers to buy targeted ads."

"The technology works through neighborhood locations called headends, where a cable company's cables are gathered and then sent to individual homes. A typical headend can serve 10,000 to 20,000 households. With the targeting technology, a cable company can send different ads to each headend location." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: targetted ads cable TV ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Three Banks Robbed During Campaign Rallies STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/04/2004 08:06:52 PM ----- BODY: President Bush and Sen. John Kerry campaigned "just blocks apart" in Davenport, Iowa this afternoon, the Des Moines Register reports.

Unfortunately, the Los Angeles Times notes that while most of Davenport was shut down "as its citizens attended the competing rallies" and police were busy "securing the candidates' locations," three banks were robbed robbed within an hour. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry Iowa banks ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/04/2004 06:38:28 PM ----- BODY: A new Marist Poll shows Sen. John Kerry and President Bush "are still neck and neck nationwide among registered voters." Kerry has the support of 45% compared with 44% for Bush. Ralph Nader receives 3%, and 8% are undecided.

However, Kerry has a solid lead in the 17 battleground states with the support of 49% of registered voters and Bush receives 42%.

Although there was no "convention bounce," the biggest change in voters’ perceptions of Kerry "is that a growing number thinks he has a vision for the future, is respected by leaders throughout the world, and is ready to be president."

Update: Here are the latest state polls: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry polls ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Senate Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/04/2004 11:45:03 AM ----- BODY: Here are the latest polls from U.S. Senate races: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Senate races ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Quote of the Day STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/04/2004 11:23:06 AM ----- BODY: "Presidential ambition is a disease which can only be cured by embalming fluid."

-- Sen. John McCain, quoting the late Sen. Estes Kefauver (D-TN), as reported by The Hill. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: John McCain presidential ambition ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Either way, It's a Rice from Stanford STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/04/2004 11:21:06 AM ----- BODY: The Hill points out that whoever wins the presidency in November, the next national security advisor will most likely be "a telegenic African-American woman with ties to Stanford University whose last name is Rice." One of the top contenders for the national security advisor post in a Kerry administration is Susan Rice, who now serves as senior adviser on national security to the Kerry campaign. She is a member of the National Security Council and was previously assistant secretary of state for African affairs in the Clinton administration. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Susan Rice ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Musicians Head to Battleground States STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/04/2004 11:17:25 AM ----- BODY: Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, R.E.M., the Dixie Chicks, Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, John Mellencamp and others will embark on a tour of nine battleground states during a single week in October, the Los Angeles Times reports. Over 20 musicians are expected to play over 34 shows during the tour to "attract publicity and sway voters" against President Bush. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: musicians battleground states ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Kerry Campaign Helped With Ad Buys STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/04/2004 09:36:03 AM ----- BODY: The Democratic National Committee and the Media Fund, a Democratic-leaning 527 group, plan to buy $8.5 million worth of TV ads this week in the key battleground states, doubling the amount being spent by the Bush campaign. According to The Hill, the spending spree is meant to fill a "gap in communications," as Kerry conserves his resources for September and October.

Meanwhile, the AP reports that Club for Growth has spent $1 million on ads in Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, Arkansas and New Hampshire, which describe John Kerry as a flip-flopper on a variety of issue. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: campaign ads ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: In Missouri, Auditor Upsets Governor STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/04/2004 07:40:55 AM ----- BODY: In yesterday's Missouri primaries, State Auditor Claire McCaskill "tapped the scorn rural voters in rural areas" held for many of Gov. Bob Holden's policies to win the Democratic nomination for governor and face Republican Secretary of State Matt Blunt in November," the Kansas City Star reports. Here are the final results.

In legacy news: The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports Missouri State Rep. Russ Carnahan (D) "appeared to squeak out a victory" to win the Democratic nomination seat now held by Rep. Dick Gephardt. And KQTV notes there were "no challengers" for Carnahan's sister, Secretary of State hopeful Robin Carnahan (D).

Meanwhile, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes Missouri voters also gave "resounding approval to a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Holden McCaskill ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: JonBenet’s Father Loses Legislative Bid STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/04/2004 07:34:00 AM ----- BODY: "John Ramsey, father of JonBenet Ramsey, whose killing fueled one of the biggest tabloid stories of the 1990s, lost his bid for a state House seat to attorney Kevin Elsenheimer," the Detroit Free Press reports. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: John Ramsey ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Bush Unveils Kinder, Gentler Ads STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/03/2004 10:08:01 PM ----- BODY: "The Bush campaign struck a softer tone in its newest batch of commercials, praising the president for 'moving America forward' after months of criticizing rival John Kerry," the AP reports.

"The positive ads are designed to set the stage for Mr. Bush's nominating convention later this month in New York. The commercials suggest that Mr. Bush has a vision for the future although the spots are short on specifics about his second-term agenda."

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal notes "the traditional August calm before a presidential election is beginning to look more like a storm as new ads reflect both the ferocity of the contest and the unexpected financial strength of the Democrats." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush ads ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Cheney Blames Democrats For High Gas Prices STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/03/2004 09:58:46 PM ----- BODY: Vice President Dick Cheney "blamed his Democratic opponents and their opposition to the Bush administration's energy policies" for rising gasoline prices, the AP reports.

"The Bush-Cheney campaign accuses Senate Democrats of blocking a Bush energy plan that would increase petroleum drilling and energy conservation and provide new tax breaks and other incentives to spur exploration and production."

Said Cheney: "The only thing I can think of to do [to lower prices] is to keep pushing hard to enact a comprehensive energy plan on a national basis."

Yet Josh Marshall points out that the Energy Department's own study of the Bush proposal said its effect on prices, even years into the future, would be "negligible". ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Cheney gas prices ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/03/2004 04:42:29 PM ----- BODY: The latest Rasmussen Tracking Poll shows Sen. John Kerry leading President Bush, 48% to 45%. Today's results "are identical" to the results just before Kerry gave his convention speech and "up a couple of points from before the Convention began." This is more evidence that Kerry received little "bounce" coming out of the convention.

Here are the latest state polls: Update: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry polls ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Dreams from My Father STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/03/2004 04:35:03 PM ----- BODY: It should be no surprise that Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama is gaining interest after the author's well-received speech at the Democratic National Convention last week.

The Chicago Sun Times notes the book was written a decade ago but "the new edition is already making its way onto the Internet best-seller lists."

The book is Obama's memoir "of growing up in Hawaii the son of a black man and white woman. He discusses trying to come to grips with his racial identity, a period of rebellion that included drug use, traveling to Africa and becoming a community activist in Chicago." ----- EXTENDED BODY: 1400082773 ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Barack Obama ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Plane Diverted For Bush Twins STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/03/2004 11:23:43 AM ----- BODY: Last Saturday, a flight from Boston to Washington was redirected to Albany in order pick up Barbara and Jenna Bush, the Washington Post reports. "In addition to the Bush twins, 22 other beleaguered passengers also boarded in Albany."

From the Post: "'We land in Albany, and the doors open and in come Jenna and Barbara and several Secret Service agents," our spy, who declined to be named 'for fear of going to Gitmo,' told us. 'I kept thinking, I haven't heard of anybody diverting planes for all these other people being inconvenienced. This doesn't fit in the norm of airline travel.'" The plane eventually arrived two hours late in Washington. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: plane diverted Bush ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: The President is Calling STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/03/2004 10:31:23 AM ----- BODY: This is priceless: President Lyndon B. Johnson orders a pair of pants. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Lyndon Johnson ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Edwards Is All Thumbs STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/03/2004 09:10:03 AM ----- BODY: The Raleigh News and Observer notes that Sen. John Edwards "has flashed the thumb all over the campaign trail, brandishing it for admirers and press photographers alike. He has been photographed endlessly with a wide smile and a stiff thumb."

Says a campaign spokesman: "It's better than just waving wildly because it shows that he's in control. It exudes confidence when he does it." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: John Edwards thumb ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Illinois GOP Ready To Name Senate Candidate STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/03/2004 09:01:38 AM ----- BODY: Illinois Republican Party officials may name their U.S. Senate candidate later today, the Chicago Tribune reports. The person would replace Jack Ryan, who dropped out of the race amid sex allegations.

