The Iowa Daily Report -- Wednesday, January 21, 2004

* QUOTABLE:

“We can go forward with confidence and resolve, or we can turn back to the dangerous illusion that terrorists are not plotting and outlaw regimes are no threat to us. We can press on with economic growth, and reforms in education and Medicare -- or we can turn back to the old policies and old divisions," President Bush said.

"Had we failed to act, the dictator's weapons of mass destruction programs would continue to this day," President Bush said.

"He promised us a humble foreign policy. Instead, he's alienated our allies, lost the respect of the world community, and cost 500 brave young men and women their lives," said Wesley Clark.

"The State of the Union may look rosy from the White House balcony or the suites of George Bush's wealthiest donors, but hardworking Americans will see through this president's effort to wrap his radical agenda with a compassionate ribbon," said Howard Dean.

"Kerry can fight with Bush on the national security field because of his service to the country in Vietnam and his leadership in the U.S. Senate. Those are two areas where Dean wasn't even in the arena," said Republican strategist Scott Reed.

"What you have in Kerry is an extreme liberal from liberal Massachusetts who agrees with Kennedy," said Michael Franc of the conservative Heritage Foundation.

"You get three tickets out of Iowa," said Dean campaign manager Joe Trippi. "We got one of them. It's not the one I would have wanted, but I'll take it."

"Dick Gephardt is a gift. He's a gift to every Democrat, every American, and everyone running to take back the White House in 2004. I am proud to call him my friend, and hope that he continues to lend his voice and ideas in this campaign," said John Edwards.

"Dick Gephardt is a valuable leader in our party and our country, and I am sorry to see him leave this race. He has given so much to our nation over three decades of public service, stood up for working families at every turn, and he conducted a campaign of integrity, principle, and grace. I have been proud to share so many stages with him over the past year, and have seen up close that he is a leader of deep convictions and undying optimism,” said Joe Lieberman.

"Congressman Gephardt is a great American, and his presence in this race and this debate will be missed. I stood with Dick Gephardt in 1988, and have always thought extremely highly of him. He has dedicated a great deal of his life helping America, and has consistently stood for working people and the best principles of the Democratic Party.” said Howard Dean.

* TODAY’S OFFERINGS:

*IPW Analysis: State of the campaigns

*Dean’s passion

*Kerry & Edwards in the money

*Organization in S. Carolina

*Edwards on two Americas

*Clark on overtime pay

*Gephardt Out

*Kucinich: why Edwards

*Kucinich delivers State of the Union

*Poll watching

* CANDIDATES & CAUCUSES:

State of the campaigns

One day after the Iowa Caucuses President Bush had his say to the nation in the traditional State of the Union Message. The divided and partisan nature of this campaign year was evident in the split between Democrats’ and Republicans’ reactions to the speech -- Democrats were frequently visible in their lack of applause to the President’s speech.

In New Hampshire according to New Hampshire Politics.com the Democrats were unanimous in their Bush bashing.

Clark watched the State of the Union with about 850 people at the Palace Theater.

Many in the audience booed at the first camera shots of Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. They remained silent during President Bush's entrance, though hissed at Bush's call to renew the USA Patriot Act.

Following the President’s speech, Clark was interviewed by Tom Brokaw. When Clark went into a tirade about the war in Iraq, Brokaw asked about Clark’s initial support for the war. Clark then interrupted Brokaw several times, insisting he never supported the war – even though last midterm election Clark campaigned for a Democrat Congressional candidate and urged her to support the war resolution that was then before congress.

Clark said, "The sad fact is that today, two years after he coined the term, we've got a new axis of evil. It's one our President himself has created. It's an axis of fiscal policies that threaten our future... foreign policies that threaten our security... and domestic policies that put families dead last. Call it the Bush axis of evil."

Sen. John Edwards continued in his class warfare attack on the President:

"Tonight, the president said that 'the state of our Union is confident and strong.' The first question you and I need to ask is, 'Which union Mr. President.' His America - the country where the Washington lobbyists, special interests and his CEO friends get what they want, when they want it-is doing just fine. But in our America, the state of working Americans is a struggle every single day..."

