robliberal.com » 2004

Jun 30 2004

Poll: Bush, Kerry Even Despite Iraq Woes photoW…

Poll: Bush, Kerry Even Despite Iraq Woes photo
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush’s continued edge over Democrat John Kerry on leadership skills and battling terrorism is keeping the presidential race close despite widespread concerns about Iraq, a bipartisan poll suggests. The Battleground Poll, sponsored by George Washington University, found…

Kerry Vows Educational, Immigration Help photo PHOENIX (AP) – Seeking support from black and Hispanic voters, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry pledged Tuesday to ease citizenship for working immigrants and improve educational opportunities for minority and low-income students. Kerry told the National Council of La Raza that within…
Watchdog Group Complains About Nader Aid photo WASHINGTON (AP) – A watchdog group says it will file a complaint with federal election officials, accusing two conservative organizations of illegally helping Ralph Nader’s presidential campaign, possibly with support from President Bush’s re-election campaign. Citizens for Responsibility and…
Gephardt Not Everyone’s Choice in Mo. photo COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) – Missouri favorite son Dick Gephardt is not the favorite vice presidential candidate of several rank-and-file state Democratic leaders looking to deliver its 11 electoral votes to John Kerry. Asked which prospective running mate would help Kerry win the battleground state,…
Justice: Sharing Data Would Crash System WASHINGTON (AP) – The Bush administration is offering a novel reason for denying a request seeking the Justice Department’s database on foreign lobbyists: Copying the information would bring down the computer system. “Implementing such a request risks a crash that cannot be fixed and could result…
Bush Pushes Democratic Reform in Mideast photo ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) – President Bush urged the Muslim world on Tuesday to put aside suspicion and hatred toward the West and embrace democracy, saying that does not mean Arab nations have to accept American pop culture. A day after an interim government took political control in Iraq, Bush said…
GOP Accuses Texas Group of Outsource Scam WASHINGTON (AP) – The Republican National Committee filed a complaint Tuesday accusing a Texas group of posing as a GOP organization to raise money by phone using an Indian telemarketing firm and through fund-raising mailings. The fund-raising telephone calls prompted false, widespread rumors that…
12 Indictments in Philly Corruption Probe photo PHILADELPHIA (AP) – A former city treasurer, a powerful city lawyer and 10 others were indicted Tuesday in a municipal corruption investigation that became public when a bugging device was discovered in the mayor’s office. It is the second round of indictments to come out of the investigation. The…
Heinz Kerry Recalls Death of First Husband photo DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Teresa Heinz Kerry, who inherited a vast family fortune and heads a billion-dollar foundation, said Tuesday she would give up the money to have her first husband back. “It was a very sad day when that happened,” Heinz Kerry said, speaking of Sen. John Heinz, heir to the…
Poll: Bush, Kerry Deadlocked in Florida photo TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – President Bush and Democratic challenger John Kerry are locked in a very close race in their battle for the 27 electoral votes in Florida, according to a new poll in the essential swing state of 2000. Bush and Kerry had the backing of 43 percent apiece in a three-way…
AP: Schwarzenegger Spends More on Payroll photo LOS ANGELES (AP) – Even as he calls for shared sacrifice to solve the state’s financial crisis, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is spending more than his predecessor on salaries for his official staff, an Associated Press investigation found. Schwarzenegger has slightly fewer employees than Gov. Gray…

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Kerry: Security Vital to Iraq Sovereignty photo BALTIMORE (AP) – Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry said Monday that adequate security is vital to a successful transfer of power in Iraq as he reiterated his call for President Bush to seek help from other nations. Kerry said it is critical that the president get support from allies,…
Poll: Bush Running Even With Kerry photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush has pulled back into a tie with Democrat John Kerry in a CBS News-New York Times poll released Monday, apparently boosted by increasing optimism about the economy. The race remains very close even though Bush’s job approval rating was at 42 percent – the lowest…
Newsview: High Court Slams White House photo WASHINGTON (AP) – In a matter of a few minutes Monday, the Supreme Court unraveled a major component of the Bush administration’s legal strategy for fighting the war on terror. The administration argued that because the nation is at war, it could label terrorist suspects as enemy combatants and…
Clinton, Kennedy to Speak at Convention photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Former President Clinton and Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts will have prime speaking slots at the Democratic National Convention in Boston next month. Key speakers at the Republican convention in late August and early September in New York City will include California Gov….
San Francisco Gives Clintons Warm Welcome photo SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – The heavily Democratic San Francisco Bay area welcomed two of its political darlings Monday, with former President Clinton continuing his blockbuster book tour and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton headlining a campaign fund-raiser. Joining other Democratic women senators at an…
Romney Replaces Kerry at Mayors Meeting photo BOSTON (AP) – Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney replaced Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry as a speaker for the nation’s mayors on Monday after Kerry canceled a speech rather than cross a police union picket line. Romney, a Republican, met nearly 100 picketing police officers before…
State Dept. Sees Dominant Role in Iraq photo WASHINGTON (AP) – With Iraqi sovereignty restored, the State Department will assume the dominant role in shaping Bush administration policy on Iraq, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said Monday. Until now, the Pentagon has taken the lead, but with John D. Negroponte arriving in Baghdad…
Monument to Add Thurmond’s Daughter’s Name photo COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – Gov. Mark Sanford has signed a bill to add the name of Strom Thurmond’s biracial daughter to the list of his children engraved on a monument to the late U.S. senator. Essie Mae Washington-Williams came forward last year and announced she is the daughter of Thurmond and a…
Draft: Rowland Knew of Unfair Advantage photo HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – Gov. John G. Rowland knew that a businessman received an unfair advantage in winning a $57 million state contract, but did nothing to stop the deal, according to a draft report from the committee that considered his impeachment. The 38-page report was released Monday by the…
Candidate in N.D. Says He’ll Keep Column BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – The Democratic candidate for state treasurer is having some fun with a GOP plea that newspapers stop publishing his humor column – or else give his opponent equal time. Dean Meyer wondered Monday whether he will also have to share his work as a rodeo announcer with Republican…

