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Earlier today, Politico published a story about the lack of communication between the Bob McDonnell campaign and Governor Palin's office about her making a campaign appearance on his behalf in the Virginia gubernatorial election. "The governor offered her assistance, the ball is in their court," Meg Stapleton is quoted as saying. So what gives? I spoke to one source with direct access to both the campaign staff and the candidate himself who said they've noticed a remarkable change in McDonnell's attitude towards Palin since the RNC selected Washington insider Ed Gillespie to head his campaign:

As the year draws to an end and President Bush enters his final month in office, there is much commentary about the Administration's record over the past eight years. Unsurprisingly, many of these stories assail and distort the President's record and recycle myths and unfounded allegations that have been leveled for the better part of his two terms. Historical accuracy requires a response to the litany of attacks leveled against President Bush, and while there's not enough space to respond to all of them, here are five of the most egregious:

The Talk Shows Sunday, September 2nd, 2007 Guests to be interviewed today on major television talk shows: FOX NEWS SUNDAY (Fox Network): Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Arlen Specter, R-Pa.; Ed Gillespie, White House counselor and former RNC chairman.MEET THE PRESS (NBC): Democratic strategists James Carville and Bob Shrum; Republican strategists Mary Matalin and Mike Murphy.FACE THE NATION (CBS): Sens. Joe Biden, D-Del., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.THIS WEEK (ABC): Sens. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and John Ensign, R-Nev.; presidential candidate and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.LATE EDITION (CNN) : Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala.; Rep. Kendrick Meek, D-Fla.; Laith Kubba, former Iraqi...

WASHINGTON — Not to be "ungenerous or self-centered," White House counselor Ed Gillespie said Tuesday that he thought some people overestimated Karl Rove's importance. After all, Gillespie pointed out, in the 2004 presidential campaign he himself headed the Republican National Committee, the heart of the party's operations. He talked to Rove, he said, only "from time to time." Another White House official, asked what it would mean to lose the legendary strategist, whose departure was announced Monday, recalled that Rove started the staff's "ice cream Fridays." As one of the most powerful and controversial presidential advisers in modern history heads...

Ed Gillespie Joins George Allen’s Team The chances that Virginia Senator George Allen will be a candidate for the GOP presidential nomination in 2008 took a leap forward with the announcement that former GOP National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie is taking on the job of treasurer of Allen’s Political Action Committee (PAC). According to Outside the Beltway, Allen lured Gillespie into taking on the key treasurer job several months ago when the then-treasurer resigned. While Gillespie was receptive, he was reluctant to make a commitment at the time because he was helping the White House get John Roberts' Supreme Court...

Those of us who support the nomination of Harriet Miers (even reluctantly) were warned repeatedly that we would be devastated, blown away, and inundated by the Noahide deluge of Hurricane Gamma, George Will's unanswerable final whirlwind of rhetorical devastation of Harriet Miers. Instead, all we got was a spritz of seltzer down our pants. Will's meticulous retailing of yawn-inducing epithets ("perfect perversity," "discredits," "degrades," "justifications," "deficit of constitutional understanding," "gross misunderstanding of conservatism," and "persons masquerading as its defenders" -- all from the first paragraph!); his hand-waving dismissal of counterargument (his entire final paragraph -- see below); the by now...

WASHINGTON -- Super-lobbyist Ed Gillespie has been given his own office in the West Wing of the White House to manage President Bush's Supreme Court confirmation battle. That raised speculation Gillespie could be chief of staff for the end of the Bush presidency. Republican lobbyists Ken Duberstein and Tom Korologos were given judicial confirmation chores in years past without moving permanently into the West Wing. Insiders believe Gillespie, a protege of Bush political adviser Karl Rove, is being groomed to replace Andrew Card as chief of staff for Bush's last two years as president. Less than a decade ago, Gillespie...

Ain’t No Jive Bro: GOP’s Inappropriate Soul Man November 2, 2004 By Debbie Schlussel Printer Friendly Why is the GOP using Don King, a convicted murderer, as its messenger to Black America? Recent polls show that Blacks may double their vote for George W. Bush over that of 2000. But if Election Day results in Black America match these polls, it will be because of the GOP’s message of opportunity, self-help, and opposition to gay marriage (on the ballots in many States). Not because of Don King, the sleazy boxing promoter. So, why are Republicans touting King as their ambassador...