"What this president fails to understand is that we still live in two different Americas," Edwards said in a released statement.

"Instead of proposing ideas that would help heal our great divides," the North Carolina senator said, "he is dividing us even further and believes that compassionate language and empty slogans will make working Americans forget the burdens they face every day."

Sen. John Kerry continued on the theme of attacking special interests and privilege:

"Paul O'Neill is right because this president only hears the special interests and lobbyists," Kerry's statement read. "He doesn't see what's happening in our economy, in the workplace and to families everywhere."

"I'm running for president because it's time we put country over campaign contributions," he said.

Howard Dean offered the following statement:

"George Bush's empty proposals do nothing to address the real problems facing working Americans--problems his presidency has only made worse. On creating jobs, providing health care, and educating our children, I wish this President could learn from our example in Vermont, where we delivered real results for families.

"The State of the Union may look rosy from the White House balcony or the suites of George Bush's wealthiest donors. But hard-working Americans will see through this President's effort to wrap his radical agenda with a compassionate ribbon.

"This week in New Hampshire, and as the campaign moves ahead, I look forward to debating with my opponents about who has stood up to George Bush on the issues that matter. About who has actually delivered results for people. About who has the experience and strength to bring real change for American families," said Dean.

Kucinich offered the following statement:

"I actually thought it didn't have that much content. He spent a lot of time talking about terror. And see, it's kind of instructive. He can spend time talking about that and if you spend a lot of time talking about that you don't have to explain why America's lost 3 million manufacturing jobs. You don't have to explain why unemployment, while it hovers around 6 percent it doesn't really reflect the massive unemployment that exists in this country from people who have stopped looking for work. You don't have to explain why 43 million Americans don't have any health insurance at all. So just talk about terror and you don't have to talk about anything else."

Dean’s passion

America and political pundits continued to react to Howard Dean’s antics Monday night when he behaved like an angry possessed individual as he addressed his supporters in Des Moines following his third place showing in the Iowa Caucuses. The Manchester Union Leader reported Dean was more subdued in his appearances on Tuesday in New Hampshire:

On the first day of the rest of his political life, Howard Dean chose a new diet yesterday. He replaced the red meat with plain, white toast.

"If he wanted to create a moment no one would ever forget, he succeeded," said Christine Iverson of the Republican National Committee yesterday.

"People get uncomfortable if they perceive a leader is out of control. The only president who really got away with it was Teddy Roosevelt," said Bruce Buchanan, a presidential historian at the University of Texas.

The New York Daily News gots psychology experts to weigh in on Dean's speech:

Dean was casting himself as the underdog in New Hampshire:

“We spent a long time as the supposed front-runner and we paid the price that front-runners pay,” Dean said. “It’s a pleasure to come to New Hampshire not as a front-runner,” believing that strict media scrutiny will now be focused elsewhere.

Dean, who appreciates his adoring ‘Deanies’, was heckled as he spoke at the New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord. When he was interrupted for a second time, Dean led his supporters in a rousing rendition of the Star Spangled Banner to drown them out. The hecklers were waving the Confederate flag.

In a Boston Globe story Dean defended his incredible antics in Iowa:

The former Vermont governor said he wanted to show his appreciation to his Iowa volunteers. "I think that I owed them the reason that they came to this campaign, which was passion," Dean said. Later, in Concord, Dean responded to hecklers by breaking into song, and his supporters joined him in singing "The Star-Spangled Banner."

The Washington Times comments on Dean’s new subdued approach:

"Today, I am going to give a different kind of speech," Mr. Dean told supporters. "Those of you who came here intending to be lifted by ... a lot of red-meat rhetoric are going to be a little disappointed."

Kerry & Edwards in the money

One of the benefits of winning or in this case beating expectations is that money flows into your campaign. The Associated Press reports that both Sen. John Edwards and Sen. John Kerry hit the jackpot after their showings in Iowa:

"I need your help, and I need it immediately to continue the surge in New Hampshire," Kerry wrote Tuesday. "Please contribute today, as much as you can afford."

