ABC News' The Note: First Source for Political News

ByABC News
August 5, 2004, 8:18 AM

W A S H I N G T O N, Aug. 4, 2004&#151;<br> -- NOTED NOW

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26 days until the Republican convention90 days until election day

NEWS SUMMARY

There are huge things brewing today.

Most Notable: The near-simultaneous campaign events by the BC04 and KE04 camps in a certain Iowa hamlet.

The focus is on today's Center of the Universe Davenport, Iowa, in which both presidential candidates will hold events before noon.

It is safe to say that political reporters and television executives are OBSESSED with the geography of this thing.

Davenport, Iowa's city slogan is "Working Together to Serve You."

Not as catchy as, say, "Moving America Forward," but still pretty good.

A good sign for John Kerry, perhaps: per the city Web site, "The colors used in the Flag for the City of Davenport are taken from the Flags of the United States, the State of Iowa, and France . . . " LINK

Per the Kerry campaign, regarding the county in which Davenport sits, "While Scott County has trended Democratic in recent years, there are a very high number of voters who are registered neither as Democrats or Republicans. As of June 1, there were 24,365 registered Democrats, 26,857 registered Republicans, and 41,909 voters registered with neither party in Scott County."

According to the Des Moines Register, while "Iowans are accustomed to presidential candidates tripping over and bumping into each other in the dead of winter as they campaign for the leadoff nominating caucuses," when Bush and Kerry cross paths in Davenport today, it will be "the first time that two opposing, major party candidates will campaign at separate events in the same Iowa city, on the same day at the same time." LINK

Per the KCCI Web site, "Nearly every police officer in Davenport will be on the job Wednesday morning when President George W. Bush and his Democratic challenger, John Kerry, visit the town just a quarter of a mile apart in dueling campaign appearances . . ." LINK

"Davenport Police Lt. Don Gano said you could throw a stone from one to the other."

"Thousands of political supporters are expected to attend the two events."

"Officials say security will be at an unprecedented level."

At its Davenport event, the Kerry-Edwards campaign will continue to focus on the economy, centered around an economic summit and the announcement of more than 200 CEOs endorsing John Kerry. Among some of the more Notable companies are the CEOs of Bank of America, Oracle, and the COO of Fox News Channel's own parent company, News Corp.

Check out the Wall Street Journal's must-read curtain-raising story on these endorsements, especially the spooky last sentence. ("Several major figures in corporate America, also former Bush voters, confirmed their backing for Mr. Kerry in interviews, but wouldn't be named for personal and professional reasons.")

President Bush hits the stump in Davenport, to gin up a crowd expected to number 10,000 showing in specific relief just how much each campaign is fighting for the small number of swing voters in a small number of states.

Then he heads to Minnesota to highlight a national program that would provide $40 billion over the next decade to "restore millions of acres of wetlands, protect sensitive habitats, conserve water and improve streams and waterways near farms and ranches."

The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the state-by-state unemployment picture today, which will surely creep its way into the stump speeches before network news is in makeup tonight.

Also today, the Illinois GOP finally tries to nail down a Republican challenger to Democrat Barack Obama. The AP reports that Illinois Republicans have narrowed their search to two: Alan Keyes, who ran twice unsuccessfully for president and Senate, and Andrea Grubb Barthwell, former deputy drug czar in the Bush Administration, and will interview both today. LINK

The Chicago Tribune tells us a little more about Keyes and Barthwell and Notes, "Still, the decision sets the stage for a historic Senate race in which for the first time in American history both major party candidates would be black. Both would be vying to become only the third elected black U.S. senator since the Reconstruction era." LINK

Keyes makes his first appearance today at a Chicago rally at 2:30 pm ET. At 3:00 pm ET, he meets with the Republican state central committee. By the time the evening news broadcasts hit the air, we should know whether he's won the sweepstakes.

Yesterday, Missouri voters got a lot done having chosen a Democratic nominee for governor who is not their current chief executive; having given the OK to banning same-sex marriage; and having picked a Democrat to run for the seat of Rep. Dick Gephardt.

Missouri Gov. Bob Holden became the first governor in a decade to be defeated in his party's primary, AP reports. State Auditor Claire McCaskill defeated Holden by more than 55,000 votes (LINK) to claim the Democratic nomination, and will face Republican Secretary of State Matt Blunt in November. LINK

Meanwhile, with 3933 of 3992 precincts reporting, the constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage in Missouri passed as expected with nearly 71 percent of the vote. LINK

Perhaps most important: Rock fans particularly Springsteen fans and "Nightline" fans everywhere you've got a treat coming.

