Gentlemen, start your engines

Both the Bush and Kerry campaigns are trying to be first out of the starting gate after the conclusion of the Republican National Convention tonight.

Bush isn’t even overnighting here in Manhattan – he’s headed to Pennsylvania for the 34th trip of his presidency to get an early start Friday. The Keystone State will be the first of four battle ground states visited by Bush on Friday.

The Kerry campaign is staging a midnight rally in Springfield, Ohio tonight followed by separate weekend trips to battleground states by Kerry, vice presidential candidate John Edwards and the candidates’ wives.

Kerry tours Ohio by bus. Edwards has his own bus jaunt through Wisconsin. Teresa Heinz Kerry hits Iowa and Elizabeth Edwards draws Michigan.

The Kerry–Edwards campaign plans a countrywide “front porch” chat with voters in 25 states on Labor Day on Monday.