OHIO MAY PROVE TO BE KEY IN CONTEST

The Sept. 11 attacks, the war in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the recession
have not changed the political attitudes of many Americans who remain
sharply divided over President Bush's job performance and his very
legitimacy as president, according to a new bipartisan survey.

In other words, says pollster John Zogby, those states that voted for
President Bush in 2000 are leaning the same way this year, and those
backing Vice President Al Gore in 2000 are more receptive to a Democratic
candidate.

Except for Ohio.

"Because of the economy, I look closely at Ohio," said Zogby. "Ohio could
be very competitive."

Bush won the state narrowly in 2000 after two consecutive victories by
Democrat Bill Clinton during the prosperous 1990s. The recent uptick in the
nation's economy has not resonated much in Ohio, where manufacturing in
particular has been hard hit over the last three years.

Zogby thinks there is a disconnect in the public between the recent
positive economic indicators examined by gurus like Alan Greenspan and
"Main Street indicators," apparent in forlorn Rust Belt cities.

Along with Republican pollster Brad O'Leary and Southern Methodist
University's John Tower Center, he surveyed 1,200 likely voters last month.
The team found a "nation that is really two nations, split down the middle
on a number of issues," Zogby said.

Kucinich Goes to Pot

Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich added more grass to his
grass-roots support network this weekend when the "U.S. Marijuana Party"
declared its support for the Cleveland congressman.

Its president, Loretta Nall of Alabama, told Kucinich at a Texas news
conference that her group's members in 27 states are "behind you 100
percent and all our people will be campaigning for you."

Asked for his "message to the American cannabis community," Kucinich told
Nall he supports decriminalizing marijuana and rehabilitating drug users
instead of jailing them.

"The idea of prosecuting people for use of marijuana should be in the
distant past in the U.S.," Kucinich said to cheers from others at the news
conference, which included country singer Willie Nelson, whose 1994 pot
bust made national headlines. "We need to create a nation that moves ahead
and reforms these drug laws."

By the way, Kucinich doesn't have a corner on folkies and country singers.
Peter Yarrow of the venerable folk group Peter, Paul and Mary, has written
a song for his candidate, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry. It's called
"America Come Home."

Nader Redux?

Ralph Nader says he will decide later this month whether to run for
president again, perhaps as an independent this time. In the meantime, he
reiterated to CNN's "Crossfire": "I am urging Democrats to vote for Dennis
Kucinich."

David Cobb, a Texas lawyer who is seeking the Green Party presidential
berth that Nader claimed in 2000, is also urging his backers to embrace
Kucinich.

At a weekend peace rally in Austin, his partisans announced Cobb will end
his own campaign and support Kucinich if the Ohioan wins the Democratic
nomination.

That's a huge if, of course. But Kucinich's campaign is not lacking in
optimism. On Tuesday, it cited as good news a CNN/Time magazine poll
showing Kucinich "rising in the polls."

The nationwide survey of 399 Democrats and independents had Kucinich
running seventh in a field of nine - tied with North Carolina Sen. John
Edwards at 5 percent, a point behind the Rev. Al Sharpton.

Daschle a No-Go

Would Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, who has experience in standing up
to President Bush, be a match for Howard Dean in this year's Democratic
primary, or could he be the main man in another national campaign down the
road? We'll probably never know.

Daschle, who has as much stature as any in the nine-candidate field, told
the Associated Press it is unlikely he will ever seek the presidency. He
worries that the harsh exchanges among his fellow Democrats could come back
to haunt the party's nominee in the fall.

Dean, acting like someone who believes he is closing in on the nomination,
has been more diplomatic of late, avoiding sharp-edged responses when he is
attacked by rivals. In a National Public Radio debate Tuesday, he touted
his endorsement by former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley as a sign he can
bring the Democratic Party together. Bradley battled Gore, another Dean
supporter, during the 2000 Democratic primary season.

As for Daschle, he has not endorsed anyone at this point. He has his hands
full in South Dakota with a challenge from former Rep. John Thune, who is
backed by the White House and lost a Senate election in 2002 by only 524 votes.

Coming Up

Dick Gephardt holds a rally with steel workers today in Georgetown, S.C.;
Dean is campaigning in Iowa today and heads back to New Hampshire on
Friday; Kucinich campaigns in Washington, D.C., on Friday.