Feb. 14
San Diego County residents have until Tuesday to register to vote in the March 2 primary and until Feb. 24 to request an absentee ballot.

Residents must re-register to vote if they have moved, changed their name or want to change their political party affiliation.

WASHINGTON, 5:49 a.m. Feb. 14 (REUTERS)
Bush urges U.S. action to stop nuclear proliferation: President Bush urged the United Nations on Saturday to enact tougher controls to stop the spread of nuclear weapons as he warned Americans about the dangers of deadly weapons.

WASHINGTON, 6:14 a.m. Feb. 14 (REUTERS)
Bush policies shrink U.S. opportunities – Democrats: Democrats said Saturday Americans face diminished opportunities because of President Bush's economic policies.

CULVER CITY, Feb. 13 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Edwards visits state, vows fight: Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards paid a brief campaign visit to California yesterday, vowing to take the fight to President Bush but never acknowledging John Kerry's steady march toward the nomination.

BURBANK, 1:52 a.m. Feb. 13 (AP)
Kucinich wins date with actress on 'Tonight Show' skit: Dennis Kucinich took his Democratic presidential campaign trail quest for a girlfriend to late-night television – and won a date with actress Jennifer Tilly.

By Carol Giacomo, Diplomatic Correspondent WASHINGTON, 5:34 a.m. Feb. 13 (REUTERS)
On foreign policy, Kerry sees strength in alliances: John Kerry is offering American voters a far different vision of the U.S. role in international affairs than President Bush, one that much of the world may find more familiar and more comforting.

OSHKOSH, Wis., Feb. 13 (COPLEY NEWS SERVICE)
In Wisconsin, die-hard Dean asks voters for second look: Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean campaigned yesterday at an old opera house where supporters said his message needs to be heard despite his failure to win a single primary in 14 tries thus far.

NEW ORLEANS, 1:06 a.m. Feb. 12 (AP)
Former Klan leader David Duke says he probably will not run for Congress: Imprisoned former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke says he is leaning against running for Congress in November after he gets out of prison.

Feb. 12 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Rivals say mayor fumbled Chargers issue: After much posturing, name-calling and fighting in court, the San Diego Chargers get their stadium. Owner Alex Spanos is elated and says he hopes he's around for a lease that runs to 2020. The mayor is elated, too, and declares:

Feb. 12 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Contributor admits guilt over illegal donations: A former San Diego defense contractor pleaded guilty yesterday to illegally giving two California congressmen and Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry campaign contributions that his company later listed as expenses in Navy contracts.

MILWAUKEE, 2:17 p.m. Feb. 11 (AP)
Edwards hopes voters see him as viable alternative to Kerry: John Edwards' goal is to be the alternative to front-runner John Kerry, but that's a tall order for a Democrat still reeling from a double defeat in his native South.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., 3:39 p.m. Feb. 11 (AP)
Clark formally withdraws from presidential race: Wesley Clark dropped out of the race for the White House on Wednesday, a retired four-star general unable to command significant support as a first-time presidential candidate.

WASHINGTON, 4:39 p.m. Feb. 11 (AP)
Notebook: Former third-party hopefuls sue over debate exclusion: Several former third-party presidential hopefuls filed a lawsuit Wednesday to block the Commission on Presidential Debates from sponsoring future debates, claiming the organization is biased toward the Democratic and Republican parties.

MILWAUKEE, 4:42 p.m. Feb. 11 (AP)
Dean says Kerry part of 'corrupt political culture in Washington': Seizing on a fresh report about the financing of critical ads, Democrat Howard Dean assailed front-runner John Kerry on Wednesday for being part of "the corrupt political culture in Washington."

WASHINGTON, 2:10 p.m. Feb. 11 (AP)
House GOP looks at defense, domestic security in budget-cutting drive: House Republicans want lower federal spending than President Bush has proposed and will consider chopping his plans for big defense and domestic security increases, the chamber's GOP leaders said Wednesday.

WASHINGTON, 2:26 p.m. Feb. 11 (AP)
Kerry adds to labor endorsements: The coalition of unions that once backed Dick Gephardt in his presidential bid on Wednesday gave its expected endorsement to Democratic front-runner John Kerry.

WASHINGTON, 2:39 p.m. Feb. 11 (AP)
GOP says Iraq intelligence failure caused by Clinton budget cuts: In a sign of how Republicans may try to quell criticism of prewar intelligence in Iraq, the head of the House Intelligence Committee tried Wednesday to direct blame to the Clinton administration.

