Daily Report: 2004 Presidential Watch: Republican conservative news on the Democrat caucus, primary candidates national campaigns.

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THE CLINTON COMEDIES:

Hillary keeps saying “no,” but reports continue that she’ll become a wannabe. Some believe she’s keeping speculation alive to bolster ’06 Senate fundraising. Headline from yesterday’s Newsday: “Talk of Clinton Run Persists” Coverage by Newsday’s Anne Q, Hoy: “New York Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton says the field of Democratic presidential candidates is ‘beginning to break through’ and is on track to defeat George W. Bush next year. ‘I think we've got good candidates,’ Clinton said in an interview last week after calling for better health benefits for those serving in the National Guard and reserves. ‘They're honing their messages. They're being very assertive. They're beginning to break through.’ The observation from the former first lady comes as talk that she could enter the race persists. For her part, Clinton repeatedly has insisted that she intends to keep her promise to New York voters to complete her Senate term. Clinton has left the door open to a presidential bid in 2008, however, which helps drive the presidential speculation. With many Democrats now viewing Bush as more vulnerable over his handling of postwar Iraq and the economy, Clinton confronts this reality: The better the prospects for a Democrat to defeat Bush, the worse her chances for a presidential bid in 2008 because it would be difficult, to say the least, to oppose a Democratic incumbent president. Another round of conjecture circulated after Clinton and former President Bill Clinton recently hosted some 150 top fund-raisers at their home in Chappaqua and Clinton reportedly thanked them for their support ‘for my next campaign, whatever that may be.’ Clinton supporters insist the gathering was long planned and meant to kick off fund-raising for her re-election bid in 2006 when Republicans intend to field a strong challenger. Former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo's recent public call for Clinton to jump into the race did little to dampen the rumors, despite Cuomo having appealed in August to former Vice President Al Gore to do the same thing. One key Democrat disputes the notion that the talk reflects a weak slate of candidates. ‘The reality is most of the activists recognize that she is not getting into the race and the contributor base recognizes that she is not getting into the race,’ said a top Democrat, who asked not to be named. ‘It doesn't really matter.’ Some suggest Republicans are keeping the rumors alive to help them raise money for Bush. Certainly, the talk also helps Clinton rake in donations for her own re-election in 2006.”

Unions already facing dismal situation on several fronts, but now face challenge of finding an acceptable – and electable – wannabe. Gephardt is the obvious sentimental choice, but doubts linger about whether he can pass the electability test. Headline from Sunday’s Miami Herald: “Unions can’t agree on a Democrat” Excerpt from coverage by Dick Polman of the Knight Ridder News Service: “It's a bad era for organized labor. The global economy has helped deplete the membership rolls, a conservative White House has been demonstrably hostile, and there's no hiding the fact that, in America today, only 9 percent of private sector workers are unionized. So why are the Democratic presidential candidates competing so feverishly for labor's official blessing? Here's the deal: In the economic realm, labor may appear to be on the ropes, but in the world of contemporary Democratic politics, labor's punch is arguably as powerful as it was back in the days when boss George Meany was chomping on his fat cigar. As evidenced by the results in recent presidential elections, no Democrat has a prayer of winning the White House unless an aroused labor movement puts its troops in the field to stoke an outsized turnout. And since labor believes its survival is at stake, it expects to be aroused again in 2004. ‘Labor is taking a beating,’ said David Kusnet, a former union official and Clinton speechwriter. ‘The treadmill keeps going faster. They've got to work harder to organize new members just to make sure they don't lose ground. But there are still 13 million members, and when they get fired up…that's still a formidable force.’ But labor leaders can't agree on a Democrat -- which is bad news for Rep. Dick Gephardt, D-Mo., the former House minority leader who has championed labor issues for two decades, and whose ultimate viability as a candidate may hinge on whether he gets the nod of the AFL-CIO, the umbrella organization for many labor unions. Gephardt would seem to be the sentimental favorite, but that may not be enough. Labor leaders are torn between their hearts (a candidate who's most simpatico on union issues) and their heads (one who can actually win). In some cases they're fighting with each other because labor has more cliques than a high school cafeteria. ‘We're not sold on any of the candidates,’ said Gerald McEntee, who runs the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, as well as the AFL-CIO's political shop. An alumnus of Philadelphia ward politics, he wants to pick the horse who can go the distance, and back that horse as early as possible -- as he did with Bill Clinton in 1992. ‘We want someone who can demonstrate electability,’ he said. ‘We don't have the luxury of giving these candidates a litmus test…because look what the Bush administration is up to: Their goal is to create a conservative majority for decades to come -- and they're close to doing that.’ The White House is partly motivated by ideology -- Republicans have long opposed labor -- but also by its desire to weaken labor politically. The Bush team knows that labor's blessing is not merely symbolic because exit polls from the 2000 election are indisputable: Al Gore would have been toast without labor's massive turnout. Nationwide, 26 percent of all voters in that election were union workers or residents of union households, and Gore's winning margin among those voters was 22 points.”

Des Moines Register, top front-page headline: Local – “Denson tapped for DMACC helm…Calmar campus’ leader praised as energetic, innovative” Robert Denson, president of Northeast Iowa Community College since 1998, will become president of Des Moines Area Community College. & “Israel backs off threat to kill Arafat”

Main stories online, Quad-City Times: “Federal court puts brakes on California recall election”

Nation/world heads, Omaha World-Herald online: “East braces for worst, hopes for best as Isabel nears” & “California recall may be pushed to 2004”

New York Times online, featured reports: “New Twist in Recall Brings Anger From Right” The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals replaced Gov. Gray Davis as the Republican Party’s punching bag. & “Open War Over, Iraqis Focus on Crime and a Hunt for Jobs”

Chicago Tribune online, main headlines: “California recall vote postponed” & “Women’s soccer league folds on eve of World Cup”

On the Korean front: this report, carried today by VOA Online: “US Reconsiders Food Aid Shipment to N. Korea.” Excepts: “The United States says it is considering whether to go ahead with a 60,000 ton food aid shipment to North Korea, amid concerns the aid might not reach those who need it most. U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said Monday that Pyongyang has not allowed the World Food Program to monitor food distribution to ensure it gets to what he called "vulnerable North Koreans." He said the United States has already sent 40,000 tons of food aid to famine-stricken North Korea, but that U.S. officials are reviewing whether to go ahead with a further shipment of 60,000 tons. North Korea accused the United States and Japan Monday of disrupting international food shipments. A Foreign Ministry spokesman in Pyongyang said that regular assistance programs are being delayed or put off because of pressure by Washington, Tokyo and some other governments. He called on international aid organizations to reject any attempt at tying humanitarian assistance to political disputes. However, in Washington, Mr. Ereli denied food aid contributions to North Korea are linked to political issues. Both the United States and Japan have accused North Korea of diverting international food aid for use by the military - a charge Pyongyang denies. A recently published book on aid to North Korea, called "Paved With Good Intentions," says the communist country received more than $1 billion worth of aid between 1995 and 2001. One of the authors of the book, Scott Snyder of the Asia Foundation, says constraints placed on aid workers by the North Korean government have caused some agencies to pull out of the country. “

FoxNewsOnline headline: “GOP Produces Draft Energy Proposal”. Excerpts: “ WASHINGTON — Republicans offered a tentative package of proposals for energy legislation Monday to help build a natural gas pipeline in Alaska, develop hydrogen as a fuel and expand research into how to cut pollution from burning coal. The draft language was agreed to by the Republican heads of House and Senate delegations working on the energy legislation and will be discussed with Democratic staff members this week. Democrats said they were not involved in developing the draft documents, but most of the issues appeared to be uncontroversial. The proposal for developing hydrogen fuel however, was scaled back substantially from a plan sought by Democrats and included in an earlier energy bill. No longer would the legislation establish a timetable for developing hydrogen fuel systems, and spending would be a third less than what some Democrats sought. Still, the more contentious issues such as whether to drill for oil in an Arctic wildlife refuge and various measures to address problems with the nation's electricity system have yet to be considered in any detail by the conferees. Even the issues covered by Monday's draft papers still could change. … The Republican draft language released Monday includes:

Quad-City Times Online report by Ed Tibbetts: “Seng may not run for Congress”. Excerpts: “Iowa Sen. Joe Seng, D-Davenport, said Monday he may not run for Congress in Iowa’s 1st District, given that former state Senator Bill Gluba of Davenport has said he will try for the job. Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Lane Evans, D-Ill., made it known he’s backing Gluba. Gluba said over the weekend he will run for the Democratic nomination for the 1st District seat, held now by U.S. Rep. Jim Nussle, R-Iowa. His entrance into the race is the first definitive declaration by a Democrat in the district. Seng previously had said he was interested in running but that it would depend on the sale of The Villa, Rock Island. Seng owns the property. Seng said he will reconsider a candidacy. “If Bill is going to run, I’m definitely going to reconsider,” he said. “Bill and I are good friends.” … A spokesman for Nussle, Nick Ryan, said it was too early to concentrate on campaigning for reelection. As for Evans, he noted Evans assisted Hutchinson unsuccessfully in 2002. “

“Arafat must go…The international community should join to pressure him into exile…He is not a man of peace. Let those who truly want peace step forward.” & “Guard people’s life savings…Small investors must be able to trust the integrity of money managers…More than half of American households own mutual funds.”

The University of Northern Iowa will honor former basketball coach Eldon Miller and his wife, Dee, at a banquet this Saturday. Miller was Northern Iowa's coach from 1986 through ‘98 and guided the Panthers to the NCAA Tournament in 1990, the school's only appearance in that tournament.

DSM 7 a. m. 55, fair/clear. Temperatures across Iowa at 7 a.m. ranged from 49 in Iowa City and 50 in Estherville, Independence and Ames to 59 in Council Bluffs, Carroll, Shenandoah, and Fort Madison. Today’s high 84, breezy. Tonight’s low 63, chance T-storms. Wednesday’s high 85, breezy. Wednesday night’s low 62, chance T-storms.

Iowans will bond with their prairie past at the Red Feather Prairie Festival this Sunday in Ankeny. Today’s Des Moines Register reports that festival-goers can “learn and play games” during the free event. A brief schedule of the Sunday events: noon, Iowa’s Endangered Habitat; 1 p.m. Prairie Hike; 2 p.m. Prairie Edibles & Medicinals; 3 p.m. A Visitor From the Past. Red Feather Prairie is a 170-acres reconstructed prairie and is located on Iowa Highway 415, west of Ankeny.