Latest Knight Ridder/MSNBC Poll

Latest Knight Ridder/MSNBC Poll Shows Bush Ahead in Four 'Red' States He Won in 2000 - Arkansas, Ohio, Missouri, W. Virginia; Leads Kerry in Iowa, Which Gore Carried in 2000

Kerry Ahead In Four 'Blue' States Gore Carried in 2000 - Michigan, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Pulls Ahead of Bush in Wisconsin

Kerry Leads by One Point in New Hampshire, Which Went for Bush in 2000

SAN JOSE, Calif., and SECAUCUS, N.J., Oct. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The latest results in a new series of election surveys, conducted for MSNBC and Knight Ridder by Mason-Dixon, has found that, on the eve of the election, President George W. Bush and Sen. John Kerry each maintain leads in key battleground states they or their parties won in the 2000 election. Bush
leads Kerry in four states (labeled "red" for their color coding on maps) - Arkansas, Ohio, Missouri and West Virginia - he carried in 2000. The poll shows Kerry ahead of Bush in four states (labeled "blue" for their color coding on maps) that Gore won in 2000 - Michigan, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Kerry leads by one point in New Hampshire, which Bush carried in 2000. In Iowa, which Gore won in 2000, Bush leads Kerry by five points. At least 5% of voters remain undecided in each state.

Three days before Election Day, the Knight Ridder/MSNBC survey offers a detailed look at the shifting state-by-state battleground where the presidency will be decided.

The Knight Ridder/MSNBC survey of 625 likely voters in each of the 10 states was conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research on Oct. 26-29 and had an error margin of plus or minus four percentage points.

Following are the poll's top-line results:

If the election were held today would you vote for:

STATE	BUSH	KERRY	NADER	OTHER
Arkansas	51	43	--	--
Missouri	49	44	--	1
New Hampshire	46	47	1	--
Ohio	48	46	--	1
West Virginia	51	43	--	--
Michigan	45	47	1	1
Oregon	44	50	--	1
Pennsylvania	46	48	--	--
Wisconsin	46	48	1	--
Iowa	49	44	1	--

Survey Methodology

The results are the third and final of three series of swing state polls conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research. These polls measure voter favorability and voter preference for top presidential candidates who appear on the 2004 general election state ballot in key states. The polls included questions aimed at exploring the issues that may determine how undecided voters make up their minds. States included in the poll are Arkansas, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, W. Virginia, Michigan, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Iowa. The poll was conducted between Oct. 26 and Oct. 29, 2004. The margin of error is +/-4 percent.

About Knight Ridder

Knight Ridder is the nation's second-largest newspaper publisher, with products in print and online. The company publishes 31 daily newspapers in 28 U.S. markets, with a readership of 8.7 million daily and 12.6 million Sunday. Knight Ridder also has investments in a variety of Internet and technology companies and two newsprint companies. The company's Internet operation, Knight Ridder Digital, develops and manages the company's online properties. It is the founder and operator of Real Cities (http://www.realcities.com/), thelargest national network of city and regional Web sites in more than 100 U.S.markets. Knight Ridder and Knight Ridder Digital are headquartered in SanJose, Calif.

About MSNBC

MSNBC is a joint venture between NBC Universal, a leading provider of newsand information, and Microsoft, the leader in personal computer software and amajor provider of Internet online services. Built on the worldwide resourcesof NBC News, MSNBC is a 24-hour cable news network and Internet news serviceat msnbc.com.

About Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, Inc.

Mason-Dixon is an independent polling firm that conducts voter surveys fornews media, advocacy groups, trade associations and political actioncommittees. Mason-Dixon is the nation's most active state pollingorganization, conducting copyrighted public opinion polls for news mediaorganizations in all 50 states. These media clients include over 250 localtelevision affiliates and over 100 daily newspapers. Since 1983, Mason-DixonPolling & Research, Inc. has conducted surveys in every state in the country,on almost every public issue, and tracked every major election and referendum.

SOURCE Knight RidderWeb Site: http://www.knightridder.com/ http://www.realcities.com/

Homeland Security Tom Ridge resignation

Transcript of Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge at Press Conference

For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary Contact 202-282-8010 Washington, D.C. November 30, 2004

Secretary Ridge: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Earlier today, I submitted a formal letter of resignation to the President, and with his concurrence it is my desire to continue to serve as Secretary of Homeland Security through February 1st of next year unless my successor is confirmed by the Senate earlier.

It was, obviously, a very difficult decision, but a decision that I was pleased to be able to communicate in a personal way with my leadership team earlier today as well. We have 40 or 50 of the most incredible Americans who have been an integral part of the leadership team of this Department from all walks of life that are on a two-day, off-site session as we look at some budget matters and we do some strategic planning for the next five years, and I was also able to communicate by e-mail to the 180,000 men and women with whom I've been privileged to work for nearly two years.

I think we have accomplished a great deal in a short period of time. As I've said to the President, there will always be more work for us to do in Homeland Security, but if you take a look at many of the innovations, the improvements to security, the enhancements to safety at ports of entry, the partnerships that we've developed with the state and locals and the private sector, just all in all, I think it's a reflection of the commitment and the dedication and the energy and the professionalism, really the combined power of about 180,000 people strong.

I know I've said to many of my co-workers, not only in Washington but around the country during my tenure as their Secretary, that on a day-to-day basis one could say that individual decisions that these men and women make out there at Ports of Entry have as much to do with the security of the country as any individual decisions we might make here at headquarters. As I've said to you many times before, we have to be right a billion-plus times a year, meaning we have to make literally hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of decisions every year, or every day, and the terrorists only have to be right once.

The President has given me an extraordinary opportunity to serve my country in this incredible period since September 11th, 2001. I will always be grateful for his call to service. I will always be grateful for the opportunity to serve my country with this President as its leader.

Thank you.

Question: Secretary Ridge, since you're the first person to have this job as Secretary of the Homeland Security Department, what would you say to your successor about how demanding a job it is? From the first moment you get up until you go to bed at night, is it just exhausting?

Secretary Ridge: Well, it's no more exhausting than the work that I think most of my cohorts do in headquarters around the country. I mean, there is a very specific job to do. There are many dimensions to the job. You have to be prepared to work, like literally hundreds of thousands of people who work for government and elsewhere work. You have to work as long as it takes to get the job done on a day-to-day basis.

And I think I would say to my successor that the opportunity to continue on a day-by-day basis to make your country safer and more secure, within the constitutional framework, is an enormous challenge and a great opportunity for leadership, and to engage, frankly, our partners not only within the federal government but at the state level, the local level and in our international partners as well.

Homeland Security has never been to me just a Department. It's about the integration of a country and taking the resources and the capabilities and the capacities we have in the federal government, the state level, the local level, the private sector, the academic community, you name it, and making sure that they are all engaged in a fundamental way, in a certain way that collectively that we, as a country, are safer and more secure.

So I would tell my successor you've got a phenomenal job in an extraordinary time and you can do it -- hopefully you can go to work every day and enjoy it as much as I did.

Yes.

