Cheney, who served Bush's father as secretary of defense, received five draft deferments during Vietnam - four as a student and one as a new father. In some cases, Cheney and the campaign have been slow to provide full explanations or arguments about those votes. Rove said the vetting of Cheney's record occurred both before and on the day of Cheney's selection. There were 2,000 votes. In some polls released in recent days, Bush has opened a double-digit lead over Gore.
Race Stays Close Some new polls suggest, though, that the race is still close.
Other polls out in recent days have shown Bush surging to a lead ranging from 7 points to 12 points. He said Bush had already consolidated his Republican base so thoroughly that he had fewer easy votes to pick up than Gore at this stage of the race. He said Bush would be back to the state several times before November. Bush is planning a Midwestern train ride immediately after the convention here, from Pennsylvania to Ohio, Michigan and Illinois. Speaking generally about the election map, Rove disputed the popular analysis that the presidential race boils down to a single battleground belt of industrial states in the Midwest, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.