The Iowa Daily Report, Friday, December 12, 2003

* QUOTABLE:

"It is wrong that our friends in Canada use threats to steal patents of American drug companies in order to negotiate lower prices, and their price control regime is unfair to American consumers," House Leader Dennis Hastert, the Illinois Republican, said in a statement.

“The Democratic bird doesn't fly with one wing. It needs all its wings," said Joe Lieberman.

“If 9/11 has taught us anything and George Bush has taught us anything, it is that this is not the moment for on-the-job training in the conduct of foreign affairs, international security affairs, and military affairs of our country," John Kerry said.

"When you have both the Dow Jones and Nasdaq averages hitting new highs at the same time, it's a fabulous day for President Bush," says Jonathan Collegio, a director at Americans for Tax Reform, a conservative think tank in Washington. "And when you consider that under this administration we've had two wars, a catastrophic terrorist attack and numerous financial scandals, it means the investor class is happy."

Former President Jimmy Carter says the appointment of Georgia's Zell Miller to the Senate was a mistake because his fellow ex-governor "betrayed all the basic principles that I thought he and I and others shared."

"What I can't understand is why our party won't heed the lessons of the one Democrat elected and re-elected to the White House in six decades," said Al From, founder and chief executive of the Democrat Leadership Council.

"We spent two decades in the political wilderness because the middle class didn't trust us with their values or their taxes," said Bruce Reed, a former Clinton aide who is president of the DLC. "I, for one, don't want to go back there."

"You could make the argument that Bill Clinton winning elections might have something to do with him being one of the most gifted politicians and communicators ever, regardless of his positions," Joe Trippi said.

"Everyone knows the real campaign headquarters is in Karl Rove's brain. They probably consider it a bonus that people out in Arlington will not be distracted by the kind of insider games that go on in D.C. Their attitude about campaign workers is 'me boss, you not. I decide, you execute,' " said Charles Euchner, executive director of the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston at Harvard University.

"The only presidential candidate with a truly coherent position on President Bush's Iraq policy is President Bush. He supported it before the war started, he supports it now and he thinks or pretends to think it's working well," writes Michael Kinsley.

“The story of this campaign is the energy and anger of the Democratic base. It is the reason an unknown and undistinguished former governor of Vermont is now the front-runner. He captured and then bottled the anger.” -- writes Charles Krauthammer.

* TODAY’S OFFERINGS:

Just Politics: *Candidates respond to Halliburton *Poll watching

Dennis Kucinich: *Nicholas Johnson’s editorial *ABC: Kucinich response

Howard Dean: *Dean’s sealed documents *Dean’s traditional campaign

Dick Gephardt: *Clyburn’s results *Old Virginia & Gephardt

John Kerry: *France would send troops *Nuts
*Kerry challenges Saudi alliance

Wesley Clark: *Clark calls Bill Clinton *Clark to testify
*Clark opens Hispanic front

Joe Lieberman: *Lieberman’s center for cures

* CANDIDATES & CAUCUSES:

Candidates respond to Halliburton

Candidates responded to the fact that Halliburton is reported to have overcharged the government on its Iraq contract:

"We've recently learned what many Americans have suspected for a long time -- special interest contributor Halliburton is overcharging the American taxpayers. Now this President is preventing entire nations from bidding on contracts in Iraq so that his campaign contributors can continue to overcharge the American taxpayers. For the safety of our troops, we need to make sure every penny in Iraq is spent wisely and efficiently," said Howard Dean.

"The Bush administration's policy in Iraq of putting the corporate special interests first is unacceptable. Vice President Cheney's former employer won a contract without a competitive bid and proceeded to bilk the American taxpayer for tens of millions of dollars.”

“It is time for a change. As president, I will put the American soldiers and taxpayers first and the corporate special interests last," said Dick Gephardt.

