Candidates trade jabs in Wisconsin
Bush lauds his record on economy; Kerry blasts 'failures'
 |  Sen. John Kerry and President Bush are hoping to sway voters in crucial swing states. |
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 CNN's Suzanne Malveaux on Bush in Wisconsin.
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(CNN) -- President Bush and Democratic challenger Sen. John Kerry will visit five key states Wednesday in their quest to pick up enough electoral votes to win election November 2.
The states on the schedule represent 75 votes in the Electoral College, just over a quarter of the 270 needed to win.
Bush has planned visits to Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan. Kerry's schedule includes stops in Iowa and Minnesota, with an overnight stay in Ohio. (Showdown states Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota)
In 2000, out of that group, Bush won only Ohio. Recent polls show the race is close in each state.
Bush's day begins in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with a rally just before 9:30 a.m. (Showdown state Pennsylvania)
Kerry kicks off in Sioux City, Iowa, with a rally at 10 a.m. (Showdown state Iowa)
On Tuesday, Bush and Kerry both stopped in Wisconsin. (Showdown state Wisconsin)
The president reminded listeners of a commercial from the 2000 campaign that warned that if he were elected, senior citizens would not receive their Social Security checks.
"Well, I want you as you're gathering up the vote, to remind your friends and neighbors that George W. did get elected and our seniors did get their Social Security checks," Bush said.
Bush then plugged his proposal to partly privatize Social Security by allowing workers to set aside some of their payroll taxes in a personal savings account. (Special Report: America Votes 2004, The Issues)
Kerry has criticized the idea, likening it to gambling with the next generation's retirement savings.
Bush also lauded his record on the economy and his tax cuts. The unemployment rate in Wisconsin is down to 5 percent, he said, nearly a point below the level in the summer of 2003.
Farm income and home ownership are up, he said. Americans should be given the economic incentives to be entrepreneurs, and to have flex time in the workplace so parents can balance family and work, Bush said.
"My opponent believes the economy grows by growing the size of the federal government. I believe the economy grows by growing the size of the coffers of small businesses," he said.
He criticized Kerry for proposing what he said would be $2.2 trillion in new programs.
"To pay for all his new spending he's proposed, my opponent will have to raise taxes, not just on small-business owners, but on everyone who's ever worked for a small business, shopped at a small business or walked by a small business," Bush said.
Kerry has pledged that he will lower taxes for all but the top 2 percent of earners, who will face a rollback of Bush's tax cuts.
On homeland security, Bush stressed determination.
"We will be relentless, determined, steadfast and strong. We will not relent. We will stay on the offensive until the fight is won," Bush said.
He pledged to continue leading with "consistency and strength."
"You change your tactics, but never change your principles."
Bush campaigned later in the day in Dubuque, Iowa.
A poll of Iowa voters taken between Friday and Monday and released Tuesday shows the race in the state to be within the margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
In the CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, Bush picked up support from 50 percent of likely voters, while Kerry had 46 percent. Among the broader group of registered voters, the race is closer. Kerry had the support of 48 percent and Bush had 47 percent.
Kerry: Bush failed as commander in chief
Kerry, meanwhile, told an audience in Green Bay, Wisconsin, that Bush had "failed in his fundamental obligation as commander in chief to make America as safe and secure as we should be."
The Bush administration's role in the disappearance of nearly 380 tons of sophisticated explosives in Iraq remained in question Tuesday and continued to be an issue in the presidential campaign. (Full story)
Kerry continued his blistering attack on Bush over reports of the missing explosives, accusing Bush of trying to hide the information until after the election.
"He has stood in front of the American people day after day, telling us how much progress we are making in Iraq and how much safer we are under his leadership, without ever mentioning the loss of these deadly explosives," Kerry said.
"And what did the president have to say about the missing explosives? Not a word. Complete silence," Kerry said.
Vice President Dick Cheney told supporters in Pensacola, Florida, that it was not clear when and how the explosive cache disappeared.
"The actions of America's fighting men and women have made the world safer, and it's time for John Kerry to own up to that fact," he said. "Senator Kerry is playing armchair general, and not doing a very good job of it."
Kerry also referred to a report in the Washington Post that said Bush plans to ask for another $70 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan. Kerry said the report is proof of the "incredible price of rushing in and going it almost alone."
"Mr. President, what else are you being silent about? What else are you keeping from the American people? How much more will the American people have to pay?" he asked.
Kerry told the crowd at the Phoenix Sports Center at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay, that America's security has paid the price for the president's decisions.
"Three years after the deadliest attack in our nation's history, George Bush still hasn't done what's necessary to protect America because he's too busy protecting his tax cuts for the wealthy and the well-connected," Kerry said.
He charged that despite warnings about vulnerabilities from the FBI, the CIA and the Department of Homeland Security, Bush has not taken action.
Kerry said Bush has failed to secure the country's chemical plants and borders, and has not worked to ensure that shipping containers, airline cargo and public transportation are safe.
He also charged that Bush has allowed thousands of airport security screeners to be cut from the payrolls and has failed to make sure hospitals are prepared to handle bioterrorism attacks.
The Massachusetts senator pledged to invest $60 billion over the next 10 years to protect the country by securing the nation's ports and borders, its transportation systems and chemical and nuclear plants.
He also promised to give the country's first responders -- firefighters and police officers -- the tools and manpower they need to do their jobs.
"We have a lot of catching up to do, and we need to begin now," Kerry said.
Kerry moved from Wisconsin to Las Vegas, Nevada, where he held an early evening rally. His final rally was in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Kerry finished his day with a trip to Sioux City, Iowa, where he will prepare for Wednesday's campaign events. (Showdown states Nevada, New Mexico, Iowa)
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Associated Press contributed to this report.
