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Discusses how many people are against United States President George W. Bush's Ownership plan for Social Security. Desire of people to have a safety net when it comes to retirement income and health insurance; Need for the government to offer health insurance to everyone; Description of Bush's plan for Social Security, which would allow citizens to divert part of their payroll taxes into stocks and bonds; View of Americans of Wall Street and investing risk; Lack of enthusiasm for this plan.

Profiles President George W. Bush and the challenges he faces in his campaign for re-election in November. Dissolving public support for the U.S. occupation of Iraq; Struggles of the U.S. economic to create jobs; Charges from John Kerry that he is out of touch with the economic pressures buffetting the middle classes; Expectation that Bush will unveil his second-term agenda at the Republican National Convention in New York this week with a focus on the idea of an "Ownership Society," in which Americans would be empowered to save and invest more; Comparison with the expanded government safety net that Kerry proposes to help strapped workers; Discussion of Bush's views on taxation; Details of Bush's proposals towards creating an Ownership Society. INSET: PIECE OF THE ROCK VS. THE BIG SAFETY NET.

As election 2004 heads into the home stretch amid signs of another photo finish, strategists for both major parties say the race will likely be determined in pockets such as the thriving Interstate 4 corridor that links Tampa and Orlando. With an electorate polarized by Bush-besotted Republicans and Bush-loathing Democrats, a small group of two-income households--economically squeezed and strongly pro-military--holds the key to the White House. George W. Bush and John Kerry are lavishing an enormous amount of time and money on New Mexico, Missouri, and Oregon -- and blitzing Ohio and Pennsylvania. Florida, once part of the solidly Democratic South, is now a crucial swing state. America in 2004 is confronted with profound questions of war and peace, and there is a stark contrast between the GOP vision of an entrepreneurial "ownership society" and the Democrats' new middle-class safety net. Why in a land that extols the ideal of equality are some votes more equal than others? A key reason is the unusual way we pick our President. Americans do not directly tap a leader -- we vote for state electors, super-representatives who select a winner by casting ballots in the Electoral College. The location of the key swing voters also helps shape our political discourse. Ever wonder why there's so much talk about the decline of U.S. manufacturing? One reason is that seven industrial battleground states with 79 electoral votes will likely tip the election. Meanwhile, states with predictable partisan voting, such as New York (Democratic) and Utah (Republican) have seen their influence shrink. That's why Kerry won't be spending much time by the Great Salt Lake this year. But by focusing on the Gray Zone, the major parties are reinforcing the cycle of uncompetitiveness in Red and Blue states. And indifference at the Presidential level hurts each party's chances in local contests.

Argues that President Bush might well be considering an overhaul of the taxation system in the United States. Bush's economic theories; Belief he may seek a zero tax on capital; Why one piece of legislation will have to raise taxes somewhere so as not to contribute to the gigantic federal deficit; Conjecture on what Bush's tax reform might look like; Thoughts on how Washington would collect the new tax; Workings of a consumed income tax; What the Democrats think of this possible approach; How Bush is most likely to achieve tax reform.

Claims that none of the U.S. presidential candidates has come up with a viable plan for creating more jobs. Report that President George W. Bush and Democrats John Kerry and John Edwards have been touting their plans for reducing unemployment on the campaign trail; Report that a recent poll showed that 41% of Americans view jobs or the sluggish economy as their top concerns; Claim that the drop in employment rates during the last few years and the trend towards offshoring of white-collar work have become serious political liabilities for Bush; Discussion of Kerry's and Edwards' proposals to create tax incentives for U.S. businesses to keep employment at home, and to roll back Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy; Discussion of the Democratic candidates' move away from free trade and towards protectionism; Details of Bush's plan for boosting employment with tax cuts and tort reform; Claim that the approaches of both parties would likely curb growth. INSET: Jump-starting The Job Machine.

