"What really bothers me is that Al is supporting a
candidate who is so fundamentally opposed to the
basic transformation that Bill Clinton brought to
this party in 1992, moving it to a more
middle-of-the-road stance on economic policy and
other areas,”
Lieberman said.
"Our country has been weakened in its ability to
fight the war against terror because of the
catastrophic mistake the Bush administration made
in taking us into war in Iraq,"
Al Gore said.
"This was a behind-the-back power play. Bill
Clinton told me himself he had nothing to do with
it, and I believe him,"
Wesley Clark
said about his firing from his NATO position.
Many of the so-called "Bush haters" have, one by
one, found their way to Howard Dean. And so it's
not surprising that Gore would eventually find his
way, as well. After all, who could stand more
angry at George W. Bush than Al Gore? --
writes Peter
Canellos in the Boston Globe.
“Listen, if you want to -- if you want a lawyer to
lead this country, pick a lawyer. If you’re
looking for a doctor, get a doctor. But if you
want a leader, somebody who’s actually been there,
who’s helped negotiate agreements, who’s led
alliance in war, then get a leader. And I’m the
only person on that stage of candidates who’s ever
laid awake at night and prayed the bombs that I
ordered drop would hit the proper target and not
innocent people. And I think you need in this in
this country, someone who’s done it both at home
and abroad that’s why I’m running. I’m the only
person who’s been there and actually done it,”
said Wesley
Clark.
Gore endorses Dean
"Ultimately, the voters will
make the determination and I will continue to make
my case about taking our party and nation
forward," said Sen. Joe Lieberman. Lieberman who
was Al Gore’s VP candidate didn’t receive a phone
call to let him know that his old friend Al Gore
was going to endorse his opponent Howard Dean.
Even so, Lieberman offered the following initial
statement, "I have a lot of respect for Al Gore --
that is why I kept my promise not to run if he
did," Lieberman said, adding that he was "proud"
to have been Gore's running mate.
Lieberman interviewed on NBC's
"Today " program Tuesday morning was asked about
whether he felt betrayed by Gore, Lieberman said,
"I'm not going to talk about Al Gore's sense of
loyalty this morning.” Lieberman was reminded that
last week he suggested giving Gore a top-ranking
position in his administration, Lieberman said,
"I'd say that's less likely this morning."
One of the hints that Gore would
endorse Dean was his being a featured speaker at
MoveOn.org events. MoveOn.org is a liberal online
political group in the same vein as the Dean
campaign’s insurgency.
The other campaigns were taken
by surprise and offered statements that sent
confusing messages of it won’t matter and that
they had connections to Gore. "This election is
about the future, not about the past,"
Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry said in a statement.
"This election will be decided by voters, across
the country, beginning with voters in Iowa."
"Dick Gephardt fought
side-by-side with Al Gore to pass the Clinton
economic plan, pass the assault weapons ban and
defend against Republican attacks on Medicare and
affirmative action," Gephardt spokesman Erik Smith
said. "On each of these issues, Howard Dean was on
the wrong side."
"We don't think the Gore
endorsement will carry much weight," said Jamal
Simmons, spokesman for Wesley Clark. Clark's
campaign issued a statement noting that more than
20 former Gore staffers worked for Clark.
Rep. Dennis Kucinich sees Gore’s
endorsement as legitimizing his campaign and is
upset with Dean for continuing to claim that he is
the only candidate who opposed the war. Kucinich
continues to claim Dean is misleading the public
with a recent mailer that he sent that said, 'Only
Dean Opposed the War from the Start.'
Gore’s endorsement
The
Associated Press reports that Dean hopes the
coveted endorsement also eases concerns among
party leaders about his lack of foreign policy
experience, testy temperament, policy flip-flops,
campaign miscues and edgy anti-war,
anti-establishment message. Gore stated that Dean
“…is the only candidate who has been able to
inspire at the grass-roots level all over the
country." He also said in the AP story:
"We don't have the luxury of fighting among
ourselves to the point where we seriously damage
our ability to win on behalf of the American
people," Gore said just hours before the
candidates debated in New Hampshire.
