NEWS SUMMARY

Dynamics to watch/questions to answer:

1. Will the Berg beheading defuse the American and/or world anger over the prison abuse scandal, and, thus, steel U.S. resolve to win in Iraq, or lead to public opinion turning more against the war?

2. Are John Kerry's bio spots working? And if so, where?

3. What is the penalty a journalist suffers for getting Matthew Dowd's title wrong?

4. Are there at least seven voters in America who care as much about John Kerry's missed unemployment benefits vote as Steve Schmidt does? (And/but Imus asked Kerry about it this morning, Steve!!!)

5. Does Adam Nagourney know that Bill Clinton won Montana and Georgia in 1992?

6. Is the AP right when it reports the following about the two ads the Bush campaign plans to start running (and, if so, what does it say about the motivation of the president's campaign in running its first positive ad since March?):

"The campaign will spend about $1.5 million to air the education ad on television over nine days … and about $9 million for the negative commercial over two weeks."

7. Who is in charge of getting the Wall Street Journal editorial board to maintain a consistent position on the use of polls?

8. Will Democrats and the media raise more questions than they have over Jim Jordan's job change about potential collusion and appearance of impropriety when Ken Mehlman leaves his job as the president's campaign manager to go to a senior position with some of the big new Republican 527s? (That one is just a tweaking joke … .)

9. To what voters do both sides' charges of "politicizing the war" appeal?

10. How about releasing Mrs. Heinz Kerry's 2002 returns, just to hold us until the fall?

11. Will the Kerry campaign choosing the Bush 2000 model (over the McCain 2000 model) for traveling press access to the candidate be the right decision in the end?

President Bush meets with the president of Angola at the White House and participates in a conversation about reading and the No Child Left Behind Act in Bethesda today.

After his morning stint on Imus, Sen. Kerry holds a town hall meeting on health care in Orlando before heading to Little Rock for a fundraiser.

Senators are shown unreleased photos of abuse of Iraqi prisoners today at the Capitol.

The Senate begins consideration of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Secretary Rumsfeld and Gen. Myers goes before the Defense Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Defense Undersecretary for Intelligence Cambone goes before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

The Bush-Cheney campaign unveils the National W Stands for Women Leadership Team in Washington. Senator Max Cleland launches the Texas Veterans for Kerry in San Antonio.

The House of Representatives takes up tax extension bills.

The politics of national security:

Both Bill Safire in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal ed board stiff arm the carpers and lay down muscular "stay the course" rhetoric. LINK

The Los Angeles Times looks at the economic impact of long deployments for members of the National Guard. LINK

"The conflicts in the Middle East have created unexpected financial hardships for many of the estimated 364,000 part-time soldiers in the reserves and the National Guard who have been called up for service since the Sept. 11 attacks … "

" … As a result, many soldiers have drained their savings to support their families while they are gone. Some have lost their homes. Others have lost their jobs at small businesses, which say they can't afford to keep the positions open — even though they're breaking the law. And numerous small-business owners have shut down their companies or have had to declare bankruptcy."

Deb Orin — with a Vince Morris assist — explore how Berg's dramatic murder could sideline the partisan divide over Iraq. LINK

"The Best Secretary of Defense":

Tucked at the end of a great Washington Post Mike Allen/Dan Balz (Joe Lockhart vs. a Lewinsky-referring Dan Bartlett) piece is this:

"Administration sources say Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld is still considering resigning, which would rupture Bush's war cabinet in the middle of a war." LINK

"'We're just going to have to ride this out,' one Bush aide said. 'It could be weeks.'"

(But we think Jake Siewert was Clinton's last press secretary.)

President Bush's strong show of support for Rumsfeld has shored up the embattled defense secretary's position among Republicans in the Senate," writes The Hill's Earle. LINK

Chairman Warner (and his ability to heavily influence Rumsfeld's fate) gets some profile treatment courtesy of the New York Times ' Sheryl Gay Stolberg. LINK

Morning show wrap:

The morning shows led with the beheading of Nick Berg.

