… An Associated Press report in today’s Des Moines Register shows President Bush has lost ground to Democrats in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania poll numbers were released on Wednesday by Quinnipiac University. Pennsylvania is considered a ‘swing state’ for elections. Here are the highlights: “Bush's job approval in Pennsylvania has slipped to 51 percent, down from 60 percent in August and 67 percent in April. In the survey, 44 percent of registered voters disapproved of the president. In head-to-head matchups, Democratic candidates run much stronger against Bush than they did in August. Bush led Wesley Clark, 48-43 percent; Connectict Sen. Joe Lieberman, 50-44 percent; and Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, 50-43 percent. The president outdistanced Howard Dean, 51-41 percent, and Missouri Rep. Dick Gephardt, 50-42 percent. The poll of 1,116 registered voters was taken Oct. 9-13 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points (10/17/2003)

… President Bush met with California governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger yesterday in a meeting that gave no specifics and much hope to both men. In the end, the two political giants kept specific issues at an acceptable social distance, but both clearly hope to build on a binding friendship. Here are some excerpts from today’s article in the WashingtonPost: “The mood was light and friendly when they were on stage. Schwarzenegger said California has "no greater ally" in Washington than the president. Bush joked about how much they had in common. To laughter in the audience, the president said: "We both married well. Some accuse us both of not being able to speak the language. We both have big biceps. Well, two out of three isn't bad."… The stakes are huge for Bush and his party. California has not voted for a Republican for president since George H.W. Bush won the state in 1988. … Some GOP activists say Schwarzenegger's election gives Bush fresh hope to compete for the state's 55 electoral votes next year. At the very least, they say, the Democratic nominee might have to spend precious money and time in a state that he or she should be able to take for granted…. Dan Schnur, a Republican consultant in the state, said women and Hispanics, especially, were likely to be more receptive to Bush after turning out for Schwarzenegger … But there are any number of reasons Schwarzenegger's election may not provide Bush with easier access to the California electorate. Schwarzenegger must close a budget deficit estimated at a minimum of $8 billion, but likely to be much larger. If he fails to fulfill his promises to put the state's fiscal house in order, any possible voter backlash could be aimed directly at the Republicans rather than the Democrats.” (10/17/2003)

… The Bush/Cheney 2004 campaign is increasing their presence in Iowa. The campaign announced Friday it’s roster of Iowa leadership. Here are highlights from the Bush/Cheney2004 website announcement: “Des Moines - Bush-Cheney '04 announced on Friday its top campaign leadership team for the state of Iowa with National Campaign Manager Ken Mehlman and supporters from throughout the state of Iowa. The Bush-Cheney '04 Iowa Leadership Team will help build a network of grassroots support and serve as messengers for the President's re-election campaign. "Our statewide leadership team is made up of a diverse group of men and women with a great understanding of both President Bush's compassionate conservative agenda and common sense policies that have a positive impact on the people of Iowa. They will play a key role in President Bush's re-election efforts in this state," said David Roederer. Roederer will serve as Chairman of the Bush-Cheney '04 Iowa Leadership Team. Roederer is a small business owner and recently served as the Economic Development Coordinator for Iowa State University. "President Bush shares Iowa's priorities and has focused on strengthening the economy and creating jobs, protecting our homeland, reforming education and providing Americans with better access to affordable health care. The President's strong leadership and common sense agenda resonate with the people of Iowa and he enjoys great support here," said Maria Nesbit, a homemaker from Des Moines who is serving as a Vice-Chair of the Bush-Cheney '04 Iowa Leadership Team. Campaign Manager Ken Mehlman added, "Iowa will play an important role in this election. We are honored to have such a seasoned group of leaders at the helm of Bush-Cheney '04 in Iowa, and their efforts will be crucial to our success. (10/18/2003)

