Washington Wrap

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

Tuesday's Headlines

* All Things McGreevey

* Countdown to the Republican Convention

* Knoller Nugget: Bush Battles On

* Edwards Stands In For Kerry

McGreevey's Saga Continues: New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey's announcement last week that he was a "gay American" and would step down from office on November 15 set a number of political events in motion. Many New Jersey politicos, both Republicans and Democrats, are urging the governor to step down immediately, thereby allowing a special election to be held.

Last week, the New Jersey Republican Party called for his immediate resignation and now some Democrats are pushing Sen. John Corzine to step in and run, reports the New York Times. The Times explains: "Mr. Corzine, 57, whose money and stature as a formidable political force gives him appeal, has emerged as the consensus candidate among the Democrats seeking to oust Mr. McGreevey."

Up on Capitol Hill, however, many of Corzine's Senate colleagues think he should remain at the head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, working for a Democratic majority. Corzine himself has said nothing publicly either way.

On the other side, writing in USA Today on Tuesday, McGreevey himself makes clear that he believes the November deadline should stand. He writes, "Last week, I announced that for very personal reasons, I would resign from my position as the governor of New Jersey. This was not an easy decision but one that was in the best interests of my family and the state that I humbly serve…Our constitution in New Jersey establishes a process for allowing the public to select a new governor. It prescribes a nominating period next spring and a general election in the fall of 2005 so that voters are exposed to a full and unfettered debate on the critical issues affecting their future and quality of life. We should allow that process to work."

And there are other possibilities out there. The New York Post reports that, "McGreevey is willing to resign soon and allow a special election, but only if popular Sen. Jon Corzine makes a personal plea." No word so far on that personal plea. And what about former Gov. Thomas H. Kean? Republicans had hoped that he might step in as the party's standard bearer.

Unfortunately for the Republicans, Kean, who is head of the 9-11 Commission, seems unlikely to run. He told the Post, "No, no, no, I'm doing this [chairing the 911 commission]. I'm not doing politics."

And how do the voters feel about all this? A new poll from Fairleigh Dickinson University Public Mind (conducted August 13 through 15, margin of error 4 percent) shows that voters are of two minds. Almost half of those surveyed (48 percent) think McGreevey should have resigned, but 42 percent say it was not necessary, perhaps due to partisan feelings. And on the timing question, "48 percent of respondents said McGreevey should resign immediately, while 41 percent said Nov. 15 is the right date."

Countdown to the Convention: New York City officials have promoted the Republican National Convention as a $265 million cash wave for the city but, with the prospects of large protests, increased security and residents leaving town, many businesses are just hoping that the four-day convention, which starts Aug. 30, will not make what is always a tough week even worse, reports the New York Times.

The Times reports that Boston, host to the Democratic National Convention last month, "set a grim example - its streets were deserted and its delegates spent little." Furthermore, the Beacon Hill Institute, a research organization affiliated with Suffolk University in Boston, found that the convention only brought in $14.8 million, a tenth of what Boston officials had anticipated. City officials dispute the study's findings and final figures on hotel occupancy and the like have yet to be tallied.

The Times reports: "Businesses across the city are hoping that this convention will be like that 1992 Democratic convention, which turned out to be a watershed event in the city's economy, placing New York back on the tourism map after years of battling perceptions that it was a dirty, crime-ridden place too dangerous and unpleasant for a family holiday.

"Still, many people worry that fears of terrorist attacks, the prospect of huge demonstrations and the presence of a controversial sitting president will make the convention look more like Chicago in 1968, when violent protests over the Vietnam War and racial strife marred the Democratic convention there."

The AP meanwhile, takes a look at what the FBI is doing to keep tabs on activists and others who it believes may cause trouble at the convention. Agents are making unannounced visits to people's homes, conducting interviews, and monitoring websites and meetings.

According to the AP: "The intelligence unit of the New York Police Department has been watching websites operated by self-described anarchists. It also has sent young, scruffy-looking officers posing as activists to protest-organizing meetings, said one high-ranking law enforcement source, who spoke on condition of anonymity."

