Republicans want Bush to draw attention off Iraq

Some contend the party should ditch the GOP-fueled controversy over rival John Kerry's combat record in Vietnam.

"If he gets on the future and effectively talks about the challenges that are ahead that only he can meet, then he'll be fine," said Joe Gaylord, a Republican strategist from Washington. "But if this campaign continues to be about Vietnam and the past, I don't think he's going to do so fine. I think it's a little dicey."

As they packed their bags for the trip to New York, several convention delegates and GOP operatives said they had hoped Bush would be comfortably ahead of the Demo-cratic challenger by now. They still like Bush's chances against Kerry, the party faithful said, but only if Bush takes full advantage of the convention spotlight. They offered a wide range of advice, including:

Condemn Kerry's 19-year record in the Senate, and perhaps even his stint as lieutenant governor and prosecutor in Massachusetts.

Remind voters of Bush's performance after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, which produced the highest approval ratings of his presidency.

Defend his first-term record, but not so much that it overshadows his vision for a second term.

The good news for the White House is the convention script hits each of those marks. The bad news is that the advice reflects a concern among Republicans that Bush is more vulnerable than they would like certainly more exposed to a Nov. 2 defeat than they ever thought possible before the Iraq war.

"There has been a lot of noise out there, with Iraq and even this Vietnam stuff," said Terry Grose-nheider, a delegate from Madison, Wis. "He hasn't been able to talk about his accomplishments or, more importantly, his solutions to the problems people are facing."

Sig Rogich, a Republican strategist in Nevada, said Bush has to take the fight to Kerry.