… The GOP sees Iowa as a battleground and is taking steps to shore up their presence. According to today’s Des Moines Register, Bush’s national campaign manager was in Des Moines on Friday, rallying the troops. Here are excerpts from the Register’s report: “Ken Mehlman, Bush's national campaign manager, said at a Des Moines appearance Friday that Iowa will be a battleground state, just as it was in 2000. "Iowa is a state where we intend to have a very aggressive and competitive campaign," Mehlman said after announcing a team of Iowa campaign leaders. … Bush's Iowa campaign team includes leading politicians as well as former University of Iowa coaches Hayden Fry and Dan Gable. Evidence of the GOP's campaign push in Iowa can be seen in the parade of national Republican leaders headed to the state to energize the party faithful and counter Democrats' attacks on Bush's record. Vice President Dick Cheney is making his second trip to Iowa in less than three weeks by taking part in a Cedar Rapids fund-raising dinner Monday for U.S. Rep. Jim Leach of Iowa City. Cheney spoke at another Republican fund-raiser in Des Moines on Oct. 3. U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft and Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie visited Des Moines last month. … Bush narrowly lost Iowa's seven electoral votes to Democrat Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election, so both parties are targeting the state again in 2004. (10/18/2003)

… New poll shows Americans favoring Bush over any other candidate, according to FoxNews.com today. Highlights: “Over a third (37 percent) of Americans say there is a Democratic candidate they would vote for over President Bush, 44 percent say there is not an announced candidate they would vote over Bush, and 19 percent are unsure, according to this week's FOX News poll. Of those saying there is a Democrat they would support over Bush, a plurality says they would vote for "any or several" of the Democrats rather than the president. Retired Gen. Wesley Clark bests Lieberman by only two percentage points (well within the poll's margin of error) on the question of which Democrat running has the strongest leadership qualities. Lieberman is the only candidate to receive double-digits on the questions of which Democratic candidate is the most honest and trustworthy (16 percent) and which has the best knowledge of the issues (18 percent). Most strikingly, over half of voters are unsure or have no opinion on these candidate questions. In this week's poll, the race for the Democratic Party's nomination splits about five ways, with Clark receiving the most support (among self-identified Democrats who are registered to vote) at 13 percent, followed closely by former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean (12 percent), Lieberman (11), Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry (10) and Missouri Rep. Dick Gephardt (nine percent). Opinion Dynamics Corporation conducted the national telephone poll of registered voters October 14-15. The remaining candidates all receive less than five percent support: … Support for Clark is down seven percentage points from September polling…Over half of the public (56 percent) think people are more likely to vote for Clark because of his title, 18 percent say people are less likely, and 16 percent think Clark's title will not make any difference. "This race is still wide open," comments Opinion Dynamics President John Gorman. "While Clark has a resume advantage and Dean has a money advantage, the majority of Americans and of Democrats simply does not know these people well enough to make a choice." The public is divided over which political party "makes the most sense" when talking about the economy — 36 percent say the Democrats and 33 percent say Republicans, six percent say both parties make sense and 15 percent say neither does.  (10/18/2003)

Recent articles have begun to examine liberal left’s downright hatred of Bush. Mainstream journalism, with its traditional parameters, has somehow failed to connect with the notion that there are lots of Americans who walk around sputtering about Dubya -- despite fairly healthy approval ratings for a third-year incumbent. The press was filled with stories about Clinton-haters, but Bush-hating is either more restrained or more out of control, depending on who's keeping score. (10/19/2003)

An ABC/Washington Post poll shows Bush is continuing to decline. If the 2004 presidential election were today, 46 percent of Americans say they would vote to re-elect Bush, while 47 percent would favor the Democratic candidate — the president's weakest showing to date in this so-called generic horse race. (It's 44 percent to 49 percent among registered voters). Bush's lead in this test is down from +13 in April, +8 in August and +5 last month.  (10/20/2003)

National Democrat Party began running a 30 sec. ad Monday in the Scranton-Wilkes Barre television market in Pennsylvania. The following is a highlight of the ad: "It keeps getting worse ... scandals in the Bush White House," the ad says. "Now they illegally leaked the identity of an American CIA agent ... all to hide Bush administration deceptions about the war in Iraq." It is also reported that the Democrats sent out approximately 1.4 million e-mails asking to pay for the ad. They currently have bought $20,000 in the Pennsylvania market. (10/20/2003)

