|
Iowa 2004 presidential primary precinct caucus and caucuses news">
Iowa 2004 presidential primary precinct caucus and caucuses news, reports
and information on 2004 Democrat and Republican candidates, campaigns
and issues Iowa
Presidential Watch's
IOWA DAILY REPORT Holding
the Democrats accountable today, tomorrow...forever.
THE DAILY
REPORT for Thursday, October 9, 2003
... QUOTABLE:
“This like
stealing a purse from a little old lady and then
giving her back the purse after you’ve mugged
her,” -- University of Iowa law school student
Michael Davis, on Wesley Clark's decision to
return speaking fees.
“The focus of the country is on Arizona. We’ve
never been on the political stage like this
before.” -- Arizona Dem Party chairman Jim
Pederson (Arizona’s primary takes place February 3rd)
“He [Bush] promised me he would do everything
possible to help California, and so I’m looking
forward to working with him and asking him for a
lot, a lot of favors.” – California
governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger
“The rivalry and duplication may also help
explain the persistent criticism of Kerry – both
from Democratic Party operatives and from the
media – that his campaign lacks focus, speed and
discipline.” – Washington Post’s Paul Farhi.
“All I can say is it’s mind-boggling. People
must be drooling.” -- James Lyons, a former
military subcontractor in Bosnia, said of the
opportunities for private contractors in the Bush
$87B for Iraq and Afghanistan.
"What's the
difference between the Clinton women and the
Schwarzenegger women? Oh, I'll tell you the
difference: about 200 pounds."
-- comic Jay
Leno.
“Question: How is John Kerry’s
campaign like Noah’s Ark? Answer: Both
have
two of everything.” – joke circulating in the
world of American politics.
“I think what the president is doing is setting
the stage for the failure of America.” –
Howard Dean’s latest gem, as he did lunch with
writers and editors of the New York Times. “Their [Dem candidates] attacks on each
other -- especially Kerry's and Representative
Richard A. Gephardt's salvos that Dean supported
deep cuts in Medicare in 1995 -- are less
persuasive, or relevant, than the day-to-day,
dollars-and-cents anxieties that keep many at the
Siouxland Senior Center awake at night.” –
Boston Globe’s Patrick Healy, on Iowa seniors’
frustration with the wannabes.
… Among the offerings in today’s update:
Complaint filed against U of Iowa for
Wesley Clark speech on Sept. 19 --
New NH poll reveals Dean keeps 10-point lead
over rivals
General Clark surrenders… his speaking fees,
that is
Bush-Schwarzenegger meeting?
On the Dean Blog today… Democrat Debate
Drinking Game
Kerry Campaign likened to ‘Noah’s Ark’
Boston Globe’s Patrick Healy: Dem Candidates
‘speaking in abstractions’ to Iowa elderly
Paul Bedard, of WashingtonWhispers fame, writes
about ‘Wesley Clark’s soap opera’
Get out the popcorn I: Dem Debate tonight in
Tucson, Arizona
Get out the popcorn II: U.S. House of Reps
begins debate today on $87B for Iraq
Dean does lunch with the New York Times
RNC bags $14M at yesterday’s fundraiser
A testy Rumsfeld takes a kinder approach
What’s hiding in Dean’s official governor of
Vermont paper?
John Edwards’ plan calls for helping disabled
get hired
Today’s IPW Presidential Candidates Schedule
* CANDIDATES/CAUCUSES:
IPW report:
The University of
Iowa Law School may have run afoul of the Federal
Election Commission. Two University of Iowa Law
School students, Michael Davis and Annette Stewart,
along with Jason Cole, chairman of the Iowa
Federation of College Republicans, have filed a
complaint against the university, Clark and his
campaign.
This exclusive
IPW report comes on the heels of the Clark
campaign’s announcing that Clark would return the
speaking fees he received since entering the
campaign.
