robliberal.com » 2004

Aug 31 2004

McCain Endorses Bush, Defends Iraq War photoNEW…

McCain Endorses Bush, Defends Iraq War photo
NEW YORK (AP) – Sen. John McCain swept aside his long-running differences with President Bush on Monday and urged voters to re-elect him, offering a stout defense of Bush’s decision to invade Iraq as the only way to keep that country from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. In a prime-time…

Bush Suggests War on Terror Cannot Be Won photo NASHUA, N.H. (AP) – President Bush ignited a Democratic inferno of criticism on Monday by suggesting the war on terrorism could not be won, forcing his aides to scramble to defend his remarks just as he had hoped to bask in convention accolades. Bush sought to emphasize the economy – New…
GOP Invokes 9/11 to Promote Bush Election photo NEW YORK (AP) – Republicans invoked the horrors of Sept. 11 Monday night to drive home their point that President Bush is a decisive leader in a dangerous world, unafraid to make tough decisions. His opponent, Sen. John Kerry, is too weak to lead the nation, they suggested. Recalling the World…
Edwards Accuses Bush of Failed Leadership photo WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) – Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards said Monday the Bush administration’s military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan have alienated allies and increased the threat from terrorism instead of reducing it. Campaigning in his home state on the day the Republican…
GOP Protesters Hit NYC in Smaller Groups photo NEW YORK (AP) – A day after massive street demonstrations, smaller groups of protesters turned Monday to health care, civil rights and economics – areas where they say President Bush and the Republicans convening in Madison Square Garden have failed the country. A group called the Poor People’s…
Republicans Aim to Show Party Diversity photo NEW YORK (AP) – Republican convention organizers have crafted a stage lineup aimed at showing a diverse party, giving a spotlight to Education Secretary Rod Paige, who is black; Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, an Asian American; and minority musical groups. Surrogates for President Bush also point to…
Nader Set Back in Pennsylvania, Missouri photo HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Ralph Nader’s bid to be listed as an independent candidate on Pennsylvania’s presidential ballot was rejected Monday by a judicial panel, eliminating a political wild card that Democrats had feared would give President Bush an advantage in a major battleground state. The…
Polls: Laura Bush More Popular Than George photo NEW YORK (AP) – If the pollsters are right, first lady Laura Bush really is the president’s better half. Polls show Laura Bush is more popular than her husband, which may be one reason the president gives her star treatment at campaign events. Last week in Albuquerque, N.M., before the welcoming…
Posting of Delegate Data Investigated photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The Secret Service is investigating the posting on the Internet of names and personal information about thousands of delegates to the Republication National Convention in New York, officials said Monday. The probe focuses on anonymous postings on a Web site operated by the…
Bush Seeks ‘Compassionate’ Label Again photo NEW YORK (AP) – For months, President Bush has been courting his core conservative supporters. Now, in a New York minute, he’s shifting his focus to moderates, independents and Democrats not entirely sold on John Kerry. He wants to be known as the “compassionate conservative” again. That slogan…
GOP Assails Kerry As Convention Begins photo NEW YORK (AP) – Republicans belittled Democratic Sen. John Kerry as a shift-in-the-wind campaigner unworthy of the White House on Monday at the opening of their national convention, lavishing praise on President Bush as a steady, decisive leader in an age of terrorism. “In this great struggle, we…

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McCain, Giuliani to Hail Bush on Security photo NEW YORK (AP) – Sen. John McCain and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, two of the Republican Party’s most popular politicians, open President Bush’s nominating convention by calling him a leader unafraid of making unpopular choices to protect a nation scarred by the Sept. 11 attacks. “He has…
Bush Says Kerry Uses ‘Upside-Down’ Logic photo WHEELING, W.Va. (AP) – President Bush said Sunday that Democrat John Kerry is using “upside-down” logic when he says terrorists’ recruiting efforts are getting a boost from the war on terrorism. “During the ’90s, the terrorists were recruiting and training and plotting for war with us long before…
Cheney Enters NYC Through Ellis Island photo NEW YORK (AP) – The Manhattan skyline at his back, Vice President Dick Cheney remembered the terrorist attacks on this city and promised that with a second term President Bush would be strong and steadfast in keeping the nation safe. Traveling to historic Ellis Island, where millions of immigrants…
Both Candidates Use McCain in Campaign Ads photo NEW YORK (AP) – Republican maverick John McCain campaigns with President Bush. He’s good friends with Democrat John Kerry. And, in an unusual twist, he’s shown up in campaign advertisements for both. The Arizona senator is a hot commodity as Republicans and Democrats alike seek to capitalize on…
Combustible DeLay May Be Low Key at RNC photo NEW YORK (AP) – Republicans are putting forward a softer, more moderate face at their convention this week. That’s no place for Tom DeLay, the combustible, conservative House majority leader. DeLay is decidedly off-stage here, but not invisible. An ardent supporter of the aerospace industry, DeLay…
Edwards Stays on Message During Campaign photo ST. CHARLES, Mo. (AP) – As the No. 2 man on the Democratic ticket, John Edwards’ job is to stay on message, praising presidential candidate John Kerry and going after Kerry’s opponents. The vice presidential running mate is not to bring unwanted attention to the team. It’s a role that the North…
Democrats in N.Y. Showcase Swing Voters photo NEW YORK (AP) – Delores Ramirez was a supporter of President Bush in 2000, but on this muggy Sunday afternoon the retired Virginia businesswoman was standing on the steps of New York’s City Hall with dozens of supporters of Democrat John Kerry who just finished a weeklong tour of five states. She…
Some Moderate Republicans Criticize Bush photo NEW YORK (AP) – A group of moderate Republicans, many long out of office, called on President Bush and the Republican party to “come back to the mainstream” on the eve of the Republican National Convention. “Instead of partisan ideology – which increasingly has led moderates to leave the party -…
Some GOP Gay Rights Backers Torn Over Bush photo NEW YORK (AP) – On the eve of the Republican convention, some GOP gay rights supporters frustrated by their party platform’s hardline stance against same-sex unions say they are torn over whether to back President Bush in this fall’s election. While most say they back the president on issues such…
Florida Voting Under Microscope Again MIAMI (AP) – Cheryl Roberts was impressed with Florida’s new voting machines in the 2002 primary, when she cast an electronic ballot for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill McBride. But a series of computer glitches – including startling cases of corrupted or missing data – has undermined her…