Discusses U.S. President George W. Bush's proposals for business reforms. Criticism of his perceived lack of action following the Enron accounting scandal; How the WorldCom Inc. disclosure of accounting problems has prompted him to call for tougher reforms; Concern about protecting the economy from investor wariness; Attempts of Democrats to take advantage of Republican ties to business.

Discusses the reforms that will occur in the U.S. regarding business accountability. Decision of U.S. President George W. Bush to allow the Justice Department and the Securities & Exchange Commission to lead the decision-making; Expectation that the modest changes will involve accounting practices, pensions, punishing executives who inflate earnings; and greater scrutiny over the use of tax shelters; View of Bush opponents that these changes are minimal and do not go far enough.

The article reports on a new tax bill backed by the United States President George W. Bush and passed by the United States Congress. Under the bill, a new 10% tax bracket is created on a couple's first $12,000 in taxable income, which is down from 15% earlier. According to Judy Miller of College Solutions, an Alameda, California-based planning firm, the new tax bill is the gift of a lifetime for the parents. Also, under the new law, individual retirement accounts can he richer.

Describes President George W. Bush's proposed program of relief and reconstruction for the Hurricane Katrina disaster area. How Bush and advisors, Karl Rove, Allan B. Hubbard, and Claude Allen have devised a plan of new ideas and economic recovery; Tax and business breaks and a homesteading program of government-owned housing units; Establishment of a tax-favored enterprise zone called the Gulf Opportunity (GO) Zone. INSET: "Whatever It Takes".

Presents an interview with William H. Donaldson, former chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Reaction in the business community to Donaldson's decision to leave the SEC; Reasons why a federal court blocked the SEC's rule on mutual-fund directors; Support Donaldson received from U.S President George W. Bush; Thoughts on disclosing information on chief executive officer (CEO) pay and perks.

Examines the impact of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) on Social Security policy in the U.S. Opposition of the AARP to President George W. Bush's proposed reforms to Social Security; Critique that AARP's commercial interest could influence their public policy positions; Description of AARP's commercial activity in the financial services industry.

Discusses the implications of the social security and tax policies of U.S. President George W. Bush on investments. Details of Bush's second term agenda; Impact of tax reform, social security overhaul, and budgeting on investment portfolios; Consideration of legislation that could impact investments. INSET: Capitalizing on Policy Plays.

Reports that President George W. Bush will need some new talent on his economic team in order to carry out his ambitious second term agenda. Desire to find the right team to articulate Bush's expansive vision of a market-oriented Ownership Society; Requirement that the new team have the political skills to push through Congress Bush's controversial plans to reform Social Security and overhaul the tax code while coping with a stubborn budget deficit; Challenges to the implementation of "Bushonomics II"; Some of the President's choices for his team. INSET: Bushonomics II: A Tall Order.

Comments on President George W. Bush's plan for privatizing Social Security. Part of the plan which would divert part of workers' payroll taxes into individual investment accounts; How the system works today and the myth of the Social Security Trust Fund; Expected shortfall between income and payouts; Reasons for the shortfall; Private accounts which could do better than the current 2% annual return on investment; How the new system would work; Risks of the plan; Cost of the switch as the government has to find ways to pay current retirees while the income is transferred to private accounts which would add about $100-200 billion to the debt; Possible reduction in benefits; Other ideas for making the system more solvent.

The article discusses the public opinion in the U.S. regarding America's commitment to its Iraq mission. With Saddam Hussein in jail and Iraq's potential as a haven for weapons of mass destruction neutralized, both parties willingly backed an open-ended troop commitment to install a stable, democratic government in Baghdad and, in Bush Administration dreams, throughout the Islamic world. While White House and Pentagon officials show no sign of wavering, lawmakers and foreign policy experts are starting to debate whether the Bush team's poorly managed war effort can achieve its goals--or whether those hopes would be out of reach for even a savvier operation. In the vision that's starting to emerge, Christmas, 2005, could signal the start of a major drawdown. By that point, Iraq is supposed to have an elected government, a new constitution, and a trained military and police force in place. The U.N. would presumably be playing a much larger role in helping to develop new governing institutions. And if Iraqi resentment of the U.S. presence hasn't quieted by then, Washington would face a strong temptation to declare victory and get out. Renewed fighting in Fallujah and Najaf and shocking revelations of U.S. troops' abuse of prisoners have inflamed Iraqis and escalated the cycle of violence. Support for a prolonged U.S. mission in Iraq is waning at home, too. Approval of the President's handling of the war collapsed from 61% in January to 41% in early May, according to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll. Even among Republicans, a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll shows those favoring troop withdrawal within 18 months rose to 37% in early May, from 27% in March.

