inside the bush kerry debate strategies

BUSH TEAM WANTS TO SEE KERRY SWEAT AT DEBATES

New York – When a race for president gets this close, no detail is too small to leave to chance, TIME’s John Dickerson and Karen Tumulty report. Which is how it happened that a man who once oversaw Middle East peacemaking found himself haggling last week with one of Washington’s most storied power players over the matter of ... colored lights. The proposal: to allow the millions of Americans watching this week’s first presidential debate to see the warning signal whenever George Bush or John Kerry has exceeded his allotted time to answer a question, TIME reports.

FULL TEXT inside debate strategies

Privatization of Social Security

social security privatization

"If you're a senior, you will get your Social Security check. You should not listen to the political nonsense that happens in the course of a campaign.The Social Security trust has got enough money to fulfill its promise to those who are receiving Social Security today.

If you're a baby boomer like me, leading edge of the baby boomers I might add, we are going to be in pretty good shape when it comes to Social Security.We need to worry about our children and our grandchildren when it comes to Social Security. I believe younger workers ought to be able to take some of their own money and set up a personal savings account that earns better interest than the Social Security trust, a personal savings account they can call their own and a personal savings account government cannot take away." ~ President George W. Bush

President Bush and Senator Kerry state their positions on the privatization of Social Security; Gene Sperling---former head of President Clinton's National Economic Council, and current economic advisor to the Kerry campaign, and South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham {Republican} give their views on privatization of Social Security and expand on the presidential candidates' respective positions with Ray Suarez of PBS' Newshour with Jim Lehrer.
PBS' Online Newshour

The Ryan-Sununu plan to overhaul Social Security

"The President is to be congratulated for recognizing the urgency of transforming Social Security into an Ownership Society. IPI stands ready to supply his administration and Congress with the analysis and arguments that will be necessary to accomplish this historic task." ~ Tom Giovanetti President of the Institute for Policy Innovation

"Today’s Social Security faces two serious problems. First, in less than 15 years, the program will begin to spend more in benefits than it takes in from payroll taxes. These deficits will rapidly exceed $100 billion a year and will continue to grow. Second, the current system provides younger and lower-income workers a very poor return on the taxes that they pay. The only way to avoid the coming financial problems without making Social Security an even worse deal for younger and lower-income workers is to establish a system of personal retirement accounts. These accounts would give all workers the flexibility to improve their retirement income above what Social Secu­rity will be able to pay or to leave a nest egg to future generations" ~ The Heritage Foundation

The Heritage Foundation's Recommendations

Personal Retirement Accounts and Transition Costs

Cheney and Edwards VP Debate Case Western

Historians, Authors, Politicians, Entertainers Will Gather to Highlight the Race at Case

CLEVELAND, Sept. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the signature events of the hotly contested 2004 presidential race will take place October 5 on the Case Western Reserve University campus when Vice President Dick Cheney and Senator John Edwards (D-N.C.) square off in their only face-to-face debate of the campaign.

The nationally televised event is scheduled for 9-10:30 p.m. EDT in the university's Veale Center. Moderating will be Gwen Ifill, senior correspondent for "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" and moderator of "Washington Week in Review," both on PBS.

FULL TEXT Cheney and Edwards VP Debate Case Western

http://www.case.edu
SOURCE Case Western Reserve University
Web Site: http://www.case.edu

Bush, Kerry in Michigan Dead Heat; Proposals 04-1 and 04-2

LANSING, Mich., Sept. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- An already tight race forMichigan's 17 electoral votes between President George W. Bush and U.S.Senator John Kerry, the Democratic nominee, just got tighter. Kerry leadsBush by only two percentage points, his smallest edge in three months, and itappears the number of undecided voters may be expanding slightly.

Kerry is ahead of Bush, 45%-43%, with only 1% for Ralph Nader. About 11%of the state's voters claim to be undecided, refused to answer whom they willvote for, or say they don't know (U/RtA/DK).

FULL TEXT Bush, Kerry in Michigan Dead Heat

How can John Kerry protect us video

kerry searching

Monday, September 27, 2004Bush-Cheney '04 Launches New Television Advertisement

Today, Bush-Cheney '04 announced the release of the campaign's newest television advertisement, "Searching." The ad contrasts John Kerry's numerous positions on the War on Terror and asks how he can protect, when he does not know where he stands. The ad will rotate on national cable and in select local markets this afternoon.

BUSH-CHENEY '04, Inc. P.O. BOX 10648 Arlington, VA 22210
Phone: 703.647.2700 Fax: 703.647.2993
Email: BushCheney04@GeorgeWBush.com
© 2004 Bush-Cheney ’04, Inc.

USA TODAY/CNN/GALLUP Poll Shows Bush 49% and Kerry 46% in Florida

MCLEAN, Va., Sept. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- USA TODAY/CNN/GALLUP have released the results of a poll of likely voters in the battleground state of Florida.The results show that of likely voters in that state, George W. Bush has 49%of the vote to John Kerry's 46% of the vote. Ralph Nader received 2% of thevote.

The poll of 674 likely voters, conducted September 18 - 22, has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

In addition to nationwide polls, USA TODAY/CNN/GALLUP is tracking the support for the candidates in the closely contested states likely to decide the 2004 election. Results for the Florida state poll will appear intomorrow's editions of USA TODAY. Complete results can now be found on USATODAY.com by going to http://www.politics.usatoday.com and clicking on USATODAY polls.

USA TODAY is the nation's top selling newspaper. It is published via satellite at 36 locations in the USA and four sites abroad. With a total average daily circulation of 2.3 million, USA TODAY is available worldwide.USA TODAY is published by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI).

SOURCE USA TODAY
Web Site: http://www.usatoday.com
http://www.politics.usatoday.com

presidential debates 2004

NEW YORK - Secretary James A. Baker, III, Bush-Cheney '04 Debate Negotiations Team Leader and Vernon Jordan, Jr. today issued the following statement:

"We are pleased to announce today that President Bush and Senator Kerry will participate in three debates. The first debate is on Thursday, September 30 at the University of Miami, in Coral Gables, Florida, the second is on October 8 in St. Louis, Missouri at Washington University, and the third at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona on October 13. Vice President Cheney will debate Senator Edwards on Tuesday October 5 at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio."
debate agreement press release full texr the full official text debate agreement pdf

Sen. Zell Miller to Receive Ronald Reagan Award

Sen. Zell Miller to Receive Second Annual Ronald Reagan Award

Frontiers of Freedom Institute will present the award. Frontiers is a non-profit, non-partisan public policy organization dedicated to protecting the constitutional rights of Americans and restoring constitutional limits on the extent and power of government. It was founded and is currently chaired by retired United States Senator Malcolm Wallop, (R-Wyo.).

"We are honored that Sen. Miller has agreed to accept this award bearing the name of an American hero," Wallop said. He added that the selection was made prior to the death of the former president, but today's announcement was held in deference to the historic funeral. "It was appropriate to wait," Wallop concluded. "And now we look forward to an outstanding evening of honoring two great men." sen. zell miller full text

Michael Moore Plans to Rally Non-voters and Slackers

Michael Moore Launches 60-City Swing State Tour; College and NBA Arenas in 20 Battleground States to Feature Live, On Stage, Oscar- winning Filmmaker; He Plans to Rally Non-voters and Slackers, 'America's Majority'

To: National Desk
Contact: Ken Sunshine or Mark Benoit, 212-691-2800, both of Sunshine Consultants

NEW YORK, Sept. 23 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Calling it his "Slacker Uprising Tour" in an effort to get millions of traditional non- voters to the polls on Nov. 2, the Oscar-winning filmmaker of "Fahrenheit 9/11" and number 1 bestselling author Michael Moore announced today that he will embark on a 60-city tour to the 20 battleground states beginning Sept. 26 in Elk Rapids, Michigan, and ending on Election Day in Tallahassee, Florida. michael moore full text

related

• Michael Moore Speaks Tonight at Thomas & Mack - October 15, 2004 A well-known director comes to Las Vegas today to encourage college students to vote. The filmmaker will bring his "Slacker Uprising Tour" to UNLV tonight. UNLV's student government is paying more than 12,000 dollars to host Moore's tour. Tickets to his speech at the Thomas and Mack Center are $5.00 dollars.
• 30 turn out for anti-Moore protest - one of about 30 demonstrators who voiced their disagreement with Moore’s politics and the actions of UNR’s student government.

kerry windsurfing video

kerry windsurfing

ARLINGTON, VA -- Bush-Cheney '04 announced the release of the campaign's newest television advertisement, "Windsurfing." The ad depicts John Kerry going whichever way the wind blows on the issues, including the War on Terror, education reform and health care. The ad will rotate on national cable and in select local markets.

