Bush, Kerry Battle Out West

President Bush heads to Oregon and Washington on Friday after being embraced by a pair of Republican icons in California: former first lady Nancy Reagan and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry will also be in Oregon, as he wraps up a two-week tour through the nation's most politically divided states.

On Thursday, Mr. Bush collected the endorsement of Mrs. Reagan, who hosted Mr. Bush and his wife Laura at her Bel Air home. The endorsement came despite their differences over the use of stem cells for medical research.

The former first lady issued a written statement saying she fully supports Mr. Bush's re-election. A spokesman said the issue of stem cell research did not come up in their meeting.

Mr. Bush then he went to a GOP fundraiser in Santa Monica, where he vowed to win California, even though polls rate that a long shot. He lost the state four years ago by more than a million votes. Mr. Bush was joined by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who called him a "great champion."

Schwarzenegger, with tongue in cheek, offered assurances he's doing all he can to deliver his state to the president, reports CBS News Correspondent Mark Knoller.

"I've been organizing Austrian-born bodybuilders for Bush-Cheney," the governor said to howls of laughter. He said he's "even been organizing girlie men for Bush-Cheney."

Later, in a television interview, Mr. Bush refused to condemn a controversial TV ad that criticizes Kerry's Vietnam war record, even though the president's campaign partner this week, Sen. John McCain, urged the White House to do so.

"I haven't seen the ad, but what I do condemn is these regulated, soft-money expenditures" by outside groups that have filled the airwaves with attacks on both candidates, the president said Thursday night on CNN's "Larry King Live."

The president called Kerry's war service noble, saying his opponent is justifiably proud of his record in Vietnam.

"He views it as honorable service, and so do I," said Mr. Bush.

The president went on to say that the question is who can best lead the country in time of war, declaring "I think it's me. Because I understand the stakes."

Kerry campaign spokesman Chad Clanton criticized Mr. Bush for refusing to "condemn the dirty work" of the ad, saying he "sidestepped responsibility and refused to do the right thing."

Mr. Bush also defended his continuing to sit in an elementary school classroom on Sept. 11, 2001 for seven minutes after being told the nation was under attack.

"I was collecting my thoughts and I was sitting with a bunch of young kids, and I made the decision there that we would let this part of the program finish," said the president.

Mr. Bush's reaction to the news of the attacks has been an issue since filmmaker Michael Moore featured it in his critique of the Bush administration, "Fahrenheit 9/11." Kerry says he would have told the class that he had something he needed to attend to and would have excused himself.

Asked about the criticism, Mr. Bush said, "I think it's easy to second-guess."

The president was campaigning Friday in the Portland, Ore., area and in Washington state.

Kerry will also be in Oregon, using the final day of a cross-country tour to emphasize the impact of high oil prices on economic growth.

"When we have gas prices going through the roof, the Americans I've met don't think we've turned the corner," Kerry said in remarks prepared for delivery at a Friday visit to a family in Springfield, Ore. "This is bad news for their wallets and even worse news for our economy."

Surging oil prices have been one factor driving down stock prices in recent days.

Kerry's campaign said increasing oil prices saps consumers' spending powers, eats into companies' profits and weakens consumer confidence. The campaign has criticized President Bush for promising to bring down the cost of gasoline by pressuring Middle Eastern oil-producing nations.

Bush campaign spokesman Steve Schmidt said the president has a plan to lower oil prices, decrease the nation's dependence on foreign oil and encourage development of renewable energy, but it's been blocked by Kerry and other Democratic senators.

"They'd rather play politics with high gas prices than do the hard work and help the president bring them down for the American people," he said.

Kerry has been touting a plan to reduce the nation's use of foreign oil by replacing a portion of it with renewable fuels like gas produced from corn and soybeans. "We're going to declare America energy independent," Kerry said to a crowd in Central Point, Ore.

The stops in Oregon mark the end of Kerry's two-week trek by bus, train and ferry across the country to visit battleground states.