• The horse race won't let up. Kerry achieves slight lead over Bush in new WP/ABC poll. Majority believe Kerry is better able to serve, fewer doubt his ability to fight terrorism, but voters desire his specific plans. Kerry is preferred on many issues; respondents believe he is more trustworthy than Bush. [WP, NYT, LAT, USAT]
•Bush calls for new intelligence post, new counterterrorism center: "We are a nation in danger. We're doing everything we can in our power to confront the danger." [WP, NYT, NYT, LAT, USAT]
•Kerry calls for special session of Congress to confront commission recommendations: "If the president had a sense of urgency. . . he would call the Congress back and get the job done now. . . The time to act is now, not later." [WP, NYT, LAT, USAT]
•Kerry works to undermine Bush's strength on terrorism, the current top issue. Dowd predicts polls will return to Bush's side, noting "they said 'strong, strong, strong,' for four or five days. They closed the gap some." Edwards: "I guarantee you, if we went house to house, there would be almost nobody here that knows what they're supposed to do if a terrorist attack occurred. And this is where leadership is needed -- desperately needed." [WP, WSJ]
•Bush defends war: "We still would have gone to make our country more secure. . . He had terrorist ties. The decision I made was the right decision." [LAT]
•Kerry says internationalization of Iraq effort is "reasonable" expectation for first term, describes plan to halve deficit as "a goal." [LAT]
• Unions anticipate tens of thousands to rally near Republican Convention. Union leader: "George Bush is the working person's worst nightmare." [NYT]
•Teresa to protesters: "Four more years? They want four more years of hell." Crowd chants "three more months." [WP]
• Evangelical Christian leaders petition Bush to aid Sudan. [WP]
•Cheney, in Colorado: "We saw a foe whose hate for us is limitless. This is, to put it simply, an enemy we must vanquish. And we will vanquish this enemy." [LAT]
•Edwards, in Florida, favors easing travel restrictions to Cuba. [LAT]
•Bush, Kerry vie for veterans' votes. [NYT]
•Kerry, Edwards expect frequent intelligence briefings. [NYT]
•Kerry, Edwards, Teresa driven by lessons of lives lost. Kerry unable to speak about lost comrade; Edwards visited son's grave before convention. [BG]
•Bush to campaign in Texas, Ohio, Iowa, Michigan, New Hampshire. [BG]
• "Silly" voter drives could tip election; organizers sell creative accessories. [USAT, USAT]
• "Shove it" mentioned by media 381 times last week. [WT]
