|
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 Friday, September 26, 2003 ...
QUOTABLE:
midday quotes: “Clark
has jumped into third place as a result of his
dramatic entry -- but his numbers are not
enough yet to put him in the running with Dean and
Kerry. It is unlikely that he will get a bounce
from the Iowa caucuses, thus he is going to
have to spend a lot of time in New Hampshire.” –
Pollster John Zogby, commenting on new New
Hampshire poll released today “I
was fighting that reckless economic strategy while
Wes Clark was working to forward the
Republican agenda by raising money for the
Republican Party.” – Lieberman, in
statement issued this morning
“During the debate, his rivals largely gave
Clark a pass on the issue, but Lieberman's
comments Friday suggest the retired general will
come under greater scrutiny as his campaign
proceeds.” – AP’s Nedra Pickler,
reporting on Lieberman statement today “I
never tell Patrick how to vote or who to support.
I'm sure he's making plenty of friends in Iowa.
I just hope he reminds them to show up next
November to vote for John after he makes his run
through the primaries and wins the nomination.” –
Ted Kennedy, who will campaign in
Waterloo Saturday for Kerry – the day
before son Patrick shows up in Waterloo at
a Gephardt event
“Two hours is a long time for a presidential
debate, even one featuring 10 wordy Democrats.” –
Boston Globe editorial this morning
“While some of Clark's answers showed him
more adept at delivering sentences than substance,
he showed promise of becoming a debater to be
reckoned with.” – Globe editorial
“John Kerry staked out his defense of the
middle class firmly, though some of his responses
lacked clarity.” – Globe editorial
“Anyone wondering where the Democratic candidate
for President stands on a range of issues is sure
to find the speech illuminating. Lincoln Day
dinners are partisan political events, and it was
entirely in keeping with the spirit of the evening
for the keynote speaker to voice his admiration of
Republican leaders.” – OpinionJournal.com (Wall
Street Journal) commentary, referring to
Clark’s appearance at an Arkansas GOP dinner
two years ago.
morning quotes: “And
I'm very glad we've got the great team in office,
men like Colin Powell, Don Rumsfeld, Dick
Cheney, Condoleezza Rice...people I know very well
-- our president George W. Bush. We need
them there.” – Clark, in speech two years ago
as cited by the DRUDGE REPORT
“President George Bush had the courage and the
vision...and we will always be grateful to
President George Bush for that tremendous
leadership and statesmanship.” – Clark “If
I've learned one thing in my nine days in
politics, you better be careful with hypothetical
questions.” -- Clark, at yesterday’s Dem
debate
“Even Costa Ricans have health care for all their
people, and we can too.” – Dean, in speech to
union in Michigan yesterday “Every
week it seems that more and more Democrats in
New Hampshire are being caught in Howard
Dean’s gravitational pull.” – Editorial in
today’s The Union Leader “The
last thing Kerry needs in New Hampshire
is to turn off liberal voters by making
himself look more moderate. By adding Shaheen
to his team he risks doing just that.” –
Union Leader editorial, commenting on addition
of former NH Gov. Shaheen to Team Kerry “Now,
you've been saying for many months that you're the
head of the Democratic wing of the
Democratic Party. I think you're just winging
it.” – Gephardt to Dean at last
night’s debate “That
is flat-out false, and I'm ashamed that you would
compare me with Newt Gingrich. Nobody
deserves to be compared to Newt Gingrich.” –
Dean, responding to Gephardt “If
George Bush rebuilds Iraq the way he
rebuilds the United States, they're going to lose
three million jobs over the course of the next two
years.” – Kerry, at NYC debate
“Clark is also a slippery foe, because he has
no political record to flyspeck while Dean's
five terms as governor and two years on the
campaign trail give critics a treasure trove of
material.” – AP’s Ron Fournier, analyzing
last night’s debate “I'm
a little worried. I had no idea he has said all
those nice things about the president.” – Dean
on Clark “If
every person who receives this e-mail contributes
$100 to our campaign, we will have raised $41
million -- a staggering number that would prove
the special interests wrong and change politics
forever in this country.” – Dean, in email
with goal of raising $10 million in five days “Send
$270 to offset Howard Dean's support for
cutting Medicare and I will send you a certificate
joining me as a Charter Member of the
Dick Gephardt Real Democrat Club.” – Gephardt
fundraising appeal. … Among
the offerings in today’s update:
midday offering:
Another day, another New Hampshire Poll: Dean
by 10% over Kerry with Clark third in Zogby survey
released today. Sixty percent say it is somewhat
or very likely that GWB will be re-elected…
Lieberman opens post-debate squabbling with
renewed attack on Clark, says The General is
putting “political convenience” ahead of
conviction
Kennedys in Iowa this weekend: Both Ted and son
Patrick scheduled in Waterloo – campaigning for
different wannabes
Headline from OpinionJournal.com (Wall Street
Journal) today: “GOP General Clark… Two
years ago, this Democrat sounded like a
Republican.”
