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What's Happening on Saturday, July 24, 2004? President Bush's radio address to the nation airs at 10:06 a.m. EDT. Tune in this week to hear the President discuss the progress that has been made in keeping the American people safer since 9/11. BC'04 supporters in Arkansas, California, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington will be out in full force with phone banks and precinct walks. Did you know? Today in 1959, then Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev held their famous "kitchen debate" on the merits of capitalism versus communism.
The Bush Rapid Response Center  Keeping an eye on John Kerry and all of his changing positions is a 24-hour-day job. The war room crew works diligently, getting critical information out to staff and surrogates at warp speed. Arrayed in the front of the room are 15 TV sets, each equipped with TiVos The war room also functions as a TV studio. We thought we'd share this photo to give you a peek of what a real campaign war room looks like. To learn more about a typical day in the war room, read this.
Happening Now: Online Chat with Barbara and Jenna Bush President Bush's daughters, Barbara and Jenna, are just starting their online chat. Head on over to the Chat Center to login and read their answers to your questions.
President Offers African Americans a Real Choice Throughout his time as our President, and before that as a candidate and as governor, President Bush has always spoken to the concerns of African Americans. President Bush's commitment is more than just rhetoric -- it's a record that's improving the lives of African Americans every day: minority homeownership at an all-time high, recognizing faith-based and community groups as full partners in the fight against poverty, helping minority entrepreneurs create jobs. Today, he addressed the Urban League in Detroit, and asked some important questions of African American voters as they consider the critical choice they face this year: I believe you've got to earn the vote and seek it. I think you've got to go to people and say, this is my heart, this is what I believe, and I'd like your help. And as I do, I'm going to ask African American voters to consider some questions. This is the alternative that President Bush offers -- an agenda for progress and opportunity that speaks to the best hopes of the African American community: I'm here to say that there is an alternative this year. There is an alternative that has had a record that is easy to see. If you dream of starting a small business and building a nest egg and passing something of value to your children, take a look at my agenda. If you believe schools should meet high standards instead of making excuses, take a look at my agenda. If you believe the institutions of marriage and family are worth defending and need defending today, take a look at my agenda. (Applause.) If you agree with President Bush, then learn more about the BC'04 African American coalition.
Morning Reads: Protecting the American People Yesterday, the 9/11 Commission issued its final report, which includes a number of constructive recommendations for the future. The President yesterday welcomed Chairman Kean and Vice Chairman Hamilton to the White House to receive the report, and looks forward to moving ahead with many of the panel's recommendations. You can read the Commission's entire report here. A key finding by the Commission is that America is safer since 9/11 -- but not yet completely safe -- and that we must remain vigilant and on the offensive against the terror threat. A Wall Street Journal editorial finds that the Commission's recommendations are in tune with many of the measures taken to protect America since 9/11: The report is especially damning in its revelations about the law enforcement mindset toward terrorism that prevailed before 9/11. Top CIA analysts--many of whom are now critical of the Bush Administration--thought it was a manageable problem. FBI investigations were "geared toward prosecution," the report notes, and hampered by "perceived legal barriers to sharing information." Part of this was due to the infamous "wall of separation" between intelligence and law enforcement... The Patriot Act took down that wall, and the report amounts to a rousing endorsement of that much-maligned legislation. A number of polls were released yesterday showing a very tight race going into the Democratic convention. The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) finds that: Yet the poll also shows that voters remain wary of Mr. Kerry on national security, the issue looming over the contest as U.S. troops remain in Iraq, and post-Sept. 11 fears of new terrorist attacks at home haven't faded. Just 36% of those surveyed rate Mr. Kerry highly on "being strong in protecting American interests overseas," while 35% give him poor marks. ... After saying "life begins at conception" John Kerry sought to clear the air: "No, because it's not the form of life that takes personhood in the terms that we have judged it to be in the past," the senator responded. ... Finally, the Boston Globe examines the President's connection with rank-and-file police and firefighters. (The Bush-Cheney '04 First Responders coalition is among our most active.)
What's Happening on Friday, July 23, 2004? President Bush travels to Detroit, MI to address the National Urban League Conference. Watch for live coverage at 10:05 a.m. EDT. The President then departs for Crawford, TX, and will attend a Victory 2004 dinner there that evening. Barbara and Jenna Bush, President Bush's twin daughters, host an online chat on GeorgeWBush.com from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. EDT. Barbara and Jenna will speak out about their involvement in re-electing the President and the importance of hitting the polls on Election Day. Go to Chat Center to submit your question. Bush-Cheney '04 will announce its Nevada Small Business Coalition in Sparks, NV. Governor Kenny Guinn, former US Representative Barbara Vucanovich, President of Associated General Contractors Roy Walker, and vice president of a local construction company Craig Holt will deliver remarks. Did you know? Today is the one hundredth anniversary of the ice cream cone! In 1904, Charles E. Menches invented this new way of enjoying ice cream during the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis.