WASHINGTON, 8:25 a.m. Feb. 11 (AP)
Dean links Kerry to 'corrupt political culture' he says tried to derail his campaign: Presidential hopeful Howard Dean on Wednesday said front-runner John Kerry was part of "the corrupt political culture in Washington" and accused supporters of his rivals of trying to derail his campaign by funding a group that ran ads criticizing him.

New victories allow Kerry to focus on Bush: WASHINGTON - John Kerry's landslide victories in the South allow him to focus on the anticipated fall showdown with President Bush and a more immediate battle to prevent Republicans from branding him as outside the mainstream.

WASHINGTON, 8:00 a.m. Feb. 11 (AP)
Kerry's rivals in distress after Virginia and Tennessee: John Kerry's twin Southern victories left his rivals' candidacies in distress Wednesday, with Wesley Clark ending his presidential campaign and the remaining candidates for the Democratic nomination desperately trying to revive their bids in Wisconsin.

4:46 a.m. Feb. 11 (AP)
Comedians on the political campaign: Comedian commentary on the campaign: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno":

ATLANTA, 1:35 a.m. Feb. 11 (AP)
Three-judge federal panel overturns Georgia House and Senate redistricting plans: Redistricting may become a new priority in a Georgia Legislature already struggling with sharp cuts in school and health funding and thorny social issues like banning gay marriage.

WASHINGTON, 6:30 p.m. Feb. 10 (COPLEY NEWS SERVICE)
Analysis: Kerry wins allow Democrats to focus on fall matchup: John Kerry's impressive wins Tuesday in the South allow him to turn his attention toward what is now an all-but certain fall showdown with President Bush and a more immediate battle to prevent Republicans from successfully branding him as outside the mainstream.

WASHINGTON, 5:38 p.m. Feb. 10 (AP)
Exit poll: Kerry attracted Southern voters angry with Bush, eager for victory: John Kerry scored victories in Democratic primaries in Virginia and Tennessee on Tuesday by tapping into voter anger and dissatisfaction with President Bush, especially among those eager to win in November, according to Associated Press exit polls.

WASHINGTON, 4:46 p.m. Feb. 10 (AP)
Kerry says win shows people want change, new direction: Triumphant in the South, Democratic presidential front-runner John Kerry pledged Tuesday to take it "one step at a time," first sealing up the nomination and then targeting President Bush.

ARLINGTON, Va., 3:58 p.m. Feb. 10 (AP)
Bush re-election campaign sends video message to millions on e-mail list: President Bush's re-election campaign on Tuesday e-mailed a campaign-style ad message to 6 million people on its e-mail list.

WASHINGTON, 3:48 p.m. Feb. 10 (AP)
Senate GOP cuts energy bill, responds to White House concerns: Senate Republicans on Tuesday tried to revive last year's narrowly defeated energy bill by cutting its $31 billion cost by more than half rather than making it part of a highway-mass transit bill.

SAN DIEGO, 6:23 p.m. Feb. 9 (AP)
Dean's former campaign manager defends pay package: Howard Dean's former campaign manager Joe Trippi said Monday that he was paid about $165,000 for his work, attempting to blunt suggestions that he jumped into the campaign to get rich.

CARSON CITY, Nev., 8:42 p.m. Feb. 9 (AP)
Krolicki out of Nevada's U.S. Senate race: State Treasurer Brian Krolicki was expected Tuesday to drop his name from the list of Republicans considering a run against U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., who already has raised $6.2 million for his re-election bid.

RICHMOND, Va., 5:41 p.m. Feb. 9 (COPLEY NEWS SERVICE)
Kerry makes transition from senatorial to presidential: For 51 interminable minutes, John Kerry droned on and on as the keynote speaker at the Virginia Democratic Party's biggest dinner of the year. "We prayed for death," joked a top party official.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo., 1:52 p.m. Feb. 9 (AP)
Bush says Democrats want to raise taxes: His voice rising to a shout, President Bush lashed out at Democratic rivals who want to roll back his tax cuts as he defended his economic priorities Monday in a presidential primary state where his record has been harshly criticized.

WASHINGTON, 2:55 p.m. Feb. 9 (AP)
Major union announces withdrawal of support for Dean: One of the country's largest unions announced Monday that it was withdrawing its support for Democrat Howard Dean, a blow to the one-time front-runner's staggering presidential campaign.

