"It's 34 days [till the election] and that's a long time in politics, and when you get complacent you lose," the top White House adviser said.

"We've got to stay on the offense. We've got to continue to press the battle onto the turf that they won in 2000: the Pennsylvanias, the Michigans and the Wisconsins and Iowas and Minnesotas and New Mexicos and Oregons.

"And we've got to make sure that we lose none of the close states that we won in 2000 - Florida or Ohio or Colorado or Nevada or New Hampshire.

"And you've also got to have a couple of surprises - and we've got a couple of surprises that we intend to spring."

Asked if he expected the Kerry-Edwards campaign to engage in dirty tricks, Rove cited Democrat claims in recent days about a secret Bush plan to reinstate the draft.

"This is all bunk. It is a sign of the desperate straits they find themselves in and their willingness to discard the truth and say anything they think that will get them a vote," he said.

Editor's note: