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Kerry’s fading support
Sen. John Kerry came to Iowa and found that winning Iowa a second time could
be a challenge.
As the
Des Moines Register article quote tells:
"I have a feeling that people have a hard time, after someone hasn't been
able to pull it off, getting behind them again," state Rep. Janet Petersen
of Des Moines said. "So if Sen. Kerry wants to run again, he's really going
to have to make a case."
However, Kerry can still draw a crowd. So now, the only question can he
achieve a succinct consistent message? So far his message is:
"We're fighting for the heart and soul of our nation, for who we are as a
civilized nation, as people around the world look at us," Kerry said at the
Johnson County Democrat event.
View
Iowa Press Citizen’s coverage.
Des Moines Register columnist David Yepsen offered some advice and
observations about how Kerry has improved:
"You also could tell he'd learned some lessons from 2004. His Des Moines
speech was only about 15 minutes long, not one of those wonkish lectures
voters had to endure during the campaign. He also slipped in a little
discussion of religious faith, something Democrats learned they need to do."
Gore 2008?
It is being reported that Al Gore’s friends say he is coming back. "It's
Gore Time," says a political strategist and fundraiser who is opening a bid
to get Gore into the race, according to reports in U.S. News & World
Report’s Political Whispers. It is reported that Gore’s recent political and
business moves are proof that he is preparing to run.
Gore has found a shrill voice when addressing domestic and world issues.
He's made several extreme speeches that have made him the darling of
MoveOn.org.
Recently, Gore’s activities have him raising money for his TV network
venture. The network is aimed at the youth market, which isn’t a reliable
voter base. Some argue that it has crated a donor network that's competitive
with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's. It is also reported that the Gore
faithful want him to pick Sen. Barack Obama as his running mate.
Clinton’s tears
It seems "I’ll steal the papers boss" -- Sandy Berger’s account of Bill
Clinton vigorously pursuing Kohbar Towers bombers with the Saudis -- is not
true. Berger claimed that when Clinton met with Crown Prince Adbullah that
he sought the Saudi’s help.
Not true reports
NewsMax:
According to two sources close to former Saudi ambassador Prince Bandar bin
Sultan, ex-president Bill Clinton was on the verge of tears over legal woes
brought on by the Monica Lewinsky scandal during a Sept. 1998 meeting with
Crown Prince Adbullah - and spent almost no time discussing the Khobar
Towers bombing case.
DeLay lawyers subpoena Earle
Did prosecutor Ronnie Earle act 'improperly' with grand jurors in his quest
to indict Tom DeLay? That's the charge levied by attorneys for Tom DeLay, as
the subpoenaed the Texas district attorney.
According to an article by the AP [LINK],
DeLay's lawyers claim Earle's conduct with grand jurors is in question and
they are requesting grand jurors be released from their secrecy oath to
respond to questioning about Earle's conduct. Also subpoenaed are two of
Earle's assistants. :
[DeLay attorney] DeGuerin wants Earle to answer 12 questions about
conversations he had with grand jurors, including whether the prosecutor
became angry when a grand jury decided against an indictment of DeLay and
why the decision was not publicly released.
He also wants to know the details of Earle's conversation with William
Gibson, foreman of a grand jury that indicted DeLay on conspiracy charges
and whose term has since ended.
"If you did nothing improper, you should not be concerned about answering
these questions," DeGuerin said in his letter to Earle.
Details of the motion:
In a motion filed last week, the defense team said that from Sept. 29
through Oct. 3, Earle and his staff "unlawfully participated in grand jury
deliberations and attempted to browbeat and coerce" the grand jury that
refused to indict DeLay.
The motion said Earle then attempted to cover up and delay public disclosure
of the refusal, and also "incited" the foreman of the first grand jury to
violate grand jury secrecy by talking publicly about the case - in an effort
to influence grand jurors still sitting.
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