NEWS SUMMARY

The "Reagan Pause" (as historians will surely call the eight-day period just ending) has had no discernable effect on the campaign of 2004 as yet.

By November, we might think otherwise, but sitting here today, there is no obvious benefit or hit to either side.

During the Pause, Republicans saw reasons to feel better about the economy and Iraq, but neither issue moved out of the danger zone for a President who is still waiting for right track/wrong track and job approval to slide toward more favorable positions.

This week will be action packed -- new ads, new job statistics, new Iraq developments, new Social Security numbers, new visits to battleground states, new Democratic interest in the Defense Department memos on interrogation tactics, new Halliburton stuff, and new religious flaps.

But when you get right down to it, pre-Pause and post-Pause, for the serious players and observers in this drama, it's all (still and always) about the Electoral College.

As we have Noted many times before, the road to 270 electoral votes has fewer speed bumps for President Bush than it does for John Kerry.

Nevertheless, the Kerry campaign's unanticipated, remarkable access to resources allows their side to back up Tad Devine's claim that they can expand the map of the battlegrounds and even things up a bit.

How wide that expansion becomes is still very much to be determined. And the President's side is looking to put some current Democratic states in play as well.

Still, based on our reporting with deep thinkers in both parties, independent analysts, and keen state observers, and on polling and historical data, the reality is that 31 states and the District of Columbia currently look as if they will be innocent bystanders in this presidential election.

Here, then, is our first draft of where the states stand -- certain to be updated throughout the year, and just as certain to cause yelling, disputations, and hissy fits galore.

As always, our Electoral College ratings are a combination of our current sense of where things stand in each state, plus a projection to where we think things will be headed by election day. For obvious reasons, we don't base this exclusively on the latest state polls.

Of course, states can (and likely will) shift category between now and Labor Day (and perhaps beyond).

As of today, we have 20 states as "likely Republican" states and 11 states plus the District of Columbia as "likely Democrat" states, bringing the base electoral vote counts to 172 for President Bush and 168 for Sen. Kerry.

That leaves us with 19 battleground states, which we allotted to Bush or Kerry as best we could at the moment.

We have nudged, or forced, eight of those states into Bush's column and five into Kerry's column -- making the tough calls about where currently close states will likely end up when the voting actually happens.

However, our trying to squeeze these states onto one candidate's side or the other should in no way diminish any given state's status as a place where the presidential battle is being joined.

When we factor in these battleground assignments, George Bush leads John Kerry 254 to 217 in the Electoral College vote count.

That leaves us with six states (representing a total of 67 electoral votes) still very much up for grabs, and with both sides short of the magic 270.

The facts on the ground and on television sets across New Jersey, Delaware, and Virginia do indeed give us some pause, but we are not yet ready to reclassify their placement from where they started out in the Red-Blue divisions of 2000.

LIKELY REPUBLICAN STATES: (172 electoral votes) 	LIKELY DEMOCRATIC STATES: (168 electoral votes)
State 		Electoral Votes 			State 			Electoral Votes
Texas 			34 			California 		55
Georgia 			15 			New York 			31
North Carolina 		15 			Illinois 			21
Virginia 			13 			New Jersey 		15
Indiana 			11 			Massachusetts		12
Tennessee 		11 			Maryland 			10
Alabama 			9 			Connecticut 		7
Kentucky 			8 			Hawaii 			4
South Carolina 		8 			Rhode Island 		4
Oklahoma 			7 			Delaware 			3
Kansas 			6 			Vermont 			3
Mississippi 		6 			D.C.			3
Nebraska 			5 			TOTAL 			168
Utah 			5
Idaho 			4
Alaska 			3
Montana 			3
North Dakota 		3
South Dakota 		3
Wyoming 			3
TOTAL 			172

 
THE BATTLEGROUNDS:
State 			Electoral Votes
Florida 			27
Pennsylvania 		21
Ohio 			20
Michigan 			17
Missouri 			11
Washington 		11
Wisconsin 		10
Arizona 			10
Minnesota 		10
Colorado 			9
Louisiana 		9
Iowa 			7
Oregon 			7
Arkansas 			6
New Mexico 		5
West Virginia 		5
Nevada 			5
New Hampshire 		4
Maine 			4