In recent weeks, several people linked to anarchist groups in Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, and elsewhere have reported being "harassed" by federal agents regarding their convention plans.

Bush Battles On: And CBS News' Mark Knoller tags along:

Knoller Nugget: Another day. Another two battleground states. And it's still only August.

In fact, this month alone, President Bush has campaigned in Texas, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan, New Hampshire, Virginia, Florida, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon, and Washington - three of them more than once.

And Mr. Bush has yet to be formally nominated.

Tuesday, the president heads to Pennsylvania for a political visit to the Boeing helicopter plant in Ridley Park, a Philadelphia suburb. Mr. Bush will tour the facility and deliver a campaign speech to workers there.

Our CBS News tally shows that today will mark Mr. Bush's 32nd visit to Pennsylvania. That is more visits than to any other state but his home state of Texas and DC neighbors Virginia and Maryland.

It certainly reflects the political importance Bush places on Pennsylvania, a state he lost four years ago but is aggressively trying to win this November.

On Tuesday evening, Mr. Bush addresses another rally at a high school in West Virginia. He won that state in 2000 but not by enough to take it for granted. So he's been trying to energize his grass roots operation there: Tuesday's trip will bring to six the number of visits Mr. Bush has made to West Virginia this year alone.

Edwards In for Kerry: As John Kerry continues his "down-time" in Ketchum, Id., spending a lot of time biking and dining, running-mate John Edwards is working his home region. On Tuesday, he is in Arkansas and Alabama. On Monday, however, his front porch tour went to a Georgia backyard, as CBS News' Bonney Kapp reports:

Trail Byte: At his "Backyard Visit" to J.M. and Nancy Crighton's farm in Willard, MO, John Edwards spoke to 29 voters, six children. and as many media about his plan for the heartland.

Wearing blue jeans and a white shirt with rolled up sleeves, the senator indirectly accused the Bush administration of neglecting rural America saying, "The key to this is to have a President and a Vice President who don't think of rural America as place you fly over between New York and California." In his southern drawl, Edwards continued, "There is a danger way of losing our rural way of life in this country."

In the same breath, Edwards proposed revamping that "rural way of life," most commonly associated with farming and agriculture, so more businesses and capital come to Small Town, U.S.A. To do this, Edwards claimed a Kerry/Edwards administration would create a "growth initiative" to get more venture capital for small business start-ups, keep them on the cutting edge of "innovation and technology in manufacturing," and develop broadband, high speed Internet access that extends into rural America.

Going from the farm to downtown Atlanta, Edwards held a rally for about 2,000 people on a sunny day – inside Georgia's International Convention Center. The candidate stayed on message, not straying from his standard stump during the 24-minute speech.

Edwards later addressed a more sedate crowd at a million dollar fundraiser. The 300 who attended barely made a dent in the large hotel ballroom, but Edwards' trip director, Sam Meyers, set up a make-shift stage in the center of the room, transforming the sparse crowd into an intimate gathering.

The senator's speech varied little from the earlier one, save for a more conversational tone that competed to be heard over the din. About 50 of the well-to-do who paid a minimum $2,000 to get in the door appeared to be more interested in the snacks and open bar than in the Senator's speech.

Supporter Mark Tate readily admitted he wasn't listening to the senator but added, "I've known Senator Edwards for a long time - since before he was a senator. I know what he has to say."

Audience member Susan Kahn, wife of Georgia's Democratic Party chairman, heard the chatter in the background, but claimed the noise didn't detract from Edwards' message. "It was fine; I've got kids, so I'm used to it."

Quote of the Day: "He took a huge interest in it. And he would call me. He was always asking questions. And he'd give me advice. I took his advice on a couple of angles. A couple of points." --Sen. John Kerry, talking about his telephone relationship with actor Marlon Brando, who advised him on the Nicaraguan Contras in 1985-86. (GQ)