Big boost for Dean’s Mo
Howard Dean should benefit
greatly from the endorsement. This endorsement
will go a long way towards putting aside Dean’s
lack of insider endorsements by ranking elected
officials. This coupled with the two service
unions and his wide lead in New Hampshire make him
very difficult to stop. The endorsement is likely
to have a big effect in Iowa where Al Gore still
has strength among party rank and file. Dean holds
a small lead over Gephardt in Iowa. Some Democrat
strategist argue that it is over and it is all
Dean from now on. Others suggest it is not over
but it has gotten a lot harder to win and there
will be a “Stop Dean” movement yet.
The endorsement comes on the
heels of Dean’s NY fund-raiser that was to raise
$2 million and the endorsement of 23 of the 47
Democrat NY City Council members -- including
Speaker Gifford Miller. Dean also received the
official endorsement of the New Hampshire teachers
union.
Look for Gephardt to put up an
ad in Iowa that exploits the issues he used in the
release about how Dean was on the wrong side of
Gephardt and Gore. Ironically, In 1998, Dean
considered challenging Gore for the Democratic
nomination in 2000 but backed away amid pressure
from the vice president's office, and opposition
in Vermont. He quietly lobbied to be mentioned as
a vice presidential candidate, but did not make
Gore's short list.
After the two appear at a
morning event in Harlem in New York City, they are
scheduled to travel to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for a
joint appearance. Dean then travels to New
Hampshire for the Democratic debate.
Dean & abortion
The
Washington Times’ Inside Politics
reports on the fact that Howard Dean was a
contract employee for Planned Parenthood and how
this could hurt him in culturally conservative
regions:
While Mr. Dean may not find his Planned Parenthood
connections too politically damaging in Iowa and
New Hampshire, site of the nation's first two
major political contests, there could be some
fallout in the crucial Feb. 3 Democratic primary
in South Carolina, where voters are more
culturally conservative.
Mr. Dean has been one of the Democratic field's
most vocal supporters of legalized abortion,
including partial-birth abortion, which Congress
and President Bush moved to ban this year.
The people thing
The
Washington Post tries to tell the story about
how people are powering the Howard Dean campaign,
but it pales in comparison to the NY Times story
on the same subject covered by IPW earlier:
Drop by Dean's New Hampshire headquarters and
you're liable to hear the staff erupt into a
particular clap. It's not a normal chaotic
slapping of hands but a steady disciplined
applause that starts slowly and builds in perfect
unison until it releases into a hooting cheer. Any
old leftist organizer would recognize this as the
clap used by the United Farmworkers Union's
movement in the '60s to signal its presence at an
occasion -- part celebration, part threat.
Dean apologizes
Howard Dean, when he took the
stage at the $250 reception in his honor,
apologized for the ethnic jokes that preceded his
entrance, according to the
NY Times:
But as the warm-up acts told bawdy jokes and used
epithets referring to African-Americans and
homosexuals, the guest of honor was in a room next
door wondering whether he should appear onstage
When the M.C., Kate Clinton, introduced Dr. Dean,
she had to stall for a few minutes, because he was
still fuming in the other room. A few minutes
later, he took the stage and apologized for what
he called offensive language. "I just don't have
much tolerance for ethnic humor," he said. "We are
all one community."
Kucinich & Nader?
We have just recovered from the
surprise of Al Gore and Howard Dean. Now, is
there to be another surprise with Dennis Kucinich
and Ralph Nader? Kucinicn has provided a guest
ticket for tonight ABC debate to Nader according
to New Hampshire Politics Online:
A Kucinich campaign spokesman said originally
Kucinich gave Nader an “all access” pass allowing
him to roam anywhere in the debate building,
including the spin room. A Democratic Party source
said on the condition of anonymity this privilege
to Nader was revoked.
Richard Hendrick, Kucinich’s New Hampshire
spokesman, said Nader will now likely join other
audience members inside the UNH’s Johnson Theater
and possibly be available for questions outside of
the venue. In a joint appearance in Baltimore last
spring Nader implied that if Kucinich were to get
the Democratic nomination he would likely rule out
a Green Party run for president in 2004.