REPUBLICAN BATTLEGROUND PUSHES: 			DEMOCRAT BATTLEGROUND PUSHES:
Florida 		27 				Michigan 			17
Missouri 		11 				Washington 		11
Arizona 		10 				Minnesota 		10
Louisiana 	9 				Iowa 			7
Colorado 		9 				Maine 			4
Arkansas 		6 
Nevada 		5 
West Virginia 	5
REPUBLICAN TOTAL 254 (with "pushed" battlegrounds) 	DEMOCRAT TOTAL 217 (with "pushed" battlegrounds) 

THE BATTLEGROUNDS LEFT OVER:
State 			Electoral Votes
Pennsylvania 		21
Ohio 			20
Wisconsin 		10
Oregon 			7
New Mexico 		5
New Hampshire 		4
TOTAL 			67 


NEEDED TO WIN: 270 electoral votes

Today, trying to tip some of those e-votes their way, all sides at this writing are feeling their way out of the Reagan week truce.

President Bush helps unveil the official Clinton portraits at the White House before flying to Liberty, Mo., for a conversation on prescription drug discount cards.

Vice President Cheney speaks about the war on terror and the transfer of sovereignty in Iraq in Orlando but is not expected to criticize Sen. Kerry. Cheney also attends a fundraiser in Panama City for the RNC.

Sen. Kerry is down in Washington until traveling to Atlantic City and Red Bank, N.J., where he attends a fundraiser at Jon Bon Jovi's house. Kerry gets back on the proverbial stump this week by focusing on the economy, and we look forward to today's Cahill/Mellman/Devine extravaganza -- on off-camera but on the record briefing on where the campaign stands.

The Congressional Budget Office is expected to release a new study stating that Social Security as currently designed is unsustainable but won't run out of money until 2050 or so, 10 years later than previously judged.

The Senate resumes debate on the Defense Authorization bill.

Bush political advisor Karl Rove attends a fundraiser for Georgia Rep. Max Burns in Washington.

Former President Bill Clinton and actress Natalie Portman host a fundraiser for the Kerry campaign in Washington.

Ralph Nader is in Dearborn, Mich. and Toledo, Ohio.

The Republican National Convention releases a new ad featuring Ed Koch.

The weekly gasoline prices report, the trade deficit report for April, and the retail sales report for May are released.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops meets this week in Denver, Colo., and is expected to issue a progress report from a committee looking at Catholics in public life, and a look at the progress made since reforms were set after the 2002 church abuse scandal.

Looking ahead this week . . .

TUESDAY: —President Bush meets and holds a press conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
—First Lady Laura Bush hosts lunch for members of the U.S. Afghan Women's Council at the White House.
—Alan Greenspan goes before the Senate Banking Committee for consideration of his fifth term as Federal Reserve chairman.
—Sen. Kerry speaks at the New Jersey AFL-CIO convention in Atlantic City before attending a fundraiser in Cincinnati, Ohio and a rally in Columbus, Ohio.
—The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee holds a hearing on crude oil supply and gasoline demand and their effects on pump prices.
—President Bush's bishop, Melvin G. Talbert of the United Methodist Church, and other religious leaders unveil a television ad on Arab TV calling prisoner torture in Iraq sinful and systemic.
—The Consumer Price Index for May is released.

WEDNESDAY: —The 9/11 Commission holds a public hearing on the Sept. 11 plot.
—President Bush speaks to military personnel in Tampa, Fla.
—Sen. Kerry holds a second fundraiser and speaks about the economy in Columbus before returning to Washington.
—New residential construction and industrial productions reports for May are released.
—A group of 26 former senior diplomats and military officials issue a statement arguing President Bush has damaged America's national security and should be defeated in November.