Debate on Kerry’s Military Record Rages photo ANOKA, Minn. (AP) – Democrat John Kerry on Thursday lashed out at “the lie that’s been put out there” about his Vietnam War service as Republicans and Democrats fiercely debated his military record, sensing a political advantage in keeping the issue alive. The debate started when a group of…
Swiftboat Crewman: Kerry Boat Under Fire PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A swiftboat crewman decorated in the 1969 Vietnam incident where John Kerry won a Bronze Star says not only did they come under enemy fire but also that his own boat commander, who has challenged the official account, was too distracted to notice the gunfire. Retired Chief…
Bush Confident on Election Despite War photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush said Thursday that he believes he made the right decision to invade Iraq and thinks voters will not deny him a second term even if they disagree with the war. With the number of U.S. casualties expected to reach 1,000 well before the election, Bush said, “The…
Edwards Has Harsh Words for Bush, Cheney photo GOLDEN, Colo. (AP) – Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards took President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney to task Thursday on gay marriage, poverty, and other issues, using unusually harsh words at a forum that included undecided voters. Edwards, responding to a question about…
Kerry and Bush Trade Barbs on Economy photo LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) – President Bush and Sen. John Kerry feuded Thursday over the nation’s economy, with the Republican incumbent boasting about the impact of his “well-timed tax cuts” and his Democratic rival bemoaning a new report of rising poverty. “Because we acted, our economy since last…
Protesters May Ignore NYC Park Rally Ban photo NEW YORK (AP) – An anti-war group suggested Thursday that protesters could still gather in Central Park on the eve of the Republican National Convention, despite a judge’s ruling that it may not stage a rally there. The group, United for Peace and Justice, said it would hold a march past Madison…
Poll: Kerry Loses Ground With Voters photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Democrat John Kerry has lost ground with voters in their perceptions of his honesty, leadership skills and Vietnam experience during the heated debate over his war record as a swiftboat commander, a poll found. Ads paid for by a group called the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth have…
GOP Delegates Open to VP Other Than Cheney photo WASHINGTON (AP) – More than half the delegates to next week’s Republican National Convention surveyed by The Associated Press were willing to suggest a new running mate for President Bush if Dick Cheney leaves the ticket. Secretary of State Colin Powell and former New York City Mayor Rudolph…
McCain Furiously Courted by Kerry, Bush photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Republican Sen. John McCain is emerging as the bipartisan scold whom neither presidential candidate can get enough of this year. Although the maverick Arizona senator hasn’t been shy about taking both campaigns to task, Democrat John Kerry sounded out McCain as a possible running…
Democrats Rely on Non-Religious Voters After years of talk about the close ties between religious conservatives and the Republican Party coalition, an opposite factor is gaining wider notice: the Democrats’ reliance upon non-religious voters. “Seculars have become an increasing portion of the Democratic electoral coalition and…

Judge Denies Central Park Protest Request photo NEW YORK (AP) – A judge rejected a last-minute plea from anti-war activists seeking to hold a massive rally in Central Park the day before the Republican convention, saying they were too late. The group said it would cancel the rally, but still planned to march to Madison Square Garden, the…
Ridge: Convention Security Measures Solid photo NEW YORK (AP) – Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said Wednesday that security measures for the Republican National Convention are as strong and well-coordinated as officials have had for any event. “We are prepared,” Ridge told reporters after inspecting mobile police command facilities that…
Lawyer Advising Vets Quits Bush Campaign photo WASHINGTON (AP) – One of President Bush’s top lawyers resigned from his campaign Wednesday, a day after disclosing that he had given legal advice to a veterans group airing TV ads challenging Democrat John Kerry’s Vietnam War service. The guidance included checking ad scripts, the group said….
Republicans Endorse Ban on Gay Marriages photo NEW YORK (AP) – Republicans endorsed an uncompromising position against gay unions Wednesday in a manifesto that contrasts with Vice President Dick Cheney’s supportive comments about gay rights and the moderate face the party will show at next week’s national convention. A panel made up largely of…
Edwards Reaches Out to Black Ohio Voters photo CLEVELAND (AP) – Vice presidential candidate John Edwards on Wednesday sought to assure black supporters that he and John Kerry have “fought for this community our entire lives” – and would continue doing so – on a day devoted to reaching out to the base in the Democratic stronghold of northeast…
Cleland Tries to Deliver Letter to Bush photo CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) – Former Democratic Sen. Max Cleland tried to deliver a letter protesting ads challenging John Kerry’s Vietnam service to President Bush at his Texas ranch Wednesday, but neither a Secret Service official nor a state trooper would take it. The former Georgia senator, a triple…
Kerry TV Ad Shows McCain Criticizing Bush photo WARREN, Ohio (AP) – Democrat John Kerry’s campaign says “George Bush is up to his old tricks” in a new television ad that shows GOP maverick John McCain telling Bush in 2000 “you should be ashamed” for standing by as a “fringe veterans group” questioned his patriotism. “Four years ago it was John…
Navy Report Backs Kerry Role in Incident photo WASHINGTON (AP) – A Navy report filed five days after a disputed incident in Vietnam supports John Kerry’s version and contradicts critics who say the Democratic presidential nominee never came under enemy gunfire when he won two medals. The Navy task force overseeing Kerry’s swift boat squadron…
News Editorials Weigh in on Kerry Furor With a mix of passion and dismay, newspaper editorials are weighing in on the furor over John Kerry’s service in Vietnam, with many coming to his defense, a few standing behind his critics and others bemoaning the attention to a 30-year-old war rather than today’s problems. Many newspapers used…
N.C. Lawmaker Narrowly Wins GOP Runoff CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – State Rep. Patrick McHenry was declared the winner of a Republican congressional runoff Wednesday after a recount showed that he won by 85 votes out of more than 30,000 cast. McHenry lost just one vote in the recount to Catawba County Sheriff David Huffman, according to the…

