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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/Keith's SPECIAL COMMENT tonight on who should really be apologizing.
The flap over what Sen. John Kerry calls his "botched joke" has prompted the Democrat to cancel campaign appearances over the next two days, officials said Wednesday. Meanwhile, the rhetoric between Kerry and the White House continued to escalate. Bush's spokesman pressed Kerry to apologize for a comment Republicans say was disrespectful of U.S. fighting forces in Iraq, saying he "put gasoline on the fire" of an already sizzling midterm election campaign. "Sen. Kerry may have botched the line, but what he said was insulting to the troops, and what he ought to say is, 'Look, I botched the line, but I'm sorry for giving offense,'" press secretary Tony Snow said on CBS's "The Early Show." "We're not the one who whipped this up into a big issue. Sen. Kerry did so yesterday," said Snow, appearing the day after President Bush and Kerry traded their harshest accusations since the 2004 presidential race. Kerry fired back on MSNBC-TV, accusing the White House of capitalizing on his misstatement. "I'm not gonna let these guys distort something completely out of its context solely for the purpose of avoiding responsibility, which is what they're doing."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13018908/WEB-EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY By Richard Wolffe and Holly Bailey: There's no fight like an old fight. And this week's emotional exchanges between President George W. Bush and Sen. John Kerry were nothing if not old. Kerry screwed up what he called a "botched joke" about Bush's brainpower when it comes to Iraq; Bush pounced by challenging his ex-rival's commitment to the troops. Memo to Bush and Kerry: neither of you are on the ballot next week. And while it may be satisfying to rehash the last election, you both run the risk of looking totally out of touch.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15512649/site/newsweek/Democratic U-S Senate candidate Harold Ford Junior said today he doesn't agree with Senator John Kerry's remarks about American troops. Ford said in a news release that Kerry was wrong whatever the intent and he needs to apologize to American soldiers.
http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=5619008Countdown w/ Keith Olbermann broadcasts LIVE at 8 pm et, and the count is never complete without you. Join us.
A campaign appearance by Sen. George Allen turned physical when a liberal blogger was wrestled to the ground after heckling the senator about his divorce and court records. Mike Stark, a first-year University of Virginia law student, approached Allen at an event Tuesday in a Charlottesville hotel, loudly asking, "Why did you spit at your first wife, George?" Stark had mentioned on his Web log a day earlier that he was trying to provoke Allen "whenever I can."
http://www.forbes.com/entrepreneurs/feeds/ap/2006/11/01/ap3136170.htmlWrap-up of the key races with David Shuster.
After a decade in the political wilderness, Democrats are beginning to predict confidently if quietly that they will win control of the House in next week's elections, and possibly emerge with a relatively robust majority. The optimism coincides with a Republican retreat Tuesday in three costly, highly competitive races in Pennsylvania, Colorado and Ohio, as well as polls showing continued public dissatisfaction with President Bush and the war in Iraq. In addition, fundraising is running significantly stronger than two years ago, $104.5 million through Oct. 18. That represents an increase of more than 30 percent, and has allowed Democrats to launch late-campaign television advertising in several districts in recent days in an attempt to maximize their gains on Election Day.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15510518/from/RS.4/Tom Brokaw's report on the brains behind the scenes, RNC Chair Ken Mehlman and DNC Chair Rahm Emanuel.
That's some of what we're planning for tonight's show.
-- Carey Fox
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