THURSDAY: —The 9/11 Commission holds its final public hearing, focusing on the federal government's immediate response to the Sept. 11 attacks.
—President Bush meets with his Cabinet and speaks at the National Federation of Independent Business in Washington before flying to Spokane, Wash., where he speaks at a fundraiser for George Nethercutt.
—Sen. Kerry and Vice President Cheney speak about the economy and attend fundraisers in Detroit, Mich. and Columbus, Ohio, respectively.
—First Lady Laura Bush begins her first multi-stop campaign swing with a BC04 rally outside Philadelphia. She also speaks at the Reach Out and Read Gala in Philadelphia.
—The weekly mortgage rates report is released.

FRIDAY: —The Labor Department releases new state-by-state employment numbers.
—President Bush and Vice President Cheney speak about the economy in Reno, Nev. and Denver, respectively.
—First Lady Laura Bush attends campaign rallies in Cleveland and Minneapolis.
—The Democratic National Committee holds its final drafting hearing for its national platform.

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

After a week that saw a complete halt to the "Kerry Line," the "Raw Deal," "They Said It" and "In Case You Missed It" e-mails (Steve Schmidt's fingers must be twitching), the Bush-Cheney '04 campaign is back to business this week with events by the top names on the ticket and other key campaigners.

"Obviously we paused for the last week to remember President Reagan's legacy but for the next two weeks, the campaign will be focused on highlighting the progress in the war on terror and strengthening the economy," BC04 press secretary Scott Stanzel said.

The President, Vice President, campaign officials and surrogates will focus on getting the word out on the latest economic numbers and the progress in the war on terror, Stanzel said, including the news out of the United Nations and the G-8 summit and the news on the ground in Iraq.

One thing to look for this week will be the release of the latest state-by-state employment numbers -- expect a push from the BC04 campaign to highlight these numbers in key states.

Today Vice President Cheney hits up Florida to deliver a speech on the war on terror in Orlando. Cheney will not address Sen. Kerry's record in this campaign speech but will talk about the challenges that the U.S. faces in Iraq and how the U.S. is working with the Iraqi people for the transition of sovereignty.

Shifting focus at the end of the week, Vice President Cheney turns to the economy on Thursday and Friday with speeches in Columbus, Ohio and Denver focusing on the President's plan for strengthening the economy and continuing to grow jobs.

And look for First Lady Laura Bush to hit the road this week to aid her husband's re-election effort. The First Lady has campaign events in three cities this week. Thursday she visits the suburbs of Philadelphia for a campaign rally and continues on Friday with rallies in Cleveland and Minneapolis. While this is not the first BC04 events for Mrs. Bush (She attended a campaign rally in Las Vegas on May 18.), this is her first multi-stop swing.

Last week, BC04 paused its ad traffic on Friday for the funeral services of President Reagan. This week, the campaign has just one ad running ("Pessimism") but it will double the frequency of the ad on both national cable and on local affiliates in battleground states.

BC04 campaign manager Ken Mehlman and RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie will meet with Members of Congress this week to talk about the economy and the war on terror and look at the progress made on those two issues and discuss Sen. Kerry's campaign activity.

Mehlman gives the Washington Times' Bill Sammon "one of the huge stories of the campaign:" the BC04 "concerted effort to divide the Democratic Party by forcing its congressional candidates to either embrace or reject Sen. John Kerry's liberalism."LINK

"Mr. Mehlman suggested that the strategy has the potential to split the Democratic Party along ideological fault lines." But Sammon points out that Democrat Stephanie Herseth did not have Kerry stumping for her in her special House election that she won against Republican Larry Diedrich, who had Vice President Cheney and First Lady Laura Bush on the trail with him.

Mehlman revved up the faithful at the Minnesota Republican Party Convention over the weekend, talking up grassroots and targeted efforts aiming at voters. LINK

AP's Tom Raum reports "Bush's recent moves and concessions may be an attempt to buy insurance against some of the sharpest Democratic criticism he can expect in the fall." LINK

Bob Novak in a must-read says that the President's advisers are pondering whether and when to reform Social Security, Medicare, and taxes; what to delay to the second term? What to broach now? LINK

Novak says that the President's policy team is pressing the case for now (except for Medicare), while the political team is more cautious. Social Security remains a possibility but Bush barely mentions it and his team hasn't come up with a convincing explanation for the $1 trillion in transition costs a move to private/personal accounts would entail. Novak is not sanguine about the chances for large-scale tax reform, either, and grumpily ends his column by saying that if Bush won't touch these third rails, no one else has the guts to.