Claims that U.S. presidential candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry are backsliding into hot-button rhetoric rather than realistically addressing the complex economic issues facing the country. Claim that Kerry threatens to veer into protectionism and border-closing, while Bush is sticking stubbornly to his prediction that tax cuts will eventually result in more jobs; Argument that the real issue is how government can best help Americans adjust to a world where productivity grows rapidly, demand for skills changes constantly, and global competition threatens even well-educated service worker; Argument that politicians should seek to resolve long-term problems like foreign-trade barriers and out-of-control health costs; Examples of the campaign messages of Kerry and Bush; Speculation about the reasons why Bush's tax cuts are not stimulating job creation; Argument that Kerry's plan to keep jobs in America will not work in the long run; Details of how attacking protectionism and theft of intellectual property abroad could help the U.S. economy; Comments on Kerry's plans to cut the costs of employing new workers. INSET: RELIEF FOR JOBS ANXIETY.

Speculates on what a George W. Bush Administration would mean for the United States economy. Speculation of Bush's choice of U.S. Treasury Secretary; Suggestion of members likely to serve on the U.S. Federal Reserve Board; Suggestion that a Bush tax cut plan will stop the slowing of the economy.

Describes the current status of the Internal Revenue Service's crackdown on tax avoiders. Comments from Internal Revenue Commissioner Mark W. Everson; How the IRS has been successful against some tax avoidance schemes; Refusal of the United States Congress to fully fund President George W. Bush's request for a boost in enforcement funds; How the low number of enforcement agents makes it difficult to conduct individual audits, etc.; Discussion of the IRS's inability to investigate and prosecute tax avoidance scams and how the scamsters are going underground.

Focuses on U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who says he will not serve past 2006. Question of whether Frist will seek the Republican Presidential nomination or retire; Efforts of Frist to gain the support of Christian conservatives for a possible 2008 bid; Issues that Frist is focusing on; Frist's problems with President George W. Bush's Social Security agenda and the fate of Bush's nominee for United Nations ambassador, John Bolton; Results of early 2008 polls; Possible rivals.

Presents political news briefs from Washington, D.C. Plan by Republicans to take the controversial Arctic National Wildlife Refuge drilling provision out of energy legislation and include it in the budget; Concerns of Democrats that President George W. Bush may replace both of the Securities & Exchange Commission's reform-minded Democrats this year; Why the Medicare drug benefit cost will cost over $100 billion a year in 2013.

Offers a look at the 2004 presidential race between United States President George W. Bush and Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. Discussion of the debates between Bush and Kerry; Tendency of Bush to be plainspoken and Kerry to be formal; Claim that, in the debates, Kerry must outline his plans for the war on terrorism and postwar Iraq; Statement that issues of foreign policy are debated more than domestic issues such as the economy.

Examines the possible impact of Michael Moore's film "Fahrenheit 9/11" on U.S. President George W. Bush. The film, which can only hurt Bush in a tight reelection contest; Moore, who admits the goal of his film is to deny Bush reelection; Success of the film; Conservatives' unintentional assistance to Moore by petitioning the Federal Election Commission to restrict advertising for "Fahrenheit 9/11"; Moore's plans to use the film as a political organizing tool; Big media boost to the film from Howard Stern, which closely coincided with an Federal Communications Commission crackdown.

