The Note

ByABC News
February 27, 2004, 10:42 AM

W A S H I N G T O N, Feb. 27&#151;<br> -- TODAY SCHEDULE AS OF 9:00 am (all times ET):

8:30 am: The government releases final 4th-quarter GDP numbers9:30 am: Vice President Cheney speaks at a breakfast for Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, Hagerstown, Md. 9:30 am: The Senate convenes for legislative business9:45 am: Off-camera briefing by White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan10:15 am: Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle meet with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder11:00 am: First Lady Laura Bush tours The Quilts of Gee's Bend exhibit at the Corcoran Gallery, Washington, D.C. 11:00 am: Clinton National Security Advisor Sandy Berger, former Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Holbrooke, and Sen. Kerry foreign policy advisor Rand Beers, holds a conference call with reporters11:15 pm: Carole King attends a "Women for Kerry" discussion at the Georgia Freight Depot Blue Room, Atlanta, Ga. 11:25 am: President Bush meets with Chancellor Schroeder, the White House 12:00 pm: The Campaign Finance Institute holds a news conference to discuss campaign money and presidential primaries12:30 pm: Vice President Cheney speaks at a luncheon for Rep. Tim Murphy at the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport, Latrobe, Pa. 1:00 pm: Politics Live on ABC News Live and AOL1:00 pm: Sen. John Kerry delivers a speech on terrorism and national security at the University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Calif. 2:00 pm: On-camera briefing by Press Secretary McClellan3:00 pm: Sen. Ted Kennedy attends a rally on behalf of Sen. Kerry on jobs at the Labor Temple, Albany, N.Y. 3:00 pm: Carole King meets with voters on behalf of Sen. Kerry at the Metro Coffeehouse, Augusta, Ga. 3:30 pm: Local Latino leaders rally and endorse Sen. John Edwards, Bronx, N.Y. 3:35 pm: President and Mrs. Bush depart the White House for Camp David3:45 pm: Sen. Edwards meets with Twin City voters at Hamline University, St. Paul, Minn. 4:15 pm: Sen. Kerry participates in a conference call in which he receives the support of leaders of Howard Dean's New York campaign 4:30 pm: Ralph Nader speaks to the press about the state of his campaign at the Los Angeles Press Club, Hollywood, Calif. 5:30 pm: Sen. Kennedy attends a rally on jobs at the UAW Hall Local 624, East Syracuse, N.Y. 7:00 pm: Lynn Cheney and Rep. Paul Gillmore speak to the press at Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio7:15 pm: Mrs. Cheney gives the keynote address at the Congressional Lincoln-Hayes Banquet, Bowling Green, Ohio8:00 pm: Carole King hosts an event with former Sen. Max Cleland on behalf of Sen. Kerry at Sentient Bean, Savannah, Ga. 8:00 pm: Ralph Nader appears on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher"10:00 pm: Sen. Kerry attends a rally at the Teamsters Local 70 Office, Oakland, Calif.

NEWS SUMMARY

One of the worst moments in American history occurred when some genius came up with the phrase "issues matrix."

As we psychically and physically transfer from yesterday's LAT/CNN Left Coast debate to Sunday's Viacom/43rd Street Right Coast debate -- and as we gear up for the next phase of the President's aggressive bid to keep his job -- we emerge bleary eyed from another session in the ABC cafeteria with hundreds of Googling monkeys.

As in the past, this morning's meeting was part pep rally, part Q&A, and part tough love reminder to keep the simian eyes on the ball.

Perhaps the dreaded "issues matrix" will change come the spring (Keep your Chauncey Gardner jokes to yourselves.), but for now, on the Big 5, here are today's highlights:

1. the economy: Per this morning's numbers, the economy grows at a 4.1 percent annual rate in final quarter of 2003, slightly better than previously estimated.

2. defining John Kerry: David Halbfinger of the New York Times proves that there ain't nothing like a beat reporter's ability to gather (and, then, unfurl) campaign trail string to bring a story alive. His Purdumian essay on how the Baron of Louisburg Square is trying to find the common touch is a mustest read. LINK

And then there's this: National Journal's new 2003 congressional vote rankings rates John Kerry the most liberal senator. Edwards came in 4th. Should put a great big smile on the faces of the oppo folks in Arlington.

3. Kerry versus Edwards: The Washington Post's David Broder -- still not really over his decade's-long competition with Johnny Apple -- joins the Great Man in leaning into the suggestive notion that Edwards could win Ohio. LINK

4. the politics of national security: Kerry gives a big speech on the topic today, while the Gang of 500 tries to figure out why Speaker Hastert opposes extending the 9/11 Commission, whether he might be convinced to fold, and if there are political implications if he doesn't.

5. the politics of cultural issues: John Kerry's rhetorical relationship with DOMA twists and turns; the President pulls the cloning and abortion arrows out of his quiver; and Kerry refuses (sort of) to play Mike Dukakis to Larry King's Bernie Shaw on the death penalty.

President Bush meets with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder at the White House before heading to Camp David for the weekend.

Vice President Cheney speaks at luncheons in Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Mrs. Cheney delivers a keynote speech at the Congressional Lincoln-Hayes Banquet in Ohio.

Sen. Kerry is in California today. He spends Saturday in California and New York and Sunday in New York and Baltimore.

Sen. Edwards is in Minnesota. He spends Saturday in Georgia, Ohio, and New York. He is in New York and Minnesota on Sunday.

Rep. Kucinich is in California. He will be in California on Saturday and New York and Ohio on Sunday.

Rev. Sharpton will be in New York on Sunday.

All four candidates participate in an 11:00 am ET debate on Sunday sponsored by the New York Times and CBS News.

Ralph Nader is in Los Angeles today to celebrate his 70th birthday.

The CNN/Los Angeles Times debate:

Homeboys Barabak and Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times say that "Edwards mostly used humor and an affable manner to draw contrasts with the more staid front-runner in the Democratic presidential race." LINK

Ronny B.'s video analysis: LINK

"At one point, Mr. Edwards expressed doubt that Mr. Kerry could defeat Mr. Bush in a series of swing states that could decide the election next fall because of some of the votes he has cast over the years. Mr. Edwards asserted that he was the candidate with a proven ability to win independent votes," the New York Times' Nagourney and Halbfinger Note. LINK

In his wrap-up of last night's debate, the Washington Post's Dan Balz calls it "lively" and Notes the actual interaction between Kerry and Edwards, and "frequent disagreement" -- no small feat for two guys who agree on so much. LINK

And while Edwards got (slightly) more aggressive, Kerry saved his attacks (if not his eye rolling and smirking) for the President.

"Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.) blasted President Bush for trying to 'divide America' over cultural issues such as gay rights, as the four remaining Democratic presidential candidates criticized Republicans for pushing a federal constitutional amendment limiting marriage to one man and one woman," Balz writes.

Not so fast, John . . . Edwards? Sen. Kerry "protected his commanding lead in the fight for the Democratic presidential nomination Thursday night by dismissing rival John Edwards' suggestion that a Massachusetts senator could not win over people in every corner of America," write Jeff Zeleny and Jill Zuckman of the Chicago Tribune. LINK