Vice President Dick Cheney struck back Monday at Democrats' repeated criticism of the nation's economy, saying that tax cuts enacted since President Bush took office in 2001 are having their desired effect. "As you know, there are some who have suggested they want to roll back the Bush tax cuts," Cheney said. "I painfully hear these voices on the nightly news. But in fact, the Bush tax cuts are bringing us out of recession. The president and I will not be satisfied until every person who wants a job can find a job." Cheney focused much of his 14-minute speech here Monday outlining steps Bush has taken since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He said security of the American people is the administration's principal concern. "We're rolling back the terrorist threat to the very heart of its power. Our war on terror will continue until every enemy who plots against the American people is confronted and defeated," Cheney said. Cheney was in Cedar Rapids to help his longtime friend Congressman Jim Leach raise money for his reelection. Cheney recently, Oct 3, was in Des Moines raising funds for the Bush/Cheney reelection efforts. (10/21/2003)

President Bush's favorable ratings continue to slide in the latest Michigan poll, but he's still more likely to be the voters' choice than Democratic candidates Howard Dean or Wesley Clark. Bush got 46 percent of the vote compared to 36 percent for Dean in a match-up with the former Vermont governor. Bush also bested Clark, 45 percent to 36 percent. Are some Republicans distancing themselves? Washington Post article says they are. Although many Republicans are optimistic that Bush will win reelection next year, all nonretiring House members (and a third of senators) have their own 2004 reelection campaigns to worry about. Some GOP incumbents -- especially those in the several dozen House districts that Democrat Al Gore carried or nearly won in 2000 -- are showing an increasing willingness to vote against key White House initiatives and to reassure constituents that they think and act independently of the president. The article points to a couple of Congressman including Congressman Jim Leach Iowa who just had Vice President Cheney in town to help him raise funds. They site issues like Medicare and overtime pay as reasons. (10/21/2003)

The Washington Post is reporting that the White House staff are not happy with the 84 Republican congressman who said make part of the $87 billion Iraqi funding a loan. Senior advisers to President Bush will recommend that he veto a spending measure for Iraq's military and reconstruction needs if it requires Iraq to repay any of the money, White House officials said yesterday. The threat came as House-Senate negotiators are trying to reconcile their Iraq funding bills. Many lawmakers are insisting that some of the aid take the shape of loans, not grants.   (10/22/2003)

"Why does an incumbent with no opponent have to raise $100 million and more?" asked Republican fund-raiser Richard Norman. So far Mr. Bush has taken in more than $84 million for his primary campaign and is shooting for $150 million to $175 million by the time he is formally nominated Sept. 2 at the Republican National Convention in New York. Political types are questioning the Bush strategy and its vacuum cleaner approach to raising money. The point being made is that Bush doesn’t have a primary, so why the need for all the money in the primary. The Washington Times story covers the question in a piece titled, Size of Bush war chest raises questions,. The answers to the question in the article are as follows: "Bush doesn't have a Republican opponent but he does have a long list of Democratic opponents and needs all that money to attack them and solidify his own base," said Mark Braden, an election-law lawyer and former counsel to the Republican National Committee. Another reason is that, after the primary season ends, Mr. Bush can give the Republican National Committee whatever he has raised but not spent. The RNC can then spend it in the general election to get out the vote and to counter the $300 million to $500 million that liberal Democratic groups are expected to plow into anti-Bush ads — at least three times what the Democrats spent against Mr. Bush in 2000.  (10/22/2003)

Zogby polled 500 likely Democrat Caucus voters during Oct. 20-21 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points. The poll showed that 26 percent were still undecided. The surprising result was that 49 percent of the Democrats felt Bush would win reelection. The percentage results for the front-runners are as follows: Gephardt-22; Dean-21; Kerry-9; Clark-7; Edwards-7; and Lieberman-5. (10/22/2003)

While it is not likely that Bush will do well in Iowa City -- a place some refer to as the socialist zone of Iowa -- some discussion followed in the University of Iowa’s newspaper, The Daily Iowan following the announcement of high profile sports figures from the community. Local Republicans on the 58-person committee, including famed ex-UI coaches Hayden Fry and Dan Gable, acknowledge they will face a much tougher task wooing Johnson County voters to Bush's camp than their counterparts across Iowa. "I'll give my best for what I feel are good ideas about how to get him re-elected," said Gable, who considered a run for governor in 2001. "A lot of these issues [Bush faces], I think they're going to need another term to get solved." Tim Hagle, a UI associate political-science professor who chairs the Bush leadership committee's Southeast Iowa region, said the president cannot afford to overlook the UI and Iowa City - traditionally liberal bastions. (10/23/2003)

