In the "you can say that
again" category, the headline of presidential
candidate Sen. Joe Lieberman's latest campaign
news release reads: "Time is running out."
– Washington
Times. Inside the Beltway.
“As a winter blizzard
howled outside the suburban headquarters of Iowa
Public Television, inside the studio, the former
Vermont governor found himself ducking a barrage,
not of snowballs, but of barbed questions and
criticisms. At the end of the two-hour debate,
sponsored by the Des Moines Register, Dean was
still standing, and no visible damage showed.”
-- writes David
S. Broder for the Washington Post.
“Clark told NBC's "Meet
the Press" that he had no interest in playing
second fiddle to the Democratic nominee to
strengthen the ticket with his extensive national
security résumé.”
– Washington
Post.
"I just don't believe
that, at this time in American history, the
Democratic Party can field candidates who can only
represent the education, health, job and
compassionate sides of the party. We have to be a
full-spectrum party. We have to deal with the
challenges facing America at home and the
challenges facing America abroad,"
said Wesley
Clark.
“Q.
How long will John Edwards' campaign
last? At least another month. That would be
the day after South Carolina's Feb. 3 primary,
long considered a must-win. The primary brings the
Democratic presidential race into the South and
gives candidates their first exposure to African
American voters.”
– Charlotte
Observer, S. Carolina.
“In Dean's alternate
reality, everything the Bush administration has
done and might do is a failure, no matter the
facts. The president's even responsible for Mad
Cow Disease. It's Goebbels again: Just keep
repeating the lies until the lies assume the force
of truth.” --
writes columnist Ralph Peters.
“Howard Dean's built his
credibility on directness and honesty and
integrity, both as governor and as candidate. I
think that's why he's doing as well. I think
that's why he's going to win the Iowa caucuses and
go on to be the nominee of the Democratic Party,”
said Steve
Grossman, chairman of, Dean for America.
Sen. Zell Miller (D-Ga.)
has a Wall Street Journal op-ed in which he:
-- bets a steak dinner (mad cow or no mad cow)
that Al Sharpton will get almost as many votes as
Messrs. Edwards, Clark or Lieberman in the South;
-- jibes that maybe Al Gore will teach Dean "how
to win a Southern state. Like Tennessee."
Des Moines Register Debate coverage
The
Des Moines Register offers several looks at
yesterday’s debate that they sponsored. They cover
the Republican spin that looks weak, trade flap,
Dean’s Iraq stance, education, weather and lack of
colorful characters and Gephardt’s steelworkers.
Seventy-five steelworkers who traveled from as far
as Philadelphia stood outside the Iowa Public
Television station shouting and chanting support
for Gephardt.
"He'll
keep our jobs right here in the United States,"
said steelworker Raymond Johnson who traveled from
Tyler, Texas.
[EDITOR’S NOTE:
IPW covered the debate yesterday.]
ABC: super delegates
The Rules of the Democrat
National Committee allow for the selection of
super delegates to attend the National Convention.
It is a way that the old political bosses were
included into the process of selecting the
Presidential nominee. ABC has surveyed these super
delegates to find out their preferences:
The ABC News super delegate
estimate as of Monday, January 5 at 9:00 am:
Howard Dean 90
John Kerry 59
Dick Gephardt 49
Wesley Clark 24
Joe Lieberman 20
John Edwards 16
Carol Moseley Braun 4
Al Sharpton 3
Dennis Kucinich 2
…[T]his
ABC News exclusive is the first time any news
organization has compiled an overall tally of the
current delegate race — made up of commitments
from the party activists and leaders, local
elected officials, current Democratic governors
and members of Congress, and former presidents,
vice presidents, congressional leaders, and DNC
chairs.
Handicapping the race
USA Today handicaps the race and shows Rep.
Dick Gephardt and Wesley Clark as the two
candidates who have potential to stop Howard Dean.
They place Sen. John Kerry and Sen. John Edwards
in the third tier and show Dean with a big
advantage that is unlikely to be stopped.