Question: Secretary Ridge, can you talk a little bit about your future, what's next for you, the private sector, government? And can you walk us through your decision? Why leave?

Secretary Ridge: Well, first of all, I'm just going to step back after 22-plus years of public service in a row, to step back a little bit, breathe deeply and then decide. So I can't go down that path very far with you, so I'll just have to --

Question: Can you walk through your decision now, why leave?

Secretary Ridge: Well, I think I can. And, basically, it just comes down to some things I have been postponing for years and years and years. I said I wanted to raise some personal and family matters to a slightly higher priority. And it's not unique to me. I mean anybody in public service. And anybody -- I don't care whether you're wearing a military uniform or you're engaged in a non-military way in public service at the state, local, federal level -- the whole family puts the public service uniform on. And when you are working at this level on these kinds of critical issues -- and again, it's not unique to me -- but, you know, there are opportunities that you may have planned with your family, occasions to be with the family that you miss.

I mean, when I was governor I had a chance to have a little bit slightly -- manage my schedule a bit differently and actually coach my daughter's softball team for several years. That's just not something I'd be available to do now, but I do like to -- I am looking forward to going to my son's rugby games. You know, so, there's just a lot of things out there on a personal level that I just would like to take -- have a little bit more time to do.

Yes.

Question: Would you consider another Cabinet job?

Secretary Ridge: Well, everybody knows I love public service. I mean, I did it for 22 years. But I just want to step back and pay a little more attention to some other personal matters.

Yes.

Question: Mr. Secretary, you have said frequently that you've accomplished a lot, but there is still more to be done.

Secretary Ridge: Sure.

Question: I know that there are important issues pending with regard to biometrics, with U.S.-VISIT.

Secretary Ridge: Right.

Question: You have problems still combining ICE and CBP people. They're at each other's throats. But I wonder if you can tell us what is your single biggest disappointment? What is the one thing that you thought would be easier and you have not been able to accomplish? What surprising disappointment you may have encountered?

Secretary Ridge: Well, first of all, I want to go back to a couple aspects of the question, if I might. First of all, one of the things I have had the opportunity to do as Secretary is see what America has done in response to 9/11, and particularly to see what my coworkers are doing. And admittedly, one of the initial challenges when we inherited the legacy of Customs and INS was to merge different -- merge these units.

And by and large, while admittedly, change is always difficult, there have been significant changes that have occurred that frankly have made us safer and more effective and give us a surge capacity at our Ports of Entry, and the like.

And I don't think in a Department where we've had to move so quickly and change so rapidly, the notion that there might be some people out there that are still a little uncomfortable with it is not surprising to me, but we continue to work our way through whatever these irritants are to give people the comfort level so they're more worried about securing the country rather than job security. I think we've done a pretty good job in that regard.

I haven't been disappointed a single day I've been Secretary. However, there have been days -- let me put a little more thought -- I like going to work every day. There are certain days I've just enjoyed even more. I guess there is a -- as I look back on nearly two-plus years, while there are no disappointments, there are certain things I wish we could have probably accomplished a little bit earlier.

Question: Like what?

Secretary Ridge: Well, I mean, there is enormous international dimension to securing the homeland, and we have been very aggressive over the past year but there was a year there where I wish we would have initiated the discussions on a bilateral basis or worked with the European Union. We're in the process of building our team, I understand that, but much of what we do, as it affects our borders, involves the engagement and the agreement of our allies around the world.

What I have discovered is that when we sit down, make our case, discuss, negotiate finding a common solution of mutual benefit, we've made a lot of progress. Part of me wishes we'd have started a little bit earlier, but there were other things that it seemed at the time were higher priorities.

So, you know, just some days where we've made -- felt a greater sense of achievement or progress than other days. But by and large, there have been no disappointments. Probably a few things I would like to have done differently within the organization, some of the things we're changing now, but all in a matter of merging 22 different units and departments, 180,000 people, you can't expect to get it your way, the right way, the first time.

Yes.

Question: Mr. Secretary, one of the things that you have done that the public is probably going to remember is the color-coded threat system that you instituted, and there continues to this day to be a lot of debate about whether that system actually does what it's supposed to do.

Secretary Ridge: Right.

Question: So as you get ready to sort of step back now, do you feel that that is the right way to go about, you know, doing that, or do you think that there might be a better way you think a successor should, you know, think about?

Secretary Ridge: Well, first of all, that is a system that quite a few people worked on, labored over for months and months when I was in the White House, and we took a look at the other systems that existed around the world. We took a look at what Department of Defense does and the Department of the State does, and we certainly took a look at the system, or the non-system, that we used for the first couple times when the Director of the FBI, the Attorney General and I went out and basically said, "America, we think the threat level is higher." I mean, so you either have the system we have, we took a look at the some of the systems elsewhere around the world, or the non-system that nobody was happy with, including the individuals -- primarily me -- was out there making -- talking very appropriately with the public.

I think this Homeland Security Advisory System has been refined and matured to the point where it serves two purposes: one, it is just a general signal to America generally that a majority -- there's a consensus within the President's Homeland Security Council that the threat tomorrow is greater than the threat today; and secondly, it is a signal to the security and law enforcement professionals around the country they have to ramp up security.

It has demonstrated, I think, its maturity in the sense that we have raised the threshold because, number one, we haven't raised it nationally for almost a year -- (knocks on wood) -- we hope we can continue that because the last time we raised it was during the last holiday season, which we're approaching; and secondly, this year we're able, because the information drove us to apply it in a very selective, surgical way, in a very defined part of our economy in very specific regions.

So I think it's a good system. We're always looking for ways to make it better. But, frankly, if there's one agency that errs on the side of divulging more, not less, information to the public with regard to the threat, I think that's something that we take pride in. I mean, I think America is prepared to deal with the reality in the post-9/11 world. I think it's in our best long-term interest to share more information with Americans about the potential threat rather than less, and hopefully my successor will err on that side of sharing more, rather than less, info.

Yes, sir.

Question: Do you have any plans to go back to Pennsylvania no matter what you do in the future?

Secretary Ridge: No, no. Well, first of all, I'll be around here for a while because I've moved my son out of -- my family around a couple times over the past three years and he still has a couple years left in town, so we're here for a while.

You know, I had a difficult time talking to my leadership this morning, I must tell you, because they're an incredible group of people. I mean, you know many of them. Some are retired military that just the call of public service -- as one individual told me, we're at war again; I've got to come in and help. There are other people who are active military but decided to come in. We've got people from all over the private sector come in. We have moms and dads with young children that still give us 12, 14, 16 hours a day. We've got somebody -- we've got a young woman who's a very talented person who works full-time with us, going to law school at night. I mean, we've got an incredible group of people who just stay until the job is done.

So I told them this morning that next to that discussion, you know, when I called my family in on a very short notice in September of '01 and said, by the way, we're going to leave the governor's residence and we're going to move into a little apartment and I'm going to commute for the next year because the President asked me to come to Washington, D.C., to serve in response, be part of a national effort, part of his administration-wide effort to make our homeland more secure and safer, so that's exactly what I did and I'm grateful for the opportunity.

Question: How long ago did you make your own personal decision that you were going to leave now?

