A daily dose of online news from beyond the Beltway.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge (R) is regularly mentioned as one of George W. Bush's top vice presidential candidates even though his moderate political views alienates some of the Republican Party's stricter conservatives. Some of those conservative leaders are stepping up the anti-Ridge rhetoric, however, broadening their critique of the governor beyond his stand on abortion rights – he favors them – to suggest his overall record implies he is a liberal in Republican clothing.

"The last time Moses listened to a bush, his people wandered in the desert for 40 years." Vice President Gore at Wednesday's Democratic fundraiser, taking a shot at NRA president Charlton Heston and Texas Gov. George W. Bush. (The Washington Post, May 25)

• GOP Right Calls Ridge Wrong Choice
(The Inquirer, Philadelphia, Pa., May 25)
• Profile: Gov. Tom Ridge

Fiscally at least, Ridge is making it hard on his critics to challenge his ideology. On Wednesday, he signed a $775 million tax-cut package – the largest in state history, marking the sixth consecutive year Ridge has cut taxes.
• Ridge Signs Biggest Tax Cut in Pennsylvania History
(Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 25)
• Tax Rebates Without the Paper
(The Inquirer, Philadelphia, Pa., May 24)

The Tax Man Targets N.C. Rep. Taylor
North Carolina tax collectors say U.S. Rep. Charles Taylor (R-N.C.) – one of the wealthiest members of Congress with a net worth of more than $11 million – owes back property taxes in his home state of nearly $18,000.
• Taylor Target of Tax Effort
(The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C., May 24)

Minnesota Senator Jumps on Social Security Reform
Returning to an issue he first brought up three years ago, Minnesota Sen. Rod Grams (R) released his own Social Security privatization plan Monday, a proposal that goes farther in overhauling the current system than the plan recently laid out by GOP presidential candidate George W. Bush.
• Grams Proposes Social Security Privatization
(Star Tribune, Minneapolis, Minn., May 23)
• Sounding the Social Security Alarm
(St. Paul Pioneer Press, May 23)
• Profile: Sen. Rod Grams | Minn. Senate Race

Primary Results Shift Power in Kentucky Senate
The Tuesday primary loss of state Sen. Benny Ray Bailey (D) – one of Kentucky's most influential politicians – could have significant consequences for the next legislative session. With Bailey gone, the closely divided Senate has lost its best dealmaker.
• Power Shifts in Eastern Kentucky
(Lexington Herald-Leader, May 24)
• Deal-Maker Bailey Loses Senate Seat
(The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky., May 24)

Gephardt Sound-Alike Drops Primary Challenge
Proudly saying he "stirred up a lot of wind," Richard A. Gebhardt has backed out of his Democratic primary challenge to House Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt (D-Mo.). No, their names are not quite the same, but they're close enough to have caused a stir among some Missouri Democrats, who smelled a possible GOP-backed plot to confuse voters.
• Candidate With Similar Name Drops Out of Primary Contest Against Rep. Gephardt
(St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 20)