Washington Wrap

Dotty Lynch, Beth Lester, Clothilde Ewing and Daniel Furman of the CBS News Political Unit have the latest from the nation's capital.

Monday's Headlines

* Bush and the Week Ahead

* Bush/Cheney Campaign On Message

* Is Virginia a Battleground?

* Kerry Goes Cowboy

* Edwards Back in a Blue State

* Senate Watch: Keyes In Illinois and Colorado's GOP Primary

Bush Not Vacationing Much This August: After his event today in Annandale, Va., President Bush sets out Tuesday for FIVE days of campaigning in eight more states plus an overnight in Texas.

CBS News' Mark Knoller will be along for the ride:

Knoller Nugget: After a weekend at his folks' place for a family wedding and some fishing - the president faces a rigorous week of campaigning. Between Monday and Saturday - he'll traverse the nation - stopping in ten states and doing campaign events in nine of them: Virginia, Florida, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington and Iowa. The bush campaign is trumpeting that on a couple of days this week Mr Bush will be accompanied by Sen. John McCain - who has proven appeal to the independent voters Mr. Bush needs. (Ed Note: It is not lost on the Kerry campaign that McCain and Bush differ on the issue of stem cell research and the campaign is planning a "Weeklong, Nationwide Push to Urge President to Stop Putting Politics Ahead of Sound Science." In other words, to urge him to reverse his policy on the issue.)

By and large, the targets are battleground states that Mr. Bush either won or lost by narrow margins four years ago - but needs in his win column this time around.

In Maine this weekend, President Bush wanted to be sure reporters knew the Bush family caught a whopper of a fish on Saturday. With his dad at the wheel and both daughters along - bush pulled close to the camera boat to trumpet the 38-inch striped bass shouting "Jenna caught it. Jenna caught the fish." as is their practice, they were seen setting it free after reeling it in.

On Message: Always the disciplined campaign, the Bush-Cheney media team released a new ad "Ownership," on Monday that plays up Bush's message of the day. Bush starts off his eight-state campaign swing in Virginia where his plan to encourage an "era of ownership" will be the focus.

The new ad reiterates comments that Bush is expected to make on Monday, telling viewers that he understands why ownership is important to them and to the country. Interspersed with pictures of "regular folk" at work and in conversation, the ad features a relaxed Bush speaking with the viewer about his plan to "stand on the side of people."

Script: "One of the most important parts of a reform agenda is to encourage people to own something. Own their own home, own their own business, own their own health care plan, or own a piece of their retirement. Reforms that trust the people, reforms that say government must stand on the side of people. Because I understand if you own something, you have a vital stake in the future of America."

At noon, former White House adviser Jay Lefkowitz will hold a conference call with reporters to talk about stem cell research and "set the record straight over President Bush's position. A Bush-Cheney memo to reporters accused Kerry campaign of "misleading people on stem cell research."

Is Virginia a Battleground?: George W. Bush beat Al Gore by over 200,000 votes in Virginia during the 2000 campaign, but John Kerry's advisers are convinced that Virginia could be a swing state this time around. Promising to "expand the battleground," the Kerry campaign started advertising in the state on June 1 (although they are now off the air) and Kerry has made eight trips to the state this year, including on his all-important swing into the Democratic National Convention. And post-convention, the Democratic National Committee has begun advertising in Virginia as part of its $12 million buy so far.

Republicans are decidedly less convinced that Virginia should be purple instead of red. Bush's senior campaign strategist, Matthew Dowd told CBS News that Virginia was a battleground only "in their (the Kerry campaign's) dreams." Bush-Cheney has yet to advertise statewide. Monday morning, the president participated in an "Ask President Bush" event at Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale, Va., which marked the first time this year that Bush has visited the state for a non-fundraising event.

All of this is not to say that Bush is taking the state lightly, as BC04 strategists have said repeatedly. It appears that Republican are being less aggressive than the Kerry-Edwards team in a state Bush-Cheney considers relatively more safe than say, Ohio or Florida.