Lawyer Advises Bush and Anti-Kerry Group photo WASHINGTON (AP) – A lawyer for President Bush’s re-election campaign disclosed Tuesday that he has been providing legal advice for a veterans group that is challenging Democratic Sen. John Kerry’s account of his Vietnam War service. Benjamin Ginsberg’s acknowledgment marks the second time in days…
Bias Claimed As Anti-Kerry Book Sells Out photo NEW YORK (AP) – The nation’s two biggest bookstore chains, Barnes & Noble and Borders, say angry customers are accusing them of political bias as the retailers struggle to keep up with demand for a best seller that questions John Kerry’s military service in Vietnam. “Unfit for Command,” which went…
GOP Platform Seeks Ban on Gay Marriage photo NEW YORK (AP) – Republicans call for a constitutional ban on gay marriage in a proposed election platform headed for a feisty debate in the days before their national convention. If the plank is approved as expected, it would mark the first time the GOP has gone on record in its statement of…
Organized Labor Will Monitor Polls WASHINGTON (AP) – The AFL-CIO will monitor polls in battleground states on Election Day to guard against voting abuses, and is launching a new effort to educate voters about the process and their rights. The “My Vote, My Right” campaign is intended to help prevent problems that arose in the 2000…
Selma’s First Black Mayor Re-Elected SELMA, Ala. (AP) – James Perkins, who became Selma’s first black mayor four years ago, was re-elected Tuesday, holding off three challengers who had questioned whether he had done enough to unify blacks and whites. In unofficial vote totals, which did not include absentee ballots, Perkins had…
Cheney’s Gay Marriage Comments Draw Fire photo DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) – Vice President Dick Cheney, whose daughter Mary is a lesbian, drew criticism from both proponents and foes of gay marriage Tuesday after he distanced himself from President Bush’s call for a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. At a campaign rally in this…
Outside Groups Thrive Under Campaign Law WASHINGTON (AP) – This was supposed to be the first election that reined in the big political money used to underwrite past negative attacks, but outside groups have exploited the nation’s new campaign finance law to raise millions for hard-hitting commercials. Tax-exempt groups have run ads…
Group Will Cancel Rally if Permit Denied photo NEW YORK (AP) – Anti-war activists planning a major demonstration on the eve of the Republican National Convention said Tuesday they will cancel a rally if they are denied permission to hold it in Central Park. The anti-war group, United for Peace and Justice, and city lawyers met for a hearing…
Poll: Americans Wary of Politics in Church WASHINGTON (AP) – Most Americans oppose political parties obtaining church rosters, says a new poll that found bipartisan opposition to a step the Republicans have taken to identify voters. The Republican National Committee has sought church directories from Southern Baptists and Roman Catholics…
Bush Using Convention to Woo Undecideds photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush hopes to reach beyond his conservative base and appeal to undecided voters with a nominating convention designed to make Americans feel better about the direction of their country and the politics of their president. As they put final touches on the four-day…

New Bush Ad Criticizes Kerry on Taxes photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush’s campaign criticizes rival John Kerry’s record on taxes – and questions the Democrat’s character – in a new campaign ad that says “there’s what Kerry says and then there’s what Kerry does.” The ad shows the Massachusetts senator at his nominating convention last…
Negative Attacks Often Prove Effective photo WASHINGTON (AP) – While politicians decry negative advertising and personal attacks, the bottom line is that such tactics often work. People may not quite recall the specific controversy, but negative campaigning can still raise a question mark in voters’ minds about a candidate and prove hard to…
Sign-Up Reopened for House Race in La. PLAQUEMINE, La. (AP) – A judge called Rep. Rodney Alexander’s last-minute switch to the Republican Party an attempt to subvert the election process and ordered that the sign-up period be reopened for new candidates for Congress. Alexander infuriated Democrats this month when he switched to the GOP…
Bush Optimistic on Progress in Iraq photo CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) – President Bush, who faces a tough re-election ballot in just 10 weeks, portrayed the ongoing occupation of Iraq in optimistic terms Monday even as the U.S. death toll nears 1,000. “We’re making progress on the ground,” Bush said about Iraq, where Marines are engaged in…
Plan to Dismantle CIA Gets Cool Reception photo WASHINGTON (AP) – A key Republican’s proposal to break up the CIA and rearrange the Pentagon’s spy agencies under a national intelligence director met immediate and broad resistance Monday. A top Senate Democrat called it a “severe mistake” and the agency’s former director said it showed a…
Celebs Aiding Anti-Bush Web Campaign photo SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – “Bourne Supremacy” star Matt Damon, “Lost in Translation” actress Scarlett Johansson and other celebrity artists are donating their talents – not just their cash – to an online effort to unseat President Bush. The Internet political group MoveOn.org on Tuesday premieres 10 new…
Edwards Blasts New Overtime Rules photo RACINE, Wis. (AP) – Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards on Monday criticized the Bush administration and its economic policies for new workplace rules that he contended reverse more than 60 years of protecting overtime pay. The changes affect mostly white-collar workers, according…
N.Y. Touts Its Convention Security photo NEW YORK (AP) – The pileup of events in the city next week, including the Republican National Convention, will add to the security challenge for the New York Police Department, but commissioner Ray Kelly says, “With a big, experienced police force, we can do it.” Kelly spoke Monday at police…
GOP Protesters Refused Use of Central Park NEW YORK (AP) – A federal judge ruled Monday that two protest groups cannot use New York City’s Central Park as a site for a demonstration days before the Republican National Convention. “This court cannot blind itself to the daunting security concerns facing this city during the Republican…
E-Vote Machine Certification Criticized photo HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) – The three companies that certify the nation’s voting technologies operate in secrecy, and refuse to discuss flaws in the ATM-like machines to be used by nearly one in three voters in November. Despite concerns over whether the so-called touchscreen machines can be trusted,…

Edwards Stresses Plan to Slow Job Losses photo McADENVILLE, N.C. (AP) – Aaron Devinney hasn’t worked since February, when the waste recycling company that employed him for a year and a half laid him off. Oscar Willard’s been unemployed for more than three years. Both told Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards on Sunday they just…
E-Vote Machine Certification Criticized HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) – The three companies that certify the nation’s voting technologies operate in secrecy, and refuse to discuss flaws in the ATM-like machines to be used by nearly one in three voters in November. Despite concerns over whether the so-called touchscreen machines can be trusted,…
Scandal Puts McGreevey at Crossroads TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – His political career up in flames and his employment prospects uncertain, James E. McGreevey faces a difficult future once he steps down as New Jersey’s 51st governor. When the 47-year-old Democrat moves out of the governor’s mansion, Drumthwacket, he will need to find a place…
Murkowski Braces for Alaska Sen. Primary ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she has not asked Alaskans to like the way she got her job – she was appointed by her father, Gov. Frank Murkowski. “What I have asked is for Alaskans to judge me on my performance,” she said recently. Murkowski touts her efforts to bring a natural…
Critics: Fla. Absentee Ballot Confusing WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) – Palm Beach County has introduced an absentee ballot that requires voters to indicate their choices by connecting broken arrows, sparking criticism that it is even more confusing than the infamous “butterfly ballot” used in the 2000 election. Theresa LePore, the…
Riley: Bush Re-Election Will Change Court photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Alabama Gov. Bob Riley told a Republican breakfast that President Bush’s re-election will change the U.S. Supreme Court, described by the governor as “very liberal.” Riley joined GOP activists Saturday in Florence, Ala. for a breakfast held by a group called the Shoals Concerned…
N.J. Governor Defends Resignation Delay photo TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – In a newspaper opinion piece published Sunday, New Jersey’s embattled governor says his decision not to leave office immediately because of a sex scandal was “difficult” to make but one he will not change. Democratic Gov. James E. McGreevey used The New York Times to defend…
Koch: I Support Bush, His Stance on Iraq NEW YORK (AP) – Calling himself a “liberal with sanity,” former mayor Ed Koch – a lifelong Democrat – said he decided to support President Bush in the 2004 election because of Bush’s stance on Iraq. “While I don’t agree with Bush on any domestic matters, there’s only one matter that’s important in…
Veteran Backs Kerry on Silver Star Account photo CHICAGO (AP) – A Chicago Tribune editor who was on the Vietnam mission for which John Kerry received the Silver Star is backing up Kerry’s account of the incident. William Rood, 61, said he decided to break his silence about the Feb. 28, 1969, mission because reports by the Swift Boat Veterans for…
Kerry Urges Bush to End Vietnam Attacks photo EAST HAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) – Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry on Saturday night urged President Bush to “stand up and stop” what he called personal attacks on him over his combat record in Vietnam. At a fund-raiser attended by about 750 people, Kerry said the attacks by a group of Vietnam…

