Washington Wrap

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

Wednesday's Headlines

* Another Kerry Military Day

* Bush Back On the Bus

* The GOP Convention Goes Glam

* Edwards on a Southern Swing

Did You Know Kerry Was A Vet? After a few days on vacation in Ketchum, Idaho, John Kerry is back on the campaign trail with a vengeance. Late Tuesday, the Kerry campaign criticized a new advertisement from MoveOn.org, the left-leaning 527 which supports Democrats like Kerry. MoveOn's ad attacks the anti-Kerry 527 Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and calls on President Bush to condemn the group. Bush so far has refused to do so, saying only that he does not support any ads paid for with soft money. Perhaps warming to the fight, Kerry upped the denunciation ante himself, saying in a statement, "I agree with Sen. McCain that the ad is inappropriate. This should be a campaign of issues not insults."

Staying on the military theme, Kerry spoke to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Convention in (swing state) Cincinnati, Ohio. Kerry used his speech to go after President Bush, calling his redeployment plan (announced at the VFW convention on Monday) "political" and saying that it "could impair the nation's security." Kerry also spoke at length about veterans' benefits, belittling the president's work on the issue and saying not particularly obliquely, "In recent days, you have heard from some who have claimed that the job is getting done for veterans. Well, just saying the job is getting done doesn't make it so."

Kerry himself also deviated from his prepared remarks in a seeming jab at the Swift Boat Veterans saying, "I told the American people that I was reporting for duty. I did not say that lightly. I said it paying homage to and drawing strength from my crewmates who stood with me on stage, the men who actually served on my boat and know precisely what took place in Vietnam."

And as the pace ratchets up, the Kerry campaign announced that he will break with tradition and campaign during the Republican National Convention. Kerry will travel to Nashville to speak at the American Legion's convention, the New York Times reports. Candidates traditionally stay down during the other's convention, but Kerry advisor Tad Devine tells the Times that the decision is not meant to set a precedent: "He's doing it because the American Legion is scheduled at that time…If it was the week before or the week after, he would do it then. We weren't looking for an opportunity to campaign during the Republican convention." President Bush has also been invited to speak to the American Legion but has not accepted yet.

Bush On the Bus: On Wednesday President Bush is on a bus tour through Wisconsin and Minnesota, beginning in Chippewa Falls, Wis., and stopping in Hudson, along the St. Croix River for an Ask President Bush session. He then to travels to St. Paul, Minn., for a campaign rally before heading to his Crawford ranch, where he will be until August 26. Mrs. Bush campaigns at Design Net Engineering in Lakewood, Colo. In the evening ,she makes remarks at a closed fundraiser in Houston. VP Cheney is taking a few days off in Wyoming.

On Tuesday President Bush was in Philly and focusing on a local favorite. CBS News' Mark Knoller reports:

Knoller Nugget: It's probably the first time an American president has said the words "whiz with." But they passed the lips of President Bush during a campaign speech Tuesday at the Boeing factory in Ridley Park, Pa., where they make Chinook helicopters.

Mr. Bush noted it was his 32nd visit to Pennsylvania since taking office - a state he lost in 2000 but by just over 4% of the vote.

"A lot of people wonder why I'm coming so much," said the president. "It ought to be obvious to you. I like my cheese-steak - 'whiz with.'" In neighboring Philadelphia, people order their cheese-steaks "whiz with." That means with cheese whiz and onions.

The comment might also have been a swipe at John Kerry - who recently ordered his Cheese-steak with swiss cheese - not whiz.

The president also used his speech at the Boeing factory to make a rare reference to his anti-missile defense program.

Without referring to Kerry, Mr. Bush said, "those who oppose this ballistic missile system, really don't understand the threats of the 21st century." Sure sounded like he was talking about Kerry.

Mr. Bush went on to say "we want to continue to perfect this system, so we say to those tyrants who believe they can blackmail America and the free world: 'You fire,we're going to shoot it down.'"

Boeing is one of the defense contractors on the missile defense program.

Wednesday, it's back on the campaign bus. Mr. Bush takes a re-election drive through Wisconsin and Minnesota, He lost both states in 2000, both by narrow margins: 2/10ths of a percent in Wisconsin and 2.4% in Minnesota.

But the Bush campaign thinks they're both winnable for the President in November.

