"With the White House weathering allegations from its former anti-terrorism adviser [3], revelations about the health of Medicare [4] and unrelenting turmoil in Iraq," George Bush is trying to recapture a "compassionate conservative [5]" image to boost his campaign. Republican strategists say that "cozy voter forums" are the way to go, and Bush has in fact "appeared at least nine times in the past seven weeks at carefully staged meetings... in a half-dozen states, including crucial battlegrounds like Florida and Pennsylvania." Local news coverage featuring "a relaxed, smiling Bush... with ordinary Americans" is key to the "conversation formula." Recent campaign photo-ops include Bush "with black families in the Philadelphia suburbs and with manufacturing workers in Kentucky."