ABCNote notes on Debate Issues - RNC plans, Canadiates emails.

[papau]

RNC Plan

"... could (we) make an effective general election spot showing Howard Dean saying, 'I'm anti-Israel, anti-trade, anti-Medicare, and I am anti-Social Security.?.. maybe more as a great piece of direct mail?"

RNC on political firestorm if $87 billion is dicussed by Dems as 66 billion for troops and $20 billion for foriegn aid: From Washington Post... Bush's request for $20.3 billion to rebuild Iraq is making some congressional Republicans ...."GOP pollster Robert Teeter hinted that congressional Republicans are right to be nervous — not so much about the military campaign in Iraq, or even the rising U.S. casualties, but about the White House's spending request. Support for the war remains relatively high, he said, and if elected Republicans can frame the full $87 billion package as the amount it takes to support the troops, they will be fine." "But as soon as the discussion turns to the nuts and bolts of Iraq's reconstruction, the public's long-standing antipathy to foreign aid quickly surfaces, Teeter said."

RNC worries about media review of our current approach to "Multilateral forces in Iraq and Afghanistan" "Multilateral forces in Iraq and Afghanistan which critics of the Bush Administration have said could help ease the United States' financial burden, isn't likely to save any money, reports the Wall Street Journal 's Christopher Cooper. The Bush Administration is cutting individual deals with countries willing to send troops in, complete with sweeteners for less experienced forces to upgrade.
"Officials who have seen these agreements acknowledge the deals are notably short on specifics. In most cases, the U.S. will foot the bill for transporting, equipping and feeding troops during their service in Iraq, with no dollar figures mentioned and no cap on costs."

The Note notes that

Clark had a pass on the "This guy looks kinda presidential" test while having a flub-free night, and that is enough to allow his fledgling campaign to continue to grow its momentum.

Dean debate skills need to prevents GOP points being scored by the media using "A split-screen gave TV viewers the chance to see Dean silently mouthing to the crowd of Gephardt's charge: 'That's false.'" "Dean's staff has urged him to stop his quiet mouthing off, which he's also tried at a prior debate.

Kerry's debate skills have improved "Kerry, "scrambling to thwart rival Howard Dean's momentum, showed a new, more aggressive style, repeatedly attacking the former Vermont governor for advocating a repeal of the Bush tax cuts and a retreat from trade." The Globe's editorial page joins this chorus and finds that even though two hours is REALLY long, it liked what it heard yesterday.

Hilary Cleveland, wife of the late congressman James Cleveland, and "a prominent campaigner for both President Bushes," is "helping organize a Republicans-for-Dean movement," the AP reports. "Cleveland says she's been a lifelong Republican, but will switch her registration to independent so she can vote for Dean in the presidential primary." "Cleveland was the New London co-chair for George W. Bush's 2000 campaign and was the state finance chair Bush's father in 1980."

John Kerry is soliciting donations in an e-mail "accusing college Republicans of allowing the sale of racist and anti-gay T-shirts at a convention this summer," the AP reports. "The e-mail includes a photo of the shirts. One says, 'No Muslims No Terrorism.' Another has a photo of black filmmaker Spike Lee and the message, 'Bring back the blacklist.' A third shows a photo of lesbian TV personality Rosie O'Donnell and her partner with the line 'Mr. (?) and Mrs. (?) Rosie O'Donnell.' Another says, 'The Clinton Legacy' and shows the World Trade Center after a plane crashed into it."

[blm]

1. UGH...those shirts are hateful.

Just more loathsome behavior from the GOP.