Peter Nicholas of the Los Angeles Times looks at the Catch-22 for Gov. Schwarzenegger at the Republican convention in August -- skip it and risk snubbing the President or go and risk alienating Democrats and independents in California.LINK

Either way, Nicholas Notes Schwarzenegger "is calling for Bush's reelection, albeit with a conspicuous lack of gusto -- declining to make out-of-state campaign appearances on the president's behalf, for example."LINK

The Dallas Morning News' Morales takes a look at MOB -- Mothers Against Bush -- a group of mothers in Dallas that gathers for play dates and politics. LINK

The President stops in Washington state this week to headline a fundraiser for Rep. George Nethercutt, who hopes to take Sen. Patty Murray's seat in November, and to speak to troops at Fort Lewis. LINK

For $8,000, couples at the Nethercutt fundraiser in Spokane on Friday can pose for a picture with President Bush, the (Tacoma) News Tribune reports. LINK

USA Today's Richard Benedetto previews President Bush's trip to Liberty, Mo., where he will discuss his Medicare prescription drug program. LINK

It's a sign of "Nevada's emerging importance in the race for the White House": the Bush Administration announced on Friday that the President will make only his second stop ever in Nevada this week with a visit to Reno. Northern Nevada, where Reno is located, has a greater percentage of Republicans than the rest of the state, and the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Erin Neff says this means "that swing voters in Northern Nevada are going to make the difference in the state." LINK and LINK

Bush's visit to Nevada comes on the heels of top adviser Karl Rove's trip there over the weekend. Much of Rove's time was spent defending the Administration's approval of the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste site, which some still think could be a major issue in the state as the campaign heats up. LINK and LINK

Liz Smith and Rush and Molloy all preview the Manhattan screening of "Fahrenheit 9/11" tonight, but the Daily News duo says the event has been moved to the Ziegfield because of so many "yes" RSVPs. LINK

Hey, we have Googling monkeys assigned to stake this event out, so could one of the organizers contact us and let us know where the deal is?

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

"A Democratic watchdog in Congress has raised new concerns of possible involvement by the office of Vice President Dick Cheney in the choice of his former employer, Halliburton Co., to repair Iraq's oil fields after the war," reports the Wall Street Journal's Neil King Jr.

The New York Times' Erin Eckholm writes, "The newly disclosed details about Pentagon contracting do not suggest improper political pressures to direct business to Halliburton, the Houston-based company that Vice President Dick Cheney once led." LINK

"But they raise questions about assertions by Mr. Cheney and other administration officials that he knew nothing in advance of the Halliburton contracts and that the decisions were made by career procurement specialists, without involvement by senior political appointees."

The Washington Post's O'Harrow looks at the Halliburton contract and the role of the Vice President's office. LINK

ABC News Vote 2004: Bush-Cheney re-elect: the Reagan factor:

Ron Brownstein looks at the leadership styles of Presidents Reagan and George W. Bush -- similarly strong in rhetoric, different in action. LINK

The New York Times' Elisabeth Bumiller writes about how badly the Bush campaign seems to want to compare 43 to 40, and how bad some Reagan era veterans think that comparison is. LINK

On that same topic, the New York Times' Frank Rich on Sunday wrote, "But whether one likes either president or not, the difference between them remains far greater than any similarities, and that difference has more ramifications during a hot war than a cold one." LINK

Rich also wrote that President Bush's D-Day speech last Sunday "was not the first time that the current president had taken a page from his fabled predecessor's script, but it may have been the most humiliating."

ABC News Vote 2004: Sen. John Kerry:

Per Kerry spokesguy David Wade, the Kerry message-o-the-week will be economics.