On NBC's "Today Show," Tim Russert issued a dire warning about Bush's job approval rating. Russert said that Bush strategist Matthew Dowd said a few months ago that "a President's job approval rating is pretty much where an incumbent president ends up." Russert then warned that "46 percent is not enough … as goes Iraq, so goes the Bush presidency … he has bet his presidency on a successful outcome of the war in Iraq."

Keying off of Inhofe's Tuesday comments, NBC's Norah O'Donnell reported that the Bush camp is accusing Kerry of politicizing the abuse of Iraqi prisoners and that the Kerry camp is charging that Bush has exploited 9/11. O'Donnell included Cheney's comments on "conservative radio" saying that releasing more photos would "just whet the appetite" of those in the press who want to see more sensational photos. O'Donnell closed her piece by noting that Bush's approval rating is at "an all-time low."

CBS' David Martin reported that "60 Minutes II" has obtained a video of an American soldier pointing to a snake and suggesting that they've already had two prisoners die from snake bites and saying "who cares?" … "just two less to worry about."

In the 7:30 block, ABC's Claire Shipman reported on the nation's reaction to Berg's beheading and the abuse of Iraqi prisoners. Shipman reported that some Americans "now think that prison abuses pale in comparison to this hideous retribution. Still others," she said, "are angrier than ever about the prison scandal." The reactions ranged from one man who said he wanted to "put the blame directly" on Rumsfeld and the president and a woman who said "get tough. Go after these suckers, show them who is boss" and another who said of Iraq "bomb the entire country." The reaction ranged from one person who called into talk radio and called for leveling Iraq to another person who said on camera: "I want to put the blame directly on the president and Rumsfeld"

Kerry's comment that Berg's beheading would "harden the resolve of a lot of Americans to make certain terrorist won't get away with it" garnered a tell in the 8:00 am ET news segment on NBC's "Today Show."

ABC News Vote 2004: Bush v. Kerry:

The Wall Street Journal's John Harwood's must-read Capitol Journal challenges the CW that this year's race will be tight until the final day: "the deeper America gets into this perplexing political year, the more campaign operatives are bracing for something different: a race that breaks decisively one way or the other." LINK

"Analysts more typically invoke parallels between Mr. Bush and his father. But comparisons to President George H.W. Bush, who triumphed abroad while struggling with the economy, seem increasingly strained. Six months before Election Day, the younger Bush is presiding over something like the reverse."

Perhaps it was the desert sun, but Adam Nagourney's battleground assessment seems to be quite literally all (bizarrely) over the map. LINK

1. How did Tennessee end up in the most competitive category?
2. How did Oregon and New Mexico get left out of the states considered the closest?
3. While talking of expanding the battlegrounds, did Matthew Dowd concede Delaware if Tad Devine would do the same with Arizona?
4. When will Republicans stop fantasizing about New Jersey?
5. Are Democrats really fantasizing about Montana?

Andrew Kohut — as effective as a Cahill-Shaheen-Mellman dog and pony show on the Hill!!!! — uses the New York Times op-ed page to explain why he thinks Democrats should calm down and not expect a decline in the president's poll numbers at this stage of the game to necessarily benefit Kerry. LINK

"The real reason that Mr. Kerry is making so little progress is that voters are now focused almost exclusively on the president. This is typical: as an election approaches, voters first decide whether the incumbent deserves re-election; only later do they think about whether it is worth taking a chance on the challenger. There is no reason to expect a one-to-one relationship between public disaffection with the incumbent and an immediate surge in public support for his challenger."

On the same page, Adam Clymer suggests that Americans living in the battleground states where campaign ads are airing may not be the best truth-squadders around. LINK

The Washington Post's John Harris takes a closer look at Ohio, noting that both campaigns are relying on "influentials" to spread the messages of their respective campaigns. LINK

It's a total must-read, and quite deftly written.

The FEC meets tomorrow to discuss proposals to curtail the activities of 527 committees.