Secretary Ridge: I started thinking much more seriously about it around election time in November, after the election. I thought about it a little bit before, but serious thought as to when and under what circumstances, after the President was reelected.

Pete.

Question: Mr. Secretary, can you say with confidence that measures taken by the Department of Homeland Security have actually prevented attacks? And in how many cases do you think that's true? How many times?

Secretary Ridge: One of those questions that I could give you a very confident answer and you'd say, "Prove it," and I'd be -- it'd be difficult to prove what I can't necessarily quantify.

But I am confident that the terrorists are aware that from the curb to the cockpit we've got additional security measures that didn't exist a couple years ago, that from port to port we do things differently with maritime security. I'm confident they know that the borders are more secure. I'm confident that they know that we've developed and are sharing information with the state and local law enforcement. I'm confident that they've basically, through their own view of what we've done, that they know America is a different place to work and operate in. I'm also confident that, based on what detainees have told us, that if you increase your security and your vigilance, that's a deterrent.

Can I tell you today there are X number of incidents that we were able to thwart or prevent? Cannot. Am I fairly confident, confident that we probably have? Yes, I am, but it's still difficult to prove something unless I could point to a specific case.

Mr. Roehrkasse: Time for one more.

Question: Mr. Secretary --

Secretary Ridge: But we know -- I mean, we've seen what other friends, what other folks in the administration have done in taking down cells around the country.

Question: Do you feel you've made any headway with the private sector in getting them to take up the burden of protecting the nation's infrastructure, given that they own so much of it?

Secretary Ridge: I think we've made great progress with the private sector under the work and through the work of our Information, Analysis and Infrastructure Protection Unit. You know, that's a new piece of the Department. We merged a lot of old and traditional legacy departments, but this is a new responsibility, a strategic piece.

We have done several things. We have developed a formal means of communication to every sector of our economy and we're in frequent communication, almost daily communication, with one or all of them. We've made great progress across the board in developing a business case so that the kind of investment we expect them to make is viewed as precisely that, not as an expense, but as an investment that has a return that is -- you can justify to the shareholders.

I think by engaging them on best practices in terms of securing, whether it's a chemical facility, telecommunications site, and the like, and taking advantage of their professional expertise as we go about setting standards for security has been very successful to date.

Make no mistake about it, there are more sites to be secured and we will need to continue to engage the private sector and they will need to accept the responsibility to continue to invest more, but to date, they have been very responsive. They have partnered with us on many -- in many occasions, and they've continued to -- they have made considerable investments. But they're not done yet either, and my successor will continue to promote their continued investment in securing some of this critical infrastructure that fortunately is a condition of the world's largest and most diverse and most successful economy.

Yes.

Question: Did you meet with the President to discuss your going?

Secretary Ridge: Well, the President and I have had --any conversations I've had with the President in the past, or will have, will always be private.

Question: Thank you.

Secretary Ridge: All right. Okay. Thanks very much.

###

Related Information
Secretary Ridge's Letter of Resignation to President Bush (PDF, 1 page - 458 KB)

Judges PAC TV Ad: 'Dr. Kerry and Mr. Hyde'

streaming video Judges PAC TV Ad: 'Dr. Kerry and Mr. Hyde'

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ - Judges Political Action Committee, which promotes constitutionalist nominees to the federal courts, is releasing a television ad this week in key states comparing John Kerry with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The ad will air in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Iowa, starting Friday through Monday.

In Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale, Dr. Jekyll hides his hideous alter ego from the world. The ad, Dr Kerry and Mr. Hyde, draws a parallel to Kerry, who works to hide his stances on key judicial issues. It shows that while Kerry tries to have it both ways, the real Kerry is a jurisprudential liberal.

"Who knows what danger lurks in Kerry's mind," Judges PAC Chairman C. Boyden Gray said. "Kerry's views place him solidly on the Left and should alarm moderate Americans."

In the next four years, the President will appoint between two and four justices to the U.S. Supreme Court and over 30 federal judges to appeals and district courts. "Kerry's litmus test requirement means that, under his presidency, constitutionalist judges, who make decisions based on the law's text but avoid pioneering new social policy from the bench, would lose ground to judicial activists," Gray said. more at Judges PAC

Judges PAC was founded in 2004 to promote constitutionalist nominees to the federal courts.

CONTACT: Sean Rushton of the Judges PAC, +1-202-487-6439.
SOURCE Judges PAC

Club for Growth trial lawyers ad streaming video

Club for Growth Launches National Campaign to Highlight Trial Lawyers’ Role in Driving Vaccine Makers out of Business

Launches National Ad Campaign During Election Countdown

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26 – The Club for Growth today announced a national campaign to hold accountable the trial lawyers and their allies in Congress for the shortage of flu vaccines nationwide.

Trial lawyers are the Democrats’ biggest donors. Kerry and Edwards jointly received $33 million

the flu issue needs to be a bigger part of the presidential campaign and Senate and House races because so many members of Congress have been equally guilty of lining up with trial lawyers as opposed to their constituents.

There were seven companies producing flu vaccines in America, but since the trial lawyers crippled them with billion-dollar lawsuits, there is only one left. One recent case against the vaccine industry sought $30 billion in damages – more than five times the size of the entire worldwide vaccine market.

The HEALTH Act of 2003, which President Bush supported and John Kerry opposed, would have encouraged vaccine production by protecting vaccine makers from the trial lawyers. John Edwards voted against the Act.

source: club for growth net website: http://www.clubforgrowth.org/

you may view the video here in quicktime format. can't get a flu shot and the pdf file of the newspaper can't get flu shot ad

related

• david zucker kerry ad streaming video - David Zucker, director of Airplane! and Naked Gun, directed the "Indecision" Ad for "Club for Growth.Net” 1776 K Street, N.W. Ste 399 Washington, D.C., 20006. a Group of fiscal conservatives
• center for public integrity - you may view this groups 527 committee statement including, Contributions, Contributors, Officers and Filings

minnesota national voice nonpartisan, pioneer press endorsing bush

'November 2nd - Nonpartisan Get Out the Vote Rally'
Saturday, October 30, 2004 Noon - 4 PM
North Commons Park, 1801 James Avenue, N, Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ --

WHO: National Voice & Minnesota Council of Nonprofits KMOJ LIVE REMOTE
-- November 2nd T-shirts
-- Speeches
-- Lunch
-- Raffle Prizes (must be 18 to win)
-- Election Day Countdown

WHAT: GOTV RALLY -- Kick-off of the "November 2nd" nonpartisan weekend to election day effort to increase voter turnout.

Program: Noon - 4 PM

WHEN: Saturday, October 30th, Noon - 4 PM.

WHERE: North Commons Park, 1801 James Avenue, N, Minneapolis

FACTS: Charitable 501 (c) 3 organizations are the "sleeping giants" of the democratic process. They have access to potential voters who are disengaged from the electoral process. So positioned,
nonprofits can be catalysts for a dramatic increase in voter participation thorough legal voter engagement activities, including voter registration, voter education and voter mobilization

SOURCE National VoiceWeb Site: http://www.nationalvoice.org/

Pioneer Press Endorses President George W. Bush

ST. PAUL, Minn., Oct. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pioneer Press on Sunday, Oct. 31, is endorsing President George W. Bush in what it called "this most contentious of elections."

