NEWS SUMMARY

Without question, the Iraq prison abuse controversy is going to dramatically impact the presidential election.

Unless it doesn't.

It's a story so big that for the foreseeable future it is sure to blot out gas prices, health care needs, jobs, the country of origin of buses, shrapnel wounds -- even Nicole Devenish's appearances on FNC.

With Sen. Kerry largely staying out of the picture so far (although he is sure to address the matter in at least a muted way when he begins to engage with a questioning media today), the electoral contours of this story are anything but clear.

Political sharpies can make up scenarios projected towards the fall in which all this swirl hurts the President's chances for re-election, but the odds of those outcomes are still pretty low.

Nonetheless, as we sit here today, all the elements of a politically damaging, fully engulfing Washington scandal have entered the water like so many streams of blood:

1. Endless process and procedures for the media to cover -- investigative, legal, journalistic.

2. A chance for Senators Biden and McCain to demand answers ad infinitum on any TV show that will have them.

3. Bipartisan outrage and calls for accountability, including from Republican leaders such as Tom DeLay.

4. New "characters" emerging every day.

5. Blind-quote-fed intra-Administration fighting and finger pointing.

6. Questions about "what did the President know and when did he know it?"

Which is why President Bush plans to give interviews from the Map Room to Al Hurra and Al Arabyia television networks. He then meets with the Prime Minister of Singapore and makes remarks on Cinco de Mayo at the White House. Later he attends an RNC gala fundraiser in Washington.

Sen. Kerry campaigns with his wife Teresa Heinz Kerry today and speaks at Woodrow Wilson High School in Los Angeles, Calif. He also tapes interviews with PBS' Tavis Smiley Show and Univision's Jorge Ramos.

Vice President Cheney speaks at the annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner in Washington tonight.

The Senate Select Intelligence Committee holds a closed hearing on the abuse of prisoners in the Abu Ghraib detention facility in Iraq.

The Senate resumes debate of the FSC-ETI Jobs bill today.

The politics of national security: the prison controversy:

The New York Times' Schmitt and Stevenson Note that after more revelations of Iraqi prisoner abuse "the Bush administration went into high gear on Tuesday to contain the diplomatic and political damage, offering its first apologies and pledging to show the world that the people responsible would be brought to justice." LINK

Note the massive finger pointing in this account, involving the White House, State Department, and the DOD.

"The Bush administration's top foreign policy officials publicly apologized yesterday to the Arab world for abuse of Iraqi detainees by U.S. personnel at notorious Abu Ghraib prison, and officials said President Bush plans to join the effort to limit damage from the revelations as early as today," reports the Washington Post's Robin Wright. LINK

The Washington Post's Graham and Babington Note that Condoleezza Rice appeared on Arabic TV in attempt to quell some of the controversy over the mistreatment of prisoners in Iraq. LINK

The Chicago Tribune's Cam Simpson reports that U .S. embassies in the Middle East are concerned about retaliation against Americans in the region after the widespread publicity of the prison photos. LINK

The AP's John Lumpkin reports on the President's appearances on Arab television. LINK

The Washington Times' James Lakely writes that the interviews will be 10 minutes each -- "an opportunity for the president to speak directly to the people in Arab nations and let them know that the images that we all have seen are shameless and unacceptable," White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said. LINK

The politics of national security:

The Los Angeles Times' Hendren reports on the Pentagon announcement that it would "send 20,000 additional troops" to Iraq "earlier than expected and keep the military at its post-invasion peak of 135,000 through the end of 2005," a decision that is "likely to keep a debate on war planning going through the 2004 presidential election." LINK

The Washington Post's Dana Priest reports that after acknowledging its own role in U.S. intelligence failures, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence voted unanimously to end its eight-year term limits. LINK

Wil Hylton writes in GQ that Secretary of State Colin Powell's "friends and colleagues" say he's "exhausted," "frustrated," "bitter," "uncomfortable with the president's agenda and fatigued from his battles with the Pentagon." LINK

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

On his bus ride to Cincinnati, President Bush sat down with reporters from six Ohio newspapers on his campaign bus and the quality time paid off in positive local coverage for his re-election campaign.