The author reports that both Democrats and Republicans in the House of Representatives have been voting for popular tax cuts, many of which are unlikely to make it past the Senate. Middle-class tax breaks in an election year: Now that's a tune both parties can sing, even in the Red-Blue Nation. The House has been crooning through a monthlong concert of tax votes orchestrated by Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.). A bipartisan majority endorsed permanent relief from the marriage penalty, locked in the 10% tax bracket, and not only continued the child credit but expanded it to include the upper-upper middle class. But listen closer, and discordant notes can be heard. House GOP leaders were disappointed that Democrats went along with the tax votes, robbing Republicans of a dream campaign issue. Moderate Senate Republicans, such as John McCain (Ariz.) and Olympia J. Snowe (Me.) are also muddying the picture. They are resisting most tax breaks that aren't paid for with offsetting revenue increases or spending cuts. None of this campaign season's maneuvers are likely to move any serious tax debate forward. That will have to wait until after Inauguration Day next January.

Offers several news briefs related to politics. Questioning of the value of television attack ads against presidential candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry; Report that staff members of the Federal Communications Commission have accepted free trips from the media and telecommunications industries they regulate.

Discusses how foreign policy could decide the 2004 presidential race. Efforts by president George W. Bush to shore up public opinion over the war in Iraq; Role of the violence in Iraq in deteriorating public opinion; Future prospects for Bush linked to the war's outcome.

Speculates on whether the Democrats' focus on economic issues affecting the American middle class will become less compelling if the recovery gathers steam. Claim that presidential candidate John Kerry pulled ahead of Howard Dean by co-opting Dean's message on the middle-class's struggle with soaring health costs, rising local taxes and college tuition, and job insecurity; Details of plans by Kerry and John Edwards to shift spending priorities toward middle-income Americans by taxing the rich more heavily; Details of attacks by the Democrats on President George W. Bush, claiming he is beholden to wealthy donors and corporate interests; Details of plans by Kerry and Edwards to help families pay for health care and education; Speculation on how Bush will counter these proposals during the campaign.

Presents briefs related to business. Decision of Harvey J. Goldschmid to sign on for a second term at the Securities & Exchange Commission; Support from Progressive Corp. chairman, Peter B. Lewis, for the reelection campaign of President George W. Bush; Gifts for the Republican party and Bush from film producer Stephen Bing.

Explains why close U.S. presidential elections, similar to the election in 2000, could in future decided by the electoral college, with the popular-vote winner losing the White House. Examples of previous minority-vote presidents, including Rutherford B. Hayes and Benjamin Harrison; Observation that sparsely populated rural states have disproportionate clout in the electoral college system; Observation that industrial battleground states like Ohio and Pennsylvania could swing an election; Possibility that a third-party candidate like the Green Party's Ralph Nader could tip the scales; Speculation about whether legislators will ever consider changing the system.

Reports on the loss of jobs during the administration of United States President George W. Bush and what is being done to fix this trend. Plans for creating more jobs, such as the Buy America rule in which the Pentagon would have to buy a high percentage of weapons from U.S. companies; Negative effects on manufacturers, such as higher tax rates on companies that move production abroad; Economic relations with European companies if the Buy America rule is imposed; Ideas from presidential candidates for the 2004 election, including Democrat Howard Dean's idea to renegotiate NAFTA to add stronger labor and environmental protections; Role of bipartisan politics in urging Asian countries such as Japan and China to be more cooperative in economic relations.

Examines U.S. President George W. Bush's economic plan. Concerns of the financial industry; Fears of banks over the plan to exempt stock dividends from income taxes; Criticism of the plan by the life insurance sector; Topic of tax-deferred earnings; How insurers are lobbying for two adjustments; Outlook for passage of the proposals.

Discusses the salary of four board members of the U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. Comparison of the salary for the chair with that of U.S. President George W. Bush and the head of the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission; Design of the board as part of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; Duties of the board, which is charged with controlling the accounting lobby and restoring investors' faith in financial statements.