It will be a delayed response to the week-before-last's stronger-than-expected job numbers. Look for Kerry to point out that the numbers obscure real-life economic pain for many citizens: rising health care costs, rising education costs, difficulty finding good-paying jobs, rising debt. They call it the "middle class squeeze."

Wade also indicated the brief era of politeness was probably over -- though was quick to point out that most of Kerry's events will be message-oriented, not attack-oriented.

The Kerry campaign plans to start pushing this message at noon ET when campaign manager Mary Beth Cahill, pollster Mark Mellman, and senior strategist Tad Devine hold a briefing for reporters at Kerry campaign headquarters in Washington. The trio also expects to cover the current overall state of the presidential contest.

The Washington Post's Jim VandeHei has a must-read that looks at some of the lingering anxiety of Democrats about John Kerry, despite the party unity and fund-raising juggernaut, not to mention the poll numbers, that seemed all but impossible a few months ago. Why? Message, message, message. LINK

"These Democrats say the enthusiasm for defeating Bush runs much stronger and deeper than the passion for electing Kerry. The chief reason: The senator from Massachusetts, they say, has not crisply articulated what a Kerry presidency would stand for beyond undoing much of the Bush agenda."

What emerges from a long career in the Senate is an ability to look at the nuance and shading of a situation, not to mention an ability to fashion positions that allow for the delicate balance of dealmaking.

It's rarely a bull-in-a-china-shop proposition, and while such an approach undoubtedly can serve someone in one chamber, the skills don't necessarily translate all that easily to the stump -- or to the punchy, declarative messages that voters can get their heads around in a 30-second ad.

A brief dispatch from the Kerry campaign plane, from ABC News' David "Bring It On" Chalian:

"Returning to Washington from a quiet weekend on the Heinz farm outside of Pittsburgh, Sen. Kerry acknowledged the end of the suspension of overtly political activities by expressing his excitement to return to the campaign trail."

"And he will return with a bit more flair . . . or at least his plane will have a bit more flair for those arrival and departure shots local television stations love to run."

"You may have been asking yourself all day on Sunday why the Kerry campaign pushed the departure time from Pittsburgh to Washington an hour later than originally scheduled. Okay, not a single one of you asked yourself that, but here is the answer nonetheless."

"While the Senator and Mrs. Heinz Kerry as well as the traveling press corps enjoyed a mostly down weekend in Pittsburgh, the 757 jet in which the campaign travels flew to the seacoast of New Hampshire to get some detail work done that didn't get completed in time for the official unveiling of the new plane a few weeks back."

"There are now two American flags (one on each side of the aircraft) emblazoned on the Kerry for President campaign plane. The flags appear to be billowing in the wind and appear halfway back the body of the plane. A senior aide said the flags were requested by the Senator himself. Though it's not at all clear if the Senator asked to make sure that the detailing took place in a battleground state."

"Tonight the Senator will head to the New Jersey home of rocker Jon Bon Jovi to collect some more campaign cash. Jon Bon Jovi is expected to pluck out a few tunes on his guitar for the gathered guests, but don't look for a Kerry/Bon Jovi duet. The Senator said he has no plans to perform at the fundraiser. Whether or not he hits the casinos of Atlantic City in advance of his Tuesday morning AFL-CIO speech there is still to be determined."

Kerry's Vietnam-era antiwar protests are highlighting a "lingering division that has emerged anew in the presidential election" in Ohio, reports William Hershey of the Dayton Daily News. LINK

The politics of Iraq:

The Washington Post's Chuck Babington and Helen Dewar explore the divisions within the Democratic Party over issues surrounding Iraq. LINK

Dennis Cauchon, reports in USA Today "the attorney for an Army reservist who allegedly led the abuse of Iraqi detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison says he wants to force top Defense Department officials and at least three generals to testify at the soldier's upcoming court-martial." LINK

The politics of national security:

The Washington Post's Dan Eggen wraps Secretary of State Colin Powell's appearances on the Sunday talk shows, Noting that Powell called the State Department's report which suggested a decline in global terrorism "a big mistake," but said there was no intent to "cook the books" for political purposes." LINK