Frist Won’t Criticize Cheney for Cursing photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Majority Leader Bill Frist refused on Sunday to criticize Vice President Dick Cheney for cursing on the floor of the Senate in a confrontation with a Democratic senator. The Tennessee Republican indicated that Cheney’s outburst at Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., can be attributed to…
Dean: Most Americans Now Oppose Iraq War WASHINGTON (AP) – Howard Dean sounded like he had been vindicated on Sunday when he noted that most Americans now agree that the United States should not have invaded Iraq. It was a position that fueled his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, and earned Dean much criticism in the…
NATO to Back Plan on Training Iraq Forces photo ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) – NATO closed ranks Sunday on a pledge to take a bigger military role in Iraq as violence and bloodshed surged before the delicate political turnover in Baghdad. President Bush declared that the alliance was poised to “meet the threats of the 21st century.” Determined to…
Report: Kerry’s Wife Controls Nearly $1B photo LOS ANGELES (AP) – Teresa Heinz Kerry controls a family fortune valued at nearly $1 billion, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday. The wife of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry is widely reported to have assets of $500 million, but her fortune has doubled that amount since 1995 despite…
Green Party Rejects Endorsement for Nader photo MILWAUKEE (AP) – The Green Party nominated Texas attorney David Cobb as its candidate for president, rejecting Ralph Nader’s efforts to secure the party’s formal endorsement and likely access to the ballot in key states like Wisconsin and California. Nader, the party’s candidate in 1996 and 2000,…
Both Illinois Parties in Turmoil photo SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – The lurid implosion of a Republican Senate candidate’s campaign is just the beginning of the turmoil plaguing Illinois politics, with Democrats squabbling over a budget impasse that could bring state government grinding to a halt. “I’m trying to think if there was ever…
Rice: Saddam’s Army to Be in New Forces photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Iraq’s new government plans to use former members of Saddam Hussein’s army in the security forces after the transfer of political control from the U.S.-led coalition, President Bush’s national security adviser said Sunday. “But the Iraqis want everyone to know, and indeed the…
Many Latinos Unhappy With Political Issues PHOENIX (AP) – A majority of U.S. Hispanics believe that political candidates are not talking about issues important to the Latino community, according to a poll released Sunday. The survey was conducted for the National Council of La Raza, a civil rights group dedicated to promoting Hispanic…
Fla. AFL-CIO Splits Senate Endorsement ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – The Florida AFL-CIO split its endorsement Sunday between two Democratic U.S. Senate candidates in a compromise that snubbed Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas. Neither former state education commissioner Betty Castor nor Rep. Peter Deutsch won the two-thirds vote needed to…
Kerry: Bush Has Neglected Latin America photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Democrat John Kerry, seeking votes from Hispanics, told Latino officials that President Bush has neglected Latin America and that he would do better. Kerry said Saturday that as president, he would assemble leaders in the Western Hemisphere in a group intended to defend democracy…

Kerry Goes on 36-Hour Bicoastal Campaign photo MASSILLON, Ohio (AP) – Comedian Billy Crystal teased John Kerry, “If you’re having a good time, tell your face,” but the dour-looking Democrat had an excuse for looking drawn Friday after scheduling 36 hours of nearly nonstop campaigning on both coasts plus a Midwest stop. Kerry’s marathon…
Illinois’ Jack Ryan Abandons Senate Bid photo CHICAGO (AP) – Illinois Senate candidate Jack Ryan dropped out of the race Friday amid a furor over lurid sex club allegations that horrified fellow Republicans and caused his once-promising candidacy to implode in four short days. “It’s clear to me that a vigorous debate on the issues most likely…
Ethics Group Says Nader Violates FEC Laws WASHINGTON (AP) – A watchdog group filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission against Ralph Nader on Friday, saying the independent presidential candidate is violating federal campaign laws by accepting office space and telephone service from a public charity he created. Citizens for…
Civility Drops to a Low Point in Congress photo WASHINGTON (AP) – In 1856 a House member from South Carolina took his cane to an abolitionist senator from Massachusetts, bloodying the Senate floor and leaving the man near death. Capitol attacks these days are not as dramatic, but lawmakers from both parties lament what has become another low…
Sen. Levin Blames NATO Reluctance on Bush WASHINGTON (AP) – The Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee expressed frustration with NATO on Friday for not playing a bigger role in the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The committee’s top Democrat said it was just “chickens coming home to roost” for the Bush…
Schwarzenegger Reverses Stand on Strays photo SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, in the doghouse with animal-welfare advocates for proposing that shelters be allowed to kill stray animals more quickly to save money, said Friday that his budget recommendation was a mistake. As part of his budget proposal first drafted in…
Sen. Miller to Speak at GOP Convention photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Georgia Sen. Zell Miller, the highest profile Democrat to endorse President Bush for re-election, will speak at the Republican National Convention later this summer, a congressional aide said Friday. Miller drew a sharp rebuke from the dean of the state’s congressional…
Daschle Suggests $141B Asbestos Trust Fund WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle has suggested creation of a $141 billion trust fund for people suffering from asbestos-related diseases in hopes of breaking a yearlong legislative logjam, a Senate aide says. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., would not confirm the…
Scientists Now Need OK to Consult WHO WASHINGTON (AP) – Government scientists must now be cleared by a Bush political appointee before they can lend their expertise to the World Health Organization, a change that a Democratic lawmaker said fits a pattern of politicizing science. William Steiger, a special assistant to Health and Human…
White House Gets ID Theft Sentencing Bill WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate on Friday passed and sent to the White House legislation to require five-year prison sentences for people convicted of using or providing fake IDs to help terrorists. The legislation, passed by the House on Wednesday, is meant to take away judges’ ability to give…

