SEATTLE -- Supporters of Initiative 884 see their bid for a one-penny increase in the state's 6.5 percent sales tax as a chance to recharge education in Washington state. It's not just about money, they hasten to add. "Money matters, but only if it's spent intelligently with a keen eye to where it's needed most," says Mark Usdane, executive director of the League of Education Voters backing I-884. "We're every bit as much about reform as we are about money." Opponents are dubious about the benefits and fearful of the tax bite.

The pro-Initiative 884 campaign is outspending the opposition by more than 140 to one, according to the state Public Disclosure Commission. The League of Education Voters had raised more than $2.2 million in cash for its campaign by Oct. 8, with a contributor list that includes tens of thousands of dollars from the likes of Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his dad, Starbucks, Microsoft, and the statewide teachers union, the WEA. The campaign also lists more than $76,000 in in-kind contributions.

RALEIGH, N.C. - At times during their 2002 U.S. Senate campaign, it seemed Elizabeth Dole and Erskine Bowles were running for the office of Social Security commissioner. Bowles, the Democratic nominee, criticized Dole for backing proposals that would allow workers to use a portion of their payroll tax for private investments. The Republican, who would go on to win the election, shot back by holding up a blank sheet of paper at campaign stops, symbolizing what she called Bowles' "do-nothing plan" on how to keep the system solvent as the population ages.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Mel Martinez now has another chapter to add to the inspiring life story he featured during his primary campaign. The boy who fled Cuba 42 years ago is now going to represent the Republican Party in it's effort to take Sen. Bob Graham's seat away from the Democrats.

ATLANTA - A white businessman who's never held office and a black congresswoman who's served a single term battled in a runoff Tuesday for the Democratic nomination to succeed Sen. Zell Miller and the right to face a heavily favored Republican candidate in November. Cliff Oxford, a 40-year-old technology company millionaire, and Rep. Denise Majette, a 49-year-old former state court judge, survived an eight-candidate field in the July 20 primary but a runoff was forced because no candidate won a majority.

ATLANTA - Senate Democratic runoff opponents Cliff Oxford and Denise Majette made a final pitch to voters Monday, working to spur turnout for a Tuesday runoff that will determine which of them makes it to a November race for the seat of retiring Sen. Zell Miller. Majette, who led an eight-candidate field on July 20 with 41 percent of the vote, spent the last campaign day at MARTA stations, union halls and factories in metro Atlanta counties that formed the core of her base.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - As hard as Mel Martinez tries to highlight his experience on President Bush's Cabinet and as Orange County chairman, his opponents in the race for U.S. Senate keep pointing out another line on his resume: trial lawyer. Now that Democrat John Edwards - also a trial lawyer - is on the presidential ticket, Democrats too are making note of Martinez's experience. They say Republicans who criticize Edwards' career choice are hypocrites.

Ralph Nader's Oregon campaign was cleared Friday to circulate petitions statewide, the third effort to get him on the state's presidential election ballot. State elections officials gave the go-ahead after Nader supporters picked a "stand-in" running mate in Oregon for the independent presidential candidate because of the state's election requirements. Backers now have to collect and turn in 15,306 validated voter signatures by Aug. 24 to put Nader on the Nov. 2 ballot.

The leader of a Republican-leaning anti-tax group says his organization is ready to jump in and collect petition signatures to help Ralph Nader win a spot on Oregon's presidential ballot. Russ Walker of Citizens for a Sound Economy said Tuesday the group's goal would be to draw votes away from Democrat John Kerry to help President Bush win this battleground state. Walker's offer of help in gathering signatures could be a big boost to Nader, who has been struggling to meet an Aug. 24 deadline to qualify for a spot on the Nov. 2 ballot.

CONCORD, N.H. -- The state Democratic Party is suing the Republican State Committee and its former executive director over jamming six Democratic phone banks on Election Day 2002. Video Republicans Accused Of 'Dirty Politics' "Dirty politics has no place in our electoral process," said Democratic state Sen. Lou D'Allesandro at a news conference Tuesday. Democrats called on their Republican counterparts to "come clean" and reveal who did it, who knew about it and how much money was spent.