NEWS SUMMARY

Iraq and the economy -- sure.

Guns, God, and gays -- we'll see.

We speak, of course, of the question of whether "values" will be part of the 2004 presidential election issues matrix.

For Democrats -- who need to win back swing state rural voters -- convincing people that John Kerry "shares their values" is a major project.

For the GOP, embossing just the opposite on the brains of those same voters is a big goal.

So, front and center today are:

-- the start of the NRA meeting in Pittsburgh (the city in which John Kerry just happens to be starting his day), with Dick Cheney's Saturday keynote speech, and the pending questions of where the Administration stands on the assault weapons ban and Kerry stands on the Second Amendment

-- a Republican confab in Miami at which Ed Gillespie will make the case against Kerry today on abortion, the death penalty, gay marriage, and other cultural matters

-- a GOP-inspired, Drudge-slathered whisper campaign (inching into the papers) to get Teresa Heinz Kerry to release her tax returns (in order to show the Heinz Kerry family as decidedly NOT "people like us" and provide grist for 10,000 investigative stories)

-- Boston Globe and Wall Street Journal profiles of spousal weapon T.H. Kerry that are sympathetic, but remind readers/voters of the fact that her exotic background and outspoken leftist views make Hillary Clinton look like a moderate Betty Ford

-- lingering Kerry-Catholic Church questions

-- some back and forth on when, exactly, we'll see those new Kerry campaign biographical spots, intended to take the edge off of the "Massachusetts liberal" image

As we said, Sen. Kerry is in Pittsburgh this morning to attend a rally with Bon Jovi at the University of Pittsburgh and hold a noon fundraising luncheon. Kerry then travels to Philadelphia for a rally with Gov. Ed Rendell and two more fundraisers.

Tomorrow Kerry is down in West Palm Beach, but he delivers the Democratic radio address. He appears on "Meet the Press" and attends Church in Miami on Sunday morning. On Sunday night he fundraises with Sen. Joe Lieberman in Miami.

Kerry campaigns and fundraises with Lieberman in Florida on Monday morning before campaigning in Georgia. Also Sunday, Chris Heinz rocks out with Max Weinberg at a Kerry fundraiser in downtown New Haven.

President Bush meets with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and does a joint presser today at the White House before departing for Camp David for the weekend. He is in Philadelphia on Monday for a rally and fundraiser for Sen. Arlen Specter.

Also Sunday morning, George Stephanopoulos interviews British Prime Minister Tony Blair on "This Week."

Vice President Cheney returns from his trip to East Asia today. Tomorrow night, he delivers the keynote address at the NRA convention in Pittsburgh, which begins today.

Other highlights of the NRA meeting include two "take the gloves off" Saturday afternoon speeches from NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre and chief lobbyist Chris Cox and Ted Nugent's Sunday afternoon "God, Guns & Rock 'n' Roll" speech.

The Southern Republican Leadership Conference continues today in Miami. RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie and Southern party leaders hold a press conference to criticize Kerry's stances on social issues, and Gillespie delivers a speech to the conference this afternoon.

ABC News Vote 2004: Sen. John Kerry:

Glen Johnson of the Boston Globe pulls out a Friday winner with his profile of the fascinating creature who is Teresa Heinz Kerry. Though it doesn't answer that lingering question whether or not this wife of John Kerry is a help or a hindrance to his campaign, it does portray what an undeniable force she is. LINK

"Mary Beth Cahill, Kerry's campaign manager, calls the Massachusetts Democrat's wife the 'unsung heroine' of the operation, noting in particular her groundwork in the New Hampshire primary while her husband made a go-for-broke gamble on victory in the Iowa caucuses. 'She explains John Kerry really well to voters,' Cahill said.

"That assessment stands in stark contrast to the earlier, more-private concerns of some advisers.

