NEWS SUMMARY

Today, we'll let you in on some of Washington's big secrets …

The Bush campaign is counting on the continued absence of a drumbeat of bad news out of Iraq to improve right track/wrong track.

Lawmakers in both parties worry that the housing bubble may burst.

Tom DeLay can be quite charming.

The White House coordinates Cabinet travel to battleground states in a manner more tightly controlled than, say, a Glover Park Group staff meeting.

Mark Leibovich doesn't make it up.

Not having to worry about energizing their base is the biggest relief Democratic and union strategists have felt in years.

The corporate tax bill has been so kind to tax lobbyists that it alone is responsible for perpetuating the species for another five years.

Hill staffers spend an inordinate amount of time on AOL Instant Messenger.

The RNC and DNC are holding late-night tryouts and practices for the inaugural Elephant/Donkey Dodgeball game.

Some really big Democratic Party strategists continue to "secretly" work on the Kerry campaign, putting in lots of hours as volunteers.

Ken Mehlman is in fantastic physical shape.

The Boston (political) Mafia has developed a stranglehold on the Things that Matter.

Mark Gersh and Ken Strasma can take as much credit as anyone if Sen. Kerry wins the election.

It's getting more crowded and louder at Stetson's lately.

Terry Holt and Chad Clanton have hair that is exactly equally fabulous.

In the Nation's Capital, "softball" is a euphemism used by semi-organized groups to describe breaking open beverage container laws in national parks.

Nobody really wants to discuss the socio-economic implications of putting a professional baseball team near Dulles Airport instead of downtown, including the baseball-loving crowd at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

And there's convention news from both parties today, with the Democratic National Convention Committee unveiling the programming and speaking schedule for the Democratic convention at the National Press Club at 10:00 am ET today.

In a strong, confident, robust voice, they'll also announce these safe themes, which we preview, as a service to our loyal, faithful readers:

Monday is platform and policy — the Kerry-Edwards plan for the future, we are told, will be highlighted. Tuesday, an introduction to Sen. Kerry's "lifetime of strength and service." Wednesday: A Stronger and More Secure America — expect to see lots of first responders.

On Thursday, a bevy of Vietnam crewmen and Sen. Kerry's progeny will introduce the introducer; Max Cleland will introduce the nominee himself.

The RNC announced this morning that Sen. Bill Frist will chair the platform committee; Rep. Melissa Hart and Gov. Bill Owens will serve as co-chairs, the RNC said.

President Bush kicks off the day at 9:55 am ET with a signing ceremony for H.R. 4103, the African Growth and Opportunity Act of 2004, at the White House. He then begins a two-day tour of Midwest battleground states, speaking at two afternoon campaign rallies in Marquette, Mich. (2:00 pm ET) and Duluth, Minn. (6:00 pm ET).

The Senate continues debate, from 10:45 pm ET to 8:00 pm ET, on a constitutional amendment that would prohibit same-sex marriage. A vote is expected to occur at noon tomorrow.

Sen. Edwards is also in Washington and is expected to speak to the closed-door Senate Democratic Caucus.

Sen. Kerry is in Boston today with no public events.

At 11:40 am ET Lynne Cheney speaks to the National Hispanic Leadership Summit in Washington. No word on whether she'll address her weekend comments about same-sex marriage.

First Lady Laura Bush meets with Mrs. Saca, the wife of the president of El Salvador, at the White House today.

Ralph Nader signs copies of his book in New York City and Ridgewood, N.J.

And the trade deficit for May is released today.

ABC News Vote 2004: Kerry-Edwards '04:

As Sen. Kerry tended to his base yesterday, his campaign announced that it would spend $3 million on advertisements targeted at black and Hispanic voters.

Takes: The Washington Post: LINK

New York Post: LINK

Jumpin' Ed O'Keefe recalls some of the top lines from a frisky wife:

Teresa Heinz Kerry explained of her husband's vice presidential pick, "John Edwards is beautiful and my husband is very smart."

Heinz Kerry also effusively praised Elizabeth Edwards, saying, "She is the supreme, wise, motherly woman and wife."

Turning her attention to the opposing political team, the potential first lady exclaimed, "Bullies attack and leaders inspire."