The Ohio papers all wrote up a news story on the President's visit and most also featured a bounce piece with the interview. The coverage focused largely on the President's message when he rolled into four Ohio towns yesterday, acknowledging that some in the state have seen tough times but confidently telling his supporters that his policies are working and the economy is improving.

The Ohio reporters get that their state is seen by some as the critical battleground state for both Bush and Kerry this year, the new Florida, but they focused on the local angle in their coverage.

The Cincinnati Enquirer's Korte writes that on the trip, President Bush appealed to the GOP faithful and volunteers, telling them "I'm here to fertilize the grass roots." LINK

The Enquirer published the transcript of the interview with the President, where he was asked about the economy, the prisoners in Iraq, and polling in Ohio. President Bush acknowledged that one inquiry, how are we going to know the war on terror is over, was a "good question." LINK

The Columbus Dispatch's Joe Hallet leads with President Bush's comments to Ohio reporters on the Iraqi prisoners, Noting that the President withheld an apology, and saves the campaign business and Ohio economy write up for the bottom.

The Toledo Blade's James Drew focused on the President's message on the economy and Notes that Bush acknowledged the economic "anxiety" in Ohio. LINK

The Blade's Wenzel calls the President comfortable and confident while discussing the key issues of his re-election campaign and "resolute in his determination to see through the war on terror." LINK

William Hershey of the Dayton Daily News calls President Bush "vote-hungry" and noticed that the campaign schedule "had an election-eve frenzy." LINK

The Golden Lamb Inn in Lebanon provided the perfect backdrop for President Bush's campaign style, with its Main Street USA feel of antiques stores, ice cream parlors and Kettle Korn and hotdogs, writes the Daily News' McAllister and Lark.

The national political reporters that were along for the bus tour took Note of the tone of President Bush's attacks on Sen. Kerry:

The Washington Post's Mike Allen and Dan Balz write that President Bush no longer relied on surrogates to get out his message and attack Sen. Kerry's, as he "used humor and scorn to draw sharp contrasts with Kerry over fighting terrorism, working with other countries, taxation and health care." LINK

The New York Times' Sanger Notes the President continued his "mocking attacks" on Sen. Kerry as his bus rolled through Ohio. LINK

Bush used Kerry's own words to get some of his biggest applause on his campaign tour, writes Peter Wallsten of the Los Angeles Times, Noting Bush's style of "in-your-face mockery." LINK

Going for the breakfast lead, the Washington Times' Curl writes that after flipping pancakes in Maumee, Ohio, President Bush criticized his opponent for waffling. LINK

USA Today's Benedetto Notes the President's casual style at his campaign events. LINK

The Chicago Tribune's Rick Pearson has Gov. Taft proclaiming Ohio the "epicenter of the presidential campaign" and urging Kerry not to even bother campaigning there -- and President Bush offering a "a strange ad-lib to his speech."

"'I'm here to fertilize the grass roots today,' he said. 'I'm here to ask you to grow.'" LINK

The President may not like press conferences but the Dallas Morning News' Hillman writes that he is willing to take questions from the crowd at campaign events -- though most of the inquiries were softballs. LINK

AP reports "President Bush will expand his campaign advertising to Louisiana and Colorado this week, following rival John Kerry's decision to launch TV commercials in the two GOP-friendly states." LINK

The Boston Globe's Wayne Washington reports on some Hispanic activists not being happy with the President's performance. LINK

ABC News Vote 2004: Bush-Cheney re-elect: the campaign report:

From ABC News' Bush-Cheney '04 campaign reporter Karen Travers:

CINCINNATI, OHIO, May 4 -- President Bush's bus tour marked the first overnight political trip for him, and it took him to seven events in two days in two critical battleground states -- where crowds greeted him at every event shouting, "Four more years!"