Along with his e-mail, Kerry challenged donors to help him raise $365,000 over the Internet on Tuesday — marking the 365 days left before the 2005 inauguration — and collected roughly $300,000 by late afternoon.

Edwards brought in at least $250,000 online between Monday and Tuesday evenings, his campaign said.

Kerry also received good news in the Wall Street Journal concerning a shift away form the war to economics among the most important issue of concern among Democrats:

"If the Iowa trend holds, the lessening of the war as a campaign issue will be good news for Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, the Iowa winner. His biggest problem has been explaining to Democratic loyalists why he voted in favor of the congressional resolution that authorized the war in Iraq... An economic focus may not be so good for former Gen. Wesley Clark," whose "late entry into the Democratic contest was based on his standing as a former general and national-security pro who opposed the Iraq war."

Organization in S. Carolina

The State offers a view of the various campaigns organizational strength in S. Carolina. Sen. John Kerry is in a mad dash to bring his staff back from Iowa to S. Carolina:

WESLEY CLARK

• Volunteers — 2,000

• Paid staff — 40

• Offices — Columbia, Orangeburg, Charleston, Greenville, Florence

• Endorsements — More than 40

HOWARD DEAN

• Volunteers — More than 350

• Paid staff — More than 50

• Offices — Columbia (2), Charleston, Greenville, Orangeburg, Florence

• Endorsements — 25

JOHN EDWARDS

• Volunteers — 400

• Paid staff — 9

• Offices — Columbia, North Charleston, Greenville, Florence

• Endorsements — More than 75

JOHN KERRY

• Volunteers — 321

• Paid staff — 7

• Offices — Columbia, Charleston

• Endorsements — More than 30

DENNIS KUCINICH

• Volunteers — 210

• Paid staff — None

• Offices — Columbia

• Endorsements — About 10

JOE LIEBERMAN

• Volunteers — 500

• Paid staff — 8

• Offices — Columbia, Charleston, Greenville

• Endorsements — About 60

AL SHARPTON

• Volunteers — About 200

• Paid staff — 4

• Offices — Columbia, Spartanburg, Florence (2)

• Endorsements — Campaign could not provide

Edwards on two Americas

Senator John Edwards offered his vision for an America that works for all of us at Manchester City Library:

"When the president says, 'The state of our union is strong,' you need to ask 'which union Mr. President?'" Edwards said. "Because the state of George Bush's union-the America of the Washington lobbyists, special interests and his CEO friends-is doing just fine. They get what they want, whenever they want.

"But in our America, the union for working Americans is a struggle every single day. Almost 3 million private sector jobs gone, including 22,000 manufacturing jobs in New Hampshire, more than 300,000 Americans gave up looking for work last month alone, 3 million more Americans are living in poverty, almost 4 million have lost their health insurance. Health care premiums are up 50 percent, and your incomes are down. Bankruptcies and credit card debt are at all time highs. Housing costs and college tuition are soaring."

Edwards said that today in this country there are two Americas: one for the privileged who get everything they want, and one for everyone else who struggle for the things they need. As president, Edwards will make America that works for all of us by:

"If this crowd gets four more years, they will change America forever," Edwards said. "But you and I together are going to make sure that we change America for the better. We can make sure that this state of the union is George Bush's last."

Clark on overtime pay

Wesley Clark called on Congress to block a proposed Bush Administration rule that would deny overtime pay to more than 8 million workers.

"President Bush should not deny overtime pay to millions of workers at a time when more and more workers are struggling to get by on shrinking pay checks. I think it is particularly wrong that Bush is turning his back on our veterans, many of whom stand to lose their right to overtime pay simply because of their military training. Congress should stand up for veterans and workers and block the Bush decision," Clark said in a written statement.

Gephardt Out

Here is Rep. Dick Gephardt’s last speech as a candidate for President of the United States:

"As I said last evening, I'd like to congratulate again the other candidates for their strong campaigns in Iowa. Enormous voter turnout shows the great strength and determination of the Democratic Party to reclaim the White House, and I accept the results with the knowledge that I gave this campaign everything that I had in me.

