[size=6]Sen. John Kerry continued his raid on newspapers that backed President Bush in 2000, grabbing 24 new "flip-flops," plus The Washington Post, which was a major supporter of the war in Iraq. The Democrat has now won endorsements from at least 35 papers that went for Bush in 2000, while Bush has earned only two Gore papers.[/size]

However, Bush got a prize in the key state of Ohio, The Columbus Dispatch.

Kerry now leads Bush 125-96 in endorsements in E&P's exclusive tally, and he leads by about 16 million to 10 million in the circulation of backing papers.

[b]And more setbacks for Bush: The Detroit News, which has never endorsed a Democrat, and which backed Bush in 2000, announced that it would sit out the 2004 election, not happy with either candidate. The Times-Picayune in New Orleans, another Bush backer in 2000, said the same thing today in an editorial titled "No One to Champion." A third Bush supporter in 2000, The Patriot-News in Harrisburg, Pa., also declared neutrality today.[/b]

The Chicago Sun-Times, the Daily News in Los Angeles, the Orlando Sentinel, and The Commercial-Appeal in Memphis, Tenn., were among the 24 papers that backed Bush in 2000 but today chose Kerry.

For his part, Bush gained the key Columbus, Ohio, paper. In its editorial, the Dispatch said it was "less than enthused about the choices." It said it was troubled by Bush's fiscal policies and the war in Iraq but said that neither Kerry's Senate record nor "his shifting positions during the presidential campaign inspire confidence that he would provide the strong, resolute leadership America desperately needs."

Bush also picked up the Houston Chronicle and The Denver Post, the latter in a switch from Gore in 2000. William Dean Singleton, now the publisher of that paper, is known as a strong Bush supporter. His MediaNews Group also owns the Daily News in Los Angeles, which Singleton allowed to go for Kerry.

[b]In addition to those already mentioned, Kerry today grabbed 20 other papers from the Bush 2000 column[/b], with the endorsement of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pa.; The Stamford (Conn.) Advocate; The (White Plains) Journal News and (Elmira) Star-Gazette in New York; the Quad City Times in Davenport, Iowa; the Rockford (Ill.) Register-Star; the Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek), Ventura County Star, and Santa Cruz Sentinel in California; The Idaho Statesman in Boise; Iowa City Press-Citizen; the Telegram & Gazette in Worcester, Mass.; The Flint (Mich.) Journal; the Tri-City Herald (Kennewick) and The (Bremerton) Sun and Walla Walla Union-Bulletin in Washington; The Wausau (Wis.) Daily Herald; the Billings (Mont.) Gazette; and the Bangor (Maine) Daily News.

The Daily News in New York appeared to endorse Kerry today but it was hard to tell: The paper did nothing but bash Bush for several paragraphs without once mentioning his opponent's name.

Meanwhile, E&P has learned from several sources at The Plain Dealer in Cleveland that the paper's nine-person editorial board decided earlier this week that it wanted to endorse Kerry, but Publisher Alex Machaskee, who has final say, has decided on Bush. The paper backed Bush in 2000.

This has caused consternation in some quarters at the Plain Dealer, with sources telling E&P that the endorsement editorial, which was expected to run Sunday, was put off. One editor told E&P that some at the paper are pushing for, at least, a dissenting pro-Kerry column.

OTHER KERRY PICKUPS SUNDAY INCLUDED: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Centre Daily Times (State College) in hotly contested Pennsylvania; The (Hackensack) Record and The (Newark) Star-Ledger in New Jersey; The Blade in Toledo, Ohio; The (Raleigh) News & Observer and Asheville Citizen Times in North Carolina; Newsday (Melville), the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, The Buffalo News, and The (Glens Falls) Post-Star in New York; The Des Moines Register in Iowa; The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Ky.; the Daily Southtown in Chicago, Ill.; Daily Press in Newport News, Va.; The (Nashville) Tennesean; The Santa Fe New Mexican; The Times in Shreveport, La.; The Macon (Ga.) Telegraph; and the Portsmouth Herald and The (Nashua) Telegraph in New Hampshire.