BUSH-CHENEY '04, Inc. P.O. BOX 10648 Arlington, VA 22210
Phone: 703.647.2700 Fax: 703.647.2993 Email: BushCheney04@GeorgeWBush.com
© 2004 Bush-Cheney ’04, Inc.

rnc entertainer elisabeth hasselbeck pregnant

UPDATE 10/26/08 Elisabeth Hasselbeck introduces Sarah Palin at Florida Rally VIDEO

10/23/08 Elisabeth Hasselbeck to campaign for Sarah Palin VIDEO

Need more information any other Elisabeth Hasselbeck story? check out our ELISABETH LINE all the Latest Updated 24/7/365 (Right click to open stories in new window)

UPDATE: 05/07/07 Guest List for the State Dinner in Honor of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Released by the White House, Office of the First Lady, Mrs. Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Host, The View, Mr. Timothy Hasselbeck, Professional Football Player. FULL LIST Elisabeth Hasselbeck, left, host of The View, and her husband Timothy Hasselbeck, a New York Giants quarterback, walk through the Booksellers Area as they arrive for the State Dinner in honor of Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, Monday, May 7, 2007, at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)*

EXCLUSIVE PODCAST of Elisabeth's announcement Elisabeth Hasselbeck pregnant with second child! While Elisabeth Hasselbeck won't be permanently departing The View she will take a leave of absence as she announced to the world she is pregnant with her second child.

On Monday's edition of The View, (05/30/07) Rosie O'Donnell sparked the conversation when she asked Hasselbeck if there was anything new in her life. Elisabeth Hasselbeck's response was, "Um, just a couple of things. Like, I'm totally three months pregnant,

I figured that we're going to be lonely without you so Tim and I thought we should get busy and maybe make a little co-host."

Elisabeth and her husband, pro football star Tim Hasselbeck, are expecting the baby sometime in November. Hasselbeck said they didn't know the baby's gender, and that they would await the child's birth to find out.

Barbara Walters said after the announcement that, "When you said you had an announcement, my heart sank!" The November due date has one thing that both Hasselbeck and O'Donnell both noted: "Sweeps!" Hasselback joked, "That's a gift to you," in reference to the likely boon in viewers.

Joy Behar noted that it was, "perfect timing," and that, "Kelly Ripa always gave birth during sweeps."

Elisabeth Hasselbeck's announcement on The View was slightly anti-climactic, as ABC and Hasselbeck had already released a statement about the co-host's pregnancy. "Tim and I are incredibly thankful and excited," said Elisabeth Hasselbeck in a statement quoted by E Online.

With this pregnancy, the couple will welcome either a brother or sister for their two-year-old daughter, Grace Elisabeth

Editors Note: The publication date of this page was 09/23/04 and refers to Elisabeth's first child Grace. Thank You and please enjoy the collection of news, images, video and audio clips you will find here. Feel free to comment and add your thoughts below. Your friend sookietex

Find Unique Hasselbeck Gifts, T-shirts, and More at CafePress

E-mail Elisabeth

Elisabeth A Video Tribute, must view for any fan, by byzantinechild this from the creator "Elisabeth Hasselbeck, the only hot AND conservative View panelist often comes under fire because liberals can't see things the other way and she's automatically branded as a crazy!

She's not crazy at all, and she's smoking hot! Enjoy this photo tribute to the only reason I watch 'The View'."

UPDATE - 11/24/06, For the record, Elisabeth Hasselbeck was not raped and murdered, while Elizabeth Hassenback most definitely was on Law & Order: SVU.

UPDATE - 08/02/06 BARBARA WALTERS, ELISABETH HASSELBECK clashed today on "morning after pill" BARBARA WALTERS, ELISABETH HASSELBECK clashed today (08/02/06) after a disagreement over the morning-after pill. The panel on THE VIEW were discussing the day's "hot topics" - including the US Food and Drug Administration's plan to consider selling the morning after pill over the counter.

HASSELBECK: "My heart is almost out of my chest right now - I feel very strongly about this"

LISA LOEB: calls HASSELBECK's views "extreme."

WALTERS: "Elisabeth, calm down! Everybody has strong opinions on this and there are many other arguments other people could give you ... I think the most important thing, which is what we see today, is to be able to have these discussions and listen to other people's opinions and not go so crazy that you don't listen to other people's opinions ... We have to have a way of discussing this without exploding, because people have to understand each other."

HASSELBECK: tries to interrupt.

WALTERS: "Can we stop now?"

HASSELBECK: rips up note cards as the show cut to commercial.

show returns

WALTERS: comforting teary HASSELBECK, "The wonderful thing about this show is we can have discussions that we feel very emotional about. We respect your opinion."

HASSELBECK: kissing WALTERS, "I love being here with you guys" crawls into Walter's lap and being cradled by WALTERS.

UPDATE: NEW YORK Wednesday April 12, 2006 11:30 PM EDT-- Elisabeth Hasselbeck, revealed during Wednesday’s "The View" that she and her husband were being stalked.

Barbara Walters read (Windows Media format audio) a statement from the Hasselbecks. (Text Transcript Below)

"In recent weeks, Elisabeth and her husband, Tim, have been stalked and harassed by an individual or individuals who seem to want to do them harm. Now, someone has contacted the newspapers,"

The statement further revealed that the accusations involved child protective services. The accusations were investigated and found to be false, the case has been handed over to the district attorney's office.

The Hasselbecks daughter, Grace, is 1-year-old.

After reading the statement, Walters assured Elisabeth "you have our love and our respect, we couldn't care for you or Tim more than we do."

Hasselbeck said the accusations have been disturbing, but she is happy that the matter is on its way to being resolved.

Matt Hasselbeck - Seahawks

Tim Hasselbeck - Giants

Star Jones scolded her View cohosts Tuesday November 16, 2004 for breaking several of her wedding "rules."

"My cohosts, you guys, showed out," Jones said, explaining that the term is a Southern saying for behaving badly.

co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck for rearranging seating cards. Also Meredith Vieira, who moved her seat next to Hasselbeck (both came without dates), And Joy Behar, guilty of bringing a camera

Elisabeth Hasselbeck, the perky cohost of “The View” is pregnant. She made the announcement at the start of today’s (09/22/04) show after and the other hosts Meredith Vieira, Star Jones and Joy Behar walked on stage with fake pregnant bellies. more at hasselbeck pregnant elitetv

First Group of Entertainers Announced for the 2004 Republican National Convention Contact: Leonardo Alcivar (212) 356-2300

Elizabeth Hasselbeck

Mrs. Hasselbeck grew up in Providence, Rhode Island and is the daughter of Kenneth Filarski and Elisabeth DelPadre

Elisabeth Hasselbeck: Hasselbeck, formerly Elisabeth Filarski, is best known to audiences as a participant on the popular second edition of the Survivor game show, Survivor: The Australian Outback, and for her current role as a co-host of ABC's daytime talk show The View. A 1999 graduate of Boston College, Elisabeth is married to NFL quarterback Tim Hasselbeck. While at Boston College, she captained her championship D-1 softball team, as her studies centered on her studio art major. Hasselbeck has recently been putting her flair for fashion to good use as a host of the Style Network's The Look for Less, which helps viewers find designer looks at bargain prices. She has also hosted programs on MTV. Hasselbeck has a passion for working with Breast Cancer Prevention, Research and Support.

RELATED:

• Elisabeth Hasselback's RNC speech - Thank you. It is an honor to be with you tonight. In a distant land, heroic men and women are risking their lives fighting for our freedom, our families, and our future -- and I deeply thank them, and their families, for their service. On American soil, heroic women are fighting a different battle a silent campaign for their freedom, their families, and their future. It is the fight against breast cancer.