Mr. Bush ends the day at his Texas ranch where he'll stay for at least a week - and perhaps longer - in the run up to the Republican National Convention starting at month's end.

GOP Glam: Following some glitzy Democratic fundraisers and convention parties, Republicans took aim at John Kerry's Hollywood ties, but it looks like it ain't half bad for their purposes either, reports the Washington Post. "Though a culture war flares regularly between the showbiz community and the Bush administration, GOP operatives are striving mightily to add a Hollywood sheen to the Republican National Convention."

In fact, the Bush girls themselves are cozying up to tinsel town and are slated to throw "R: The Party" on Aug. 29 at Manhattan's Roseland Ballroom, with a celebrity invite list including: born-again Christian and actor Stephen Baldwin, known among Republicans as "the good Baldwin"; actress Barret Swatek of "7th Heaven"; Angie Harmon, late of "Law and Order," and her husband, former NFL cornerback Jason Sehorn; Aaron Buerge of "The Bachelor"; country music vets the Gatlin Brothers; actress Bo Derek; and wrestler, Ric Flair.

If these Hollywood types also want to participate in some friendly protests, they can save money at select hotels, museums, stores and restaurants during convention week, reports The New York Times. "Law-abiding protesters will be given buttons that bear a fetching rendition of the Statue of Liberty holding a sign that reads, 'peaceful political activists.' Protesters can present the buttons at places like the Whitney Museum, the Museum of Sex, the Pokémon Center store and such restaurants as Miss Mamie's Spoonbread Too and Applebee's to save some cash during their stay."

In offering the discounts, the city also has its economy in mind. As reported yesterday, there are increasing worries that the convention won't be the financial windfall that business owners expected. Bloomberg administration officials say the list of offerings for protesters may grow. An up-to-date list appears on nycvisit.com; visitors to the site can click on "Welcome peaceful political activists."

Edwards Goes From Purple to Red and Back to Purple: Democratic VP nominee John Edwards continued his southern swing campaign in the battleground states of Arkansas and Louisiana (at least a battleground in the Kerry-Edwards world) before he dipped into the solidly red state of Alabama for some fundraising. In New Orleans he is expected to attack President Bush for favoring Halliburton over families. CBS News' Bonney Kapp is along:

Trail Byte: John Edwards dropped by Fort Smith, Arkansas Tuesday for a town hall meeting -- a stop replacing a visit to Ft. Meyers, FL that was postponed so as to not interfere with hurricane recovery efforts.

In front of some 200 workers at the University of Arkansas, Fort Smith, the senator addressed the Kerry/Edwards plan to "end middle class squeeze," which was remarkably similar to Monday's unveiling of how to bring "hope to the heartland."

"What we need to do is create jobs and bring jobs to the places where they've been lost and hang onto the jobs that we've got," Edwards said. To do this, the candidate said a Kerry administration would enforce a trade policy that "works for American workers," ends tax loopholes that benefit companies that send jobs overseas, provide venture capital and incentives for small businesses, and end dependency on Middle East oil. Edwards also stressed the need to reduce healthcare, childcare, and tuition costs while minimizing the gap between wages and costs.

Edwards then flew to Birmingham for an evening fundraiser at the swanky, downtown Summit Club, a private business club. The candidate delivered his standard speech to wealthy Democrats, but didn't rally Alabama's "everybody else's" he referred to earlier in the day. With a little help from local Congressman Artur Davis, however, the campaign managed a virtual event.

In his introduction, Davis described Edwards' motorcade zipping through a poor Birmingham neighborhood as schoolchildren were walking home. "If John Edwards could have gotten out of his car and looked in the eyes of those children, he would have seen so much innocence and so much hope. And if he could have talked to those families and asked them their dreams, they would have told them that they have dreams for their children and they have dreams for this country of ours."

After some New Orleans campaign stops and a fundraiser Wednesday, Edwards will wrap up his six-day, nine state campaign swing and head to Washington, DC for two down days. A welcome relief for the press, but not a necessity for the candidate himself.

When Arkansan Ruth Wilson asked how Edwards keeps his "young look with that schedule you've got going?", Edwards replied, "You know, that's the easiest question I've had-I'm havin' fun. That's the truth, I'm havin' fun."

Quote of the Day: "It is one of those things I think the less I know the better I feel about it." -- Gov. Mike Huckabee , R-Arkansas, weighing in on N.J.. Gov. Jim McGreevey's woes. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)