The Washington Post's Thomas Edsall reports that "the Federal Election Commission's general counsel said yesterday that the agency should delay by 90 days its decision whether to restrict the "soft money" expenditures of groups opposing the reelection of President Bush — sharply increasing the likelihood that no action would be taken before the November election." LINK

The New York Times' Justice's take is similar to Edsall's. LINK

The Los Angeles Times' Wallsten and Gold combine the two candidates' domestic policy message day into one story. The duo Notes how the situation in Iraq creeps onto the campaign trail irrespective of the planned message. They also found a far less stubborn President Bush on No Child Left Behind than did the New York Times. LINK

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

The Hill's Cusack reports on the NRA's wait and see approach. LINK

"An influential gun-rights group known for backing Republicans is unlikely to endorse President Bush until after the federal assault-weapons ban expires in September."

"Bush supports the renewal of the 10-year ban but has not called on the GOP-controlled Congress to act. If he does so, the move would probably cost him the endorsement of the National Rifle Association (NRA)."

Rutenberg and Sanger of the New York Times write up President Bush's commitment to No Child Left Behind and his refusal to adapt it in the face of mounting pressure from several states. LINK

The Times duo also reasserts Arkansas' battleground status and report Bill Clinton will be campaigning there on behalf of Senator Kerry.

USA Today's Richard Benedetto follows Bush for his tenth visit to Arkansas yesterday which garnered "news coverage in Arkansas but little attention outside the state, White House spokesman Scott McClellan acknowledged." LINK

The Little Rock network affiliates gave the president some airtime, but nothing out of the ordinary, though KTHV did point out that it was "an official visit as president, not a campaign visit.." LINK, LINK, and LINK.

The Arkansas Democrat Gazette's Laura Kellams offers standard coverage from what we can tell, but their Web site is so impenetrable, we can't offer you a link to her story.

The campaign will love this paragraph by the AP's Deb Riechmann: "The president's education tour follows a similar swing by Democratic rival John Kerry, who voted for the education law but now complains about the administration's budget spending and the way student progress is measured." LINK

As the President makes education his focus this week, his campaign will release an Internet ad today featuring First Lady Laura Bush touting the president's record and goals on education policy. The Internet ad will also include a new 30-second television spot that focuses on education but does not feature Laura Bush.

The new television ad will move into the campaign's rotation on national cable and in local markets in battleground states. This is the first ad to not mention Sen. Kerry since March 25, when the campaign released "21st Century," a positive ad expressing the president's optimism.

The campaign will also bring back into rotation "Doublespeak," a negative ad on Sen. Kerry that features newspaper editorials on his flip-flopping.

A senior campaign official called the Internet buy "sizable" and Noted that is aiming to reach women and moms. This is the campaign's first Internet ad purchase this election year. First Lady Laura Bush was last seen in the ad "Lead," released on the first day of the BC04 ad campaign.

Howard Kurtz Notes the BC04 campaign's "temporary break from a barrage of commercials slamming Senator John F. Kerry" with the rollout of a Internet ad featuring First Lady Laura Bush LINK

AP's Fournier and Sidoti report that "starting Wednesday, people who click on her icon on designated Web sites will see Laura Bush seated before rows of books and praising her husband's signature education legislation."LINK

"Internet experts say Bush is among the first political candidates to put ads on Web sites to communicate a specific message to a particular group of voters, with the sole intent of persuading them to cast their ballots one way or another."

Nick Anderson of the Los Angeles Times Notes Laura Bush's closing "with an unabashed political pitch."

"'Remember when you vote this fall,' she says, 'you're voting for our future. Please vote for President Bush. Thank you.'" LINK

Today in Washington, Doro Bush Koch, Liz Cheney, the Honorable Elaine Chao, Ann Wagner, and Cathy Gillespie announce the BC04 "W Stands for Women Leadership Team."