The Clark campaign
is of the belief that they have done nothing wrong,
according to Washington Post’s PoliticsOnline.
"Based on our review of the FEC guidelines, we
believe that the paid speeches Gen. Clark delivered
since he announced his candidacy were appropriate,"
campaign spokesman Mark Fabiani said. "From here on,
Gen. Clark will give no more paid speeches."
“This like
stealing a purse from a little old lady and then
giving her back the purse after you’ve mugged her,”
said Davis.
The FEC has stated
that is not sure whether its prohibition of
candidates accepting speaking fees from
corporations, labor unions, individuals or
universities for campaign-related events was
violated.
In an e-mail from
Cole to
Iowa Presidential Watch, Cole outlines steps
taken by Davis to convince University of Iowa
College of Law dean William Hines that the Richard
S. Levitt Family Lecture Endowment Fund paying
presidential candidate Clark to lecture at the
University of Iowa would be in violation of the
Federal Election Commission standards as an illegal
contribution to the Clark campaign. Clark was paid
$30,000 plus travel-expenses for he and an
aid from the Levitt Family Foundation.
“They [the
university] cannot continue to be ostriches and keep
their heads in the sand on this matter,” said Davis.
It appears the
University made attempts, albeit inadequate, to
measure up to the standard required by the FEC.
The trio of U of
Iowa students – Cole, Davis and Stewart -- laid out
in their complaint to the FEC in the following
standard necessary for the University to follow:
We believe AO 1992-6
best applies to the issues at hand. In that
situation, Vanderbilt University invited white
supremacist and 1992 presidential candidate David
Duke to speak on affirmative action. Duke had
experience speaking on this topic. This is similar
to Clark’s knowledge of and recent public
discussions about United States military policy.
In an advisory
opinion, AO 1992-6, the FEC at the time said if Duke
discussed his campaign or the "qualifications of
another presidential candidate, either during the
speech or during any question and answer period [it]
will change the character of the appearance to one
that is for the purpose of influencing a federal
election."
In another twist of
irony, according to Washington Post’s
PoliticsOnline, Brad Litchfield -- who helped
draft the 1992 FEC advisory opinion as head of that
department -- is now working for the Clark campaign.
The University made
attempts to prohibit signs in the auditorium and
control the questions so that they would not be
political in nature. They required that everyone
enter through one door into the Memorial Union to
prohibit signs, reiterated that the General’s speech
was "The American Leadership Role in a Changing
World," screened the questions from the audience to
prohibit any political nature that might occur and
canceled a scheduled press conference with Clark
before the lecture.
“Dean Hines did try
by opening the lecture saying that the speech was
not to be political. However, there were illegal
signs in the auditorium. I mean illegal signs
because the law requires that the signs say who they
are paid by and these signs didn’t. At some point
you have to recognize that you are violating the
law,” said Davis.
The complaint filed
by the three students, cites the following facts: in
his speech Clark discussed his qualifications and
spoke disparagingly about President Bush’s
qualifications; individuals gathered in the Union
wearing Clark for President buttons; people close to
Clark’s presidential campaign organized supporters
from out of state to travel to the University of
Iowa to attend Clark’s lecture; and Clark
participated in a collateral campaign rally while in
Iowa City at the Hamburg Inn that included the
media.
Attorney Nicole
Marie Gustafson, who is a member of the Indiana Bar
Association, represented the three students in the
filing of the possible wrong-doing before the FEC.
They ask the FEC to take the following actions:
The Federal
Election Commission should declare “political” and
“for the purpose of influencing a federal
election” Clark’s entire September 19, 2003, trip
to the University of Iowa College of Law.
The Commission
should find Clark and his presidential campaign
committee in violation of federal election law.
The Commission
should find the University of Iowa, the University
of Iowa College of Law, the University of Iowa
Foundation, and the Richard S. Levitt Family
Lecture Endowment Fund in violation of federal
election law.
