The Note

W A S H I N G T O N, June 18, 2004—
-- NOTED NOW

TODAY SCHEDULE (all times ET)

FUTURES CALENDAR

Morning Show Wrap

Evening Newscasts Wrap

NEWS SUMMARY

Meet "overshadow," one of the political media's favorite words.

Along with "apparent," "privately," and "controversy," the press just can't get enough of the word "overshadow," and situations in which a source reflects apparent controversy by privately confiding that there is concern in his party that A might overshadow B.

Will John McCain overshadow George Bush?

Will Dick Gephardt overshadow John Edwards?

Will bad news from Iraq overshadow positive economic news?

Will Michael Moore overshadow Bill Clinton?

Will Time overshadow 60 Minutes?

Will Jamie Rubin overshadow Joe Biden?

Will the angry complaints of rich people on Nantucket overshadow Father's Day?

Will Bill Clinton's book tour overshadow President Bush's key Cincinnati speech on marriage on Monday?

What evil lurks in the hearts of the New York Times ?

The Shadow knows.

President Bush spends the day at Ft. Lewis, Wash. speaking to military personnel and meeting with injured soldiers and families of slain soldiers. His speech is at 11:00 am ET.

This afternoon, Bush flies to Camp David and spends the weekend there. Senator Kerry meanwhile is continuing his focus on the economy, speaking about the minimum wage at 10:35 am ET.

Before jetting off to Nantucket for the weekend, Kerry holds a couple of fundraisers in the Washington area.

Vice President Cheney will take up the economy today in a 4:10 p.m. ET speech in Colorado that follows a morning fundraiser for Jeff Fortenbery in Nebraska.

Today at 10:30, Sens. Sessions, Allard, Brownback, and Cornyn endorse Allard's version of a Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage.

And First Lady Laura Bush concludes her first multi-state campaign tour with 9:00 am and 1:00 p.m. rallies in Ohio and Minnesota.

Over the weekend, former President Bill Clinton celebrates Father's Day night by appearing, for the entire hour, on "60 Minutes."

Monday, Senator Kerry will be in the Denver area and finish up the day in New Mexico and Vice President Cheney will be in Springfield, Mo.

Today the Senate debates the defense budget bill and the House debates the homeland security bill.

On Sunday, be sure to watch This Week with George Stephanopoulos. He's in Ohio today, taping a focus group with persuadable voters.

ABC News Vote 2004: Bush-Cheney re-elect:Keying off of the rehashed actions of the Vice President on September 11, the New York Times ' Adam Nagourney and Richard Stevenson take a look at the perceptions of Dick Cheney by friend and foe alike and deconstruct a bit the Bush/Cheney relationship. LINK

"In some ways, the two are an odd couple, Mr. Bush a backslapper with a perpetually sunny outlook and Mr. Cheney dour, worried and withdrawn to all but his closest friends and associates. But they appear united, colleagues said, in their determination to take on what they consider wrong-headed liberal values in both domestic and foreign policy."

Be sure to Note Newt Gingrich's use of Reagan and Mary Matalin's hilarious quote about "no separate Cheney P.R. machine."

David Sanger and Robin Toner of the New York Times look at President Bush and Vice President Cheney's persistence in highlighting a connection between Al Qaeda and Iraq. The Vice President's CNBC appearance seems to have put the Gray Lady a bit on the defensive. LINK

Cheney told CNBC's Gloria Borger that "the notion that there is no relationship between Iraq and al-Qaida just simply is not true."

More Cheney: "I disagree with the way their findings have been portrayed. This has been enormous confusion over the Iraq-al-Qaida connection, Gloria. First of all, on the question of whether or not there was any kind of a relationship, there clearly was a relationship. It's been testified to. The evidence is overwhelming."

Asked about his public image, Cheney said that he is there to serve the president and he doesn't worry about how he is perceived: "My job is to offer advice, which I do, to take on assignments which he gives me, which I do, but I say I'm there specifically to serve him any way I can and not worry a lot about what my public image might be. Am I warm and fuzzy or am I perceived as a tough guy? I really don't worry about that."