---

Elisabeth Hasselbeck, From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

(born Elisabeth Del Padre Filarski, born on May 28, 1977 in Cranston, Rhode Island), is an American television personality. She initially started as a footwear designer and came to public attention after she placed fourth in the television program Survivor: The Australian Outback. She currently is the youngest host on the daytime talk show The View. She is of Polish and Italian descent.

As a child, she lived in Providence and Cranston, Rhode Island. She graduated from St. Mary Academy - Bay View in Riverside, Rhode Island in 1993. Although she was raised by liberal parents, Elisabeth is politically conservative. She is pro-life, unconvinced that global warming is the result of man made causes, a supporter of the Iraq War, and a believer in the ideal of the proposed democratization of the Middle East. She worked as a shoe designer for Puma in 1998, while attending Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Elisabeth has Celiac Disease, and has talked about it many times on The View.

At Boston College, she was a 1997 and 1998 Orientation Leader. She also played softball at BC and was captain of the team for two seasons. She graduated from BC in 1999.

During her season of Survivor (2001), she was originally a member of the Kucha tribe, and was the last remaining member of that tribe in the game before being voted off on Day 39 and finishing fourth overall. As her luxury item, she brought a self-made immunity headress. At the end of the game, she was the most popular Survivor of that season among the fans, rating a 9.3 out of 10 in the online approval poll; despite this, she is consistently voted as the least popular hostess on The View. Producers wanted her to return for the Survivor: All-Stars edition, but she was unable to attend because she was starting her tenure at The View at the time.

From 1999 to 2002, she hosted the Style Network documentary-style style program Stylemakers. She was also the host of The Look for Less from 2002 to 2003. In 2003, Elisabeth was one of a number of women who guest-hosted to replace outgoing The View co-host Lisa Ling. Elisabeth was then among the last few contenders, and was finally chosen by the ladies (in a Survivor-style Tribal Council) as the new co-host.

Hasselbeck represents the dissenting position on The View, defending creationism and opposing euthanasia and abortion. She was a supporter of President George W. Bush's reelection campaign and delivered a primetime speech at the 2004 Republican National Convention.

She is a supporter of cervical health and encourages women to have regular exams. In recent years she has worked with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Making Memories Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, The Wireless Amber Alert Program Initiative and The World Scholar Athlete Games.

Since her appearance on Survivor, she has married (in July 2002) her college sweetheart, current New York Giants backup quarterback Tim Hasselbeck. In the past, Hasselbeck has been open about owing much of her career to the influence of her husband's family, particularly her father-in-law, Don Hasselbeck. On April 6, 2005, she gave birth to the couple's first child, a daughter named Grace Elisabeth Hasselbeck. Her brother-in-law is Seattle Seahawks Pro-bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.

In 2007, Elisabeth was asked to participate in the fourth season of Dancing with the Stars. She turned the offer down due to her commitment with The View and her family.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article, Elisabeth Hasselbeck.

*Copyright: elisabeth_hasselbeck_queen.jpg, Photo © AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari Original Release Date: AP - Mon May 7, 8:27 PM ET. All rights reserved

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U.S. Criminal Code, Chapter 63, Section 1343

"whoever, having devised any scheme or artifice to defraud transmits or causes to be transmitted by means of wire, radio or television communication in interstate or foreign commerce, any writings for the purpose of executing such scheme or artifice, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both. "

Some person or persons conceived a scheme to create a series of false … documents and append a photocopied signature to one of them. The perpetrator then helped cause the fraudulent file to be transmitted by means of television communication to millions of voters for the purpose of influencing a federal election. more at william safires' new york times piece find the forger

rnc chairman ed gillespie on CBS, docu-drama, rathergate

Contact: Christine Iverson202-863-8614

Washington DC – Chairman Gillespie made the following comments during today’s RNC conference call:

“Many questions still remain. Was a crime committed? I believe so. Obviously, forgery is involved. But the Texas Legal Code also says it is a third degree felony if one ‘makes, presents, or uses any record, document, or thing with knowledge of its falsity and with intent that it be taken as a genuine governmental record’ or ‘makes, presents, or uses a governmental record with knowledge of its falsity.’

“Did the Kerry campaign know about the existence of the documents in question in advance of the CBS report? A chronology of events indicates they did.

“Bill Burkett says he made multiple contacts with the Kerry campaign in August, sending an e-mail newsletter on August 21 saying he talked to Kerry campaign seniors on Friday, August 20. The Kerry campaign told him they wanted to ‘counterattack,’ and he says he ‘gave them the information to do it with.’

“Bill Burkett says he contacted the Democratic National Committee and laid out a rationale for using what he termed ‘down and dirty tactics against President Bush.’

“We know that the Kerry campaign devised a strategy to attack the President’s National Guard service that began the same night the Republican National Convention ended, with Senator Kerry attacking the President’s guard service on the night of September 2.

“Two days before the 60 Minutes report aired, Howard Wolfson, ‘a strategist dispatched to the DNC by the Kerry campaign’ joined the DNC to head up ‘Operation Fortunate Son.’

“On Wednesday, September 8th, the day of the report, the DNC officially launched Operation Fortunate Son, and ‘Texans For Truth,’ funded by a Kerry supporter, announced an advertising campaign.

“On Thursday, the day after the 60 Minutes report, the DNC distributed an ad that had clearly been prepared in anticipation of the CBS News report, and cited the documents at a DNC press conference where Senator Tom Harkin called the President a ‘liar.’

“One might argue that these steps were taken without advance knowledge of the existence of the documents and this is all coincidence, but that strains credibility.

“CBS has apologized for airing the story based on discredited documents, but has not issued a retraction. One of its producers contacted the Kerry campaign to encourage them to talk to one of her sources who could be helpful to the campaign. Whether this was done as part of an agreement with the source to go public or as a ‘friendly tip,’ it is entirely inappropriate. Yet CBS News allows to continue in a news gathering and reporting capacity a journalist who, according to yesterday’s Associated Press ‘makes no secret of her liberal beliefs’ and has unquestionably provided opposition research to one of the presidential campaigns.

“This demonstrates a serious lack of judgment separate and apart from the lack of judgment demonstrated in running a report based on discredited documents. Did this producer’s own political viewpoint cloud her judgment? Is CBS News’ decision to neither suspend nor release the producer in question a result of judgment clouded by Viacom and CBS owner Sumner Redstone’s role as a Kerry fundraiser, or Viacom President Tom Freston’s public support of John Kerry for President.

“Other questions that should be answered:

1. We know that CBS put the Kerry campaign in touch with Burkett, but who put Burkett in touch with CBS in the first place? Was it someone at the Kerry campaign, or the DNC?

2. Who were the ‘seniors’ other than Senator Cleland that Burkett spoke to at the Kerry campaign on August 20? Lockhart wasn't a part of the Kerry campaign on August 20, and neither were McCurry, Begala, Carville or Greenberg. So, who spoke with Burkett on August 20, and to whom did he provide the information for a “counterattack?”

3. Did the Kerry campaign or the DNC know about the documents before the CBS story broke? If so, from whom did they learn of them?

“The centerpiece of the Kerry Campaign’s ‘character based critique,’ Boston-speak for character assassination, is based on a discredited news report that was based on the criminal activity of someone who mocked up and forged documents. What’s that say for the character of the Kerry campaign?

“CBS should act now to assure its viewers that it understands the gravity of its producer’s actions, and the Kerry campaign and the DNC should answer these questions, abandon its character assassination campaign and focus on the issues relevant to the American people in this election.”

Kerry Statement on Terry Holt Nicolle Devenish

September 22, 2004
Kerry Campaign Statement on Comments by Terry Holt and Nicolle Devenish
For Immediate Release

Washington, DC - Kerry-Edwards campaign spokesperson Stephanie Cutter released the following statement today in response to comments made by Terry Holt and Nicolle Devenish of the Bush-Cheney campaign:

“In two sentences, Nicole Devenish and Terry Holt articulated why George Bush is unfit for another four years in the White House. In spite of all the mistakes he has made, George Bush refuses to hold himself accountable and stubbornly clings to failed policies that have taken the country in the wrong direction. America doesn’t need a president who governs the land of make believe.”