Mrs. Bush's red, Mrs. Pataki's white, and the blue clad table made for a patriotic tableau at Gov. Pataki's prayer breakfast. LINK

Vice President Cheney's upcoming visit to South Florida is raising heckles. LINK

The St. Pete Times Notes that one vet who attended yesterday's Veterans for Bush kick-off in Tampa said Kerry was giving aid and comfort to the enemy for criticizing Secretary Rumsfeld. LINK

Kerry on Imus:

Sen. Kerry called into Don Imus' show this morning and commented on the Senate's vote on the extension of jobless benefits, who he would pick as Defense Secretary, Bush's use of Brahimi, Pvt. England speaking out, what the U.S. can learn from Israel about the futility of torturing prisoners, the abuse of Iraqi prisoners, the rushed court martial, his willingness to work with Bush to enlist the support of foreign countries, and his political standing.

Kerry, who called for Rumsfeld's resignation in October 2003, was asked by Imus, "Who would you put in there instead of Rumsfeld?"

Kerry said "I have any number" of people "beginning with our good friend John McCain who could manage it very effectively."

Kerry also floated the names of Sen. Carl Levin, Sen. John Warner and former Defense Secretary Bill Perry.

After describing his plans for enlisting more international support, Kerry said: "If president will move in this direction, I will support him. … I will do everything in my power to help him. This is about our country."

He went on to say: "I just think the president is making catastrophic mistakes for our country."

Asked about why is he going down in the polls, Kerry said: "The fact is I'm running stronger against an incumbent president than any challenger in history."

"George Bush has the worst jobs record of any President since Herbert Hoover. This is sinking in. Does it take a little while for this to sink in? Yes."

ABC News Vote 2004: Sen. John Kerry:

Coverage of Sen. Kerry's visit to Florida focused either on his health care message or his intruder status. North Florida does not welcome national Democrats all too often.

The Palm Peach Post headlined "Kerry hits Florida GOP stronghold." LINK

The AP Noted Duval County's GOP strength and also Kerry's barb that many in his audience might not have had their votes counted in 2000. LINK

The Jacksonville Times-Union stressed Kerry's message and Bush jabs. LINK

The Orlando Sentinel's Marl Silva previews Kerry's visit to a heavily Hispanic neighborhood in Orlando. LINK

Kerry's health care proposals and not unlike his proposals to change tax law are in large part geared toward small business, reports the New York Times ' Wilgoren. Make sure you read all the way to the bottom, you'll love the excellent color provided in the kicker. LINK

Jim VandeiHei's version of the same story begins in the "dusty warehouse" where Kerry outlined his ideas. LINK

The New York Times' Rosenbaum writes up the Teresa Heinz Kerry tax information and Notes another Kennedy comparison. LINK

"Her net worth has been estimated at more than $500 million. If Mr. Kerry is elected, the Kerrys will almost certainly be the wealthiest people ever to live in the White House."

"John F. Kennedy is the only modern president with a family fortune even remotely as large as theirs."

More Rosenbaum on the numbers: "The statement did not explain why Mrs. Heinz Kerry's income was only about 1 percent of her net worth. Some of the assets, like her five houses, do not produce income. In addition, some financial specialists speculated that most of the income-producing assets were in her children's names."

The Los Angeles Times Notes Mrs. Heinz Kerry made ten times what her husband earned last year. LINK

The Boston Globe's Glen Johnson writes, "As much as they can, Kerry and his staff are trying to avoid getting into an endless cycle of commentary on the daily news of the country and the world." LINK

Johnson also alerts us that the campaign will send an e-mail to supporters today from President Clinton.

USA Today's Jill Lawrence has a piece about the two types of Democrats in the world: those frustrated that Kerry isn't up big and those who say he's in great shape compared to Walter Mondale … and the first quote in her story comes from David Letterman. LINK

With all due respect to the others quoted speaking disapprovingly: they haven't won too many presidential campaigns.

Roll Call's Chris Cillizza writes today about how Kerry may be cultivating a better relationship with members of Congress than Vice President Gore did in 2000. You should read it.

