 |
|
The Morning Grind / DayAhead |
Unity, unions and energy independence
By John Mercurio
CNN Political Unit
 |  President Bush speaks to minority journalists Friday during the Unity 2004 conference in Washington. |
| |
|
 VIDEO |
 Political ad makes tough charges about Kerry's Vietnam service.
 CNN's Judy Woodruff on veterans taking sides on an anti-Kerry ad.
 CNN's Bill Schneider on 'The Manchurian Candidate.'
|
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- We'll be counting how many cheers President Bush receives this morning when he speaks to the Unity 2004 convention of minority journalists here.
He probably won't receive the 48 rounds of applause Sen. John Kerry got while he spoke here yesterday, even if he does talk about choking on donkeys and swallowing elephants. (Kerry hits Bush reaction to 9/11 attack news)
And hopefully, Bush won't use his new line, spoken at a White House bill signing yesterday. "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we," Bush said. "They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." (And with that, a Bushism was born. Bush misspeaks during signing ceremony)
Then again, that rousing show of support that Unity gave Kerry could hurt him more than it helps. It certainly didn't do much for the so-called objective journalists -- most of whom, it should be noted in fairness, don't cover politics.
After addressing the convention, Bush travels today to Stratham, New Hampshire, for a picnic expected to draw some 4,000 people. He then heads for a rare weekend of downtime (these days) in Kennebunkport, Maine, where he'll attend his nephew's wedding Saturday.
Jeb's son and the president's 28-year-old nephew -- George Prescott Bush, or "P" to friends and family -- is marrying Amanda Williams at a private ceremony on the Bush family compound. The happy couple met while attending law school at the University of Texas in Austin, we hear, and started dating after P asked Amanda if she would join him for a round of golf.
In Kennebunkport, Bush is sure to pass the unofficial campaign office that a group of bold Dems have opened for Kerry-Edwards in this strongest of Bush strongholds. (Unofficial perhaps. But something tells us that Jesse Derris, Kerry's Maine man, had something to do with this.) Or maybe Bush will see one of their baseball caps, embroidered with the single word, "Kerrybunkport."
GOP star power
With one of People magazine's most beautiful people traveling on his honeymoon to an undisclosed location, we started wondering who'd provide the glamour and star power at Madison Square Garden later this month. Never fear, Bush-Cheney's all over it.
In fact, we got our hands on a top-secret list of big-name entertainers that the campaign has invited to perform at the Garden when Republicans gather there August 30. The list is heavy on country-western, light on rap music. But there you go.
Performing for the GOP will be the Gatlin Brothers, Dexter Freebish, Dana Glover, Donnie McClurkin, Sara Evans, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Johnny Lang, Brooks & Dunn, Lee Ann Womack, Jaci Velasquez and Michael W. Smith.
Also in New York this month will be a gaggle of actors and athletes who'll roam the Garden and dominate the talk-show circuit as surrogates for the ticket. (Think Ben Affleck and Leonardo DiCaprio, but with less box-office draw). The list includes Dennis Miller, Ben Stein, Ron Silver, Angie Harmon, Jason Sehorn and Lynn Swann.
Sensitive about their relative lack of star power, at least when compared with Democrats, Bush-Cheney notes that there are lots of other big names backing the GOP ticket, whether or not they're in New York. That A-list includes (but is certainly not limited to): Alex (A-Rod) Rodriguez, Bo Derek, Britney Spears, Clint Black, Freddie Prinz Jr., Jason Priestley, Jessica Simpson, Kelsey Grammer, Kid Rock, Lara Flynn Boyle, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Steve Tyler of Aerosmith.
Kerry-Edwards tackle Missouri
Meanwhile, on a decidedly more wonkish note, Kerry-Edwards spend today in Missouri talking about energy independence. Kerry-Edwards is holding a lunchtime rally on a family farm in Smithville, just north of Kansas City. The town sits in Clay County, which went for Al Gore in 2000 by a single vote.
During a week when the price of oil surged to a record $44.41 a barrel, aides say Kerry's 10-year, $30 billion plan will make America more energy independent by:
Expanding technologies to make more energy-efficient products.Diversifying the nation's energy sources through better use of clean technologies, natural gas, coal and fuels from non-OPEC countries.Utilizing effective diplomacy to reduce the risk premium on imported fuels and ensure fair competition in the marketplace.Per Kerry aides, Kerry would spend about $5 billion to set up a "clean fuels partnership" among government, agriculture and industry to help research fuels made from corn, soybeans, agricultural waste and other sources. He wants to use another $5 billion to create jobs in clean-energy technology sectors and an additional $10 billion to fund research into non-polluting ways to burn coal and to build such "clean coal" facilities.
Still another $10 billion would be spent to help auto plants adapt to build high-tech "cars of the future" and give consumers a $5,000 tax incentive to buy energy-efficient vehicles.
Scott Brown, CEO of New Energy Capital, and Lee Wolosky, a former director at the National Security Council, will hold a conference call with reporters to discuss the Kerry-Edwards plan to move America toward energy independence at 10 a.m. ET today.
"What we cannot afford is four more years of an energy policy that leaves our security and our prosperity in the hands of foreign governments who don't share our values," Kerry is set to say in remarks prepared for delivery.
Aides said the price tag would be offset by new fuel efficiency standards for federal buildings and vehicles and reinstatement of a tax on oil companies to pay to clean up polluted sites.
Bush-Cheney 'pre-attacks'
"Kerry's words will ring hollow in light of the fact that he helped block the president's energy bill to increase America's energy independence through more renewable energy usage," Bush spokesman Steve Schmidt said in a memo.
Speaking Tuesday in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Vice President Dick Cheney said the energy bill, stalled by Democrats in the Senate, would increase drilling and offer tax incentives to spur conservation, exploration and production.
"John Kerry and John Edwards voted no," Cheney said, calling it a "significant difference" between the tickets.
Kerry is against the bill because it allows drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, according to The Associated Press.
Copyright 2004 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
