ABC News' The Note: First Source for Political News
W A S H I N G T O N, July 19, 2004—<br> -- NOTED NOW
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7 days until the Democratic convention42 days until the Republican convention106 days until election day
NEWS SUMMARY:
Do you want to prove that you have the wisdom of Tony Podesta, the strategic brilliance of Karl Rove, the quiet sagacity of Joe Biden, the insight of Rob Portman, the astuteness of Karen Skelton, and the good judgment of Mindy Tucker Fletcher?
Just score 10 out of 10 on our regular Monday Note quiz, and you can brag to all your friends.
1. Which side will better play the politics of Thursday's 9/11 report release?
2. Will the Kerry campaign's three-stage July-August John-a-thon be as well planned as the Edwards launch was?
3. Does John Kerry have in his brain what he thinks it will take in planning and execution to give a boffo acceptance speech?
4. Which is more likely to help Vice President Cheney keep his job — his support for the Pledge of Allegiance or his spouse's bragging that he used to be in a union?
5. What is the correct punishment for Ryan King, deputy director of Republicans Abroad, for telling the Washington Post regarding the enthusiasm of overseas Americans to participate in this year's election: "You have people literally coming out of the woodwork to register."
6. Who will the media make a bigger deal about: Ron Reagan speaking in Boston or Zell Miller speaking in New York? (And, yes, we've asked this before . . . )
7. Which will get more coverage: labor spats in Boston or hundreds of thousands of protesters in New York?
8. Can you find five Americans in battleground states who voted for Al Gore in 2000 who say they will definitely vote for President Bush in 2004?
9. When will we next see John Kerry fly a helicopter or ride a motorcycle?
10. Are you aware of just how vital a news product ABC News Live's coverage of the conventions and the campaign is for anyone who is working on, covering, or interested in this year's presidential race? (more on that all week right here in The Note … .)
Vanessa Kerry has already been on about 15 television shows today, but there ARE other things going on.
President Bush is at the White House today meeting with the president of Chile (11:25 am ET), the Prime Minister of Malaysia (2:55 pm ET) and the winner of the Indy 500 (3:50 pm ET).
Vice President Cheney travels to battleground states Missouri and Ohio for two speeches, the first on the economy at Boone County Lumber Company in Columbia, Mo. (1:00 pm ET) and the second on health care costs in Toledo, Ohio (5:00 pm ET).
Sen. Kerry is down in Nantucket today, we're told finishing his convention speech (and kite surfing for the pool, perhaps). Sen. Edwards is in Durham, N.C. today for a "front porch" stop and a fundraiser before returning to Washington, D.C.
Today at 1:00 pm ET, former New Hampshire Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, Kerry Crewmate Jim Wasser, and Alexandra Kerry will hold a conference call tomorrow to discuss the details of KE04's pre-convention tour. See below for the stop-by-stop itinerary.
Tomorrow, on the 35th anniversary of Neil Armstrong's moon walk, President Bush travels to Iowa and Missouri while the Sens. John are both down without public events.
Also on Tuesday, voters head to the polls to vote in primaries in Georgia and North Carolina. In North Carolina, the main focus will be on the race among Republicans for the right to challenge Gov. Mike Easley. In Georgia, all eyes are on the Republicans in the Senate primary in the race to succeed Democratic Sen. Zell Miller.
On Wednesday, President Bush speaks at the annual President's Dinner, Sen. Edwards has two evening fundraisers in New York City, and Sen. Kerry departs his Nantucket vacation for Boston, followed by Detroit.
On Thursday all eyes will be on the 9/11 commission, which releases its final report. President Bush uses the day to sign the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act and speak about homeland security at the Northeastern Illinois Public Training Academy. Senator Kerry will be in Detroit, addressing the Urban League.
On Friday President Bush delivers his own address to the Urban League before traveling to Crawford, Texas to do some RNC finance business and to spend the weekend.
Sens. Kerry and Edwards kick off their pre-convention national tour in Aurora, Colo., at the Army hospital where Kerry was born. Kerry then travels to Sioux City, Iowa on Saturday; Columbus on Sunday; Cape Canaveral, Fla. on Monday; Norfolk, Va., on Tuesday; Philadelphia on Wednesday; and Boston for his convention speech on Thursday. Sen. Edwards travels to Milwaukee on Saturday and North Carolina on Monday and is in Boston on Tuesday.
