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The Morning Grind / Political Hot Topics |
Cheney in the spotlight
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| | ON CNN TV | 
Tune in at 9 p.m. Friday to see more of King's interview with journalist Bob Woodward. |
 VIDEO |
 CNN's Bill Schneider on John Kerry's Iraq plan.
 CNN's Carlos Watson on Bob Woodward's "Plan of Attack."
 CNN's Kelly Wallace on Bush and Saudi oil.
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RELATED |
 Congress focuses on Iraq policy
• Support grows for troop increase
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Check out the links below to hot political stories around the country this morning.
PLAN OF ATTACK, DAY 3: The latest look at Bob Woodward's new book focuses on Vice President Dick Cheney, the "unwavering" drive he exhibited to go to war in Iraq and the tension that created between him and Secretary of State Colin Powell, someone with whom Cheney has never been close.
The Washington Post: Cheney was unwavering in desire to go to war
BUSH GAINS... : President Bush holds significant advantages over John F. Kerry in public perceptions of who is better equipped to deal with Iraq and the war on terrorism, and he has reduced the advantages his Democratic challenger held last month on many domestic issues, according to a Washington Post-ABC News Poll. The poll also shows Bush with more than 50 percent in a head-to-head that includes Ralph Nader.
The Washington Post: Poll shows new gains for Bush
... BUSH DOESN'T GAIN: Last week, as Bush struggled through one of the toughest weeks of his '04 reelection campaign, Kerry stayed under the radar, holding town-hall meetings on college campuses that seemed, to some, a missed opportunity to weigh in on the news of the day. "He was so quiet he could have spent the week hiding in the back of Econ 101." But the strategy may have worked for Kerry, who saw his poll numbers improve slightly.
The Boston Globe: Bad news for Bush boosts Kerry's standing
PATRIOT POLITICS: President Bush returned to battleground Pennsylvania on Monday and sought to highlight his efforts to prevent another terrorist attack within the United States, as he called on Congress to extend key elements of the Patriot Act. The president's push for renewal of the law came amid intense public scrutiny of his administration's efforts to combat terrorism, and amid concerns that terrorists may again strike America before the November elections.
The Los Angeles Times: Bush uses Pennsylvania trip to urge Patriot Act extensions
GREEN DAY: In a departure from the way the 2000 presidential campaign unfolded, aides and advisers to Kerry say they intend to make the environment a central issue in this year's election. In the 2000 race, Vice President Al Gore, who had dedicated much of his political career to environmental issues, did not make them a priority.
The New York Times: Kerry push, unlike Gore's, will attack on environment
BUSH-SAUDI SWEETHEART DEAL? Taking a page out of Woodward's new book, Kerry yesterday slammed the Bush administration over an alleged "sweetheart deal" over gap. In his book, Woodward reports that Bush agreed to allow the Saudis to maintain high gasoline prices until just before the fall election, when they would be cut to boost the US economy. "There was no secret deal," White House spokesman Dan Bartlett said.
The Boston Globe: Kerry hits alleged Bush-Saudi deal
THE 98 MILLION DOLLAR MAN... : President Bush has spent $98 million in his re-election campaign, nearly as much as he spent to win the Republican nomination four years ago. In a report to be filed with the Federal Election Commission today, Bush discloses that he raised $184.4 million by the end of March, and his campaign had $86.6 million in the bank.
USA TODAY: Bush campaign spending rises to a hefty $98 million
... AND THE 20 MILLION DOLLAR GROUPS TRYING TO BEAT HIM: Fueled by money from Hollywood, unions and wealthy executives, the largest independent groups raising money to defeat President Bush in November collected more than $20 million in the first quarter of 2004, according to records released by the IRS. The groups, set up by Democratic insiders and known as 527s because of the tax code that governs them, have collected about $37 million since last year. But they are still far short of their goal, now estimated at $145 million.
The Los Angeles Times: More funds raised in bid to beat Bush
"PROUD" TO STAND WITH SPECTER: President Bush came to Pittsburgh last night to send one final reminder to undecided Republican primary voters: He wants Arlen Specter back in the U.S. Senate. Bush and Specter attended an evening rally - preceded by a $500-per-person fund-raiser that gathered $400,000 for Specter - that gave the moderate senator a chance to show off his alliance with the conservative President as he entered the final days of his campaign against Pat Toomey. Voters go to the polls next Tuesday.
The Philadelphia Inquirer: Bush tells Pennsylvania he wants Specter re-elected
ADVANTAGE, TOM DeLAY: The Supreme Court refused Monday to consider if Texas Republicans went too far last year in their strategy to enact new GOP-friendly congressional boundaries. The congressional map that could give Texas Republicans six more seats cleared the state Legislature after months of turmoil and two walkouts by Democrats.
USA TODAY: Court won't hear Texas redistricting case
DASCHLE LOSES HIS NADER: After a meeting with Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle on Saturday, Tim Giago, a nationally syndicated columnist and advocate for Indian causes, said he is dropping his independent bid for Senate and throwing his weight behind the Democrat. Giago's move is good news for Daschle, who faces a tough race against ex-Rep. John Thune and feared Giago would drain votes from his column. Giago, founder of the Lakota Journal and Pueblo Journal, said in an interview Monday: "I laid out what is considered most important to the tribes of South Dakota. I went there as a sounding bell for them. And Tom listened."
The Washington Post: Daschle gains support of rival
SPEAKING OF NADER: Ralph Nader called Monday for a unilateral withdrawal of U.S. troops and military contractors from Iraq, a proposal that underscores the political threat his campaign poses to Kerry on the Democrats' left flank. While Nader praised Kerry's emphasis on a multilateral approach to Iraq, the consumer activist said the presumptive Democratic nominee had failed to articulate a policy that would appeal to antiwar voters - a charge that Howard Dean leveled at Kerry during the primary season.
The Los Angeles Times: Nader plays the antiwar card
Compiled by John Mercurio