Holt – President Hasn’t Made a Mistake in Iraq
“The simple answer is that the president hasn't made a mistake in Iraq.” [Terry Holt, Crossfire, 9/22/04]

Devenish – President’s Don’t Get to Change Their Mind When Things Go Bad
“Presidents don't get to change their mind when things go badly.” [Nicolle Devenish, CNN Inside Politics, 9/22/04]

Medical Liability Reform and Health Care

Remarks by President Bush on Medical Liability Reform and Health Care

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- The following are remarks by PresidentBush on Medical Liability Reform and Health Care:

United Sports Training Center
Downingtown, Pennsylvania
1:37 P.M. EDT

President Bush: Thank you all for coming. (Applause.) I appreciate you all being here. Thanks for coming. I appreciate such a warm welcome. I'm proud to be back in Chester County, Pennsylvania. (Applause.) I'm here to ask for your help. We're less than two weeks away when the people get to go express their opinion in the polls, and I believe, with your help, we're going to win the state of Pennsylvania (Applause.)

I know a lot of people are working hard in this campaign, and I am here to thank you. I want to thank you for putting up the signs. I want to thank you for making the phone calls. I want to thank you for reminding our fellow citizens we have a duty to go to the polls in a democracy. And when you get them headed to the polls, remind them if they want a safer America, a stronger America, and a better America, to put me and Dick Cheney back in office. (Applause.)

So ever since Barbara and Jenna were young I've been telling them we're going to go on the great family camping trip. (Laughter.) I'm sure they envisioned the Colorado River, or the wilds of Alaska, but, no, the great family camping trip turned out to be the campaign of 2004. (Applause.) And I can't tell you -- I cannot tell you how great it is to have my daughter introduce me in front of you all. I'm proud of Barbara. I love her dearly. And I thank you for joining me, darling. (Applause.) My only regret, which is I'm sure your regret, is that Laura is not here. (Applause.) And Jenna, of course, but she's with Laura. See, when I asked Laura to marry me she said, fine, I will marry you, so long as I never have to give a speech. (Laughter.)
I said, okay, you've got a deal. Fortunately, she did not hold me to that deal. Laura is giving a lot of speeches, and when she does, the American people see a warm compassionate, strong First Lady. (Applause.)


AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!


THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. I am proud of my running mate. I met with the Vice President this morning at our national security briefing. It -- taking a look at him reminded me I didn't pick him because of his hairdo. (Laughter.) He does not have the waviest hair in the race. (Laughter.) But I picked him because of his experience and sound judgment. He's doing a great for the American people. (Applause.)

By the way, a fellow you trained is doing a great job in Washington, and that would be your former governor, Tom Ridge. (Applause.) He is a fine member of a very strong Cabinet. And he is doing a fine job of helping protect this homeland. I want to thank your two United States Senators for their service to your state. First, I hope you put Arlen Specter back into office. He's a good Senator. (Applause.) And I'm proud to work with your other Senator, Rick Santorum. (Applause.)

I want to thank Congressman Jim Gerlach for his service to the this district. I appreciate you, Congressman. (Applause.) He's somewhere around here. Where -- there you are, Congressman. Good to see you. I see you're sitting next to a good fellow in Congressman Joe Pitts -- appreciate you coming, Joe. And Congressman Tom Feeney from the state of Florida is with us. (Applause.) Feeney? Yes, what are you doing here? Get back to your district and turn out the vote. (Laughter and applause.) I'll see you down there Saturday. (Laughter.)

I want to thank all the local folks who are here. I want to thank my friend Alan Novak, who is the party chairman. I want to thank -- (applause.)

Barbara and I just had a chance to meet with four doctors from the area, and a patient, Charlene Ware. And the docs were all telling me you got a problem here. We're going to talk about health care here today. I want to thank the docs for taking time to visit with me to share their concerns. And part of my address today is to share their concerns with you, because in order to make sure we've got a good health care system, we've got to make sure you have good professionals remain right here in your neighborhood to help solve the problems you have. (Applause.)

We have a lot at stake in this election. There are big issues that we're discussing. When I ran for President four years ago none of us could have ever envisioned the horror of September the 11th. Since that day, I have led a comprehensive strategy to defeat the terrorists, to keep the homeland safe and secure. (Applause.) I pledged to the American people we would be resolute and determined and do our duty to protect you, and I kept my pledge. (Applause.)

Our economy -- our economy has been through a lot. When you're out rounding up the vote, remind people about what we have been through. The stock market was in serious decline six months prior to my arrival in Washington, D.C. And then we went through a recession. We had some corporate scandals. We passed tough laws, by the way. We have made it abundantly clear we will not tolerate dishonesty in the board rooms of America. And then -- (applause.) We got attacked. It costs us about a million jobs in the three months after September the 11th. I pledged to the American people, we would reduce your taxes to get our economy going again. I kept my word. (Applause.) Our economy is strong, and it is getting stronger. (Applause.)

I promised to reform our public schools and to challenge the soft bigotry of low expectations. I kept my word. (Applause.) We passed the No Child Left Behind Act, and we're closing an achievement gap all across America. And we're not going to go back to the days of mediocrity and low standards. (Applause.)

Another major area that needs reform is health care. We have made a good start. And in a new term, I will build on our efforts to improve America's health care. Health care is an essential issue in this campaign, and it's an essential issue in Pennsylvania. And that's why I'm delighted to come here to talk about it. Across America, small business owners are struggling with the high cost of providing health insurance for their employees. Some workers have lost good coverage because they have changed jobs. Women have lost doctors they trust because of frivolous lawsuits. We need to act on these concerns. And we need to act in a practical, responsible way.

Here, America faces a clear choice. When it comes to health care, Senator Kerry's prescription is bigger government with higher costs; my reforms will lower costs and give more control and choices to the American people. (Applause.)

The United States of America has a world-class health care system that leads the world in providing amazing treatments and cures for millions of people. As a candidate for President, I had pledged to double the budget of the National Institutes of Health, to make sure we stay on the leading edge of change and reform. I kept my word. (Applause.) We have the most advanced hospitals in the world who do the most innovative research. We have the finest, most highly trained health care professionals in the world. We lead the world because we believe in a system of private medicine that encourages innovation and change. (Applause.)

Yet, rising costs and changes in the way Americans live and work are putting affordable health care out of the reach of too many of our citizens. Today I want to talk about a common-sense way to make health care more affordable and accessible, while preserving America's system of private medicine.

Our reforms will help our families and individuals afford health insurance and save for health care expenses. They will help more small businesses provide health care coverage for their employees. And that's important, because more than one-half of the uninsured working Americans work for small businesses.

My reforms will make sure low-income Americans, especially children, get the health care they need. They will ensure preventative care and prescription drug coverage for our seniors on Medicare, and provide quality health care for our nations veterans. And my reforms address the root causes of rising health care costs, which make health care more expensive for everyone. In a new term we'll take five practical steps to make health care more affordable and accessible in America, and here they are:

First, we'll expand health savings accounts, or HSAs. (Applause.) An HSA is an innovative approach to health care that gives you affordable coverage for major illness and allows you to save money, tax-free, up to a set limit, to use for routine medical expenses. You can make a contribution to this account; your government can make a contribution to the account; or your employer can make a contribution to the account. If you don't use all the money in a year you can roll it over, tax-free, to meet future expenses. (Applause.)

Health savings accounts protect you against catastrophic medical expenses, because you can take your savings account from job to job. It provides you more security if you change jobs. This approach will help our nation confront the rising cost of health care, and this is how. One of the reasons why health care costs are on the rise is that consumers are not involved in the decision-making process. Most health care costs are covered by third parties, and therefore, the user of health care is really not the purchaser of health care. With HSAs we introduce market forces. It means you can shop around for the health care that's best for you. It means you'll be able to get better health care at better prices, because you're the decision-maker. (Applause.)