Veteran Backs Kerry on Silver Star Account photo CHICAGO (AP) – A Chicago Tribune editor who was on the Vietnam mission for which John Kerry received the Silver Star is backing up Kerry’s account of the incident. William Rood, 61, said he decided to break his silence about the Feb. 28, 1969, mission because reports by the Swift Boat Veterans for…
Former POW Resigns From Bush Campaign WASHINGTON (AP) – A former POW resigned as a volunteer to President Bush’s re-election campaign Saturday after it was learned that he appeared in an anti-John Kerry ad sponsored by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. The Bush campaign has claimed no connection with the group which has led an attack…
Fight Over Kerry’s War Record Escalates photo WASHINGTON (AP) – John Kerry’s Vietnam War service records run to multiple medal commendations and a notation of “conspicuous gallantry” in combat. President Bush’s file tracks the stateside career of a National Guard test pilot. Yet the combat veteran is the one under attack as a wartime…
Bush Pressing Case for ‘Ownership Society’ photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Amid signs that the economy is cooling, President Bush is showcasing initiatives for a second term under the banner of an “ownership society” in hopes of bolstering his economic stewardship credentials. His platform includes initiatives to help people buy homes, start businesses,…
Edwards Denounces New Overtime Rules photo WASHINGTON (AP) – In blasting new overtime rules that take effect Monday, Democratic vice presidential nominee John Edwards says he can’t understand why the Bush administration wants to undermine a system that rewards workers who toil long hours. “If you work hard, then you should be rewarded for…
Bush Touts His Education Agenda on Radio photo CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) – In a back-to-school message, President Bush says that while many public schools aren’t making the grade, he should get high marks from voters for the No Child Left Behind Act. “We are leaving behind the broken system that shuffled children from grade to grade, even when they…
Kerry Makes ‘Non-Political’ Florida Visit photo FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) – Presidential candidate John Kerry may have won a few votes during his tour of neighborhoods devastated by Hurricane Charley, but he said – as any politician must – that strengthening support in a battleground state was not the reason for his visit. Asked Friday if he was…
NYC Lawyers: Permit Rejection About Lawn photo NEW YORK (AP) – The city’s decision to deny a permit to protesters for a rally on Central Park’s Great Lawn on the weekend before the Republican National Convention is about preserving the lawn, not suppressing speech, lawyers for the city said in federal court Friday. The lawn would be ruined if…
Election Spending for ‘04 Tops $1 Billion photo WASHINGTON (AP) – There’s still more than two months to go before Election Day and despite new campaign finance laws money is being spent at a dizzying pace. The spending tops mid-election year levels in 2002 and 2000, when national party committees could still raise corporate, union and unlimited…
Volunteer Links Anti-Kerry Flier to GOP photo CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) – A volunteer for John Kerry said Friday he picked up a flier in a Bush-Cheney campaign office in Gainesville, Fla., promoting Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a group the Bush campaign has insisted for weeks it has no connection to. The Kerry campaign e-mailed the flier to news…

Candidate, Party Spending Tops $1 Billion photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Spending by presidential and congressional candidates and the national party committees that support them already tops $1 billion for the 2004 election cycle, with more than two months of campaigning to go. President Bush alone devoted $209 million to his re-election effort…
Kerry Visits Fla. Towns Hit by Hurricane photo PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (AP) – John Kerry waded on Friday into neighborhoods blown apart by Hurricane Charley, where he offered supportive words to families during his eighth trip to some of the most closely contested territory in this year’s presidential election. “The courage of everybody is quite…
NYC Lawyers: Permit Rejection About Lawn photo NEW YORK (AP) – The city’s decision to deny a permit to protesters for a rally on Central Park’s Great Lawn on the weekend before the Republican National Convention is about preserving the lawn, not suppressing speech, lawyers for the city said in federal court Friday. The lawn would be ruined if…
Volunteer Links Anti-Kerry Flier to GOP photo CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) – A volunteer for John Kerry said Friday he picked up a flier in a Bush-Cheney campaign office in Gainesville, Fla., promoting Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a group the Bush campaign has insisted for weeks it has no connection to. The Kerry campaign e-mailed the flier to news…
General Who Supported Bush in New Kerry Ad photo WASHINGTON (AP) – A retired U.S. Air Force general who endorsed President Bush four years ago says in a new television ad by the Democratic Party that this year he will vote for John Kerry because the Democrat has “a real strategy to make America safer.” The ad featuring Merrill A. McPeak was…
Four States Deny Ballot Access to Nader photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader suffered setbacks this week as election officials in Virginia, Maryland, Illinois and Missouri all denied him access to state ballots this fall. In each case, officials said Nader campaign workers either did not submit enough valid…
GOP Convention Light on Stars photo NEW YORK (AP) – The Republicans will have one sure Hollywood star for their convention – California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger – along with performers to keep the country music fans happy. But they’ll be hard-pressed to match the Democratic convention’s appeal to young voters led by Ben Affleck….
U.S. Vets Make Case for Kerry in Vietnam photo HANOI, Vietnam (AP) – Vietnam veterans supporting John Kerry for president made their case Friday in the heart of what was once enemy territory. Calling President Bush a draft dodger, the veterans in Hanoi donned T-shirts emblazoned with “Americans Overseas for Kerry” and showing Bush’s face with…
Bush’s Young Nephew Campaigns in Mexico photo MEXICO CITY (AP) – President Bush’s young, Hispanic nephew and his bride are on the campaign trail – in Mexico, where they are joining the increasingly vigorous battle for the votes of 1 million U.S. citizens living south of the border. George Prescott Bush – whose father is Florida Gov. Jeb Bush…
Kean Leaving Drew U., No N.J. Run Planned photo NEWARK, N.J. (AP) – The chairman of the Sept. 11 commission, former New Jersey Gov. Thomas H. Kean, will retire as president of Drew University in the spring, the school announced Thursday. Kean will have spent 15 years at the liberal arts school in Madison. Kean, who was governor from 1982-90