Internet as a Swiss army knife
The LA Times covers the numerous
ways that the Internet is being used in campaigns:
Maybe
it's time to start thinking about the Internet as
the Swiss Army Knife of American politics. It is
constantly demonstrating that it can be used in
new ways.
The story recounts Dean’s
successes and tells how voters in Michigan are
using the Internet to vote in Michigan Primary
beginning today. However, Internet voting is a
brave new world that does not benefit everyone
equally. The Times reports on who it sees
benefiting from the Michigan Internet voting:
The
most likely near-term effect of Michigan's
Internet voting will be to benefit Gephardt, and
especially Dean, the two candidates best organized
to take advantage of the early voting. (A caravan
of Dean supporters turned in 914 requests for
ballots at the state party headquarters in Lansing
on Friday.) The Internet voting will help Dean in
a second way: Polls suggest it will increase the
share of ballots cast by young people and
college-educated voters, two groups that tend to
support him.
The ability to communicate with
supporters is a necessary part of the Internet
scene of today’s campaigns. However, Wesley Clark
is attempting to generate broader coverage by
stringing together a number of blogs:
…Gen.
Wesley K. Clark will mark a milestone in the
Internet's political development by participating
in an online chat with 10 prominent blog hosts —
all of which have committed to posting the
exchange on their sites. That could allow Clark to
address a huge audience outside the reach of the
conventional print and broadcast media, something
candidates couldn't do before the Internet's
emergence.
Listen on the radio
Iowa WOI National Public Radio
affiliate is co-sponsoring a radio debate Tuesday,
Jan. 6 and it can be heard on most NPR stations
from 1 to 3 p.m.
Twenty questions
A Manchester Union Leader
Editorial proposes twenty questions that voters
from New Hampshire should ask the Democrat
candidates:
1. How do you think Britain, Spain, Italy,
Australia, Poland and America’s other allies in
the Iraq war and the War on Terror would react if
they knew that in your campaign rhetoric you have
completely ignored their contributions to these
efforts and repeatedly insisted on characterizing
President Bush’s foreign policy as entirely
“unilateral,” as if no other nation joined America
in defeating the Taliban and Saddam Hussein?
2. Four years from now Baby Boomers will begin to
retire. Not long after that retirees in America
will greatly outnumber those who pay Social
Security taxes. Specifically, how will you keep
Social Security from running out of money?
3. Would you ever use military force without
United Nations approval, and if so, under what
circumstances?
4. Should the United States always wait until
attacked before using military force against an
enemy?
5. As President, what, if any, business
regulations would you attempt to repeal?
6. Do recent medical advances allowing unborn
children to survive outside the womb sooner than
ever before require any re-examination of abortion
policies?
7. Will you pledge never to appoint a pro-life
federal judge? What other litmus tests would you
apply to the judiciary?
8. Should sales over the Internet remain tax-free?
9. If the rich should pay a larger portion of
their income in taxes because they can afford to,
shouldn’t they also receive fewer Medicare, Social
Security and other benefits from the federal
government?
10. Does every qualified American have the right
to attend college, with government subsidies if
necessary?
11. Are pharmaceutical companies good corporate
citizens?
12. In what areas of life would you prevent the
federal government from interfering?
13. Regardless of whether it is a federal issue,
has the time come for gay marriage?
14. Will there ever be a day when affirmative
action is no longer needed?
15. Name a war that America has fought for oil.
16. Is it appropriate for the billionaire George
Soros, one of the richest men in America, to spend
his money trying to discredit and oust a
President?
17. To what degree did Bill Clinton’s behavior in
office damage the presidency?
18. Why have Americans elected a Republican
President and Congress?
19. In every other nation in which health care is
paid for by the national government, that care is
rationed and citizens must wait months, even
years, for treatment. How would you avoid this
outcome in the United States?
20. Suppose you win the nomination. If, in the
general election, President Bush wins the popular
vote by a few hundred thousand votes, but you win
the Electoral College vote, will you concede the
election to Bush, as so many Democrats said
President Bush should have done for Al Gore in
2000?
