Morning Show Wrap, by ABC News Political Unit

N E W Y O R K, August 6, 2004 —
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Kerry on NPR

As reported by Jonathan Karl, in an interview with Steve Inskeep, Sen. John Kerry said he would be able to significantly reduce the number of U.S. troops in Iraq within one year. Previously, he said he would do so by the end of his first term.

Also, Kerry said he would scrap the color-coded terror warning system and replace it with a better way to inform the public about threats.

Tapper on "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth"

ABC's Jake Tapper looked at the new "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" ad for "Good Morning America" in a piece that included Sen. John McCain issuing a challenge to President Bush and that called into question the credibility of George Elliott, a Vietnam veteran who appears in the new anti-Kerry ad.

Elliott says in the current ad, "John Kerry has not been honest about what happened in Vietnam." But back in 1996, when Kerry was running for re-election in Massachusetts, Elliott came to Kerry's defense, saying at a press conference, "The fact that he chased armed enemies down is not something to be looked down on."

In an exclusive television interview, Arizona Sen. John McCain told Tapper, "I condemn the ad, it is dishonest and dishonorable, I think it is very, very wrong." McCain, who feels that he was the victim of a similar attack in 2000, thinks it is irrelevant that the attack today, just as in 2000, is coming from Bush allies but not from the Bush campaign itself. "I hope that the President will also condemn it," McCain said, in a challenge to his fellow Republican.

Tapper closed by saying, "Democrats want you to know some top Texas Republicans are funding the group, though the Bush campaign insists it has nothing to do with the group of anti-Kerry Vietnam veterans. The group says it will keep going until November and maybe even beyond."

Bowers on "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth"

CBS' Cynthia Bowers reported from Kansas City, MO on "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth." She noted that a Houston-based Republican was behind the group's ad which is airing in Ohio, West Virginia and Wisconsin. The Kerry campaign has asked local television stations to pull it. No interview with McCain – but his comments yesterday to the Associated Press were highlighted and sound was played from McCain telling Bush at a GOP debate in 2000, "I don't know if you understand this George, but that really hurts." On-camera interviews with Stephanie Cutter and Scott McClellan.

Vietnam Vet Interviews

On CNN's "American Morning," Bill Hemmer interviewed two Vietnam vets—anti-Kerry Bob Elder and pro-Kerry Dal Sundusky.

Elder said his gripe with Kerry was not only his betrayal that followed the Vietnam War, but also the way he "grossly exaggerated and lied" to get his first Purple Heart—an honor, Elder said, that did not meet the military's requirements for the award—that it come from hostile fire. Asked if he was there that day, Elder said, "No," but that he could "fill this studio with eyewitnesses." Why is his group only coming forward now? Elder said, "We have sat in silent and actual visceral contempt of this man for so many years because of his betrayal." Elder said they are only coming forward now because Kerry has decided he wants to be commander in chief.

Sundusky vouched for Kerry's Bronze Star, Silver Star and two of his Purple Hearts though he was not there for Kerry's first incident either. Sundusky said, "John Kerry is a warrior" and that the United States needs a "warrior" in the White House because we are facing a "mess in Iraq."

Russert on "Who Won the Week?"

On NBC's "Today Show," Tim Russert was asked by Campbell Brown who won the week and said, "Everything froze after the terror alert," adding that if the topic of discussion is terror and not the economy, "it's a net plus for the White House and the Republicans."

Dowd Touts Book, Chides Bush

New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd touted her new book and slammed President Bush during an interview with NBC's Katie Couric.

Dowd said Dick Cheney was chosen to be Vice President so that he could watch over the "unformed" and "uninformed" Bush and mold him in his father's image but that he somehow "took him in a totally different direction," discarding the internationalism that was the legacy of George Herbert Walker Bush and George Prescott Bush and embracing a swaggering unilateralism.

Gillespie on "Imus"

RNC Chair Ed Gillespie called into Don Imus' show and chided Kerry's intelligence record.

ABC's Linda Douglass did a commentary for "ABC News Now" on the rush to reform intelligence.

The Hecklers

ABC did a tell on Sen. Kerry's Thursday comments to hecklers. (Kerry's SOT about what he would have done differently on 9/11 was also highlighted).

NBC did a tell on Teresa Heinz Kerry's Thursday comments to hecklers.

CNN's "Gimme a Minute"

CNN's "Gimme a Minute" segment focused on: playing politics (keying off of Howard Dean's comments regarding the Bush Administration manipulating terror warnings), bite her tongue (regarding Teresa Heinz Kerry saying "four more years of hell") and carpet-bagger (looking at Alan Keyes running for the Senate in Illinois).

Keyes to Face Obama

ABC and NBC were among those that did tells on Keyes getting the Illinois Republican Party's nod to face Barack Obama.