BUSH BACKING: Bush, however, retained the Austin American-Statesman and Houston Chronicle in his home Texas; The Cincinnati Enquirer and The Cincinnati Post; The Hartford (Conn.) Courant; the Press-Telegram in Long Beach, Calif.; the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in Little Rock; the Lincoln (Neb.) Journal Star; The Express-Times of Easton, Pa.; Sioux City (Iowa) Journal; The Oklahoman in Oklahoma City; and The Forum in Fargo, N.D.

Special thanks to Teresa LaLoggia and dozens of others for sending along the latest endorsements.

Here is our updated chart, state by state, including new arrivals from Sunday. You will find many circulation numbers and an indication of who the paper backed in 2000, Bush or Gore (if we know it).

[size=6]JOHN KERRY[/size]

ALABAMA The Anniston Star (G): 26,527 Decatur Daily (G): 23,641

ARIZONA Arizona Daily Star (Tucson) (G): 109,592

CALIFORNIA San Francisco Chronicle (G): 501,135 The Sacramento Bee (G): 303,841 San Jose Mercury News (G): 279,539 Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek) (B): 186,335 Daily News (Los Angeles) (B): 178,044 The Fresno Bee (G): 166,531 Ventura County Star (B): 93,664 The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa) (G): 89,384 The Modesto Bee (G): 87,366 The Oakland Tribune (G): 67,807 Santa Cruz Sentinel (B): 26,136 Merced Sun-Star: 17,247

COLORADO Daily Camera (Boulder) (B): 33,419 The Coloradoan (Ft. Collins): 28,415 Durango Herald: 8,621

CONNECTICUT The Day (New London) (B): 39,553 The Stamford Advocate (B): 27,350

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA The Washington Post: 772,553

FLORIDA St. Petersburg Times (G): 358,502 The Miami Herald (G): 325,032 Orlando Sentinel (B): 269,269 South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Ft. Lauderdale) (G): 268,927 The Palm Beach Post (G): 181,727 Sarasota Herald-Tribune (G): 121,272 Daytona Beach News-Journal (G): 112,945 Florida Today (Melbourne) (G): 90,877 Bradenton Herald (B): 52,163

GEORGIA The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: 418,323 The Macon Telegraph: 65,871

HAWAII The Honolulu Advertiser (G): 145,943

IDAHO The Idaho Statesman (Boise) (B): 65,714

ILLINOIS Chicago Sun-Times (B): 486,936 Daily Herald (Arlington Heights) (B): 150,794 Rockford Register-Star (B): 65,685 Daily Southtown (Chicago): 48,858

INDIANA The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne) (G): 61,205

IOWA The Des Moines Register (G): 155,898 Quad City Times (Davenport) (B): 53,872 The Hawk Eye (Burlington) (G): 19,000 Iowa City Press-Citizen: 15,077

KANSAS Hutchinson News: 32,625

KENTUCKY The Courier-Journal (Louisville) (G): 216,934 Lexington Herald-Leader (G): 122,748

LOUISIANA The Times (Shreveport): 66,614

MAINE Portland Press Herald (G): 73,211 Bangor Daily News (B): 61,337 Kennebec Journal (Augusta): 14,845

MASSACHUSETTS The Boston Globe (G): 452,109 Telegram & Gazette (Worcester) (B): 103,586 The Republican (Springfield): 84,694 The Standard-Times (New Bedford): 35,299

MICHIGAN Detroit Free Press (G): 354,581 The Flint Journal (B): 84,313 Lansing State Journal: 73,594 The Muskegon Chronicle (B): 46,505 Battle Creek Enquirer: 24,831 The Argus-Press (Owosso): 11,438

MINNESOTA Star Tribune (Minneapolis) (G): 377,058 Duluth News Tribune: 45,688 The Free Press (Mankato): 21,591