Ed Gillespie headed up John Gibson's The Big Story airing on Fox 5:00 EST. Ed said 20% of voters had already cast ballots and GWB has an 8% lead. I am of two minds about this. Firstly, the news might allow GWB voters to get complacent, and not vote, figuring he's got it made. OTOH, news of Bush in the lead with significant numbers could create a bandwagon effect, and might encourage leaners to vote Bush, which would create a bigger popular vote.

Illegal Coordination Between Democrat Shadow Groups - the Kerry Campaign and the Florida Democrat PartyWashington, DC—RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie made the following statement today regarding a Democrat Party manual showing illegal coordination between the Kerry Campaign, the Florida Democrat Party and Democrat 527 shadow groups. Click here to read the manual. “Most people would be shocked to learn that the Florida Democrat Party has spent almost no dollars on federal election activity in the important battleground state of Florida. “The Florida Democrat Party isn’t spending federal dollars on election activity in Florida because they’ve outsourced their entire get out...

Hi, With two weeks left until the Nov 2nd election, I am dumbfounded as to why the RNC hasn't forced this issue on the national media. As is in the NFL, it is time for hard nosed, smash mouthed politics as the game comes down to the wire. I am a Vietnam Veteran and already have concerns about John F. Kerry. Not so much his service in Vietnam, as his undermining our war effort when he got home. That aside, there are many veterans out there from many wars (WW II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Grenada, etc, etc) and there...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Christine Iverson 202-863-8614Thanks everyone for coming. I am proud to announce that the RNC has met and exceeded our goal of registering 3 million new voters in this cycle. As of today we have registered 3,047,073 voters. The President is attracting new voters and has historic levels of support from Republicans around the country. We are expanding our party and building coalitions that will lead us to victory in November. Last week in Monroe, Louisiana, I welcomed Rep. Rodney Alexander to the Republican Party. He became the 200th elected Democrat to switch parties since President George...

Michels' margin of victory brings national GOP backing Nominee already trading barbs with Feingold National Republican leaders were making tentative promises Wednesday to provide Tim Michels with new resources and support, a day after the construction executive and former Army officer from Oconomowoc captured the party's U.S. Senate nomination by storm. Michels' primary victory sets up a November showdown of crystal-clear contrast with two-term Democratic incumbent Sen. Russ Feingold. "This is a race of national significance. That's why I'm here today," said Ed Gillespie, chairman of the Republican National Committee, standing beside Michels and two of his fallen challengers at...

Scott says not allowed at Bush headquarters opening By The Associated Press Jock Scott, the Republican 5th Congressional District candidate left out in the cold when his party embraced ex-Democrat Rodney Alexander, complains he was pushed off the platform at the ceremonial opening of Bush campaign headquarters in Monroe Friday. Republican organizers confirmed that party officials demanded Scott be kept away, since their new favorite -- incumbent Alexander -- was going to be a featured speaker. The congressman caused a furor in August when he switched parties in the final minutes of qualifying; Scott, and Democrats, sued him, unsuccessfully. Ed...

In an e-mail sent late Wednesday to supporters, RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie warned Republicans to "brace yourselves" as the Kerry campaign has begun implementing what he calls "a strategy of vicious personal attacks against the President and Vice President." Gillespie's letter follows: To: Bush-Cheney '04 Grassroots Team From: Ed Gillespie, Republican National Committee Chairman Subject: Brace Yourselves In response to President Bush's Agenda for America's Future and a critique of his policies and Senate record, Senator Kerry's campaign is implementing a strategy of vicious personal attacks against the President and Vice President. The campaign is bringing in a bevy of...

by Craig E. Richardson Catholic Outreach 09/04/04 While most of the prime-time speakers at the Republican National Convention focused on key issues like protecting America from terrorism, an important subplot this week was the Republicans' efforts to solidify support of faithful Catholics whose primordial concerns in this election are the protection of life and marriage. The “Catholic” vote is arguably the most important voting bloc to both presidential campaigns, and it’s a constituency that the Republican National Committee (RNC) actively courted in New York. The pinnacle of Catholic-oriented events at the Convention was the RNC’s Catholic Outreach Rally held Thursday...