Court Won’t Order Cheney Papers Released photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court protected the Bush administration Thursday from having to reveal potentially embarrassing details about Vice President Dick Cheney’s energy task force until after the election, sending the case back to a lower court and noting a “paramount necessity of…
Federal Workers’ Union Endorses Kerry photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The nation’s largest federal workers’ union, battling the Bush administration on government outsourcing and other issues, is endorsing Democrat John Kerry for president. The announcement by the American Federation of Government Employees is set for Friday at the union’s…
Sen. Leahy Says Cheney Cursed at Him photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Vice President Cheney cursed at Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy during a confrontation on the Senate floor while members were having their annual group picture taken earlier this week, Leahy and Senate sources said Thursday. Senate aides with knowledge of the encounter Tuesday said…
Solicitor General Theodore Olson to Quit photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Solicitor General Theodore Olson, who represented the Bush administration before the Supreme Court and became a voice for strong antiterrorism policies after his wife died in the Sept. 11 attacks, said Thursday he is resigning to return to law practice. Olson, 63, said he will…
Bush Narrowing Choices for CIA Director WASHINGTON (AP) – Administration officials say President Bush has narrowed his field of candidates for CIA director to at least two people, just two weeks after outgoing director George Tenet announced his departure. Two administration officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Bush…
Gore: Bush Lied About al-Qaida, Iraq Link photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Al Gore on Thursday accused President Bush of lying about a link between al-Qaida and Saddam Hussein and said the president refuses to back down from that position to avoid political fallout. “They dare not admit the truth lest they look like complete fools for launching our…
Iacocca Changes Support From Bush to Kerry photo SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) – Four years after former Chrysler Corp. chairman Lee Iacocca cut ads supporting George W. Bush’s election, he’s switching alliances to presidential challenger John Kerry. Iacocca decided to announce his endorsement in person at a Kerry speech Thursday on creating high-tech…
Ill. Senate Candidate Pressured to Quit photo CHICAGO (AP) – Illinois Senate candidate Jack Ryan, his campaign in turmoil over embarrassing sex allegations in his divorce records, faced mounting pressure to drop out of the race Thursday and saw support from fellow Republicans dwindle even further. Campaign spokesman Kelli Phiel declared that…
Praised by Bush, Woman Said Still in Debt CINCINNATI (AP) – A former bookkeeper praised by President Bush for turning around her life with help from a social-services agency still owes at least $300,000 to the company she was convicted of stealing from, according to court records and the business owner. Susan Morin, owner of Gorman’s…
Voter Registration Group to Check Workers JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – A political group that paid felons to conduct door-to-door voter registration drives with the aim of ousting President Bush in the 2004 election pledged Thursday to weed out any employees convicted of violent or serious offenses. America Coming Together announced a new…

Kerry Calls Bush ‘The Greatest Divider’ photo SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Democrat John Kerry criticized Republicans on Wednesday for denying him a chance to cast a Senate vote, blaming a partisan culture created by President Bush and calling his rival “the greatest divider as a president in the modern history of this country.” As he returned to the…
Senate Wants Bush to Report Back on Iraq WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate moved Wednesday toward approval of a defense spending bill that covers only part of the Pentagon’s upcoming war costs but gives the military a pay raise and increases troop levels. Lawmakers said they expected passage of the $447 billion defense authorization bill late…
Felons Paid in Voter Registration Drive JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – A Democratic group crucial to John Kerry’s presidential campaign has paid felons – some convicted of sex offenses, assault and burglary – to conduct door-to-door voter registration drives in at least three election swing states. America Coming Together, contending that…
Arizona Democrats File Challenge to Nader PHOENIX (AP) – Two Arizona voters on Wednesday filed the first Democratic challenge to independent Ralph Nader’s bid to get on a state’s November presidential ballot. The Democrats’ lawsuit alleged that more than 70 percent of the 21,500 petition signatures recently filed for Nader are invalid….
House Poised to Approve Intelligence Bill WASHINGTON (AP) – In his first public performance since being spotlighted as a candidate for CIA director, House Intelligence Chairman Porter Goss defended an intelligence budget bill from Democratic complaints that it doesn’t adequately fund counterterrorism. Eyes and attention were on Goss, just…
House Panel to Block Torture Justification WASHINGTON (AP) – A House committee voted Wednesday to bar the Justice Department from issuing legal justifications for the U.S. use of torture in the latest congressional reaction to government memos that seemed to permit the practice. The Republican-led House Appropriations Committee approved…
Nader Urges Kerry to Pick Edwards for VP photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Democrat John Kerry is getting some advice on his choice for vice president from an unlikely source: rival Ralph Nader. In an open letter sent Wednesday, the independent presidential candidate urged Kerry to choose John Edwards as his running mate, saying the North Carolina…
Panel OKs Bush $2.2B Foreign AIDS Request WASHINGTON (AP) – A House subcommittee voted Wednesday to give President Bush the full $2.2 billion he wants for battling AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in poor countries overseas next year. But underlining the budget pressures lawmakers are facing, the Republican-run panel opted to give Bush just…
Va. Governor a Fiscal Model for Kerry photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Governing one of the nation’s most conservative states, Virginia Gov. Mark Warner exploited a GOP rift over taxes, slashed spending and forged a bipartisan pro-business coalition to pass a $1.4 billion tax increase this year. Now he’s holding himself up as a model of fiscal…
No Easy Fix for Politicians in Sex Scandal photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Gary Hart paid dearly for his “fool mistake,” Bill Clinton bulldozed through his “bimbo eruptions” and Barney Frank won forgiveness by talking about his transgressions until everyone was tired of hearing about them. Denial, disclosure, silence, contrition – public figures have…

