Campaign Notebook
Poll: Troops prefer Bush's leadership style to Kerry's

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The poll, conducted by the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center, stopped short of asking respondents which presidential candidate they would vote for. Adam Clymer, the survey's political director, cited a 1948 law prohibiting polling of troops about their voting intentions.

But Clymer said the results clearly reflect a significant preference for Bush.

The survey found that 69 percent had a favorable view of Bush, while only 29 percent professed a favorable view of Kerry. On character traits, Bush drew higher ratings than Kerry for being caring, knowledgeable, optimistic, consistent and a strong leader — although respondents also considered Bush more stubborn.

The military sample was far more likely to be Republican (43 percent) than Democratic (19 percent) or independent (28 percent). But GOP partisanship appeared to account for only some of Bush's advantage, Clymer said. He noted that on many questions, the Republican respondents were more pro-Bush than their fellow party members in the general population, as measured by another, larger Annenberg survey. Independents in the military sample also were more supportive of Bush.

Kerry campaign seeks equal time on Sinclair

WASHINGTON — Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign, contending that Sinclair Broadcast Group wants to help President Bush by airing an anti-Kerry documentary two weeks before the election, asked yesterday that each station carrying the program provide a similar amount of time to Kerry supporters.

Sinclair has contended that the program is news, covering an issue of interest and importance to viewers, and has invited Kerry to appear on a post-broadcast program. Kerry has declined.

A call for comment about the Kerry campaign request was not answered at Sinclair.

Sinclair has asked its 62 television stations to pre-empt regular programming to air "Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal." Many of the stations are in swing states that could decide the outcome of the Nov. 2 election.

The film, described in online marketing as "a documentary exposing John Kerry's record of betrayal," explores his 1971 testimony before the Senate and links him to anti-war activist and actress Jane Fonda. Vietnam prisoners of war and their wives claim in the film that his testimony demeaned them and led to prisoners being held longer.
 
Federal poll watchers will be out in force

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is dispatching a record number of federal poll watchers around the country on Election Day but is taking care to avoid perceptions of voter intimidation, officials said yesterday.

More than 1,000 federal election observers and monitors will be on duty at polling places around the country on Nov. 2, about twice the 516 present during voting in all of 2000, said Eric Holland, spokesman for the Justice Department's civil-rights division.

None of the poll watchers will be federal prosecutors, a decision meant to ensure voters do not feel intimidated by a federal law-enforcement presence. The observers and monitors will be staff of the Office of Personnel Management or Justice Department employees who are not involved in criminal investigations.

The Justice Department is looking at possible criminal violations in several cases brought to its attention, officials said. They would not give a more precise number or provide details.

Education Department contract challenged

WASHINGTON — Top Senate Democrats yesterday asked the Government Accountability Office to investigate whether the Department of Education broke any laws when it gave Ketchum Communications a $700,000 contract last year to, among other things, produce a "news" video narrated by a nonreporter (who closed by saying "In Washington, I'm Karen Ryan reporting") and to rate newspaper coverage of the No Child Left Behind Act.

Citing documents obtained by the liberal organization People for the American Way, the article said Ketchum set up a 100-point system to rank stories and education reporters.

"Stories got five points each for positive messages," The Associated Press reported, such as saying the law holds schools accountable and five points if they sent "a message that 'The Bush Administration/the GOP is committed to education.' "

But a reporter lost five points for things such as saying the law is not adequately funded.

Overall, Ketchum found that media coverage "is fairly balanced and neutral, with more positive coverage than negative," according to the documents. Among the "most prevalent reporters," pieces by Greg Toppo of USA Today averaged only two points, the lowest "average article score." Louisville Courier-Journal reporter Chris Kenning's coverage was seen as "quite positive," averaging 33 points an article.

The department says that, whatever the rankings, it treats all reporters fairly.

Bush official quits over phone flap

CONCORD, N.H. — President Bush's New England campaign chairman stepped down yesterday after Democrats accused him of taking part in the jamming of their telephone lines on Election Day 2002.

"The Democrats' allegations against me are without merit," James Tobin said. "But to avoid any harm to the campaign from their underhanded tactics, I elected earlier this week to step down from my voluntary position with the campaign."

The resignation came as the Democrats and Republicans fought in court over whether the Democrats could question GOP officials about Tobin's alleged role in the illegal jamming.

Last summer, Chuck McGee, former executive director of the state GOP, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and admitted paying $15,600 to a Virginia telemarketing company that hired another business to make the calls. Allen Raymond, former president of GOP Marketplace in Alexandria, Va., also pleaded guilty.

Bush lawyer: Election results may be delayed

WASHINGTON — President Bush's top campaign lawyer said yesterday that the winner of next month's presidential race may not be known for "days or weeks" after Election Day if the contest is close.

Experts predict that a large number of absentee ballots will be cast on or before Nov. 2, which could take time to count. For the first time nationwide, voters whose names do not appear on the rolls will be allowed to cast "provisional ballots," which will be counted only after a post-Election Day review determines the eligibility of those voters.

In addition, some battleground states count overseas military ballots received after Election Day so long as they are postmarked on or before Nov. 2.

Tom Josefiak, the Bush-Cheney campaign's general counsel, said he worries that the uncertainty caused by potential delays could undermine confidence in the election's outcome.

Also

The pilot of Democratic Sen. John Edwards' plane aborted takeoff in Cleveland yesterday because a light on the aircraft indicated a failed generator. No one was injured, and the plane departed about an hour later.

Teresa Heinz Kerry made nearly $2.3 million in 2003 and had a federal and state tax bill of close to $800,000, according to tax forms filed yesterday. Heinz Kerry, who has an estimated worth of about $750 million, will receive a refund of just under $248,000 for overpaying her federal taxes and is applying that to her 2004 filing.