"Today my pursuit of the presidency has reached its end. I'm withdrawing as a candidate, and returning to private life, after a long time in the warm light of public service. I'd like to again thank the citizens of the 3rd Congressional District for their support and the privilege and honor of serving them in the Congress, for going on 28 years.

"I'd also like to thank them for standing by me during this final campaign. My life's work has been fighting for the honor and dignity of their life's work. And I couldn't ask for anything better from life.

"I'm going to return to Congress, and dedicate my last remaining year to representing them with the best of my ability. Every day of my working life I've sought to bring positive change to the hard working men and women of this country, and my efforts will not cease in these final months.

"I will continue to work for universal healthcare, pension reform, more teachers in the classroom, energy independence from Persian Gulf oil, and a trade policy that doesn't sacrifice American jobs in pursuit of trade with countries that have no respect for the environment, or the living conditions of their own people. American workers can't compete with that, and they shouldn't have to.

"I'm proud of the campaign we waged. It was fought on the principles of fairness for our workers, security for our seniors, and opportunity for our children. My career in public office is coming to an end, but the fight is never over.

"All of you who have dedicated so many months and years to this effort, I hope and pray that you will stay in the arena of public life. Never stop fighting for what you believe in and never stop believing that we can make a difference. The towering strength of America is its endless reservoir of citizens who never tire of the sacrifice to make it better.

"I love this country and I love my family. The silver lining in all of this, is that I'll finally get to see them, at every opportunity, rather than when opportunities could be found. Jane, Matt, Chrissy and Kate are my life. And to them I'll always be grateful. God bless you all."

Kucinich: why Edwards

A Boston Globe column explores why Rep. Dennis Kucinich went against his ideology in asking Iowa Caucus attendees to caucus with Sen. John Edwards when they were not viable:

On Monday, when it was clear that the Ohio representative could not win enough votes to be viable in the Iowa caucuses, Kucinich asked his supporters to throw their votes behind North Carolina Senator John Edwards. It was a curious choice, given Edwards's votes in support of the congressional resolution authorizing President George W. Bush to invade Iraq and in favor of the Patriot Act of 2001, a measure Kucinich regularly denounces as an assault on fundamental civil liberties.

Kucinich delivers State of the Union

Kucinich offered his own state of the Union Address:

Kucinich said our nation was "in a perilous condition due to fear, war, tax cuts to wealthy Americans, and trade policies leading to widespread unemployment in manufacturing and high tech industries." The rising cost of health care, he said "threatens the financial stability of all Americans. The retirement security of tens of millions of Americans is in doubt. Social Security is under attack with another privatization scheme."

Kucinich called for the creation of "a job creation program patterned after the WPA of the Administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt."

Kucinich spoke at length about the crisis in health care in this country, and said, " It is time for a universal, single payer, not-for-profit system, extended Medicare for All. Such an approach is contemplated in HR 676, a bill I have cosponsored in the House of Representatives, which will phase in a full coverage plan over a ten year period. This approach to health care emphasizes patient choice and puts doctors and patients in control of the system, not insurance companies."

The Ohio Congressman, who co-chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus, also focused on housing, calling for the preservation of public housing and housing assistance programs and the investigation of and elimination of predatory lending.

Kucinich ended his address on the topic of Social Security, which he said "is essentially sound. The Social Security Trust Fund, according to an analysis by the fund's trustees, is solvent through the year 2042, without any congressional action being necessary."

"Social Security is solid," Kucinich told his supporters in New Hampshire. "But the same is not true for the private pension plans of tens of millions of Americans…Corporate executives and board members ought to be accountable under both civil and criminal law for under-funding pensions."

Poll watching

A New Hampshire television poll shows:

Released at 6p.m. Tuesday the poll was taken from Jan. 17-19. It has a margin of error of +/-5 percent.

Dean 33

Kerry 24

Clark 18

Edwards 8

Lieberman 5

Kucinich 3

Gephardt 3

Sharpton 0

Undecided 6

Check out the Washington Posts’ breakdown of Iowa Caucus attendees.