But here's the kicker: "Republican sources said a late entry into the race may be former presidential candidate Alan Keyes, a conservative who served as an ambassador to the United Nations in the Reagan administration and ran far behind George W. Bush in the 2000 Republican presidential primaries. Keyes, a Harvard-educated radio commentator from Maryland, also ran unsuccessfully for president in 1996, and for U.S. senator from Maryland in 1988 and 1992." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Illinois Senate ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Elections Officials Brace for Close Vote STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/03/2004 08:19:27 AM ----- BODY: "While praying for a landslide, elections officials around the country are bracing for another close presidential election in November that almost certainly would produce contested results in some states still in the midst of reforming their voting systems," the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports.

The key point: "Officials expect controversy mainly because everyone is primed to question the system, and the issue has become entangled in partisan politics." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: election officials vote counting ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: No Bounce, But Kerry Made Some Gains STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/03/2004 08:03:28 AM ----- BODY: As we noted yesterday, Sen. John Kerry received little post-convention bounce in the latest round of polls. Nonetheless, the New York Times notes that Kerry "apparently succeeded in raising his standing over Mr. Bush on issues of critical concern to voters, including Iraq and the economy."

But there's no overlooking the fact that the new poll numbers "mean that the two cleanest shots Mr. Kerry had for presenting himself to the American public until Election Day -- his choice of a vice president and his acceptance speech -- have passed without producing any dramatic change in the contours of the contest."

The Los Angeles Times notes strategists for both candidates "worked to put their own best spin on the latest surveys, but neutral analysts said the results were in line with a political climate in which a great number of voters had already dug in behind their candidate."

The picture is brighter for Kerry when you at the battleground states. The latest Zogby Interactive poll shows Kerry "ahead in 13 of the 16 battleground states we track. That is his biggest lead -- in terms of the number of states -- since Zogby began conducting twice-a-month online polls for WSJ.com in late May." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Kerry convention bounce ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: In Los Angeles, Mayoral Rematch Set STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/03/2004 08:01:35 AM ----- BODY: "Ending months of speculation, Los Angeles City Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa said he will launch a rematch against Mayor James K. Hahn, the man who beat him for the city's top post in 2001," the Los Angeles Times reports. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Los Angeles Mayor ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: The View From the Floor STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/02/2004 10:28:41 PM ----- BODY: If you didn't get to go to the Democratic National Convention, this interactive 360 degree image shows what it was like on the convention floor just after Sen. John Kerry's acceptance speech Thursday night.

Update: A much better view is available here. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Democratic national convention ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Kerry and Edwards Release Book STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/02/2004 09:40:32 PM ----- BODY: "Democrats John Kerry and John Edwards are releasing a book-length blueprint for their White House campaign," the AP reports.

An electronic copy of Our Plan for America is available on the campaign's website. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Kerry Edwards book ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: New Polls STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/02/2004 06:22:42 PM ----- BODY: Two polls released over the weekend -- Gallup and Newsweek -- give conflicting information about whether Sen. John Kerry received a post-convention bounce. While DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe predicted an 8% to 10% jump in the polls for Kerry, Political Wire has argued that there are many reasons a Kerry "bounce" will likely be lower than historical norms.

Update: A new CBS News Poll also finds the convention "did not generate a bounce" for Kerry but "apparently solidified the slim lead the pair held going into Boston." Kerry leads Bush 49% to 43%, just one point more than the previous CBS News poll.

The Wall Street Journal notes that the "consensus among analysts remains that this will be a close contest to the end, with both sides spending considerable time and money in about 18 swing states, particularly in the Midwest."

Meanwhile, an Economist poll conducted during the final days of the convention show Kerry leading Bush, 45% to 44%. More striking, however, are the very low approval levels President Bush received.

Update II: In a new American Research Group poll, Sen. John Kerry and President Bush "remain in a statistical tie among Americans registered to vote." Kerry gets 49% to Bush's 46%. This poll also shows very little effect from the convention.

Update III: A new ABC News/Washington Post Poll shows Kerry "took a tepid bump in support out of his nominating convention, gaining an advantage over President Bush among registered voters -- but not so among those most likely to vote." However, Kerry leads Bush as "better qualified to be commander-in-chief," by 52% to 44%.