The New York Post headline on the missed vote: "AWOL KERRY DOOMS SEN. JOB-AID VOTE" LINK

The New York Post gives some inches to Sen. Inhofe's reading of Mary Beth Cahill's e-mail with the "Donate Now" button. LINK

Broadcasting and Cable's Rory O'Connor profiles the "man behind the man," Bob Shrum, and manages, in an otherwise unremarkable article, a ew gems about Kerry strategy:

"'To people who understand this stuff, this is the natural ebb and flow of a campaign,' the source adds. 'Elite reporters at The New York Times and The Washington Post may think they're smart, but we care a lot more about the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Cleveland Plain Dealer.'" LINK

Questionable are lines like this: "[Shrum] crafted the populist philosophy that has been the party's hallmark for two decades."

And this: "Informed political operatives and media observers alike see[the Kerry campaign] in disarray, lacking a coherent theme, focus, and message "

ABC News Vote 2004: the battlegrounds:

Workers at U.S. Steel will get profit-sharing checks for the first time in five years. LINK

On the op-ed page of the Los Angeles Times Andrew Reed offers up his theory that if you live in a battleground state you are more likely to receive federal disaster aid and other forms of "pork." LINK

Veepstakes:

An otherwise interesting article on veepstakes by Bloomberg writers Richard Keil and William Roberts questions why Miles Lackey (who they identify as Edwards' "political director") is on the campaign trail with Sen. Kerry.

That's because, gentlemen, Mr. Lackey is Sen. Kerry's new deputy campaign manager for policy and speechwriting, a hire announced two weeks ago.

It has little (probably nothing) to do with Sen. Edwards. The authors say that Edwards, Rep. Dick Gephardt, Gov. Tom Vilsack, Sen. Bob Graham and Gen. Wes Clark have been vetted.

The Boston Herald's Tom Keane examines the virtues of Gen. Clark as a running mate. LINK

The Des Moines Register's Jane Norman examines the virtues of Gov. Vilsack as a running mate. LINK

Politics:

The Wall Street Journal's Phillips and Cummings pen a fine look at how the current economy is forcing some congressional Republicans to consider abandoning their two-decade-old commitment to free trade, and distance themselves from President Bush in the process, in order to appeal to the constituencies which believe free trade policies have cost American workers their jobs.

Diebold, Inc. CEO O'Dell spent some time with the New York Times ed board and called his fundraising letter on behalf of the president a "huge mistake." LINK

West Virginians picked their gubernatorial nominees yesterday, the AP reports. LINK

Democratic Secretary of State Joe Manchin will face off against Republican Monty Warner, "a retired Army colonel turned developer," in November.

Our favorite lines from Mark Leibovich's latest profile of John McCain: LINK

"John McCain drives like he lives: with conviction, impatience and a willingness to cross dividing lines. 'JOHN, A TRUCK!' an aide yells from the back seat." "'I see it, I see it,' says McCain, veering right, just missing the truck."

"'I now know why Joe Lieberman, John Edwards and John Kerry are always so anxious to co-sponsor legislation with me,' McCain said. 'It seems they not only want to work with me, they actually wanted to be me! I feel so violated.'"

"'He ought to not be allowed near sharp objects or legislation,' says Grover Norquist, a conservative activist and president of Americans for Tax Reform."

"McCain met with Tenet at Langley about a year ago. Seemed like a good guy, McCain says. Tenet made his case for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and it sounded compelling."

"'But it was a little like a Chinese meal,' McCain recalls. 'An hour later I was hungry again.'"

Al Sharpton and Mark Green are friends again (which is apparently better than "a poke in the eye") looking ahead to 2006, reports the New York Times Jonathan Hicks. LINK

Our spy reports:

"Monday night, state and national ACT Communications staff who were in D.C. for two days on a team retreat had what was called by one 'a wonderful family-style group meal,' and then they all hit Cafe Japonais for local late-night karaoke flavor, including:"

"Mo Elleithee and Sara Howard doing smashing duet of "Summer Nights," complete with breathtaking falsetto at the end; Sara Howard singing of Alanis Morissette's "You Outta Know," with press staff attention paid to: "And I'm here, to remind you [crowd: "Bush!"], of the mess you left when you went away … "; Regional Press Desk sing along of "Like A Prayer"; Meighan Stone rendition of "Killing Me Softly" (well received: "one time! two time!"); finale group sing of "We Are the World."