MISSOURI St. Louis Post-Dispatch (G): 281,198 The Kansas City Star (G): 269,188 Columbia Daily Tribune (B): 18,874

MONTANA Billings Gazette (B): 47,849

NEVADA Reno Gazette-Journal: 66,073 Las Vegas Sun (G): 34,407 Nevada Appeal (Carson City): 15,296

NEW HAMPSHIRE The Telegraph (Nashua): 26,762 Concord Monitor (G): 19,984 Portsmouth Herald: 13,551

NEW JERSEY The Star-Ledger (Newark) (G): 407,945 The Record (Hackensack) (G): 171,251 The Times (Trenton): 73,235

NEW MEXICO The Santa Fe New Mexican (G): 25,308 The Albuquerque Tribune (B): 13,536

NEW YORK The New York Times (G): 1,133,763 Newsday (Melville) (G): 580,346 The Buffalo News (G): 201,900 Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (G): 169,697 The Journal-News (White Plains) (B): 142,145 The Post-Star (Glens Falls): 33,608 Star-Gazette (Elmira) (B): 28,826

NORTH CAROLINA The Charlotte Observer (G): 231,369 The News & Observer (Raleigh) (G): 173,329 Asheville Citizen Times: 55,982 The Daily Reflector (Greenville): 25,777

NORTH DAKOTA Grand Forks Herald (G): 32,385 Bismarck Tribune: 27,111

OHIO Dayton Daily News (G): 183,175 The Blade (Toledo) (G): 139,293 Akron Beacon Journal (G): 139,220

OREGON The Oregonian (Portland) (B): 342,040 Mail Tribune (Medford): 35,524 The Register-Guard (Eugene) (G): 72,411 Statesman Journal (Salem): 56,298 East Oregonian (Pendleton): 10,236 The Daily Astorian (Astoria): 8,429

PENNSYLVANIA The Philadelphia Inquirer (G): 387,692 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (G): 245,065 The Philadelphia Daily News (G): 139,983 The Morning Call (Allentown) (B): 131,110 Centre Daily Times (State College): 25,354

TENNESSEE The Jackson Sun (G): 35,561 The Commercial-Appeal (Memphis) (B): 189,961 The Tennessean (Nashville): 205,158

TEXAS Waco Tribune-Herald: 40,699 The Lufkin Daily News: 14,608

VIRGINIA The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (G): 201,473 The Roanoke Times: 100,447 Daily Press (Newport News): 95,228

WASHINGTON The Seattle Times (B): 237,303 Seattle Post-Intelligencer (G): 150,901 Walla Walla Union-Bulletin (B): 14,275 The Sun (Bremerton) (B): 30,731 Tri-City Herald (Kennewick) (B): 42,285

WEST VIRGINIA Charleston Gazette (G): 49,529

WISCONSIN The Wausau Daily Herald (B): 22,757 The Journal Times (Racine): 29,264

[size=6]GEORGE W. BUSH[/size]

ALABAMA Mobile Register (B): 100,244 Birmigham News: 153,195 Huntsville Times: 55,951

ARIZONA The Arizona Republic (Phoenix) (B): 466,926

ARKANSAS Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock) (B): 187,601 Southwest Times Record (Fort Smith) (B): 37,636

CALIFORNIA The San Diego Union-Tribune (B): 361,317 The Press-Enterprise (Riverside): 191,802 Press-Telegram (Long Beach): 96,466 The Bakersfield Californian: 71,495 The Record (Stockton) (B): 62,139 The Reporter (Vacaville) (B): 18,227

COLORADO The Denver Post (G): 286,197 Rocky Mountain News (Denver) (B): 286,004 The Pueblo Chieftain: 52,208 Daily Times-Call (Longmont): 21,465 Loveland Daily Reporter-Herald: 17,548 Daily Record (Canon City): 8,164

CONNECTICUT The Hartford Courant: 187,394

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA The Washington Times (B): 100,228

