DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: The governor of Texas, George Bush, is trying to keep up the momentum from the Republican Party's convention a couple of weeks ago. For more on the Bush campaign, we go to CNN's Chris Black.</s>CHRIS BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): George W. Bush returns to the campaign trail today with an in-your-face rally in Al Gore's home state of Tennessee. Bush and his running mate, Dick Cheney, then travel to Texas, the stops intended to show Republican strength in places where Bush and Gore are best known. After today, Bush campaign officials say Bush and Cheney will devote all their time to the states they consider battlegrounds, beginning with Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Florida and Iowa. In a continuation of his springtime strategy, Bush will focus on a few specific issues: reforming education, shoring up Social Security and Medicare, cutting taxes, increasing military spending, and using faith-based groups to help people in need.</s>KARL ROVE, BUSH CAMPAIGN CHIEF STRATEGIST: Governor Bush has narrowed the historical advantage Democrats have enjoyed on Social Security, education and health care by talking about these issues with evident passion.</s>UNIDENTIFIED CHILDREN: Good morning Governor Bush and Mrs. Bush.</s>BLACK: For the next two weeks, Bush will talk about education, his aides say relentlessly, to convey concern for an issue polls show is a priority with the public. Bush will roll out some new initiatives, but proposed spending will be modest in keeping with the GOP philosophy of limited government. His top strategist says the messenger is as important as the message.</s>ROVE: His leadership skills and personality are very important because people -- that gives people confidence that when he says, I'll change the tone in Washington and I'll work with Democrats and Republicans alike, to do something positive for our country.</s>BLACK (on camera): For Bush, the formula of focusing on a finite number of issues worked in his gubernatorial races here in Texas. Bush campaign officials believe the same strategy was successful in the spring, and they are betting it will work in the fall. Chris Black, CNN, Austin, Texas.
Bush-Cheney Trying to Maintain Momentum Following GOP Convention