Kucinich’s light bulb
Rep. Dennis Kucinich is using
his light bulb campaign theme in a different way.
He is now using it to remind voters of his stand
as Cleveland Mayor to preserve the city’s public
utility as a symbol for "A Celebration of
Light: Harnessing the Power of Our Diversity."
Kucinich is featured in a Public Forum with Alice
Walker, and community leaders, activists and
artists in the fields of sustainability, peace and
social justice on Dec. 15 in San Francisco.
Kucinich used the symbol of the
light bulb to win seats in the state senate and
Congress.
Alice Walker is author of "The
Color Purple," and "Anything We Love Can Be Saved:
A Writer's Activism," has endorsed Democratic
Presidential Candidate Dennis J. Kucinich. She
will join Kucinich on stage for a celebration to
mark the 25th anniversary of his stand to save
Cleveland's public power utilities.
Panelists, speakers, performers,
and host committee members will include: Van
Jones, Executive Director of Ella Baker Center for
Human Rights; Randy Hayes, Executive Director of
Rainforest Action Network and Director of
Sustainability for the City of Oakland; Marie
Harrison, SF Bay View correspondent; Renee
Saucedo, Executive Director of La Raza Centro
Legal; Kevin Danaher, Co-founder of Global
Exchange; Gaylen Logan of Youth and Fusion;
Best-selling author Joanna Macy; Reverend Eloise
Oliver of the East Bay Church of Religious
Science; Award-Winning Composer Gary Malkin; and
Youth Speaks.
Gephardt in N. Dakota
Rep. Dick Gephardt today
announced the hiring of Renee Pfenning as his
North Dakota labor coordinator and announced the
opening of a second campaign office in the state.
Gephardt currently has an office in Bismarck and
has been endorsed by the North Dakota Building and
Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO and eleven
members of the North Dakota Legislature.
Pfenning is a member of IBEW
Local 1593 and a former CWA member. During the
2003, 2001 and 1999 legislative sessions, she
lobbied for the ND Building and Construction
Trades Council. In addition, Pfenning has served
as a North Dakota Democratic-NPL District Chair
and a Regional Representative on the Executive
Committee. Currently she serves as the Democratic
National Committeewoman for North Dakota.
Gephardt wants labeling of food
Dick Gephardt today released the
following statement on GOP attempts to block
implementation of Country-of-Origin Labeling
(COOL) provisions passed in the 2002 farm bill.
The provisions, expected to be approved by the
Republican House today in the Fiscal Year 2004
Omnibus Appropriations Act, would block
implementation of COOL for both meat and produce
for two years. President Bush and Republicans in
Congress have attempted to eliminate or
significantly curb this producer- and
consumer-friendly program written into the 2002
farm bill because of U.S. Senator Tom Harkin's
(D-IA) leadership in the Senate. Here is
Gephardt’s statement:
"So far this year, the Bush administration tried
to stall COOL implementation in a backroom deal
with corporate lobbyists and his Agriculture
Department has given the 'Enron-treatment' to cost
estimates of COOL implementation. Today, we see
yet another blow to this important program with
the vote by the Republican Congress to further
slow the benefits of the program for consumers and
producers. We cannot allow the special interests
to control legislation, the White House and our
government. We need new leadership," Gephardt
said. "American families have an absolute right to
know where their food is produced. If a
country-of-origin label is important enough for a
pair of socks or a television set, it is certainly
important enough for the food that we are feeding
our families. Time after time, Americans have said
that they want American-produced food. COOL makes
American consumers more informed, makes the food
that Americans eat safer and makes American farms
more profitable."
"The Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) program, as
part of the 2002 farm bill, requires retailers to
list the country of origin for farm products such
as beef, pork and fresh and frozen fruits and
vegetables. The law makes origin labels, stamps or
general signs mandatory on September 30, 2004,
under regulations that the USDA is developing."
