Washington Wrap

On the right, Republican-leaning groups have been less active overall, but still raised:

Two tidbits of note: Democracy for America, Howard Dean's political organization, filed its first report this quarter. Of the $473,000 raised, $250,000 came from millionaire financier, and major 527 backer George Soros. Soros has also given millions to fund ACT and the Media Fund, and his Dean donation will surely fuel further Republican ire.

In other news, the first filing from Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, an anti-Kerry group that has attacked Kerry's Vietnam record, has deep Republican roots. The filing shows that Bob Perry, a Houston developer, is the groups' biggest donor at $100K given out of a total of $158,750 raised. Other beneficiaries of Perry's largesse over the years? Bush-Cheney 04 (the maximum of $2,000) and various other Republican candidates and committees including the National Republican Campaign Committee, to whom Perry donated more than $100,000 in 2000. The Swift Boat Veterans are not exactly a non-partisan group.

Beyond the raw numbers, the second quarter filings show that "527 committees have raised more than $149 million during the first six months of 2004," according to Derek Willis of the Center for Public Integrity. Although that number almost certainly includes some double counting, "527s have raised nearly as much during this six-month period than they did during any other six-month period since disclosure began, even before 2003, when politicians and national party committees operated such groups. To me, that suggests that a number of independent groups have done quite well under the new campaign finance system, although clearly many of the most ambitious 527s are far short of their fundraising goals."

Isn't disclosure wonderful?

Nader Gets Help In Michigan: Also in Michigan, the Michigan Republican Party delivered 43,000 signatures to get Ralph Nader on the ballot but the campaign prefers to go on as a Reform Party candidate.

The AP reports: " It's unclear what Nader will do about the GOP-collected signatures putting him on the ballot as an independent candidate. Nader spokesman Kevin Zeese initially said Thursday the campaign would not accept the signatures. He later said he wasn't sure that was still the case if state officials wouldn't accept the Reform Party nomination. To get on the ballot as an independent candidate, Nader needed to submit 30,000 valid signatures by 4 p.m. Thursday."

There is a dispute within the Michigan Reform Party about who heads it and how they feel about Nader. Nader has until Monday to accept the GOP signatures. If he refuses them, he will have to pursue the Reform Party route with no guarantee of getting its ballot line.

A New Ticket: Cheney-McCain: Vice President Dick Cheney who vows he is staying on as VP and John McCain who has said over and over that he never wants that job will be campaigning together day in the battleground state of Michigan. The Lansing State Journal reports that 1500 people are expected to attend the rally. The two them go on to Waterloo Iowa to the Five Sullivan's Hall.

President Bush continues his conservative values tour on Friday in Tampa Florida where he addresses that National Training Conference on Human Trafficking. He then goes on to West Virginia with daughter Barbara.

Knoller Nugget: On Thursday President Bush signed a bill at the White House CBS News' Mark Knoller was there:

It used to be that presidents would sign bills using multiple pens - so he could give them as gifts to key sponsors of the legislation. Not any more.

Apparently feeling it was silly, pres bush stopped the practice a few years back and now uses only a single pen to sign his name on legislation.

It didn't stop some members of congress from asking for a freebie. On Thursday as President Bush signed the Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act, Sen. Diane Feinstein was heard to ask "do we get pens?" the president told her "you get a handshake."

Actually, key sponsors of legislation the president signs do get a commemorative pen in a frame along with the legislation. But not the actual pen - which goes into storage for the George W. Bush Presidential Library.

So now you know - the rest of the story.

Gov. James McGreevy may be in more trouble then he thinks: The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that some major Democratic Party leaders are thinking of replacing him on the ticket in N.J. This month two corruption charges were leveled against two close McGreevy associates, both of which brought negative publicity to the governor. First, David M. D'Amiano, a longtime friend and fund-raiser of the governor, was indicted on charges of extorting $40,000 in cash and contributions for the governor's 2001 campaign from a landowner seeking government help.

The Inquirer reports: "McGreevey, though not charged in the case, was effectively identified in the indictment as having met on the subject with the fund-raiser and landowner. The governor was recorded by the FBI as having used what it said was a code word - "Machiavelli" - in one of those meetings."

The other charge involved Charles Kushner, one of McGreevy's top fund-raisers and part of his inner circle, with hiring prostitutes to blackmail cooperating witnesses in an investigation into Kushner's fund-raising practices.

Democrats are concerned that this will not sit well with voters in 2005 when NJ voters will head to the polls. The top choice, if Democrats do replace him, could be Sen. John Corzine. Corzine ran in 2000 for the U.S. Senate as a political neophyte after retiring as chairman of Goldman Sachs and Co. Publicly, Corzine's senate office said he will not run for governor and will support McGreevy. However, a Democratic operative who worked with the senator said, "If the circumstances are right, he'll (Corzine) do it."

Mouths of Babes: John Kerry is back in Washington on Friday to give a speech to the American Federation of Teachers before heading off to a long weekend in Nantucket to write his convention speech "by the sea." On Thursday he sought advice from the younger generation.

