Washington Wrap

Dotty Lynch, Douglas Kiker, Beth Lester, Clothilde Ewing, Katie Dyer and Jessica Shyu of the CBS News Political Unit have the latest from the nation's capital.

Wednesday's Headlines

* Bush Campaign Goes After Media Fund Ad

* Bush Visits Super Battleground Ohio

* Gay Republicans Threaten to Break Rank

* Howard Dean Comes Inside the Beltway

* Colorado Senate: Owens is Out, Udall is In

Let the Ad Wars Begin!: Wednesday, the Media Fund, a pro-Democratic 527 group run by Harold Ickes and funded in part by major contributions from Hollywood mogul Steve Bing and billionaire insurance man Peter Lewis, began running $5.09 million worth of television advertisements in 17 battleground states. "Remember the American Dream" mentions President Bush by name and charges that his priorities are "eroding the American Dream." The ad focuses on domestic issues like jobs and health care and was produced by Washington ad maker Bill Knapp and a number of Madison Avenue and Hollywood filmmakers. The Media Fund plans to raise $50 million for the campaign.

Even before the ads began airing, the Bush-Cheney campaign filed a formal complaint with the FEC alleging that the ads violate campaign finance laws. The Bush-Cheney campaign alleges that the ads "effectively oppose Mr. Bush, and were paid for with unlimited or 'soft money' donations," in contravention of FEC rules, reports the New York Times.

The Media Fund disputes the premise of the complaint, saying that although the group's ads may affect the presidential race, they are meant to highlight issues and are therefore not regulated by the FEC in the same way. In a conference call, Ickes told reporters, "Our lawyers are absolutely convinced that we are on extraordinarily solid ground." If Ickes' assessment of the advertising is correct – issues ads rather than ads that advocate the election or defeat of a federal candidate – the Media Fund would not be prevented from using soft money under current campaign finance rules. Instead, the law simply prohibits such groups from coordinating with a campaign or party. As Jim Jordan, fired as Mr. Kerry's campaign manager in late 2003 and now a consultant to the Media Fund, told the Times, "Everyone here is abiding by the prohibition against coordination with the campaign or party committees."

The current FEC complaint is likely the opening salvo in the legal wrangling over 527s. The FEC is currently investigating 527s and will likely make some sort of ruling in the next several months. Ickes downplayed the impact the FEC would have, saying Congress had "the opportunity to change the law with respect to kind of organizations that Media Fund is, and chose not to," and that the "FEC does not have the authority to change the law." Ickes concluded by saying that any FEC ruling was "a ways down the road."

For all the Republican outrage over the Democratic-leaning 527s, there are Republican 527s, albeit with significantly smaller ad buys, on the air right now whose message at least obliquely supports the Bush-Cheney campaign. On Monday, Citizens United began running an ad attacking John Kerry as an elitist, northeastern liberal. The ad wars are clearly just beginning and this $20 million round is likely to be a portent of things to come.

Bush to Cleveland--You Rock: President Bush visits Ohio on Wednesday, his 15th visit to a state that's shaping up as the mother of all battlegrounds in November.

Bush was in Ohio two weeks ago, and he is sure to be back many times between now and November. Democrats, from John Kerry's presidential campaign to John Podesta's 527, are hoping to make jobs and the economy the driving issues in Ohio, a state that has been hard hit by job losses, particularly in the manufacturing sector, in recent years.

Some of Bush's motivation can be gleaned from these numbers: In 2000, Ohio went for Bush by just 166,000 votes over Al Gore. That is 100,000 less than the number of jobs that have been lost in the state since Bush took office. Ohio has 20 Electoral College votes.

The AP reports that Bush does an "official" event (meaning taxpayers pick up the tab, not Bush-Cheney) in Cleveland, including giving a speech on Americans' anxiety about jobs going overseas. And he was making a fresh push for his economic policies, criticized for months by the Democratic presidential contenders.

Ohioans heard plenty of criticism of Bush in recent weeks as the Democratic candidates campaigned hard leading up to the March 2 primary, which John Kerry soundly won.

In his speech defending the administration's economic policies, the AP reports that Bush will not mention Kerry by name (taypayer tab and all), but will say, "Some politicians in Washington see this new challenge and want to respond in old ways. Their agenda is to increase federal taxes, build a wall around our economy and isolate America from the rest of the world."

