Washington Wrap

Dotty Lynch, Douglas Kiker, Steve Chaggaris and Clothilde Ewing of The CBS News Political Unit have the latest from the nation's capital.

Although both candidates have put in a fair amount of time in the Granite State, Kerry has not yet started running TV ads, whereas Dean took his message to the airwaves earlier this month. Rep. Dick Gephardt, D-Mo., who was the only other candidates in double digits, came in with 10 percent. However things are playing a little differently in Iowa, where Dean and Gephardt were essentially tied for the lead in one of Iowa's July polls, according to the AP.

Speaking of Iowa, Gov. Tom Vilsack said his state's Democratic presidential caucuses are a three-way race between Kerry, Gephardt and Dean. But he's not ready to count out Sen. John Edwards. Sounding like an Edwards spokesman, Vilsack said that Edwards could catch on in coming weeks with new commercials that have started airing in the state and a unique message that could appeal to Iowans. In an interview with the AP at the National Governors Association summer meeting, he also noted the challenges the top three face, Gephardt's low fundraising numbers, Kerry's rocky start because of his surgery to remove a cancerous prostate and Dean's need to broaden his appeal beyond the antiwar activists and Internet users.

Another Union For Gephardt: Gephardt keeps racking up the labor endorsements as today he was backed by the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical & Energy Workers (PACE) International Union.

"Dick Gephardt has a long track record of supporting workers' issues. Time and time again he has proven his support for the American worker," said PACE Intl. Union President Boyd Young.

"We know Gephardt has the ability to beat George W. Bush for the presidency," Young added.

PACE is the 12th labor union to endorse Gephardt and represents around 300,000 workers. Less than two weeks ago, Gephardt received the support of the 1.4 million-member Teamsters Union, the largest union to endorse him.

The goal is to receive the October endorsement of the 13.2 million member AFL-CIO and in order to do that without a fight, he needs the backing of two-thirds of AFL-CIO members, or 8.8 million. The PACE announcement gets Gephardt to around 3.3 million, way ahead of his Democratic rivals.

Kentucky 2004 Races Taking Shape: There could be as many as three Democrats running for the chance to challenge Republican Rep. Anne Northup in her Louisville-area district. The three potential candidates are Lt. Gov. Steve Henry, Jefferson County Circuit Court Clerk Tony Miller and 2002 nominee Jack Conway.

The Louisville Courier-Journal reports that Conway, who lost to Northup by 3.2 percentage points last time around, "traded barbs with Henry over their work for Gov. Paul Patton."

Patton, the state's outgoing governor who admitted to an extramarital affair last year, is the equivalent of political kryptonite in the Bluegrass State these days. The Democrat seeking to follow him as governor, Attorney General Ben Chandler, told a group of reporters in Washington earlier this summer that the Democrats biggest problem was "not George Bush, not Ernie Fletcher (the GOP gubernatorial nominee), it's Paul Patton.

Henry, however, could have problems of his own. In addition to being linked with Patton as the lieutenant governor, Henry, a surgeon, faces a lawsuit by the federal government alleging that he defrauded Medicare and Medicaid. Ever the optimist, Henry is taking contributions to explore a race for Northup's seat or, perhaps, Sen. Jim Bunning's.

Miller has met with Democratic Party officials in Washington about running for both seats as well. He's also been raising money to commission a poll on the 3rd district's political climate.

In a radio interview, Henry appeared to be leaning toward the House race, saying competing in one district would be more "family-friendly" than a statewide race. [Henry is married to former Miss America Heather French and has young children.]

The Democratic field for Bunning's seat could be a big one. Fred Cowan, a Louisville lawyer and former state attorney general, is running, and Louisville stockbroker Stan Curtis is considering a run, the C-J reports. Other Democrats considering the Senate race are state Treasurer Jonathan Miller and state Sen. Daniel Mongiardo, who Chandler recently named vice chairman of the state party.