"Both candidates leave us wanting," says an editorial on the newspaper's Opinion Page. "But when they are held up side by side, it is clear to us that President Bush has the sharper vision for a prosperous and safe 21st century America and the better understanding of how the world has changed in the past three years. We believe that he will lead the country with a decisiveness that Sen. Kerry cannot muster."

The editorial is included in early Sunday editions available beginning mid-morning today. The newspaper also endorsed Bush in 2000.

"This is the George Bush that we would like again to endorse," the editorial says, "the president who will govern from the middle, who pursues policies that unite, rather than divide. The president who understands that tax cuts are not a gift from a generous government, but rather the results of a frugal government living within its means and taking less from its citizens as a result. The president who holds close to his heart the notions of smaller government, individual liberty and unfettered opportunity for all Americans."

The selection in the presidential race caps three weeks of endorsements in local, state and national races that involved invitations to 223 candidates to meet with the editorial board, which also considers candidate questionnaires, incumbents' records, news coverage, debates and citizen feedback. The Pioneer Press editorial board met in-person with Sen. Kerry and with his running mate, Sen. John Edwards, and members held a telephone conference call with Vice
President Dick Cheney.

"The endorsement is not designed to tell you how to vote," Pioneer Press Editorial Page Editor Art Coulson wrote in a column explaining the endorsement process. "It is merely our preference as an institution, a look at how the Pioneer Press might vote were it to enter the polling booth on Nov. 2."

The Pioneer Press, a Knight Ridder newspaper, is Minnesota's First Newspaper and the winner of three Pulitzer Prizes. Although the newspaper's primary focus is on distribution in the Twin Cities' East Metro region and Western Wisconsin, the Pioneer Press is available at more than 1,300 locations throughout the West Metro area, including both newspaper boxes and retail store newsstands. The Pioneer Press has a daily circulation of 191,264 and a Sunday circulation of 254,078. To arrange for home delivery, call (800) 678-7737.

SOURCE The Pioneer Press

find my polling place polling place locator

this from the site:

For each voter, there is just one location where they can vote on election day. It is called a polling place or precinct.

To find your polling place, learn on what type of machine you will cast your vote and get instructions on how to use that machine, type in your street address (for example, 123 Constitution Ave) and ZIP code in the spaces below and click the "Find My Polling Place!" button. Your address will remain private.

* required information
Street Address Line 1: *
Street Address Line 2:
ZIP Code: *

more at Election Protection 2004

Bush Kerry Black America

American Urban Radio Networks Airs Pre-Election Special

NEW YORK, Oct. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- President George W. Bush and Senator John F. Kerry take their messages to Black America in separate remarks, as part of American Urban Radio Networks (AURN) hour-long pre-election special, to air on urban radio stations across America later this week. Both candidates accepted AURN's invitation to explain why African Americans should vote for them. The remarks were followed by analysis from April Ryan, White House Correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks, Juan Williams of Fox Television, America's Black Forum and NPR, and DeWayne Wickham of USA Today and BlackAmericaWeb.Com.

In his remarks, President Bush touted the progress his administration has made with African Americans -- from improving educational opportunities, to providing additional tax relief, to making our streets safer. President Bush said "I believe that the policies of my administration, policies that empower individuals and communities, lift up free enterprise and respect the family, are good for our whole nation." The President urged African Americans to "Take a look at my agenda." He asked "Does the Democratic party take African American voters for granted? Plenty of politicians assume they have your vote, but do they earn it and do they deserve it?" Said Bush "If you dream of starting a small business, building a nest egg and passing something on to your children, take a look at my agenda. If you believe that schools should meet standards, instead of making excuses, take a look at my agenda."

For his part, Senator Kerry said "A hundred and forty years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, it's time to again emancipate this land, to live up to our ideals. It's time for a new moment of conscience in America." Among other things, Kerry is "determined to double to 30 billion dollars, America's contribution to the global fight against HIV/AIDS," which is among the leading causes of death for African American men and women in the United States. Said Kerry, "On November second we've got to come together to honor hard work and the hope of a better life, to give every child the best possible start in life, to bring back good jobs and give life to the pledge of liberty and justice for all and to reject politics of fear that have calculated to divide black from white, rich from poor, region from region." Senator Kerry promised African Americans that he will make sure their votes count in this election saying "We will not allow acts of voter suppression....We'll make sure that this time every vote counts and every vote is counted."

The one-hour election special, hosted by AURN's Ryan, has been distributed to over 700 radio stations across the country, and will air Thursday, October 28, 2004 through the weekend leading up to the November 2nd election.

About American Urban Radio Networks

American Urban Radio Networks (AURN) is the only African-American owned network radio company. It is the largest network reaching Urban America, with more than 25 million listeners each week. Through four programming networks and one marketing division, American Urban Radio Networks reaches more African-Americans than any other medium in America and produces more urban programming than all other broadcasting companies combined. American Urban Radio Networks broadcasts more than 300 weekly news, entertainment, sports and information programming to more than 475 radio stations nationwide. It is the only Black Broadcaster with a bureau in the White House. AURN has offices in New York, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles and Washington, DC.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Dawn Hill (212) 883-2106
Tene Croom (412) 456-4035

SOURCE American Urban Radio Networks

Political Jargon for an Election Year

Words for an Election Year -- Merriam-Webster Editors' Revealing Look at Political Jargon

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., Oct. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- With the 2004 election fast upon us, the candidates have a lot to say-to their constituents, and to each other. How is a voter to decipher the political jargon? Merriam-Webster editors have selected some examples of words and phrases finding favor with spin doctors and pundits and are ready to tell all about their meanings and origins. Definitions and behind-the-scenes etymological histories for ten "Words for an Election Year" can be found on Merriam-Webster OnLine (http://www.merriam-webster.com/).

Speaking of pundits, the word experts at Merriam-Webster explain that the original pundits were highly respected teachers and leaders in India and that their name was taken from the Hindi word pandit, a term of respect for a wise person that is derived from the Sanskrit pandita, meaning "learned." At the other end of the spectrum, the mugwump, defined as "an independent in politics," was depicted by a 1930s humorist as "a bird who sits with its mug on one side of the fence and its wump on the other." And if you think dirty politics are new, the story of roorback, a term defined as "a defamatory falsehood published for political effect," takes us back to campaign strategies of the mid-seventeenth century.

spin doctor \SPIN-dahk-ter\ noun :

a person (as a political aide) responsible for ensuring that others interpret an event from a particular point of view

The Story Behind the Word English speakers have been putting a "spin" (meaning "a particular emphasis or interpretation") on things since the early 1980s. The expression "to put a spin on" appears to have originated in the movie industry, but it was quickly snatched up by the political world. "Spin doctor" itself was likely coined during the 1984 Reagan-Mondale campaign, and by 1988 it was well enough established that William F. Buckley Jr. had cause to write "I am much impressed by the effects of what we have come to call the 'spin-doctors,' which is to say those who make it their business to induce the desired reaction."