The Biggest Party for the President Yet  After nearly 7,000 parties last week, we're already gearing up for the next big Party for the President -- on September 2, the night President George W. Bush delivers his acceptance speech at the Republican convention in New York City. BC'04 Chairman Marc Racicot just sent the following e-mail to supporters announcing the biggest Party for the President yet: Dear Friend, On September 2, 2004, our Party will come together in New York City to nominate George W. Bush as our candidate for President and formally launch the general election campaign - a campaign for the Heart and Soul of America. In millions of homes around the country, families, friends and neighbors will gather for the National Convention Watch Party for the President - our third National Party Day - to hear the President speak. For more than a year, the Democrats have attacked while their candidates have equivocated on every issue from education and the economy to Iraq and the War on Terror. And next week in Boston, the Democrats will formally nominate their candidate. Their supporters have called the President a thug, a criminal, and a killer, and John Kerry and John Edwards say such remarks represent the "Heart and Soul" of America. Show them how wrong they are! Show them the Heart and Soul of America supports President George W Bush. Host a Convention Watch Party for the President! In April, we held more than 5,200 parties for the President, in July, we held nearly 7,000. Make our Party on September 2 the biggest and best! Setting up your party is quick and easy. Just tell us when your party starts and who you'd like to invite and we'll handle the rest. We'll send the invitations, and they can RSVP online. You can even invite fellow Bush Volunteers in your area to join your celebration. Will you join the Party today? Sincerely,
Marc Racicot P.S. On September 2, the President will formally accept the nomination to run for re-election. Will you join us for the National Convention Watch Party for the President? It's our third National Party Day. Get started here!
The Truth Squad Heads to Boston John Kerry and John Edwards go to Boston next week to talk about their policies at the Democrat Convention. And throughout the next week, we won't rest. A truth squad has set up shop in the shadow of the convention, where we'll be correcting every misstatement, shedding light on every flip-flop and ultimately exposing their “Extreme Makeover”. The effort features press conferences and interviews from Boston – and a special website: DemsExtremeMakeover.com. Campaign Manager Ken Mehlman had this to say about Kerry's extreme makeover, "Voters are going to have a difficult time trusting the presidency to John Kerry when he has taken more positions than anyone can count on the most important issues facing our country. His convention makeover is a concerted effort to distance himself from a record that earned him the distinction of being the Senate's most out of the mainstream member."
Greenspan: Tax Relief is Working In his testimony before Congress, Fed chairman Alan Greenspan recognized that President Bush's tax relief has worked -- making the recession one of the shortest and shallowest on record. John Kerry voted against the President's tax relief. According to Chairman Greenspan, the defeat of tax relief would have meant a "severe recession." Alan Greenspan, the chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, said yesterday that President Bush's three rounds of tax cuts prevented a severe recession and helped prompt the current economic recovery. ... Last week, weekly jobless claims dropped by 11,000 -- another sign that our economy is in a self-sustaining recovery.
Morning Reads: Keeping America Safe a Defining Issue of 2004 This morning's USA Today and Christian Science Monitor highlight why the security of our nation will be a defining issue in this year's election. The coming months will be a test of who can show the strength, resolve, and decisiveness that these times require. If history is any guide, writes Susan Page of USA Today, the advantage belongs to President Bush: In the first presidential election since the Sept. 11 attacks, Americans are paying attention again to a commander in chief's salute. ... President Bush's leadership in wartime is resonating: Daniel Goddard, 43, an aerospace engineer from Miamisburg, Ohio, voted for Al Gore in 2000. But he's leaning toward Bush this time "primarily because we're in a war right now — not just the Iraqi war but the whole war against terrorism." Goddard participated in a focus group of independent-minded voters in Dayton, Ohio, last week sponsored by the Annenberg Center for Public Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. "It may not be the best time to change leaders when you're in the middle of something like that," he says. A similar report in the Christian Science Monitor echoes this basic conclusion: national security will be critical to the choice the American people have to make. In remarks last night, President Bush began to outline a positive agenda for the next four years -- rooted in the fundamental principle that you -- not elites in Washington, D.C. -- know what's best for you and your family. Peter Wallsten writes in the Los Angeles Times: "During the next four years, we'll help more citizens to own their health plan, to own a piece of their retirement, to own their own home or their own small business," Bush said. "We'll usher in a new era of ownership in America with an agenda to help all our citizens save and build and invest so every person owns a part of the American dream." In another step forward in the war on terror, President Bush yesterday signed the Project BioShield Act to significantly expand America's defenses against chemical or biological terrorist attack: As Washington focused on homeland security in anticipation of Thursday's release of the Sept. 11 investigating commission's report, President Bush signed into law Wednesday a bill to develop and stockpile vaccines and other antidotes to the effects of biological and chemical weapons. And in a sign that that hijinks of the Radio City hatefest may be on display again next week, Michael Moore will join the festivities in Boston.
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