Bush and Kerry resume duel on campaign trail

By JOHN WHITESIDES, Political Correspondent

BOSTON - President Bush and Democratic rival John Kerry took their election fight to key swing states on Friday, with Kerry promising help for the middle class and Bush assuring voters America was "turning the corner."

Hours after accepting the Democratic nomination at his party's convention, Kerry and running mate John Edwards launched a 21-state cross-country tour with a rally in Boston where Kerry said "help is on the way for the average person in this country."

"Americans are playing by the rules while a whole group of people are writing rules for themselves and leaving the rest of America out of it," the Massachusetts senator said before boarding a bus caravan with Edwards for later rallies in Pennsylvania. "We're going to change that around."

Bush, who had stayed at his Texas ranch and ceded the spotlight to Kerry and Democrats during their convention, headed for the key state of Missouri and derided Kerry for a lack of accomplishment in his public career.

"When it comes to choosing a president, results matter," Bush told a rally in Springfield, Missouri, attacking Kerry's legislative record in the Senate and accusing him of opposing reforms to limit power in Washington.

"After 19 years in the United States Senate, my opponent has had thousands of votes but very few signature achievements," Bush said in the debut of a new campaign stump speech that lauded his own results in righting the economy and fighting the war on terror.

"We're turning the corner and we're not turning back," he said.

The duelling campaign trips by Bush and Kerry signalled the start of a three-month sprint to the Nov. 2 election, with polls showing the two essentially in a dead heat.

Kerry and Edwards set off for two weeks on a 3,500-mile, 21-state marathon by road, rail and boat that will take them coast-to-coast and try to match the success of former President Bill Clinton's 1992 post-convention bus trip that helped send him to the White House.

Bush also plans a steady campaign schedule through August, and the two-day trip that began on Friday will take him to Missouri, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania, all key swing states.

'NO SIGNIFICANT RECORD'

Bush dismissed the Democratic convention as "clever speeches" and "big promises," and the White House said the president went to bed and did not watch Kerry's speech. But other Republicans did, and they pointed out Kerry spent a total of 26 seconds talking about his Senate record.

"He had no record of reforming America's intelligence-gathering capability, he had no significant record for reforming education and health care," Bush said of Kerry.

He defended his actions in Iraq, which came under attack by Kerry and other Democrats at the convention, and said weakness or uncertainty would mean tragedy for the world.

"The world changed on a terrible September morning, and since that day, we've changed the world," he said. "I'm asking for four more years to make our country safer, to make the economy stronger, to make our future better and brighter."

The Bush campaign resumed its advertising on Friday after a week off for the Democratic convention, while the Democratic National Committee said it will air a new ad in key states called "Strength," using snippets of Kerry's acceptance speech.

The DNC will take up the advertising slack for Kerry in August as his campaign conserves its money for the eight-week sprint to the finish after the Republican convention ends in early September.

When Kerry accepted the nomination, he also accepted $75 million in public funds to spend for the general election. Bush receives his $75 million when he accepts the Republican nomination on Sept. 2, giving him an extra five weeks to keep raising and spending money.

A last-minute fund-raising drive by the Kerry campaign brought in almost $9 million in 48 hours, aides said. That money can be turned over to the DNC and state parties to use for the campaign.

Kerry was hoping for a surge in momentum after his four days in the spotlight in Boston. Pollster Geoff Garin told reporters a focus group of 32 undecided voters in Denver that watched his acceptance speech had favourable responses.

He said the number with a positive view of Kerry jumped from 31 per cent to 75 per cent. "By every measure, Sen. Kerry's speech was a solid success," Garin said.