Kerry, Edwards Release Campaign Book

Democrats John Kerry and John Edwards Release Detailed Campaign Book on Coast-To-Coast Bus Tour

Democrats John Kerry and John Edwards are releasing a book-length blueprint for their White House campaign, including plans to fight terrorism and improve homeland security as officials warn of an attack against major financial institutions.

Kerry arranged a stop at the Grand Rapids Fire Department on Monday to discuss the book, which will be available on his campaign Web site and distributed to supporters. Edwards planned his own event in Orlando, Fla., as the candidates went their separate ways on the two-week, coast-to-coast tour through battleground states.

Federal officials briefed Kerry by telephone late Sunday about terror threats against major financial institutions in New York, New Jersey and Washington, D.C., as his bus tour idled at a Michigan campaign stop. He declined to comment afterward.

The federal government raised the threat alert level for the New York Stock Exchange, the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Citigroup Center and Prudential Financial headquarters after specific and detailed intelligence revealed plans for bombings.

Kerry got his briefing over a secure phone line provided by the Secret Service while in the campaign bus, which stayed parked for about 40 minutes next to a ballpark in Taylor, Mich. The Massachusetts senator had just finished playing softball, where he hit two runs for the United Auto Workers team.

Afterward, the bus headed further into Michigan and planned to travel into Wisconsin later Monday. President Bush and Kerry are running neck-and-neck in both states, which have a combined 27 electoral votes.

The more than 250-page book offers a detailed description of the Democratic ticket’s platform.

"We offer this plan because we believe this election should be about ideas to lift America up, not negative attacks that drag America down," the running mates wrote.

The book contains excerpts from speeches and photos from the campaign trail and adds detail to the ideas Kerry has talked about in the months leading up to last week’s convention, when he officially became the Democrats’ choice for president.

The first chapter outlines Kerry’s plans to stop terrorism and improve domestic security. He has said he would rebuild international alliances, modernize the American military and use American influence in military, diplomatic and cultural matters to promote peace.

Kerry also embraced recommendations by the commission that investigated the Sept. 11 attacks, including a national intelligence director to oversee the numerous government agencies that collect and decipher threat information.

"John and I know that we can build a safer America by reaching out to other countries, bringing people to our side and remembering that never does the United States of America go to war because it wants to, we go to war because we have to," Kerry told supporters at a discount mall in Springfield, Ohio, on Sunday.

The Bush campaign said the president has already acted on most of Kerry’s ideas, detailing actions in 31 of 33 cases where Kerry has called for change.

Bush also asked Congress to increase homeland security spending 14 percent next year to add money for law enforcement, vaccines and other terror prevention and response programs. Most of the rest of the budget, except for defense, proposed little to no additional spending to limit growing budget deficits. (AP)

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