ABC News' The Note: First Source for Political News

W A S H I N G T O N, Aug. 18, 2004&#151;<br> -- NOTED NOW

TODAY'S SCHEDULE (all times ET)

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Morning Show Wrap

Evening Newscasts Wrap

12 days until the Republican convention76 days until election day

NEWS SUMMARY

Does anybody know why President Bush continues to refuse to condemn the CONTENT of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth commercial?

Does anyone know why the Kerry campaign had major surrogates challenge the president's National Guard service at an official campaign event on the very day that the candidate himself condemned the content of a MoveOn.org TV ad that similarly questions the president's military service — allowing Steve Schmidt to make his rote "Kerry says one thing, and does another" charge?

Does anyone dispute the fact that the two sides arrayed against each other in this battle are willing to say and do anything to win?

Does anyone watching the data flow, however, dispute the fact that if you created this formula: infidelity to accuracy + the personal nature of the charges + the closeness of the charger to the official campaign itself = the "winner" of the "going negative" battle — that the Republican Party, historically and currently, would claim the title?

Does anyone doubt that the forces who wish to see the president re-elected believe they have a much better chance if they can paint John and Teresa Kerry as elitist, exotic, hypocritical, soft, boozy, French, racist, and out of touch?

(Before our rightward readers go nuts on us, please listen: we agree that the Democrats are saying negative things about the president, and we acknowledge the existence of the many, many attack ads run against him, amplified by a sympathetic media and entertainment echo chamber. But again, if you focus on accuracy, shamelessness, frequency, and the sources making the charges, so far, what is a close race electorally is no contest on this score.)

Does anyone doubt that the Democratic Party right now is going through its quadrennial concern that it is acting like a bunch of, to put it politely, weenies?

Does anyone doubt that the Democratic Party right now is also going through its quadrennial concern that it is too slow to react to attacks?

Has George W. Bush acknowledged that he wanted to avoid fighting in Vietnam? Are the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth charges highly questionable in accuracy and relevance?

Does anybody understand why, as the New York Times reports this morning, John Kerry and John Edwards will both campaign during the Republican National Convention, breaking more precedent?

If you don't feel you can answer these questions on your own, go back to the Zen Master yet again, as one Charlie Cook is quoted in the New York Times today addressing that last point, but might as well be answering all our questions:

"That's why all the rules get chucked out the window," Mr. Cook said. "Nobody wants to be sitting in the chair the rest of his life thinking about the 500 things they could have done differently."

Presidential politics ain't beanbag, and we don't think the press' role is to police or inhibit speech of any sort, but the rough stuff and the factually questionable stuff needs to be called out for what it is.

So our last question of the day is: Are the political reporters at the remaining serious news organizations in America ready to do their jobs for a few more months in a way that does the nation proud, or are we going to cede this to Drudge?

After largely laying low (say that three times fast) following President Bush's proposals for U.S. troop redeployment unveiled Monday at the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Cincinnati, Senator John Kerry takes his turn today.

In front of the same audience, Kerry is expected to attack the plan, saying that withdrawing 70,000 troops from Asia and Europe could impair the nation's security, particularly in addressing North Korea's nuclear program and in fighting the war on terror, according to the campaign.

Expect Kerry to slam the Bush Administration's relationship with veterans — particularly with regard to health care.

According to prepared text: "The job will be done when 500,000 veterans are not excluded from the VA healthcare system. The job will be done when we're not closing VA hospitals. The job will be done when veterans are not asked for co-payments, enrollment fees and other charges to shift the burden of care to other veterans and drive more than a million veterans out of the system. The job will be done when 400,000 military retirees get concurrent receipt."

Kerry, we're told, will also talk again about the KE04 Military Bill of Rights, and talk up his own plan to revamp the military, which includes 40,000 more active duty troops, doubling the Army Special Forces, and using the National Guard for Homeland Security.

Kerry overnights at his home in Boston.

President Bush speaks at Kell Container in Chippewa Falls, WI at 12:20 pm ET, participates in an "Ask President Bush" event in St. Croix, WI at 4:20 pm ET, and speaks at a rally at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN at 7:00 pm ET. He overnights at his Crawford ranch, where he will be down through Sunday.

A cast of intelligence community figures testify to the Senate Intelligence Committee this morning at 9:00 am ET and, for the first, time, we will see a bill that calls for the creation of a powerful national intelligence director.

Mrs. Bush tours small businesses and delivers remarks on the economy at Design Net Engineering in Lakewood, CO at noon at speaks at a closed Victory '04 reception in Houston at 6:00 pm ET. She overnights in Crawford.

Senator John Edwards tours the Job 1 Career Center in New Orleans at 11:55 am ET then participates in a roundtable with New Orleans workers at the Job 1 Career Center at 12:10 pm ET. At 1:00 pm ET the Senator attends a Kerry/Edwards Victory Fund Reception at the Loews New Orleans Hotel. Following the event he heads to Washington, D.C., where he spends the next several days, with no scheduled events until Saturday.

ABC News Vote 2004: Bush-Cheney v. Kerry-Edwards:

When dovish becomes hawkish! The Los Angeles Times' Brownstein turns in a must-ready of a news analysis on this (what we like to call) "VFW part deux day" and explores how Republicans (not too long ago) used to criticize Democrats for proposing to reduce troop strength in Europe. Brownstein ponders the change in times. LINK

"After the terrorism attacks of 2001, virtually all the leaders in both parties agreed that the U.S. had no choice but to accept a predominant role in the global effort to combat terrorism. The big question now is whether to pursue that goal by emphasizing U.S. freedom of action or by focusing on cooperation with allies."

"Bush's proposal to bring home as many as 70,000 troops from foreign bases highlights his commitment to the first strategy. The charges from Senator John F. Kerry's presidential campaign that the plan will fray alliances already strained by the Iraq war highlights the Democratic commitment to the second."

USA Today 's David Lieberman reports, "Although TV and radio stations still attract the bulk of election ad and marketing dollars, cable and satellite companies will pass newspapers for the third-largest slice of this year's gigantic campaign spending pie, according to a new study." LINK

Lieberman goes on to explain that the "123% increase in overall spending is due to several changes in the political landscape," including earlier advertising in battleground states, the targeting of ethnic media markets, tight down ballot races, and this interestingly worded factor: "Several new tax-exempt groups have been formed to support Democrats, such as MoveOn.org."

The Wall Street Journal 's John Harwood has won our early voting challenge, explaining how and why this developing electoral phenomenon will matter this year in a must-read.

"Most of the potential battleground states in the contest between Mr. Bush and Senator John Kerry will allow voters to cast ballots before Election Day — without requiring a reason. In Iowa, early voting begins just three weeks after the Republican convention ends, on Sept. 23. In Arizona, where ballots can be cast as of Sept. 30, the Bush campaign calculates up to half the vote will be cast before Election Day, up from 37% in 2000. In Florida, where voting starts Oct. 18, the total of early voters could hit 30%, doubling the 2000 level." LINK

And y'all remember what Iowa Democrats did in 2002 to help their ticket . . .

Walter Shapiro declares, "These two weeks leading up to the Republican coronation of George W. Bush are the last moments when the political calendar will permit a pause for reflection on the coming political pyrotechnics." LINK

Shapiro then hits on three issues: the possible lessons of South Dakota's 2002 Senate race, the current electoral college consideration in Colorado, and the pattern of presidential planning for second terms.

There's no doubt about President Bush's commitment to targeting Pennsylvania — yesterday's visit (his 32nd as President) proved that. But according to the poll released this morning by Quinnipiac University, the horse race in the Keystone State has remained largely unchanged from where it was a month ago, just prior to the Democratic convention: Kerry 47 percent; Bush 42 percent, and Nader 4 percent.