Gephardt has long been a leader on this issue. As
Democratic Leader in the House, Gephardt wrote a
letter on April 9, 2002 to the chairmen and
ranking members of the House and Senate
Agriculture Committees that read, in part, "I ask
that you include the Senate provision on country
of origin labeling for fresh agricultural
products. This provision builds on the earlier
House-passed provision, which passed by an
overwhelming margin. The Senate expanded the
labeling requirement to include fresh produce,
peanuts and meat products including beef, pork,
lamb and farm-raised fish at the retail level.
This is common information provided to consumers
on virtually every other product they can buy.
Consumers should have this information about the
food they eat so that they can make decisions on
behalf of themselves and their families - this is
a consumer's right-to-know provision... This
provision also gives public health officials the
information they need to quickly trace the path of
food-borne pathogens or intentional contamination
of our food supply."
Kerry’s great hair
Jonah Goldberg’s column in the
Manchester
Union Leader takes exception with Kerry’s
seemingly contradictory statements. He also states
that Kerry has no chance of becoming President or
winning the nomination. He does say, though, that
everyone can agree that Kerry has “got very
important hair.” Here is a sample of his
criticism:
The fact is that short of buying a ranch outside
Baghdad, President Bush couldn’t be more clear
that we’re in Iraq for the long haul. And if Kerry
were concerned about the problems of bugging-out
of Iraq, you’d think he would have voted for the
Iraq reconstruction package. No, instead, Kerry
voted for attacking Iraq but not rebuilding it.
Then later, he turned around and criticized both
the war and the lack of reconstruction.
Kerry on technology
Democratic presidential
candidate John Kerry is proposing a broad economic
recovery program that ties job creation to
technological innovation, investment and training
as he campaigns in a Silicon Valley – which is
still reeling from the technology bust.
"Today, an agenda for high-tech is an agenda for
our economic future," the Massachusetts senator
said in a speech to be delivered Monday at
Stanford University. "And the promise of the
Information Age was more than a bubble — it was a
breakthrough from which we will never turn back."
Kerry's praise for Silicon
Valley's fabled garage-based startup companies and
the soaring possibilities of the Internet carried
an ironic note: Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean
catapulted to the top of the field through his
campaign's innovative use of the Internet in
fund-raising and organization. Kerry had planned
to win the Jan. 27 primary in New Hampshire, and
then ride on to victory in other states. But with
Dean dominating polls in that state, Kerry's aides
released a memo over the weekend that said the
senator now is "competing for the top three spots
in Iowa and top two in New Hampshire."
The memo noted that any
candidate who gets 15 percent of the vote will win
delegates to the party's national convention next
summer. It also cited statistics from the last
presidential election that showed 82 percent of
New Hampshire Democrats didn't decide for whom to
vote until after Jan. 1.
In his remarks at Stanford,
Kerry did not mention Dean or any other Democrat
by name. Instead, he charged President Bush with
having an "anti-science attitude" that had
hindered research into stem cells and global
warming (news - web sites). He also blamed Bush
for the loss of 3 million jobs nationwide,
including thousands of high-tech jobs in New
Hampshire. Kerry outlined five major goals of his
job-creation plan:
·
Encouraging technological innovation
by investing in small technology companies,
offering tax credits for research and development,
and expanding broadband Internet capability;
·
Improving high-tech infrastructure
and making Internet access universally available;
·
Strengthening markets by enforcing
trade law, preventing intellectual piracy,
boosting corporate accountability and balancing
the federal budget;
·
Preparing students for the work
force by improving math and science education and
making college more affordable;
·
Using technology to improve health
and safety through biotechnology, stem-cell
research and national security.
Kerry’s town hall meeting
Sen. John Kerry is taking a page
from Joe Lieberman and going to hold a televised
town hall meeting, but in Iowa. It shows how
important this Midwest state has become to the New
Englander. Kerry will hold the televised town hall
meeting this Sunday, to be telecast statewide,
campaign aides said Monday.