NEW YORK, 3:29 p.m. Feb. 9 (AP)
Kucinich says his candidacy is viable: Democrat Dennis Kucinich on Monday criticized presidential front-runner John Kerry as being too similar to President Bush on Iraq and said voters must be given a "clear and convincing choice."

WASHINGTON, 4:02 p.m. Feb. 9 (AP)
Big oil and tobacco to unions, Kerry pocketed speaking fees: John Kerry took a small amount of political action committee money during a race for the House three decades ago, and later collected more than $120,000 in speaking fees from companies and lobbying groups as a new senator, records show.

WASHINGTON, 4:31 p.m. Feb. 9 (AP)
Front-runner Kerry leads in superdelegate endorsements: Fresh off his three-state weekend sweep, John Kerry assumed his first lead Monday in another key race, for endorsements or pledges from Democratic insiders and elected officials who will help choose the party's presidential nominee, an Associated Press survey found.

WASHINGTON, 2:19 p.m. Feb. 9 (AP)
Rep. Pelosi PAC fined $21,000 by federal elections officials: A fund-raising committee run by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was fined $21,000 for improperly accepting donations over federal limits, according to records and interviews.

WASHINGTON, 11:01 p.m. Feb. 8 (AP)
Echoes of Vietnam in presidential campaign 35 years later: They were two years apart, these two Yale boys, these sons of privilege, and so the moment of truth came first for John Kerry, later for George W. Bush. Each faced the same life-changing question as did so many others of their generation: what to do about Vietnam.

Feb. 9 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Pens, not pins, key to absentee ballots: San Diego County voters are not only getting new voting machines, but new absentee ballots as well as the county moves away from the controversial punch-card ballots in the primary election March 2.

Feb. 8 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Spending high in 1st District race: Development issues have dominated the race to represent the San Diego City Council's 1st District, a burgeoning area that has evolved into the region's largest job center and is still experiencing residential growth.

Feb. 8 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
3 schools candidates running for first time: Everywhere they go, the three school board candidates for District E are asked about what one of them calls "the three B's" – the budget, the Blueprint and Superintendent Alan Bersin.

5:30 p.m. Feb. 7 (AP)
Polls in states with upcoming contests in the Democratic presidential race: Results released Saturday from polls in states with upcoming contests in the Democratic presidential race. The Mason-Dixon poll was taken for various Virginia news organizations.

Feb. 6 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Schools' Prop. MM overseer quits post: Just months after winning a contract extension, the former Navy engineer brought in to oversee $1.5 billion in San Diego school repairs and construction has abruptly quit, with half the work left to complete.

WASHINGTON, 4:02 p.m. February 6 (AP)
Former Frist staffer files ethics complaint over Democratic tactics: A former aide to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist who resigned amid an investigation into Democratic strategy memos leaked to the media filed a Senate ethics complaint Friday alleging "public corruption" by Democratic senators and staff.

WASHINGTON, 3:49 p.m. February 5 (COPLEY NEWS SERVICE)
Dean endorsements holding for now despite hard times: When it looked like Howard Dean was the man to beat for the Democratic presidential nomination, the endorsements rolled in – from members of Congress, unions and even former Vice President Al Gore.

ALBANY, N.Y., 3:05 p.m. February 5 (AP)
Pataki staging $50,000-a-person event for Schwarzenegger: Gov. George Pataki is arranging a $50,000-a-person private dinner for fellow Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California to be held at the Manhattan home of millionaire businessman Robert Wood Johnson IV.

CHULA VISTA, February 5 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Council to consider revising finance law: The City Council is considering sweeping changes to the city's campaign finance law that would, among other things, raise the individual contribution limit from $250 to $500.

STURGIS, Mich., February 5 (COPLEY NEWS SERVICE)
Mich. voters able to overlook Kerry voted for NAFTA: When the Kirsch plant here left for Mexico more than two years ago, Linda Streeter was devastated.

FALLBROOK, February 5
Rainbow water officials say bond urgently needed: Officials of the Rainbow Municipal Water District are asking voters to approve a $40.9 million bond measure to repair its aging water system, saying the district faces an emergency.

February 5 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Initiative might bring in millions: A proposed statewide initiative that might expand slot-machine gaming to non-Indian sites in California could bring millions of dollars to Oceanside and the Del Mar racetrack.

February 5 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Slater says her time as teacher offered lessons: Pam Slater didn't have politics in her blood when she started to get involved more than two decades ago, but she said teaching helped her prepare.