Bush, Kerry Duel Over Economic Statistics photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Listening to President Bush and Sen. John Kerry talk about the economy, voters might almost think the two candidates were describing different countries. To Bush, the economy is “strong and getting stronger” while Kerry derides an administration that he says has the worst jobs…
Kerry Has Secretive Meeting With Edwards photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Sen. John Kerry held a brief, secretive meeting with potential running mate John Edwards on Tuesday, a spur-of-the-moment session in the Capitol that capped an unusual day of hurry-up-and-wait in the heavily scripted life of the Democratic presidential candidate. The two men met…
Nader Again Refuses Dems’ Request He Quit photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Ralph Nader had a testy meeting Tuesday with black members of Congress and rejected their request that he quit the presidential race. At the same time, Arizona Democrats prepared to challenge Nader’s qualifications to appear on that state’s ballot as an independent candidate. The…
AP Sues for Access to Bush Guard Records photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The Associated Press sued the Pentagon and the Air Force on Tuesday, seeking access to all records of George W. Bush’s military service during the Vietnam War. Filed in federal court in New York, where The AP is headquartered, the lawsuit seeks access to a copy of Bush’s…
Bush Opposers Accused of Illegal Spending photo WASHINGTON (AP) – A pro-Democratic group that opposes President Bush in its fund-raising solicitations is the target of a complaint by campaign finance watchdogs who argue the organization is spending illegally on its mailings. America Coming Together should be using limited “hard money”…
Ryan Works for Support in Ill. Senate Bid photo CHICAGO (AP) – Republican Jack Ryan said Tuesday he expects to overcome tawdry allegations leveled by his former wife in divorce documents, but some members of his party said they felt betrayed after being promised the papers contained nothing to threaten his Senate race. Mary Jo Arndt, a member…
House OKs $417B Defense Spending Bill WASHINGTON (AP) – The House approved a $417 billion defense spending bill Tuesday that includes an initial $25 billion for U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, plus billions for major weapons systems. The 403-17 vote underscored an election-year bipartisan consensus behind military spending…
Congressman Wins S.C. Senate Runoff photo Three-term Rep. Jim DeMint trounced ex-Gov. David Beasley on Tuesday to win a Republican runoff in South Carolina and earn a spot on the November ballot for a Senate seat that has been occupied by the same Democrat for almost 40 years. In Utah, businessman Jon Huntsman Jr., a Bush administration…
Ethics Panel Reviewing DeLay Complaint photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The House ethics committee said Tuesday it will review a complaint from a Texas congressman that accuses House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, a fellow Texan, of “serious criminal acts.” The committee said Democratic Rep. Chris Bell met House rules for filing such a complaint. The…
N.Y. Signing Kicks Off Clinton Book Blitz photo NEW YORK (AP) – Late as always, but still greeted by cheers and screams of “Bill, we love you,” former President Clinton opened the year’s hottest book tour with a marathon signing at a midtown Manhattan Barnes & Noble. “I’m glad it’s finally happening,” Clinton, who received a reported $10…

Bush Pushes Marriage Plan, Raises Cash photo CINCINNATI (AP) – President Bush raised money for the Republican Party and promoted his agenda of compassionate conservatism Monday as he and his Democratic rival focus on a key state in their battle for the White House. On his 18th presidential trip to Ohio, Bush promoted his $1.5 billion…
AP Poll: Most Rate Reagan Over Clinton photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Most Americans say Ronald Reagan, who died this month, will be remembered as a better president than Bill Clinton, who is trying to improve his image with a new autobiography, according to an Associated Press poll. Seven in 10 say history will judge Reagan superior, based on the…
Nader Taps Green Activist As Running Mate photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Presidential candidate Ralph Nader on Monday tapped longtime Green Party activist Peter Camejo to be his running mate, a move certain to boost the independent’s chances of winning the Green Party’s endorsement this week and its access to ballot lines in nearly two dozen states….
Conn. Governor Announces Resignation photo HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – Gov. John G. Rowland announced his resignation Monday amid a months-long cascade of graft allegations, a federal investigation and a rapidly gathering drive to impeach him for accepting gifts from friends and businessmen. Rowland, a third-term Republican who was once one of…
Reviews Don’t Dampen Clinton Book Buzz photo NEW YORK (AP) – Reviews have been discouraging and conservatives are on the attack, but booksellers still expected the best as they braced for Tuesday’s release of Bill Clinton’s “My Life,” the year’s most anticipated nonfiction book. “It’s like adult Harry Potter mania. We haven’t seen anything…
Racy Allegations Vs. Ill. Senate Hopeful photo CHICAGO (AP) – The former wife of Republican Senate candidate Jack Ryan claimed in divorce documents released Monday that he pressured her to perform sex acts in clubs while others watched. Jeri Lynn Ryan, an actress best known for roles on TV’s “Boston Public” and “Star Trek: Voyager,” said in…
Kerry Taps Vernon Jordan for Debate Talks photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Washington powerbroker Vernon Jordan will be the lead negotiator for Democrat John Kerry on the presidential debates. Jordan, a lawyer, lobbyist and former aide to President Clinton, will represent the Kerry campaign in negotiations with the Bush-Cheney campaign on the terms of…
Kerry Outraises, Outspends Bush in May photo WASHINGTON (AP) – John Kerry raised more campaign cash than President Bush last month and spent more too, but the Democratic challenger started June with millions less on hand than the Republican incumbent as a summer of campaigning began. Kerry spent $32 million in May and opened this month with…
GOP Eyes Defense Bill to Raise Debt Limit WASHINGTON (AP) – House Republicans may use the $417 billion defense bill for something other than financing the military – raising the government’s borrowing limit later this year. When the House debates the defense spending measure on Tuesday, it is likely to add an innocent-sounding provision…
Bush Launches Radio Ads in Four States photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush took his message of a rebounding economy to four presidential battleground states Monday with new radio ads that assail Democrat John Kerry for “talking about days of malaise and the Great Depression.” The ads were running in Colorado, where Kerry was campaigning…