Bradley to endorse Dean
The Boston Globe is reporting
that Howard Dean is planning a surprise visit to
New Hampshire Tuesday in expectation of receiving
the endorsement of the other leading Democratic
contender from the 2000 race, former US senator
Bill Bradley. The Dean campaign has changed plans
and is making a trip to New Hampshire where
supporters are being invited to a breakfast:
A
senior aide traveling early this morning with Dean
in northern Iowa authenticated the invitation but
refused to say that Bradley was planning to
endorse Dean, explaining, ``Nothing is confirmed
at this point.'' The aide acknowledged that
scrapping the early-morning event in Iowa, whose
kickoff caucuses are two weeks from tonight,
Monday would be unusual, particularly on the day
of a debate, but the aide explained, ``It wouldn't
be the only wacky thing we've done in this
campaign.'' Dean is expected to fly back to Des
Moines to participate in the candidate forum.
Dean’s mouthpiece
Howard Dean’s Campaign Chairman
Steve Grossman was on
Fox News with Chris Wallace and offered
interesting comments about the Dean campaign. One
of the most interesting concerned the fact that
Dean would be a tough, strong foreign policy
President:
WALLACE: The Washington Post and ABC did a poll
this last week that asked people who they trust
more to handle national security, the war on
terrorism. 67 percent said Bush. 21 percent said
Dean…. Mr. Grossman, isn't that an awfully steep
mountain that the governor's going to have to
climb?
GROSSMAN: I don't think Howard Dean is well-known
to all the American people yet. Remember, we are
just beginning to see the first caucuses in the
next two weeks, two weeks from tomorrow. So a lot
of people haven't focused on this yet.
I draw
a lot of -- not that I look at polls, because when
people vote, that's when you really get the
results. But in a recent poll, George Bush and
Howard Dean were five points apart, a recent poll
that was just released last Friday.
So, in
a head-to-head match up, you're going to have two
interesting candidates, one a former governor,
sitting president, the other a very successful
five-term governor.
It's
not lost on me, Chris, that four of the last five
presidents of this country have been governors.
The American people want strong, decisive,
aggressive, proven leadership. That's what they're
going to get in Howard Dean.
That's
what they're going to get in Howard Dean, whether
it's on foreign policy, whether it's on domestic
policy, whether it's on health care, education,
jobs, or giving the people back their right to
political power in this country.
Howard
Dean is leading a movement that's going to
reinvigorate participatory politics in this
country. That's the unique quality this campaign
has. That's why he's doing as well as he is.
Gephardt: do or die
ABC’s The Note reports that
Gephardt is putting it all on the line and is
asking his friends to do the same:
At
one Des Moines union rally that attracted about
150 people, Gephardt stood at the auditorium exit
and asked for help from almost every person who
exited. Most people enthusiastically gave him a
verbal pledge, but overheard several times was a
version of "I will if the weather isn't too bad."
If Gephardt wins Iowa his
biggest problem will be money. Traditional liberal
money sources are still upset that Gephardt didn’t
win control of the House. So, look for his union
friends to be the ones who reload his cash if he
wins.
Kerry’s women’s outreach
Kerry is launching a women’s
outreach campaign. However, he claims to have the
only one and Clark already announced aspects of an
appeal to women and others are sure to follow…
here is the Kerry announcement:
“Former Governor Jeanne Shaheen will be joined by
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Vanessa
Kerry, John Kerry’s daughter, in Concord tomorrow.
Shaheen, Maloney, and Kerry will lead a panel
discussion on important issues facing women and
will highlight John Kerry’s lifetime advocacy for
women and families. The discussion will be a part
of the nationwide launch Monday of “Women’s Voices
on the Trail,” which includes events in Iowa with
John Kerry and online chats.
Women’s Voices on the Trail is the only national
outreach initiative for women being promoted by a
candidate for president. Led by Women for Kerry
national co-chairs Susan Liss and Robin Leeds of
the Clinton Administration, Women's Voices on the
Trail will enable women across the country to
influence policy and mobilize voters in support of
John Kerry.
Jeanne
Shaheen is New Hampshire’s most popular Democrat
and serves as the National Chairwoman of John
Kerry’s Presidential Campaign. Carolyn Maloney, a
sixth term Congresswoman from New York City, is
the former chair of the Congressional Caucus for
Women's Issues. Vanessa Kerry is a third year
medical student who has been on the campaign trail
stumping for her father throughout the country.”
Kerry’s toke
Sen. John Kerry recently spent 4
days campaigning in
Iowa with folk music legend Peter Yarrow of Peter,
Paul & Mary. Yarrow, an old friend (they both
protested Vietnam together...) traveled with the Senator as
his opening act.
This had interesting results at
the Story County Democrat event in Ames, IA.
Howard Dean attended the event and joined Yarrow
and Kerry while Yarrow led the signature song,
“Puff the Magic Dragon:”
As the
folk star began his signature song with an
unintended double meaning, Kerry mouthed a few
words then took his index finger to his thumb,
pursed his lips, and feigned a marijuana toke.
Clark’s women endorsements
Clark, pledging if elected that
he would have a cabinet that includes "well
qualified women of every race, creed and color" to
advise him, announced several prominent women’s
endorsements. Among those endorsing Clark were
Mary Frances Berry, head of the federal Commission
on Civil Rights and Wisconsin's Lt. Gov. Barbara
Lawton.
Clark on immigration
"Immigration reform should be a
top priority," Clark insisted. "This sounds like
too little, too late." Wesley Clark made the
comments in reference to reports that the Bush
administration will bring out immigration reform
this year.
"During the last election,
President Bush promised to meaningfully reform our
immigration system," Clark said. "That's one of
many promises Bush hasn't kept. Now that we're
once again in an election cycle, the Bush
Administration is talking about immigration reform
once again. We need leadership that is focused on
the next generation, not just the next election."
Clark believes that "reform must
be more than a temporary worker program and a
computerized registry that will create a permanent
class of temporary workers without rights." Clark
supports comprehensive reform based on the core
principles of economic security, access to
legalization, family reunification, and homeland
security.
"We must pursue reform that will
unite families instead of dividing them. And that
will ensure that hard-working, law-abiding,
undocumented workers can eventually earn their
citizenship," Clark insisted. "We need leadership
in the White House that recognizes the important
contributions that immigrants make to this
country," Clark’s statement said.
Clark tax revision
Clark hopes to make a major
splash today with a speech announcing his tax
plan, which aides said would not overhaul tax
brackets but would make the system more
progressive, meaning that wealthier Americans
would pay more in taxes and middle- and
lower-income families less. Dean, whose aides are
exploring a tax plan that would likely include
some reduction in payroll taxes, is unlikely to
announce any new policies this month, an adviser
said. If Dean pushes tax revisions, it would
likely happen during the general election. ABC’s
The Note reports:
ABC
News' Deborah Apton reports that under Clark's tax
reform, a family of four making up to $50,000
would pay no federal income taxes, and all
taxpaying families making up to $100,000 would get
a tax cut.
According to Notes put out by the Clark campaign
Sunday evening, General Clark's plan would cut
taxes for 31 million working families, while
shifting more of the tax burden to the top 0.1
percent of Americans-those making over $1 million.
Clark’s running down
It's New Hampshire around the
clock for Wesley Clark, as he'll spend nineteen of
the next twenty-three days campaigning around the
state before the primary. If you were wondering
about those bags under Clark’s eyes, Clark's wife,
Gert, thinks he may be getting sick. Reports are
the bags under his eyes are because he often
delays sleep, opting to stay up late playing
checkers with staff.
Edwards spin or traction?
Sen. John Edwards put in a good
appearance in the Register Debate and will be
delivering a speech in Iowa today outlining his
plan to change the country. He also campaigns in
Iowa tomorrow; and Wednesday morning, he is off to
South Carolina on Wednesday afternoon, and in New
Hampshire the rest of the week.