The event will be telecast from
Davenport and will be carried live at 11:30 a.m.
on KWWL in Cedar Rapids, WHO in Des Moines, WQAD
in Davenport, KTTC in Mason City and KTVO in
Ottumwa. The event will be aired at noon on KETV
in Council Bluffs and KTIV in Sioux City. Roughly
50 Democratic activists who have not yet decided
whom they will support in the Jan. 19 caucuses
will be selected to attend the event in Davenport,
where Kerry will answer questions from the group
and by e-mail. The
Boston Globe reports that Kerry has boosted
his Iowa staff:
In Iowa, Kerry's staff has grown from 88 aides at
Thanksgiving to about 100 today -- roughly the
same as in New Hampshire, spokesman Michael Meehan
said -- and several more aides are expected to go
to Iowa shortly. Among them is a leader of Kerry's
campaign operation in Arizona, Summer Oesch.
Arizona is one of seven states that has a
nominating contest Feb. 3, a week after New
Hampshire's, making Oesch's move a notable shift
in personnel from a state that Kerry hopes to win
to a state where Kerry must turn in a strong
performance.
Cahill said the Iowa focus would not detract from
Kerry's political efforts in the 17 other states
where he is on the primary ballot or has filed
papers. She predicted Kerry would win at least 15
percent of the vote in several early primaries --
"that's the number we're watching" -- and have the
financial resources to outlast his rivals and
emerge in a two-way nomination race with Dean by
late February or early March.
Clark on Hardball
Wesley Clark took his turn on
MSNBC Hard Ball with Chris Matthews and
continued to stress his military credentials. He
stated that his campaign should not be the measure
of his leadership as a campaign is an art form and
is not representative of governing. He disagreed
with Howard Dean’s statement that President Bush
was tipped off by the Saudis about 9/11. But Clark
remained critical of the President with his bait
and switch campaign line regarding our involvement
in Iraq:
“Well,
I went through the halls of the Pentagon. I’d only
-- it must have been within a couple of weeks
after 9/11. And I had been on CNN almost every
day. I had been down in Atlanta and so forth. And
I still felt like a military guy. You know, still
looked at my sleeve, I wanted that big black
stripe for general officer on there. And it felt
funny, because the people -- everybody that was
going to be engaged in it, of course, I’d worked
with them all…. So I went through the Pentagon and
just kind of wanted to check in and make sure the
stuff I was saying was about right in terms of
what they could tell me about the intel and about
their perceptions and so forth. I didn’t want to
divulge any classified information, but just to
sort of calibrate…. And so I went in to see
Secretary Rumsfeld, and Paul Wolfowitz was there.
And I went downstairs, and a guy said, sir, come
in here. And I said, I don’t want to take up your
time. He says, no, you need to hear this. He said,
have you heard the joke? I said no, I haven’t.
What joke? He said “9/11, Saddam Hussein, if he
didn’t do it, too bad, he should have. Because
we’re going to get him anyway.” Of course, it
wasn’t a joke. It wasn’t funny. And he didn’t tell
it to me to make me laugh.”
Clark critical of Medicare bill
This morning, Bush signed a
Medicare bill that will bar beneficiaries from
buying Medigap-insurance to cover their share of
prescription drug costs. Wesley Clark’s campaign
is reportedly critical of the bill, stating:
"The more we find out about this drug bill, the
worse it sounds for seniors. Barring seniors from
buying Medigap will leave them with big holes in
their drug coverage," Clark Campaign Advisor Chris
Lehane said. "This bill might make it easier for
Bush to finance his campaign, but its hidden
provisions will make it much more difficult for
many seniors to finance their health care… The
bill wastes precious resources on new health care
tax shelters. It does more to serve the special
interests than the interests of seniors.”
Says Clark, I invite seniors everywhere to join me
in fighting for a prescription drug benefit that
fixes these flaws and provides comprehensive,
meaningful and affordable benefits for all
seniors."
Edwards on Medicare bill
Sen. John Edwards released the
following comments about President Bush’s signing
of the Medicare bill:
"The president should have
vetoed the Medicare bill, not signed it. Instead
of strengthening Medicare for our seniors, the
bill signed today surrenders Medicare to the drug
companies and HMOs. President Bush missed a great
moment to get Medicare right for generations to
come.