Bush Begins Weeklong Stay at Texas Ranch photo CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) – President Bush and first lady Laura Bush are involved in a little he-said, she-said business here at the presidential ranch. He’s working on the acceptance speech he’ll deliver in two weeks at the Republican National Convention. She’s working on one she’ll deliver earlier at…
Dem. Sen. Miller to Be GOP Keynote Speaker photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Get ready for some more “Zell zingers” from the political convention in New York. But this time, a Bush will be the beneficiary, not the target. Yes, the Zell Miller who Republicans tapped Thursday to deliver the keynote address for President Bush at their convention next month…
Race for Florida Senate Seat Wide Open TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – The race for Florida’s open Senate seat could play a huge role in shaping the nation’s political landscape in the years to come: It could determine which party controls the Senate, and even influence the presidential race. That is the easy part. Determining who will emerge…
Kerry: Bush Wavering on Imported Drugs photo DERRY, N.H. (AP) – John Kerry said Thursday that he had no doubts about letting Americans import prescription drugs from Canada, but he said President Bush didn’t seem so sure. The Democratic presidential nominee, speaking to voters gathered for a discussion about his health insurance plan to cut…
Police Turn Up Volume for GOP Convention photo NEW YORK (AP) – Forget the megaphones. Police will have a much more high-tech – and louder – option to make themselves heard over the din of Manhattan traffic and noisy protesters outside the Republican National Convention. It’s called the Long Range Acoustic Device, developed for the military and…
Keyes Changes Stance on Agriculture Dept. photo SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – On his first campaign trip into Illinois farm country, Republican Senate candidate Alan Keyes said Thursday he no longer favors abolishing the U.S. Agriculture Department. Keyes in 1996 had called the department an “expensive top-heavy bureaucracy that was not actually…
Groups Eager to Meet With Bush, Kerry photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Organizations representing the nation’s 3 million scientists, engineers and doctors have invited the two major presidential candidates to have a word with them – online. The invitation to two “virtual town hall” sessions comes in the middle of a tight race in which scientists…
Kerry Legal Team Member Issued Citation photo DETROIT (AP) – A member of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry’s national legal team received a citation on accusations he solicited a prostitute, according to broadcast reports. Former Michigan Democratic Party chairman Melvin “Butch” Hollowell, 44, who left his party post earlier this…
Bush Campaign Adviser on Catholics Quits WASHINGTON (AP) – The publisher of a conservative Catholic journal and leader of GOP efforts to reach out to Catholics says he’s resigning as a Bush campaign adviser because of “personal attacks” over allegations involving a female student years ago. “It is now being dug up, I believe, for…
New Rules for ‘Soft Money’ Groups in 2006 WASHINGTON (AP) – Non-party groups spending millions of dollars in unlimited donations on ads and get-out-the-vote drives in the presidential race will face some new ground rules starting with the 2006 election. The Federal Election Commission voted 4-2 Thursday to require groups that raise more…

Sen. Corzine Won’t Run for N.J. Governor photo TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – Sen. Jon Corzine said Wednesday that he will not actively seek to run for governor in a special election, dashing hopes by some state Democrats that he would help pressure Gov. James E. McGreevey to resign earlier than planned. Corzine said McGreevey has assured him that he…
Bush Vows Push for More Military Benefits photo CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. (AP) – In a gesture to troops serving unexpectedly long tours in Iraq, President Bush announced an election-year proposal Wednesday to enhance education benefits for active-duty National Guardsmen and reservists. “These brave Americans put their jobs on hold and leave their…
Tensions Rise Between Nader, Opponents SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Accusations of dirty tricks are rare in Oregon politics, but Ralph Nader’s presidential campaign has sparked charges and countercharges between his campaign and backers of Democratic nominee John Kerry. Union officials who support Kerry accused Nader’s backers this week of…
Guantanamo Prisoner Goes Before Tribunal photo SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – A U.S. military panel heard the case Wednesday of a Guantanamo Bay prisoner accused of fighting for Afghanistan’s ousted Taliban regime, as a U.S. judge ordered the government to release records of alleged prisoner abuse at the American base. The man, whose name and…
Poll: Voters Eyeing National Security photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Concern about national security is dominating public attention in the final months of the presidential campaign because of continuing fears of terrorism and unhappiness about the war in Iraq, according to a poll released Wednesday. “For the first time since the Vietnam era,…
Congressional Campaigns Near $500M Cost WASHINGTON (AP) – House and Senate candidates have spent at least $487 million this election cycle, $130 million more than congressional candidates had poured in by this point in the 2002 races. A Federal Election Commission analysis Wednesday found that 2004 House and Senate hopefuls had raised…
FBI Expects Violence at GOP Convention WASHINGTON (AP) – The FBI anticipates violent protests at the upcoming Republican National Convention in New York but does not have enough evidence to move against any group or person, the bureau’s top terrorism official said Wednesday. New York officials have said they expect hundreds of…
Retiring GOP Rep.: Iraq War Unjustified photo LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – A top Republican congressman has broken from his party in the final days of his House career, saying he believes the U.S. military assault on Iraq was unjustified and that the situation there has deteriorated into “a dangerous, costly mess.” “I’ve reached the conclusion,…
Fong, First Asian-American Senator, Dies photo HONOLULU (AP) – Hiram L. Fong, a son of immigrants who overcame poverty to become a millionaire businessman and the first Asian-American elected to the U.S. Senate, died Wednesday. He was 97. Fong, a Republican, died at his home with his wife, Ellyn, and daughter Merie-Ellen Fong Gushi at his…
Court Upholds DNA Blood Test for Parolees SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – A bitterly divided federal appeals court reversed itself Wednesday and upheld a law requiring federal parolees to give blood samples for the FBI’s DNA database. Ruling 6-5, an 11-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals parted course with a three-judge panel’s 2-1…