Heinz Kerry continued, "We need, above all, a president who is not fazed by complexity. A president who likes to read. A president who loves history. A president who is rightly proud of the sacrifice of our ancestors."

A relaxed and seemingly at ease candidate riffed, "I don't know what to think. The other night in New York, Teresa saw Paul Newman and turned to me and said, "I don't care what anybody says, he's the sexiest man alive." And, tonight, she's calling John Edwards beautiful. I'm in trouble."

The Washington Post's Mark Leibovich examines Sen. Kennedy's involvement in Kerry's run for President. LINK

Highlights: Sen. Kennedy and doggy poop; Sen. Kennedy and President Bush; Kennedy and his weight; Kennedy and his reputation. Best quote:

"Kennedy has been trying to lose weight for the convention. 'I just weighed myself this morning,' he says, depositing his poop bag in the garbage can. 'And I'm where I want to be.'"

The Chicago Tribune's Jeff Zeleny produces one of the best Elizabeth Edwards profiles ever written and even convinces her to gingerly encourage her ticket-mate-in-law (that's Sen. Kerry) to pay attention to Emma Claire as much as he does Jack. LINK

"As the Democratic team introduced itself last week, the young Edwards children became an instant attraction. To audiences around the country, Kerry repeatedly told stories about the families' dynamic tableau — 'Jack is the new campaign manager. He's running the show!' — that stood in sharp contrast to the Republican ticket. But Edwards said she is determined to guard her children from being used for political advantage through television commercials or too many appearances. Even though John Kerry's references to her young son were touching and genuine, she said, the attention also could be wearisome."

"'Yes, I think there are things that are too much,' Edwards said. 'I kept wanting to say, 'I appreciate how much you are attracted to Jack, but Emma Claire is actually standing right here.' Like a normal parent, you have to give them the same attention.'"

"On the campaign trail, no one avoids explaining that Edwards had children at a late age and looks older than her 51-year-old husband. In fact, last week, her husband told a crowd of senior citizens in Florida that her AARP card arrived just before Jack was born. She tells voters her husband is the same person she married him 26 years ago and adds, 'To my chagrin, he looks exactly the same.'"

"She does not, however, disclose details about her pregnancies to audiences."

"'There are a few things that I don't talk about. I would say that I took hormone shots, but I won't talk about fertility or things like that. It's not ladylike!' Edwards said with a laugh. 'I don't want a blow-by-blow of your operation or your things, and I'm not giving you one of mine.'"

"Edwards said that like many Americans she has tried the South Beach diet. While too much attention may be placed on image, she conceded that images are important in a televised political world."

"'People make judgments based on appearances, but we spend too much time on it,' she said. 'To me, the issue has to do with my own personal comfort about whether I'm being self-conscious or whether I can let that part go and not worry about it.'"

Did Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and Sen. Kerry actually kiss and make up yesterday, or was it all show? We'll leave that for you to decide.

But you must read the Boston Globe's Rick Klein' boffo description of the meeting, which includes "Speaking to reporters at an event later in the day, Menino said Kerry did not offer apologies during yesterday's talk, quickly adding that he didn't think apologies were in order." LINK

Sen. Kerry — liberal or not-so-much? The Boston Globe's Canellos tackles that question today. LINK

The New York Post's John Podhoretz writes, "The possible future president of the United States opposes the war in Iraq now being fought by 130,000 American troops." LINK

The New York Post's Deb Orin reports that some folks are calling for SlimFast to drop Whoppi Goldberg as a paid spokesperson because of her personal speaking about the president. LINK

The Boston Herald, always ready to take a shot at the Massachusetts Senator, reports that some took his visit to the 9/11 memorial in Boston yesterday to be political. "Sen. John Kerry upset some families of 9/11 victims yesterday when he arrived — late — to a private memorial dedication in a sirened motorcade and glad-handed as though he were on the campaign trail." LINK

ABC News Vote 2004: Bush-Cheney re-elect:

"The Bush administration said yesterday it plans to overturn a Clinton-era rule that made nearly 60 million acres of national forest off-limits to road-building and logging, setting aside one of the most sweeping land preservation measures in decades," writes the Washington Post's Juliet Eilperin on the front page.LINK

The Wall Street Journal's Greg Hitt investigates how President Bush is pushing local projects to woo voters in key battleground states such as Missouri. LINK

In his most extensive remarks since the Senate Intelligence report came out last week, President Bush told an audience at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory that "the American people are safer" because of the war against Iraq — "a refrain he used seven times in a 32-minute speech," writes the Washington Post's Amy Goldstein. LINK

"President Bush acknowledged 'shortcomings' in U.S. intelligence operations, but strongly defended his decision to invade Iraq, saying it removed a regime that had "the capability of producing weapons of mass destruction,'" reports the Wall Street Journal 's David Cloud.