* ON THE BUSH BEAT:

Bush center stage

For months $10 million were poured into Iowa TV media as Democrat candidates honed their attacks on President Bush. Last night President Bush took center stage and declared that the opponents to the war on terrorism are foolish and wrong headed.

The appeasers, deflectors and detractors were quick to counter that we are not safer and that Bush’s proposals are not the right ones to make us safe.

Bush was backed up from an unusual source. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak said the president's leadership was helping to bring about a safer world. The former Prime Minister has frequently been critical of Bush. He cited the televised image of a docile Saddam Hussein submitting to medical checks after his capture, sent a powerful message to the leaders of Libya, Iran, Syria and North Korea.

“The real achievement of Osama bin Laden...is that he ignited the imagination of hundreds of millions in the Arab world. That's his ultimate weapon. That's what gives him hope and patience and a kind of evil optimism," Barak said.

Reuters reports that the World Economic Forum entertained lecturers in Switzerland who said that far from making the country safer, the war on terror and the invasion of Iraq had made us unsafe:

"Going into Iraq in the way we did, without broad international support, really increased the ability of al Qaeda and its sympathizers to 'prove' that the objective of the United States is to humiliate the Islamic world, more than it was to liberate the Iraqi people." Gareth Evans, former Australian foreign minister and head of the International Crisis Group think-tank, said al Qaeda and its sympathizers had expanded their theater of operations since the September 11 attacks to countries including Morocco, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.

The Al Qaeda already had organizations in those countries before the invasion of Iraq.

* THE CLINTON COMEDIES:

Hillary write-in

Hillarynow.com is traveling around New Hampshire urging  'write-in'  for Hillary Clinton in next Tuesdays NH Primary.  The organization proclaims that Hillary is the answer.

Hillary is Our Insurance policy against a divided Convention. They were on  WKBK Radio in Keene yesterday advocating a Hillary writ-in vote. They have already placed 120 TV ads on cable. They have been to 33 cities and done 220 media interviews.

Here is their schedule for N.H.:

1. Friday: 1/23/04- PRIMARYPALOOZA- KEENE COLLEGE, MABEL BROWN ROOM 4-11P.M.

2. Sat.: 1/24/04- Granite Rd. and WMUR T.V. in Manchester, 11 AM, as we greet traffic.

Noon at Holiday Inn, Manchester

3. Sun.: 1/25/04- New Hope Baptist Church, 263 Peverly Hill Rd., Portsmouth, 12:30P.M.

North Church, 2 Congress St., Portsmouth, 2 P.M.

4. Mon.: 1/26/04- Holiday Inn, Manchester, 7-11:30 AM

Common Man Restaurant, 25 Water St., Concord, 1 P.M.

THE BALSAMS, Dixvillenotch, 11P.M. lst voting in NH

5. Tues.: 1/27/04-Granite Rd and WMUR T.V. in Manchester, 2 P.M.

* NATIONAL:

Liberal ads rejected

Last week, CBS officially turned down ads by both MoveOn.org and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) because of their controversial nature and content. CBS executives believed the ads were not appropriate for the festive professional football game that will take place on February 1.

The ad pushed by MoveOn.org was the winning entry in the infamous "Bush in 30 Seconds" contest that recently concluded. The proposed Super Bowl ad uses children working in a factory to criticize President George W. Bush's handling of the deficit.

PETA's proposed ad has two attractive women barely wearing any clothing endearing themselves to a pizza delivery man eating meat.

When the man fails to be aroused by the women, the screen shows the words, "Meat can cause impotence."

Continuing the attack

MoveOn.org has another ad that they say focuses on the State of the Union in 30 seconds. The ad actually focuses on prescription drug coverage for seniors:

As the ad opens, we see a series of photos from previous State of the Union addresses, cut quickly together to resemble a movie. We hear the voice of someone who sounds like George Bush. "My fellow Americans," he says, "My Medicare bill has real drug benefits…but not for you. For my contributors at the big drug companies. My bill actually forbids Medicare from negotiating lower drug prices...so you'll probably have to pay more for your prescriptions than you do now; and you won't be able to get cheaper prescriptions from Canada."

 

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