The politics of faith:

The New York Daily News' Dave Goldiner writes about the new Time magazine poll that shows, "Just 33% of Americans know that John Kerry is a Catholic, and the Democratic candidate is running virtually even with President Bush among Catholic voters." LINK

On the same poll, the New York Post's Vincent Morris reports, "President Bush holds a huge advantage over Sen. John Kerry among religious voters, while John Kerry has a significant edge among voters who do not consider themselves religious." LINK

More reporting on the claim that President Bush sought council from the Vatican and pushed for more aggressive support for socially conservative values in the United States, while on his visit overseas early this month.

In a June 4 meeting that keeps with a BC'04 strategy to woo Catholics and highly religious voters, Glen Johnson of the Boston Globe reports an article in the National Catholic Reporter article, written by a veteran Vatican correspondent, sheds new light on the range of discussion in Bush's meeting with Cardinal Angelo Sodano and other Vatican officials. Johnson reports, "their discussions implied that 'he hoped the Vatican would nudge [US bishops] toward more explicit activism' on cultural matters." LINK

"The article, quoting anonymous sources, continued: 'Other sources in the meeting said that while they could not recall the president's exact words, he did pledge aggressive efforts on the cultural front, especially the battle against gay marriage, and asked for the Vatican's help in encouraging the US bishops to be more outspoken.'"

AP's Rachel Zoll reports U.S. Roman Catholic bishops commence with week-long meetings in Colorado today to discuss the politics of Communion and the handling of the clergy sex abuse crisis. LINK

Veepstakes:

Our Jim Johnson clip service, in brief:

Boffo, adoring Edwards articles from lots of Florida papers, after the Senator had a weekend of Sunshine -- and raised $150,000: LINK and LINK and LINK

The New York Times' David Halbfinger reports that Democratic Senators and Senate candidates are rooting for Kerry to pick Edwards partly because "they believe Mr. Edwards would help Democrats in five tossup races in the South and give the party a fighting chance to recapture control of the Senate." LINK

The Los Angeles Times' James Rainey follows Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, "the least known," of the serious candidates being vetted by Kerry's team.

In a comment that is sure to get attention, one of Vilsack's aides allows Rainey to write that "he thought that the selection had narrowed to his boss and Edwards." LINK

Vilsack defends his foreign policy credentials by citing his gubernatorial travels "which have taken him to places such as Nigeria, South Africa, Japan, China, New Zealand and Europe." He also cites his experience implementing homeland security initiatives.

Also worth noting are Vilsack's proposals to increase taxes -- on cigarettes and on some services that don't fall under the Iowa state sales tax -- and his plan to recruit 310,000 foreign workers to Iowa.

Increasing revenue in Iowa is putting Gov. Tom Vilsack between a rock and a vice presidency, as solid state economic numbers increase his standing, but make it more difficult to keep Bush from carrying Iowa, writes David Yepsen. LINK

From the outside:

To welcome the President to Missouri today, the Democratic 527 the Media Fund has purchased a full-page ad in the Kansas City Star, as well as radio time in Kansas City. It's the second time they've targeted paid media to coincide with a Bush visit to a battleground state -- a strategy, according to spokeswoman Sara Leonard, that will continue by the Media Fund throughout the rest of the cycle.

The 60-second radio ad:

Sound of 747 Landing . . .

As the President approaches -- his view from 30,000 feet will be magnificent. But he won't see the 89,000 children who have no health care coverage.

Distant sound of "Hail to the Chief"

As he steps off the jet, a band will play. But George Bush won't hear from the nearly 93,000 Missouri seniors who will pay more under his prescription drug plan.

Sound of closing limousine door . . .

The president will be rushed to his photo op. But he won't stop to hear from the families who are paying an average of $2,700 more for health care.

Sound of crowds . . .

He will say he cares about working families. But the 30,700 jobs lost in Missouri tell a different story.

The President flies home tonight. But he leaves behind a state that is neither stronger, safer or better than it was four years ago.

Paid for by the Media Fund.

