Election Recycling: Insularity and Zeal Edition
• Bush, in first interview since debate, callsKerry's attacks "shameless scare tactics." President saysMary Cheneyremark "was over the line"; he would accept fundamentalist government in Iraq if voted by free elections. [ USAT ]
• Bushleads within margin of error in fresh WP survey, butKerryhas edge in battlegrounds. Campaigns settle on effective tactics for final two weeks. Gender gap widens; 46% sayKerryis too liberal, 36% sayBushis too conservative. [ WP ]
•NYT poll finds dead-heat, butBush's approval rating hits 44% with majorities disapproving handling of Iraq, economy. Majority viewKerryas panderer. [ NYT ]
• Bush, in NJ, jabsKerryfor "September the 10th attitude."Kerry: "I will never be a commander in chief who just cavalierly, ideologically and arrogantly dismisses the advice of our best military commanders in the United States." [ WP , NYT , USAT , BG , LAT ]
• Kerryincreasingly depends on exaggeratiosn, distortions ofBush's positions. [ NYT ]
• Kerry, in Florida: "George Bush's answer to our health care problems is to tell the American people, 'Stop whining.' Lower wages for American workers and a higher share of the tax burden for the middle class? Stop whining, everything's fine." [ NYT , USAT , USAT ]
• Bushshifts rationale for war as new evidence is exposed. GOP strategist: "There has been a difference of emphasis." [ LAT ]
•Pollsters gather approximately the same results, then use formulas that result in varying conclusions. [ NYT ]
•Minor problems arise as voting begins in Florida, Colorado, Texas, Arkansas also open polls. [ WP , NYT ]
•Dems have registered more new voters in every battleground where data is available, except Florida where parties are even. [ USAT ]
•Campaigns portray other as too dangerous for next four years. [ WSJ ]
•Total television ad spending to top $500m. In Tampa, Cleveland, and Philly, hundreds of campaign ads air daily. [ LAT ]
•CBC, DNC send celebrity activists to Florida to get out the vote.Alfre Woodard: "It's better to be here than riding around in my car listening toUsheror somebody." [ WP ]
•Campaigns, taking page fromDean, send emails to get supporters involved;BC04has list of 6m,KE04sends to 2.5m. [ WP ]
•Sinclair fires Washington bureau chief after he calls anti-Kerryfilm "blatant political propaganda." [ LAT ]
•Letter from Vatican saysKerryshould be excommunicated. [ NYT ]
• Kerryto spend election night in Copley Square, Boston. [ BG ]
•Children of candidates show vitality, procreativity of their fathers;Vanessacommutes from London School of Economics to campaign;BarbaraTiVos "The O.C." to attendBushevents. [ WP ]
•Ex-Marine sues, claiming "Stolen Honor" libels him by deceptive editing. [ NYT ]
•Coalition seeks to block e-voting in New Jersey. [ NYT ]
• Mary Cheney, "child of the nondisclosed location." Columnist: "It is not an insult to call a proudly public lesbian a lesbian. It's an insult to gasp when someone calls her a lesbian." [ WP ]
• Gore: "The same insularity and zeal that makes [Bush] effective at smash-mouth politics, makes him terrible at governing." [ WP , NYT ]
[ AFP/Hector Mata ]