Presidential Campaign Ads More Targeted photo WASHINGTON (AP) – When President Bush visits Cincinnati on Monday, a liberal interest group will air a radio commercial that says “Ohio’s economy was humming along” before Bush took office. During former President Clinton’s appearance Sunday on “60 Minutes,” a conservative outfit aired a TV ad…
9/11 Panel Underscores Saddam Controversy photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The chairman of the Sept. 11 commission said Sunday that al-Qaida had much more interaction with Iran and Pakistan than it did with Iraq, underscoring a controversy over the Bush administration’s insistence there was collaboration between the terrorist organization and Saddam…
Kerry Vacations With Wealthy in Nantucket photo NANTUCKET, Mass. (AP) – After a week of campaigning for the less fortunate, John Kerry went on vacation with the fabulously wealthy. Kerry is a rich man who promotes the Democratic ideal that government should do more to help the poor. He moves between both worlds, spending the past week traveling…
Snow Expects More Jobs in Coming Months photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Treasury Secretary John Snow said Sunday he expects continued strong economic growth and “lots and lots of good jobs” created in the coming months. At the same time, however, he said world affairs have so dominated the public’s attention that the strong growth is not reflected in…
Clinton Counts Health Care Among Failures photo WASHINGTON (AP) – For Bill Clinton, his greatest failures as president have nothing to do with the scandal over his affair with a White House intern. “I’m sorry on the home front that we didn’t get health care and that we didn’t reform Social Security,” the former president told CBS’”60 Minutes”…
Rowland Could Join List of Impeached Govs photo HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – As a legislative impeachment inquiry enters its third week, Gov. John G. Rowland is moving closer to joining an exclusive but notorious club. Only seven governors in U.S. history have been impeached and removed from office, and it’s an eclectic bunch. It includes a former…
Democrat Convention Credentials Bloggers photo NEW YORK (AP) – A handful of scribes publishing in a newer medium will join the thousands of newspaper, magazine and broadcast journalists at this summer’s political conventions. They’ll be blogging. The Democrats are holding true to their “party of inclusion” billing vis-a-vis the online…
Proposal Warns Evangelicals on Politics LOS ANGELES (AP) – A national evangelical group is mulling guidelines that would warn the faithful against allying themselves too closely with any one political party, “lest nonbelievers think that Christian faith is essentially political in nature.” A draft of guidelines circulating in the…
Frist: Judges Forcing Gay Marriage Debate WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate action on banning gay marriage has become a priority because judges are redefining marriage as more than just the union of a man and woman as they allow same-sex couples to marry, the Senate majority leader said Sunday. Sen. Bill Frist rejected a suggestion that he…
Clinton: Timing of Iraq Attack Was Wrong photo NEW YORK (AP) – The Bush administration made a mistake by invading Iraq before United Nations weapons inspectors finished their work, former President Bill Clinton said in advance of Tuesday’s release of his memoir, “My Life.” In an interview to be published in Time magazine, he said that even…

Kerry Keeps VP Search Cloaked in Secrecy photo WASHINGTON (AP) – For months, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry and a tiny circle of advisers have succeeded in keeping silent on the wide-ranging search for a running mate. But the hardest days are ahead for Kerry as he comes to the end of a process designed to produce a topflight vice…
9/11 Panel Invites Cheney to Give Evidence photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Nearing the end of its work, the Sept. 11 commission is inviting Vice President Dick Cheney to provide any evidence he has that would show links between al-Qaida and Iraq under Saddam Hussein, a panel member said Saturday. He said the panel also wants to follow up its questioning…
Newsview: Bush Subject to Comparisons photo WASHINGTON (AP) – While Democrat John Kerry struggles to define himself to the public, President Bush is encountering image troubles as well. Trying to run on his record, Bush finds himself subject to frequent comparisons with other GOP luminaries: Ronald Reagan, the first President Bush, Sen….
Kerry Still Standing Despite Ads’ Damage photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush’s re-election team drove up negative impressions of John Kerry during a relentless $80 million advertising campaign the last three months, but the Republicans failed to undercut the Democrat’s standing as a viable alternative to Bush. As the Bush-Cheney campaign’s…
U.S. Senators in Iraq Call for More Aid photo BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) – Three U.S. senators met with interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi on Saturday and later called on the world’s nations to do more to help Iraq in the tough times ahead. The visit by Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D.; Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del.; and Sen. Lindsey Graham,…
Democratic Governors Criticize Bush photo SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) – The Bush administration’s talk of a rebounding economy doesn’t reflect what’s going on in households around America, Democratic governors attending a policy conference said Saturday. Job and retirement worries, rising health care costs and higher tuition rates are eating at…
Bush Asking Supporters for More Cash photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush has spent seven of every $10 he has raised for his re-election campaign, more than half of it on television ads, and is asking supporters for more money. Bush has collected at least $218 million since he began fund raising in May 2003, easily outpacing Democratic…
Lawmakers Won’t Force Rowland to Testify photo HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – Connecticut lawmakers will not require Gov. John G. Rowland to testify before a legislative impeachment panel even though he has been ordered to do so by the state Supreme Court. The high court on Friday said Rowland must testify before the House Select Committee of Inquiry,…
Internet Ads Go After Cheney’s Daughter photo WASHINGTON (AP) – A campaign to compel the vice president’s lesbian daughter to oppose a proposed ban on gay marriage is launching its first Internet ad on Monday. A series of simply animated cartoon panels features stick figures of Mary Cheney and Vice President Dick Cheney. One image reads,…
Powell: U.S. Should Remain in Saudi Arabia photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Secretary of State Colin Powell says terrorists would earn a victory if American workers leave Saudi Arabia in response to a spate of terrorist attacks, including the murder of hostage Paul Johnson. Powell said Friday he is hopeful that Americans will remain in the kingdom as a…

