Bush, Kerry trade charges before final debate

AP, Denver
In a last-minute flurry of accusations before their final debate, John Kerry tried to tie President Bush to record oil prices while the president charged that his Democratic opponent has totally misunderstood the war on terror.

On the way to the debate that will range over domestic issues from the economy to health care, Bush is reaching out to military supporters in Colorado Springs, where the war in Iraq is the chief concern.

Bush's campaigning Tuesday in the conservative heart of Colorado is an effort to counter Kerry's surprising bid to win a state that has voted Republican in nine of the past 11 presidential elections. One poll shows Bush ahead in Colorado; another shows the two men in a close race.