Laura Bush headed to battleground Pennsylvania yesterday for a BC04 rally and schmoozed the audience as if she were hosting a giant coffee klatch, urging them to call all their friends and get them to the polls in November," write Amy Worden and Carrie Budoff of the Philadelphia Inquirer.LINK

Worden and Budoff lead their article with the question that seems to come up frequently for Mrs. Bush — whether she is a "traditional" First Lady.

The Bush-Cheney '04 campaign, having recently run into some controversy over an email to churches in Pennsylvania, is working to turn out conservative voters and is courting Southern Baptists, "urging pastors to do everything short of risking their churches' tax-exempt status to support the president's re-election," the New York Times Kirkpatrick reports.LINK

Elisabeth Bumiller wraps the president's jam-packed Thursday Noting that the schedule "showed how much effort the White House is devoting to his re-election campaign in the middle of the persistent debate about national security."LINK

The latest poll from the Pew Research Center found a boost for President Bush from the funeral of President Reagan and the situation in Iraq, as the deadline for the transfer of power gets closer. LINK

"Bush had a slight lead over Kerry in a three-way matchup; the president was at 46 percent, Kerry at 42 percent, and independent Ralph Nader at 6 percent. Bush and Kerry were tied in a two-way race."

In addition to keynoting a fundraiser designed to raise $2 million for the RNC, the president will have a "conversation on strengthening America's families" to discuss healthy marriages during next week's stop in Cincinnati. LINK

CNN White House correspondent John King defended the president yesterday, telling a Boston crowd that Bush is 'much more engaged . . . than most people think." LINK

ABC News Vote 2004: Senator John Kerry:Campaign sources say that Senator Kerry may return to the Buckeye State next week to visit Canton, reports the Columbus Dispatch. It would be Kerry's second trip to the state in as many weeks.

An article in the Washington Times suggests that outside advisers to Senator Kerry want him to "shut up" about religion. If that language sounds like it's coming from Bob Drinan, well … . read the article. LINK

Also intriguing, if true: "'the Kerry campaign also has sidelined its new religion adviser, closing journalists' access to Mara Vanderslice and ignoring her advice on how to appeal effectively to religious voters.' 'Every time something with religious language got sent up the flagpole, it got sent back down, stripped of religious language, a Kerry campaign source said of Miss Vanderslice's ideas on overcoming Mr. Kerry's secular image."

Evidently, Ms. Duin hasn't heard Kerry's new stump speech, with has at least one prominent biblical allusion.

The New York Post 's Deb Orin picks up on some recent comments Teddy Kennedy made to Boston magazine regarding the controversy surrounding John Kerry's Catholicism being perceived at odds with his political beliefs. LINK

"'This pope gave Communion to Gen. [Augusto] Pinochet,' the brutal Chilean dictator accused of murders and human-rights violations, Boston magazine quotes Kennedy as saying."

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Senator Kerry is scheduled to speak at the 33rd annual Rainbow/PUSH conference on June 29. On Leadership Summit Day, June 27, invited guests include Senator John Edwards, former Vermont

Governor

Howard Dean, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., and Illinois' Democratic Senate candidate, Barack Obama. LINK

Kerry's national campaign chairwoman, former New Hampshire

Governor

Jeanne Shaheen, spoke in Iowa Thursday about how Kerry would have approached the Iraq situation better than Bush, who "wasn't honest with people in this country about why we went into Iraq." LINK

ABC News Vote 2004: Bush v. Kerry: AP lays out the proposed formats for this fall's presidential debates and vice presidential debate laid out by the Commission on Presidential Debates yesterday. LINK

ABC News Vote 2004: the battlegrounds:What a waste? Today, with the president in the state, the Reno Gazette-Journal says that "Republicans and Democrats alike want to hear him talk about the one issue that has topped the campaign lists of Nevada politicians for decades: Yucca Mountain." LINK

