Kerry, Edwards release campaign book on
coast-to-coast bus tour

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.


GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) - 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, 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.

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% 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.