"When Kerry began running in earnest for president in June 2001, campaign aides worried that his wife's frankness and vast wealth would create political problems for him. The specific problem was her propensity to deliver frank statements that could cause the campaign to get 'off-message.'"

And the Wall Street Journal's Shailagh Murray gives Teresa Heinz Kerry the pixeled-picture treatment, profiling the "brash, unconventional style makes Teresa Heinz Kerry . . . a wild card as the spouse of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry" and a successful philanthropist. Writes Murray, "Mrs. Heinz Kerry, one of a breed of philanthropists who aren't content to just write checks and hope for the best, plans to continue overseeing the $1.3 billion Heinz Endowments, as well as her own fund, if she becomes first lady." Do see the graphic outlining the Heinz charities gifts list.

The New York Post's Orin writes of the "new GOP pressure" for Mrs. Heinz Kerry to release her own tax returns. LINK

Josh Gerstein is also on the THK tax case. LINK

The Boston Herald Notes the refusal of Teresa Heinz Kerry to release her tax returns -- pointing out that, "politicians aren't required to release their tax returns, though most do so voluntarily. The Kerrys have always filed separate returns, allowing Heinz Kerry to keep most of the family's secrets. [Heinz Kerry Chief of Staff Jeff] Lewis noted that Heinz Kerry since 1995 has provided information about her finances on her husband's annual financial disclosure reports." firstLINK

We love the fact that Mike Allen (who was at work until, like, midnight, according to our IM stalking) gets first billing on this story, which proves the award-winning White House reporter has solid Democratic sources, too.

He and Diamond Jim VandeHei report that Sen. Kerry "will begin using new images to introduce himself to voters with an intensified ad blitz in the next two weeks just as President Bush scales back his media offensive, in part to avoid competing with violent images from Iraq, campaign advisers said yesterday." LINK

(We don't find out until well down in the meat of the story that the new biographical ad WON'T be ready within "days," as Sen. Kerry himself said yesterday.)

"With internal polls and focus groups showing that voters know little about his candidacy, Kerry plans a new ad campaign based on findings that voters are receptive to his military résumé and 'New Democrat' message of fiscal restraint and national security might."

"Officials in both parties said that Kerry's unfavorable ratings have been driven up by the Bush attacks, which accuse the Democrat of flip-flopping on issues and favoring higher taxes, but the race remains dead even. Although Bush officials insist they never planned an $8 million-a-week ad schedule indefinitely, Democrats said they sense weakness in a campaign financial machine that they once feared."

"Although the Bush campaign is calculating that public interest in the campaign may be waning, the Kerry campaign believes voters are hungry to learn about the senator's views and biography. With fewer Bush ads to compete with, Kerry is also calculating that his ads might resonate more."

"His pollsters, Mark Mellman and Tom Kiley, recently completed extensive polling and focus groups to determine the best message for Kerry to take into the November election. Based on the results, Kerry's political team is finalizing a message and political map that will guide the candidate through the early months of the campaign and into the July convention, advisers said."

"The most consistent finding: Voters know little about Kerry and his vision for the country, two advisers familiar with the results said. Kerry's first two policy proposals -- a deficit-reduction plan and tax breaks for corporations -- were timed and tailored to position Kerry as the heir apparent to Clinton's middle-of-the-road fiscal legacy."

The latest from the Kerry campaign, courtesy of ABC News' Dan Harris:

Communications Director Stephanie Cutter says they're preparing for a possible NRA protest at the rally in Pittsburgh, which is where the NRA will hold its national conference this weekend. She claims not to be worried because, "We're fine on guns." Kerry will talk about Iraq at the rallies and in his radio address tomorrow. Cutter says not to expect anything drastically new -- though that could always change.

As for the Washington Post article that says new Kerry ads will be up in two weeks, Cutter says, "We're still working on them and anyone who gives you a date certain, they're lying." She says her best estimate is "by the end of April." When asked about Democrats and Kerry aides who worry that Kerry is late to the TV party -- after Bush dumped $50 million to define Kerry -- she says, "Sure it's a concern." But, she says, they're running this campaign on their own timetable -- and it's important to make sure they get the ads right.

