Kerry: Bush Wanted Debate ’Life Lines’

NEW YORK - Why did it take so long for the Bush and Kerry campaigns to agree on a debate schedule? Sen. John Kerry had the answer for television’s Regis Philbin, who has hosted the quiz show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?"

"The big hang-up was George Bush wanted to get life lines, you know, so he could call somebody," the Democratic candidate for president quipped Tuesday while appearing on "Live With Regis and Kelly."

Contestants on the multiple-choice quiz show could contact a knowledgeable friend for help if they were unsure of an answer.

Kerry has been making the rounds of talks shows, taping a broadcast of "Dr. Phil" last week and appearing on "The Late Show with David Letterman" Monday night. His "Top 10 Bush Tax Proposals" for Letterman included allowing Vice President Dick Cheney to claim Bush as a dependent.

For the most part on Tuesday, Kerry left the wisecracks to Philbin and co-host Kelly Ripa. Ripa suggested actor Tom Cruise play Kerry running mate John Edwards if a movie were made of the 2004 campaign. Asked who should play him, Kerry said, "I don’t have any idea." Ripa nominated actor Harrison Ford and Kerry liked that casting suggestion.

Kerry campaign donors apparently come in all sizes. He told Philbin and Ripa that a woman in New York gave him $385 that her 8-year-old son had raised selling homemade campaign buttons, and a 6-year-old in Philadelphia handed over a plastic container with $685 he had earned selling homemade campaign bracelets. (AP)

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