Discusses the plan of U.S. President George W. Bush for restoring confidence in American business, in light of the Enron scandal. Details on the plan which will require chief executive officers to issue a statement personally vouching for the veracity of company finances, enforce better disclosure methods, and create an independent regulatory board; Role of Securities & Exchange Commission Chairman Harvey L. Pitt; Outlook for acceptance of Bush's proposals.

Examines the practicality of the ideas employed by U.S. President George W. Bush to revive the economy of the Gulf Coast, the region hit by Hurricane Katrina. Bush's vision of stimulating business investment to lift thousands out of poverty; Comment from Will Marshall III, president of the Progressive Policy Institute, about Bush's ideas for reshaping the region; Plan for a Gulf Opportunity Zone.

Discusses issues concerning the appointment by U.S. President George W. Bush of U.S. government officials as of November 16, 2004. Reason Bush needs to replace Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld; Impact of the promotion of Condoleezza Rice to U.S. Secretary of State, on the U.S. foreign policy; Selection of Alberto R. Gonzales as Attorney General of the U.S. Justice Department.

Focuses on the results of a debate between U.S. presidential candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry at Washington University in Saint Louis on October 8, 2004. Changes made by Bush to his approach in dealing with questions from Kerry; Comparison to the approach used by Kerry during the debate; Topics to be discussed in the third and final debate between the candidates.

Compares the stance of U.S. presidential candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry on several consumer-related issues. Definition of consumer welfare by economists; Differences between the approaches used by Bush and Kerry in dealing with consumer issues; Concerns over the awarding of punitive damages in the U.S.

Focuses on former U.S. Presidents and their performance after being reelected in relation to the decision of President George W. Bush to seek reelection. Details of the second terms of President Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower; Reasons for President Richard M. Nixon not to last his second term, as well as President Bill Clinton; Statement from David Gergen, professor of public service at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, on the fate of reelected presidents.

Focuses on the commemoration of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S. and the presidential campaign of President George W. Bush. Discussion on the move of President Bush to conquer terrorism; Criticism on the use of smoking World Trade Center in the political campaign of President Bush; Comment from former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani on the stand of presidential candidate John Kerry on the war against terror.

Reports that the escalation of violence and U.S. casualties in Iraq could shape the campaign of U.S. President George W. Bush. Key electoral blocs lost by Bush due to the Iraq backlash; Edge of U.S. presidential candidate John Kerry over Bush in the April 5-8, 2004 Gallup Poll; Rate of unaligned voters who said things are going well with the intervention in Iraq.

Discusses problems in the employment sector in the U.S. Plans and solutions of several politicians in the country to deal with the problems; Number of jobs lost since the occupation of President George W. Bush; Comments of Bush on the plans of Democratic politicians for the problems; Views of Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano on the issue.

Reports on the plans of U.S. presidential candidates to boosts employment and the economy. Top concerns of the people in the U.S. according to the February 9-12, 2004 Gallup Poll Ltd. survey; Information on the proposals of John Kerry that will create employment; Likely result of the proposal of U.S. President George W. Bush in lowering tax rates on the country's deficit.

Reports on the scandal involving U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Harvey Pitt as of November 4, 2002. Career background; Effect of the scandal on the SEC staff; Possible actions to be taken by President George W. Bush against Pitt.

Examines the proposal of U.S. President George W. Bush and his administration to reform the corrupt practices of corporations. Suggestion to impose criminal penalties for executives involved on financial frauds; Impact of corporate corrupt practices on the economy; Concerns of the Republican Party and the Bush administration on the state of the economy and investment market.

Reports on a meeting of President George W. Bush with chief executive officers (CEOs) for restoring public confidence in markets in the U.S. in June 2002. Message of Bush for the CEOs; Factors that affect the recovery of the stock market; Response of the CEOs to the message of Bush.