"Jim Jordan threatened to sing a Doors tune, but never actually made it to the mike to do Doors."

On the Hill:

The New York Times places the confusion facing many Medicare prescription drug discount card beneficiaries on its front page. LINK

As John Kerry continues his health care tour, Senate Republicans offered up their version of health care reforms, though there doesn't seem to be complete agreement on association health plans. LINK

"The Senate yesterday broke a two-month deadlock and approved a major corporate tax bill that would end a trade dispute with Europe and showers U.S. corporations with billions in new tax breaks," reports the Washington Post's Helen Dewar. LINK

The conventions:

The Boston Herald's Jon Chesto reports on some harbor safety decisions that are impacting shipments. LINK

The politics of same-sex marriage:

The Boston Globe reports that Gov. Romney's "top spokesman yesterday equated Provincetown's plans to marry out-of-state gay couples with marrying children, as rhetoric heated up over Romney's threat to take legal action if the town issues marriage licenses to gays who don't plan to live in Massachusetts." LINK

"Presumptive" Ed O'Keefe's Kerry campaign report:

LOUISVILLE, KY., May 11 — Sen. John Kerry, joined by stalwart campaign chair/former New Hampshire Governor Jeanne Shaheen, visited the 34th state of his presidential campaign, holding a health care roundtable and a fundraiser in Kentucky.

More than 500 supporters in the red Blue Grass State raised an impressive $750,000, paying $1,000-$2,000 for lunch and a photo with the candidate.

Kerry's ostensible purpose for the trip was to continue his four-day, four-state health care tour. Steadfastly avoiding comment on the pressing news of day, the presumptive Democratic nominee turned most of his attention to local, rather than national coverage.

But after a Louisville Stoneware tour and health care discussion, even the locals were itching for more than the Senator was willing to give.

At the conclusion of Kerry's event, ABC affiliate reporter Mark Hebert twice shouted, "Senator, do you favor a tobacco buyout?"

No more than 25 feet from Kerry, Hebert persisted, "All right, let's try another one. Senator, if you were President how would you handle the Iraqi prisoner abuse story?"

Kerry replied, "I think I'm going to be doing something afterwards."

The reporter responded in turn, "You'll talk to us? You'll talk to the local media?"

Kerry said, "I'll talk to my people."

Minutes later, traveling press spokesperson David Wade reminded Hebert that the Senator would do only two regional newspaper interviews.

The Kerry camp was a little more forthcoming, however, on the question of Teresa Heinz Kerry's taxes.

In a paper statement, the Kerry campaign said the potential first lady had a taxable income of $2,338,000 in 2003 and paid $750,000 toward her federal, state and local liabilities while donating $4.6 million to charity through the Heinz Family Foundation.

Heinz Kerry has also agreed to release the first two pages of her 1040 form in October, matching what then-candidate George W. Bush released in 2000.

Tuesday evening, Kerry kicked off his seventh trip to the battleground state of Florida, rallying an enthusiastic crowd of 2,500 in Jacksonville, a Republican city to which former Vice President Al Gore devoted little time and lost by 44,000 votes.

Though the Senator's speech was fairly standard, the antics surrounding the event were not.

Situated off the water at Jacksonville Landing, a Coast Guard boat patrolled back and forth as a boat festooned with a large Bush-Cheney '04 banner anchored nearby. As Kerry spoke, a Cessna flew over the water, dragging a sky sign that read, "Florida is Bush Country" off its tail. But, the largest distraction seemed to be the jackhammer slamming into an adjacent bridge.

Kerry continues his health care and fundraising swing on Wednesday, traveling to Orlando, Fla., and Little Rock, Ark. He returns to Washington on Thursday, spending an "administrative day" at campaign headquarters on Friday.

Kerry will attend the commemorative signing ceremony celebrating the 50th anniversary of Brown vs. the Board of Education in Topeka, Kan., next week.

