71.   He wants someone who can help him carry a battleground state.

72.   His populism could also help where he needs it most, in energizing the Democratic base and attracting swing voters in battleground states of the Midwest.

73.   Hispanics are a key voting groups in Florida, perhaps the most important presidential battleground state.

74.   If neither candidate dominates the battleground states in the Eastern Time zone, the race may come down to New Mexico, Washington and Oregon.

75.   In a dramatic appeal before an important partisan crowd in this battleground state, Gore offered himself as a feisty underdog and gestured toward his rival in the audience.

76.   In addition to the three states Bush visited on Thursday, the other Midwestern battleground states are Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota and Iowa.

77.   In a close race, he could also potentially tip the balance in Ohio, Michigan and other battleground states of the Midwest.

78.   In enlisting Simmons, the governor gains a skilled political operative who is also familiar with Kentucky, a battleground state this fall.

79.   In a speech to be delivered in the battleground state of Michigan, Bush is expected to outline steps to speed up construction of refineries that process oil.

80.   In fact, Clinton will finish out this week not in the normal battleground states of the industrial Midwest but in Alabama, Louisiana and Georgia.