For the complete list of Merriam-Webster's Words for an Election Year, including definitions and word histories, please visit http://www.Merriam-Webster.com/info/election.htm. For additional information, or to arrange an interview on this topic with Merriam-Webster editors, please contact Arthur J. Bicknell, Senior Publicist, at the above address.

Merriam-Webster, Incorporated Merriam-Webster Inc. acquired the rights to revise and publish Noah Webster's dictionaries in 1843.

For more information about the company, and about the new Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, visit Merriam-Webster On Line at http://www.Merriam-Webster.com.

Arthur Bicknell, Senior Publicist
Merriam-Webster Inc.
Phone: (413) 734-3134 ext. 119
E-mail: abicknell@Merriam-Webster.com

david zucker kerry ad streaming video

David Zucker, director of Airplane! and Naked Gun, directed the "Indecision" Ad for "Club for Growth.Net” 1776 K Street, N.W. Ste 399 Washington, D.C., 20006. a Group of fiscal conservatives active in Republican primary elections. more at Club for Growth.net you may view this groups 527 committee statement including, Contributions, Contributors, Officers and Filings at the center for public integrity

Briefing by Secretary of State Colin L. Powell

SECRETARY POWELL: Good morning, everyone. A dozen years ago, Ukrainians chose freedom and independence, setting their country on a path of democracy and prosperity. The United States has been a consistent partner with Ukraine in this journey. Similarly, today the United States stands with the people of Ukraine and their effort to ensure their democratic choice.

Indeed, this is a critical moment. It is time for Ukrainian leaders to decide whether they are on the side of democracy or not, whether they respect the will of the people or not. If the Ukrainian Government does not act immediately and responsibly, there will be consequences for our relationship for Ukraine's hopes for Euro-Atlantic integration and for individuals responsible for perpetrating fraud.

The Central Election Commission has just announced official results and declared the current prime minister the winner. We cannot accept this result as legitimate because it does not meet international standards and because there has not been an investigation of the numerous and credible reports of fraud and abuse. We have been following developments very closely and are deeply disturbed by the extensive and credible reports of fraud in the election. We call for a full review of the conduct of the election and the tallying of election results.

During the election campaign, the Ukrainian authorities at the highest level repeatedly sent a message about the importance of free and fair elections. We deeply regret that they did not take the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to democracy and to be a model for the region and the world. It is still not too late for Ukrainian authorities to find a solution that respects the will of the Ukrainian people.

Countries around the world are watching the actions of Ukrainian leaders. We urge them to seize the moment. Both Mr. Yushenko and Mr. Yanukovych have suggested today that there may be a way to resolve this. Hopefully, this will give us a opening to find a solution.

I have spoken this morning with President Kuchma to press him to take advantage of these kinds of openings and also to caution him against the use of any kind of force against the demonstrators, and also encouraged him to use the legitimate means available to him to examine these election results and these allegations of fraud and abuse.

Also this morning I have spoken with EU Commission Chairman Barosso and with High Representative Javier Solana about the situation in Ukraine, and I can assure you that we share a common goal and perspective of the situation.

We have also been in touch with the Polish Government and support the offer of President Kwasniewski to mediate.

I have also spoken this morning to Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov about the situation. I underscored our strong support for a fair investigation of the election and the absolute importance that no violence is used against the Ukrainian people.

Tomorrow is the EU-Russian summit in Europe, and I am confident this will be a subject of discussion between the EU leadership and the Russians. We call on all sides to work to achieve a fair and just outcome without the use of force. We remind the Ukrainian authorities that they bear a special responsibility not to use or incite violence.

Thank you.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, given the Russian role in the election process, do you see any negative consequences for U.S.-Russian relations in view of the fact that they have overtly support Yanukovych?

SECRETARY POWELL: Well, I had a good conversation with Minister Lavrov. What we are both interested in right now is finding a solution to this problem, a solution that is based on the law and using legal procedures to resolve these allegations of fraud, well-substantiated allegations from Senator Lugar and OSCE monitors and other monitors, and what we are trying to do now is to use diplomacy and use political actions to resolve this.

We're not looking for a contest with the Russians over this. We're looking for a way to make sure that the will of the Ukrainian people is respected and when we get an outcome that will truly reflect the desires of the Iranian* people for who their next leader should be.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, when you talk about a solution, do you think that the election was so tainted, the results so compromised, that there should be a new vote? And when you talk about consequences to the bilateral relationship, are you talking about reducing some of the about $150 million that the United States gives Ukraine each year?

SECRETARY POWELL: At the moment, we're not taking any actions. We want to see what the ultimate results are so we're not getting into any specifics. One suggestion that has been made is another election but there are other suggestions out there. This is the time for all alternatives to be examined, to be examined carefully, to be examined in light of the law, and hopefully, the parties acting reasonably and doing everything to avoid any use of force can find a way forward. They'll get a lot of assistance from the European community, from the United States, from President Kwasniewski of Poland, who is playing an important role. And right now, we are looking at a way to move forward, not a way to punish or to do anything else but move forward peacefully to get a result that reflects the will of the Ukrainian people in a free and fair manner so that it can be accepted by the Ukrainian people and by the international community.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, you've -- this Department has talked in the past about the importance of allowing nations to conduct elections without outside interference. My question is, does the Ukrainian election represent an example that goes against that principle, specifically Russian interference in the process?

SECRETARY POWELL: What we stand for is free, fair, open elections, and we do not believe we have seen that in this instance, and what I would rather do is concentrate on how we get out of, and how the Ukrainians get out of the difficult situation they find themselves in. At a later time, one can talk about how we got into this situation, but right now we want to focus on how we get out of it.

One more, and then I have to go.

QUESTION: Can I ask you about the Middle East? It's a question --

SECRETARY POWELL: Yes.

QUESTION: Okay. Abu Mazen just told the Palestinian parliament that he endorsed the right of refugees to return. Your comment on that. And secondly, the popular Palestinian leader, Marwan al-Barghouthi, said that he will say next week whether he's going to nominate himself as an independent candidate. Do you think that will complicate the matters, or do you think the more candidate we have the better for democracy?

SECRETARY POWELL: Yes, I've only seen a press report of Mr. Abbas' statement. I think he's stating a longstanding position of the Palestinian leadership and we'll have to work through this as we go forward.

With respect to Mr. Barghouthi, I won't comment on what he might or might not do, but at the moment, he is in legal custody of the Israeli Government, having been found guilty of offenses. And I don't know whether he will decide to allow his name to be put on the ballot or not, and so I wouldn't comment on it.

Anything else? Okay. Yeah.

QUESTION: Thank you. How do you assess your meeting with the Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk in Sharm el-Sheikh?

SECRETARY POWELL: It was a good meeting. He and I meet on a regular basis. We had very candid discussions. We see that the Syrians have taken some action with respect to border infiltration. We would like to see more action taken. And we talked about more that they might do within Syria to identify and to see if we can help them identify those in Syria who might be taking advantage of Syria to raise money or provide funds across the border to insurgent elements or terrorists in Iraq.