The Los Angeles Times' Reynolds LINK and USA Today 's Benedetto wrap the president's speech Monday. LINK

In speeches at congressional fundraisers yesterday, Vice President Cheney accused the Democratic ticket of "campaign amnesia" when it comes to their stance on Iraq, AP's Rubinkam Notes. LINK

The Washington Post's Dana Milbank examines the White House's leaked salary list. LINK

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

USA Today's Susan Page reports that "Kerry gets a boost nationwide from his choice of North Carolina Senator John Edwards as running mate. But Edwards fails to make his home state competitive, the first in a series of state-by-state polls by USA TODAY /CNN/Gallup shows." LINK

The New York Post's Deb Orin writes up Vice President Cheney's assault on the two Johns Monday. LINK

A study conducted for the Los Angeles Times shows the Kerry campaign outspending the Bush campaign in advertisements by almost three times during the past 30 days, report Ron Brownstein and Kathleen Hennessey. LINK

They got a little bit of Bush team strategy in response: "'We are going to focus on this thing like gangbusters after the convention,' said a Republican source familiar with planning by the reelection campaign and who asked not to be named. 'The thinking is let Kerry go ahead and outspend; this is your month, July.'"

Roll Call's Chris Cillizza reports America Coming Together is in for the long haul — even if congressional candidates don't move big donors to write as many fat checks in a non-presidential year. LINK

Sen. Bill Frist said that the Senate will not play "games" with votes to disrupt the Kerry/Edwards sked, even saying that, "They're doing a great public service by running for other public office, and I respect that," according to The Hill's Geoff Earl. LINK

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

ABC News' Dan Harris has confirmed from high-level Kerry sources that the campaign has actively considered the idea of opting out of the federal matching funds it is slated to receive after the convention and instead go the private route for the general election. But such a move is unlikely at this point.

Top campaign officials have worried privately and publicly what would happen if George W. Bush decided to opt out — although the President's campaign insists it won't do so and would only re-evaluate if Kerry did so.

"We have no plans to opt out of public financing, and unless our opponent opts out, we will not consider it," Bush-Cheney Communications Director Nicolle Devenish told ABC News.

ABC News' Marc Ambinder talked to a half-dozen top Kerry fundraisers yesterday, including two who would be a big part of any effort to raise the $75 million-plus.

They were skeptical that Kerry would eventually decide to do it and sounded these themes about why doing so would be difficult:

--convincing the same folks to part with $2,000 more (Campaign finance laws allow nomination-season donors to give again after the conventions for the general election.)

--crowding out fundraising efforts for Democrats running for Senate and the House

--the notion that "campaign finance reformer" Kerry would uptend the system and be seen at fundraisers during the very presidential general election period

--the resources and overhead that would be required to do it

--the simple idea that the campaign would be throwing away $75 million.

That said, they were unanimous in saying that raising the money itself wouldn't be the problem — but the crowding effects on other fundraising efforts, the political issue of eschewing the tradition of public financing, and the logistics involved might make doing so cost prohibitive.

Several of these fundraisers did say they knew that Kerry's campaign has begun to reach out to a select group of its top donors and bundlers.

One long-time party leader, acknowledges the hand-wringing over President Bush's five week advantage caused by the different convention dates — but said that Kerry was well prepared for the month of August anyway.

The Olympics, this Democrat said, would crowd out most attempts to spend lots of money on advertising, and there were plenty of unaffiliated outside groups — the 527s — who could get the message out.

