Bush, Kerry spar over terrorism
Early voting opens in four states, including Florida
 |  Former President Bush and first lady Barbara Bush prepare to vote in Houston, Texas, one of four states to begin early voting Monday. |
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 CNN's Elaine Quijano on the Bush-Cheney team in Florida.
 CNN's Bill Schneider on the state of the race per a new poll.
 CNN's Bruce Burkhardt reports on voices behind those political ads.
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(CNN) -- President Bush and Sen. John Kerry sparred Monday over who would best protect the United States from terrorism as voters began casting early ballots in Florida, Texas, Colorado and Arkansas.
Kerry spent most of the day in Florida, and Bush attended a private dinner with supporters Monday evening in Boca Raton after campaigning in New Jersey.
At a rally in Marlton, New Jersey, Bush said Kerry has "flip-flopped his way to a dangerous position ... a strategy of retreat" in Iraq.
"That approach would lead to a major defeat in the war on terror," Bush said. "Unlike my opponent, I understand the struggle America faces, and I have a strategy to win." (Full story)
In a speech in Tampa, Kerry countered that he would fight "a smarter, more effective, tougher war on terror" with the help of allies around the world. "Just because President Bush couldn't do it doesn't mean it can't be done," he said.
Kerry complained that Bush's "mismanagement" of the Iraq war has left the United States less secure than it should be. He also said the United States needs "a president who defends America and fights for the middle class."
Voters in Florida began casting early ballots Monday in the 2004 presidential race, making the Sunshine State, which carries 27 electoral votes, a showdown magnet for both campaigns.
In 2000, Florida became the focus of the bitterly contested presidential race when challenges to voting procedures and a recount fight lasted 36 days.
Bush and Kerry have made more than a dozen visits each to the state since March 3. (Showdown state Florida)
Election offices around the state opened Monday morning for a two-week early-voting period, a measure put into place after the 2000 election woes. (Florida voters urged to cast ballots early)
Kerry assisted senior citizens who piled into vans to vote early in West Palm Beach before moving on to stops in Tampa and Orlando. (CNN.com's Candidates Tracker)
In Texas, among those casting early ballots were Bush's parents, former President George Bush and his wife, Barbara, who voted in Houston.
The former president said it was "an honor and a privilege" voting for his son's re-election, "but we don't want to be campaigning in here, so I better be careful."
Numerous polls show the threat of terrorism to be Bush's strongest issue, while Kerry generally leads on the domestic agenda.
Bush's speech, which took place hours after he signed into law the Homeland Security Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2005, was designed to help win votes in New Jersey and neighboring Pennsylvania, a major campaign battleground. Marlton is in southern New Jersey, part of the Philadelphia media market. (Showdown state Pennsylvania)
Recent polls suggest a tightening race in New Jersey. Bush aides have said that though he may not win New Jersey, the race could require the Kerry camp to expend efforts in the state, drawing power away from the fights in other states. (Showdown state explainer)
Tracking the polls
In Colorado, another battleground state, a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll released Monday reported Bush with 51 percent among likely voters to Kerry's 45 percent.
Given the poll's margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points, the result means the race there is too close to call. Among registered voters, the difference was even smaller, with 49 percent favoring Bush and 47 percent taking Kerry. (Showdown state Colorado)
A key initiative on the Colorado ballot -- whether the state's electoral votes in the presidential election should be apportioned on the basis of the popular vote -- appeared unlikely to pass.
According to the poll, likely voters were against the proposition by 53 percent to 39 percent. Among registered voters, the spread was 47 percent against and 43 percent favoring the idea. The margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points.
The poll interviewed 815 voters by telephone Thursday through Sunday, 666 of whom indicted they were likely to vote.
Nationwide, the race continues to be tight, according to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll released Sunday. (Poll)
A separate Gallup poll released Tuesday indicated that Americans are increasingly concerned about the economy.
Of 1,012 adults interviewed October 11-14, 39 percent said they thought the economy was improving, compared with 47 percent who thought so in a similar poll in September.
On the flip side, 50 percent said they thought the economy was getting worse, compared with 45 percent in the previous poll.
On two related questions, 59 percent of respondents said they were "very concerned" about gas prices, and 57 percent said they expected them to rise in the next three months. (CNN.com's Poll Tracker)
The margin of error for each question was plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Kerry lauds health care plan
In his speech in Tampa, Kerry said his health care plan would be the first proposal he would send to Congress if he wins the White House.
"Health care is not a privilege for the elected and the connected and the wealthy, it is a right for all Americans, a human right for Americans, a human right for all people and we're going to make it available to all Americans," he told a cheering crowd. (Full story)
Kerry derided Bush campaign ads that portray the Democrat's health care plan as confusing and bureaucrat-laden, and laid out the basic points of his plan along with an explanation of how he would pay for his reforms.
Kerry said his plan would bring down health care costs by importing cheaper prescription drugs from Canada, allowing Medicare to negotiate bulk rates on drugs and allowing generic drugs to reach the market more quickly.
He said he would also cut the costs of health care for small businesses and the self-employed by giving tax credits to businesses that cover their employees.
"The idea that in the richest industrialized nation on the face of this planet, there are children who have to go to the emergency room whenever they're sick in the slightest way is not just a failure of our health system, it's a failure of our value system," he declared.
His plan, Kerry said, would be paid for by rolling back the Bush tax cut for people making more than $200,000.
"Let me make it crystal clear to all of America, that is the only tax cut that will be rolled back. I, in fact, not only keep the other middle-class tax cut, I give further middle-class tax cuts," he said.
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Associated Press contributed to this report.
