To the Point

As Political Season Kicks Off, What-s on Voters' Minds?

Congress is back in session, President Bush is on the stump, and the Democrats are getting serious about picking a challenger. Though he has no opposition from within his own party, Bush is stumping the country, talking about Iraq and the economy. Meantime, candidates for the Democratic nomination began a series of party-sponsored debates. Last night-s might have raised some political profiles, but national polls show that two-thirds of American voters don-t yet know the name of a single candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination. Can Democrats reach consensus in time to mount a significant challenge to a popular incumbent? Are voters beginning to pay attention? Is the US still as closely divided as it was four years ago? We speak with political reporters and political scientists in Iowa, New Hampshire, the Deep South and the Far West. Listen to last night's debate among the Democratic Presidential candidates. Reporter's Notebook: Powell Sways White House over UN Resolution on Iraq A reluctant White House has agreed to ask the United Nations for military help in Iraq. Reportedly, that change in strategy is a victory for the Secretary of State Colin Powell in his struggle against civilian leadership at the Rumsfeld Pentagon. Dana Milbank, who's following the story for the Washington Post, reports on how the Joint Chiefs of Staff helped Powell persuade the White House to ask for UN help in Iraq.