Slate's Michael Crowley has a must-read profile the "seven factions" vying for control of Candidate Kerry. Writes Crowley, "If Bush's campaign is North Korea-totalitarian and monomaniacal, utterly devoted to its Supreme Leader-then Kerry's is Afghanistan-a chaotic battlefield of multiple feuding tribes. Kerry is the Hamid Karzai of his campaign, trying-so far futilely-to unite his disparate factions. Which tribe gains the upper hand will determine the style of Kerry's campaign, the issues he addresses, and even his presidential priorities if elected." LINK

Note to officials of BC04: the Crowley piece will answer a lot of your questions, and is spot on.

A look at the Wade-Morehouse Roadshow from ABC News' Kerry campaign reporter "Bam-Bam" Brooke Brower:

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., April 16 -- Sen. John Kerry will wrap up his week-long campus college tour at the University of Pittsburgh on Friday with special appearances by rocker Jon Bon Jovi and football great Franco Harris.

While attending an estimated $1.5 million fundraiser Thursday night hosted by the New Jersey Democratic Party, the campaign press corps -- well, the so-called "newbie" ABC reporter at least -- eagerly waited for the possibility of any Bon Jovi-inspired Kerry campaign press releases regarding the President's "bad medicine" or accusing him of giving "love a bad name." There was also the outside but certainly realistic possibility of Kerry speaking of hopes for an "immaculate election" to pay homage to the Nittany Lion/Steeler great in attendance.

In an apparent preemptive gimmick first strike, the Pennsylvania Republican Party advised that the Kerry campaign should call it their "Livin' on a Prayer" tour. The Keystone elephants also announced that they would be joined by a famous dolphin to greet a particular donkey among the panthers -- we're sure you can decipher that mammalian riddle.

In New York yesterday mornin', Kerry accused Bush of exploiting the war on terror and claimed he could do a better job to protect Americans, reports the Washington Post's Dan Balz. LINK

"Home base for George Bush in this race, as you saw to the nth degree in his press conference, is terror," Kerry told about 100 donors at a Democratic National Committee fundraiser in New York.

"Ask him a question and he's going to go to terror," Kerry said. "And everything he did in Iraq, he's going to try to persuade people it has to do with terror, even though everybody here knows that it has nothing whatsoever to do with al Qaeda and everything to do with an agenda that they had preset, determined. That's where they're going to go."

The Times' Jodi Wilgoren REALLY hates pools: LINK

"Most reporters were barred from the event, which netted $2.5 million for the Democratic National Committee. A transcript of Mr. Kerry's remarks circulated by a journalist allowed in to represent reporters who travel with the campaign . . . "

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's James O'Toole Notes that while John Kerry rallies at one end of the University of Pittsburgh with Bon Jovi and former Steelers all-pro Franco Harris, Sen. Rick Santorum will rally at the other end of campus with Rep. Melissa Hart and the Steelers' Lynn Swann. LINK

The Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel previews Kerry's Florida trip, best described as fun, sun, and funds. LINK

The glorious Ryan Lizza assesses Bob Shrum. LINK.

The Boston Globe writes up Kerry's meeting with Cardinal McCarrick in Washington yesterday. About the meeting, the Cardinal's spokeswoman said, "Cardinal McCarrick would be reluctant to use the Eucharist as a sanction." LINK, LINK.

Lloyd Grove waxes poetic over Andre Heinz (Teresa's son) and his comic turn at Crobar. LINK

ABC News Vote 2004: Bush-Cheney re-elect:

Ron Brownstein, who apparently writes for the Los Angeles Times, takes a look at a new front the RNC has opened against Sen. Kerry, shifting from taxes and security to a wide range of social issues including abortion, the death penalty and gay marriage.