To help more people own HSAs, I proposed allowing individuals to deduct the cost of their insurance premiums from their taxes. (Applause.) To help employers cover more workers, I proposed tax credits for small businesses to pay into HSAs for their employees. (Applause.) To help the uninsured I proposed a $3,000 refundable tax credit to help low-income families buy their own HSAs. (Applause.) These incentives will allow many more of our fellow citizens to have a health care account that they manage and that they call their own. (Applause.)

To help people afford health care, we will pass association health plans which allows small firms to join together, to pool risk so they can buy insurance at the same discounts big companies are able to do. (Applause.) That means a stand-alone family restaurant in Pennsylvania can join together with other small restaurants all around the country so they can spread the risk, so they don't have to buy insurance in the market as a stand-alone entity. This is a practical way to enable small businesses to better afford health care for their employees. (Applause.)

I view a health savings account or an association health plan as common-sense ideas. It makes sense. Yet my opponent is against both of them. He doesn't agree. And there's a reason why -- Senator Kerry's idea of reform always involves bigger and more intrusive government.

AUDIENCE: Booo! (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: And his health care proposal proves my point. In one of our debates, Senator Kerry looked into the television camera, with a straight face, and said -- quote -- "Government has nothing to do with it." That was in reference to his health care plan. I could barely contain myself. (Applause.) In fact, government has a whole lot to do with his plan, and that's important for you to know. Senator Kerry's proposal would expand the government health care rolls by nearly 22 million Americans. It would be the largest expansion of government health care in American history. Eight out of ten people who get health coverage under his plan would be placed on a government program.

He would make Medicaid a large -- a program so large that employers would have the incentive to drop private coverage so the government would pick up the insurance tab for their employees. Now, think about that. When you make Medicaid more accessible, the small business will have the incentive to say, well, the government will provide the insurance, so I don't have to. That's why I say that some 8 million Americans will go from private insurance to government-run insurance. And Medicaid is a government-run program.

The Senator wants the federal government to pick up the tab for large medical bills that private employer-sponsored plans now pay for. In other words, the federal government is going to become like an insurance company, a re-insurer, which sounds fine on the surface, except, remember this, when the federal government writes the check, the federal government also writes the rules. And when the federal government starts to write the rules, the government decides who's covered, and who gets the coverage, and how much care you get.

In addition, an independent study estimates that John Kerry's plan would impose at least 225 new regulatory mandates on small businesses. One group looked at the plan and described it as an overpriced albatross. (Laughter.) That's being kind. (Laughter.) This is a plan that will create burdens that our job creators cannot afford and do not deserve. (Applause.) And the plan costs a lot -- $1.2 trillion. That's with a "The." That's a lot. (Laughter.) And he says, oh, don't worry, I'm going to pay for it all by taxing the rich. You can't raise enough money by taxing the rich to pay for a $1.2 trillion health care plan. Matter of fact, if you run up the top two brackets, it raises between $600 billion and $800 billion, so there is a gap between what he promises and how he says he's going to pay for it. And guess who usually fills the gap? Yes, you do.

There's also something else wrong with saying to tax the rich. The rich hire lawyers and accountants for a reason, to slip the tab to you. We're not going to let him tax you. We're going to carry Pennsylvania on November the 2nd. (Applause.)


AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!


THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. When you're out the campaigning and rounding up the vote, remind people about the facts of his plan. The Kerry plan would move America down the road toward federal control of health care, which would lead to lower quality and health care rationing. Other countries have tried centralized health care and it didn't work. We have great quality health care in America because it is a private center system. And I intend to keep it that way. Health care decisions ought to be between doctors and patients, not by officials in Washington, D.C. (Applause.)

Third, we must fix our broken legal system. (Applause.) Junk lawsuits -- junk lawsuits are expensive for doctors and hospitals to fight in court. They are expensive to settle out of court. They drive up the cost of liability insurance for every doctor, and they increase the cost of health care for all Americans. (Applause.)

To avoid junk lawsuits, many doctors practice defensive medicine. They order tests and write prescriptions that aren't really necessary just to protect themselves from lawsuits. That's what happens in a society that has too many lawsuits. The practice of defensive medicine raises costs for patients and small businesses and adds about $28 billion a year to the federal budget. Remember, the federal budget takes care of Medicare and Medicaid and veterans, and the practice of defense medicine runs up the cost to the federal government, which really runs up your tab. See, you pay for it. When we're talking about the government's money, we're really talking about your money. (Applause.) We want our doctors focused on fighting illness, not on having to
fight lawsuits. (Applause.)

The effects of the litigation culture are real in the state of Pennsylvania. They are hurting the quality of life in this state. Medical liability premiums are skyrocketing in this state, as they are in other states. For specialists in high-risk fields, like OB/GYN, those premiums have doubled or tripled in some counties since 2000. And guess what happens. Docs leave the practice of medicine. In the past two years, Mercy and Methodist Hospitals in Philadelphia both stopped delivering babies. The quality of life is deteriorating because of these lawsuits. Brandywine's only trauma center was forced to close. The quality of life is deteriorating because of the junk lawsuits. According to a recent poll, one in four people in Pennsylvania have been forced to change doctors in the last year because liability costs have forced their doctor to move, to stop practicing, or to discontinue procedures. And every time a good doctor is forced out of a community by lawsuits, or the fear of lawsuits, the quality of life deteriorates. (Applause.)

Not long ago I met Mary Coar from Honesdale. Her OB/GYN had to give up delivering babies because of liability concerns. When Mary was four months pregnant she started driving 50 miles each way to see a different doctor. When Mary's daughter arrived this summer she was delivered by a doctor she had never met. When a mother is looking forward to having a baby, the last thing she needs is uncertainty about her health care. For the sake of women and families across this state and this country, we need medical liability reform. (Applause.)

The difference between my opponent's point of view and mine is very clear on this issue. He has voted ten times against medical liability reform during his Senate career. This year when the Senate considered bills to protect OB/GYNs and trauma physicians Senator Kerry opposed them. Now, I know we're in a campaign, and he's paying lip service to legal reform, but it's his votes and his actions, not his words, that really count. (Applause.) He can run from his record, but he cannot hide. (Applause.)

In a new term, we'll pass real caps on non-economic damages. This is a national problem requiring a national solution. And I will lead the United States Congress to pass medical liability reform. (Applause.)

Fourth, we'll reduce health care costs by applying modern information technology to our medical system. Many doctors offices practice 21st century medicine -- many hospitals practice 21st century medicine, but still have 19th century filing systems. And in hospitals, there's more risk of medical error when all the records are handwritten on paper, instead of cross-checked on a computer. That makes sense. Doctors don't write very well anyway. (Laughter.) They write about as well as I speak English. (Laughter and applause.)

The current system is costly and is wasteful, and sometimes horrible -- sometimes harmful. And we're on our way to fixing it. I've set a goal to make electronic medical records available for most Americans within the next decade. We're working with states and private hospitals to set standards for information storage and sharing. When the health care community fully maximizes the use of information technology, we will reduce medical costs by as much as 20 percent. We will cut medical errors and we will save lives. (Applause.)

Fifth, we're cutting health care costs by moving cheaper generic drugs to the market faster. My administration is making sure that drug companies do not use delaying tactics to keep cheaper generic equivalents from getting to the consumers. Our actions will save Americans at least $35 billion on the medicine over the next 10 years. And that will make life-saving drugs more affordable to our seniors (Applause.)

As we move forward and make health care more affordable and accessible we'll also keep the commitments we've made, commitments necessary for a compassionate country. We have strengthened and modernized Medicare. I told the American people we had a problem with Medicare when I was campaigning. I brought Republicans and Democrats together and I kept my word in modernizing Medicare. (Applause.)

Listen, Medicare would pay thousands of dollars for a heart surgery, but not one dime for the prescription drug that could prevent the heart surgery from being needed in the first place. It didn't make any sense. (Applause.) And so we've strengthen and modernized Medicare. I signed a bill to strengthen the system. Now seniors are getting discounts on their medicine with drug discount cards. And low-income seniors are getting $600 worth of help a year to buy those medicines. And beginning in 2006, all seniors will be able to get prescription drug coverage under Medicare. (Applause.)