But lest Bush-Cheney think Kerry-Edwards isn't paying attention to every little thing, the KE team was gracious enough to put together a mock memo to guide President Bush at his event. The memo, written by the "VA GOP," pretends to raise alarm saying, "It has been a long time since you have visited Virginia and, unfortunately, things are not looking very good for us here. Your trip today, less than 90 days before the general election, is clear indication that you understand this….In all honesty, we are seriously starting to worry that you will lose Virginia."

Bush-Cheney aren't buying this line for now, but look for the Kerry-Edwards camp to keep up the drumbeat on this rather unlikely swing state.

Kerry Goes Cowboy: John Kerry continues his Westward Ho on Monday going to the Grand Canyon hoping that some very pretty pictures will emerge. Over the weekend he was in New Mexico and Arizona and CBS News' Steve Chaggaris was with him:

Trail Byte: For Kerry, the senator from Massachusetts who grew up in boarding schools and graduated from Yale, it was time to explore the West. The genuine West: Northern New Mexico.

He stopped by an Inter-tribal Pow-wow in Gallup, New Mexico at Red Rock State Park where he watched a traditional Native American dance and spoke briefly to the crowd. Decked in shiny cowboy boots, the pow-wow was not just a cultural experience for the Northeasterner; there was clearly a political motive for the visit.

In a state that Al Gore only won by 366 votes in 2000, every vote counts. And with 9.5% of the state's population, Native Americans are a ready target for Kerry.

Earlier in the day, he attended church at Albuquerque's oldest church, San Felipe de Neri, in the adobe-heavy Old Town part of the city.

Following church, he ate a Mexican lunch across the street and his wife Teresa dropped $125 on a hand-made, green turquoise, four strand necklace, paying for it in cash (which she keeps in a plastic Ziploc baggie in her purse). "Muchas gracias, abuelita (Thank you very much, grandmother)," said Mrs. Kerry in Spanish to the elderly saleswoman at the end of the transaction.

After lunch, Kerry took a jaunt to a local western wear shop with Gov. Bill Richardson, D-N.M., where Kerry said he was shopping for shoe trees for his cowboy boots, struggling for a minute to remember what shoe trees were actually called.

In keeping with his Western theme, he also told reporters he was "looking for a hat," after trying on a gray cowboy hat."

Ultimately, he didn't need to buy his own hat as Richardson had done his best to transform the candidate into a cowboy, at least for the day, by purchasing a black Stetson hat for Kerry.

Edwards Back in a Blue State: John Edwards has two events on Monday, an AFLCIO meeting and a visit to a Chicago sandwich shop with Democratic Senate candidate Barack Obama. He is also doing a conference call with reporters marking the "sad anniversary" of President Bush's decision on August 8, 2001 to freeze the use of embryonic stem cell lines available for research.

Over the weekend, the Kerry-Edwards train raced through Lawrence Kansas. Edwards doubled back to make sure they hadn't created even more enemies in the traditionally Republican state. CBS News' Bonney Kapp reports:

Trail Byte: A "slow roll" is what the residents of Lawrence, Kansas, were expecting when the Kerry/Edwards Believe in America train passed around 1am Saturday morning. But instead of hearing the candidates shout out thank-you's from the caboose over the loud speaker as the train inched by, the 1,500 strong crowd merely caught a glimpse of the back of Senator Kerry's head as the train raced by without even slowing.

Edwards' press secretary Mark Kornblau implied the mistake was made by the conductor, saying he was "told to slow down anytime he saw crowds and he didn't." Wherever the blame lay, the local Lawrence newspaper noted the crowd's "collective groan" as the train disappeared and quoted several frustrated supporters in the crowd.

