Pulling Out All The Stops

More than two dozen Republican governors converged on Texas over the weekend to help one of their own - George W. Bush - in his race for the White House.

CBS News Correspondent Bill Whitaker reports that the 28 GOP governors who came to Austin, Texas, on Sunday - including Bush's brother Jeb from Florida - plan to fan out to 45 cities over the next three days.

"We will give you our efforts to the last minute, to the last hour of the last day of this campaign until you are elected President of the United States," said Gov. Tom Ridge of Pennsylvania.

Bush is counting on the political coattails of popular Republican governors to give him the edge over Vice President Al Gore, especially in the Midwest battleground states.

"It gives me great faith and confidence and comfort to know I'm barnstorming with some of the finest public servants this nation has ever produced," said Bush.

While the GOP governors were preparing their campaign offensive, Bush's chief foreign policy advisor was on the defense. Condoleeza Rice came under sharp Democratic attack for saying Bush would move to withdraw American troops from peacekeeping missions in the Balkans. It was the clearest statement yet of the Bush military policy Rice first laid out for CBS News last year.

"The United States can't do everything," said Rice back then. "The United States can't be the 911 of the world where every time there's a crisis, call America."

In a coordinated assault, Secretary of State Madeline Albright said removing U.S. troops would destabilize the region and undermine U.S. leadership of NATO.

In Dallas on Sunday, Gore denounced the policy, too.

"The time has come to say 'No, we will not turn our backs on those who are suffering, whether in the Balkans or in South Dallas.'"

The Gore camp thinks this is an issue that illustrates Bush isn't up to the job. But Bush stands by Condolezza Rice and his military policy. And polls show when it comes to military matters, most people back the Texas governor.