The Washington Post's Tom Edsall and Jim VandeHei report "after detailed exploration of opting out of the public financing system, key strategists in the presidential campaign of Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) are planning to accept $75 million in federal money for the general election." LINK

Catastrophes and elections:

USA Today's Jim Drinkard reports, "Federal officials said Monday that they have taken no steps toward changing the date for the Nov. 2 presidential election if a terrorist attack should occur around that time." LINK

The New York Post's Ian Bishop and David Seifman report that Mayor Bloomberg "gave a big thumbs-down to any delay in the Nov. 2 presidential election in the event of a terror strike." LINK

The ranking Democrat on the House Select Committee on Homeland Security, Rep. Jim Turner, "said yesterday that top U.S. government officials' repeated statements that international terrorists want to disrupt the American electoral process this year "appear to have no basis"," writes the Washington Post's John Mintz. LINK

Roll Call's Amy Keller reports Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge drew fire from Capitol Hill lawmakers over his department's ponderings on Plan B, if a major terrorist attack came down on a national election day. LINK

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Bob Kemper Notes the unfortunate timing of the story — as reports are only "fueling public fears, Democratic anger and Internet-driven conspiracy theories." Georgia Rep. John Linder says it "was a mistake to put it out."

NSA Rice soothed and clarified. "We've had elections in this country when we were at war, even when we were in civil war. And we should have the elections on time. That's the view of the president, that's the view of the administration." LINK

ABC News Vote 2004: casting and counting:

USA Today's Jim Drinkard reports, "The wrenching experience of the 2000 presidential vote recount in Florida set in motion an urgent makeover of the nation's voting systems, designed to get rid of problematic equipment and procedures. But as Election Day 2004 approaches, that job remains far from complete, and the potential for problems is as great as ever." LINK

In a separate report, Drinkard writes, "Problems with military absentee ballots that clouded the 2000 election have not been fixed, jeopardizing the ability of more than 160,000 troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan to have their votes counted this fall." LINK

Nevada elections officials yesterday excitedly showed the media new electronic voting machines that will be the first in the nation to give voters a printout of their completed ballot. LINK

But the new technology is coming at a cost: it's still not ready to go. This is "alarming election officials who say they are already under immense strain," writes Molly Ball in the Las Vegas Sun. LINK

ABC News Vote 2004: battleground states:

Calling it "possible but not probable," the St. Paul Pioneer Press' Bill Salisbury reports on Bush's desire to carry northeastern Minnesota, and goes on to write that "there are signs that part of the state isn't as safely Democratic as it once was." LINK

A caravan of anti-abortion trucks will roll into the Twin Cities this week thanks to the Center for Bio-Ethical reform, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune's Patricia Lopez. The trucks will have images that are often "offensive, disturbing and graphic" depicted on the sides. LINK

"Midwestern voters find themselves back at center stage of the presidential campaign" as candidates vie for Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Michigan, writes Bob Van Sternberg of the Star Tribune. LINK

Gov. Jeb Bush vowed to carry out an election that included all eligible voters yesterday after scuttlebutt over a "potential felons" list. "Any state effort will have a zero tolerance for disenfranchisement," he said. "That's the overall objective — absolutely." LINK

Marc Caputo and Beth Reinhard of the Miami Herald write the "growing support among Republicans [for stem cell research] is particularly troubling to groups such as Florida Right to Life." LINK

The New Hampshire Democratic Party is planning to file a civil suit against their GOP counterparts amid charges that the Republicans' executive director jammed telephones in a 2002 get-out-the-vote campaign, reports the Manchester Union Leader's John DiStaso. LINK

The spokesman for the Missouri Republican Party tells the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the new Kerry-Edwards ticket did not visit the state last week because "they've given up on Missouri. It shows that they're ceding the state to President Bush." LINK

Nevadans who had hoped Friday's ruling by a three-judge panel was a "fatal blow" to the Yucca Mountain project are in for bad news today: the ruling will not take effect until after an appeal takes place, meaning the issue is back in play in for the November election. LINK

Even so, Kirsten Searer of the Las Vegas Sun dares to question the conventional wisdom, asking if Yucca Mountain really will be the deciding factor in how Nevada votes in the election. LINK

The Arizona Republic reports the Arizona Blue Chip Economic Forecast is predicting a job-growth rate of 3.5 percent for the state this year, which would mean an additional 80,000 jobs in the swing state. LINK