Democrats are taking the opportunity to claim the president lied about the nuclear waste dump, while Republicans can take solace in a new Nuclear Energy Institute poll that shows 33 percent of voters (up from 26 percent previously) approve of the Yucca Mountain project. LINK and LINK

And Yucca Mountain may be an important issue in key states other than Nevada, like Maine. LINK

The "battlegroundness" of Nevada was confirmed yesterday by the Secretary of State's office, which announced the state is "getting more competitive between the major parties" in terms of registered voters. LINK

Given Northern Nevada's booming economy, Bush's visit to the state could not come at a better time — except the Reno Gazette-Journal questions this morning whether the "region's blazing job growth, robust business expansion and blistering housing market" are because of White House policies or local issues. LINK

The corporate tax bill passed in the House yesterday contains a measure that would provide sizable tax relief to voters in three key battleground states — Florida, Nevada and Washington state — that do not have state income taxes, by allowing residents to deduct sales taxes from their federal taxes. The tax breaks are expected to save taxpayers in the states about $500 per year. LINK

Roughing it to see the president: Bush's fundraiser in Seattle last night on behalf of Senate candidate Rep. George Nethercutt was "far from luxurious," reports the Seattle Times, despite the event's $1000-a-plate price tag. "Donors nibbled on salmon and other hors d'oeuvres outside the ballroom, but for security reasons were not allowed to bring food or silverware inside. There were no chairs or tables, and the ballroom was decorated only by a Nethercutt banner and a dozen American flags." LINK

In Fort Lewis, soldiers and their families are eagerly anticipating today's morning visit by the president, reports the Associated Press. LINK

Though election-year politics killed Oregon's legislature's efforts for tax reforms, the Oregonian speculates that had the committee not disbanded after 5 months their report may have read: "We agree that Oregon's tax system is unstable and that a rainy-day fund and spending limit might help; we're not sure yet how to do it. " LINK

In an effort to ensure the Columbia River is made more accessible to ships, Portland businesses are still asking Bush and Congress for the 15 million they say is needed to start deepening the channel. LINK

ABC News Vote 2004: ad traffic highlights:Kerry has no changes on the ad front, but the Bush camp plans to take a break from its adcampaign beginning next Thursday; until then, Bush continues airing only one ad —"Pessimism"

MoveOn launched a new ad this week knocking the Bush Administration for its ties toHalliburton

The New Democrat Network adds three markets to its Spanish-language ad buy

The Media Fund launched a new radio/print ad in Reno, Nevada criticizing the president for hisYucca Mountain decision

Citizens United debuts in some markets an anti-Clinton ad on Sunday during the formerPresident's Sunday "60 Minutes" interview

FaithfulAmerica.org launched an ad earlier this week on Arab TV stations apologizing for theprison abuses in Iraq

By the numbers …

1 Bush ad touting the good news of his Administration and quickly reminding viewers of what hesees as Kerry's pessimism

2 Kerry ads promoting his vision for the country

4 ads from the New Democrat Network supporting Hispanic unity behind Democrats

1 anti-Bush ad each from MoveOn.org and the Media Fund

1 anti-Clinton ad from Citizens United

1 ad by FaithfulAmerica.org apologizing for the Iraqi prison abuse incidents airing on Arabiclanguage television

Veepstakes:It's that time again. The selection nears, and so editors demand flashy, juicy veepstakes stories and the trifecta of Kerry, Johnson, and Cahill refuse to cooperate.

In the high-stakes veepstakes game, you have facts and you have speculation. There is a paucity of former; a surplus of the latter.

Which leads even the most conscientious and talented of American political reporters to write sentences like this:

"It was not known whether any of these candidates were on Kerry's short list — or even whether there was a short list."But the very model of a modern major wishy-washy veepstakes story comes courtesy of the Washington Post 's Jim VandeHei and Lois Romano, who contend that the "process is revealing much about how the Massachusetts senator views his strengths, his leadership style and the role of vice president." LINK

Their word count: 1,654; Instances of the word "close": 11; Instances of the word "friend" 9; Instances of the word "private" 5.

To wit:

"Kerry told American Urban Radio Networks on Thursday that a prerequisite is 'somebody who has the ability to fill in as president if something terrible were to happen.' Most presidential candidates say this, but Kerry seems unusually sensitive to that possibility, according to several people who have talked to him. Kerry is a student of history and an ardent fan of President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated. Kerry also saw death up close in the Vietnam War, and he faced prostate cancer in 2003."

"Kerry has privately expressed concerns about whether Edwards meets this presidential threshold, the sources said. After the primaries, Kerry remarked to aides, 'What makes him think he can be president?' Around that time, Kerry told aides that if he had lost the nomination, he would have endorsed Gephardt, who he described as ready-made for the job."

Here's what Kerry had to say about the process yesterday: "I have great respect for the interest that obviously exists with respect to the choice that I'm privileged to make. And it is a privilege. And I want to take it seriously and respect it in that way … .I look forward to offering America a team that has the ability to provide the kind of leadership that the country deserves to cut our deficit, put our people back to work, to make America stronger and most importantly to restore our respect and our credibility in the world,'' he said.

''I want to restore trust and credibility to the White House, and I hope that the person that I choose is going to be somebody who matches the expectations of the country about the kind of leadership that people want."

One new name that appears to be gaining currency among outsiders is former Defense Secretary (and Republican) Bill Cohen.

ABC's Dan Harris spoke to a senior Republican close to Cohen who said that the former defense secretary had not, in fact, spoken with folks from camp Kerry. The source acknowledged that he had spoken to senior, serious Democrats intimately familiar with the process who say Cohen is under consideration.

The source said he doubts Cohen would take it if offered. This source — in very close contact with Cohen — feels the goal of floating the name is just to make the list look bipartisan.

Cohen, in a statement to ABC News, declined to say whether he was being vetted or had discussed anything with the Kerry campaign. "Secretary Cohen is flattered to be mentioned, but believes any comment or discussion should come from the Kerry campaign," said Jared Caplan, his consulting group's communications director.

In a separate development, Kerry's stepson, Chris Heinz, told the Pittsburgh Post Gazette that his stepfather would announce his pick within two weeks. And, he said, ""I was very pro-[North Carolina Senator John] Edwards in the spring. But now I think we may need someone with stronger credentials on foreign policy."

A Kerry campaign official told ABC News that Mr. Heinz's information about timing was incorrect. Another official said that Heinz, despite his bloodlines, does not have access to inside information about the vice presidential search.

The Wall Street Journal 's John Harwood focuses on the "betting favorite," Senator John Edwards, and Notes that there's not an obvious link between the speculation and Kerry's thinking on a vice presidential pick.

Harwood Notes "Democratic insiders have settled on a betting favorite to become John Kerry's running mate: Senator John Edwards of North Carolina. What they don't know is whether he is Mr. Kerry's favorite."

The Los Angeles Times ' Nick Anderson focuses his veepstakes story on the pros and cons of Rep. Dick Gephardt. LINK

The New York Times ' Carl Hulse chats with Gephardt about his future … in or out of politics. LINK

Former Edwards supporters are voting with their pocket books by signing checks for Senator Kerry. AP Notes, according to campaign finance reports, of the roughly $74 million Kerry raised in March and April, close to $1 in every $10 came from attorneys. LINK

West Virginia Senator Jay Rockefeller gives the usual non-denial denial yesterday about his interest in being Senator Kerry's No. 2, saying, "I have no interest in any other job than being the senator from West Virginia." But Rockefeller does admit he has discussed the position: "The Kerry campaign has sought my input on the qualities that are important in a vice president." LINK and LINK

Gov. Vilsack and GOP leaders are disagreeing over the Grow Iowa Values Fund fix, as well as the necessity of a special legislative summer session. LINK

The Kansas City Star examines Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius as a potential vice presidential candidate. These writers say that she "has no experience in international affairs," "It is doubtful she would get Kansas … into Kerry's column, " and "Heck, she might even turn off western Missouri voters who hold anything Jayhawk in low regard." LINK

Correction:Despite several private lessons from Adam Kovacevich, communications director for the Democratic Senate candidate from South Carolina, we accidentally misspelled Inez Tenenbaum's name in yesterday's Note. We apologize to the candidate.

The Congress:"The House voted 251 to 178 yesterday to replace an illegal export subsidy with a major tax cut for domestic manufacturers and multinational corporations, setting up difficult negotiations with the Senate on one of the most significant corporate tax bills in 20 years," reports the Washington Post 's Jonathan Weisman. LINK

The Senate voted overwhelmingly to fund an additional 20,000 troops for the Army reports the New York Times ' Hulse. LINK

Ralph Nader:While every nuance in the Kerry Veepstakes drama plays out a national stage, sources with the Nader campaign say he is also deliberating on his number two. A decision may be imminent.

Scarcely more than a week is left until the Green Party names a national presidential candidate at it's convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The conference begins Wednesday June 23. The nominee will be chosen Saturday, June 26. Nader is not seeking the Green nomination but has said he would accept their endorsement. If that happens it will be up to each individual state to determine if he meets the ballot requirement. Developing … LINK

The Cook report's Charles Cook argues a big difference between 2000 and 2004 when it comes to how the public perceives the two top contenders in the race, "the George W. Bush of 2000 was a far less polarizing figure than he is today." And, even with decreased support from 2000 Nader could be more decisive on Nov. 2. LINK

Campaigning in Jackson, Mississippi yesterday Nader slammed new tort reforms and the two party system before 50 supporters dining on red beans and rice, fried chicken, and iced tea. The independent candidate only needs 850 more signatures by Sept. 3. to qualify for the ballot in the Magnolia State. Four years ago, Nader took less than 1 percent of the vote in as a Green Party candidate. LINK

Nader also criticized Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour on a soon-to-be minted bill limiting tort reform that becomes law Sept. 1. LINK

AP reports on Nader's good deeds in Toledo, Ohio where he has joined owners of a mom and pop auto shop in the six year battle against a city takeover of their property that was part of a deal to give DaimlerChrysler AG land for a new Jeep assembly plant. Nader's staff is providing legal help LINK

Yesterday's announcement that the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle will be assembled in the Lima, Ohio Joint Systems Manufacturing Center came as very welcome news to the area: the plant had previously been in danger of shutting down, and will instead now add 210 jobs to its workforce. LINK

The conventions:The AP says a new report on contributions to the Republican National Convention prove Mayor Bloomberg's status as a fundraising powerhouse built across party lines. Watchdog groups want more information about the sizes of individual contributions and the 'anonymous' donor to be replaced with proper nouns. LINK

Maggie Haberman follows up on yesterday's Times reporting concerning the New York Host Committee's publication of a partial list of major donors to the convention effort and suggests the $64 million budget may now be upwards of $70 million. LINK

Carla Marinucci of the San Francisco Chronicle sizes up the pros and cons of an Arnold Schwarzenegger prime time convention speech and seems a bit shocked to find Ken Mehlman paying "unusually close attention to the issue." LINK

Be sure to read Rick Klein on the Democrats' thematic preparation for their convention.LINK

Former Senator Max Cleland kicks off the thematic message hits in Boston today by talking up veterans. And The Note can exclusively report to you that Cleland will serve as Honorary Veterans Chair of the 2004 Democratic National Convention, the first position of its kind in Convention history. You can expect veterans and Cleland specifically to be showcased like never before at this summer's convention.

The veterans caucus meetings will be called to order during the week of the convention. From the soon to be issued press release: "Two veterans' caucuses, which Cleland said will be referred to as "Basic Training," have been scheduled for the afternoons of Monday, July 26, and Wednesday, July 28. They will be held at the Sheraton Boston Hotel, the headquarters hotel for the Convention."