We have another difference of opinion on this issue. My opponent voted against the Medicare bill that included prescription drug coverage for seniors, even though that bill was supported by AARP and other seniors groups. Later, he said -- quote -- "If I'm the President we're going to repeal that phoney bill." Then he said -- then he said a little later --

AUDIENCE: Booo!

THE PRESIDENT: -- no, I don't want to repeal it. That sounds familiar.

AUDIENCE: Flip-flop! Flip-flop!

THE PRESIDENT: As President for the next four years, I will defend the reforms we have worked so hard to pass so we can keep the promise to our seniors. (Applause.)

We'll keep our commitment to America's children by helping them get a healthy start in life. I'll work with governors and community leaders and religious leaders to make sure every eligible child is enrolled in our government's low-income health insurance program. We will not allow a lack of attention, or information, to stand between millions of children and the health care they need. (Applause.)

I know some of you here are worried about -- about the upcoming flu season. I want to assure our seniors and families with young children that our government is doing everything possible to help seniors and children get their shots, despite the major manufacturing defect that has caused this problem. We have millions of vaccine doses on hand, and millions more will be shipped in the coming weeks. We're working closely with state and local officials to get the flu vaccine to the most vulnerable Americans throughout our country. If you're feeling healthy, like I'm feeling healthy these days, don't get in line for the flu shot. (Applause.)

To make sure health care is available, we will keep our commitment to low- income Americans by expanding America's community health centers. Community health centers take the pressure off of local emergency rooms, improve care for the needy, and lower costs for us all. Since I took office, we have opened or expanded more than 600 community health centers. In a new term, we'll open or expand 600 more, and bring healing to areas with the greatest need. Every poor county in America should have a rural or community health center. (Applause.)

And finally, we will keep our commitment to American veterans who have served our country so well. (Applause.) We have increased -- we have increased spending for the veterans during my time by $22 billion, which is double the amount my predecessor did in the eight years he served as President of the United States. (Applause.) We're reducing the backlog in veterans' health care claims. We're modernizing our VA health centers and building new ones. Men and women who wore this nation's uniform deserve first-class medical care, and we are getting the job done. (Applause.)

Health care is one of the most important issues facing our country. I'm glad you came today to let me talk about it. I'm passionate in understanding there is a right way to make sure health care is available and affordable, and a wrong way. I feel strongly that the way I have proposed is the right way for America. (Applause.)

There is a big difference of philosophy in this campaign. If you think about it, on issue after issue after issue, my opponent wants the government to dictate to the American people. I want the American people to decide. He trusts government; I trust the people. (Applause.)

I'm ready for the work ahead. I know what we need to do to make sure this country is a more hopeful country and a more secure country. I've set out a set of clear priorities based upon a political philosophy that says government will help people realize their dreams, not tell them how to live their lives. We'll move forward -- (applause.) We'll move forward on a health care system that makes sure we got the best health care system in the world, a health care system where the decisions will be made by doctors and patients, not by officials in our nation's capital. (Applause.)

We'll continue -- continue to promote excellence in every public school, so no child is left behind. I'll continue to -- (applause) -- continue to promote a pro-growth, pro-entrepreneur, pro-small business, pro-farmer economic agenda so people can find work. (Applause.)

But all progress ultimately depends on the security of our nation. We're in the middle of a global war on terror. We face an enemy that is determined to kill the innocent and convert our country into a battlefield. In this war on terror, there is no place for confusion, no substitute for victory. (Applause.)

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: The most -- the most solemn duty of the American President is to protect the American people. If America shows uncertainty or weakness in this decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. This will not happen on my watch (Applause.)

Since that terrible morning of September the 11th, 2001, we've fought the terrorists across the Earth -- not for pride, not for power, but because the lives of our citizens are at stake. Our strategy is clear: We'll defend the homeland; we'll strengthen our intelligence services; we will transform our all-volunteer army -- I will keep our all-volunteer army and all-volunteer army. (Applause.) We will be relentless. We will stay on the offense. We will strike the terrorists abroad so we do not have to face them here in America. (Applause.) We will spread freedom and liberty, and we will prevail.

I want to tell you -- I want to talk about two quick examples of what I'm talking about, about spreading freedom and liberty. I want you to remind people, particularly the young, about what is taking place in Afghanistan. Three-and-a-half years ago, the Taliban ran that country and Al Qaeda was using Afghanistan as a place to train killers, some of whom came and took lives here in America -- three-and-a-half years ago. Three-and-a-half years ago, young girls couldn't go to school because the vision of the Taliban was so dark. Three-and-a-half years ago, women were pulled in the public square and whipped if they didn't toe the ideological line of those ideologues of hatred. It was a grim world. And we acted to defend ourselves.

Remember, I set out a doctrine -- and when the American President speaks the American President better mean what he says. (Applause.) And I said if you harbor a terrorist, you're just as guilty as the terrorists. And I meant what I said. And we removed the Taliban for our own security -- but because we did, millions of citizens of Afghanistan voted in the presidential election that took place a couple of weeks ago. (Applause.) The first voter in the presidential election was a 19-year-old woman. (Applause.) Afghanistan has gone from darkness to light because freedom is on the march. (Applause.) And America is better off for it. Free nations will be an ally on the war on terror. Free nations will serve as a great example for others.

Iraq will have presidential elections in January. Think about how far that society has come. (Applause.) It's gone from torture chambers and mass graves to elections. Freedom is on the march.

One of my friends -- one of our friends -- Laura and my friends in the world is Prime Minister Koizumi of Japan. That probably doesn't sound like much; so what. Well, let me tell you what the "so what" is. It wasn't all that long ago that we were at war with the Japanese. It's an eternity if you're 58 years old, but really in the march of history it wasn't all that long. After we won the war against the Japanese -- and it was a brutal war. My dad fought there; your dads and granddads fought there, as well. (Applause.) Harry S. Truman believed in the power of liberty to transform an enemy into an ally. There was a lot of people that were skeptical about that. A lot of people said, why do we want to care about an enemy? Or, this enemy can't conceivably become an democracy. Why should we pay attention to somebody who -- some country that killed a lot of our citizens.

But there was great faith in the power of liberty to transform. That's what I believe. I believe in the power of liberty to transform societies. And as a result of that belief, I sit down with Prime Minister Koizumi talking about how to achieve the peace we all want, talking about tough problems in the world, so we can make a better world for our children and our grandchildren. Some day an American president will sit down with a duly-elected leader from Iraq, talking about the peace in the Middle East. And our children and our grandchildren will be better off for it.(Applause.)

I believe in the power of liberty. I believe that people in the Middle East want to be free. I believe women in the Middle East long to live in a free society. I believe mothers and dads in the Middle East want to raise their children in a free and peaceful world. I believe all these things, because freedom is not America's gift to the world; freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each man and woman in this world. (Applause.)

Over the past nearly four years, we've done a lot of hard work together. We climbed the mountain and we see the valley below. The valley below is of a more peaceful world, of a hopeful America. You know, when I campaigned in your state in 2000 I said if you gave me the chance to serve I would uphold the honor and the dignity of the office. (Applause.) With your help, I will do so for four more years.

Thanks for coming. God bless. Thank you all. I appreciate your coming. (Applause.)

END 2:24 P.M. EDT

SOURCE White House Press Office
Web Site: http://www.whitehouse.gov

Dan Rather Statement On Memos

(CBS) Below is the text of CBS News Anchor Dan Rather's statement on the documents purportedly written by President Bush's National Guard commander:

Last week, amid increasing questions about the authenticity of documents used in support of a "60 Minutes Wednesday" story about President Bush's time in the Texas Air National Guard, CBS News vowed to re-examine the documents in question-and their source-vigorously. And we promised that we would let the American public know what this examination turned up, whatever the outcome.

Now, after extensive additional interviews, I no longer have the confidence in these documents that would allow us to continue vouching for them journalistically. I find we have been misled on the key question of how our source for the documents came into possession of these papers. That, combined with some of the questions that have been raised in public and in the press, leads me to a point where-if I knew then what I know now-I would not have gone ahead with the story as it was aired, and I certainly would not have used the documents in question.