The Bush Administration's announcement yesterday that it plans to lift a Clinton-era ban on building new roads in national forests received a chilly reception in Washington state and Oregon yesterday, at least from some, report the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Oregonian. LINKand LINK

Pork or not, the Charleston Gazette reports the head of the Federal Highway Administration came to West Virginia yesterday to tour Appalachian Corridors D and H and to signal the Bush Administration's support for continuing to fund the $450 million-a-year project. LINK

Across the river in Ohio, the same Highway Administration official told local leaders that the administration will not support giving the state money to replace the aging Brent Spence Bridge — making many, including Republican Sen. George Voinovich, none too pleased. LINK

Sen. Kerry's rally in Charleston on Thursday will be his fifth stop in West Virginia since March, while the president's visit to the state on Friday will mark his ninth trip there since 1999, reports the Huntington Herald-Dispatch. LINK

Northeast Ohio will be the site this weekend of a pair of workshops held by grassroots "renegade" Republican groups opposed to the Bush Administration's environmental policies. LINK

The values debate: whereas in 2000 Bush had "nuanced" positions on social issues that appealed to more moderate voters in states like Ohio, these "have been replaced by his signing of" the partial-birth abortion ban and support for the gay marriage amendment, reports James Drew in the Toledo Blade. LINK

The politics of same-sex marriage:

Gay marriage continues to elicit strong responses in the Midwest, as both Minnesota Senators reported being flooded with calls. Sen. Dayton (D) is against the amendment, and Sen. Coleman (R) is for the amendment, but hopes to alter some of the language, according to the Pioneer Press' Tom Webb. LINK

The Boston Globe's Greenberger reports Massachusetts state lawyers "will argue today that the 1913 law Gov. Mitt Romney is using to block out-of-state gay couples from marrying in Massachusetts 'is an important tool in avoiding a national backlash' against gay marriage, because it will allow states to consider the contentious issue 'in their own due course.'" LINK

Susan Milligan of the Boston Globe observes that not many showed up on the US Senate floor for the discussion of the gay marriage amendment yesterday. "In a sign of lawmakers' reluctance to discuss homosexuality on the Senate floor in an election year — as well as the typical lower attendance rate on a Monday — the chamber was nearly deserted, and the small group of senators who did talk on the issue often spoke to a nearly empty chamber." LINK

ABC News Vote 2004: da Senate:

Mike Ditka may well do this thang.

LINK

Senate candidate Mel Martinez and former HUD chief won backing from three former Florida Republican Party chairmen yesterday. LINK

The Congress:

Jeff Birnbaum and Jonathan Weisman of the Washington Post tag-team a blockbuster-y insider's look at tax lobbying, General Electric, and the corporate tax bill LINK

The first three must-read paragraphs:

"No company in the nation had more to lose than General Electric Co. when the World Trade Organization decreed in 2002 that U.S. tax laws violated international treaties. The multinational conglomerate was saving hundreds of millions of dollars a year in taxes from the export subsidies that the United States had to discard." LINK

"But in a two-year campaign, fueled as much by brains as political brawn, GE has shaped the legislation that would replace the old export-promotion law in ways that would allow it to save as much, if not more, in taxes, according to both GE lobbyists and congressional aides. In pursuing its financial interest, the company may also have turned the U.S. corporate tax code away from domestic manufacturing and toward expansion of operations abroad."

"'The bill is truly amazing,' said Michael J. McIntyre, a tax law professor at Wayne State University and an expert on international corporate tax issues. 'We had an incentive for exports that was illegal and had to be repealed. Now Congress takes the money saved by the repeal and uses it to reduce taxes on the income earned by U.S. companies in foreign countries, thereby making foreign investment more attractive than U.S. investment.'"

"Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), in a wide-ranging health policy speech yesterday, said he wants to use the federal tax code to force wealthy uninsured Americans to enroll in high-deductible "catastrophic" plans that would cover the most severe illnesses or injuries," reports the Washington Post's Ceci Connolly. LINK

Nader-Camejo:

A Charleston Gazette reporter discovered two "mysterious" men gathering signatures yesterday to get Nader on West Virginia's ballot. The men refused to say why and for whom they were gathering the signatures. Nader's spokesman's response? "That's really stupid." LINK

Confusion in the Michigan Reform Party means Nader's supporters must gather petitions to place him on the ballot there (with a little help from the GOP). LINK

In Nevada, the Associated Press reports that Republican political consultant Steve Wark played a "major fundraising role" in the Nader camp's successful attempt to get on November's ballot in the state. LINK

In a related article, Nader's spokesman Kevin Zeese says Wark is not linked to the campaign. "We've never heard of the guy. We have nothing to do with him,'' Zeese said. "If he did raise money, we never saw it.'' LINK

More problems for Nader, as his Michigan ballot status falls into question. According to the Detroit Free Press' Chris Christoff, in Michigan "there's more than one Reform Party. And until they decide who's in charge, Nader can't be the candidate of either, says Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land." LINK

Nader backers have switched to Plan C in the Pacific Northwest. After two attempts to get him on the ballot by nominating convention in Oregon, they are now mounting a petition effort across the state to gather 15,000 signatures for his independent candidacy, or 18,900 signatures for him to form a new party that could nominate him for the ballot. One glitch could be that Nader's running mate, Peter Camejo is already affiliated with the Green.

The AP's Brad Cain Notes, "Nader's candidacy appears to be losing support in a state that was once one of his strongholds." LINK

Following up on her Friday must-read on Republican contributions to the Nader campaign, the San Francisco Chronicle's Carla Marinucci reports Camejo said Monday their independent presidential campaign "will not establish lie detector tests" to determine the intentions of their donors with GOP links.

But "transparent" donations will be rejected. LINK

Anti-Nader ads are up and running in key markets. LINK

The economy:

"Rates on one-year, adjustable-rate mortgages were at their lowest point since the beginning of June," the AP says. LINK

The conventions:

The Hotline told the world yesterday about New Hampshire; we'll tell you today about Iowa. Who's on tap to meet with the Iowa delegation at the Boston convention?

Per a well-placed Democratic source: Gov. Janet Napolitano, Gov. Bill Richardson, and Sen. Joe Biden have confirmed … and Howard Dean is also on tap.

It's Boston's best kept secret (no, not the Creative Coalition parties. We know about them.)

Called GAIN — Grassroots Action Institute and Network, it's a week-long seminar series for Democratic delegates, activists, and Kerry campaign officials.

The aim is to school them in the arts of grassroots campaign and the issues.

"The purpose is for people to come and say, wow, I learn a lot about campaign and about why I'm a Democrat," says Terry Lierman, a Democratic fundraiser who along with Donna Brazile is co-chairing the events.

Expected guest teachers include Nancy Pelosi, Ted Kennedy, Tom Daschle, Howard Dean, and Elijah Cummings. The GAIN effort alone has more than 400 volunteers.

The broadcast networks have made their announcements: three nights of coverage for each convention. Nick Anderson of the Los Angeles Times makes this argument: "The broadcast plans continue a trend in which networks have reduced convention coverage as the political parties have turned once-unpredictable events into highly choreographed coronations." LINK

The New York Post's Don Kaplan has three short paragraphs detailing the planned television coverage of the conventions, including ABC News' digital cable plans. LINK

USA Today's Martha Moore reports, "Organizers of several anti-Bush groups estimate that as many as 250,000 people are planning to protest during the four-day [Republican] convention, which will play host to 5,000 delegates and 15,000 members of the media." LINK

Read the Saltzman story in the Boston Globe today if you want some good color on those 67 protest groups who were granted permits for demonstrating during the Democratic convention. LINK

Leads that make the national press corps unhappy: "The Democratic National Convention is going to make it harder to pick up your favorite newspaper." LINK

"Vending machines for Boston area publications, from freebies to big dailies like the Herald, will be banned on many city streets during the convention."

New York Mayor Bloomberg joined Police Commissioner Ray Kelly yesterday in denouncing those "fringe groups" that are planning fake "attacks" to disrupt the Republican National Convention, reports the New York Daily News. LINK

Who's more fun to be around: John Kerry or Dick Cheney? No, this is not a trick question. If you answered the Senator with the fabulous hair, you and the rest of America are on the same page. A new Frommer's Budget Travel poll says 42 percent of registered voters believe Democrats will have more fun in Boston than the Republicans will in New York, while only 33 percent think the convention featuring the sometimes-foul-mouthed vice president will be the most entertaining. The other 25 percent of those surveyed just couldn't get past the use of the words "fun" and "political" in the same sentence.