Here's CBS News' Steve Chaggaris' report:

Trail Bytes: Kerry kicked off the first in a series of "front porch visits" Thursday in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania - events designed to make it look like the candidate is hanging with average people in average neighborhoods.

After speaking to the crowd of 100 that assembled on the front lawn of Bob and Mary Kay Bowden, Kerry took some questions from the audience on a variety of subjects, including one from 10-year-old Ryan Mattox. The ensuing conversation was quite awkward as it seemed that Kerry forgot he was talking to a pre-teen and perhaps thought he was speaking with someone schooled in foreign policy.

"What are you going to do about the war?" Mattox opened the questioning.

"Great question," said Kerry before turning the tables on the young boy. "Let me ask you, can I ask you? What's your impression of the war? How old are you?"

"10."

"What do you think about it?"

"It's evil," said Mattox.

"Why do you think that?" asked Kerry.

"Cause millions of innocent people are being killed," said Mattox, getting his figures a bit mixed up.

At this point, Kerry decided to continue quizzing the kid as if the 10-year-old was a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

"What do you think about Saddam Hussein and the whole issue of weapons of mass destruction and things like that?"

"That's evil too," responded Mattox, as any 10-year-old would.

Not satisfied, Kerry continued the line of questioning, perhaps believing the child had read intelligence reports about Iraq. "But you would have approached it differently? You would have done something different about it?"

"Yes," Mattox answered as he grew a bit uncomfortable with the grilling.

"Like what?"

"I really don't know right now," the kid said, virtually giving up.

"But you're not sure you would have gone to war to deal with it?"

"No."

"You'd have tried to find some other way if you could have?" Kerry asked, leading Mattox on.

"Yes."

"Well, that's a smart young man. I'll tell you. Thank you," Kerry said, whereupon he put the kid out of his discomfort.

Edwards Listening on the Front Porch: John Edwards continues his tour of front porches and CBS News' Bonney Kapp is by his side:

Trail Bytes: On his inaugural "Front Porch Visit," Senator Edwards spoke to Donald and Charmaine Carrere, a hand-picked, middle class couple on-you guessed it-their front porch. The quaint yet contrived event was marketed by the campaign as a means to "talk with families and their neighbors" about their concerns and the ticket's solutions.

Of the dozens of people who braved the oppressive New Orleans heat to see Kerry's running mate, there were several onlookers from the block snapping pictures, some volunteers and near-by supporters holding signs, and even a few unsuspecting neighbors. A bewildered woman two doors down on Lafaye Street came out onto her front lawn to check out what can only be described as a commotion-the national press corps, a multi-car motorcade, and a slew of secret service agents and police officers. She had "no idea" the Democratic candidate for Vice President was next door.

On Wednesday, Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack called Edwards' listening skills "unrecognized and unappreciated," and it now seems as though the campaign is trying to correct this oversight. Edwards listened to and addressed the Carrere's concerns on healthcare and college tuition costs among other issues, ran through more than a few of his talking points for effect, and implied President Bush was out of touch with everyday Americans. "Both John Kerry and I have heard this for a year and a half now, in meetings just like this, which I wish the president would spend more time doing, because you have to do this to hear what's going on, what people are worried about," he commented.

Continuing with the theme that Senators Kerry and Edwards hear your concerns (not to be confused with "feel your pain"), the campaign scheduled a town hall meeting at the New Orleans Letter Carriers union hall. Edwards took questions from voters on issues ranging from homeland security to prescription drug costs to the environment.

The good listener also came across as an honest broker when he was asked how a Kerry administration would reduce the deficit. "You know, I can't promise you right now that in the first year, the first two years that we're going to be able to do something about this. It's something we know is a problem-it's on our list of issues we know we need to address, but there are a lot of other issues that go in that basket too." Edwards promised to relay the concern to his running mate, adding, "I just want to be straight with you."

Edwards left Louisiana, a state that swung for Bush in 2000, and headed to even more unfriendly terrain: Houston, Texas. The media were distributed press passes reading "Deep in the Heart of Texas" for the fundraiser where some 200 donors paid a minimum of $500 to hear John Edwards speak for 11 minutes. That works out to about $45.50 a minute, but they did get food and alcohol.

While the Senator didn't cause and shockwaves, Carol Avarado, the local city counsel woman who introduced him drew a loud cheer when she threw out a zinger against her former governor. "I'll do my best to bring that shrub back and plant it right here on Texas soil. And I'll even water it once in awhile." "Shrub" means President Bush in Democrat speak.

Edwards however took the high road, promoting John Kerry with a standard stump line. "[Kerry] represents hope. Hope for you, hope for me, hope for our kids, hope for our grandkids, hope for the future of America!" he declared. Unfortunately for the Democratic ticket, there's little "hope" Kerry will actually carry Texas.

Edwards flies to Los Angeles on Friday where he will speak at the third fundraiser in as many days before headlining at the Southwest Voters Registration Education's Project Latino Vote dinner.

Quote of the Day: "They say you're too uptight, I say you're not/Dance around me spinnin' like a top/Oh, Condi, Condi, don't ever stop." --Country singer Steve Earle, in the song "Condi, Condi" on his new CD (New York Daily News).