Kerry Says He Would Raise Minimum Wage photo ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) – Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry on Friday proposed raising the federal minimum wage to $7 an hour by 2007, arguing that such an increase could boost the wages of more than 15 million Americans. Focusing on an issue that resonates with core Democratic voters,…
More Than Half of Bush Coffers Spent photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush has spent seven of every $10 he has raised for his re-election campaign, more than half of it on television ads, and is asking supporters for more money. Bush has collected at least $218 million since he began fund raising in May 2003, easily outpacing Democratic…
Kerry Still Standing Despite Ads’ Damage photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush’s re-election team drove up negative impressions of John Kerry during a relentless $80 million advertising campaign the last three months, but the Republicans failed to undercut the Democrat’s standing as a viable alternative to Bush. As the Bush-Cheney campaign’s…
Catholic Bishops Each Rule on Communion America’s Roman Catholic bishops said from a private retreat Friday that Catholics should not honor or give awards to politicians who defy “our fundamental moral principles” on abortion and other issues. However, church leaders refrained from making a definitive statement on whether Holy Communion…
Internet Ads Go After Cheney’s Daughter WASHINGTON (AP) – A campaign to compel the vice president’s lesbian daughter to oppose a proposed ban on gay marriage is launching its first Internet ad on Monday. A series of simply animated cartoon panels features stick figures of Mary Cheney and Vice President Dick Cheney. One image reads,…
House Rejects Plane Cargo Inspections WASHINGTON (AP) – The House refused on Friday to require inspections of all cargo shipped on passenger airline flights, heeding arguments that technology is not available, and losing the freight would drive carriers into bankruptcy. With its 211-191 vote, the House ignored election-year cries that…
Court Rules That Rowland Must Testify photo HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled Friday that Gov. John G. Rowland must testify before a committee considering his impeachment, making him the first sitting chief executive in U.S. history ordered to appear before a legislative body. In a 5-2 ruling, the court upheld an…
Senate to Take Up Gay Marriage Amendment photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate in mid-July will take up a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, forcing lawmakers to cast a tough political vote just weeks before the Democratic presidential convention in Massachusetts. President Bush has urged Congress to move on the amendment, but…
Plan Would Pay Tax Whistleblowers WASHINGTON (AP) – Suspect your company’s cheating the IRS out of millions in taxes? Pass along the inside information to the Internal Revenue Service and you stand to collect up to 30 percent of taxes and penalties recovered under whistle-blower legislation aimed at snaring high-dollar tax cheats….
Ryan Pushes Ahead With Senate Campaign CHICAGO (AP) – Republican Jack Ryan pushed ahead with his Senate campaign Friday despite a judge’s decision to unseal potentially embarrassing divorce papers, and party leaders said it was too early to speak of replacing him on the ballot. GOP national committeeman Robert Kjellander called any…

Kerry: 9/11 Report Casts Doubt on Iraq War photo DETROIT (AP) – Democratic presidential challenger John Kerry said Thursday that the Sept. 11 commission’s report clearly shows President Bush “rushed to war for a purpose that it now turns out is not supported by the facts.” Bush continued to insist Thursday that there was a link between Iraq and…
Bush Insists Al Qaida-Saddam Ties Existed photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Saddam Hussein had “numerous contacts” with al-Qaida, President Bush said Thursday in disputing the Sept. 11 commission’s finding that the former Iraqi leader had no strong ties to the terrorist network responsible for the attacks. “The reason I keep insisting that there was a…
Senate OKs Greenspan’s Fed Nomination photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate late Thursday approved President Bush’s nomination of Alan Greenspan to serve a fifth term as chairman of the Federal Reserve. The approval came on a voice vote. It came hours after the Senate Banking Committee endorsed the nomination, with only Sen. Jim Bunning,…
Bush Tried to Project Strength on 9/11 photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Told America was under attack, President Bush decided he needed to project strength and calm and not bolt from a Florida classroom where he was reading to children as crisis and confusion began to spread on Sept. 11, 2001, an independent commission said Thursday. Initially Bush…
Bush: Economy Shifting Into ‘High Gear’ photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Facing criticism about more than a million jobs lost on his watch, President Bush took a sarcastic shot Thursday at Democratic presidential rival John Kerry. “We used to hear it said that America had a jobless recovery,” Bush said. He paused, then uttered his punch line: “That…
Hip-Hop Convention Bridges Generation Gap NEWARK, N.J. (AP) – Bow ties and baseball jerseys converged Thursday at the National Hip-Hip Political Convention, producing a sometimes contentious discussion between staid veterans of the civil rights movement and the younger, trendier hip-hop generation. The convention, which runs through…
Wis. Group Sues Over Faith-Based Aid MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A group brought a lawsuit Thursday against the Bush administration over the president’s faith-based initiative, alleging the program illegally favors religious organizations for federal contracts. The lawsuit by the Wisconsin-based Freedom from Religion Foundation claims the…
Democrats Woo Rural Voters to Sway House WASHINGTON (AP) – Democrats open a drive Friday to appeal to rural voters with a vow of “putting the heartland first” as they struggle to end 10 years of Republican rule in the House. “We can balance the budget … and protect the country without raiding Social Security or cutting farm programs,…
GOP Convention Donors Include Democrats photo NEW YORK (AP) – Major corporations, prominent New Yorkers and President Bush’s regular backers are among the donors behind the $64 million raised for the Republican National Convention, the host committee said Thursday. A list of donors the committee released also includes Democrats and wealthy…
Edwards Backers Raise Funds for Kerry photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Wealthy and well-connected lawyers who fueled John Edwards’ upstart White House bid have given at least $7 million to John Kerry since he secured the Democratic nomination, an important show of support for Edwards as Kerry weighs running mates. Of the roughly $74 million Kerry…

