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The Morning Grind / Political Hot Topics |
Academic aid, gas prices, and the meaning of approval ratings
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| | ON CNN TV | 
Stay with CNN-USA for coverage of Wednesday's Senate Armed Services Committee hearings on the abuse at Abu Ghraib on Wednesday -- with Gen. John Abizaid and Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez called to testify. |
 VIDEO |
 CNN's Bill Schneider on same-sex marriage and the 2004 election.
 CNN's Jeff Greenfield on Democrats' call for John McCain.
 CNN's Jamie McIntyre on the Pentagon's denial of new allegations.
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Check out the links below to hot political stories around the country this morning.
ACADEMIC AID: Voting with their checkbooks, college professors are breaking overwhelmingly for John Kerry over President Bush, with the Democratic challenger raising nearly three times as much in campaign contributions from college campuses. The fund-raising trend contrasts sharply with the 2000 presidential race, when Bush raised slightly more money from academia than Al Gore. The Boston Globe: Professors back Kerry with campaign giving
BROWN ANNIVERSARY: In separate speeches in Kansas, President Bush and John Kerry hailed the landmark 1954 Supreme Court ruling that outlawed state-sanctioned school segregation, but they also cautioned that the decision's full promise had not been achieved. The Los Angeles Times: Bush, Kerry extol Brown ruling, separately
RATINGS WATCH: The chief strategist for President Bush's reelection campaign yesterday said that if the president's declining approval ratings, which are already at record lows, slip an additional seven percentage points, it will be "very difficult to win." Citing a Gallup poll that shows Mr. Bush's approval rating at 46 percent, strategist Matthew Dowd said the election could be decided by a relatively small shift in support. The Washington Times: Bush camp wary on approval
LOOKING FOR A LINE IN THE SAND: Sen. John Kerry, on his way to a rally in Oregon with Howard Dean, who battered him for months for voting in favor of invading Iraq, acknowledged Monday afternoon that he was navigating a fine line on how to deal with the deepening crisis in Iraq.The New York Times: Kerry feeling for footing on country's role in Iraq
GAS GUZZLES HEADLINES: With oil prices still climbing, President Bush is coming under increasing criticism for his handling of the burgeoning political issue of gasoline costs, not only from Democrats but also from administration allies in the oil-refining and chemical industries. The Washington Post: Bush's handling of gas costs criticized
BUSH SEEKS MARRIAGE BAN: President Bush on Monday renewed his call for Congress to pass a constitutional amendment banning gay marriages. On the same day that Massachusetts began issuing licenses to gay couples, Bush said in a statement, "The sacred institution of marriage should not be redefined by a few activist judges." The Associated Press: Bush renews call to ban gay marriage
GOP MONEY PROBE: A Senate committee investigating millions of dollars in fees paid to powerful Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff and public relations executive Michael Scanlon also plans to examine $500,000 in contributions from Scanlon's firm to the Republican Governors Association.The Washington Post: Probe to include GOP donations
VEEPSTAKES: Three months after folding the tent on his presidential campaign, retired General Wesley K. Clark popped up again last week, delivering the Democratic radio address and declaring, "The truth is, President Bush made mistake after mistake as commander in chief." Clark is hardly alone among former Democratic presidential aspirants and officeholders trying to hop on Kerry's motorcycle, and all the interest serves to raise the fundamental question of what Kerry is looking for in a running mate. The Boston Globe: In Kerry veepstakes, Clark is the wild card
OREGON TRAIL: John Kerry sought to rally Oregon Democrats on Monday evening through a joint appearance with his former rival Howard Dean, offering a passionate defense of the right to question the nation's course in Iraq and praising Dean for energizing the Democratic Party. The Los Angeles Times: Kerry hits the Oregon Trail with Dean
COMEBACK: The upset defeat of Speaker Tom Foley a decade ago symbolized the Republican takeover of the U.S. House. Now Democrats in Washington state feel they have a chance to win back the seat.The Associated Press: Democrats hope to reclaim Foley's seat
FREE MAN: A trim and smiling Bill Janklow walked out of jail Monday almost a free man. The former governor and congressman was released after serving 100 days for the traffic death of Minnesota farmer Randy Scott and rode off in a gray Isuzu with a friend, thus finishing a chapter on the most publicized lockup in South Dakota history. The Argus Leader: Janklow finishes 100-day term
Compiled by Heather Riley