The Commission
should sanction and fine Clark and his
presidential campaign committee for violating
federal election law.
The Commission
should sanction and fine the University of Iowa,
the University of Iowa College of Law, the
University of Iowa Foundation, and the Richard S.
Levitt Family Lecture Endowment Fund for violating
federal election law.
The Commission
should require that Clark return to the University
of Iowa College of Law or its Richard S. Levitt
Family Lecture Endowment Fund the $30,000 plus
travel expenses for two to deliver the political
lecture.
The Commission
should require that Clark reimburse the University
of Iowa, the University of Iowa College of Law,
the University of Iowa Foundation, and the Richard
S. Levitt Family Lecture Endowment Fund for all
expenses incurred for the Lecture and all other
activities related to the trip. This should
include, but is not limited to: transportation,
room and equipment rentals, security, food,
drinks, entertainment, media relations, and legal
work.
The Commission
should refer this case to the United States
Department of Justice for investigation of
potential criminal activities.
The Commission
should refer this case to the United States
Department of Treasury’s Internal Revenue Service
for investigation into potential Internal Revenue
Code violations.
Clearly the Clark
campaign is trying to put this matter behind them.
However, complaints tend to be long and drawn-out
matters. It certainly doesn’t help that the
University of Iowa is named in the complaint, which
happens to be an Iowa sacred cow here in the
first-in-the-nation presidential kick-off state.
... Just posted on the
Dean
campaign blog website: [IPW NOTE: a "blog"
is Internet-speak for a "web log" of posted
comments. It is a running log of comments from
people and is monitored by a blog (web log) staff.
They are responsible for removing any inappropriate
comments, etc. These web logs, or blogs, are used
with stunning efficiency by the Dean Campaign. They
are lightning rods for the loyalists who enjoy the
Internet, and thus a new and potent tool for
spreading information instantaneously. The down
side: how do you confirm who is really posting
comments on them? Hence, the ease with which rivals
can sabbotage an inexperienced campaign's web log or
blog.] "A new New Hampshire poll has been
released by the
American Research Group, showing Dean with a
10-point lead over his rivals. Here are the poll
findings: Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean
continues to hold his lead in ballot preference
among likely Democratic primary voters in the New
Hampshire Democratic Presidential Preference Primary
according to the latest New Hampshire Poll. In
ballot preference, Dean leads with 29% to
19% for Senator John Kerry. Dean and Kerry
continue to be the only two candidates to receive
double-digit support. When it comes to candidate
favorability, 63% of likely Democratic primary
voters have a favorable opinion of Dean and 63% have
a favorable opinion of Kerry. Awareness of Wesley
Clark has increased to 90% from 47% in August, but
over half of likely Democratic primary voters aware
of Clark say they do not know enough about him to
form an opinion. These results are based on 600
completed telephone interviews among a random sample
of registered Democrats and undeclared voters in New
Hampshire saying they always vote or vote in most
Democratic primary elections. This sample includes
413 Democrats (69%) and 187 undeclared voters (31%).
The interviews were conducted October 5 through 8,
2003. The theoretical margin of error for the total
sample of 600 is plus or minus 4 percentage points,
95% of the time, on questions where opinion is
evenly split. The greatest change in ballot
preference since the September survey is preference
for Wesley Clark increasing from 2% to 5% (which is
within the margin of error)."
… General Wesley Clark is surrendering.
(No, not like Bob Graham…) Clark has decided
to surrender his past and future speech fees.
Probably a good strategy, after the Washington
Post’s report on possible FEC law breaking by the
newbie Dem candidate. [IPW NOTE: see
yesterday’s Daily Report item]. In a Reuters
report in today’s
Washington Post, Camp Clark spokesman
Mark Fabiani said, “From here on, General Clark will
give no more paid speeches,” and added that Clark
would return the payments for speeches he had given
since he entered the presidential race “to avoid any
distraction from the real issues that matter to
Americans.”