Go to Page 2

TODAY'S SCHEDULE (all times ET):
—8:30 am: The Commerce Department releases the trade report for April
—8:30 am: The Commerce Department releases the retail sales report for May
—9:00 am: Ralph Nader meets with students and holds a press availability, Dearborn, Mich.
—9:45 am: Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, former White House Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers, and others serve on the panel at the National Association of Broadcasters' Service to America Symposium, Washington, D.C.
—10:00 am: The Supreme Court meets to issue orders and hand down rulings
—10:00 am: Secretary of State Colin Powell meets with Afghan President Hamid Karzai at the State Department, Washington, D.C.
—10:30 am: President Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, former President Bill Clinton and former First Lady Hillary Clinton unveil the official Clinton portraits at the White House, Washington, D.C.
—10:55 am: Vice President Cheney arrives at the airport, Orlando, Fla.
—11:10 am: Secretary Powell meets with Vardan Oskanyan, the Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs, at the State Department, Washington, D.C.
—11:30 am: Ralph Nader meets with volunteers and holds a press availability, Toledo, Ohio
—11:35 am: Vice President Cheney speaks about the war on terror and the transfer of sovereignty in Iraq a reception for the Madison Institute at the Rosen Convention Centre Hotel, Orlando, Fla.
—12:00 pm: Kerry campaign manager Mary Beth Cahill and senior strategists Mark Mellman and Tad Devine hold an off-camera but on-the-record briefing on the state of the campaign and its focus on the economy this week at Kerry headquarters, Washington, D.C.
—12:00 pm: Sen. Maria Cantwell holds a news conference on Enron's alleged manipulation of the energy market before delivering new documents to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C.
—12:30 pm: The House of Representatives convenes for morning business
—1:00 pm: Afghan President Karzai speaks on business investment and development at a luncheon in his honor, Washington, D.C.
—1:00 pm: Commerce Secretary Donald Evans and Bush political advisor Karen Hughes speak at the Karzai lunch, Washington, D.C.
—1:00 pm: Justice Department officials and former Defense Secretary William Cohen participate in the second annual Holmes Debates on "The Just Pursuit of Terrorism" at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
—1:00 pm: The Senate convenes for morning business
—2:00 pm: Secretary Powell releases the fourth annual Trafficking in Persons Report at the State Department, Washington, D.C.
—2:00 pm: Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham speaks about "non-proliferation
accomplishments and opportunities posed by the evolving threats of the 21st century" to the Eisenhower Institute at the National Press Club, Washington, D.C.
—2:00 pm: The Senate resumes debate of the Defense Authorization bill
—2:00 pm: The House convenes for legislative business
—3:00 pm: Secretary Powell meets with the Defense Minister of Bosnia-Herzegovina at the State Department, Washington, D.C.
—3:00 pm: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld hosts an honor cordon to welcome Afghan President Karzai, Washington, D.C.
—4:00 pm: Secretary Powell meets with King Abdullah of Jordan at the State Department, Washington, D.C.
—4:00 pm: The Energy Department releases its weekly gasoline prices report
—4:05 pm: Sen. John Kerry arrives at the airport, Atlantic City, N.J.
—4:50 pm: President Bush participates in a conversation on the prescription drug discount cards at the Liberty Community Center, Liberty, Mo.
—4:50 pm: Vice President Cheney arrives at the airport, Panama City, Fla.
—5:30 pm: The Senate is expected to vote on amendments to the Defense Authorization bill
—6:00 pm: Former President Clinton and actress Natalie Portman attend a fundraiser for John Kerry at H20, Washington, D.C.
—6:30 pm: Sen. Kerry attends a fundraiser at Jon Bon Jovi's house, Red Bank, N.J.
—6:30 pm: Vice President Cheney speaks at a reception for the 2004 Joint State Victory Reception at the Bay Point Marriott Resort, Panama City, Fla.
—6:30 pm: Afghan President Karzai discusses the U.S.-Afghan partnership at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, D.C.
—9:00 pm: Homeland Security Undersecretary Charles McQueary speaks at the Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C.