ABC News Vote 2004: casting and counting:The Washington Post 's ed board warns "each month, more studies raise serious questions about the risks in using paperless touch-screen voting machines, yet Maryland's state administration doesn't seem all that concerned." LINK

Florida Governor Jeb Bush boasted of a sharp reduction in the backlog of cases under review of "felons seeking to have their voting rights restored and that only 8,000 applications remained under review," reports the New York Times ' Abby Goodnough. LINK

Political cinema:The New York Sun's Josh Gerstein asks some questions about the upcoming George Butler film about John Kerry, which was previewed last night at the Silverdocs film festival in Maryland. One such query: Who funded the thing? "Mr. Butler said 'about 30 investors of various sizes and denominations' back his new film, which reportedly has a budget of $1.5 million and is expected to be 90 minutes long.' Were just about fully financed,' he said." LINK

The Clintons of Chappaqua:"People magazine is negotiating with Bill Clinton's publisher, Knopf, to buy excerpts from the former president's memoir, 'My Life,'" reports the New York Post on the battle for serial rights. LINK

The New York Daily News' Paul Colford has all the latest on Clinton book mania and on Monday evening's "mother of all book parties." LINK

"Just fine" is how Clinton described John Kerry is doing to Rush & Molloy. LINK

The New York Post reports Monica Lewinsky will not be in town for the pre book release frenzy this weekend. She will instead be at a wedding in Little Rock, Arkansas of all places. LINK

TODAY'S SCHEDULE (all times ET): —8:45 am: The Democratic National Committee's Platform Drafting Committee begins its final meeting, Santa Fe, N.M.—9:00 am: The House meets for legislative business—9:00 am: Sen. John Kerry holds meetings at the Democratic National Committee, Washington, D.C.—9:00 am: First Lady Laura Bush speaks at a campaign rally at the Landerhaven, Mayfield Heights, Ohio—9:30 am: The Senate resumes debate on the Defense Authorization Act—9:35 am: Vice President Cheney speaks at a fundraiser for congressional candidate Jeff Fortenbery at the Embassy Suites, Lincoln, Neb.—10:30 am: Sens. Jeff Sessions, Wayne Allard, Sam Brownback, and John Cornyn endorse a version of the Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage proposed by Sen. Allard at the Capitol, Washington, D.C.—10:45 am: Sen. Hillary Clinton and Gov. Ed Rendell attend a fundraiser for Senate candidate Joe Hoeffel at the Wyndham, Philadelphia, Penn.—11:00 am: Sen. Kerry holds a discussion on his plan to increase the minimum wage at Northern Virginia Community College, Alexandria, Va. —11:00 am: Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe holds a news conference on the Watergate break-in anniversary and discusses a "new secret Republican plot" at DNC headquarters, Washington, D.C.—11:00 am: President Bush, introduced by Sen. John McCain, speaks to military personnel at Ft. Lewis, Wash.—12:00 pm: Club for Growth President Steve Moore and National Taxpayers Union President John Berthoud discuss whether federal spending jeopardizes the Administration's tax cuts at the Capitol, Washington, D.C.—12:30 pm: Rev. Ronald Myers, chairman of the National Juneteenth Holiday Campaign, speaks on efforts to get June 19th declared a national holiday at the National Press Club, Washington, D.C.—12:30 pm: Sen. Kerry attends a fundraiser reception at the Wardman Park Marriott, Washington, D.C.—12:55 pm: President Bush meets with soldiers wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, Ft. Lewis, Wash.—1:00 pm: First Lady Laura Bush speaks at a campaign rally at the Star Tribune, St. Paul, Minn.—1:15 pm: President Bush meets with families of fallen soldiers, Ft. Lewis, Wash.—3:00 pm: Ralph Nader holds a press conference at the Capital Hotel, Little Rock, Ark.—4:10 pm: Vice President Cheney speaks to the employees of Adam Aircraft Industries, Englewood, Colo.—5:20 pm: President Bush speaks at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, Reno, Nev.—7:20 pm: Sen. Kerry attends a fundraiser reception at the Mayflower, Washington, D.C. —11:40 pm: President Bush arrives at Camp David