"When I am president, I will
rewrite this drug bill to put patients and people
above drug companies and HMOs. I will clamp down
on skyrocketing drug costs--empowering the
government to negotiate better drug prices,
allowing reimportation of drugs from other
countries, and stopping misleading drug
advertisements. I will eliminate the $12 billion
slush fund for HMOs, the destructive 'experiment'
of pushing seniors into HMOs, and the new tax
shelters for the wealthy that actually undermine
the Medicare program. And I will take the savings
from cutting this waste and use them to protect
Medicare and protect the low-income and
already-insured seniors who are injured by this
travesty of a drug bill."
Lieberman good environmentalist
Joe Lieberman "boasts stellar
environmental credentials," the League of
Conservation Voters state in a report saying that
Lieberman has one of the two strongest records of
environmental protection among the 2004
presidential candidates. John Kerry being the
other one. With a lifetime LCV rating of 93
percent -- the second highest of any candidate --
Lieberman scored ahead of Howard Dean, Wes Clark,
John Edwards (76%), Dick Gephardt (66%), Dennis
Kucinich (90%), Al Sharpton and Carol Moseley
Braun (80%). Lieberman is a senior member of the
Environmental and Public Works Committee and
worked as chairman of Senate Governmental Affairs
Committee to increase oversight of George Bush's
environmental policies. The LCV scorecard said of
Lieberman:
·
He "led battles to protect [the]
Arctic refuge since first elected"
·
"His work with Senator John McCain
on a bill to combat global warming illustrates his
ability to reach across party lines on key
environmental issues"
·
"He has been an outspoken critic of
the Bush Adminstration's plans to weaken key
environmental protections, holding hearings and
press conferences to highlight the president's
anti-environment proposals"
·
"He has co-introduced important
bills to prevent the Bush Administration from
limiting the scope of the Clean Water Act and to
reduce power plant pollution"
·
"He has made energy independence a
keystone of his campaign platform, and the
environment an important component of his
presidential campaign"
·
"Within his own state, he has worked
to protect open space and expand Connecticut's
system of public lands"
In the year 2000 LCV President
Deb Callahan said of Lieberman, "From his first
campaign for the Senate to this current campaign
for the White House, Joe Lieberman has been a
tenacious champion for clean air and clean water.
Joe Lieberman has fought to protect our public
lands and to keep our children safe from the
harmful effects of toxics and pesticides. He has
been one of the environmental community's most
important allies."
Lieberman on videos and games
Joe Lieberman issued the
following response to the release of the National
Institute on Media and the Family's Eighth Annual
MediaWise Video Game Report Card:
"This year's video game report card shows a
troubling trend - increasingly realistic and
vicious adult-rated games are increasingly falling
into the hands of young boys. That suggests to me
that there are still serious holes in the ratings
safety net - and those holes need to be fixed if
we're going to reduce children's access to
potentially harmful games.
"Today, I am encouraged to learn, the retail
industry has made a commitment to fill one of the
biggest holes. The Interactive Entertainment
Merchants Association announced that it was
adopting a national card-check program to prevent
children under 17 from buying adult-rated games.
"Now it's time for parents, who have the ultimate
responsibility here, to do their part. This year's
report card shows once again that too many parents
are still not paying attention to the game makers'
model rating system. I want to remind them during
this holiday shopping season that this tool is
only helpful if they use it, and urge them to
consult the ratings when they are choosing gifts
for your children."
Wealthys’ megaphone
The new campaign finance law
allows wealthy individuals to air ads within the
banned period before an election for other groups
-- interest groups cannot air TV and radio ads the
month before a primary and two months before a
general election if they identify a federal
candidate, are funded with corporate or union
money or target the candidate's district. The
exception is any large donation given by an
individual to spend on ads by tax-exempt groups
that are not legally incorporated and which keep
any large individual donations they receive for
ads separate from corporate and union donations.
One of the catches is that the
group must be a tax-exempt - unincorporated group.
This has some groups like Club for Growth, a
conservative Republican group, looking at dropping
their corporate status. Most of the interest in
this loophole funding of ads comes from the
Democrat side at this time. Pledges of $10 million
have already been made to a new group called the
Media Fund, formed by former Clinton White House
official Harold Ickes to air ads next year against
President Bush.