The campaign unveiled a theme, "Safer, Stronger, Better," which was specific for this campaign swing but will be utilized over the course of the next six months as the President tries to show voters his plans for a second term and his goals of winning the war on terror, improving the American economy and rallying around compassion to face social issues.

At every stop on the bus tour, Bush addressed the two key issues of his re-election campaign -- the war on terror and the economy -- and used humor and a mocking tone to bring up Sen. Kerry's comments on meeting foreign leaders in restaurants in New York City and his fleet of cars.

Bush referred to his opponent by name just once, but it was clear in his speeches that he was laying out the differences between a second Bush term and a Kerry administration. Several times, Bush said that the President must be "clearsighted," "speak clearly," and not send "contradictory signals to the world."

But why travel by bus? Many in the press corps asked campaign staff, 'what can you do on a bus?' when the President could swoop into town on Air Force One, generate headlines in local papers and maybe even make more stops in a day.

Press Secretary Scott Stanzel responded simply: "So you can get to Niles, Michigan."

The buscade was no small event as it went from city to city. From front to back, there were no less than the following vehicles:

3 Secret Service cars
1 Bush-Cheney '04 bus
1 camera truck holding press on the back bed
2 motorcycles
1 more Bush-Cheney '04 bus
1 Secret Service suburban
3 press buses
1 staff bus
Secret Service vehicles

Campaign officials said that the President is eager to get out on the campaign trail and talk to voters about his re-election message and make perfectly clear the differences between him and his opponent -- as well as rally the grassroots volunteers on the ground in these key areas.

The two-day schedule was very aggressive for this point in the campaign and the rigors of the road and seven one-hour events was evident in the President's hoarse voice by Tuesday night in Cincinnati.

Locals lined the sidewalks, streets and highways of every town the President's buscade rolled into, waiting for a glimpse. At the first stop in Niles, Mich., the road leading to the high school holding the event resembled those final yards of a marathon, with people waiting as close as possible to the curb, and once the bus passed, running across a soccer and football field to meet the bus at the other end of the driveway.

President Bush held two "Ask the President" events on the trail that featured Bush in a theater in the round setting so he could take questions from the audience. After the first such event in Niles, that featured far more presidential talking than answering, President Bush kept his remarks short and was asked mostly softball questions from the crowd (including "would you sign this license plate?" and "what is the funnest thing about being President?")

The answer to that last question? President Bush replied, "The funnest thing is making decisions that make the world a better place.

And the battle of the Canadian buses& LINK

It turns out that the President's "Yes America Can" bus was actually made in Canada -- but so was the "Real Deal Express" that Sen. Kerry was traveling around in on his own bus tour last week.

Campaign rapid response directors kicked it up a notch, trading one-liners on the bus flap - BC04 spokesman Steve Schmidt Notes "The here is once again John Kerry's campaign saying one thing and doing another. They have launched a political attack while they themselves chartered the same exact bus." While his counterpart at the Kerry campaign, spokesman Phil Singer said: "The problem isn't the bus he's riding on. It's the failed economic policies he's driving."

We know who Eric Cartman would blame.

ABC News Vote 2004: Sen. John Kerry and Vietnam:

All the coverage of yesterday's anti-Kerry presser has a "he said/he said" quality to it, with a dollop of skepticism that the anti-Kerry folks are acting fully independently of the Bush operation, although no direct proof is offered anywhere. More on all this tk for sure.