WASHINGTON (Talon News) -- Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie addressed the GOP Summer Meeting Thursday to set the stage for the convention that starts Monday. He said the week-long extravaganza in New York City's Madison Square Garden would focus on "the proud history of our Party, the strong record of our President and his positive agenda for our future." Only 68 days remain until Americans head to the polls in what most political experts believe one of the closest presidential elections ever. Gillespie was upbeat, buoyed by a new poll of likely voters that showed President Bush taking the...

WASHINGTON -- Today Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie announced that more than three million Americans have now seen the Kerry On Iraq Documentary released by the Republican National Committee. "Over the last week a record number of people have visited KerryOnIraq.com to view the Kerry On Iraq documentary. Over 3 million people have viewed the documentary with over 30,000 requests for copies and over 2,500 reviews submitted. In fact, more people viewed this documentary in its opening week than viewed Fahrenheit 911 in its opening weekend," said Gillespie. "The Kerry On Iraq documentary clearly outlines the evolution of Senator...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Christine Iverson202-863-8614 Washington, DC—“For more than a year, Joe Wilson led Democrats to make allegations against the President that have now been proven false. Senator Kerry embraced and repeated these false charges and continues to post them on his campaign website. “Perhaps he is as proud of his repudiated national steering committee member who has been exposed as a liar as he is of his vote against funding our troops in the field.”

Will be on for a half hour.

To: National Desk Contact: Christine Iverson of the Republican National Committee, 202-863-8614 WASHINGTON, July 12 /U.S. Newswire/ -- RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie made the following statement today after it was revealed that MoveOn.org is still posting a video comparing the President to Adolf Hitler on its website: "Last week we saw Hollywood entertainers call the President a 'killer' and a 'cheap thug' while John Kerry looked on smiling. Now, six months after it was first discovered, MoveOn.org still refuses to acknowledge that it is wrong to compare the President to Adolf Hitler by removing this reprehensible ad from their website....

Last night at a Hollywood fundraiser in New York City, John Kerry said his "campaign will be a celebration of real American values" and that "every performer conveyed… the heart and soul of our country." According to media accounts, the performers took the stage to call the President of the United States a "liar," a "cheap thug who sacrifices our young," and "a killer." This morning Sen. Kerry said, “Values are not just something you throw out in politics and you say I got better values than this. ... [V]alues are something you live in the choices of your budget,...

Washington, DC—RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie issued the following statement today on the passing of former President Ronald Reagan: "Ronald Reagan was a President of great historic impact who led the United States with strength and conviction, and the positive impact of his policies is still felt today here and around the world. More than two decades after he was first elected President, the Republican Party still bears his imprint. Because Ronald Reagan lived, people across the globe live in greater freedom and prosperity. “On behalf of the Republican National Committee I extend deepest sympathies to Nancy Reagan and the Reagan...

Will GOPer Pull Upset in South Dakota? by John Gizzi Posted May 28, 2004 With four days to go before the special U.S. House election in South Dakota, Republicans in the state and in Washington have begun to grow upbeat about retaining a seat they had privately written off less than a month ago. Almost since the resignation of Republican Rep. Bill Janklow following his conviction on manslaughter charges, Democrat Stephanie Herseth (who drew an impressive 46% of the vote against Janklow in '02) has appeared a slam-dunk. A win by lawyer Herseth--grand-daughter of a former governor, daughter of a...

RNC Chairman Gillespie Addresses African American Business Leaders "It is not in my interest, as chairman of the Republican National Committee, for 90 percent of black voters to support Democratic candidates in every election. More important, it is not in the interest of black voters," Gillespie said.5/27/2004 2:47:00 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To: National Desk, Political Reporter Contact: Tara Wall of the Republican National Committee, 202-863-8754, 202-309-3877 (mobile); http://www.gop.com DETROIT, May 27 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Ed Gillespie, chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC), today met with over a hundred African American business leaders in Detroit, to kickoff a multi-city Economic...

RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie Touts Economic Empowerment With Boxing Promoter Don King & African American Business Leaders in Detroit 5/25/2004 5:10:00 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To: Assignment Desk, Daybook Editor Contact: Tara Wall of the Republican National Committee, 202-863-8754 or 202-309-3877 (cell); Web: http://www.gop.com News Advisory: The Republican National Committee's "African American Economic Empowerment Tour" kicks off in the Motor City. RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie teams up with boxing promoter Don King, to take President Bush's message of opportunity and economic empowerment to African American business leaders. The team, which includes top national business officials, will pack a knock-out punch by...

Democrat Sen. Tim Johnson, who barely "won" in South Dakota's fraud-plagued election of 2002, refuses to apologize for referring to Republicans as a Taliban. Appearing Sunday with Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle at an event in Sioux Falls for U.S. House candidate Stephanie Herseth, Johnson said: "When Stephanie Herseth fills this seat, we are going to have a rising star in the House of Representatives. And how sweet it's going to be on June 2 when the Taliban wing of the Republican Party finds out what's happened in South Dakota." Herseth's GOP opponent, Larry Diedrich, issued a statement Monday saying:...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Christine Iverson202-863-8614 Washington, DC-"Unfortunately for angry Democrats like Tim Johnson, Nancy Pelosi and Ted Kennedy, terrorists aren't responsible for the deaths of U.S. soldiers, their commander-in-chief is. Thanks to the President's strong and principled leadership, the Taliban is on the run and women in Afghanistan are now able to attend school, hold jobs and participate as full citizens of their country. "We can only assume that Tom Daschle and Stephanie Herseth's silence on this issue means they agree with Senator Johnson. If they do not they should repudiate these comments immediately. This kind of political hate...

President's Economic Policies Strengthen Job Growth in States Across the Country BLOG CHAT ABOUT IT CONTACT MEDIA CONTACT ELECTED OFFICIALS EMAIL TEAM PRINT The economy is robust, new jobs are being created and the unemployment rate is dropping across the country.This is the eighth straight month of job gains with over 1.1 million jobs created nationally since last August.Employment over the last year was up in 45 states and the unemployment rate declined in all regions and in 47 states.President Bush's Jobs and Growth tax relief package helped drive the strong improvement in our economy. It raised the level...

RNC Chairman Statement on New MoveOn.Org Ad 5/21/2004 3:45:00 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To: National Desk and Political Reporter Contact: Christine Iverson of the Republican National Committee, 202-863-8614 WASHINGTON, May 21 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie issued the following statement today regarding MoveOn.org's decision to make the Iraqi prisoner abuse issue the subject of a new political ad, which includes images of a hooded Statue of Liberty: "This may excite the Michael Moore, George Soros, Nancy Pelosi, Ted Kennedy wing of John Kerry's party, but the exploitation of this event for partisan purposes is a political calculation...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Christine Iverson Thursday, May 13, 2004 202-863-8614 Joint Statement by Bush-Cheney Campaign Chairman Marc Racicot and RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie on Today’s FEC Ruling on 527 Groups “The FEC’s decision today to do nothing to stop the massive spending of soft money “527” committees to influence the 2004 elections is unfortunate, but provides clarity. “It has always been clear to us that the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (“BCRA”) and its subsequent affirmation by the Supreme Court would limit the role of political parties in the political process and allow special interest “527” groups to proliferate. We...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Christine Iverson202-863-8614 Washington, DC—RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie made the following statement today on a conference call with reporters regarding the politicization of the Iraqi prisoner issue by Democrats. “The day before Senator Kerry stated publicly that the prison abuses at Abu Ghraib constituted ‘a moment for America to try to deal with this without partisan politics’ (CNN.com 5/10/2004) his campaign engaged in a mass e-mail campaign attacking the President politically and initiating a petition drive in support of Kerry’s call for Secretary Rumsfeld to resign-along with a ‘DONATE NOW!’ appeal for campaign contributions. “Senator Kerry also...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: RNC Press202-863-8614 WASHINGTON - RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie today responded to the politicalization of the Iraqi POW treatment by the Kerry Campaign to raise campaign cash. "The prison images from Baghdad are clearly disgusting, but it's harder to find words to describe those whose first instinct upon seeing them is to raise campaign cash with them. The words and actions of the Kerry Campaign over the past 48 hours show that in times that call for positive answers, they can only offer political attacks. In a situation that requires firm leadership, they put forward fundraising appeals."...

