http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/debate_rdpThe face-to-face meeting, scheduled for 9 p.m. EDT at Arizona State University, is limited to economic and domestic policy, but there may be questions that allow Bush to discuss foreign policy, the war in Iraq (news - web sites) and his campaign against terrorism — all issues the Republican's campaign thinks he does well on.
"There could be times when those issues come up," said Bush campaign spokesman Scott Stanzel.
Kerry adviser Joe Lockhart said the Massachusetts Democrat has been preparing for Bush to try to shift the debate, but that he plans to hold the president accountable for his "record of failure." Lockhart pointed to higher health care costs and gas prices, a swing from surplus to deficit, concern over Social Security (news - web sites) reserves and increasing Medicare premiums.
Kerry's campaign is publicly showing a lot of confidence in his performance. Lockhart said Kerry won the first two debates and that campaign advisers "cannot remember an incumbent who lost three consecutive debates in the mind of the public who then went on to victory."