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So I'm home sick today and like the workaholic that I am decide to log on to the MSNBC server thing. Big mistake. One thing's for sure in this business, you take one day off and you're totally out of the loop. I've been snooping around the e-mails flying among the Hardball staff and those cats sure are brewing a hot show for you tonight.. Before I get to tonight's show, dig on this first: Friday Chris heads to New York to begin RNC convention coverage live from Herald Square in Manhattan...Here's our press release with all the details http://nbcumv.com/msnbc/release_detail.nbc/msnbc-20040825000000-msnbcannouncesconv.html Max Cleland and Jim Rassman (two of Kerry's top "band of brothers") headed down to Crawford today to hand deliver a letter to the President urging him to denounce the anti-Kerry swift boat ads. http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040825/D84MDUV80.html Not to be outdone, the Bush camp gave Cleland a letter for Kerry which read in part: "You can't have it both ways. You can't build your convention and much of your campaign around your service in Vietnam, and then try to say that only those veterans who agree with you have a right to speak up." We lead tonight with Max Cleland from Crawford and get a sense of his little field trip down south today.... And the battle of the 527s is heating up...We'll talk the guy in charge of the Federal Election Commission, Bradley Smith. He's in charge of regulating campaign money in this country and making sure candidates and the special interest groups abide by the law. http://www.fec.gov/members/smith/smith.html Here's an interesting backgrounder for you to read: Vets' lawyer quits Bush campaign, 2nd link between group, GOP re-election effort http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5818431/ We'll do the politics of all this with a package from Shuster on 527 ads and then get into an old school political buzz type segment with Dee Dee, Laura "It's not just a radio show it's an addiction" Ingraham and J.C. Watts. We'll also throw in a convention preview and get into the touchy politics subject on gay marriage. We finish up tonight's show with Cheney's admission last night that he disagrees with President Bush on an amendment banning gay marriage...Patrick Guierro, head of the gay GOP group, Log Cabin Republicans, and a Cheney supporter http://www.logcabin.org/logcabin/press_0824904_2.html will take on Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=PR04H08 More on this controversy on blog plus a posting from Dee Dee on the swift boat veterans http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5445086/ Vice President Dick Cheney, whose daughter Mary is a lesbian, drew criticism from both proponents and foes of gay marriage Tuesday after he distanced himself from President Bush's call for a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. (AP) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5817720/ Republicans endorsed an uncompromising position against gay unions Wednesday in a manifesto that contrasts with Vice President Dick Cheney's supportive comments about gay rights and the moderate face the party will show at next week's national convention. (AP) http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040825/D84MEO3G1.html Sorry, I'm light on links today. As I said, I'm sick so I'm going back to bed...Dominic Bellone The Navy task force overseeing John Kerry's swift boat squadron in Vietnam reported that his group of boats came under enemy fire during a March 13, 1969, incident that three decades later is being challenged by the Democratic presidential nominee's critics. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5818634/ Diary refutes Kerry claim...John Kerry's own wartime journal is raising questions about whether he deserved the first of three Purple Hearts, which permitted him to go home after 4½ months of combat. (The Washington Times) http://www.washingtontimes.com/functions/print.php?StoryID=20040825-125217-7993r Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry said Wednesday that civilian leaders in the White House and the Pentagon should be held accountable for abuse at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison. (AP) http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040825/D84MDOB81.html Al Franken Urging GOP Protests. Al Franken wants you to get up out of your chairs, open your windows, stick your heads out and yell ... fuggedaboutdit? Well, yes. (AP) http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040825/D84MEICG0.html Army releases own Abu Ghraib abuse report...27 in military intelligence unit tied to abuses (AP) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5816887/ ========================================= This email is never sent unsolicited. You have received The Hardball Briefing Newsletter because you subscribed to it or, someone forwarded it to you. To remove yourself from the list (or to add yourself to the list if this message was forwarded to you) simply go to http://www.msnbc.com/tools/newstools/e/emailextra.asp?nfeature=19 Microsoft Corporation - One Microsoft Way - Redmond, WA 98052 MSN PRIVACY STATEMENT http://privacy.msn.com