The Boston Globe's Michael Kranish reports on the anti-Kerry vets' press conference on Tuesday, Noting that the event "was unprecedented because it included nearly all of his commanding officers." LINK

The Washington Post's Paul Farhi examines the charges of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and the resulting reactions of the Kerry campaign. LINK

Kranish has a mini-bio on John O'Neill. LINK

More on Sen. Kerry and his Vietnam record: The Los Angeles Times' Braun leads "a former Navy doctor who says he treated Sen. John F. Kerry for the wound that led to his first Purple Heart in Vietnam said Tuesday that several of Kerry's crewmates told medical personnel at the time that the injury did not occur in battle." LINK

ABC News Vote 2004: Sen. John Kerry:

The Wall Street Journal's Seib writes that the President isn't the only pol struggling with Iraq: Sen. Kerry has to "appear tough enough to reassure the middle, but peace-loving enough to keep the agitated on board." LINK?mod=todays%5Ffree%5Ffeature">LINK

Kerry's choices on Iraq amount to: rock, hard place, other hard place, writes Harold Meyerson in a Washington Post op-ed. LINK

The Hill's Kaplan on Kerry's assembly of a "Doomsday Team" in preparation for "a so-called 'October surprise,' including Osama bin Laden's capture and a terrorist attack in the United States." LINK

The New York Times' David Halbfinger reports that yesterday as he announced his plan to increase high school graduation rates and " help 200,000 more students graduate from high school each year," Sen. Kerry opened a new line of attack on President Bush's education policy. LINK

"On Thursday in California, aides said, he is expected to call for as much as $30 billion in spending on teachers alone."

Lois Romano of the Washington Post wraps Kerry's education plan, which he unveiled in New Mexico on Tuesday after criticizing President Bush for the nation's high drop-out rate. LINK

The Los Angeles Times' Brownstein and Gold Note "the two speeches could reflect a subtle but telling shift in emphasis for Kerry on education...with his new proposals to stem the dropout rate and improve teacher quality, Kerry appears to be renewing his commitment to educational accountability -- a theme he stressed earlier in his career and that Bush emphasizes now." LINK

The Los Angeles Times says Kerry will be in California today to "lock down the state early so he can focus later on critical swing states." LINK

And the Los Angeles Times' Brownstein and Alonso-Zaldivar write on the distance Kerry is keeping from the Democrats' immigration plan put forward this week. LINK

The Washington Times' Donald Lambro writes up Donna Brazile's criticism of the Kerry campaign's lack of ethnic diversity in senior positions. LINK

Wowee -- the New York Observer's Anson writes long about the complicated Kerry-Clinton dynamic, coming book tour and all. LINK

The New York Daily News on Mrs. Heinz Kerry's New York stopover. LINK

The St. Petersburg Times' Adam Smith reports that paid Kerry staffers are arriving in Florida this week, much to the relief of worried Democrats there. LINK

ABC News Vote 2004: Sen. John Kerry: the campaign report:

From ABC News' Kerry campaign reporter Ed O'Keefe:

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., May 4 -- In a day focused on education, Sen. John Kerry met some of his most honest advisors to date.

Visiting Ms. Valerie Cucuccio's bilingual classroom at Longfellow Elementary, a fine arts and language arts magnet in Albuquerque, the 6'4" Massachusetts Senator was greeted by Mariana Gonzales who marveled, "Can you touch the roof?"

Kerry laughed as another child reasoned, "But you're tall."

The commotion prompted a third child to turn, look, and exclaim, "Oh my God!"

At the end of "Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothes" (which beat out two others in a tense 12-8 vote for the honor of first book) and the Dr. Seuss classic "Green Eggs and Ham," Cucuccio presented Kerry with a book entitled, "Questions for Senator Kerry by the Students of Ms. Cucuccio's Class."

The first question asked, "How will you make sure kids learn at school?" Halfway through an answer about funding, a student requested, "Read the next one."

A student named Pablo asked, "What will you do to make sure airplanes don't fly into tall buildings?" As Kerry explained how the U.S. would find the "bad guys" before they could strike, young Mariana Gonzales interjected with innocence, "You've got blue eyes, don't you?"

And, despite nearly two years on the presidential trail, Kerry faced a question he probably has not faced previously; a student queried, "Can you make sure dogs don't get run over by cars?" Kerry replied, "That's a hard thing for a president to do but I'll try."

