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The Morning Grind / Political Hot Topics |
Bush strikes an optimistic note in Ohio
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CNN-USA's political team brings you updates and analysis all evening, following Thursday's efforts by the Kerry camp to consolidate support among Democrats on the Hill and President Bush's trip to New York for a September 11 memorial ceremony and fund raising.
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 CNN's Bob Franken on John Kerry's criticism of Bush.
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 CNN's John King on President Bush's defense of his economic plan.
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 CNN's Brian Todd on the likelihood of John McCain as a running mate for John Kerry.
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RELATED |
 Franken to heat up liberal radio
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Check out the links below to hot political stories around the country this morning.
BUCKEYE BUSH: Speaking to several hundred female small-business owners in Cleveland, President Bush portrayed the Buckeye state as one full of entrepreneurial spirit, one grounded in manufacturing jobs that are part of the new global economy and one in which his tax cuts are helping families recover from a recession. And, unlike his Democratic rivals, Bush struck an optimistic tone, referring to the nation as "vibrant" and declaring: "We can prove the pessimists wrong again."The Cleveland Plain Dealer: Bush bullish on Ohio
CZAR PROBLEMS: Six months after promising to create an office to help the nation's struggling manufacturers, President Bush settled on someone to head it, but the nomination was being reconsidered last night after Democrats revealed that his candidate had opened a factory in China. Several officials said the nomination may be scrapped because of the political risk but said that had not been decided.The Washington Post: Bush choice for manufacturing Post in Question
CAMPAIGN REUNION: Howard Dean, whose primary-campaign criticisms of John Kerry are now featured in Republican attacks on the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, met with his former rival yesterday as Kerry began a two-day party unity effort. The Boston Globe: Kerry, Dean meet in party unity push
AFL ELECTION PLANS: The AFL-CIO, long one of the biggest players in presidential politics, announced its most ambitious, most expensive campaign effort on Wednesday, a $44 million program aimed at unseating President Bush.The New York Times: A.F.L.-C.I.O. plans to spend $44 million to unseat Bush
SORRY: The Bush campaign is demanding an apology from Sen. John Kerry after the presumptive Democratic nominee called his Republican opponents the "most crooked ... lying group of people I've ever seen." A Kerry spokesman later said the senator wasn't referring to the president but to those behind what he characterized as a GOP attack "machine."CNN: GOP demanding apology from Kerry
CREWMATE CRITICISM: Steven Michael Gardner served side by side with Kerry in Vietnam, was wounded under Kerry's command. But unlike many of Kerry's crewmates, Gardner has not appeared at Kerry's side at campaign rallies, and his view of Kerry at war is far different from the heroic view presented by others.The Boston Globe: Kerry no hero in ex-crewman's eyes
McCAIN'S SALVO: Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, the leading Republican proponent of campaign finance regulation, yesterday accused the chairman and vice chair of the Federal Election Commission of evading their obligation to enforce the law.The Washington Post: McCain says FEC is not enforcing law
AD QUESTIONS: The General Accounting Office, an investigative arm of Congress, said on Wednesday that advertisements and brochures prepared by the Bush administration to publicize a new Medicare law, although not illegal, misrepresented the prescription drug benefits that would be offered to millions of elderly and disabled people.The New York Times: A watchdog sees flaws in Bush's ads on Medicare
COLORADO ANNOUNCEMENT: Colorado Attorney General Ken Salazar, a Democrat, announced his candidacy for the Senate on Wednesday and, in a show of Democratic Party unity, won the endorsement of two of his former rivals. If Salazar wins the open seat, he would be the country's first Hispanic senator in 27 years.The Denver Post: Salazar gets Dems' blessing
ILLINOIS MUD: The Illinois Senate race is getting ugly. Underdog Republican John Borling says he has information about the hidden records of GOP front-runner Jack Ryan's divorce from TV actress Jeri Ryan, but he does not want to use the information because "I find this matter distasteful."The Chicago Sun-Times: Borling says he knows what's in Ryan's hidden divorce files
BOXING BARBARA: In California's Senate race, Republican Bill Jones assailed Democratic incumbent Barbara Boxer on jobs, the military, guns, abortion and oil drilling on Wednesday as he formally launched his campaign to oust her. The Los Angeles Times: Jones comes out swinging at Boxer
LIBERAL TALKERS: After months of media buzz, the so-called liberal talk-radio network -- officially known as Air America Radio -- announced yesterday it will launch on March 31 in four cities with comedy-oriented programming headlined by comedians Al Franken and Janeane Garofalo.The Boston Globe: Franken vows to bash Bush as host on new talk-radio network