Poll watching

A new poll shows President Bush would clobber Democratic front-runner Howard Dean by nearly 2-1 in politically potent New Hampshire - even though Dean has a giant lead over Democratic rivals in the state.

Nicholas Johnson’s editorial

The once head of the Federal Communications Commission has written an editorial for fellow Iowans that is carried in the Des Moines Register. It admonishes Iowans to stand for something and if they are liberal to vote for Dennis Kucinich. He also makes a veiled slam at Howard Dean:

The Register's Iowa Poll indicates 32 percent of Iowa's Democrats say they're "conservative." They have a full choice of presidential candidates who support pro-corporate, conservative positions. A leading one supported the war in Iraq after a 60-day delay, wants increased defense spending, has an A rating from the NRA, favors the death penalty, and supports a profit-driven system for delivery of health care - among other things. Conservative Democrats should be true to their beliefs and support him.

ABC: Kucinich response

Here is ABC’s response regarding dropping Kucinich:

Rep. Kucinich has succeeded in raising decent amounts of money in small contributions and building grass-roots support in no small part because he has consistently espoused a message that is distinct from the rest of the field and has appeal to many Americans who feel the Democratic Party and the leading candidates don't speak to their aspirations for the nation and the world.

Kucinich's views on foreign policy, defense spending, corporate influence, trade, the politics of meaning, and social welfare are all quite similar to those of his friend Ralph Nader.

These views resonate with many Americans, which was made evident by Nader's success in 2000, and has been confirmed by the following that Kucinich has built this year.

It is an important and distinctive message, but is not likely to capture the Democratic nomination.

However, it does attract a committed and intense following, and it is the responsibility of all major news organizations to report on the substance of that message and the reasons it has appeal for millions of Americans, and to strike a balance in coverage that doesn't inhibit the ability of such messages to find an audience.

To that end, and contrary to the impression some of you have, ABC News has demonstrated its commitment to all the major candidates running for the Democratic nomination by devoting more resources to covering the Kucinich, Moseley Braun, and Sharpton campaigns than any other news organization in the world.

Dean’s sealed documents

“Well, there are future political considerations…" The Washington Post reports on the fact that Howard Dean is now calling that reply as to why he sealed so many documents for so long as not a statement in jest. Dean has said that it was made in jest. The problem is that the sealed documents are contrary to his image of openness. The Post reports:

Dean now says his response was meant in jest -- when a follow-up question suggested he must be hoping to serve two terms as president, the room erupted in laughter, according to an audiotape of the meeting. But, as his front-running presidential campaign comes under increasing scrutiny, Dean's words, and his decision to keep some official records sealed longer than any recent Vermont governor, are coming back to haunt him.

"He wasn't giving the punch line of a joke; he was answering a question," said John Dillon of Vermont Public Radio, the only journalist at the Jan. 7, 2003, meeting to report Dean's remarks about his records. "He can sometimes be extremely candid."

Dean’s traditional campaign

USA Today covers the traditional aspects of the Dean campaign. It seems Dean is getting the basics right as well as breaking new ground:

Political analysts say Dean's attention to basics also includes:

* Running a frugal campaign with a clear message.

* Courting the powerful Service Employees International Union (SEIU) more intensively than anyone else.

* Talking to Gore frequently while other candidates largely ignored him.

Clyburn’s results

At a press conference at Allen University today, Rep. Jim Clyburn announced six new endorsements of Dick Gephardt's presidential campaign by prominent South Carolina Democrats.

"This is just the beginning of our efforts to build a winning campaign here in South Carolina for Dick Gephardt," said Clyburn.

"The momentum is building behind the Gephardt campaign in South Carolina. I expect to see more endorsements in the coming days that will solidify our grassroots network and deliver on February 3rd, said Clyburn. "Each of these experienced political operatives knows Dick's life experience best reflects the experiences of Democratic voters in South Carolina. His story is resonating statewide and picking up steam. Dick Gephardt is the candidate to watch."

The six new endorsements follow:

Katherine Bellfield, Community Activist, Columbia (Eau Claire Community); State Representative Joe E. Brown, District 73, Columbia (Richland County); State Representative Leon Howard, District 76, Columbia (Richland County); James Lander, former Comptroller General and former State Senator, Newberry (Newberry County); State Representative Walton J. McLeod, District 40 – Little Mountain (Newberry County); State Senator Kay Patterson, District 19 – Columbia (Richland County).

Old Virginia & Gephardt

Rep. Dick Gephardt today announced the Virginia Steering Committee of his presidential campaign.

"I am extremely honored and excited to have received the support of so many Virginia Democratic activists and labor leaders," said Gephardt. "With their help, we will build a winning grassroots campaign to create jobs, lift this lagging economy for all middle-class families and get every American covered with quality health insurance."

On Friday, Jane Gephardt, wife of presidential candidate Dick Gephardt, will file papers to put Gephardt's name on the Virginia presidential primary ballot. Combining the signatures gathered by the statewide network of Virginia Gephardt supporters and the Virginia Democratic Party, approximately 20,000 signatures will be filed on behalf of Rep. Gephardt.

Gephardt's Virginia Steering Committee includes:

Barbara Adler, Democratic activist, Richmond; Donald Akers, Roanoke United Central Labor Council, Copper Hill; Mike Amos, President, United Steelworkers Local Union 1023, Salem; Michael Amos, USWA, Union Hall, VA; Eva Andriuk, UFCW, Centreville; Marshall Arent, ATU, Richmond; Cynthia Arrington, Roanoke United Central Labor Council, Salem; Ronald Atkins, Ironworkers, Roanoke; Joseph Ayers, Teamsters, Richmond; Sammy Ayers, Boilermakers, Virginia Beach; Ruth Bailey, USWA, Newport News; Heidi Baker, Democratic activist, Charlottesville; Sara Bamford, Democratic activist, Alexandria; Joe Barnes, Laborers, Portsmouth; Sharon Beavan, Democratic activist, Fairfax; Harvey Bowde, USWA, Suffolk; Edward Burnett, Roanoke United Central Labor Council, Cloverdale; Marcus Calabrese, Democratic activist, Norfolk; Karen Carter, USWA, Pennington Gap; Brian Carey, Democratic activist, Arlington; Michael Cassell, Roanoke United Central Labor Council, Salem; Joseph Circelli, Bricklayers, Virginia Beach; Renita Clark, Ironworkers, Roanoke; Ora Council, USWA, Hampton; Mary Crowder, Roanoke United Central Labor Council, Salem; Edna Cruz, Democratic activist, Centreville; Manuel Dotson, Roanoke United Central Labor Council, Roanoke; Dan Duncan, Maritime Trades, Burke; David Dunphy, UFCW, Associate Director, Legislative and Political Affairs Dept., Springfield; Rebecca Eichelberger, Democratic activist, Roanoke; Sandra Epps, Teamsters, Richmond; Mark Federici, UFCW, Director of Governmental Relations, Fairfax; Heith Fenner, UFCW, Fredericksburg; John Fishwick, Attorney and political activist, Roanoke; Marian Flickenger, President, Norfolk Federation of Teachers, Norfolk; Kevin Forbes, Laborers, Covington; Anthony Foster, Laborers, Suffolk; John Fridley, Teamsters, Staunton; Alton Glass, USWA, President, Local 8888, Newport News; Janine Goodchild, Democratic activist, Manassas; George Hancock, Ironworkers, Norfolk; Michael Hancox, Vice President, Ecology and Economics, Charlottesville; Charles Hansen, Democratic activist, Alexandria; Martha Harmon, Roanoke United Central Labor Council, Roanoke; Vincent Harris, USWA, Suffolk; Frank Hartsoe, Boilermakers, Chesterfield; Debra Haskins, Teamsters; James Herring, USWA, Norfolk; Larest Hill, Laborers, Portsmouth; Christopher Hoffman, UFCW, Fredericksburg; Ken Holbrook, Laborers, Blacksburg; Byron Holley, Bricklayers, Richmond; Rick Howard, President, Roanoke United Central Labor Council, Bedford; Jonathan Huskey, Democratic activist, Alexandria; Cynthia Icenhour, Democratic activist, Williamsburg; Jim Icenhour, ALPA, Williamsburg; Neil Jacobs, UFCW, Gainesville; Paul Jameson, Democratic activist, Vienna; Sarah Johnson, Democratic activist, Roanoke; Jake Kaskey, Democratic activist, Alexandria; Michael Keatts, Democratic activist, Staunton; Alvin King, Boilermakers, Virginia Beach; Sharon Kneller, Democratic activist, Reston; Sandra Landers, Democratic activist, Chesapeake; Kenneth Lewis, USWA, Norfolk; Robert Linkous, USWA, Big Stone Gap; Senator Louise Lucas, Portsmouth; Gene Magruder, Head of Political Action Committee, USWA Local 8888, Newport News; Stephen McLease, ATU, Norfolk; April Montgomery, USWA, Radford; Clyde Moody, USWA, Hampton; Gwen Moody, USWA, Hampton; Robert Moore, USWA, Newport News; Christine Mullins, UFCW, Fredericksburg; Jonathan Mullins, Laborers, Arlington; Bobby Myers, Political Director, Laborers, Williamsburg; Harrison Myers, Laborers, Roanoke; Robert Myers, Laborers, Roanoke; Kathryn Nigh, Democratic activist, Fairfax; David Noziliga, Democratic activist, Alexandria; Bob Padgett, USWA, Hampton; Larry Patterson, Ironworkers, Richmond;Michael Patterson, Boilermakers, Virginia Beach; Steve Patton, Democratic activist, Roanoke; Francis Pecquex, Maritime Trades, Arlington; Robert Pierce, USWA, Christiansberg; Kenneth Pinkard, UFCW, Burgess; Rudy Pinto , UFCW, Virginia Beach; Dick Quible, Democratic activist, Blacksburg; Ann Reynolds, Roanoke United Central Labor Council, Roanoke; Sylvia Rhodes, Democratic activist, Alexandria; Butch Rovder, Bricklayers, South Riding; Juan Sampedro, Bricklayers, Dale City; Noelle Shott, Democratic activist, Dale City; Kamwar Singh, Democratic activist, Arlington; James Smith, Teamsters, Richmond; Norma Smith, Democratic activist, Roanoke; Robert Smith, Teamsters, Richmond; Lionell Spruill, Democratic activist, Chesapeake; Frederick Stroud, Danville, Virginia State Organizing Director for USWA; Jeff Stump, Boilermakers, Roanoke; Kevin Sullivan, Teamsters, Williamsburg; Harvey Sawatis, TWU, Arlington; Byron Taylor, Chairman of Political Action Committee, USWA Local Union # 831, Danville; Trent Taylor, Democratic activist, Richmond; Frank Tunstill, USWA, Richmond; Clinton Turner, USWA, Portsmouth; Jim Turpin, President, Arlington County Democratic Committee, Arlington; Anthony Walkencik, Ironworkers, Norfolk; Jennifer Walker, UFCW, Fredericksburg; Santana Watkins, USWA, Danville; Daniel Wells, Democratic activist, Fairfax; Beth Wiegen, Democratic activist, Richmond; Kathleen Willey, Democratic activist, Williamsburg; Thomas Willey, IBEW, Williamsburg; Dr. Lois Williams, Member, Virginia Beach School Board; Walter Wise, General Vice President, President of the Iron Workers; District Council of the Mid-Atlantic States, Democratic activist, Oakton; Kevin Wolf, Voting Member Arlington County Democratic Committee and Precinct Captain, Arlington; James Woodward, Teamsters; Rayburn Vandergrift, Democratic activist, Blacksburg; Nikhil Verma, Democratic activist, Mclean; Roosevelt Via, Teamsters, Roanoke; Elizabeth Young, Democratic activist, McLean; Rchard Zaryczny, Ironworkers, Chesterfield.

France would send troops

Sen. John Kerry in an editorial board meeting with the Boston Globe stated that France is willing to send troops to Iraq:

I've talked with a friend of mine who was in Paris the other day who was meeting with President Chirac at length, exploring some ideas, and the clear conclusion was that there is a place where the president is prepared to be involved and even perhaps put troops on the ground," Kerry said.

Pressed, Kerry refused to identify the friend who spoke with Chirac, or offer further details. "I don't want to drag the president of France into this presidential race."

Kerry also expressed that Howard Dean would be "eviscerated" by President Bush's re-election team because of his "enormous deficit" in international experience. Kerry also bashed Bush on foreign policy and expressed that we would never have gone to war if he were President. Then he backed down:

Kerry also added, "If any person in this table believes we would be at war today in Iraq if I were president, you shouldn't support me," saying he had urged Bush before the war to build a coalition for military action in Iraq and not "rush" into battle.

A few minutes later Kerry clarified his remark, saying that "there wouldn't have been a war in Iraq the way we went to war. If I had gone to war, it would have been making real the promises of this president," such as exhausting diplomatic options and building support among Americans and an international coalition.

Nuts

The National Review Online column suggests Sen. John Kerry is helping to lead Democrats into insanity:

"John Kerry put an ad on the air that sort of knocked my socks off," Jay Nordlinger writes in his Impromptus column for National Review Online.

"It reads, in part, 'Kerry will make energy independence a national priority so no American will have to fight for Mideast oil.' That is a breathtaking statement, with its implication that American boys are being made to shed their blood for oil — a stock charge of the lunatic Left," Mr. Nordlinger said.

 "I sometimes feel guilty for thinking that the Democratic Party has gone nuts. But it's hard to ignore the evidence," he said.

Kerry challenges Saudi alliance

Sen. John Kerry, citing the fact that more than a year after the September 11 terrorist attacks the Saudi interior minister (Prince Nayef) told an Arab media outlet that he thought "the Jews" were responsible for the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, alled into question American policy toward Saudi Arabia:

When a senior member of the Saudi ruling family — its top law enforcement officer responsible for tracking down terrorists — promotes wild, antisemitic conspiracy theories to explain away the September 11 attacks, it is time for America to look seriously at our relationship with Saudi Arabia and its reliability as an ally against terrorism.

The war on terrorism requires unprecedented cooperation and diplomacy among the global community — especially among countries in the Middle East. But America cannot afford to hold its nose and play nice with a country whose actions often speak louder than its words when it comes to fighting terrorism. It's time to put the American-Saudi relationship on a frank and balanced basis. Not surprisingly, the Saudi-friendly Bush administration has failed to get this point.

Saudi Arabia's role in financing terrorism is well-documented. A report published by the Council on Foreign Relations tells us that "For years, individuals and charities based in Saudi Arabia have been the most important source of funds for Al Qaeda. And for years, Saudi officials have turned a blind eye to this problem," Kerry stated in a release.

Kerry expressed that it was even more disturbing is the allegation that Al Qaeda continued to receive money from inside Saudi Arabia long after the September 11 attacks. According to the council's report, "some, whose donations go to Al Qaeda, know full well the terrorist purposes to which their money will be put." The Saudi government now claims to be cracking down on terrorist financing, but its actions have not yet matched its words.

Saudi Arabia's support for Islamic extremism here and elsewhere is also well known. Saudi-funded hate speech can be found in schools, mosques and other institutions across the world, fostering hatred of Jews, Christians, Americans and the West. This kind of officially sanctioned bigotry breeds terrorism.

Spokesmen for the Saudis now say that their textbooks are being rewritten to remove "possibly offensive" language and that Islamic clerics are being told to tone down their rhetoric. But we need more than promises. We need to see the new textbooks. We need to hear what the government-financed clerics are preaching.

Likewise, we need to see the fruits of real effort and cooperation on terrorist investigations. Full cooperation has never occurred on the 1996 killings of Americans at the Khobar Towers military complex in Saudi Arabia. Even after this year's Riyadh bombings, we still await the results of the investigation; we still await a detailed report on the crackdown.

And while Saudi officials and spokesmen have said repeatedly that the Saudi government is opposed to every form of terrorism, the Saudi regime openly and enthusiastically supports Palestinian terrorist groups, such as Hamas. The Saudis cannot pick and choose among terrorist groups, approving some while claiming to oppose others.

Maintaining a close relationship with a government that blesses Hamas with their seal of approval can only hinder America's ability to effectively engage in a meaningful Middle East peace process.

And while Saudi officials and spokesmen have said repeatedly that the Saudi government is opposed to every form of terrorism, the Saudi regime openly and enthusiastically supports Hamas. The Saudis cannot pick and choose among terrorist groups, approving some while claiming to oppose others.

One would think that an American president who threatens the world by announcing "you're either with us or you're with the terrorists" would be particularly troubled by the actions of the Saudi regime. But then one would be underestimating the hypocrisy that has become the hallmark of the Bush administration.

This president refuses to come clean on his administration's relationship with the Saudi royal family. Shortly after the September 11 attacks, when airplanes were still grounded, the White House allowed a Saudi charter flight to round up members of the bin Laden family and leave the country without time for an investigation.

Beyond Secretary of State Colin Powell admitting that the flights were "coordinated within the government," the Bush administration has said nothing about why this flight was allowed. Shockingly, we have an administration that is ready and willing to rifle through the e-mails and library books of innocent Americans in the name of fighting terrorism, but refused to trouble the bin Laden family for a moment of its time as it fled America after the worst terrorist attack in our history.

Some may argue that the ties that bind us to Saudi Arabia are inescapable, that our energy dependence on Middle Eastern oil will never allow us to pressure the Saudi regime to reform. I say that this is only true if we allow it to be.

As president, I will not stand by and allow America to be held hostage by Saudi oil. We can unleash the spirit of American ingenuity to meet this challenge.

I have a plan to reduce America's dependence on oil by 2 million barrels a day — about the same amount we import from the Persian Gulf — through investment in clean energy technologies that will increase efficiency and allow us to capitalize on domestic and renewable sources of energy. No foreign government can embargo this type of energy — and no terrorist can seize control of it.

Every day and every year we delay, America will continue to pay a high price for our over-reliance on foreign oil. We spend $20 billion annually on oil imports from the Persian Gulf. Instead of indefinitely sending that money to the Middle East, we should launch an energy strategy to invest in the Midwest and in the rest of America, generating new jobs and new technologies here at home. My energy plan will create 500,000 new jobs, produce 20% of American energy from renewable fuels by 2020, and finally end America's dependence on foreign oil in 10 years.

Our national security requires that we do everything possible to ensure that Saudi promises to join the fight in the war on terrorism are real. Reforms must be genuine, not window dressing, and there needs to be accountability. Our relationship must be frank and open.

So far, in yet another example of the Bush administration's failed foreign policy, this president has been unable and unwilling to stand up to the Saudi regime and make this happen. It is time that America creates a real partnership with Saudi Arabia — a genuine partnership against terrorism,” Kerry concludes in his release to the press.

Clark calls Bill Clinton

Wesley Clark called Bill Clinton as soon as he learned of Al Gore's move to endorse Howard Dean. Clark described the call this way:

"I called him the other night after the Gore endorsement, more or less just to call and say, `Hello. You still there?' He said, `What do you say about it?' I said, `I don't pay any attention to endorsements unless they're for me.' He said, `That's exactly right.' "

Clark to testify

Wesley Clark is breaking from his presidential campaign on Saturday to travel to the Netherlands to testify in closed session at the U.N. war crimes trial of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic.