Bush Claims Progress Despite Iraq Violence photo MacDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AP) – President Bush gave a pep talk on Wednesday to U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, claiming steady progress toward democracy in both countries despite a surge in violence in Iraq. “The future of a free Iraq is now coming into view,” Bush told several thousand…
Kerry Wants Federal Afterschool Program photo COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry said Wednesday he would create a federal program that would pay to keep schools open until early evening to help working parents. Kerry, visiting an after-school and summer school program center, said he would spend an additional…
26 Ex-U.S. Diplomats Urge Bush’s Ouster photo WASHINGTON (AP) – A group of 26 retired U.S. diplomats and military officers said Wednesday that President Bush should be voted out of office in November for damaging U.S. national security interests and America’s standing in the international community. “Today we see that structure crumbling…
Kennedy Sidesteps Impeachment Endorsement WASHINGTON (AP) – Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., appearing Wednesday with law professors who want Congress to consider impeaching President Bush over the Iraqi prisoner abuse, declined to endorse the idea himself. Instead, Kennedy opted for a political plug. The best way to solve things “is to…
Analysis: Bush War Reasoning Takes a Hit photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Already in question, President Bush’s justification for war in Iraq has suffered another major setback. An independent commission threw cold water Wednesday on the administration’s insistent claims of a link between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida. That comes on top of the…
Kerry Raises Record $100M in Three Months photo WASHINGTON (AP) – John Kerry, relying on donations big and small, raised $100 million in the three months after he wrapped up his party’s nomination, a Democratic record but still well short of the presidential money leader – George W. Bush. Kerry raised roughly $25 million in May alone, lifting…
Impeachment Panel Hears of Conn. 1st Lady photo HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – Gov. John G. Rowland’s wife tried to pay for renovations at a family cottage four years after the work was done – even though aides to the governor had already settled the $5,680 bill, a contractor told a legislative impeachment committee Wednesday. “I interpreted it as – um…
Clinton Tells ‘60 Minutes’ of Infidelity photo NEW YORK (AP) – Former President Bill Clinton called his marital infidelity a “terrible moral error” whose disclosure to his wife put him “in the doghouse,” during an interview scheduled for this Sunday’s “60 Minutes.” Why did he commit adultery with White House intern Monica Lewinsky? “For the…
House Passes Refinery Expansion Bill WASHINGTON (AP) – House Republicans pushed through legislation Wednesday that supporters said would speed construction of new refineries to ease tight gasoline supplies. Opponents said the bill would reduce environmental protection and do little to stem high fuel costs. The legislation was…
House Disclosure Report Shows Varied Gifts WASHINGTON (AP) – There’s more than one way to please a congressman with gifts. Donors contributed to Majority Leader Tom DeLay’s legal defense fund. Wedding guests gave presents when Majority Whip Roy Blunt married a lobbyist. And, strange as it may seem, a London casino provided a “gift” to the…

Benefit Art Auction Aims to Unseat Bush photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Andy Warhol’s pop creations, William Wegman’s offbeat portraits and the abstract drawings of Willem de Kooning are more than works of art to some Democrats. The auction-block objects are a means to a desired goal – defeating President Bush and other Republicans on Nov. 2….
Powell: Terrorism Report a ‘Big Mistake’ photo WASHINGTON (AP) – A State Department report that incorrectly showed a decline last year in terrorism worldwide was a “big mistake,” Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sunday. “Very embarrassing. I am not a happy camper over this. We were wrong,” the secretary told NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Powell…
CIA Accused of Delaying Prewar Iraq Report WASHINGTON (AP) – Leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee are accusing the CIA of trying to delay release of the panel’s report that criticizes the agency for overestimating the prewar threat posed by Iraq. “I’m not sure whether it’s because they don’t want to be embarrassed,” said Sen. Jay…
Ex-President Bush Makes Birthday Skydive photo COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) – Former President George H.W. Bush celebrated his 80th birthday with a 13,000-foot parachute jump over his presidential library Sunday, and said he felt the same thrill of prior jumps even though his hopes of skydiving solo were dashed. He made a tandem jump -…
Bush Looks to Head Off Kerry’s Criticism photo WASHINGTON (AP) – For days, President Bush has been performing on the world stage – and trying to meet, one by one, the criticisms of Democratic rival John Kerry. Bush’s recent moves and concessions may be an attempt to buy insurance against some of the sharpest Democratic criticism he can expect…
Poll: Edwards Top Choice for Kerry Ticket photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Sen. John Edwards, the smooth-talking populist who emerged from the nominating campaign as John Kerry’s chief rival, is favored among registered voters to be the Democratic vice presidential candidate, according to an Associated Press poll. But his name on the ticket does not…
Powell: Saudis Can Do More Against Terror photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Saudi Arabia is mobilizing all of its resources against al-Qaida-linked militants who kidnapped an American and killed two others, but the kingdom can do more to fight terrorism, Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sunday. “I am satisfied with what they have done so far. I think…
Police, Boston Seek Deal on Convention photo BOSTON (AP) – Negotiators from the city and a police union that picketed the FleetCenter last week, delaying work at the site of next month’s Democratic National Convention, went into a mediation session Sunday night. “We’re going in there for the long run,” said Thomas Nee, president of the…
Bob Graham’s Daughter Steps Into Politics photo TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – A fresh face with a familiar name could be one answer for Florida Democrats starved for new candidates to help the party regain political clout. U.S. Sen. Bob Graham’s oldest daughter, Gwen, has taken a key role with the state Democratic Party in this presidential election…
Fla. Voting Machines Have Recount Flaw TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Touchscreen voting machines in 11 counties have a software flaw that could make manual recounts impossible in November’s presidential election, state officials said. A spokeswoman for the secretary of state called the problems “minor technical hiccups” that can be…