Kerry will cozy up with Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and other prominent pols but the his schedule is not likely to overlap with that of President Bush, although he will attend the celebration as well.

TODAY'S SCHEDULE (all times ET):
—8:30 am: Sen. Kerry appears on "Imus in the Morning"
—9:00 am: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Richard Myers speak before the Defense Subcommittee of Senate Appropriations at the Capitol
—9:00 am: Ret. Gen. Tommy Franks, formerly CinC of the U.S. Central Command, speaks at TechNet International's "Combating Emerging Threats" event at the Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C.
—9:00 am: House Democrats hold their weekly caucus meeting
—9:00 am: House Republicans hold their weekly caucus meeting
—9:30 am: Doro Bush Koch, Liz Cheney, and the Honorable Elaine Chao announce the National W Stands for Women Leadership Team at the Capitol Hilton, Washington, D.C.
—9:30 am: Defense Undersecretary for Intelligence Stephen Cambone speaks before the Senate Intelligence Committee in a closed door session on the Iraqi prisoner abuse
—9:30 am: Reps. Jim Turner and Loretta Sanchez hold a news conference on port security legislation at the Capitol
—9:45 am: Interior Secretary Norton speaks at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's travel and tourism summit, Washington, D.C.
—9:45 am: Off-camera press gaggle by White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan
—10:00 am: The House of Representatives meets for legislative business
—10:55 am: President Bush meets with the President of Angola at the White House
—11:00 am: Flight attendants begin a march to Capitol Hill to protest the lack of security training since the Sept. 11 attacks
—11:35 am: Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta speaks at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's travel and tourism summit, Washington, D.C.
—11:15 am: Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle and Sens. Edward Kennedy, Bob Graham, and Debbie Stabenow hold a press conference to discuss health insurance for American families at the Capitol
—12:00 pm: Sen. Norm Coleman delivers the keynote address at the Communication Industry Association's Washington Caucus at the St. Regis Hotel, Washington, D.C.
—12:00 pm: Rep. Peter DeFazio, Sen. Joe Lieberman and others hold a news conference to discuss flight attendants' anti-terror training at the Capitol
—12:15 pm: Sen. John Kerry holds a roundtable discussion with health professionals at Englewood Neighborhood Center, Orlando, Fla.
—12:15 pm: On-camera press briefing by Press Secretary McClellan
—12:30 pm: Sen. Kerry holds a "Making Health Care Affordable for All America's Families" town hall meeting, Orlando, Fla.
—12:30 pm: The Club for Growth holds a news conference to launch its new ad campaign in support of the Bush Administration at the National Press Club
—1:00 pm: Secretary of State Colin Powell speaks at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's travel and tourism summit, Washington, D.C.
—1:30 pm: Reps. Louise Slaughter, Chris Shays and others hold a press conference with women's groups protesting the FDA's recent decision regarding over-the-counter access to the "morning-after pill" at the Capitol
—1:35 pm: President Bush participates in a conversation on reading and the No Child Left Behind Act at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Ma.
—2:00 pm: National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice meets with German Foreign Minister Josehka Fischer
—2:00 pm: Unreleased photos showing abuse of Iraqi detainees are shown to Senators at the Capitol
—2:00 pm: The Department of Energy begins to display advanced clean diesel technologies as part of the Administration's new diesel policy at the Loews L'Enfant Plaza Hotel, Washington, D.C.
—3:00 pm: Sen. Max Cleland, the four Bolanos brothers and former Housing Secretary Henry Cisneros launch Texas Veterans for Kerry at the VFW Post 9186, San Antonio, Texas
—3:05 pm: President Bush returns to the White House
—5:30 pm: Doro Bush Koch hosts an online chat on www.georgewbush.com about the "W Stands for Women" coalition
—6:15 pm: Sen. Kerry is greeted by local supporters upon arrival at the airport, Little Rock, Ark.
—9:45 pm: Sen. John Kerry speaks at a reception fundraiser at the Peabody, Little Rock, Ark.