"The RNC study attempts to portray Kerry as outside the Southern mainstream by highlighting votes by him that differed from current and former Democratic senators from the region," Brownstein reports.

Brownstein talks to BC04 SE regional chairman Ralph Reed, who said "the Bush campaign believed such issues would reinforce its portrayal of Kerry as too liberal on taxes and national security." LINK

The New York Times' James Dao previews the National Rifle Associations annual meeting beginning on Friday kicking off a "vigorous campaign to whip up support among its nearly four million members for President Bush's re-election. The NRA also "plans to unveil plans for an N.R.A. news company that would produce programs for the Internet, radio and possibly television" with a daily Internet news talk show to begin broadcasting online on Friday. LINK

Tom Beaumont of the Des Moines Register wraps the President's trip there yesterday and Notes that while the day was free of campaign events, "the 48-minute speech at the downtown Des Moines Marriott hotel made clear Bush's philosophical differences with presumptive Democratic nominee John Kerry."LINK

Beaumont also reports that reporters and photographers from two college newspapers said that White House officials denied them access to Bush's appearance in Des Moines yesterday. LINK

The Register's S.P. Dinnen reports that both economists and accountants agree that Bush's tax cuts have helped the economy rebound, though some worry that high-income taxpayers have gained the most. LINK

President Bush "used the occasion of the April 15 tax-filing deadline to renew his call to make permanent the tax cuts he has championed over the last three years and to assert that the economy is recovering nicely because of them," reports Richard Stevenson of the New York Times. LINK

The Washington Post's Amy Goldstein picks up on this theme and reports "President Bush used Thursday's deadline for filing income tax returns to argue anew for a permanent extension of the $1.7 trillion in tax cuts he pushed through Congress -- and to press the case that his economic policies are helpful to rural America." LINK

The Bush-Cheney '04 campaign announced yesterday that it would re-release it's ad "Troops/Fog" in key battleground states and on national cable as it phases out its other ads beginning tomorrow.

The ad, which calls into question Kerry's support for military funding, was first released on March 16 to coincide with Kerry's trip to West Virginia. The ad was updated two days later to include Kerry's statement from the 16th where he said "I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it," at a veterans town hall meeting at Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va.

The New York Times' Jim Ruttenberg Notes: "The spot seemed intended at least in part to prevent Mr. Kerry from taking advantage of the environment by raising questions about Mr. Bush's wartime leadership, a central theme of the president's campaign." LINK

AP's Sidoti reports that an RNC banner ad appears on an Internet video game Web site "a player can pretend to be a cartoon President Bush killing terrorists who have invaded the White House."

We are sure the Service just LOVES that one.

Sidoti also looks at the re-release of the BC04 ad. LINK

Stephen Dinan of the Washington Times looks at President Bush's guest worker program and reports that "the number of illegal aliens being apprehended on the southwestern border has jumped 25 percent in the first three months of 2004 compared with last year."

This political hot potato could wind up burning President Bush as some are blaming his January immigration proposal for "enticing immigrants across the border."

How does this play in battleground states like Arizona where, Dinan reports, "The increase in apprehensions was driven by a spike within the two Arizona sectors, Yuma and Tucson, which saw increases of 60 percent and 51 percent, respectively."LINK

The Miami Herald says President Bush will campaign in South Florida next week. LINK?

And the New York Daily News looks at the slew of anti-Bush films expected out before November. LINK

ABC News Vote 2004: Bush v. Kerry:

USA Today's Memmott and Drinkard Note the (to take a phrase from Matt Dowd) "ebb and flow" of the candidates' campaign ads. Next week, the Bush campaign is ebbing, while the Kerry campaign will be flowing. LINK

It features lots of clicking cameras and this line: "I wish you had given me this written question ahead of time so I could plan for it."

Clarification: the Bush Doctrine:

This was the first paragraph of yesterday's Note:

"By 2005, three of the last four American presidential elections will have featured a Republican nominee named 'Bush' attempting to paint the Democratic nominee as a waffler who is weak on defense and an inveterate tax raiser."