Bush Plugs Missile Defense System Plan photo RIDLEY PARK, Pa. (AP) – President Bush paid tribute Tuesday to defense workers who help equip U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and also put in a plug for his administration’s plans for an anti-missile system as he toured a helicopter factory involved in both missions. In his second visit to a…
Kerry Condemns Ad Attacking Bush Service photo WASHINGTON (AP) – John Kerry on Tuesday condemned a television ad that criticizes President Bush’s Vietnam-era service in the Texas Air National Guard, even as prominent veterans linked to the Democratic presidential campaign echoed the commercial’s accusations. Bush’s campaign accused Kerry of…
Edwards Focuses on Jobs, Tax Cuts in Ark. photo FORT SMITH, Ark. (AP) – In his second Arkansas visit in less than two weeks, Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards on Tuesday lamented lost jobs and ineffective tax cuts that he laid at the door of the Bush administration. The North Carolina senator promised that he and John Kerry…
Rumsfeld Cautions on Intelligence Reform photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld conceded Tuesday that a new, powerful intelligence director could bring “some modest” improvements to efforts to safeguard the nation but warned that any changes must not hurt the flow of information to military commanders. “We need to…
Presidential Campaign Ads Take No Break photo WASHINGTON (AP) – In late summer when most people expect a break from presidential campaign ads, both sides in this year’s White House race are blitzing the airwaves with more than $60 million worth of commercials. Political campaigns traditionally spend less on advertising in August, when voters…
Study Reviews TV Coverage of Debates WASHINGTON (AP) – Television viewers in 10 states were more likely to see debates between the candidates for governor than for the Senate and House in the 2002 general election, according to a review of debate coverage that found many voters had no chance to see the candidates. The study being…
Top Advisers Join Kerry for Home Stretch photo WASHINGTON (AP) – John 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. “Everybody wants to help us win,” said campaign manager…
Source: McGreevey Donor to Plead Guilty TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – A federal official said a top donor to Gov. James E. McGreevey is to plead guilty Wednesday in a case involving allegations that he had a prostitute seduce a government witness. The plea by Charles Kushner is to be taken before U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares in Newark, an…
GOP Steps Up Pressure on McGreevey photo TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – Republican Party leaders hope to ratchet up the pressure on Gov. James E. McGreevey to leave office before a self-imposed November deadline by taking their case to the public. Republican businessman Doug Forrester, the party’s unsuccessful choice in the 2002 race for U.S….
Son Running for Ill. Rep.’s House Seat CHICAGO (AP) – Democratic Party officials picked U.S. Rep. William Lipinski’s son Tuesday to replace his father on the November ballot, a decision engineered by Lipinski after he announced his retirement and withdrew from the race four days earlier. Ward and township committeemen in the 3rd…

Kerry Campaign Adds Veteran Strategists photo WASHINGTON (AP) – John 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. “Everybody wants to help us win,” said campaign manager…
Edwards Vows Economic Aid for Heartland photo WILLARD, Mo. (AP) – Democratic vice presidential nominee John Edwards promised Monday to deliver high-speed Internet access and more money for people to start businesses in rural areas. Edwards, on his second stop in as many days in southwest Missouri, said business closings and declining wages…
FBI Tracks Potential GOP Protesters photo NEW YORK (AP) – With the Republican National Convention less than two weeks away, federal agents and city police are keeping tabs on activists and others they believe might try to cause trouble. They are making unannounced visits to people’s homes, conducting interviews and monitoring Web sites…
Bush Tells Mich. Crowd Economy Improving photo TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) – President Bush voiced sympathy on Monday for this industrial state’s economic distress but told a receptive northern Michigan audience that conditions are improving. “We’ve come through a lot together,” Bush told an outdoor rally at the Grand Traverse County Civic…
Bush Camp Controlling Admission to Events photo BEAVERTON, Ore. (AP) – President Bush’s team exerts close control over admission to his campaign events. Dissenters and would-be hecklers are turned away, campaign officials say. On several occasions in recent weeks, Democrats who have gotten in have been ejected because they wore pro-Kerry…
Bush, Kerry Press for Women’s Votes photo JENKINTOWN, Pa. (AP) – Elizabeth Burnosky is a registered Democrat who voted for President Bush in 2000, opposes his policy on Iraq and calls Sen. John Kerry “a little wussy boy.” There may be no greater commodity in presidential politics than a voter like Burnosky – an undecided woman with no…
Mass. Republicans Eye Kerry’s Senate Seat photo BOSTON (AP) – Massachusetts Republicans, while supportive of President Bush’s re-election, are mindful of the opportunity created should John Kerry beat him in November’s election: the state’s first Senate vacancy in two decades and a chance to break the Democratic monopoly on its 12-member…
Harkin Calls Cheney Comments ‘Cowardly’ photo DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Sen. Tom Harkin pushed the name-calling in the presidential race to a new level, calling Vice President Dick Cheney a coward for not serving in Vietnam and cowardly for his criticism of John Kerry. Kerry, the Democratic presidential nominee, recently said that if elected he…
N.Y. Candidate Seeks Springsteen Boycott ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) – Upset with Bruce Springsteen’s effort to oust President Bush from the White House, the New York Conservative Party’s candidate for the U.S. Senate is launching a “Boycott the Boss” television commercial. “He thinks making millions with a song-and-dance routine allows him to…
Veterans Set for Republican Convention photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Americans who served in the military will be well represented at the upcoming Republican convention, more so than at last month’s Democratic convention or in the U.S. population overall, according to the GOP. About 15 percent of the 4,800-plus delegates and alternates to the…

Bush Tells Crowd Kerry Will Raise Taxes photo SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Trying to energize the electorate in heavily Republican western Iowa, President Bush hammered home the message Saturday that voters must keep rival John Kerry out of the White House because the Democrat will raise taxes on the middle class. “We’ve still got about 80 days to…
Poll: Bush Tops Kerry As a Strong Leader photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush retains an advantage with voters on such qualities as decisiveness and strength of leadership despite the Democrats’ effort to promote John Kerry as a strong leader, a poll this week finds. Kerry is seen as better on issues ranging from the economy to health care…
Edwards Calls for Changes to Drug Plans photo FARGO, N.D. (AP) – Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards called for changes to prescription drug programs and praised running mate John Kerry’s military and government service at an outdoor campaign rally here Saturday. Continuing a push to court older voters, Edwards told an crowd…
Science, Politics Collide in Election Year photo With more than 4,000 scientists, including 48 Nobel Prize winners, having signed a statement opposing the Bush administration’s use of scientific advice, this election year is seeing a new development in the uneasy relationship between science and politics. In the past, individual scientists and…
Aides Say Man Sought $50M From McGreevey photo TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – The man who claims Gov. James E. McGreevey sexually harassed him was pushing for a cash settlement of up to $50 million before the governor decided to announce that he was gay and had an extramarital affair, sources told The Associated Press. Golan Cipel’s demands also…
Oldest Heinz Son Pursues Hands-On Activism photo OTTSVILLE, Pa. (AP) – Teresa Heinz Kerry once hinted at tensions with her first-born son, a 37-year-old blacksmith who seeks an anonymous life with his wife and child in rural Pennsylvania. But if H. John Heinz IV is noticeably absent from his stepfather John Kerry’s presidential campaign and in…
Keyes Wants to End Election of Senators photo CHICAGO (AP) – Alan Keyes said he would like to end the system under which the people elect U.S. senators and return to pre-1913 practice in which senators were chosen by state legislatures. The Republican Senate candidate in Illinois, asked about past comments on the election process, said Friday…
Government Aims to Curb Political Groups WASHINGTON (AP) – Government lawyers are renewing their push to rein in groups like those spending millions on ads and voter outreach in the presidential race. At issue is how federal law affects nonparty groups that spend soft money – corporate, union or unlimited donations – in federal…
McGreevey’s Missteps Aided in Downfall photo From liberal Massachusetts to conservative Arizona, gay politicians have gone public and survived. New Jersey Gov. James E. McGreevey’s decision to come out on live television could have made him the most prominent among them – the nation’s first openly gay governor. But there was much more to it…
Bush Lauds Afghan, Iraqi Olympic Teams photo REDMOND, Wash. (AP) – The war on terrorism is transforming the complexion of the Olympic games in Athens with the rise of teams from Iraq and Afghanistan, President Bush says. Afghanistan was suspended from the International Olympic Committee in 1999 due to the Taliban ban on participation of…

