President Bush's strategists aren't very impressed with John Kerry's campaign skills so far. They tell U.S. News and the Bulletin that the Democratic challenger had a terrible August partly because he isn't very politically nimble. When he gets into trouble, he often resorts to ambiguity or dissembling, say the GOP insiders, citing the swift boat furor and other issues. But the Bush insiders expect that Kerry will be a much better campaigner down the stretch as he learns the ropes of his first presidential contest.

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