Morning Show Wrap, by ABC News Political Unit

ByABC News
August 27, 2004, 9:16 AM

N E W Y O R K, August 26, 2004 &#151;<br> -- A product of Noted Now and The Note

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Leads

ABC's "Good Morning America and CBS' "The Early Show" led with reports on the call for a ceasefire in Najaf. Over at "Olympics Central," also known as NBC, "Today" led with a wrap of last night's events in Athens.

Another Day in the Swift Boat Debate

ABC's Dan Harris wrapped the past day in the controversy over the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and their charges against John Kerry. Harris reported that the Kerry campaign now believes that they can make this a campaign issue about the President's credibility, so much so that they sent former Sen. Max Cleland and Jim Rassmann to Bush's Crawford Ranch yesterday to deliver a letter to the President demanding he condemn the group's ads. In addition, Harris also Noted that the Kerry campaign began airing an ad on television yesterday featuring John McCain chastising President Bush during the 2000 primaries for using campaign similar practices against him. The Bush camp continues to deny any link to the Swift Boat Vets group, said Harris, and highlighted that Bush will campaign next week with John McCain in front of a group of veterans.

Ginsburg Speaks

Ben Ginsburg on visited CNN's "American Morning" to discuss his resignation from the Bush campaign. Ginsburg told CNN's Bill Hemmer that the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth are a group of veterans "who feel strongly about his actions" and that "they feel strongly that Kerry discredited them." Hemmer pressed Ginsburg on why he resigned if he felt he had done nothing wrong. "This has become a distraction," said Ginsburg, "... they just want to concentrate on this false issue." Ginsburg was also quick to name names, pointing out that democrat lawyers Bob Bauer and Joe Sandler were heavily involved with 527s and more importantly that democrat political operative Harold Ickes and Jim Jordan were taking large leadership roles in those groups.

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