… Paul Bedard, of
WashingtonWhispers fame, writes about ‘Wesley
Clark’s soap opera.’ As reported in
yesterday’s
IPW Daily Report, Camp Clark chaos is evident.
Excerpts from the article: “The
political intrigue plaguing Wesley Clark's
Democratic presidential campaign continues to
deepen. Insiders tell our Suzi Parker that
one day after campaign manager Donnie Fowler
quit over concerns that Clark was letting
Washington hands, not Clark fans and activists, run
the show, he fled Arkansas. Sources say his foes
pushed him out by leaking his resignation to the
Associated Press Tuesday while negotiations over his
role were being discussed and before he quit. The
message being sent: Hasta la vista, baby.
Interesting, said the insiders, was who showed up
minutes after Fowler left his office: Ex-John
Kerry and Al Gore spokesman Chris
Lehane. …Add to that the turmoil around Clark
spokeswoman Kym Spell, who previously worked
for both Kerry and John Edwards, two of
Clark's foes. Campaign sources say that lawyer and
former Clinton aide Mary Streett was called
in to help on the press plane, a move that upset a
surprised Spell. The result: Streett went home to
Chicago. It's all got Clark allies wishing he'd put
his uniform on again, play general, and right his
listing ship.”
… Howard (The Mouth) Dean did lunch yesterday
with ‘reporters and editors’ of the New York Times.
Dean verbal gem of the day, “I think what the
president is doing is setting the stage for the
failure of America.” [IPW NOTE: Gaffe Gauge
time… again]. In the article, published in
today’s
New York Times, the Times characterized
Dean’s latest BushBash as ‘perhaps his most
overarching critique yet of the Republican
incumbent.’
… In a very well worded piece in today’s
Boston Globe, writer Patrick Healy takes
a long, hard look at courting of Iowa’s elderly
voters by Democratic hopefuls. The conclusion:
“to many elderly Iowans, who make up a powerful
voting bloc in the first-in-the-nation presidential
caucuses in January, the leading Democrats like
Kerry and Dean have so far been speaking in
abstractions: Save Medicare. Preserve Social
Security. Create a prescription drug benefit for the
elderly. [IPW NOTE: see IPW’s
Fairytales for Seniors] … Their
attacks on each other – especially Kerry’s and
Representative Richard A. Gephardt’s salvos that
Dean supported deep cuts in Medicare in 1995 –
are less persuasive, or relevant, than the day to
day, dollars and cents anxieties that keep many at
the Siouxland Senior Center awake at night….
Some elderly Iowans say they are bewildered
by recent criticism by Kerry and Gephardt of Dean’s
comments, in 1995, praising a congressional
Republican proposal to cut the growth of Medicare
spending…seniors say they are disappointed that
the debate over health care today seems to be
largely reduced to a Medicare battle eight years ago.”
Healy’s article focused on John Kerry, who was in
Iowa to talk to seniors about his health agenda.
... Get Out the Popcorn I: Break out the
popcorn and grab your score cards -- It’s
Presidential Debate Night, again. The field has
narrowed from ten to nine, and like it or not,
they’re all going to give America a piece of
their minds tonight. The nationally televised
debate will take place in Tucson, Arizona, and it
the first of six organized by the Democratic
National Committee. An AP article in the
Tucson Citizen quotes Arizona’s Dem Party
chairman Jim Pederson as saying, “The focus
of the country is on Arizona. We’ve never been on
the political stage like this before.” Arizona’s
primary takes place February 3rd.