Elizabeth Edwards even vented on the campaign's website, writing, "We sat frustrated—but we knew we were not as frustrated as the people of Lawrence, Kansas, who stood until 1 am for the train to pass through—a whistle stop, a slow roll, whatever. And then 'whatever' was just a glimpse, a half wave."

By Saturday afternoon, it was unavoidable: the campaign announced the Edwardses would skip the scheduled Albuquerque church service with Kerry, and head to Lawrence.

Advance teams scrambled to put together a rally in the span of day only to have to find a backup rain location when several inches fell hours before the rally was set to start. Instead the people of Lawrence made their way to Abe and Jakes, a large restaurant that held about 1,500 people. When the restaurant was filled to capacity, more than 2,000 gathered outside—the campaign delayed the rally to set-up outdoor speakers.

"About the other night," Edwards began to laughs and cheers. "Well, you may not have seen us, but we saw you and you look beautiful."

The crowd went wild when Edwards explained why he would spend one of his valuable days just to visit the traditionally Republican state. "There is no red state, there is no blue state—there is only one United States of America and we're going to serve this entire country." It may not be an original line, but voters in Kansas don't often see candidates from a national ticket.

So when the candidate came back for the "people's rally," as Elizabeth Edwards called it, those in the crowd who were blown off Friday night were quick to forgive. "It says they care not about the fact that there are votes here, but because they care about the people," said Lawrence resident Ralph Reed. "They made up for it today," Reed's wife Dorothy Hoyt-Reed added.

Keyes Accepts and A Close GOP Senate Race In Colorado: On Monday Alan Keyes accepted the Republican spot on the ticket for the Illinois U.S. Senate seat. The Chicago tribune reports Keyes said on entering the race that he believed he was duty-bound to protect the moral principles upon which the nation was founded and invited voters to join him because "the victory is for God."

The Maryland native joined the race after 6 weeks of chaos ensued within the Republican Party after Republican hopeful Jack Ryan resigned. Ryan left the race after details of his marriage were made public when a judge unsealed most of his divorce papers. Keyes will now face Democratic candidate Barack Obama.

Alan Keyes is described by most as an extreme conservative. At his acceptance speech he branded Obama's posture on a number of social issues as "abandoning the principles" that helped create the country and the principle that God endowed its citizens with certain fundamental rights.

In other Senate race news, the Republican primary in Colorado is seriously heating up as the two GOP contenders try for last minute votes in tomorrow's primary. The Washington Times reports A Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc. survey released Friday by the Denver Post showed Peter Coors, beer mogul, edging out Bob Schaffer, a former three-term congressman, 45 percent to 41 percent among registered voters. However, the survey also found Schaffer led 46 percent to 45 percent among those who said they would definitely vote.

The candidates are looking to replace Republican Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, whose surprise retirement announcement in March threw the normally Republican safe state into play. To ensure victory Coors has raised more than $2 million, including $400,000 from his own pocket. That is twice the amount the Schaffer campaign raised. Coors is waging war on all fronts; he has flooded the airwaves, organized phone banks and he's using a direct mail campaign. Schaffer's camp hasn't run any commercials, although Colorado Conservative Voters, an independent committee chaired by former Sen. Bill Armstrong, has run ads on his behalf.

Thought both candidates are extremely conservative the general tone of the primary challenge seems to be who can lean farthest to the right. Meanwhile, the independent committee, Colorado Conservative Voters, is trying to suggest Coors wants to lower the drinking age, which Coors claims that he doesn't plan to do and that his company, Coors brewing company, supports a "radical homosexual agenda," because it offers benefits to same-sex partners.

On the Democratic side Attorney General Ken Salazar is way ahead of Mike Miles, a public-school administrator. The Mason Dixon poll showed Mr. Salazar leading 67 percent to 21 percent.

Quote of the Day: "I'm a freak. I vote Republican, I worship Martha Stewart, and I don't mind being naked" --U.S. Olympic swimmer Haley Cope, to Playboy (New York Daily News).