We thought about writing "four of the last five" but we didn't off hand recall the campaign of George H.W. Bush going after Mike Dukakis (or, as they call him at BC04, "the man John Kerry served as lieutenant governor") for being a waffler.

The "weak on defense" and "inveterate tax raiser" go without saying.

Well, a cursory check of the archives (which, sad to say, not one of the Googling monkeys thought to do yesterday) yields this bottom line: four of the last five it is.

Consider:

Bush running mate Dan Quayle said of Dukakis: "His farm policy is the Belgium endive and his defense policy is the Belgium waffle."

Bush himself said Dukakis "waffled" on the B1 bomber. "First he was against the B-1, but now his staff says he's accepted it."

Bush accused Dukakis of waffling on a Palestinian state: "Anyone who has trouble making up his mind on this issue, or who proposes to leave it open, just doesn't understand the dangers to Israel and to the United States."

On recent military action against Iran, Bush saw Dukakis "waffling all over the field."

Bush even accused Dukakis of going wobbly on the Monroe Doctrine: "He said that the Monroe Doctrine, a basic principle of United States foreign policy for almost 200 years, has been, quote, 'superseded,' then he 'clarified' his position, saying that it had been 'expanded on,' whatever that means!"

So this Bush strategy is two wins, one loss -- and 2004 is the next lab test.

Veepstakes:

ABC News' Gloria Riviera reports: "Sen. John Edwards will appear with Sen. Kerry at two fund-raising events next Tuesday in Florida. He's made several television appearances on behalf of Kerry, but this is the first side-by-side event since he squeezed between Clinton and Kerry a few weeks ago."

So will Liebs! LINK

And we've learned that Gov. Richardson will be in Florida mid-May at a conference in Orlando.

ABC News Vote 2004: the battlegrounds:

The Arizona Republic's Sergio Bustos reports that the Bush Administration is raising fees for citizenship applications, green cards, and work permits in order to pay for background checks. LINK

The Arizona Republic's Monica Alonzo-Dunsmoor reports that the National Guard's 1,404th Transportation Company is home again after 15 months in Iraq. LINK

So get this: not only will a parental notification initiative likely be on the ballot in Florida come November . . . but it's increasingly likely that a minimum wage hike initiative will also be there . . .

But on the eve of the Southern Republican Leadership Conference, six Florida gay couples have taken their marriage license denials to court. LINK

The Reno Gazette-Journal's Anjeanette Damon reports that Nevada Dems are heading to Las Vegas this weekend to rally around Sen. John Kerry and Sen. Harry Reid. LINK

The politics of national security:

In a story that is now getting lots of play on local news outlets, the New York Times' Andrew Jacobs puts a Louisiana dateline on his story about the "thousands of military families who expected joyous reunions in the coming weeks" who "are now trying to grapple with dashed hopes and renewed fears that their loved ones will have to face several more months of perilous duty in Iraq." LINK

The Los Angeles Times looks at Minnesota voters in "key suburbs" reactions to the war, writing that "In Coon Rapids and other suburbs of Minneapolis and its twin city, St. Paul, the political damage that Bush has suffered because of the upsurge of violence in Iraq is unmistakable. If those qualms persist, it could pose a significant threat to Bush's reelection hopes. Voters in these suburbs have become the key to carrying Minnesota, one of the closely contested states in the 2004 presidential race. And their views are apt to reflect those in similar communities that could be decisive in other crucial states." LINK

DO see the Vin Weber quotes . . .