… It seems that someone on the
Dean Blog last night has come up with a way to
make tonight’s Democratic Presidential Debate in
Arizona more, more t o l e r a b l e:
The ‘Official’ Democratic Debate Drinking
Game. (Posted in
Official Dean Blog by Joel K in AZ at October
8, 2003 09:19 PM). And if anyone has any thoughts of
playing, be sure you have a designated driver to
take you home after the debate. Here’s the post --
The “Official”
Democratic Debate Drinking Game
Look for each of these lines and drink as indicated:
Anyone says …
Wesley Clark says …
Howard Dean says …
John Edwards says …
Dickie G. says …
John Kerry says …
Dennis Kucinich says …
Joe Lieberman says …
Carol Moseley Braun says …
Al Sharpton says …
… Dem candidate John Edwards continued his Work
Week yesterday, outlining his “Breaking down
Barriers” plan in Davenport, Iowa. Ed Tibbets,
Quad City Times, reports on Edwards today.
According to Tibbets, the Edwards plan could help
as m any as 40,000 disabled young people get jobs.
How? Edwards says he’ll put $20M to work, which will
be used to get internships and educate employers on
the advantage of hiring this segment of America’s
available workforce. Another Edwards talk point:
speed up a law that stops ‘unfair’ penalties on
disabled workers’ Social Security/Medicare benefits.
Edwards is slated to speak more in Iowa today, with
stops in Oskaloosa, Knoxville and Indianola, before
heading to Tucson, Arizona for tonight’s DNC
sponsored presidential candidates debate.
… What’s the latest joke in Campaign Land?
“How is John Kerry’s campaign like Noah’s Ark?
answer: Both of two of everything.”
Rimmmm shot!
OnPolitic’s story today, by Washington
Post staff writer Paul Farhi, states the facts
of the joke, err – case. Recounting Kerry’s
official announcement of his candidacy for president
of the United States (you know – the Bush copycat
one with the aircraft carrier), Team Kerry had not
one but two speeches prepared. As the Day of
Announcement arrived, the speech written by Jim
Jordan (campaign manager) and Chris Lehane (comm..
dir.) got a big Kerry thumbs down. But not to worry
– Kerry already had an alternate speech to use,
written by top adviser Bob Shrum. Excerpts from
Farhi’s article: “The rivalry and duplication may
also help explain the persistent criticism of Kerry
– both from Democratic Party operatives and from the
media – that his campaign lacks focus, speed and
discipline.”
… Just what is hiding in those papers?
Howard Dean has enjoyed a 10-year lock on his
official Guv-of-Vermont papers. And he wants it
extended, which brings to mind a logical question –
what’s to hide? The conservative group ‘Judicial
Watch’ sure wants to know, according to an article
in today’s
Boston Globe. Excerpts: “The conservative
Washington-based watchdog group Judicial Watch last
week called on Dean to release the documents and
said it is exploring possible legal action…
Discussions between the [Dean] counsel and the state
archivist about a potentially longer sealing period
centered around the possibility that a future
political opponent of Dean’s might seize on a
document and use it as ammunition… State
archivist Gregory Sanford noted that in the talks a
primary concern was “the ‘Willie Horton’ example,”
referring to the furloughed Massachusetts prisoner
whose crimes surfaced as an issue in the 1988
contest between Vice President George H.W. Bush and
Michael S. Dukakis.”
Today’s IPW Presidential Candidates Schedule
·
DNC-sponsored Presidential Candidate Debate in
Phoenix, Arizona. Hosted by Gov. Janet Napolitano &
the Arizona Democratic Party. All presidential
candidates invited. Broadcast on CNN.
·
John Edwards
in Iowa
*
ON THE BUSH BEAT:
… A Bush-Schwarzenegger meeting may be in the
works for next week. President Bush will travel
to California next week before he heads to Tokyo. It
is expected that Bush will make a couple of
$-raising stops while in California.
AP writer Scott Lindlaw reports that two
California Republicans ‘with ties to the White
House’ say Bush and Schwarzenegger are ‘likely to
make a joint public appearance in Riverside,
California, next Wednesday.’ And reported that
the Schwarzenegger campaign for governor of
California spurred an increase of some
130,000 GOP-registered voters in that state.