Kerry: Bush’s Tax Cuts Hurt Middle Class photo SPRINGFIELD, Ore. (AP) – Democratic Sen. John Kerry on Friday assailed President Bush’s tax cuts as the latest congressional report showed that three rounds of reductions lowered taxes for the wealthy. “Over the last four years, the burden of taxes has shifted from the wealthy to the middle…
Bush Courts Voters in Key State of Ore. photo PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Campaigning in a state he lost by less than 7,000 votes four years ago, President Bush weighed in with election-year support for Oregon on Friday, saying his administration will fight for federal money that would give a boost to the state’s economy. After repeated requests,…
Edwards Defends Kerry From Cheney’s Jabs photo FLINT, Mich. (AP) – A day after Vice President Dick Cheney criticized John Kerry, Democratic Sen. John Edwards defended his running mate on Friday, saying he spilled “his blood for the United States” and accusing the Republican of distorting Kerry’s words. Cheney told voters in Ohio Thursday that…
Gov’t Lawyers Seek Limits for Soft Money WASHINGTON (AP) – Government lawyers are renewing their push to rein in groups like those spending millions on ads and voter outreach in the presidential race. At issue is how federal law affects nonparty groups that spend soft money – corporate, union or unlimited donations – in federal…
Illinois Democratic Congressman to Retire CHICAGO (AP) – U.S. Rep. William Lipinski, a powerful 11-term Democrat from Chicago who helped bring millions of dollars in transportation projects to Illinois, announced his retirement Friday. Lipinski, 66, who has served on the House Transportation Committee, urged the Democratic party to…
Bush Ad Assails Kerry on Intellgence photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush assails rival Sen. John Kerry on intelligence reform, arguing in a new television ad that the Democrat’s pledge to fix the system is at odds with his record and concluding, “There’s what Kerry says, and then there’s what Kerry does.” The commercial, which begins…
Keyes Wants to End Election of Senators photo CHICAGO (AP) – Alan Keyes said Friday he would like to end the system under which the people elect U.S. senators and return to pre-1913 practice in which senators were chosen by state legislatures. The Republican Senate candidate in Illinois, asked about past comments on the election process, said…
Labor Unions Mobilize for Kerry Campaign photo CHICAGO (AP) – Labor has much to offer Sen. John Kerry in his quest for the presidency: a massive voter mobilization machine that is backed by well more than $157 million and was fine-tuned by union leaders this week. As payback, Kerry is refusing to cross picket lines and even wrote to a foreign…
McGreevey Creates Odd Political Moment photo MONTCLAIR, N.J. (AP) – Who saw it coming? Outside New Jersey, it’s safe to say, pretty much no one. But as quickly as you can say “live on CNN,” it became part of the national conversation. And understandably so. By any measure, it was extraordinary: a sitting governor, live on national…
Lehrer to Get Help in Moderating Debates WASHINGTON (AP) – Jim Lehrer, host of PBS’s “News Hour,” will be a moderator for the presidential debates, but unlike past election years, he will divide the work with ABC’s Charlie Gibson and CBS’s Bob Schieffer. The Commission on Presidential Debates announced its selection of the three Friday,…

Kerry Opens Leads in Several Key States photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Sen. John Kerry has opened narrow leads in Florida, Michigan, New Hampshire and a handful of other battleground state polls since accepting the Democratic nomination, increasing pressure on President Bush to regain lost ground at the Republican National Convention. The incumbent…
Bush Defends Nuclear Waste Plan in Nevada photo LAS VEGAS (AP) – President Bush on Thursday defended his decision to use Nevada’s Yucca Mountain as the nation’s high-level nuclear waste dump, an unpopular move in a swing state that he won four years ago. “I said I would make a decision based upon science, not politics. I said I would listen to…
Kerry Raps Bush’s National Sales Tax Quip photo CARSON, Calif. (AP) – John Kerry said Thursday that President Bush’s musing about a national sales tax is an insult to financially struggling voters and would amount to “one of the largest tax increases on the middle class in American history.” The Democratic presidential nominee, during a speech…
Poll: Bush Gets Low Marks on Economy photo WASHINGTON (AP) – A majority of Americans take a dim view of President Bush’s handling of the economy and feel jobs are scarce, according to a poll released Thursday. Two-thirds of Americans rate the economy as “only fair” or “poor” and 55 percent said they think jobs are difficult to find in the…
Cheney Slams Kerry ‘Sensitive’ War Plea photo DAYTON, Ohio (AP) – Vice President Dick Cheney on Thursday ridiculed John Kerry’s call for a “more sensitive” war on terror. Kerry’s campaign said he was referring to reaching out to allies using a word President Bush has used and hit back at the Republican team’s lack of military service in…
Bush, Kerry Chase Each Other Across U.S. photo PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – President Bush and Democratic opponent John Kerry seem to be playing a modern version of “Me and My Shadow” these days. The two presidential candidates keep popping up in the same states within days of each other – sometimes within hours. “This is not exactly the…
Kerry Takes Lead Over Bush in Florida photo TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Democrat John Kerry has taken a slight lead over President Bush in Florida – the essential swing state in the 2000 election, according to a poll out Thursday. Kerry and running mate John Edwards had the backing of 47 percent, Bush and Vice President Cheney had the support…
Texas Congressman Gives Up Primary Appeal SAN ANTONIO (AP) – Rep. Ciro Rodriguez has conceded defeat to former Texas Secretary of State Henry Cuellar in a close primary election that prompted recounts and a series of legal challenges. Cuellar ended up beating Rodriguez by 58 votes out of nearly 50,000 ballots cast. Rodriguez had led by…
94-Year-Old N.H. Woman Seeks Senate Seat DUBLIN, N.H. (AP) – “I am not a nice old lady,” Doris “Granny D” Haddock says, wheezing slightly as she walks up a road near her home. The 94-year-old relishes adventure and near-impossible challenges – once walking across the country despite emphysema brought on by a half-century of smoking. Now…
Top Evangelicals Still Await GOP Invite photo Some prominent evangelical Christians say they have not been invited to participate in or attend the Republican National Convention less than three weeks before the event is to begin. Analysts said the move likely reflects a GOP desire to sideline its more polarizing supporters during a tight…

