MARQUETTE — U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials announced Monday that gray wolves will be removed from federal threatened and endangered species lists in the western Great Lakes states, including Michigan.

"California Rep. Doug Ose introduced legislation Thursday to carve the image of former President Reagan onto Mount Rushmore, where it would join the granite busts of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt at the South Dakota national memorial.

"Ose said he thinks Reagan would fit nicely on the north side of the mountain, just to the right of Lincoln."

While Democrats fret over the possibility of Ralph Nader causing them to lose another election by stealing votes on the left, President Bush may face an even greater third-party threat from the right wing. The Libertarian Party nominee could cost Mr. Bush his job in 2004.

But so far, indications are that the Bush-Cheney campaign is not keeping it in mind. A senior adviser to the campaign, who did no[t] want his name used so he could speak more frankly, said there was no concern in the campaign.

None, none, the adviser emphasized. [Mr. Bush is] as strong as Ronald Reagan was in 1984.

Their biggest chunk of vulnerable voters are the fiscal conservatives and I know they are looking for a place to bail, Nolan said of the Bush campaign.

What used to happen is we had to deal with a wasted vote for Republicans. Theyd say, 'Well I agree with you and I actually like you better than Bob Dole or George Bush, but if I vote for you thats a vote less for Bush and the Democrats are going to get in and they are going to spend like drunken sailors,' said Nolan, considered the favorite to win the [Libertarian] nomination. But now Republicans are spending like drunken sailors.