Election Recycling: I Can Do the Rhetorical Dash in Thirty Flat Edition
• Bush raises nearly $4 million in 3 hours; $52.9 million for Q1; $184.4 million in total; $97.8 million spent, including $50 million in March; Kerry stays competitive. [WP and WSJ and NYT]
• Senators warn of growing concern about Iraq by voters; war may need new funds soon; draft floated. Graham (R-S.C.): "As long as people can see a reasonable [prospect] of Iraq as a functioning democracy, they will continue to support the sacrifice. But the lack of a well-defined plan for how to get there is getting to be more of a problem." [WP and WP and NYP]
• Bush-Cheney visit to 9/11 panel set for April 29. [NYT]
• Woodward: Blair to Bush: "I said I'm with you. I mean it. . . I'm there to the very end." Bush offers a peacekeeping role: "I would rather go alone than have your government fall." [WP]
• Wolfowitz denies Woodward report about initial Iraq funding. [WP]
• Pentagon removes Rumsfeld quote about Bandar. [WP and WP]
• Bob Shrum and Mary Beth Cahill aim "to set aside a long-running feud within the Democratic Party over its direction to position Kerry as the presidential candidate who is pro-national defense, pro-middle-class tax cuts, pro-balanced budgets -- with the rhetorical dash and inspiration of John F. Kennedy, a hero to Kerry and many of his top aides." [WP]
• Facing pressure, Kerry releases some military records; plans to release all. [WP and NYT]
• The Patriot Act has become a cornerstone for Bush campaign. [NYT]
• Cheney says pro-life group "reflects the compassion of our country, and our commitment to equality and dignity for every life." [NYT]
• Kerry says Bush is bad for the environment: "We don't have to choose between having a job and protecting the environment. It can go hand in hand." [NYT and LAT and BG]
• High demand for political books: Clarke's has sold 263,000; Suskind: 165,000; Hughes: 38,000; Barnes & Noble sells over 16,000 copies of Woodward's latest. [WSJ]
• Hillary: "Kerry will win." [WT]
• In political reality contest, Tenet plays to outwit, outplay, and outlast. [NYT]
• Bush, Kerry go for military votes. [WSJ]
[Bored already? You're not even VP yet. AP Photo/Steven Senne]