TACOMA, Wash., 8:03 a.m. February 5 (AP)
Dean looks for a lifeline in the other Washington: In a state that prefers its coffee strong and its politicians feisty, Howard Dean's sputtering presidential campaign may find the life raft it needs since his fall from the front-runner's mantle.

WASHINGTON, 5:45 a.m. February 5 (AP)
Justice examines Nigeria bribery allegations involving Halliburton subsidiary: A subsidiary of Halliburton Co. is under scrutiny by the Justice Department over allegations that it was involved in payment of $180 million in bribes to win a natural gas project contract in Nigeria. Vice President Dick Cheney was head of Halliburton at the time.

WASHINGTON, 4:57 a.m. February 5 (AP)
President says sanctity of marriage must be defended: President Bush, reacting to a new Massachusetts state court ruling, says a constitutional amendment will be necessary to ban gay marriages if judges persist in approving them.

February 4 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Kerry takes command: John Kerry won a cross-country string of Democratic presidential victories yesterday but was denied a hoped-for clean sweep by a solid John Edwards victory in South Carolina and a narrow win by retired Gen. Wesley Clark in Oklahoma.

WASHINGTON, 1:41 p.m. February 4 (AP)
Democrat supporter of Medicare criticizes administration on cost estimate: One of two Senate Democrats who helped write the new Medicare prescription drug law said Wednesday the Bush administration withheld information about the law's estimated cost at key moments in negotiations last year.

STURGIS, Mich., 2:11 p.m. February 4 (COPLEY NEWS SERVICE)
Michigan voters resist protectionism despite heavy job losses: When the Kirsch plant left here for Mexico over two years ago, Linda Streeter, 48, was devastated.

WASHINGTON, 3:33 p.m. February 4 (COPLEY NEWS SERVICE)
Defense budget hearings give way to partisan clashes: The initial hearings on the proposed defense budget Wednesday became largely partisan clashes over the justification and conduct of the war in Iraq, perhaps a grim foreboding for congressional relations in an election year.

February 4 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Berger formally enters San Diego city attorney race: Deputy City Attorney Deborah Berger has formally announced her candidacy for San Diego city attorney in the March 2 primary, although she began raising money for the campaign a year ago.

SACRAMENTO, February 4 (AP)
Recall candidates spent $88 million: In the brief but wild recall campaign that rewrote California history, major candidates spent close to $88 million – nearly a third of it by Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was elected governor.

9:22 p.m. February 3 (AP)
Primary results state by state: Results as of 9:20 p.m. PST Tuesday.

ARLINGTON, Va., 6:44 p.m. February 3 (AP)
Lieberman abandons race for Democratic presidential nomination: Sen. Joe Lieberman, unable to inspire Democratic voters who embraced his 2000 vice presidential campaign, ended his presidential bid Tuesday night after a string of disappointing defeats. He said he believed his "mainstream voice" was the right message for his party, but acknowledged that voters disagreed.

WASHINGTON, 5:40 p.m. February 3 (AP)
Democrats look ahead to next round of contests: Democratic presidential hopefuls looked beyond the nominating contests in seven states Tuesday to upcoming caucuses in Michigan and Washington state this weekend.

WASHINGTON, 6:16 p.m. February 3 (AP)
Tauzin announces resignation from powerful House chairmanship: Rep. Billy Tauzin, known for his political skills and a backslapping demeanor, resigned Tuesday as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, one of the most powerful positions in Congress. He announced he will not seek re-election in the fall.

WASHINGTON, 3:28 p.m. February 3 (AP)
Bush administration rolls out $9.5 million TV advertising campaign on Medicare: The Bush administration launched a $9.5 million television advertising campaign Tuesday to rebut criticism of the new Medicare law.

SACRAMENTO, 2:09 p.m. February 3 (AP)
Recall campaign costs $88 million, 'most expensive' in history: In the brief but wild recall campaign that rewrote California history, major candidates spent close to $88 million – nearly a third of it by Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was elected the state's 38th governor.

WASHINGTON, 3:28 p.m. February 3 (AP)
White House denounces Democrats' attacks on Bush military service: The White House and its Republican allies angrily denounced Democrats on Tuesday for suggesting President Bush had shirked Vietnam-era military service. They called on Democratic front-runner Sen. John Kerry to disavow the criticism.

SAN DIEGO, 1:52 p.m. February 3 (SIGNONSANDIEGO)
Schwarzenegger, in City Heights, stumps for ballot measures: During a town hall-style meeting today at a City Heights middle school, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger urged voters to pass two budget measures on the March 2 ballot.

