Bush flays Democrats on terror, economy

SARASOTA, Fla. — Using mocking language, President Bush launched a muscular political attack Tuesday in his campaign to preserve Republican majorities in the House and Senate, challenging the Democrats' economic record and their commitment to fighting terrorism.

"If their electoral predictions are as reliable as their economic predictions," he said, recalling Democrats' projections of economic failure after Congress enacted his tax cuts, "November 7 is going to be a good day for the Republicans."

The president, who has used the war in Iraq as a central element in his stump speech as he seeks to persuade voters that a Democratic-led Congress would weaken the war effort, also has been trying to gain political traction from falling energy prices and a rising stock market.

On Tuesday, he turned to taxes, seeking to raise the prospect that they would go up if Democrats take charge. "When you go to the voting booth in two weeks, the lever you pull will determine the taxes you pay for years to come," Bush said. "Americans will cast their ballots on Nov. 7, but you will feel the results every April 15."

Candidate: Charges wouldn't deter me

GARDEN GROVE, Calif. — A Republican congressional candidate whose campaign was linked to an intimidating letter sent to Hispanic voters said Tuesday he would not quit the race if he is charged with a crime.

"If you're innocent and somebody charges you, would you give up? No, you've got to fight," said Tan Nguyen, who is seeking to unseat five-term Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez in California's 47th Congressional District.

The state Department of Justice has opened a voting-rights investigation into the letter sent to certain Democratic voters in Orange County. The letter, written in Spanish, warned: "You are advised that if your residence in this country is illegal or you are an immigrant, voting in a federal election is a crime that could result in jail time." Immigrants who have become naturalized U.S. citizens are eligible to vote.

Nguyen, a Vietnamese immigrant, said he purchased a database of 14,000 Hispanic voters so he could send Spanish-language fliers to voters. He said his campaign sent four fliers using the database before his office manager forwarded the names to an outside party. Nguyen refused to identify the office manager or the third party who he said mailed the letters.

Long name comes up short on ballot

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — U.S. Senate candidate James H. "Jim" Webb's last name has been lost on electronic ballots in three Virginia cities where election computers can't cope with long names.

The glitch in Alexandria, Falls Church and Charlottesville also affects other candidates with long names, officials said.

Webb, a Democrat, appears with his full name on the ballot page where voters make their choices. The error — referring to him only as James H. "Jim" — shows up on a summary page, where voters are supposed to review their selections.

Election officials said the problem shouldn't cause votes to be cast incorrectly, though it might cause some confusion. The mistake stems from the ballots' large type size, they said.

"We're not happy about it," Webb spokeswoman Kristian Denny said. "I don't think it can be remedied by Election Day. Obviously, that's a concern."

Compiled from the Los Angeles Times and The Associated Press