Poll watching
An Associated Press story covers
the Pew Research Center’s polls of Iowa, New
Hampshire, S. Carolina and the nation. The polls
show that the heart of Dean’s support is in the
liberal wing of the Democratic Party. It is the
same base of voters that John Kerry shares, only
Kerry is losing out to Dean. The Iowa and New
Hampshire voters who support Dean see Dean’s
ability to beat President Bush as his strongest
point. This is in contrast to the many high
ranking political strategist who have expressed
reservations about Dean’s ability to win
nationally. The poll backs this up in S. Carolina.
Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center
for the People & the Press is quoted in an
Associated Press story about S. Carolina:
"South Carolina is a conservative place," said
Kohut, adding that it was far from clear whether
Dean's advantage in New Hampshire would boost him
in South Carolina, which holds its presidential
contest on Feb. 3 with six other states.
"It certainly didn't help John McCain," Kohut
said, referring to the Republican Arizona senator
who beat George W. Bush in New Hampshire but lost
South Carolina in the next contest.
One of the advantages that Al
Gore could bring to Dean’s campaign is help with
Black voters in the South. This could change the
dynamics of the race.
New Hampshire
A Franklin Pierce College poll
of 600 likely New Hampshire primary voters
released yesterday has Dean leading Massachusetts
Sen. John Kerry 39 to 14 percent, with no other
candidate receiving more than 5 percent, and with
27 percent still undecided. The Pierce poll shows
retired Gen. Wesley Clark and North Carolina Sen.
John Edwards with 5 percent each, Connecticut Sen.
Joseph Lieberman at 4 percent, Missouri Rep.
Richard Gephardt, 3 percent, with Ohio Rep. Dennis
Kucinich, former Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun
and civil rights activist Al Sharpton at 1 percent
each.
TV ads
* The Republican National
Committee is airing the Terrorism ad that they ran
in Iowa before the New Hampshire debates tonight.
* MoveOn.org is running a new
ad. The ad portrays President Bush as Santa Claus,
checking off a list as he doles out gifts — or
corporate giveaways — to campaign donors:
As "Jingle Bells" plays softly in the background,
a Mrs. Claus-sounding announcer says, "Yes, big
contributors, there is a Santa Claus, but he's not
at the North Pole. He's in the White House."
A highlight of the ad accuses Bush of giving drug
companies what they wanted in the Medicare bill,
and of giving defense companies no-bid contracts
for work in Iraq.
The liberal grass-roots
organization says Bush will eliminate overtime pay
for millions of workers and give media
corporations more control of the airwaves.
Bush urges Taiwan restraint
President Bush said Tuesday
after meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao that
he opposes the apparent interest of Taiwan's
leaders in taking steps toward independence,
according to the
Associated Press:
"We oppose any unilateral decision by either China
or Taiwan to change the status quo," Bush said,
"and the comments and actions made by the leader
of Taiwan indicate that he may be willing to make
decisions unilaterally, to change the status quo,
which we oppose."
No Clinton endorsement
Bill Clinton announced that he
would not endorse a candidate until the Democrat
nominee was known. He so far has refused to
comment on whether he knew about Gore’s
endorsement in advance.
Janklow resigns
Rep. Bill Janklow announced his
resignation from the House of Representatives, to
be effective same day he's scheduled to be
sentenced Jan. 20, 2004. Janklow has been the top
South Dakota Republican for 30 years. He appeared
stunned as the verdict was read Monday: guilty of
second-degree manslaughter, reckless driving,
running a stop sign and speeding. On Aug. 16th he
was involved in a crash that killed Hardwick,
Minn., motorcyclist Randy Scott, 55.
Former U.S. Rep. John Thune is
considered the GOP's most formidable potential
candidate for Janklow’s soon to be open seat.
Thune has been considering another run for the
Senate against Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle.
The timing of Janklow's resignation means the
special election to fill the House vacancy will be
held in conjunction with South Dakota's June 1
primary. Both parties must nominate candidates by
April 6.
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