But like any fussy crowd, Q&A could only pacify them so long. A student presented Kerry with a drawing of the Senator on which Kerry commented, "That's -- that's skinny."

Another student exclaimed with delight, "You've got hair like mine!"

A second student quickly corrected, "Yours is black. (Points to Kerry's coif.) That's white."

Just as the restless crowd appeared ready to turn completely, a young girl (perhaps a plant from ace spinner David Wade?) asked, "Can I hug you?" With the Senator's consent, 20 students jumped on Kerry in a hog-pile hug.

Unfortunately, whatever points Wade earned with the alleged (and completely fictional) "hug plant" evaporated as the traveling press spokesperson had the unfortunate duty of dialing Dr. Mike Newcomb, host of KFNX's "On Second Thought" in Phoenix for a 10-minute interview.

Peering at the phone he had been handed, Kerry calmly stated, "I got transferred to some dude -- ah, David?"

Wade quickly re-dialed and gave the phone back to Kerry. The Senator waited, and then explained, "Hi, I just called in for Dr. Newcomb but I got transferred into the voice mail of Mr. Farber."

Kerry staff, his eldest daughter Alexandra, and, yes, even an unnamed pool reporter from ABC News could not resist a chuckle. (Thankfully, the Senator grinned, too.)

After a Seinfeldian conversation about the meaning of the colors on the room's world map, Kerry realized KFNX had delivered the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee into yet another voicemail box.

Kerry looked up with an amused smile, seemingly knowing this was not the fault of his aide, and said, "This ain't working, Davie."

When Kerry finally did the long-awaited radio interview, he made his case on education, outsourcing, and the economy through call waiting beeps, school dismissal intercom announcements, and his daughter's cell phone conversation.

Sen. Kerry campaigns with his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, in California on Wednesday, in celebration of Cinco de Mayo. The Senator travels to the Democratic Leadership Conference in Phoenix on Thursday, and then rounds out the week with his third trip to Louisiana.

ABC News Vote 2004: the battlegrounds:

The AP's Joe Magruder reports on a new University of New Hampshire poll that shows a dead heat in the Granite State. Nader was not a given choice, but the pollsters kept track of those who offered up his name, which ended up being one out of 484 surveyed. LINK

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Steven Walters details Gov. Doyle's proposal for overhauling Wisconsin's foster care and child welfare systems on the second day of his statewide "KidsFirst" initiative tour. LINK

The economy:

The Wall Street Journal's Ip reports "the Federal Reserve sent its strongest signal yet that it expects to raise interest rates soon" and gradually.

"The U.S. system for taxing overseas profits of American companies is so riddled with loopholes and credits that the government would collect $6 billion more each year if it stopped trying to tax those profits altogether," reports the Wall Street Journal's John McKinnon, citing a report from the Joint Committee on Taxation. Kerry's plan to "defer U.S. taxes on foreign profits" and reduce corporate tax rates discussed.

In some good news for the BC04 camp, the Wall Street Journal reports "U.S. factories saw orders jump in March by the largest amount in more than a year and a half, in another sign that the nation's manufacturers are finally seeing a firmer recovery."

The politics of gas prices:

Increases in demand paired with instability in the Middle East is sending oil prices upward. casting "a shadow on the global economy, posing an election-year risk for President Bush and adding to motorists' pain at the pump," reports the Wall Street Journal.

The Los Angeles Times reports the record-high gas and diesel prices "are driving up profits at U.S. refineries and providing fuel to critics who claim the oil industry is cashing in on sky-high pump prices." LINK

The politics of overtime:

Score one for the House of Labor: The Wall Street Journal's David Rogers reports that the Senate has voted against the "Bush administration's ambitious plan to overhaul federal wage rules and make it easier for employers to deny overtime pay to white-collar administrative personnel."