April 26, 2004 Lost your password? Have it emailed to you. Hotmail & Yahoo users: If you have trouble logging in, copy & paste the link below in a new browser. http://www.gopteamleader.com/email_forward.asp?name=gma042604tm.txt RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie Statement Regarding Senator John Kerrys Comments on Good Morning America Washington, DC-On an appearance this morning on Good Morning America, Senator John Kerry denied that there is any contradiction in conflicting statements he's made over the last 30 years regarding whether or not he threw away medals he received in Vietnam. RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie made the following statement in response to Kerry's comments...

<p>MIAMI BEACH, Fla., April 16 (UPI) -- Hundreds of Republican activists are plotting election strategy in south Florida and listening to pep talks from their national chairman.</p> <p>The Republicans meeting at a Miami Beach, Fla., motel Thursday concentrated on what they call waffling on Iraq by Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, The Miami Herald reported Friday.</p>

Now I am not claiming to be a campaign ad expert or something ... but this advert by this Macallan guy is probably one of the most effective ones I've ever seen. It's sharp, concise, makes its points and is totally fact-based. As far as I am concerned, if I were the big man (yes, I mean you, Mr. RNC Chairman) at the RNC, I would immediately go and shake Macallan's hand and buy(?) the advert off him, and that's after I offer him a job. Then I'll take it to my creative team and have them expand on it,...

Ed Gillespie is on the prowl for more Republicans. He's got the White House, the Senate, the House, lots of governors' mansions -- he's got the majority -- but still he wants more. He'll go anywhere to find them, undeterred by hostility, delighted when he sees one in an unexpected place. "Speed up!" the head of the Republican National Committee tells his driver on the freeway from LaGuardia Airport into New York City, spying a Toyota with the kind of bumper sticker he loves to see. "I gotta give them a thumbs up -- a Bush sticker in New York!"...

In a major push to register three million new voters this year, Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie reached out to the MTV generation in Times Square, New York yesterday. Sponsoring a voter registration drive on MTV's popular TRL (Total Request Live) show, Ed Gillespie spoke to MTV news correspondent Sway with a large crowd of Bush supporters under a banner that proclaimed, "It rocks to register Republican." NewsMax interns Kristen Billera, Brendan Lantry, Gregory Mangia, and Kara Scandaglia had an opportunity to speak with the Chairman about several issues. Brendan Lantry: A lot of effort is being made by...

Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie kicked off the grassroots Catholic outreach at one of America's leading Catholic Universities Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio. Chairman Gillespie told nearly 600 students on a live web cast of his effort to register three million new voters for the 2004 election (mechanical failure at the airport torpedoed his planned visit). Gillespie made it clear to the students that every vote will count in 2004. "But we have our work cut out for us because our country is pretty evenly divided today. The 2000 election demonstrates that every single vote counts. Only, 20,000 votes...

Republican Voter Drive Heads to MTV Tue Mar 23, 6:55 PM ET By DEVLIN BARRETT, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - For young Americans who care more about G-Unit than the GOP, choosing their favorite music videos on MTV's "Total Request Live" may be as close as they've come to the democratic process. Republicans are hoping to change that by sending their voter registration truck Thursday to two places where Republicans are usually in short supply: MTV and Times Square. The National Republican Committee's Reggie the Registration Rig is scheduled to visit the "TRL" studio, where the current contest between President...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ed Gillespie and Terry McAuliffe returned to their alma mater Thursday night and debated whether Gillespie's Republicans or McAuliffe's Democrats are more responsible for the nasty tone of the presidential campaign. The two national party chairmen were cautioned to "fight nice" by Father David O'Connell, president of The Catholic University of America — and then proceeded to pile blame on each other for the increasingly hostile campaign. A crowd of more than 1,000 students and alumni watched the hourlong debate on the Catholic campus in northeast Washington. "There's been a constant stream of attacks," said Gillespie, a...