And so it was a good, solid discussion. There is more that we think Syria can do and I also know that the Iraqi Government wants to work more closely with Syria to seal that border from infiltrators, from financing, from arms and equipment that might go across the border to insurgents and terrorists.

Thank you. # # # 2004/1276 [End]

kerry's "alert level" 10 step plan

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 /BigNewsNewswire/ -- For Immediate Release - Remarks by senator john kerry at Victory 2004 Rally. bucky dent Field Lakeland, Florida 11:55 A.M. EDT

The most basic responsibility of a president is defending our homeland. We've seen some progress in making America more secure since September 11 - but there is still much more to be done. Today our government is not doing enough to make us safe. Our intelligence services remain fragmented and lack coordination. Our borders and ports are full of holes. Our chemical plants are vulnerable to attack. And across America, police officers, firefighters, and other first responders still lack the information, gear, and equipment to do their jobs safely and successfully. to that end the kerry edwards campaign today announces the "alert level" 10 point plan.

America needs a new strategy for homeland security that takes steps as big as the threats we face. John Kerry and John Edwards have that strategy. They will do whatever it takes to make America safe - coordinate our intelligence agencies, take action on all key fronts, stand up for security whenever special interests stand in the way, and get the needed resources to the first responders who defend America every day. this starts at the most basic level. giving "factual" information to our citizen.

John Kerry and John Edwards will offer a new security strategy starting with the 10 point alert level outlined below. a more intuitve system that addresses five major challenges: simplicity, intuitive (as mentioned), nuanced, clear guidelines and passes the international test, we'll be better perceived in the world at large

Citizen Guidance on the Homeland Security Advisory System

risk level	Recommended Actions for Citizens	level
Quarter-alert	1. Develop a family emergency plan. Share it with family and friends, and practice the plan. 2. Visit www.Ready.gov for help creating a plan. 2. Examine volunteer opportunities in your community, such as Citizen Corps, Volunteers in Police Service, Neighborhood Watch or others, and donate your time. 3. Consider completing an American Red Cross first aid or CPR course , or Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) course .	quarter-alert
Half-alert	1. Create an Emergency Supply Kit for your household. 2. Be informed. Visit www.Ready.gov or obtain a copy of Preparing Makes Sense, Get Ready Now. by calling 1-800-BE-READY. 3. Know how to shelter-in-place and how to turn off utilities (power, gas, and water) to your home.	half-alert
alert	1. Complete recommended steps at level green. 2. Review stored disaster supplies and replace items that are outdated.	alert
Magnum	1. Be alert to suspicious activity and report it to proper authorities.	2 allerts
Jeroboam	1. Complete recommended steps at levels green and blue. 2. Ensure disaster supply kit is stocked and ready. 3. Check telephone numbers in family emergency plan and update as necessary.	4 alerts
Rehoboam	1. Develop alternate routes to/from work or school and practice them. 2. Continue to be alert for suspicious activity and report it to authorities.	6 alerts
Methuselah	1. Complete recommended steps at lower levels. 2. Exercise caution when traveling, pay attention to travel advisories. 3. Review your family emergency plan and make sure all family members know what to do.	8 alerts
Salmanazar	1. Be Patient. Expect some delays, baggage searches and restrictions at public buildings. 2. Check on neighbors or others that might need assistance in an emergency.	12 alerts
Balthazar	1. Complete all recommended actions at lower levels. 2. Listen to local emergency management officials. 3. Stay tuned to TV or radio for current information/instructions. 4. Be prepared to shelter-in-place or evacuate, as instructed.	16 alerts
Nebuchadnezzar	1. Expect traffic delays and restrictions. 2. Provide volunteer services only as requested. 3. Contact your school/business to determine status of work day.	20 alerts

source: rncnyc2004
website: rncnyc2004

Dan Rather Steps Down 'CBS Evening News' Anchor

NEW YORK, Nov. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Dan Rather announced today that he will step down as anchor and managing editor of the CBS EVENING NEWS on March 9, 2005, 24 years after his first broadcast in that position.

Rather will continue to work full-time at CBS News as a correspondent for both editions of 60 MINUTES, as well as on other assignments for the Division.

"I have decided to leave the CBS EVENING NEWS on March 9, 2005," said Rather. "I have been lucky and blessed over these years to have what is, to me, the best job in the world and to have it at CBS News. Along the way, I've had the honor of working with some of the most talented, dedicated professionals in the world, and I'm appreciative of the opportunity to continue doing so in the years ahead.

"I have always said that I'd know when the time was right to step away from the anchor chair. This past summer, CBS and I began to discuss this matter in earnest--and we decided that the close of the election cycle would be an appropriate time. I have always been and remain a 'hard news'
investigative reporter at heart. I now look forward to pouring my heart into that kind of reporting full-time."

Leslie Moonves, Co-President and Co-Chief Operating Officer, Viacom, and Chairman, CBS, said: "Dan's 24 years at the CBS EVENING NEWS is the longest run of any evening news anchor in history and is a singular achievement in broadcast journalism. He has been an eyewitness to the most important events for more than 40 years and played a crucial role in keeping the American
public informed about those events and their larger significance. We congratulate him on all he has accomplished and look forward to the future."

Andrew Heyward, President, CBS News, who has worked closely with Rather since they both joined the CBS EVENING NEWS in March 1981-Rather as anchor and Heyward as a field producer-said: "Dan's dedication to his craft and his remarkable skills as a reporter are legendary. He has symbolized the CBS EVENING NEWS for nearly a quarter century. He'll continue to apply his talents to everything he does at CBS News. I look forward to saluting his extraordinary tenure in the EVENING NEWS chair early next year."


A full biography of Rather is attached and a selection of photos is available at http://CBSPressexpress.com.


DAN RATHER

(Anchor and Managing Editor, CBS EVENING NEWS; Correspondent, 60 MINUTES WEDNESDAY)

Since 1962, when Dan Rather first joined CBS News, he has handled some of the most challenging assignments in journalism. His day-to-day commitment to substantive, fair and accurate news reporting and his tough, active style have earned him a position of respect among his peers and the public.

This past presidential Election Day, another all-night marathon, was Rather's sixth in the anchor chair, continuing a long career of reporting on electoral politics. The recent extended campaign for the White House, which took Rather from the snows of New Hampshire to the parties' nominating conventions in Boston and New York, was the 11th he has covered for CBS News.

In recent years, the war on terrorism and the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq have taken Rather to Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Israel. The summer of 2004 saw Rather in Baghdad to cover the transfer of power to the Iraqi interim government and, earlier this year, his exclusive 60 MINUTES II report revealing U.S. military abuses at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison received worldwide attention. In February 2003, just two months before the invasion, Rather secured the most sought-after interview in the world: an exclusive one- on-one with Saddam Hussein in Baghdad, the first the Iraqi leader had conducted with an American journalist since 1991. Rather also reported from Afghanistan on the United States' effort to oust the Taliban in 2001 and 2002.
He gained special notice for his live anchoring of CBS News' coverage of the September 11 attacks and his around-the-clock reporting in the days that followed. In the weeks after 9/11, Rather filed reports from Ground Zero and on the attacks' aftermath in New York and the nation for a variety of CBS News broadcasts.

