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The Morning Grind / Political Hot Topics |
Kerry eyes national security; Bush tackles health care
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 VIDEO |
 CNN's Kelly Wallace on Kerry and security.
 CNN's Bill Schneider on Democrats who want tougher talk from Kerry.
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RELATED |
Ex-president: Kerry running smart campaign
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Check out the links below to hot political stories around the country this morning.
KERRY ON NATIONAL SECURITY: In Seattle yesterday, John Kerry began to build a new national-security platform by saying the Bush administration's use of "force before exhausting diplomacy" in Iraq has "undermined the legacy of generations of American leadership." The challenge for Kerry as he begins an 11-day focus on national security: to critique what he sees as President Bush's itchy-trigger-finger foreign policy while trying to show he has as much resolve and toughness as the president.The Seattle Times: Kerry pledges to build bridges, battle terrorism
TECH FOCUS: Bush added $1.7 million more to Republican coffers last night at a Nashville fund-raiser that capped off a visit to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to show how technology saves money and lives. Bush said that moving to electronic records would cut costs and medical errors, ''which, if you're a patient, that's something you really hope happens.''The Nashville Tennessean: Bush hails medical advances, hauls in GOP donations
BUSH'S SCHEDULER: In the last month, Bush often has attended GOP events and conducted taxpayer-financed business while on trips outside of Washington. Sometimes campaign strategists build fund-raisers around the president's official schedule. Other times, a fund-raiser prompts White House aides to set up an official event.The Los Angeles Times: Bush meshes official, political stops to cut campaign costs
KERRY'S VIRGINIA PUSH: Kerry will make a push into Republican-leaning Virginia when he launches new television commercials next week, the start of a $17 million monthlong ad campaign that also targets black and Hispanic audiences.The Associated Press: Kerry to spend $17 million on ads in June
ECONOMIC BIFURCATION: As Bush tries to reap the political benefits of the strengthening national economy, he still has a problem in some places: Several of the swing states that could determine the outcome of the election are not participating fully in the revival. Among the 17 states expected to be most closely contested this fall, four states -- Florida, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico -- have been thriving since Bush took office. But others are trailing the nation in economic growth and job creation. Four swing states -- Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia -- are still considered to be in recession 2 1/2 years after the national recession officially ended.The Los Angeles Times: Economy lagging in key states
BOSTON SECURITY: As the Democratic National Convention approaches, law enforcement officials in Greater Boston will put into service specialized antiterrorism equipment, much of it paid for with federal grants. Boston Police recently launched a new 57-foot harbor patrol boat equipped with underwater cameras and a four-bed medical triage unit that could respond to attacks on the water. The State Police Special Tactical Operations Unit, meanwhile, is awaiting the arrival of state-of-the-art hazard suits, detection equipment, and weapons that will allow its officers to operate in areas contaminated by biological or chemical agents.The Boston Globe: Security gear beefed up for Democratic convention
JETS OVER NEW YORK: Fighter jets will return to city skies during the Republican National Convention this summer to protect New York City from terror attacks from above, FBI sources said yesterday.The New York Post: Jet patrols set for GOP gala
GOP DELEGATE OUT: D.C. Council member David Catania said yesterday he has left the local Republican Party organization after its chairman stripped him of his delegate seat at the national convention because he opposes Bush's reelection. Catania, a lifelong member of the GOP and openly gay political activist, raised more than $50,000 for the Bush campaign in the past year but became a vocal critic after Bush called for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.The Washington Post: Catania leaves D.C. GOP over convention seat
NADER SAYS HE HURTS BUSH: Ralph Nader insisted yesterday in Concord, New Hampshire, that he did not cost Al Gore the presidency by stealing votes from him in the Granite State. Nader's 22,198 votes in New Hampshire in 2000 was nearly three times Bush's victory margin over Gore, who would have won the presidency with the state's four electoral votes.The Associated Press: Nader says he gets more votes from Republicans
GREEN CONVENTION CONUNDRUM: Delegates to next month's Green Party convention face a unique choice: opt against nominating a candidate for president or stick with their two-time nominee even though he is running as an independent. Delegates to the convention June 23-28 in Milwaukee are not required to nominate anyone for president. They will cast a series of ballots until either a candidate or the choice "no nominee" receives a majority of the votes.The Associated Press: Green Party weighs endorsing Nader
COLUMNIST DEAN: Howard Dean has signed on with Cagle, a company that syndicates political columns and cartoons, to write a weekly column that will be immediately available to more than 500 publications nationwide.The Bennington Banner: Howard Dean turns to the written word
IRAQ WORRIES: As Bush struggles to reverse the lowest approval ratings of his presidency, vulnerable Republicans in competitive districts are starting to worry. Will voters angry about Iraq take it out on them in November? If they do, they could tilt control of the House from Republicans, who hold a 23-seat edge.USA Today: Some Republicans fear Iraq will color campaigns
NEW VIEW ON '94: Some Democrats are now taking a new look at 1994 and finding some heartening parallels with the current year. Democratic leaders say they believe they are poised to reverse the surprise Republican takeover of 1994, particularly if a continuing slip in public support for Bush puts a breeze at their back.The New York Times: For House Democrats, a whiff of victory
Compiled by Mark Rodeffer