Tonight, ABC News' "Nightline" looks at the intersection of politics and popular culture, including an exclusive Ted Koppel interview with Bruce Springsteen who will talk about his own political activism, the fall election, and the Vote For Change tour, put on this fall by Move On PAC and America Coming Together about which we give you full details below.

Other artists will appear on the broadcast as well, including musicians Steve Earle, the Dixie Chicks' Martie Maguire, Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder and Mike Mills of REM (on the tour roster) as well as writers Kurt Anderson and Robert George, and music executives Russell Simmons and Danny Goldberg. Did we mention Ted Koppel's exclusive interview with Bruce Springsteen?

Tune in to "Nightline" on ABC News at 11:35 pm ET check local listings.

And then there is the fabulous Rick Berke.

Reserve some cover space, Jason Binn.

Get ready for less room to write about Pete Peterson, Liz Smith.

Save a table at Babbo, Mario.

Richard Leland "Rick" Berke Walt Whitman graduate and high school journalism icon is moving to Gotham City in January, as the associate managing editor for news of the New York Times !! LINK

Whatever the opposite of "RATS!!" is, that's what we say.

Congratulations, Rick, and do you realize that in your new Manhattan apartment, you probably won't still have your own private elevator?

President Bush addresses a rally at LeClair in Davenport, Iowa at 12:20 pm ET, speaks about the Conservation Reserve Program in Le Sueur, Minn., at 3:45 pm ET, and speaks at a rally at the Southern Minnesota Construction Company Quarry in Mankato, Minn. at 6:00 pm ET.

Vice President Cheney tours and speaks at Walzcraft Industries in La Crosse, Wis. at 11:05 am ET, speaks about the economy at a BC'04 event at Bill Goat's Industries in Lee's Summit, Mo., at 1:50 pm ET, and speaks at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds Rodeo Arena in Golden, Colo., at 7:10 pm ET.

Sen. Kerry attends an economic summit at the River Center in Davenport, Iowa at 11:00 am ET and attends a rally in Hannibal, Mo. at 7:00 pm ET.

Sen. Edwards attends a rally at the North Shore Riverfront Park in Little Rock at 12:15 pm ET, tours a National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis at 4:45 pm ET, and attends a rally in Memphis at 6:00 pm ET.

The House Select Intelligence Committee holds an open hearing on the 9/11 Commission recommendations, Washington, D.C. at 9:00 am ET.

ABC News Vote 2004: Kerry-Edwards '04:Maybe you'll be out there on that road somewhere . . . in some bus or train, traveling along . . .

ABC News' Dan Harris reports that today's KE04 economic summit will include the endorsement of John Kerry by more than 200 CEOs (some Republicans among them).

Five of them will be there, including the CEOs of Bank of America and Oracle, as well as Peter Chernin, the COO of Fox News Corp, and former Bush supporter Owsley Brown, CEO of Brown Forman (maker of Jack Daniels).

Many of these corporate types have never endorsed a presidential candidate before, the campaign told Harris, but they like Kerry based on his plans to deal with deficits, the country's economic direction, and rising health care costs and they say they're also concerned about the U.S.' reputation worldwide. Roger Altman will attend as well.

"Kerry partisans have labored hard for support from business executives who formerly backed Mr. Bush. They want to reassure moderate voters that Mr. Kerry isn't the liberal caricature that Mr. Bush's campaign would like to make him. But the Kerry camp has found business executives reluctant to endorse a Democrat publicly, especially against an incumbent Republican whose party controls Congress," Notes the Wall Street Journal 's Jackie Calmes. LINK

The Los Angeles Times ' Michael Finnegan and James Rainey report that Kerry and Edwards "stepped up efforts Tuesday to cast themselves as more fiscally responsible than President Bush." LINK

Glen Johnson Notes in today's Boston Globe that "Kerry's postconvention bus tour has taken a road less traveled by Democrats, stopping in areas of Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and Michigan that are either traditional GOP strongholds or communities the Republican president won in 2000." LINK

Appealing to voters in Dubuque, Iowa yesterday, Kerry focused on traditional domestic themes, marking a shift from the sharp attacks on Bush's handling of national security issues that Kerry launched at last week's DNC. LINK