But we did use the documents. We made a mistake in judgment, and for that I am sorry. It was an error that was made, however, in good faith and in the spirit of trying to carry on a CBS News tradition of investigative reporting without fear or favoritism.

Please know that nothing is more important to us than people's trust in our ability and our commitment to report fairly and truthfully.

©MMIV, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

CBS Statement On Bush Memos - docu-drama, rathergate

(CBS) Below is the text of the CBS News statement on its use of documents purportedly written by President Bush's National Guard commander:

Bill Burkett, in a weekend interview with CBS News Anchor and Correspondent Dan Rather, has acknowledged that he provided the now-disputed documents used in the Sept. 8 "60 Minutes Wednesday" report on President Bush’s service in the Texas Air National Guard.

Burkett, a retired National Guard lieutenant colonel, also admits that he deliberately misled the CBS News producer working on the report, giving her a false account of the documents’ origins to protect a promise of confidentiality to the actual source.

Burkett originally said he obtained the documents from another former Guardsman. Now he says he got them from a different source whose connection to the documents and identity CBS News has been unable to verify to this point. Burkett’s interview will be featured in a full report on tonight’s CBS Evening News with Dan Rather (6:30-7:00 p.m., ET/PT).

In light of this and other developments reported by CBS News and other news organizations, CBS News President Andrew Heyward issued the following statement:

“'60 Minutes Wednesday' had full confidence in the original report or it would not have aired. However, in the wake of serious and disturbing questions that came up after the broadcast, CBS News has done extensive additional reporting in an effort to confirm the documents’ authenticity.

That included an interview featured on last week’s edition of "60 Minutes Wednesday" with Marian Carr Knox, secretary to the late Lt. Col. Jerry Killian, the officer named as the author of the documents; the interview with Bill Burkett to be seen tonight; and a further review of the forensic evidence on both sides of the debate.

Based on what we now know, CBS News cannot prove that the documents are authentic, which is the only acceptable journalistic standard to justify using them in the report. We should not have used them. That was a mistake, which we deeply regret. Nothing is more important to us than our credibility and keeping faith with the millions of people who count on us for fair, accurate, reliable, and independent reporting. We will continue to work tirelessly to be worthy of that trust.”

CBS News and CBS management are commissioning an independent review of the process by which the report was prepared and broadcast to help determine what actions need to be taken. The names of the people conducting the review will be announced shortly, and their findings will be made public.

©MMIV, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

have you seen me?

jedwards

Since the conclusion of his party's convention this past July, Democratic VP nominee NC Senator John Edwards has scarcely been seen or heard. Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert seems to have the right touch to provoke comment from Senator Edwards.Saturday September 18, 2004, while stumping in Illinois with VP Dick Cheney, Speaker Hastert was asked by a reporter "if he thought al Qaeda would operate with more comfort if Kerry were elected?" Speaker Hastert replied "that's my opinion, yes."

In response to that exchange, Sen.Edwards at a rally in Phoenixville Pennsylvania said, "Hastert has joined the fear-mongering choir. Let me just say this in the simplest possible terms, when John Kerry is president of the United States, we will find al Qaeda where they are and crush them before they can do damage to the American people." Senator Edwards did not elaborate as to how he and Senator Kerry would accomplish these goals.

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72-HOUR PLAN

Voter contact projects for the final push.

The Indiana Republican Party

47 South Meridian Street 2 nd Floor

Indianapolis, IN 46204

www. indgop. org 1

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72-Hour Plan

Voter contact projects for the final push in 2004.

Overview

There is no single key to victory on Election Day. Winning campaigns are a blend of good message and media, positive voter contact, momentum, and even some good fortune.

However, in a close race, the voter contact component is critical— the details of which comprise an aggressive, well-executed 72-Hour Plan.

As we learned in Florida in 2000, every single vote counts and none can be taken for granted. The Democrat Party has excelled at utilizing local level, paid volunteers from organized labor in the final 72 hours.

We can expect the same thing this year.

In 2004, it is imperative that the Republican Party amass the volunteer resources necessary to combat these efforts.

A good 72-Hour plan is a combination of projects that are executed throughout the year. It is also a coordinated effort, one where the State Party, the County Party, the gubernatorial campaign, the precinct committeemen and vice committeemen, and all other campaigns work closely together, forming a 72-Hour Team.

Volunteer resources can be scarce, so it is even more vital that we build 72-Hour Teams that will work together. The 72-Hour mission is clear: contacting, motivating, and turning out every Republican and favorable Independent voter.

Key Activities for September and October

The final two months of the campaign are marked by non-stop activity. This year will be no different, and in fact, should be even busier. It will be our final push for victory, and we must develop and execute projects to maximize our turnout.

The following are key activities we will build into our 72-Hour Plans:

Voter Registration

The final two months not only mark the busiest period, they are also the time when voters begin to pay close attention to the election. Our 72-Hour Plans

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will include an objective in September (and earlier) that focuses on registering new Republicans and any base voters who have moved in the last year.

Voter Identification (Voter ID) The final two months will be a continuation of our year-long voter ID projects. It is very important to include the favorable Independents from the voter ID into any direct contact efforts; hence, we will build the results of the ID into our other 72-Hour projects.

Absentee Voters: Direct Contact and Advocacy Individuals who request to vote absentee are a captive audience, especially those voting by mail. First, we want to ensure that our Republicans and favorable Independent voters take advantage of absentee voting.

Additionally, we can campaign to persuade the many Independent absentee voters who are undecided.

Early In-Person Voting Push

Once voter registration has closed, absentee voting in-person begins— that's 28 days before Election Day.

Contrary to other ways of voting by absentee (by mail or by traveling board), an individual does not need a reason to vote absentee in-person. Our 72-Hour Plans will include an early voting project to encourage Republicans and favorable Independents to cast their ballots early.

Mailing, Calling, and Canvassing Republicans

The final two months should certainly include mailing and calling Republican households. The first priority will be an absentee ballot application mailing combined with follow-up telephone calls to all R voters.

Other communication with your GOP voters might include sending key literature, encouraging early voting, and priming them for the important role they play on Election Day.

Canvassing efforts in the final month should have a component focused on contacting Republican households. Based on the volunteer resources that are available, our campaigns will want to attempt to focus some of the final weeks on person-to-person contact with the GOP base.

Canvassing and Mailing Independents

Direct contact between the candidate and undecided, Independent voters is critical in the final weeks; so our 72-Hour Plans will include precinct walks targeting Independents. These will focus on those precincts that are considered "swing" precincts and contain a high number of Independent households— we will develop these criteria using any number of specific

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results from past elections, with specific focus on the 2000 Bush winning percentage and the 2002 Clerk of the Courts results.

Because candidates can only be in one place at any given time, canvassing by volunteers in swing precincts is an appropriate alternative. It is another form of direct contact with the Republican Party and a key part of the 72-Hour Plan.

Canvassing should be supplemented by direct mail to Independents. It would be very difficult to reach every Independent, so County Parties and campaigns should budget for mailers in the final two months.

Advocacy Calls to Independent Voters As we have mentioned many times, identifying and turning out favorable Independent voters are key tasks in the final two months.

A good way to reach these voters one final time is a telephone contact from a volunteer. They should be targeted to precincts identified as moderately favorable based on past election results— such as a 55% or higher winning percentage for Brian Bishop in the 2002 Clerk of the Courts race.

Voter ID information will be added to Voter Vault throughout the year, so we know the individuals who need to be contacted. Our 72-Hour Plans will put it to good use through these advocacy calls— they should receive one more
advocacy message before the campaign makes a voter turnout call.

Projects for the Weekend Before Election Day

The weekend before Election Day should be focused on motivating the campaign's base GOP voters to gear up for a big turnout.

There are at least two key projects: Get Out the Vote (GOTV) calls to all Republican voters and GOTV mailings into key Republican precincts.

Because of new constraints placed on political parties by BCRA, County Parties and campaigns should consult with the State Party on compliance issues when paying for these efforts below.

GOTV Calls to Republican Voters One final contact will be made with all GOP voters. The message can take many forms, but providing them with information on where they go to vote and where to call for a ride to the polls are both important options that should be included. A brief message on the importance of voting Republican should also be included.