USA Today talks to a few wives who were notified last minute that their husband's stay in Iraq would be extended. It particularly hit hard for one group in Missouri.LINK

Secretary Rumsfeld's quote on troop losses gets lots of play this morning. This from the Los Angeles Times: "'I certainly would not have estimated that we would have had the number of individuals lost & that we have had lost in the last week.'" LINK

More from the Los Angeles paper: "The secretary's remarks, among the first from the Bush administration to suggest a possible miscalculation, are likely to fuel criticism by Democrats and others who have said the administration's forecasts have been inaccurate in nearly every major respect other than the swift success of the initial invasion. They included expectations that Iraqis would pose only minor military resistance, allowing a quick and comparatively inexpensive occupation by U.S. troops." LINK

The Chicago Tribune's Michael Tackett looks skeptically at the notion that President Bush's decision to change policy on the right of return will reap political benefits for him. LINK

"The White House is weighing whether to pre-empt the Sept. 11 commission's final report this summer by embracing a proposal to create a powerful new post of director of national intelligence," reports Douglas Jehl of the New York Times. "Under the proposal, management of the government's 15 intelligence agencies, and control of their budgets, would be put under the direction of a single person." LINK

The Los Angeles Times' Meyer looks at the Sept. 11 commission and the Pentagon, writing that "sources familiar with the commission's inner workings said the panel increasingly believes the Pentagon failed to adequately respond to the growing military threat of Al Qaeda." LINK

The U.S. ain't bending on North Korea, says Vice President Cheney, reports the Los Angeles Times' McManus. LINK

Former Sen. Fred Thompson Notes "Iraq is no longer a war of choice, if indeed it ever was. The choice now is between the long, hard slog to victory -- and negotiating terms of surrender." LINK

E.J. Dionne agrees with Bush that getting rid of Saddam was a good thing, but indicates that now the Administration has to rectify the serious problem of bringing democracy to Iraq. LINK

Politics from the outside:

Good news for Rosenthal, Malcom, Ickes, Richardson, Moore, Velasquez, Ballantyne, Richards and more!

The Federal Election Commission said on Thursday that it was "increasingly unlikely that they would decide on new regulations in time to have a meaningful impact on this year's races," reports Glen Justice of the New York Times, Noting that a May deadline for a decision will likely not be met. LINK

The AP's Theimer looks at how the liberal 527s are defending themselves in the face of the FEC ruling. LINK

By the way, America Coming Together raised about $19 million since its inception, and spent more than $6.5 million. (Roll Call had this first item yesterday).

This quarter, The Media Fund reported about $12 million raised and $10.6 million spent. The Fund raised $1,000,000 from SEIU 1199 in New York.

The MoveOn.org Voter Fund raised about $3.6 million and reported spending nearly $9.5 million.

ABC News Vote 2004: the Senate:

"Democrats appear to be keeping pace financially with their Republican rivals in crucial Senate races, including those in Florida, North Carolina and South Dakota, according to first-quarter campaign reports filed on Wednesday with the Federal Election Commission.," reports Michael Janofsky of the New York Times. But do Note this key sentence: "Over all, the Republicans held a two-to-one financial advantage over their Democratic rivals through February, according to PoliticalMoneyLine, which tracks campaign finance." LINK

As Sen. Edwards campaigned for Sen. Patty Murray in Washington State, fans of Rep. George Nethercutt, her GOP challenger, predicted an upset. LINK

Bye bye, Bob Smith. LINK

Politics:

The St. Paul Pioneer Press' Jim Ragsdale reports that former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, who derides "professional politicians" and at one time said he would never seek another elected office, is toying with the idea of running as an independent candidate for the presidency in 2008. LINK

Economy:

"Dozens of U.S. state legislatures, responding to the furor over white-collar jobs being sent overseas, have been considering anti-outsourcing bills," writes Michael Shroeder of the Wall Street Journal. "But so far, the business lobby has killed or weakened every proposal to prohibit government work from being sent abroad."

Leading the business offensive defensive plays: "the Coalition for Economic Growth and American Jobs, formed late last year by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Business Roundtable, the American Bankers Association and other powerful business groups."