Article excerpts: President Bush called
Schwarzenegger yesterday to offer his
congratulations on winning the recall. White House
spokesman Scott McClellan, “The president said he
was proud of the race he ran, and he looked forward
to working with him.” … Schwarzenegger said, “He
promised me he would do everything possible to help
California, and so I’m looking forward to working
with him and asking him for a lot, a lot of
favors.”
* THE CLINTON COMEDIES:
... Here's an
editorial in today's
Daily Iowan, written by the Iowa City
newspaper's editorial board, lamenting the media's
Hillary's-going-to-run 'fixation.' Excerpts:
"Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines
intention as a determination to act in a
certain way. This is an important word to
understand. Hillary Rodham Clinton has repeatedly
made her intentions clear about a run for the
presidency in 2004: She has none. However, some
members of the media are still fixated upon the
possibility that she may enter the Democratic race.
It's time that we laid this suspicion to rest and
focused upon the nine Democratic candidates whose
words we accept at face value. The latest
speculations involving Rodham Clinton stem from
activity here in Iowa. She has agreed to be the
master of ceremonies at the Iowa Democratic Party's
annual fund-raiser on Nov. 15. ...In the words of
Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Gordon Fischer, her
agreement to emcee is "the ultimate statement that
she is not running." Why do we need an ultimate
statement? Fischer went on to say that if there were
any chance of Rodham Clinton entering the race, she
would not be allowed to emcee the event. It would
give her an advantage over the other candidates.
Yet, that seems to be what the media are
persistently doing. ...There are nine other
individuals in the Democratic Party who intend to
become the next president of the United States, as
well as an incumbent Republican. They deserve our
interest and attention. Whether or not we agree with
Rodham Clinton's decision not to run for president,
it's time that we stopped speculating and began
focusing upon the current candidates.
* WAR/TERROR:
… A testy Donald Rumsfeld has taken a kinder
approach, the day after he bristled to European
reporters concerning the White House’s
reorganization of the Iraq efforts. Excerpts
from today’s
New York Times article: “Appearing at a NATO
conference…Mr. Rumsfeld tried to dismiss any talk of
his diminished role in Iraq policy…That tone
contrasted with his harsh language on Tuesday, when
he said President Bush had never discussed with him
the creation of the Iraq Stabilization Group, set up
by Condoleezza Rice… But several administration
officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity,
said on Wednesday that Ms. Rice had discussed the
issue with Mr. Rumsfeld and the other members of the
National Security Council last week. The
memorandum she sent out last Thursday to Mr.
Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and
George J. Tenet, the director of central
intelligence, refers in its first sentence to
discussions she had with all of them.”
* NATIONAL POLITICS:
… According to the
Washington Times today, the Republican National
Party took in $14 M yesterday in at a fundraiser
featuring President Bush.
The $1,500-per-ticket
evening event at the Washington Hilton was Mr.
Bush's first major party fund-raiser since last May.
Through August, the most recent figures available,
the RNC raised about $69.6 million and had $24.6
million on hand. The Democratic National Committee
took in $26.3 million and had $7.8 million on hand.
* FEDERAL POLITICS:
… Get Out the Popcorn II: Turn on to C-SPAN
– the U.S. House of Reps begins their debate on
Bush’s $87 billion request for Iraq/Afghanistan. One
highlight in the request: $800M for Iraqi police
force training facility. The
Washington Post reports today: “Many of the
services being sought – including police training,
crimes against humanity investigations and prison
construction expertise – are highly specialized.
Conditions are dangerous. Experts say American
taxpayers can expect to pay a hefty premium to
contractors in a classic seller’s market…
“All I can say is it’s mind-boggling,” James Lyons,
a former military subcontractor in Bosnia, said of
the opportunities for private contractors. “People
must be drooling.”
click here
Paid
for by the Iowa Presidential Watch PAC
P.O.
Box 171, Webster City, IA 50595
privacy
/ agreement
/
/ homepage
/
search engine |