NEW YORK, 12:40 p.m. February 3 (AP)
California First Lady Maria Shriver quits NBC News: Maria Shriver quit NBC News on Tuesday, saying it would be too tough to juggle a journalism job with her duties as first lady of California.

CHARLESTON, S.C., February 3 (COPLEY NEWS SERVICE)
Candidates swap criticisms on eve of vote in 7 states: John Kerry and John Edwards exchanged long-distance barbs yesterday on the eve of cross-country elections that could install Kerry as the prohibitive favorite for the Democratic presidential nomination or give one or more of his rivals a new lease on life.

FLORENCE, S.C., February 3 (COPLEY NEWS SERVICE)
Dean campaign faces funding, poll woes: This isn't the way voters in the Low Country were supposed to hear about Howard Dean the day before the key South Carolina primary. The plan had been for the airwaves to be filled with commercials touting his dreams for America.

WASHINGTON, 12:31 a.m. February 3 (AP)
Candidates roll out endorsement ads when voting nears: Television commercials that include endorsements from high-profile supporters have become almost a staple of John Kerry's presidential campaign. Both Iowa first lady Christie Vilsack and former New Hampshire Gov. Jeanne Shaheen have appeared in them.

SANTEE, February 3 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Jacob's talk all about challenges: Dianne Jacob, chairwoman of the county Board of Supervisors, will give the annual State of the County address tomorrow at West Hills High School in Santee.

WASHINGTON, February 3 (COPLEY NEWS SERVICE)
Bush budget holds promise for California – and boost for governor: In what could be a significant victory for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, California stands to gain considerably more money to fight terrorism under the budget that President Bush unveiled yesterday.

SACRAMENTO, 12:24 a.m. February 3 (AP)
Schwarzenegger relied on outside support to finance campaigns: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's fund-raising juggernaut brought in more than $27 million in support of his gubernatorial campaign and other political efforts during 2003, new campaign statements show.

WASHINGTON, 3:12 p.m. February 2 (AP)
Budget politics: Plenty for all sides to campaign about: President Bush's election-year budget lays out priorities for him to run on, billions more for the Pentagon and the war on terror among them.

OLYMPIA, Wash., 2:34 p.m. February 2 (AP)
Washington state senator apologizes for slur: A state senator apologized Monday for using a racial slur during an argument with another legislator, a blunder that prompted some black leaders to press for his resignation.

ATLANTA, 2:27 p.m. February 2 (AP)
Three Georgia legislators, including ethics chairwoman, on taxpayer list bound for Web site: Three Georgia state lawmakers, including the chairwoman of the House Ethics Committee, are on a list of delinquent taxpayers that revenue officials are posting on the Internet in hopes of shaming people into paying up.

January 31 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Superintendent is leading issue: Alongside budget cuts, education policy and other pressing issues facing candidates and voters in the San Diego Unified School District lies another major consideration – what to do about Superintendent Alan Bersin.

PHOENIX, February 1 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
'Hispanic Tuesday' could be misnomer: For Lydia Guzman, what she calls this week's "Hispanic Tuesday" isn't the easy sell she thought it would be:

COLUMBIA, S.C., 3:13 p.m. February 1 (COPLEY NEWS SERVICE)
Edwards' fortunes rest on home state: John Edwards is the closest thing to a favorite son in Tuesday's South Carolina Democratic presidential primary election. So, as they say along the banks of the Pee Dee River and down in Low Country, if he can't win here, that dog just won't hunt anywhere else.

KEENE, 11:21 a.m. February 1 (AP)
United Farm Workers union endorses Kerry for president: Leaders of the United Farm Workers union announced Sunday they are endorsing John Kerry's presidential bid.

February 1 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Race highlights prize and peril of incumbency: The candidates in San Diego's 7th District City Council race, Councilman Jim Madaffer and Irene Stallard-Rodriguez, attended a community meeting last month that summed up some of the reasons why the incumbent is heavily favored.

February 1 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Court plays prime role in school board race drama: Much of the drama in the race for the open District D seat on the San Diego school board has come from the courthouse rather than the campaign trail.

SACRAMENTO, February 1 (COPLEY NEWS SERVICE)
Judge takes aim at state's political watchdog: In a pair of searing rulings issued over the past four months, a Sacramento judge has suggested that the state's political watchdog has been behaving more like a lapdog.