FLORIDA The Ledger (Lakeland): 75,539 Ocala Star-Banner: 51,489

GEORGIA Augusta Chronicle: 71,724 Savannah Morning News (B): 57,288

ILLINOIS Chicago Tribune (B): 578,843 Springfield State Journal-Register: 57,212 The Pantagraph (Bloomington) (B): 47,931 The News-Gazette (Champaign-Urbana): 39,190 Southern Illinoisan (Carbondale): 28,173 The Journal-Standard (Freeport): 13,693

INDIANA The Indianapolis Star (B): 253,778 Evansville Courier-Press: 69,003

IOWA Cedar Rapids Gazette: 63,578 Sioux City Journal: 41,929 Globe-Gazette (Mason City): 18,947

KENTUCKY Bowling Green Daily News: 21,555

MARYLAND Easton Star Democrat: 16,667

MASSACHUSETTS Boston Herald (B): 248,988 The Sun (Lowell) (B): 50,369

MICHIGAN The Grand Rapids Press (B): 139,216 The Oakland Press (Pontiac): 65,484 Macomb Daily (Mount Clemens): 43,584 Herald Palladium (St. Joseph): 23,423 Midland Daily News: 16,076

NEBRASKA Omaha World-Herald (B): 197,627 Lincoln Journal Star: 75,679

NEVADA Las Vegas Review-Journal (B): 170,061

NEW HAMPSHIRE The Union Leader (Manchester) (B): 59,605 Foster's Daily Democrat (Dover): 22,995

NEW JERSEY Asbury Park Press (Neptune): 161,937

NEW MEXICO Las Cruces Sun-News (B): 22,168 Farmington Daily Times: 18,144 Carlsbad Current-Argus (B): 8,030

NEW YORK New York Post (B): 678,012 The New York Sun: 53,688

NORTH CAROLINA The Enterprise-Record (Mocksville): 11,800

NORTH DAKOTA The Forum (Fargo): 52,238

OHIO The Columbus Dispatch (B): 371,551 The Cincinnati Enquirer: 216,509 The Repository (Canton) (B): 66,014 The Cincinnati Post: 40,618 The Times Reporter (New Philadelphia): 23,956 The Courier (Findlay) (B): 22,319 The Advocate (Newark): 22,217

OKLAHOMA The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City): 223,403 Tulsa World (B): 139,383

OREGON The News-Review (Roseburg): 19,272 Daily Courier (Grants Pass): 16,392

PENNSYLVANIA The Express-Times (Easton): 50,439 York Daily Record (G): 46,554 Altoona Mirror: 32,339

SOUTH CAROLINA Spartanburg Herald-Journal: 50,386

SOUTH DAKOTA Sioux Falls Argus Leader: 54,700

TENNESSEE The Leaf-Chronicle (Clarksville): 22,057

TEXAS Houston Chronicle (B): 549,300 The Dallas Morning News (B): 546,177 San Antonio Express-News (B): 252,889 Fort Worth Star-Telegram (B): 247,167 Austin American-Statesman: 184,907 El Paso Times: 74,278 Amarillo Globe-News (B): 51,105

UTAH Salt Lake Tribune: 135,730

VIRGINIA Richmond Times-Dispatch (B): 191,732 The Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg) (B): 47,866 News Advance (Lynchburg): 37,447 Daily News-Record (Harrisonburg): 32,202 Danville Bee: 21,701

WASHINGTON The Spokesman-Review (Spokane) (B): 100,760 The Columbian (Vancouver) (B): 51,498 The Chronicle (Centralia): 14,524

WEST VIRGINIA Charleston Daily Mail (B): 34,539 Parkersburg News: 23,558 The Intelligencer (Wheeling): 20,689 Bluefield Daily Telegraph: 19,877

WISCONSIN Oshkosh Northwestern (B): 21,748 The Chippewa Herald (Chippewa Falls) (B): 6,804

[url]http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000683265[/url]

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If Bush is such a fine leader, why are SO many people leaving him or declaring neutrality? It just doesn't make sense!!!