In 2000 Rather traveled to Moscow to cover the Russian elections and then to Israel as the peace process there took a turn for the worse. Later in the year, he anchored the marathon Election Night 2000, which kept him on the air continuously from 6:00 PM on Tuesday, November 7, to 10:00 AM on Wednesday, Nov. 8. At the end of the year, Rather was the first anchor to get an exit
interview with President Clinton as he prepared to leave the White House.

In addition to reporting on major events ranging from the Pope's visit to Cuba in January 1998, through the Monica Lewinsky scandal, to the impeachment of President Clinton by the House of Representatives in February 1999, Rather was on the scene in New Orleans when Hurricane George struck the Gulf Coast in September 1998.

As a full-time correspondent for 60 MINUTES II (now 60 MINUTES WEDNESDAY), Rather secured an exclusive interview with President Clinton (March 31, 1999), the president's first sit-down interview following the Lewinsky scandal and his impeachment by the House. Rather was the first U.S. anchor on the scene in Belgrade in the middle of NATO's bombing of Yugoslavia, reporting for several CBS News broadcasts, including the CBS EVENING NEWS.

In May 1997, Rather returned to his roots in two ways: he conducted a rare interview with playwright Horton Foote, a fellow native of Wharton, Texas, for CBS NEWS SUNDAY MORNING, and he launched a syndicated weekly newspaper column, "Part of Our World"-now "Dan Rather Reporting"-harking back to his early days in journalism as a print reporter. In June of that year, Rather traveled to Hong Kong to anchor CBS News' coverage of the colony's turnover to Chinese rule, after taking a train ride through the Chinese heartland of boomtowns and rice paddies that recalled his previous reports from China on events ranging from President Richard M. Nixon's historic visit in 1972 to the pro-democracy demonstrations in Tiananmen Square in 1989. On a more personal note, August 1997 saw the dedication of Rather's birthplace as part of the Wharton County Historical Museum.

Rather made two trips to the front lines in Bosnia in 1995, reporting on American peacekeeping troops in a region from which he had first reported a quarter-century earlier. October 1995 found Rather once more in the eye of a storm, reporting on Hurricane Opal as it approached the Florida shore-while two producers "anchored the anchor" off camera, clinging to his arms and legs
during the ferociously high winds. In November of that year, he reported from Jerusalem on the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and was the only American anchor at Rabin's funeral. Also in 1995, he covered the 50th anniversary of V-E Day from London and made incisive contributions to four "CBS Reports" documentaries: "In the Killing Fields of America," "Victory in Japan" with retired Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, "The Religious Right" and
"The Gulf War + 5."

Rather began 1994 with a trip to Eastern Europe for reports on the rise of neo-fascism in the former Soviet Bloc, on the civil war in the Georgian Republic and on President Clinton's first Russian summit. He spent most of April in South Africa, covering that country's first attempt at true democracy and interviewing candidates of all the major parties in the elections. He went to the Middle East just before the Palestinian Authority assumed control of portions of the West Bank and Gaza, and conducted interviews with Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. His reporting from Haiti was perhaps Rather's most memorable of the year. The only network anchor on the scene before and during the crisis there, he obtained several exclusive interviews with Haiti's military leader, Lt. Gen. Raoul Cedras. In 1990, he was the first American journalist to interview Saddam Hussein after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.

In October 1994, Rather was honored by his alma mater, Sam Houston State University (formerly Sam Houston State Teachers College) in Huntsville, Texas, which named its journalism and communications building after him.

Rather is a prolific writer. In addition to The American Dream, published in 2001, he is the author of Deadlines and Datelines (1999), The Camera Never Blinks Twice: The Further Adventures of a Television Journalist (1994), I Remember (1991), The Camera Never Blinks (1977) and The Palace Guard (1974). He also abridged Mark Sullivan's landmark popular history, Our Times: America
at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century. He continues to be a much-sought-after contributor to top newspapers and magazines and is a frequent speaker on journalistic issues.

Since the start of his career in 1950, Rather has been in the middle of history's defining moments. From November 22, 1963 in Dallas, when he kept the American people informed of the details of the assassination of John F. Kennedy, to Oxford, Mississippi, to Tiananmen Square and the fall of the Berlin Wall, he has reported from the world's most important datelines. His reporting on the civil rights movement in the South, on the White House, the wars in Vietnam, Afghanistan, the Persian Gulf and Yugoslavia and the quest for peace in South Africa and the Middle East has showcased his combination of street smarts and astute analysis.

Rather has received virtually every honor in broadcast journalism, including numerous Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award and citations from critical, scholarly, professional and charitable organizations. During his 42 years with CBS News, Rather has held many prestigious positions, ranging from co-editor of 60 MINUTES to anchor of "CBS Reports" and anchor of the weekend and weeknight editions of the CBS EVENING NEWS. He has served as CBS News bureau
chief in London and Saigon and was the White House correspondent during the Johnson and Nixon administrations.

Since March 9, 1981, Rather has served as anchor and managing editor of the CBS EVENING NEWS. He has been a correspondent for 60 MINUTES WEDNESDAY since its premiere (as 60 MINUTES II) in January 1999. He anchored and reported for 48 HOURS from its premiere on January 19, 1988, through September 2002. His regular contributions to CBS News Radio include "Dan Rather Reporting," a weekday broadcast of news and analysis, which has been presented
on the CBS Radio Network since March 9, 1981.

Rather joined CBS News in 1962 as chief of its Southwest bureau in Dallas. In 1963, he was appointed chief of the Southern bureau in New Orleans, responsible for coverage of news events in the South, Southwest, Mexico and Central America. During that time, he reported on racial conflicts in the South and the crusade of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as well as the death of
President Kennedy.

Rather began his career in journalism in 1950 as an Associated Press reporter in Huntsville, Texas. Later, he was a reporter for United Press International (1950-52), KSAM Radio in Huntsville (1950-53), KTRH Radio in Houston and the Houston Chronicle (1954-55). He became news director of KTRH in 1956 and a reporter for KTRK-TV Houston in 1959. Prior to joining CBS
News, Rather was news director at KHOU-TV, the CBS affiliate in Houston.

Rather was born October 31, 1931 in Wharton, Texas. In 1953, he received a bachelor's degree in journalism from Sam Houston State Teachers College, where he spent the following year as a journalism instructor. He also attended the University of Houston and the South Texas School of Law.

SOURCE CBS
Company News On Call: Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/965075.html

kerry Kwasniewski Putin Berlusconi Koizumi Howard

american senator john kerry

"I've met foreign leaders who can't go out and say this publicly but, boy, they look at you and say, 'You've got to win this, you've got to beat this guy, we need a new policy' -- things like that"

Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski

"To, że senator z 20-letnim stażem nie docenia polskiego poświęcenia, to jest przykre"

"That a senator with twenty years of experience does not appreciate the Polish sacrifice is unfortunate" (przykre - stronger than unfortunate)

"I do not believe that this is the result of ignorance. There is one thing which should be stated clearly: this coalition is not just the United States, Great Britain, Australia alone; it also involves participation of Polish, Ukrainian, Bulgarian and Spanish soldiers who have died. It is immoral not to recognize the involvement we contributed based on our conviction that there should be unity in fighting terrorism, that there was a need to display international solidarity and that Saddam Hussein was a dangerous individual of this world."

"In this sense it is possible to speak of our disappointment; that this stance and the sacrifice of these soldiers is so marginalized. But I blame all of this on the election campaign and the message/theme [przeslanie] which was perhaps not clearly expressed by Senator Kerry, that he is thinking more of a colaition that would bring the US together with France and Germany. That is with those who in the Iraqi question said 'no'. President Bush behaved like a true Texas gentleman, he fought for the recognition of the participation of the other nations of this coalition."
Prezydent: Przykre, że Kerry nie docenia polskiego poświęcenia
Full Kwasniewski quote - right wing accurate here
POLISH PRESIDENT SLAMS KERRY AFTER DEBATE SNUB

Russian President Vladimir Putin

"Any unbiased observer understands that attacks of international terrorist organizations in Iraq, especially nowadays, are targeted not only and not so much against the international coalition as against President Bush,"

"International terrorists have set as their goal inflicting the maximum damage to Bush, to prevent his election to a second term."

"If they succeed in doing that, they will celebrate a victory over America and over the entire anti-terror coalition,"

"In that case, this would give an additional impulse to international terrorists and to their activities, and could lead to the spread of terrorism to other parts of the world."
Putin urges voters to back Bush

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi

"We hope and believe that the next president will again be Bush,"
Italy's Berlusconi Says Hopes Bush Wins U.S. Election

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi

"I don't want to interfere in an election in a foreign country, but I'd like President Bush to hang in there because he's a close friend,"
Eyebrows, hackles raised as Koizumi backs Bush

Australian Prime Minister John Howard

"I wish him (Bush) well and I hope he gets re-elected. I don't say that disrespectfully of his opponent. I certainly think that George Bush has given great leadership to the world in the fight against terrorism."
Australia's Howard says he wants to see Bush win

Medical Liability Reform 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.) FULL TEXT Remarks by President Bush on Medical Liability Reform and Health

Weekly Reader presidential poll

bush vs kerry Weekly Reader Let's America's Kids Decide

Students nationwide are voting in Weekly Reader's famous presidential poll. Since 1956, students in grades 1 through 12 who participated in the Weekly Reader national poll have correctly picked the president, making the poll the oldest and most accurate predictor of presidential election results.

Pictured here: Jose Vazquez slips his vote into the ballot box at the Hart Elementary School in Stamford, Connecticut. Fellow second-grader David Henry waits his turn. Students can vote online or by calling toll-free 1-888-964-2904. (PRNewsFoto)[RV]

weekly reader

STAMFORD, Conn., Oct. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- This year's Presidential race is too close to call, but if history is any indication, Weekly Reader's election poll is likely to tell us who is heading back ... or to ... the White House.

As they have since 1956, millions of students are expected to participate in the 2004 national poll, conducted by the 102-year-old student publication. In each of those presidential elections, children in grades one through 12 have correctly chosen the winner. Stay tuned as the battle unfolds in the nation's classroom! The results of Weekly Reader's Presidential Election Poll will be released the week of **October 25th**. For more details visit Weekly Reader's Election Headquarters at http://www.weeklyreader.com/.

WHO: Students across the nation in grades K through 12

WHAT: Weekly Reader's PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION POLL, which has correctly picked the winner since 1956

WHEN: Polling currently taking place in schools nationwide. More than 9 million students in 60,000 classrooms read Weekly Reader each week.

******RESULTS TO BE ANNOUNCED******
******WEEK OF OCTOBER 25th ******

WHERE: Classrooms across the country will be submitting ballots; calling
toll-free or 888-964-2904 or voting on line at
http://www.weeklyreader.com/

CONTACT: For more information contact:
Mia Toschi at 203-705-3481 or 203-524-2422

SOURCE Weekly Reader
Web Site: http://www.wrcmedia.com
Photo Notes: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041019/NYTU027 APPhotoExpress Network: PRN 8 PRN Photo Desk,
photodesk@prnewswire.com

republican "secret" 72 hour plan

you will find the origianl document in pdf at The Indiana Republican Party and as these things sometimes become "shy" upon viewing the content is reproduced on this server in html below. this document may be and has been varified by other copies "out there".

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.

72-Hour Plan FULL TEXT Voter contact projects for the final push in 2004. you will find background material, and some recent history at Voter Intimidation Marc Racicot John Sweeney words from a local boot on the ground Second break-in hits a Bush office in state feel free to witness brothers and sisters

Provisional Ballots, Early Voting, and 10,000 Lawyers

"Send lawyers, guns, and money" ~ Warren Zevon

NPR

In the 2000 US Presidential election, the State of Florida's punch card ballots' "hanging, dimpled, chads" resulted in injunctions, and a 36 day recount. George W. Bush won the Presidency, and the State of Florida by 537 votes.

Subsequently, the Federal Election Commission enacted the Help America Vote Act. The HAVA timeline runs from December 13, 2002-January 1, 2007.

HAVA timeline excerpts: December 13, 2002: Section 101: "GSA establish grant program for payments to States to improve election administration." Section 102: "GSA establish grant program for payments to States to replace punch card or lever voting machines." November 2, 2004: "All punchcard and lever machines replaced in States accepting Section 102 payments unless qualified for waiver." To view the timeline in it's entirety: Help America Vote Act Timeline

Excerpt of text of law of the Help America Vote Act of 2002: Oct. 29, 2002 -H.R. 3295: "To establish a program to provide funds to States to replace punch card voting systems, to establish the Election Assistance Commission to assist in the administration of Federal elections and to otherwise provide assistance with the administration of certain Federal election laws and programs, to establish minimum election administration standards for States and units of local government with responsibility for the administration of Federal elections, and for other purposes." To view the law's text in it's entirety: Help America Vote Act Guide to Acronyms Relating to the Help America Vote Act

10~18~04, Florida, along with Arkansas, Colorado, and Texas began early voting for the 2004 Presidential election. Voters in Michigan, Missouri, and Iowa had an even sooner head start to the polls; they started casting Presidential votes in September of 2004. Early voting not withstanding, Floridians are still having glitches at the polls and legal issues prior to arriving to polling sites. Purportedly, laptops used for registration verification in Broward County were malfunctioning, and in Orange County touch-screens froze [temporarily]. In Volusia County the NAACP filed suit for additional early polling facilities claiming "the county's single location was too far from high concentrations of African-American voters in Daytona Beach." Like-minded litigation in Jacksonville's Duval County was dismissed, as was organized labor's contention that voters in Tallahassee [inclusive of but not limited to those displaced by hurricanes] should be permitted "to cast provisional ballots outside their designated precincts."
Related:

• State to be put to the test. Can Florida get it right this time?
  
• Florida Department of State
  
• Battles Loom Over Who Gets To Vote