Election Recycling: Tougher, Longer Edition

 
 • Bushpays Easter visit to wounded troops: "It was a tough week last week, and my prayers and thoughts are with those who paid the ultimate price for our security. It's hard to tell [when the violence will ebb]. I just know this: that we're plenty tough and we'll remain tough. . . I pray every day there's less casualties. But I know what we're doing in Iraq is right. . . And it's hard work." [ WP and NYT ]

• Bushsays August 6th PDB lacked specifics: "Of course we knew that America was hated byOsama bin Laden.That was obvious. The question was, who was going to attack us, when and where and with what?"Kerreycalls for release of more PDBs. [ WP and NYT ]

• Kerrywill introduce "misery index" to illustrate suffering of middle-income families. [ LAT and USAT ]

• Kerryreceives communion at a nontraditional church, despite pressure from Roman Catholic leaders. [ NYT and BG ]

• Teresa Heinz Kerryplans to continue her philanthropic work as first lady. "Washington is a brutal place and people are subject to incredible scrutiny. They don't understand what it is like at the center of such scrutiny. And once they are in it, they change. That is the reality of the political system," said an ethics expert. [ LAT ]

•The media won't stop playing theKerry-McCaingame;McCain: "No, no and no."Kerryurged to seek balance. [ WP and WT and WT ]

• Dean: "Ralph Naderonce said that your best teacher is your last mistake. Too many of us learned the consequences of not standing together four years ago. This November, we can elect a president who fights for average Americans. But we can achieve this goal only if we join together — and don't repeat our last mistake." [ NYT ]

• Kerryruns on energy of a united Democratic party.Jim Jordan: "People are working together as never before." [BG ]

• Kerryattacked by Republicans for French connections. [ BG ]

• Bush'sspeeches are getting longer. [ USAT ]

• Karen Hughesis "desperately needed," saysBush-41'spolitical director;Rovedenies critics' claim that women are a facade for an extremist administration. [ LAT ]

•Some in Silicon Valley seeKerry'sposition on outsourcing as bad business;Bushdoes well among the techies. [ NYT ]

• Kerryis Google-bombed. [ USAT ]

•Campaigns mean more than their result. "More often than ever these days, political operatives go on to lobby in the post-election season. The better that political consultants do during an election, the more lobbying clients they can attract when the election is over," said the director of American University's Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies. [ WP ]

[Rice attempts to kill media. . . with hermind! AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais ]