Election Recycling: Don't See It As a Stain Edition
• Kerryhas raised over $1 million a day since March 2, outpacingBushnearly 2 to 1. Overall,Bushhas $214 million,Kerry$145; GOP has a $153 million advantage with 527s. [ WP and LAT ]
•9/11 Commission disputes ties between Iraq and Al Qaeda. Bad news for Bush? Not necessarily: "[T]he president is still even withJohn Kerryor, if you count the Electoral College votes in the battleground states, ahead. Then there's a creeping plus forGeorge Bush,which is that the economy is taking off."[ WT and NYT ]
• Rumsfeld, Tenethid detainees from Red Cross monitoring. [ NYT ]
• Bushto troops: "And no matter what the terrorists plan, no matter what they attempt, a democratic, free Iraq is on the way."Kerry: "This president failed the test in Iraq." [NYT and WT ]
• Bushto pause use of television ads, saying people are not paying attention.Kerrycamp says the ads are not effective. [ NYT ]
• Kerryproposes $20 billion for child care for working-class and stay-at-home parents.Kerry: "The wealthiest people in America are getting a huge walk-away-with-the-store tax break, but a whole bunch of kids who need to have after-school adult input aren't getting it."Bushflack: "All paid for by rolling back tax cuts for the wealthy, money that he has already spent 20 times over?" [ WP and WT ]
•Former military officials attackBush,underscoring tension: "Never in the 2 1/4 centuries of our history has the United States been so isolated among the nations, so broadly feared and distrusted."Powell: "I do not believe that will be the judgment of the American people." [WP and LAT ]
• McCainto introduceBushat rally. [ WP ]
•In new phase of vetting,Kerrymeets withGephardt.[ NYT and BG and USAT ]
•Senate Republicans schedule vote on marriage amendment for two weeks before Democratic convention. [ WT ]
•DNC, RNC look sideways to raise funds. [ BG ]
• Bushofficials increase press availability. [ WT ]
•Club for Growth to run attack ad withReagan'simage. [ LAT ]
•Republicans near record goal for convention cash. [ NYT ]
• Philadelphia Daily NewsendorsesKerry.[ LAT ]
• Clinton,in interview, saysStarrmay have worked illegally: "I stood up to it and beat it back. The whole battle was a badge of honor. I don't see it as a stain, because it was illegitimate." On the affair: "I think I did something for the worst possible reason -- just because I could. I think that's just about the most morally indefensible reason that anybody could have for doing anything. There are lots of sophisticated explanations, more complicated psychological explanations, but none of them are an excuse." [ WP and NYT ]