Bush Looks to Head Off Kerry’s Criticism photo WASHINGTON (AP) – For days, President Bush has been performing on the world stage – and trying to meet, one by one, the criticisms of Democratic rival John Kerry. Bush’s recent moves and concessions may be an attempt to buy insurance against some of the sharpest Democratic criticism he can expect…
Reagan Entombed at Calif. Hilltop Library photo LOS ANGELES (AP) – Ronald Reagan’s body was sealed inside a tomb Saturday at his hilltop presidential library following a week of mourning and remembrance by world leaders and regular Americans. Workers closed the underground crypt shortly before 3 a.m. while a handful of Secret Service agents,…
Kerry, on Radio, Hails Stem Cell Research photo WASHINGTON (AP) – John Kerry endorsed Nancy Reagan’s efforts to help find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease and challenged the Bush administration Saturday to relax restrictions on stem cell research to pursue potential cures for that and other illnesses. Ethical questions raised by the use of human…
Former President Bush Celebrates Birthday photo HOUSTON (AP) – A baseball park full of high-powered friends celebrated former President George H.W. Bush’s 80th birthday Saturday night, part of a weekend of festivities to be topped with a skydive Sunday. About 5,200 people, including former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev, former British…
Bush Offers Radio Eulogy to Reagan photo WACO, Texas (AP) – In his second tribute to Ronald Reagan in two days, President Bush labeled a two-term predecessor a “modest son of America.” “Ronald Reagan always told us that for America, our best was yet to come,” Bush said in his weekly radio address Saturday, a day after eulogizing Reagan…
Howard Dean Reflects on Presidential Bid photo SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) – In Howard Dean’s assessment of his White House campaign, the beginning of the end came with the endorsement from former Vice President Al Gore. Dean believes the nod from the man who lost – some contend was robbed of – the 2000 election was so potent it galvanized his…
Fla. Voting Machines Have Recount Flaw TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Touchscreen voting machines in 11 counties have a software flaw that could make manual recounts impossible in November’s presidential election, state officials said. A spokeswoman for the secretary of state called the problems “minor technical hiccups” that can be…
Clinton’s Portrait to Be Unveiled Monday photo LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – Simmie Knox, the first black artist to paint an official presidential portrait, is preparing to unveil his oil painting of former President Bill Clinton in a ceremony Monday at the White House. “My mind hasn’t completely wrapped around it yet,” Knox said in a telephone…
Former Mayor Marion Barry Seeks D.C. Seat photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Former Washington Mayor Marion Barry, whose political career survived a drug arrest and prison sentence, announced Saturday he is running for the city council. He will seek the seat on the District of Columbia Council for the city’s Ward 8, a southeastern Washington area of…
Poll: Voters Say Iraq Didn’t Merit War photo LOS ANGELES (AP) – A majority of American registered voters now say conditions in Iraq did not merit war, but most are reluctant to abandon efforts there, according to a new Los Angeles Times poll. Voters are increasingly concerned that Iraq is a quagmire America cannot escape, and they are…

L.A. Times Poll Shows Voters Favor Kerry photo LOS ANGELES (AP) – Democratic candidate John Kerry leads President Bush 51 percent to 44 percent among American voters in a two-way race for president, according to a Los Angeles Times poll published Thursday. Kerry’s margin of 7 percentage points shrinks only slightly to 6 percentage points,…
Nader Submits Signatures for Ariz. Ballot photo PHOENIX (AP) – Ralph Nader’s campaign said it has collected more than enough signatures to get on the presidential ballot in Arizona, the first state ballot for the independent candidate. Nader spokesman Kevin Zeese said late Wednesday that the campaign collected some 22,000 signatures, more than…
State Dept. Understated Terrorism Attacks photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The State Department acknowledged Thursday it was wrong in reporting terrorism declined worldwide last year, a finding used to boost one of President Bush’s chief foreign policy claims – success in countering terror. Instead, both the number of incidents and the toll in victims…
Bush: Interrogators Told to Act Lawfully photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush said Thursday he ordered U.S. officials to follow the law while interrogating suspected terrorists, but he sidestepped an opportunity to denounce the use of torture. Bush’s comments came as a 2-year-old State Department document surfaced warning the White House…
Reagan Legacy: Lower Taxes, High Deficits WASHINGTON (AP) – President Reagan cut taxes and raised them. He promised defense boosts and domestic cuts but settled for increasing both. He set out to balance the budget but helped create worse deficits than any previous administration. Reagan’s eight years in the White House produced a complex…
Supreme Court Asked to Uphold Phone Rules WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court was asked Thursday to temporarily block an appeals court decision that struck down phone competition regulations requiring regional carriers to share their networks with competitors at deep discounts. The Bush administration is not appealing its loss to the…
Marshals to Ensure Dem Convention Access photo BOSTON (AP) – U.S. marshals on Thursday began patrolling outside the site of the Democratic National Convention to ensure that picketing police officers do not block the start of construction work for next month’s political gathering. U.S. District Judge Joseph Tauro said at a court hearing…
Wash. Clear for Partisan Primary Ballots OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) – The state Supreme Court on Thursday cleared the way for Washington state to begin holding primaries that limit voters to one party’s ballot for the first time in nearly 70 years. The high court, acting with unusual haste, turned aside an appeal to scuttle the primary system…
Conn. Court to Decide Rowland Testimony photo HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – Connecticut’s highest court agreed Thursday to decide whether Gov. John G. Rowland can be forced to testify before a state House impeachment committee. Lawmakers have subpoenaed Rowland to testify about gifts he received from state contractors, employees and friends and…
Rehnquist Panel Launches Judicial Review WASHINGTON (AP) – A panel named by Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and led by another Supreme Court justice said Thursday it would spend about two years on a study that will answer congressional criticism that judges have been lax in policing themselves. The review will not include criticism of…

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