Bush Raps Kerry on Iraq Troop Reduction photo ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) – President Bush on Wednesday pushed back against John Kerry’s criticism of his handling of Iraq, saying, “I know what I’m doing when it comes to winning this war.” Bush used a re-election rally to sharply reject Democratic challenger John Kerry’s proposal to begin to…
Bush Ad Vows to Bring Enemy to Justice photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush vows in his latest campaign ad to “bring an enemy to justice before they hurt us again” although Osama bin Laden remains at large and only one U.S. defendant, Zacarias Moussaoui, has been charged with crimes related to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. “I can’t…
Cheney Says Kerry Lacks Deep Convictions photo JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) – Vice President Dick Cheney said Wednesday that Democratic Sen. John Kerry lacks “deeply held convictions about right and wrong” as he argued that voters would make a grave mistake if they replaced the current commander in chief. Campaigning for the Bush-Cheney ticket in this…
Uncounted Ballots Hold Primary in Limbo DENVER (AP) – Hundreds of uncounted ballots clouded the outcome Wednesday of a tight Republican congressional primary in which the top two candidates were separated by 285 votes out of more than 48,000 cast. Former state natural resources chief Greg Walcher claimed victory and hit the campaign…
House Parties Set to Focus on Education WASHINGTON (AP) – Determined to make education an election-year issue, a coalition of mostly liberal-leaning groups is planning what amounts to a giant party – a single night of gatherings in homes, churches and libraries to get people talking about public schools. The Sept. 22 event is billed as…
Coors Wins Senate Primary Race in Colo. photo The great-grandson of beer baron Adolph Coors handily won the Republican primary for Colorado’s U.S. Senate seat, triggering a face-off with the state’s Democratic attorney general this fall. In Georgia, a Democrat became the first black candidate ever nominated to the U.S. Senate from that state….
Company Corners Market on Political Ads photo ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) – In a nondescript office building just south of Washington, researchers watch hundreds of political ads captured daily from the nation’s television airwaves. The ads and details about them are shipped to campaigns, parties and interest groups, providing strategists timely…
White House Backs Off Bush Sales Tax Quip photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Administration officials on Wednesday denied that President Bush is considering a national sales tax, a day after the Republican incumbent created a stir by calling such a tax “an interesting idea that we ought to explore seriously.” Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry…
GOP House Candidate Will Stay in La. Race BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) – In the space of two weeks, Jock Scott went from being called an “excellent” Republican candidate by his party to being pressured to drop out of the congressional race. Scott said that is not something he will do, despite his party’s support of incumbent Rep. Rodney…
Unions Court Retirees to Vote for Kerry CHICAGO (AP) – From union swing voters to retirees, organized labor is trying to wring out every vote possible for John Kerry in November. No detail is too small for labor leaders here this week, like setting goals for door knocking and mailings and quotas for the number of staff and volunteers…

Kerry Says Bush Broke Nuclear Waste Vow photo LAS VEGAS (AP) – Democratic presidential challenger John Kerry, making a play for a state that supported President Bush four years ago, accused the president of breaking his word with a plan to bury nuclear waste in Nevada. Kerry said the president broke the promise he made in the 2000 race to…
Bush Mocks Kerry Over Views on Iraq War photo PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) – President Bush mocked rival John Kerry’s stand on the Iraq war Tuesday and rejected the Democrat’s timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops as the Republican campaigned with Kerry pal and Vietnam War hero Sen. John McCain. Seeking to shore up his support in the military rich,…
Anti-Kerry Book Author Sorry for Slurs WASHINGTON (AP) – One of the authors of a new anti-John Kerry book frequently posted comments on a conservative Web site describing Muslims and Catholics as pedophiles and Pope John Paul II as senile. But as he prepared to launch the book, “Unfit for Command,” Jerry Corsi apologized for the…
Labor Fine-Tunes Voter Mobilization Work photo CHICAGO (AP) – With only a few months to go, organized labor is fine-tuning its voter mobilization efforts in 16 states it thinks are crucial to November’s presidential race. No detail is too small, like setting goals for door knocking and mailings and quotas for the number of staff and volunteers…
Keyes Bashes Obama’s Views on Abortion photo CHICAGO (AP) – A day after jumping into the Illinois Senate race, two-time presidential hopeful Alan Keyes ripped into Democratic rival Barack Obama, saying his views on abortion are “the slaveholder’s position.” The conservative former diplomat said Obama’s vote against a bill that would have…
Groups File Complaint Over Anti-Kerry Ad WASHINGTON (AP) – Three campaign finance watchdog groups filed a complaint Tuesday accusing a group of Vietnam veterans of violating the campaign finance law by airing an ad that challenges Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry’s military record. Democracy 21, the Center for Responsive…
Cheney Criticizes Kerry at Iowa Event photo CLIVE, Iowa (AP) – Vice President Dick Cheney said Tuesday that a vote for Democratic Sen. John Kerry would guarantee higher taxes, the appointment of liberal judges to the federal bench and result in a weaker commander in chief. “What we’re hearing from the other side is failed thinking, thinking…
NYC Fire, Police Unions May Strike at RNC NEW YORK (AP) – Police officers and firefighters announced an impasse Tuesday in their contract negotiations with the city and refused to rule out an illegal strike or sickouts during the Republican National Convention. Off-duty police officers have recently been showing up at Mayor Michael…
NYC Denies Anti-War Group’s Parks Permit photo NEW YORK (AP) – City officials on Tuesday denied a second application from anti-war activists who want to demonstrate in Central Park on the eve of the Republican National Convention, likely sending the matter to court. The anti-war group United for Peace and Justice had reached a compromise with…
CIA Nominee Once Worked As Agency Officer photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The Republican congressman selected by President Bush to run the CIA worked as an agency officer overseeing spies in Central America and Western Europe during the 1960s until a mysterious infection forced his retirement from the world of cloak and dagger. Three decades later, the…

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