The politics of same-sex marriage:

The New York Times' Belluck writes that Massachusetts' Gov. Romney said Thursday "he would ask state lawmakers to pass emergency legislation allowing him to petition the state's Supreme Judicial Court to stay its ruling making gay marriage legal as of May 17. The governor wants the court to postpone same-sex marriages until a constitutional amendment banning them has a chance to be approved by voters. That would not be until November 2006, because the amendment must be passed again in the 2005-6 legislative session." LINK

Ba Ba Booey:

From the New York Post entertainment pages: LINK

"From a sleepy, haphazardly updated Web site, HowardStern.com has, in little more than a month, been turned into a potent weapon for attacking enemies and a vehicle for saying things he can't on his top-rated radio show."

"And it is working. The site had 8 million visitors in just two days last week, huge traffic for the Internet."

And look at one of the highlighted features on the site: "'Bush Facts' mocks presidential flubs, positions the First Face next to similarly-posed simians, and purports to expose 'dirty tricks' and 'double standards.'"

Yes, Stern is very popular in the mostly Blue States in the Northeast. However, Stern is on three strong power rock FM beacons in Ohio: WKRC New Rock 97.3 in Cincinnati, WBZX Blitz 99.7 in Columbus, and WNCX 98.5 in Cleveland. Something to keep your eye on.

TODAY SCHEDULE (all times ET):
—7:00 am: Sen. John McCain appears on ABC's "Good Morning America"
—7:00 am: Gov. Howard Dean appears on CNN's "American Morning"
—8:30 am: The Commerce Department releases the March report on housing starts
—9:15 am: The Federal Reserve Board releases the industrial production report for March
—9:30 am: Off-camera press gaggle by White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan
—10:00 am: RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie, RNC Co-chair Ann Wagner, Florida Republican Party Chairman Jean Jordan and former Georgia Republican Party Chairman Ralph Reed criticize Sen. Kerry's stances on abortion and other "social" issues at a press conference outside the Southern Republican Leadership Conference, Miami Beach, Fla.
—10:15 am: President Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell meet with British Prime Minister Tony Blair in the Oval Office, the White House
—10:30 am: First Lady Laura Bush hosts a media preview for the White House spring garden tours, Washington, D.C.
—10:30 am: Sen. John Kerry attends a rally with Bon Jovi at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa.
—11:00 am: D.C. Emancipation Day Parade kicks off, Washington, D.C.
—11:55 am: President Bush participates in a joint press availability with Tony Blair in the Rose Garden, the White House
—12:00 pm: Former Senator and current American Enterprise Institute visiting fellow Fred Thompson gives a speech about Iraq, terrorism and the presidential election at AEI, Washington, D.C.
—12:15 pm: The White House Commission on Remembrance holds a wreath laying ceremony to honor Special Forces casualties of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Arlington, Va.
—12:45 pm: Sen. Kerry attends a fundraiser luncheon at the William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh, Pa..
—1:00 pm: Politics Live on ABC News Live and AOL —1:00 pm: The National Rifle Association kicks off its annual meeting, Pittsburgh, Pa.
—1:30 pm: RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie delivers a speech titled "The Politics of Success: Why Republicans Keep Winning in the South" at the Republican Leadership Conference, Miami, Fla.
—2:00 pm: On-camera press briefing by Press Secretary McClellan
—3:00 pm: Rep. John Conyers speaks at the Metropolitan DC Health Consortium conference at the Howard University Hospital, Washington, D.C.
—4:15 pm: President Bush and Mrs. Bush depart for Camp David
—4:15 pm: Sen. Kerry is greeted by veterans at the airport, Philadelphia, Pa.
—6:15 pm: Sen. Kerry attends a fundraiser reception at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, Pa.
—7:15 pm: Sen. Kerry attends a rally with Gov. Ed Rendell at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, Pa.
—8:45 pm: Sen. Kerry attends a fundraiser reception for young professionals at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, Pa.