ABC News Vote 2004: Kerry-Edwards '04:
The Washington Post's John Harris examines the "liberal" label, and tries to figure out if, and how much, John Kerry will be affected — or afflicted — by it in the eyes of the voters. Given the relatively small number of voters who identify themselves as liberals, it's a dicey proposition for Kerry to allow himself to be defined that way — which is why he's fighting it. At the same time, though the Bush-Cheney camp is pulling out the liberal guns by pointing to Kerry's voting record and National Journal's analysis, there are Democrats who argue that ratings are not just black and white, and that the liberal label alone, particularly set in a historical context, isn't necessarily enough to tar Kerry in voters' minds. LINK
"One of Kerry's more effective defenses against the charge that he is a reflexive liberal may be the support of the centrist Democratic Leadership Council, or DLC. Formed in 1985 out of concern that the party had drifted too far left, the group has rarely hesitated to criticize Democrats who it believes cleave to an outdated special-interest brand of liberalism. The DLC, which criticized former Vermont governor Howard Dean's candidacy in last winter's primaries, has been enthusiastic all year about Edwards and Kerry."
Under a headline claiming to describe "The real John Kerry," the Boston Herald's Guarino and Miga explain how Sen. Kerry "wasn't any normal kid." LINK
The AP takes note of Sen. Byrd's words that Kerry "can win West Virginia's five electoral votes by going there and getting coal "dust on his hands and on his face."" LINK
The AP's Duncan Mansfield wraps Elizabeth Edwards' first solo general election campaign stop. LINK
Newspaper reviews don't get much better than this. The Miami Herald writes of Sen. Edwards' first solo visit to the Sunshine State since becoming the second half of the Democratic ticket this way: "Campaign strategists had hoped the selection of the one-time John Kerry rival who earned plaudits during the primaries for a sunny disposition would energize the Democrat's campaign, and it appeared to work on the Broward crowd of 350." LINK
Hoo-rahs for Edwards in central Florida. LINK
The Raleigh News & Observer's Rob Christensen introduces us to a Los Angeles comedian who's very excited to begin impersonating Sen. Edwards . . . and the self-proclaimed Schwarzenegger Republican says he'll vote for Kerry-Edwards because he likes Edwards' talk of job creation. (It kind of makes sense for this guy if you think about it.) LINK
An Arkansas News column calls the race for Kerry based on the demographic of Americans who are migrating to Mexico. LINK
The AP reports on a New Hampshire historian who thinks he has traced Kerry's family roots to Ireland. LINK
We thought Kerry Edwards sounded like the prettiest girl at the prom, but a bail bondsman also lays claim to that name — and that Web site. LINK
Correction:
In a recent Note, we incorrectly stated that John Kerry had received a campaign contribution from Charles Kushner within the year. Mr. Kushner last contributed to Kerry in 1996. We regret the error.
ABC News Vote 2004: Kerry-Edwards '04:
The New York Daily News' Tom DeFrank looks at Vice President Cheney on the campaign trail, and writes that unlike in 2000 when Cheney was seen as important to gain swing voters, this time around "the veep is preaching to the choir." LINK
DeFrank Notes that Cheney delivers some of his best lines "with the passion of a stalactite" but this is seen as the "perfect foil to the youthfulness and inexperience of Edwards."
"'So he's charisma-challenged," a GOP operative says. "He's not an empty suit like the other guy.'"
Tamara Lipper and Evan Thomas wrote in their Newsweek must-read profile of the "dangerous to cross and easy to disappoint," straight-shootin', tight-knit Cheney-clan, "The Family has been feeling a little besieged lately." LINK
Be sure to read close the part in which Lynne Cheney allegedly goes after that nice Steve Scully.
Janet Hook of the Los Angeles Times looks at the brick walls that keep stopping President Bush's initiatives in Congress this year — and it's not always the Democrats' fault. LINK
Hook looks at how this will affect President Bush in the election season:
"But some Republicans worry that an anemic record this year will be a political problem, because one of their prime arguments for reelecting Bush and GOP majorities in Congress is that a government dominated by one party can get more done than a divided government."
And also touches on the second term agenda problem for the president:
"Bush has so far done little to flesh out a new agenda for a second term beyond continuing and building on existing policies. But what is left of his first-term agenda will probably remain stalled unless the makeup of Congress changes significantly."
The New York Times' Elisabeth Bumiller looks at the president's vacation schedule for the end of the summer and Notes "this year, the 2004 campaign has ruined Mr. Bush's Texas vacation. Or put another way, if Mr. Bush doesn't give up a lot of his summer holiday, the fear at the White House is that he could be on a permanent one after the first of the year." LINK
