MADISON, Wis. -- Thousands gathered in downtown Madison Thursday for what is being called the largest political rally in Wisconsin history.
The band Foo Fighters warmed up the crowd around 11:30 a.m., and Gov. Jim Doyle took the stage with rocker Bruce Springsteen at 12:45 p.m.
Organizers said they expected about 50,000 to 60,000 people to attend, but Doyle said the crowd was at least 80,000. Madison police told News 3 they estimated the crowd at 40,000 to 50,000.
"There are more than 80,000 of us here," Doyle said. "We love the Boss, and on Tuesday Wisconsin will elect John Kerry the next president of the United States."
Kerry told Wisconsin residents he needs them to cover his back on Election Day and pledged to lead a more effective war on terror than President Bush and build more international alliances.
Kerry said Bush is shifting his explanations for missing explosives in Iraq, showing that the buck stops anywhere but with the president.
He also talked about employment, saying presidents have faced wars and recessions over the last 70 years, but none have lost jobs as Bush has.
New Poll: Bush, Kerry About Even In Wisconsin
A poll out Friday shows President Bush and his Democratic opponent, John Kerry, are still about even.
The Badger poll of 545 likely voters taken Saturday through Wednesday shows 48 percent backing the Republican president, with 45 percent for Kerry. But those numbers are well within the poll's margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points, making it too close to call.
About 3 percent of those surveyed said they backed Ralph Nader.
The poll was conducted by the University of Wisconsin Survey Center and sponsored by the
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the
Capital Times of Madison.
Springsteen Fires Doyle As Opening Act
When Doyle introduced the Boss at the rally, he seemed to be trying to work the title of every Springsteen number into his speech.
The governor said Bush scowls so much during debates because he's "Blinded By The Light." And if he falls behind, he's "Goin' Down." He capped the intro by saying, "We can restore America to its 'Glory Days.'"
The Boss did not seem impressed.
"I think this will be the governor's last experience as my opening act," Springsteen said.
Cheney In Schofield
Vice President Dick Cheney was also in Wisconsin Thursday. He said at a 45-minute coffee table talk at the Log Cabin Restaurant in Schofield that his rival's criticisms of missing explosives in Iraq are a "cheap shot."
As he did Wednesday at an appearance in Waukesha, Cheney said Kerry will say anything to win the election.
Cheney said Kerry is "just plain wrong on the facts" about nearly 400 tons of explosives that went missing in Iraq.
Iraqi officials say the explosives were taken amid looting, but the International Atomic Energy Agency says today that it warned the U.S. the weapons were vulnerable.
Cheney says there's evidence that as many as 125 tons of the explosives weren't in the bunkers by January 2003, two months before American troops invaded Iraq.
Today, Cheney spends his third day in a row in Wisconsin. People are gathering and sitting at tables set up inside a tent in Eau Claire this morning where Cheney is expected to address around 150 people.
Some are holding Bush-Cheney signs, those for Senate candidate Tim Michels and Dale Schultz for Congress. His vice presidential rival, Democrat John Edwards, is also in Wisconsin with an appearance in La Crosse this morning.
Friday: Edwards In La Crosse With Bon Jovi
Sen. John Edwards supporters are filing into the gymnasium at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Friday.
As the presidential campaign enters the final days, the Democratic vice presidential nominee is expected to appear with Bon Jovi.
Edwards' appearance in La Crosse comes on the heels of a John Kerry stop in Madison yesterday that drew tens of thousands of people.
There was one lone protester outside the event, 57-year-old Bob Wateski of La Crosse. He held a sign that says "Hanoi Kerry -- A deserter, a coward, a traitor." Wateski says Kerry deserted his men during the swift boat episode and says Kerry is now a joke.
An Edwards volunteer traded barbs with him, asking whether President Bush ever actually served in combat.
Bush Gathers Ohio Votes
President Bush, in Ohio Thursday, said Kerry is putting politics ahead of truth in the case of the missing explosives in Iraq.
Kerry has accused the administration of incompetence for failing to safeguard the explosives, stored at a site south of Baghdad, but the president tells an Ohio rally even Kerry aides now admit the explosives could have been removed before U.S. troops arrived.
Bush said, "A president needs to get all the facts before jumping to politically motivated conclusions."
Bush was joined at the rally in a Cleveland suburb by Tommy Franks, the retired commander of U-S invasion forces, who said Kerry's attack "denigrates" and "disrespects" American troops.
Giuliani, Thompson Stump For Bush This Weekend
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani will be in Madison Friday to headline a Victory 2004 rally at the Dane County Victory Center on Stoughton Road. Republican spokespeople said Giuliani will discuss Bush's positive agenda and the clear choices voters face in this upcoming election.
Former Gov. Tommy Thompson will lead the Republican Victory Tour Saturday with stops in Madison, Monroe, Platteville, Lancaster, Prairie du Chien, Viroqua and La Crosse.
Taxpayers Foot Bill For City Overtime
Republicans are criticizing the city's decision to keep the city clerk's office open longer at the request of Democrats.
Madison taxpayers will foot the bill for overtime and extra staffing at the city clerk's office as a result of Kerry's rally.
The Kerry campaign urged voters to leave the rally and go directly to the city clerk's office to vote absentee. That spurred a decision by the city to pay overtime and extend office hours to 8 p.m. Thursday.
Normally, the clerk's office is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but the city thought the Kerry rally would inspire people to vote absentee on the spot.
However, that apparently didn't happen, News 3 reported. Except for a short rush, voters trickled in most of the day. In the end, just 1,320 people voted -- 600 fewer people than Wednesday.
Republicans say while absentee voting certainly is legal, the city is making specific arrangements to help Kerry.
A state GOP spokesman told News 3, "It's outrageous city resources are being used to help out the Kerry campaign."
After hearing that voter turnout Thursday wasn't that big, Republicans said they will no longer pursue legal action to stop voting.
"It sounds like the efforts of the city clerk and the mayor to help the Kerry campaign was a bit of a flop," a Republican spokesperson told News 3. "It still doesn't excuse what they did."
The clerk's office will also have extended hours on Friday and Monday until 5 p.m. And Saturday, the office will be open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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Kerry Rally In Madison