"The Republican-controlled Senate voted yesterday to block new Labor Department rules that critics said would deny overtime pay to millions of white-collar workers, handing an embarrassing rebuff to the Bush administration on a politically sensitive jobs issue," reports the Washington Post's Helen Dewar. LINK

The Wall Street Journal's ed board Notes Sen. Arlen Specter helped the Dems score this win, and warns Karl Rove you get what you pay for.

"In a statement after the vote, Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao indicated that she would resist Congressional intervention," reports the New York Times' Carl Hulse. LINK

The politics of same-sex marriage:

The Wall Street Journal front-pages a Schlesinger piece on the front-and-center roll the issue of same-sex marriage is taking in states around the country this cycle, Noting that in "at least seven swing states in the presidential race -- Arkansas, Louisiana, Ohio, Oregon, Missouri, Michigan and Minnesota -- a vote on gay marriage may be included on November ballots, a move that could prompt a large turnout among socially conservative voters."

Meanwhile, "in the face of protests from cities and towns around the state, the administration of Gov. Mitt Romney appears to be softening its approach to excluding same-sex couples of other states from marrying in Massachusetts," reports the New York Times' Belluck and Zezima. LINK

Top Massachusetts officials continue to assert that they won't grant marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples from out of state -- but they don't have to provide proof of residency, reports the Washington Post's Jonathan Finer. LINK

The politics of immigration:

House Democrats on Tuesday announced an immigration proposal as an answer to the plan President Bush unveiled four months ago, the Chicago Tribune's Oscar Avila reports. The plan allows companies to import guest workers and legalize large numbers of undocumented immigrants. Whether or not the measure gains any traction, it's undoubtedly one more sign that both parties are lobbying hard to win over Hispanic voters. LINK

The morning shows:

Today's morning shows led their headlines with the Iraqi abuse photos, although all three nets covered other stories (California wildfires, Thomas Hamill) before returning to the abuse.

On ABC's "Good Morning America," Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was asked if he would apologize and said: "Oh, my goodness. Anyone, any American who sees the photographs that we've seen has to feel apologetic to the Iraqi people who were abused &"

Rumsfeld was then shown a September 2003 photo of himself standing beside Karpinsky and was asked if he saw anything when he was there. Rumsfeld said that when he visited the prison he didn't "go anywhere near any of the cell blocks that held prisoners." Rumsfeld said he was only in the area that was "in effect condemned because it had been part of Saddam Hussein's torture area."

Charlie Gibson told Sen. John McCain that Rumsfeld described had described the abuse as "an exceptional case" and asked: "We don't know that yet, do we?"

McCain said: "No, we don't know. We hear the word systemic thrown around. We don't know." McCain called for a complete investigation and said "it's time for the Defense Department turned over all relevant documents concerning this."

On CBS' Early Show, Gen. Peter Pace, the vice chair of the joint chiefs of staff, insisted that President Bush and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Richard Myers did know about allegations of abuse as early mid-January, although they were likely not given any paperwork, kept apprised orally instead.

On NBC's Today Show, Sen. Joe Biden repeated for his almost-call for Defense Secretary Rumsfeld to resign. "The President is going to Al Jazeera [sic] television today to apologize. And I think that's very smart," Biden said. But he continued, questioning the actions of his Administration. "The President's not being served well& Who is in charge? What did they know, when did they know, and what did they do about it? I mean, this is ridiculous." People found to be responsible, Biden said, should be forced to resign. When asked whether he was referring to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Biden said, "Absolutely. If this goes to the top& Look, every single decision made since the fall of Saddam Hussein has been mistaken. Who is making these decisions? It's not the President of the United States of America. He makes decisions based on information presented to him by top officials& Who is in charge?"

Seconds later, Matt Lauer began a nine-minute (!) interview Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld.

Rumsfeld said the first indication "the Department of Defense" received of allegation of abuse was in mid January (the Administration seems to have gotten their timing on this down).

Rumsfeld defended his statement yesterday that he had not read the entire Taguba report, noting that as he understood it, the report was "a mountain of papers." (He said yesterday he had read a summary of the report.)