Rep. Dennis Kucinich, who represents Cleveland and is still running for president, told the AP, "I hope the president's brief visit to our area will include a tour of the empty factories and bankrupt corporations that are the legacy of his administration's economic policies."

The Kerry campaign also organized a conference call – sure to focus on Ohio's stagnant economy – with Cleveland Mayor Jane Campbell and former administrator of the Small Business Administration Aida Alvarez. The call will focus on Kerry's former job as chairman of the Senate's small business subcommittee.

Log Cabin Republicans Draw Line in the Sand: President Bush may have sealed his party's nomination on Tuesday without opposition, but now a group of Republicans has launched an ad that goes after the administration's attempt to ban same-sex marriage. The Log Cabin Republicans, a group of gay Republicans who supported the president four years ago, say Bush's decision to endorse a constitutional amendment barring same-sex marriage was "the line in sand" for the group, which has never run a campaign ad, reports the Washington Post. The group launched the $1 million ad campaign today and will begin running its first ad on local and cable stations in D.C., Florida, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio and Wisconsin.

While the ad attacks the measure, without attacking the president, Patrick Guerriero, the group's executive director, said the measure has jeopardized the group's endorsement by "the hypocrisy of using this in an election year."

More than anything, the 30-second ad uses a clip of Vice President Cheney speaking about gay marriage in the 2000 vice presidential debate. "People should be free to enter into any kind of relationship they want to enter into," he says. "That matter is regulated by the states. I think different states are likely to come to different conclusions, and that's appropriate. I don't think there should necessarily be a federal policy in this area." While Cheney is speaking, the ad goes through a montage of pictures including ones that compare gay marriage issues to the civil rights movement, by showing protest scenes from the '60s and a sign that reads "Colored Waiting Room." After Cheney is done speaking, the ad finishes up with a tag line written across the screen, which says, "We Agree. Don't Amend the Constitution."

Dr. Dean Comes to Washington: Howard Dean comes "inside the beltway" today to meet with de facto Democratic nominee John Kerry to discuss ways the two can work together to defeat President Bush in November. According to the Kerry campaign they are not looking for an "endorsement" because Dean has already said he will support Kerry. There has been speculation about the use of a list of over 600,000 Dean supporters, which the former Vermont governor has made clear he won't hand over. Asked whether Dean will actively ask his supporters to support Kerry, campaign spokesman Jay Carson tells CBS News that Dean will decide "the most effective way to use the extensive support he has to help Sen. Kerry and he'll do it."

Always on top of things, the Bush/Cheney campaign was quick to send out a list of gripes that Dean once had with Kerry, complete with quotes, including one uttered on the day of the New Hampshire primary about Kerry's "whining." "I think one of the things John is going to have to learn as the front-runner, he is going to have to stop whining when people say things about him that are different … John is going to have to learn to be tough."

Rocky Mountain State Gets Hot: The Colorado political scene has gone from mild to wild in a matter of days. Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, a Republican, announced last week that he would not seek reelection citing declining health as his reason. This has left both Democrats and Republicans scrambling to fill the candidacies. Colorado had been considered a safe seat for Republicans and did not expect to be a major political stomping ground this election year. Now, all bets are off as Republicans try to hold on to the seat and Democrats strive to make it to the 51-seat majority in the Senate.

High-profile Republican and GOP favorite, Gov. Bill Owens, said Tuesday that he won't throw his name into the race and will finish his term as governor, which will not end until 2006, the AP reports. Owens said that the move was not about strategy but more about serving the people of Colorado and his family. Owens said, "It comes down to what you know in your heart is the right thing to do." Owens gave his support to freshman Rep. Bob Beauprez, who is still debating over entering the race.

Democratic Rep. Mark Udall jumped into the race just hours after Owens bowed out. "In my gut, it felt like this is the time to step up and go compete," he said to the Rocky Mountain News. State Attorney General Ken Salazar, the highest-ranking Democrat in state office, is also considering a run.

Quote of the Day: "It is so unbelievably exciting and unbelievable that you are staying in the White House. One hesitates to put a coffee cup down on the coffee table because there's an original copy of the Emancipation Proclamation under glass." -- Donald Etra, a Yale classmate of President Bush's who has been an overnight guest at the White House. (AP)