      2004 VOTE McAuliffe & Gillespie Hold Debate  DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe (far left) & RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie hold a political debate in an event sponsored by their alma mater, Catholic University.

Debate Party Chairmen Debate Catholic University Washington, District of Columbia (United States) ID: 181023 - 03/18/2004 - 1:15 - $45.00 McAuliffe, Terry, Chairman, Democratic National Committee Gillespie, Ed, Chairman, Republican National Committee

<p>Historic first For the first time, the chairmen of the Democratic and Republican parties will engage in a formal debate: Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie will go head-to-head tomorrow night with Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe. The 8 p.m. presidential-style debate, to be moderated by George Stephanopoulos of ABC's "This Week," is hosted by Catholic University in Washington, the alma mater of both party leaders. Mr. Gillespie graduated from Catholic in 1983 and Mr. McAuliffe in 1979, each with a bachelor's degree in, what else, politics.</p>

A Democratic-leaning online group will run television commercials in 17 presidential battleground states starting Thursday to counter President Bush's multimillion-dollar advertising blitz that will begin the same day. The MoveOn.org Voter Fund has been airing commercials assailing Bush for months in several swing states, but this $1.9 million, five-day effort will be its most far-reaching. The ads will ensure that there is a Democratic presence on the TV airwaves in key states as Bush begins to make his case for re-election.

RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie Statement on MoveOn.Org Ad Buy 3/2/04 6:05:00 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To: National Desk, Political Reporter Contact: Christine Iverson of the Republican National Committee, 202-863-8614 WASHINGTON, March 2 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Following is a statement by Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Ed Gillespie: "A month ago I noted that Democrats seemed intent on running one of the dirtiest campaigns in modern presidential politics, and I cited a litany of early examples of disturbing tactics." "It appears we can now add to that list a willingness to blatantly violate the new campaign finance laws." "According to the Associated...

RNC Chairman Gillespie to Kick off National Voter Registration Week, Unveil 56-Foot 18-Wheeler 'Reggie the Registration Rig' 3/1/04 12:02:00 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To: Assignment Desk, Daybook Editor Contact: Mary Ellen Grant of the Republican National Committee, 202-863-8614; http://www.gop.com News Advisory: Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie will hold a news conference to kick off National Voter Registration Week from the helm of a 56-foot 18-wheeler that will be parked out in front of RNC headquarters on Wednesday, March 3 at 11:30 a.m. The 18-wheeler, designed expressly for registering voters, is fully equipped with interactive multimedia capabilities, Xbox systems, a sound...

WASHINGTON -- In the coming days, Republicans will step up their push to register 3 million voters this year with the help of an election-year prop -- an 18-wheeler full of computers, plasma TVs and multimedia equipment designed to communicate the GOP message. Republicans will be taking the truck around the country the week of March 6-13 as part of their plan to register 1 million new voters with the help of local volunteers, elected officials and party leaders in various communities. Republican national Chairman Ed Gillespie said the idea of the 18-wheeler as a marketing tool was borrowed from...

<p>CHRIS WALLACE, HOST, FOX NEWS SUNDAY: On Tuesday, people in 10 states vote for a Democratic presidential nominee. With big leads in the polls and in fundraising, it sure looks like Senator John Kerry will face off this fall against President Bush. Here with a preview are the chairmen of the national parties: Ed Gillespie of the Republican National Committee and Terry McAuliffe of the Democratic National Committee. And, gentlemen, good morning to both of you. Good to have you here.</p>

<p>WASHINGTON - Republicans next week will accelerate a drive to register 350,000 new GOP voters in California, in a campaign meant to both symbolize and boost their Golden State aspirations.</p> <p>"California is definitely in play," Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie insisted Thursday. "We have a real chance to win it in November, and we are going to put our money where our mouth is in that regard."</p>