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The Morning Grind / Political Hot Topics |
Republicans unleash attacks on Kerry
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 VIDEO |
 The Morning Grind's John Mercurio reports from the Republican National Convention.
 CNN's Bill Hemmer talks with John Edwards about the RNC's tone.
 CNN's Joe Johns on John Kerry's address to the American Legion.
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| MAKING THEIR CASE |  Day Four: Thursday
• Theme: 'A Safer World, a More Hopeful America'
• 7:45 to 11:15 p.m. ET: Those appearing include Mary Lou Retton, Dorothy Hamill, Lynn Swann, Cardinal Egan, George Pataki, and George W. Bush, speaking in acceptance of the Republican nomination for president
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Check out the links below to hot political stories around the country this morning.
CHENEY ATTACKS: Vice President Dick Cheney mounted a withering attack on the Democratic nominee last night, stepping into the spotlight at the Republican National Convention to accuse John Kerry of a "habit of indecision" that would jeopardize national security if he were elected president.
The Boston Globe: Cheney leads attack on Kerry
TURNING AGGRESSIVE: Turning from compassion to aggression, Republicans launched a withering assault on John Kerry, using the third night of their national convention to attack his character, credibility and nearly 20 years in Congress.
The Los Angeles Times: GOP fires rhetorical barrage at Kerry
BUSH SPEECH: Half the speech will be about domestic policy and half foreign policy. Speaking less than 4 miles from Ground Zero, Bush will "talk about how we've been through a lot over the last four years, and he'll talk about how, because of the leadership that he's provided, we've risen to meet the challenges that we've faced."
USA Today: Speech to recall past, look to future
LUKEWARM RECEPTION: John Kerry was politely received by the American Legion yesterday, delivering a speech focused on veteran pocketbook issues and President Bush's handling of the war in Iraq without addressing the attacks leveled against him last month by fellow veterans.
The Washington Times: Kerry gets lukewarm reception at Legion
GO ROVE: During his tenure in the Bush White House, senior adviser Karl Rove has been portrayed as the shadowy Svengali lurking in the background, the Wizard of Oz toiling behind a thick curtain. That has changed at the Republican National Convention: The camera-shy Rove has embarked on a major media tour, becoming as ubiquitous a television personality as Donald Trump and Paris Hilton.
The Boston Globe: Once scarce in public, Bush adviser making a higher profile
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?: John Kerry went before an audience of thousands of veterans to accuse President Bush of creating a more dangerous world by mishandling virtually every major strategic decision he has made before and after the military invasion of Iraq.
The Washington Post: Kerry sharpens contrast with Bush
DECISIVE OR NOT: By the time President Bush mounts the podium tonight to accept his party's renomination, few viewers will have missed the Republican National Convention's central message: He is a strong, decisive leader who, unlike Democratic opponent John Kerry, steers a steady course through shifting tides of public opinion.
The Los Angeles Times: Despite claims, Bush wavers on decisiveness
BUSH IN NEW YORK: Bush swept into New York for the Republican convention last night through the modest portal of a community center in Queens, where he met with more than 100 New York City firefighters who have come to symbolize the September 11 attacks that defined his presidency.
The New York Times: Bush reaches city, accepting firefighters' endorsement in Queens
TERROR IS THE THEME: The theme of the Republican convention on Wednesday night, as on the previous two nights, was unmistakable: Be afraid of terrorists, and be very afraid of John Kerry's ability to fight the terrorists.
The Washington Post: Topic of terror overshadowing all others
CHANGING MINDS: One conundrum in the election this year is that the polls show a neck-and-neck race, just as in 2000, yet finding former Bush voters who plan to support Mr. Kerry has been easier than finding former Gore voters who will support Mr. Bush. That disparity has been a frequent topic for political Web sites and columnists.
The Washington Times: Voters not tied to picks in 2000
PROTESTERS SILENCED: As the Republican National Convention approached its final evening tonight, nearly 1,800 protesters had been arrested on the streets, two-thirds of them on Tuesday night alone. But for all the anger of the demonstrations, they have barely interrupted the convention narrative, and have drawn relatively little national news coverage.
The New York Times: Tactics by police mute the protesters, and their message
WHERE'S ROMNEY?: As Governor Mitt Romney basks in the national limelight in New York, Massachusetts Democrats yesterday demanded that he return home to attend to his official duties, saying he is ''hypocritical" for attacking Democratic presidential nominee's attendance record in the US Senate.
The Boston Globe: Democrats hit Romney on absences
ADDING ADS: John Kerry's $50 million post-Labor Day advertising effort will start in seven states before expanding to an additional 13, creating a coast-to-coast presidential battleground map by November 2.
The Associated Press: Kerry ad blitz to begin in seven states
Compiled by Heather Riley