A New York Times article explores the turn-around of Wall Street’s relationship with President Bush. Much of the estrangement seems to be the result of the Bush team creating economic policy without including Wall Street. Like not inviting them to the Economic Summit in Waco. Also contributing to the distance with the White House was the financial scandals rocking Wall Street. Now they have moved closer together because they support Bush’s policies on the economy, terrorism and they are not impressed with the Democrat field. The New York Times, shows that the financial community has surpassed all other groups, including lawyers and lobbyists, as the top industry among Mr. Bush's elite fund-raisers. The list of those generating $100,000 and $200,000 now includes chief executives like Henry M. Paulson of Goldman Sachs, John J. Mack of Credit Suisse First Boston and Stanley O'Neal of Merrill Lynch, whose firm has already raised twice the amount for Mr. Bush's re-election that it did during the entire 2000 campaign cycle. Executives say the support is fed by patriotism and other factors, including the administration's actions to fight terrorism after the Sept. 11 attacks, which struck the country's financial nerve center. Financial executives are also providing money for the Republican convention, which is scheduled for New York next summer and will bring hundreds of business leaders to the city. (10/24/2003)

The Sierra Club is running a 30-second television spot, which is running in New York City. It accuses Bush of misleading the public about the safety of the air in lower Manhattan following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. With images of a teddy bear coated in dust and residents fleeing the city carrying their pets, it also appeals to Bush to clean up remaining dust from the collapse of the World Trade Center. (10/24/2003)

An 18-hour lay over in Hawaii included gathering in $600,000 at a fund-raiser there. Bush also met with local dignitaries and visited the Pearl Harbor memorial Arizona. In his speech to the fund-raiser, Bush prodded Congress to complete work on a Medicare prescription drug bill and while there he chastised Democrats for blocking class action reform legislation. (10/24/2003)

Upping the ante for Campaign 2004, the members of New York’s 1199/SEIU health care union are launching a $35 million campaign "to drive George W. Bush out of the White House next year," reports the New York Daily News. And while the SEIU parent union will not vote on an endorsement until Nov. 6, a meeting in Baltimore meeting provided a glimpse into 1199’s thinking: Presidential candidate Howard Dean headlined the event and was greeted with huge cheers.  (10/24/2003)

Bill Schneider of the CNN Political Unit gave President Bush the play of the week for his taking to task of Malaysia, Mahathir for his remarks about Jews. "The Europeans killed six million Jews out of twelve million, but today these Jews rule the world by proxy, "Mahathir said. "They get others to fight and die for them." (10/25/2003)

Bush is finding himself in a tough spot with Republicans over the use of gay issues in the upcoming campaign. The issues is explored in a Washington Post article. Here is some of what the article covers: Recent polls have shown that a majority of Americans oppose same-sex marriage, and activists on both sides predicted that the prospective Massachusetts ruling could reignite the nation's culture wars at an intensity not seen since the Clinton administration. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is considering a case that could lead to a ruling this fall calling for the legislature to set up a system for same-sex unions such as that in Vermont or Canada. If Massachusetts recognizes such unions, a blizzard of lawsuits could be expected to force other states to recognize the Massachusetts ceremonies. The Defense of Marriage Act, signed by President Bill Clinton in 1996, denies federal recognition of same-sex marriages. But some leading Republican lawmakers say they worry the federal law could be struck down as unconstitutional, and the Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on the act in September. GOP sources said the purpose was to build a case for additional "safeguards." The most-conservative members of the Republican party have expressed dismay about Bush's reticence on the issue so far, fearing a rerun of his low-decibel approach to abortion during his campaigns.(10/25/2003)

The Bush administration was challenged by Sen. Patrick Leahy in the Democrat’s weekly radio response. Leahy charged that the administration is not taking care of our guard and reserve soldiers. Reuters News is carrying a story on the issue. Excerpts: “Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, giving the Democrats' weekly radio address, said the Bush administration wants $87 billion to rebuild Iraq and keep U.S. troops there but opposes a Senate-passed measure to guarantee health care coverage to all members of the Guard and Reserve. "They say it's not related to the war effort. But they're wrong," Leahy said. "And it's time for the country to come together to support our reservists, their families and their employers." (10/26/2003)