Fahrenheit 9/11:

We finally have independent data on where "Fahrenheit 9/11" has been popular — and it is no surprise.

The New York Times' Sharon Waxman writes today that according to Nielsen, "Fahrenheit" has been most popular in "urban, traditionally Democratic strongholds, including Manhattan, Los Angeles, San Francisco and the Bay Area, Chicago and Boston."

(Waxman Notes that that differs from the amazing popularity of "The Passion of the Christ," with its eighth-biggest box office receipts ever. "Passion" was popular in areas "typically more suburban and far more widely dispersed, from Texas and New Mexico to Ohio, Florida and Orange County, Calif," Waxman reports.LINK

And just because we didn't tell you yesterday, "Fahrenheit" broke all sorts of records during its opening weekend in the U.K. And it's up to $80 million stateside with an impressive $11 million intake over the weekend. LINK and LINK

TODAY'S SCHEDULE (all times ET):
—8:35 am: Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist speaks at the National Hispanic Leadership Summit at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Washington, D.C.
—9:00 am: The House reconvenes for morning business
—9:45 am: The Senate reconvenes for morning business
—9:55 am: President Bush signs H.R. 4103, the African Growth and Opportunity Act of 2004, at the White House
—10:00 am: The Democratic National Convention Committee unveils its convention programming and speaking schedule at the National Press Club, Washington, D.C.
—10:00 am: First Lady Laura Bush meets with Mrs. Saca, the wife of the President of El Salvador, at the White House
—10:00 am: Sen. Sam Brownback and religious leaders hold a news conference to discuss the Federal Marriage Amendment at the Capitol, Washington, D.C.
—10:30 am: Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Jon Corzine, Barbara Boxer, and Reps. John Conyers and Charles Gonzalez hold a news conference to discuss their opposition to the Federal Marriage Amendment at the Capitol, Washington, D.C.
—10:45 am: The Senate resumes consideration of the Federal Marriage Amendment
—11:00 am: Secretary of State Colin Powell meets with Cyril Svoboda, deputy prime minister of the Czech Republic, Washington, D.C.
—11:40 am: Lynne Cheney speaks to the National Hispanic Leadership Summit at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Washington, D.C.
—12:00 pm: Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Charles Schumer hold a news conference on renewing the assault weapons ban at the Capitol, Washington, D.C.
—12:00 pm: Rep. Charles Rangel and others, anticipating arrest, protest the violence in Sudan outside the Sudanese Embassy, Washington, D.C.
—12:30 pm: The Democratic Policy Committee holds a closed meeting at the Capitol, Washington, D.C.
—12:30 pm: Sen. John Edwards speaks to the Senate Democratic Caucus at the Capitol, Washington, D.C.
—12:30 pm: The Republican Policy Committee holds a closed meeting at the Capitol, Washington, D.C.
—1:00 pm: Independent Vice Presidential candidate Peter Camejo and others hold a press conference to protest "the use of Democratic Party operatives to sabotage, defame and obstruct the Nader/Camejo ticket," San Francisco, Calif.
—1:00 pm: Independent Presidential candidate Ralph Nader signs copies of his latest book, "The Good Fight," at Barnes & Noble in Rockefeller Center, New York, N.Y.
—2:00 pm: The Treasury Department releases the federal budget for June
—2:00 pm: Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean participates in a telephone press conference as part of the "Computer Ate My Vote" National Day of Action
—2:00 pm: President Bush speaks at the Northern Michigan University Superdome, Marquette, Mich.
—2:30 pm: The Senate Intelligence Committee holds a closed hearing on intelligence matters
—3:00 pm: Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani attends a rally in support of U.S. Senate candidate Rep. David Vitter, Lafayette, La.
—5:00 pm: The Senate Foreign Relations Committee holds a closed, classified briefing regarding security preparations for the 2004 Olympic Games in Greece
—6:00 pm: President Bush speaks at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center, Duluth, Minn.
—6:00 pm: Secretary of State Colin Powell speaks at the opening of the Marshall Plan exhibit, Washington, D.C.
—7:00 pm: Ralph Nader signs copies of his book at Bookends, Ridgewood, N.J.