GOTV Mailing into Key Republican Precincts

Our 72-Hour Plans should also include a final contact with GOP voters on the last weekend through mailing a "push" card or slate card, including GOTV

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information, is vitally important for that last weekend. This should certainly be part of the budget.

Election Day

Our 72-Hour Plans will include a strong Election Day turnout effort. It will be comprised of utilizing wagon books and a centralized phone bank in counties across the state to make sure every GOP voter is reminded to go to the polls.

Where we have the resources to go the "extra mile," we will also include door-to-door" flushing" in targeted precincts.

Wagon Books

Tracking the progress of Republican voters getting to the polls on Election Day is critical. It also takes the longest to prepare for, requires the most volunteers, and calls for aggressive recruiting and training.

Election Day turnout is most effectively done by using "wagon books" in every polling place. It is a four-column report that lists Republican voters and favorable Independents from the voter ID project and their phone numbers.

The wagon book is a simple tool for monitoring who has already voted. Then, at 10: 00, 2: 00, and 4: 00, calls should be made to those who have yet to make it to the polls.

The "Extra Mile" In targeted precincts where volunteer resources will permit a more aggressive, manpower intensive approach, it may be more effective to utilize door-to-door "flushing" of GOP voters in conjunction with the "wagon books."

Instead of calling the name on the "wagon book," a team of volunteer flushers is utilized by going door-to-door, urging people to vote, and even offering a ride if necessary.

Roster: Key Roles of Volunteers and/ or Paid Staff

Successful 72-Hour Plans will be composed of a team dedicated to executing all the key projects. The roster includes (but may not be limited to) the following major roles:

County Party Organization and Volunteers

State Party Staff

Precinct Committeemen and Vice Committeemen

Phone Bank Coordinator

GOTV Coordinator

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County Party Organization

The County Party organization can contribute much to a successful 72-Hour Plan. Resources are key, so acquiring or opening facilities, finding volunteers, providing organizational assistance with precinct committeemen, offering training, and giving financial help are all meaningful assistance.

State Party Staff

The State Part Political Staff is ready to provide project leadership, project management, and direct staff assistance for 72-Hour planning and execution.

Precinct Committeemen

The precinct committeemen, and their vice committeemen, are key players in the final 72-Hour push. In addition to assembling a complete precinct board on Election Day, they can provide direct assistance to the 72-Hour Plan by identifying a poll book holder to assist with the "wagon book."

A poll book holder must be credentialed by the County Chair, so work with him or her to identify prospects as well.

Phone Bank Coordinator

The job of the phone bank coordinator breaks down as follows:

- Find a location where you can use multiple lines for a Phone Bank in the final two weeks.

- If your county party has a headquarters, phone lines can be brought in there and utilized through Election Day.

- To determine the number of lines, determine the number you will need for Election Day. That will give you coverage in the final two weeks. Utilize the following formula for:

- 7 hours of operation (10: 00AM to 5: 00PM) multiplied by 45 calls per hour, totaling 315 calls per phone line.

- Total number of voters to contact multiplied by 75% equals X.

- X divided by 315 equals the approximate number of lines. Find a location for Phone Bank on Election Day.

- If you utilize a business, first make sure they understand the requirement that those phones won't be available for business on Election Day.

- Recruit Phone Bank callers.

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-Good sources for volunteer callers are GOP auxiliary organizations such as Indiana Federation of Republican Women, College Republicans, and Young Republicans. Campaign volunteers and volunteers who are "looking for a way to help" are a good source.

One of the best ways for teenagers to contribute to a campaign is to utilize them in phone banks.

- Schedule Phone Bank callers for final two weeks.

- This will be based on the number of phone lines available (based on the number of calls that must be made).

- Produce phone lists/ scripts for calling GOP voters.

- Produce phone lists/ scripts for calling Independent voters.

- Produce phone lists/ scripts for making absentee ballot application follow-up calls.

- Produce "wagon books" for Election Day.

- Schedule Phone Bank callers for Election Day.

-Utilize a formula of 1.25 volunteers per phone line. Any remaining volunteers will be utilized as drivers.

- Arrange for refreshments for the callers.
GOTV Coordinator The GOTV Coordinator's job also has multiple components, aimed at mobilizing efforts in the final two weeks and keeping the trains running up to, and on, Election Day. The initial focus should be first on the precinct
canvassing, then evolve into planning for Election Day. The position breaks down as follows:

- Target the precincts for canvassing.

- Design and produce door hangers or "push" cards for canvassing.

- Recruit volunteers for canvassing.

- Produce walking lists for canvassing.

- Target precincts for direct mail.

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- Design and produce mailing for Republican households (may be multiple mailers, so repeat step as necessary).

- Design and produce mailing for Independent households (may be multiple mailers, so repeat step as necessary).

- Produce mailing lists for Republican households.

- Produce mailing lists for Independent households.

Recruit Election Day volunteers.

- Election Day volunteers include phone bank callers, poll or "wagon book" holders, and drivers (both for taking voters who need assistance to the polls and for picking up the "wagon book" strips).

- It is imperative that the volunteers for Election Day be provided training, so schedule a Saturday morning session for mid-October.
- Produce maps for Election Day drivers with each polling location identified.

Operating a Phone Bank

Operating the phone bank is dependent on volunteers, so be aggressive in pulling together the numbers needed to staff the phone banks for the final two weeks and Election Day.

Before the callers start, provide a brief training session. The State Party uses the following as a guide:

Rehearse the script. The volunteer should familiarize himself/ herself with the note taking requirements.

Rehearse the types of responses that may be encountered

(such as, "How dare you bother me at home," or "It's none of your business.").

Always thank voters for their time when ending the call and be sure to note the results on the script sheet.

Maintaining the accuracy of the voter file requires a substantial amount of work, and it is ongoing. People move every day and phone numbers are changed regularly; these are among the many ways data evolves. So callers should be primed to expect the following

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o Disconnected numbers.

o Voicemail/ answering machines.

o Wrong numbers.

o Deceased individuals.

o Individuals that have moved.

If there is no answer after 5 rings, proceed to the next sheet and check not home on script.

Be friendly and courteous on the phone.

Don't be drawn into long conversations.

Never argue.

Follow the script, repeating often the name of the person with whom you are speaking.
Adding the caller's name at the beginning of the call will make it more personal for the individual on the other end; if you feel comfortable doing this— go for it!

Staffing a phone bank is not an easy job, so volunteers should always be thanked regularly for their service. Refreshments are a key incentive for any volunteer-based effort, so the plan will need to include a line-item in the budget for food and drinks.

Scripts

Sample for Absentee Ballot Call

Hi, this is (first name), and I'm a volunteer calling on behalf of (candidate),

the Republican candidate for __________. (Candidate) needs your vote to get Indiana back on the right track.

We sent you a request form which allows you to vote by mail from the comfort of your home instead of going out to the polls. Indiana law allows you to submit this form to vote by absentee ballot if you expect to be unable to vote on Election Day, so take advantage of this convenient voting option.

Indiana needs new leadership and we urge you to return this form right away.

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If you didn't receive one or misplaced it, please call our offices at ___-____ and we'll re-send your absentee ballot application right away.

When you receive it, please cast your vote for (Candidate) and the Republican Ticket. Thanks.

Sample for GOTV Call

Hello, may I please speak with ?

My name is (caller) and I'm calling from the (County) Republican Party.

I'm calling to remind you that Tuesday is Election Day and (Candidate) needs your support.

Every vote is crucial on Election Day, especially yours. Your polling location is . Do you think you may need a ride?

[If yes] Arrange for a ride.

[If no] (Continue with…) If you have any questions, you can call .

Thanks, and remember to Vote for the Republican ticket!

Sample for Election Day Call

Hello, may I please speak with (voter)? My name is (caller) and I'm calling from (County) Republican Party. We just wanted to remind you that today is Election Day.

Have you voted yet?

[If yes] Great! Thank you for your time.

[If no] There's still time to vote before the polls close. (Candidate) really needs your support and every vote makes a difference.

Do you need a ride or directions to your polling place?

[If yes] Provide directions and/ or arrange for a ride.

Thanks for your time and Remember to Vote for Republican Ticket!

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