"Nightline": Prexy campaigns and some Senate races

[gauguin57]

Here's the description of tonight's "Nightline" from the daily email they send me:

Twenty-two days to go and the campaign is getting into high gear. But it is not just the presidential race that is drawing attention. There are several competitive Senate races that are creating quite a stir, and not just locally.

It is hard to believe that there are only three weeks to go until Election Day; interest is strong and getting stronger. The third and final debate between President Bush and Senator Kerry is on Wednesday, and if the last two are any indication, it will be worth watching. So far, the public has deemed them worth watching too, with tens of millions more people tuning in this year than in 2000. We'll check in with our correspondents on the campaign, Terry Moran with the President and Dean Reynolds with Senator Kerry, to get a sense of how the candidates are preparing for their final joint appearance.

But we'll also be taking a look tonight at the race for the Senate. The Senate is closely divided - 51 Republican, 48 Democratic and 1 Independent. The Democrats think they have a shot at winning back the Senate and we'll take a look at a few of the more interesting races this cycle. But the race we'll focus on most closely is the race in South Dakota. This is a state with some 480,000 voters that will no doubt vote for President Bush in the Presidential race. But what about the Senate? Both Senators from the state are Democrats and the senior Senator is Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle. His seat is a prize the Republicans would desperately love to win. It is a tight race that has garnered a lot of interest and money, about $17 million so far, much of it from out of state. That's an awful lot of money per voter. Correspondent John Donvan reports on that Senate race and how all politics is local, except when it isn't. Analysis will be provided by our Monday regulars, Mike Murphy and John Podesta.

We'll also take a moment tonight to remember actor Christopher Reeve. He died yesterday, 9 years after a riding accident left him a quadriplegic. His story is an inspiring one. He used his fame to push for spinal cord research. He also carried on working, providing hope to many with disabilities, encouraging them to rise above their disabilities. Something he did until the end.

Chris Bury anchors and I hope you will be able to join us.

Madhulika Sikka and the Nightline Staff
Washington D.C.

[rumguy]

1. sounds interesting

thanks for the heads up!

[Gabi Hayes]

2. just another Bush enabling puffpiece

Mark Halperin, ABC news something or other, is one of the WORST, btw

I saw him on Charlie Rose last week just SPOUT the RW talking points about why Bush made all those faces: he was disgusted by all the things Kerry was saying about him. He said much more than this about it, WITHOUT comment, making it very clear that he believed this charge himself. It was beyond nauseating, which makes me think he may have had a hand in leaking that "memo" of his, which has ABC now on the defensive for being too liberal

they don't have to worry, of course, about NBC. they're in the tank already