.The Democratic candidate, who as supreme commander of NATO led the 1999 bombing campaign to drive Milosevic out of Kosovo, arrives in Amsterdam on Sunday and is scheduled to testify for several hours the following morning at The Hague. Clark will continue his testimony on Tuesday against the deposed leader. His testimony will not immediately be available, because of security questions.

Clark opens Hispanic front

Building on growing nationwide grass roots support and the support of Hispanic and Latino leaders including Jose Villarreal, Ambassador Ed Romero, and Dr. Arturo Valenzuela, retired Wesley Clark announced the kick-off of an ambitious Hispanic/Latino outreach program. This program will have two primary components:

·        The first component is the creation of the Clark Hispanic/Latino Action Team (CHAT), which will include Hispanics/Latinos in every aspect of the Clark for President Campaign. CHAT is a national network that consists of Clark Campaign staffers and grass root volunteers representing the various components of the campaign including the Political, Communications, Finance, Technology, Community Outreach and Volunteer departments.

·        The second component is the establishment of committees that integrate the insight and expertise of Hispanic/Latino leaders from the local, state and national levels into the various components of the campaign.

"Now, more than ever, our leaders must listen to the important and unique voices of the Hispanic/Latino community when shaping our national goals," said Clark, "I have seen what can be accomplished when the doors of opportunity are fully opened to all."

The desire to create this grassroots program was initiated by the overwhelming outpouring of support from the Hispanic Community for General Clark nationwide. Recently, prominent leaders have endorsed the General and have committed to working tirelessly to get him elected.

"I quizzed General Clark on issues related to immigration reform, relations with Mexico and Latin America, his vision for an America with an ever increasing Hispanic population, our nation's reputation and standing in the world and the enormous challenges facing Latinos in the areas of education, health care, housing and economic opportunity. His answers were responsive, unambiguous, and forward-thinking," said Jose Villarreal of San Antonio who worked for the Clinton Administration.

General Emilio Diaz Colon commented, "General Clark follows through on his promises. I met him when he was the commander of Southcom. I witnessed his profound concern for the welfare of Hispanic and Latino soldiers and the communities of Central and South America. He immediately sought to develop strong communication channels to find practical solutions in the armed forces and in the communities of Latin America."

CHAT will use the Internet and offline mediums to convey the General's message and vision nationwide. Local members will host "Meet Up" gatherings with Hispanics/Latinos to discuss why General Clark is the best candidate for President. In addition, CHAT will work to ensure that Hispanic/Latino issues are key priorities for the Clark campaign.

"General Clark is clearly committed to the Hispanic/Latino community. Las acciones hablan más fuerte que palabras. [Actions speak louder than words]. Wes Clark's commitment to tap into the Hispanic/Latino community to best understand and represent our needs is what makes him the candidate of choice for our community," said Kety Esquivel, Director of Hispanic/Latino Outreach for the Clark Campaign.

Lieberman’s center for cures

Touting one part of his comprehensive health care plan, Sen. Joe Lieberman said his proposed American Center for Cures would speed the development would solve chronic diseases by increasing funding for clinical trials, award grants to encourage faster drug development, and commission large-scale research across disciplines. Major components of the new center would include:

NATIONAL CURES LABORATORY
The National Cures Library will spearhead collaborative research across disciplines, pulling together breakthroughs in computer science, engineering, or other disciplines to develop cures. It will be created as a federally funded research and development center, such as RAND or Los Alamos National Laboratory, to operate independently of the government.

HEALTH ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY
Modeled on the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the successful research wing of the Pentagon the developed the forerunner to the Internet, HARPA will sponsor through competitive grant programs rapid drug development from leading scientists.