And Rumsfeld repeated his quasi-apology line, saying, "Anyone who sees photographs does in fact apologize to the people who were in fact abused. That was wrong, that was unacceptable, that was un-American& That apology is there for anyone who was abused."

Nader:

In a New York Times editorial, Bruce Ackerman argues that (should he wish to) Nader can help Kerry come election time by designating the same set of electors for himself as those Kerry chooses. LINK

"Since Mr. Nader's slate would be the same as Mr. Kerry's, his voters would be providing additional support for the electors selected by the Democrats. If the Nader-Kerry total is a majority in any state, the victorious electors would be free to vote for Mr. Kerry."

In a non-political story (OK, no such thing at this time of year, really) Nader comes out hard against Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig and the idea of allowing advertisements on baseball uniforms. In a Letter to Selig, Nader, an ardent fan of the sport, calls the effort "obscene embarrassment." LINK

ABC Vote 2004: the Senate:

Roll Call's Paul Kane reports that Sen. Frist "is planning his first major political barnstorming tour of the nation during the Memorial Day recess, hitting six states and campaigning for five Senate candidates." The candidates include Thune, Nethercutt, Ryan, Jones, and Vitter.

Meanwhile, Roll Call's Brody Mullins reports that Sen. Daschle has "raised more than three times as much money for his re-election bid from U.S. corporations as former Rep. John Thune (R), his pro-business opponent."

ABC Vote 2004: the gubernatorial races:

The AP's Mike Smith reports on former OMB Director Mitch Daniels' victory in yesterday's Indiana GOP primary. LINK

Republican National Convention:

They'll take Manhattan! The New York Times' Slackman on the Broadway-bound GOP conventioneers. LINK

The New York Daily News on the convention and its security perimeter -- watch out 8th Avenue! LINK

The New York Post says "United for Peace and Justice has filed a permit application for 250,000 people to march up Eighth Avenue past the Garden the day before the convention officially opens." LINK

The New York Observer reports Sen. Kerry "will open a special New York office for the duration of the convention, and his campaign has already begun contacting local supporters, including Senator Hillary Clinton and City Council Speaker Gifford Miller, to coordinate a response to the G.O.P. gala." LINK

Democratic National Convention:

The Boston Globe's Rick Klein reports, "With 83 days left before the Democratic National Convention, local organizers remain $4.6 million short of fulfilling their fund-raising commitment and have brought in only about $650,000 in new cash donations in the past month." LINK

Former VP TV:

"Former Vice President Al Gore, once one of cable television's most ardent critics, stopped by the industry's annual convention on Tuesday to announce he was launching a new network of his own, designed to appeal to younger audiences," writes the Washington Post's Christopher Stern. LINK

The Chicago Tribune's Leon Lazaroff and John Cook look at the deal that makes former Vice President Al Gore a new media mogul. An independent voice that's not liberal, much less political? You decide. LINK

USA Today's Peter Johnson writes up the announcement of Gore TV. LINK

It's aiming to be newsy and hip, writes the Washington Times' Jennifer Harper. LINK The New Orleans Times-Picayune quotes the former Vice President: "'I don't expect to ever be a candidate for office again.'" LINK

Making votes count:

The Washington Post's Dan Keating Notes "four years after the Florida presidential recount fiasco, opponents of electronic voting say a lack of security safeguards for the new technology could undermine voter confidence in this year's presidential election." LINK

Politics:

Howard Dean is headed South to help his party, reports The Hill's Bolton. LINK

TODAY'S SCHEDULE (all times ET):
—7:00 am: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld appears on ABC's "Good Morning America" and NBC's "Today Show" to discuss abuse of Iraqi prisoners
—7:00 am: Sens. John McCain, Joe Biden, Diane Feinstein and Kit Bond appear on various morning shows to discuss abuse of Iraqi prisoners
—8:00 am: Majority Leader Sen. Bill Frist and Sens. Richard Lugar and Charles Grassley participate in the American Council of Life Insurers' annual Capital Challenge three-mile race in Anacostia Park, Washington, D.C.
—9:00 am: The Election Assistance Commission holds a public hearing on the status of computerized voting systems, Washington, D.C.
—9:00 am: House Democrats hold a closed party caucus at the Capitol, Washington, D.C.
—9:00 am: House Republicans hold a closed party conference at the Capitol, Washington, D.C.
—9:30 am: The Senate convenes for morning business
—9:30 am: Off-camera gaggle by White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan
—9:30 am: Sen. Biden holds a press conference on preventing violence against women and children at the Capitol, Washington, D.C.
—10:00 am: President Bush does interviews with Al Hurra and Al Arabiya
—10:00 am: The House of Representatives meets for legislative business
—10:00 am: Sen. Frist meets with the President of the Mexican Senate, Enrique Jackson-Ramirez, at the Capitol, Washington, D.C.
—11:00 am: President Bush meets with the Prime Minister of Singapore, the White House
—11:15 am: Rep. Chris Van Hollen, Rep. Jim Moran, Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton and others host the DNC's Mid Atlantic Latino Democratic Summit at DNC headquarters, Washington, D.C.
—12:00 pm: Sen. Barbara Boxer and Rep. Sue Myrick deliver remarks at a National Breast Cancer Coalition house party on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.
—12:00 pm: Sen. Ted Kennedy, First Lady Maria Shriver, Rep. Harold Ford and journalists Tim Russert, Bill Moyers, and others join Sargent Shriver at an event commemorating his career in public service and the publication of his biography at the World Bank, Washington, D.C.
—12:00 pm: California Secretary of State Kevin Shelley, computer scientist Aviel Rubin and TrueVoteMD Director Linda Schade hold a news conference to discuss electronic voting at the Capitol, Washington, D.C.
—12:30 pm: Secretary of State Colin Powell attends a closed meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus at the Capitol, Washington, D.C.
—1:00 pm: Sen. John Kerry speaks about education at Woodrow Wilson High School, Los Angeles, Calif.
—1:00 pm: Politics Live on ABC News Live and AOL
—1:00 pm: Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert holds a Cinco de Mayo lunch with the Mexican ambassador at the Capitol, Washington, D.C.
—1:00 pm: On-camera press briefing by Press Secretary McClellan
—2:00 pm: House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer holds a news conference to discuss the budget and pay-as-you-go provision at the Capitol, Washington, D.C.
—2:00 pm: Sen. John Ensign holds a press conference on the controversy over the oil-for-food plan at the Capitol, Washington, D.C.
—2:00 pm: The House government reform subcommittee meets with Montana Gov. Judy Martz and others to discuss west coast wildfires at the Capitol, Washington, D.C.
—2:15 pm: Sen. Frist meets with Haitian Prime Minister Gerald LaTortue at the Capitol, Washington, D.C.
—2:30 pm: The Senate Select Intelligence Committee holds a closed hearing on the abuse of prisoners in the Abu Ghraib detention facility in Iraq
—2:55 pm: President Bush speaks about Cinco de Mayo, the White House
—5:30 pm: Bush-Cheney 04 Press Secretary Scott Stanzel hosts a Web chat at http://www.georgewbush.com
—6:00 pm: The Republican National Committee hosts its Presidential gala fundraiser at the Marriott, Washington, D.C.
—6:30 pm: Univision's "Noticiero Univision" airs an interview with Sen. Kerry on amnesty, Cuba, education, Iraq and the economy
—7:00 pm: Vice President Cheney delivers remarks to the 16th Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner at the Hilton Hotel, Washington, D.C.
—7:35 pm: President Bush attends the RNC's Presidential Gala, Washington, D.C.
—8:15 pm: Sen. Kerry tapes an interview with PBS' Tavis Smiley
—10:45 pm: Sen. Kerry arrives at the airport, San Bernardino, Calif.