Kucinich spin
Dennis Kucinich issued the
following statement after the Des Moines Register
Debate:
“Democratic Presidential Candidate Dennis Kucinich
in today's Des Moines Register debate highlighted
the human and financial costs of the ongoing war
in Iraq, making the point that cuts to education,
health care, jobs programs, and veteran's benefits
will continue as long as the current spending on
an occupation of Iraq and the bloated Pentagon
budget continue. Kucinich remains the only
candidate with an exit strategy for Iraq.
Kucinich also stood out as the only candidate
willing to repeal NAFTA and the WTO, a point that
won rare applause at the debate.
Kucinich spoke in support of universal health
care. He is the only candidate with a detailed
plan that will create truly universal
comprehensive health coverage by taking the
private insurance companies out of the system.
Asked if he was electable, Kucinich won applause
with the response: "I'm electable if you vote for
me." Again, he pointed out that he is the only
candidate willing to oppose the Bush
Administration's ongoing war in Iraq.”
Kucinich’s NBC embed
MSNBC’s embed reports on Kucinich’s
performance at the debate:
Embed
Karin Caifa says Kucinich gave himself two thumbs
up for his performance: "I think we got the point
across when they asked the question about
electability. People are really tuned in to our
message of 'Fear ends, hope begins,'" he said. "We
can take this campaign right to the front. We are
going to surprise America." Kucinich also touted
the campaign's first TV ads, now airing in Iowa,
as a sign that his bid is alive and well. But
Caifa says a press conference about the ads, held
in the media area before the debate, went largely
ignored, leaving ad creator George Lois hurling
insults and muttering obscenities at reporters.
Missouri visit
President Bush will travel to
St. Louis to promote his "No Child Left Behind"
education law in the face of Democratic attacks
that the two-year old act unfairly punishes weak
schools and is under-funded. Bush will also hold
his first campaign fundraiser of the year, adding
to a record total of more than $110 million in
contributions for a primary race in which he has
no Republican opponent.
Bush is expected in his fiscal
2005 budget request next month to seek increases
of $1 billion each for education of disabled
children and for schools in low-income areas, a
congressional source said. The National Education
Association, representing millions of U.S.
teachers, has proposed changes in the Bush
legislation that would reduce the importance of
test scores in judging school performance and give
more help to struggling schools.
Focused
A New York Times’ story covers
observations on the Bush campaign. One of the
reporters sited a Bush campaign worker having a
leisurely lunch. So, the reporter called to check
out if the campaign was feeling confident. The
basic real answer was yes, but the spin answer was
focused:
Will
Dr. Dean implode? "I don't have any idea about
that," Mr. Mehlman said briskly, then he promised
to call back with statistics showing how prepared
for the battle the Bush campaign was.
Faster
than you could say "Florida election recount," he
did. So far, Mr. Mehlman said, the campaign has
trained 5,500 county and precinct leaders in 52
regional training sessions around the country,
teaching them how to register voters, write
letters to the editor, be the hosts of Bush-Cheney
block parties and otherwise turn out the
Republican vote on Election Day.
Bush travels to land of hanging chads
The Palm Beach Post columnist
writes on Thursday’s visit by President Bush:
President George W. Bush and Palm Beach County are
inextricably linked in American history.
But
Bush has never visited the Home of the Butterfly
Ballot as president.
Bush
-- who has made 17 trips to other parts of
electorally crucial Florida since taking office --
is scheduled to make his first presidential
appearance in Palm Beach County on Thursday when
he attends a $2,000-a-head fund-raiser at the PGA
National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens.
Organizers hope to raise about $750,000 for Bush's
reelection campaign, says Elizabeth Fago, a
major GOP fund-raiser who is one of the co-chairs
of Thursday's event. Gov. Jeb Bush is also
expected, Fago said.
No Flowers suit
A federal judge has dismissed
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton from a lawsuit that
accused her of conspiring with political advisers
to discredit Gennifer Flowers after Flowers said
she had an affair with Bill Clinton. Judicial
Watch, the public interest group that represents
Flowers, the organization plans to appeal.
Flowers will be getting her day
in court against Hillary's co-conspirators in the
smear campaign against her — George Stephanopoulos
and James Carville -- according to Judicial Watch
President Tom Fitton.
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