KNOWLEDGE BANK
The Knowledge Bank will help coordinate clinical trials of new treatments and provide resources to scientists by overseeing gene banks, voluntary patient databases, and tissue banks. It would also include a virtual Public Library of Medicine to allow researchers to disseminate findings more readily.

* ON THE BUSH BEAT:

Contract ban

President Bush received an encouraging word of support from the Iraqi foreign minister on his banning of those who opposed the war form $18.6 billion appropriated by Congress. Reuters reports:

Not only did these countries not help the Iraqi people, some of them opposed the war and others supported the dictatorship of this bloody regime in oppressing the Iraqi people through the years," said Hoshiyar Zebari during a visit to Qatar Thursday.

"We Iraqis remember these things, and remember those who stood by us and those who stood against us," he said in remarks aired Friday by Arabic-language television network Al Jazeera.

Zebari suggested that there was room for these countries which include France, Germany and Russia to make improvements in their relationship with Iraq:

"There is room regarding these countries and this issue could be revised if these countries changed their negative attitude and their disregard of the Iraqi cause," Zebari said.

Stature

The Washington Times reports that the Bush-Cheney campaign will not engage the Democrats directly anytime soon. The Bush camp believes that it would only give stature to a group of candidates that they do not see as having gravitas. The Times reports:

"If he gets down ... with the Lilliputians, he is going to look like another one of them," said a White House source close to the president.

However the Republican National Committee will continue to respond:

"We're always here to catch the incoming and throw a few shots back," explained RNC spokeswoman Christine Iverson.

Immigrant amnesty

The White House yesterday said a new immigration review is under way that could lead to amnesty for millions of illegal aliens living and working in the United States.

Confirmation of the review came during a White House briefing, just two days after Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said during a town hall meeting in Miami that the government had to "afford some kind of legal status" to the 8 million to 12 million illegal aliens in the country.

* NATIONAL:

EU may not happen

The Drudge Report leads with the story that the EU conference to draft a constitution may not happen:

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who as EU president for the past six months has struggled to steer the 25 bickering present and future member states to agreement on the historic draft treaty, conceded that the deadlock over power stakes in an enlarged union could sink the whole project.

Textile fears

Democrats are urging President Bush to develop a plan to prevent what they believe will be the loss of millions of textile workers in the United States, despite warning from Federal Reserve Chairman Allen Greenspan. The democrats also expressed concern for job losses from developing countries from losing their jobs to China when a decades-old international quota system expires in 2005.

World textile trade has been dominated since the early 1960s by a quota system that limits the amount of textile and apparel products that foreign producers can ship to large markets like the United States and Canada.

House of Representatives Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California and other top Democrats asked Bush to organize a summit of industry and government officials from around the world to help craft a "comprehensive solution" to the problem.

Allen Greenspan recently stated that the textile industry has not lost jobs to China, but other Asian countries have.  Greenspan has been expressing concern over the recent rise of sentiment in behalf of trade barrier. He stated that such action would lower America’s standard of living.

Terrorism magnet

Prince Turki al-Faisal, Saudi Arabia foreign ambassador, expressed concerns that the American and British occupation of Iraq was creating a terrorist draw. Reuters reported on the statements:

"When the United States and Britain invaded Iraq, the promise of bringing peace and security was important in the expositions of both the American and British leaderships," Prince Turki al-Faisal said.

"Unfortunately, that promise still has to be realized. The daily firefights, explosions and violence are making even those who believed the initial promise skeptical," he told a conference at London's Royal United Services Institute. "Instead of removing the terrorist threat which President Bush saw in Saddam's Iraq, we find today that Mr Bush's Iraq has become a magnet for terrorists," Prince Turki said.

Prince Turki expressed the need to solve the problems of terrorism world wide, and offered that they were fighting terrorist in their country and the causes that created it:

"The international community...must realize that terrorism hijacks causes and thrives on injustice. Solve these causes and redress these injustices and we not only win peace and security, we redeem our humanity."

 

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