Update IV: The Wall Street Journal analyzes the latest Zogby Interactive Poll which shows Kerry "got his convention bounce. But it is a modest one and it comes with caveats."

Here are the latest states polls from the presidential race: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry poll ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Democrats Try Hardball Media Tactics STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/02/2004 12:37:56 PM ----- BODY: "Reporter beware: The Democratic Party is revamping its lovey-dovey approach and telling campaign press secretaries to come down like a ton of bricks if you screw up or slip in a little attitude," Washington Whispers reports. "That message was part of the training new campaign press secretaries were given in Boston last week during the party's convention."

Says James Carville: "When it comes to the media, intimidation works. Send E-mails to the press. They do respond to pressure." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Democrats press strategy ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Bias on the Bus STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/02/2004 10:03:06 AM ----- BODY: During the Democratic National Convention, the New York Times conducted an informal poll of 153 political journalists to see which candidate they preferred. Journalists outside of Washington supported John Kerry by a margin of 3 to 1, while journalists from within the beltway supported Kerry 12 to 1. "Those results jibe with previous surveys over the past two decades showing that journalists tend to be Democrats, especially the ones based in Washington."

However, the journalists also said they’d prefer to cover a Bush White House. Said one: "You can't ask for a richer cast of characters to cover... Kerry will be a bore after these guys." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: journalists support Kerry Bush ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Speaker Pushes Elimination of IRS STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/02/2004 09:32:14 AM ----- BODY: In his new book, Speaker: Lessons from Forty Years in Coaching and Politics, House Speaker Dennis Hastert argues for the elimination of the Internal Revenue Service. Matt Drudge claims this will become the "domestic centerpiece of the Bush/GOP agenda for a second Bush term."

Meanwhile, Atrios, a former economics professor, has some tips on what to watch for if the proposal actually sees the light of day. ----- EXTENDED BODY: 089526126X ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Dennis Hastert book ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Affleck for Senate? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/02/2004 09:11:31 AM ----- BODY: Actor Ben Affleck told the Boston Herald "he has an interest in politics but deflected questions about whether he would run for the Senate if Kerry leaves an open seat by winning the White House."

"But the actor obviously has been paying attention to the potential race. He noted that likely candidate U.S. Rep. Martin T. Meehan has raised the most money and has more than $3 million in the bank, and that Rep. Edward Markey had the second largest warchest."

Meanwhile, the Boston Globe notes Massachusetts legislators voted to strip Gov. Mitt Romney (R) of his power to choose a replacement for Kerry if he wins the White House. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Ben Affleck ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Bush Campaign Demands To Know Race of Reporter STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/02/2004 09:07:23 AM ----- BODY: "President Bush's re-election campaign insisted on knowing the race of an Arizona Daily Star journalist assigned to photograph Vice President Dick Cheney," the Arizona Daily Star reports. The newspaper refused to provide the information.

This follows news over the weekend that attendees to a Cheney rally were required to sign a "loyalty oath." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Dick Cheney ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Quote of the Day STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/02/2004 08:51:13 AM ----- BODY: "If Bush wins this race, it will be the greatest political achievement of our lifetime."

-- Democratic political consultant James Carville, quoted by the Philadelphia Inquirer. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: James Carville ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Thanks For Your Support! STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/02/2004 08:35:24 AM ----- BODY: If you enjoy reading Political Wire, please consider nominating the site in the Washington Post's Best Blog competition.

In additon, please visit our current sponsors: If you would like to advertise on Political Wire, the Premium sponsor sits alone at the top of the left hand column. Regular ads are just below and are rotated randomly. ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Taegan Goddard TITLE: Poll Shows No Bump For Kerry STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 0 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 0 PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 08/01/2004 04:42:47 PM ----- BODY: "The Democratic National Convention boosted voters' perceptions of John Kerry's leadership on critical issues, a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll finds. But it failed to give him the expected bump in the head-to-head race against President Bush."

The Kerry-Edwards ticket actually lost support, though it was within the poll's margin of error. "But it was nonetheless a stunning result, the first time in the Gallup Poll since the 1972 Democratic convention that a candidate seemed to lose ground at his convention." ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: ----- KEYWORDS: Bush Kerry poll ----- --------