Boston Globe editorial today, in post-debate
commentary, says “the Democrats' accusations
add up to a broad condemnation that Bush will
find difficult to ignore for the 10 months left
before the Democratic convention.”
Edwards issues news release on “do-not-call”
debate, but he – along with other wannabes –
missed yesterday’s votes on emergency bill morning offering: DRUDGE uncovers, exposes speech of Clark praising
Bush Administration two years ago The Great Money Chase moves into the final third
quarter weekend, but Washington Post notes Dean
hasn’t learned fundamental of setting lower
expectations In debate, Dem wannabes find agreement on tax cut repeal
– but differ on trade, jobs, taxes and health care Dem debate analysis cites Clark for “dodging
specific and fending off criticism” The Union Leader editorial today says ex-gov
Shaheen’s involvement in Kerry campaign could have
negative impact – she’s an “establishment
Democrat” who will have little appeal to those
flocking to Dean Gephardt launches new media blitz in Iowa Dean, before last night’s NYC debate, continues
effort to attract union support in Detroit Poll: Voters say Dems stronger on economy and domestic
issues, indicates a close election outcome next
year The Union Leader, in defense of Cheney, takes on
other New Hampshire newspapers for coverage of the
VP’s visit… All these stories below and more. *
CANDIDATES/CAUCUSES: Midday
… “ Dean Enjoys Lead Among New Hampshire Likely
Primary Voters, Kerry 2nd and Clark 3rd
in New Zogby Poll” – headline on Zogby
International poll released today. Excerpt from
statement on poll by Zogby: “The momentum of
former Vermont Governor Dr. Howard Dean’s campaign
for the Democratic Presidential nomination continues
with a 10-point lead over his closest challenger in
New Hampshire. Dean earned 30%, compared to
Massachusetts Senator John Kerry’s 20%.
Newly-announced contender retired General Wesley
Clark placed third in the Granite State at 10%, and
may have reduced Dean’s 2-1 lead over Kerry in
August. Zogby International conducted interviews
of 512 New Hampshire likely Democratic primary
voters, chosen at random statewide. All calls were
made from Zogby International’s headquarters in
Utica, NY from September 24-25, 2003. The
margin of error is +/- 4.5%. Margins are higher in
sub-groups. Slight weights were added to region,
party, age, religion, and gender to more accurately
reflect the voting population. In August polling in
New Hampshire, Dean surged to a 38% - 17%
lead over Kerry. In June, Kerry
enjoyed a slight lead over Dean, 25% - 22%,
and in February, Kerry led Dean, 26% -
13%. None of the remaining seven declared
candidates climbed out of single digits in current
polling. Missouri Congressman Richard Gephardt
received 6%, followed by Connecticut Senator Joseph
Lieberman’s 5%. North Carolina Senator John Edwards
earned 2%, and the others, civil rights activist
Rev. Al Sharpton, former Illinois Senator Carol
Mosley Braun, Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich, and
Florida Senator Bob Graham, each received one
percent or less. Just over one in five (22%) are not
sure which candidate to support at this point.
New Hampshire has the first-in-the-nation
presidential primary on January 27, 2004, kicking
off a number of state primaries throughout the late
winter and spring. Three-fourths (74%) say they
are satisfied with the current field of Democratic
candidates, while 21% wish candidates other than the
current ten were running. Three in five (60%)
of those Democrats and Independents polled say
regardless of how they intend to vote, it is
somewhat or very likely that President George W.
Bush will be re-elected. Slightly more than
one-third (37%) say that his re-election is not
likely. Just one in five (20%) of the Democrats and
Independents polled describe President Bush’s job
performance as excellent or good, while 80% give him
a ‘fair’ or ‘poor’ grade. Nearly four in ten (38%)
say they like the President as a person, and a
majority (50%) say they dislike him. When asked
which candidate has the best chance of defeating
Bush, likely primary voters in New Hampshire are
nearly equally divided between Dean (26%) and Kerry
(24%), with Clark in third place at 19%.
Statement by Pollster John Zogby:
“Clark has jumped into third place as a result of
his dramatic entry -- but his numbers are not enough
yet to put him in the running with Dean and Kerry.
It is unlikely that he will get a bounce from the
Iowa caucuses, thus he is going to have to spend a
lot of time in New Hampshire. Al Gore tried to by
pass the first two states and focus on the South in
1988 and it did not work. There is evidence in this
poll that Clark has cut into Dean's Independent
support, a major reason for Dean's drop from 38% to
30%. Kerry's support is up from August so he is a
real contender in his neighboring state. Gephardt is
just on the radar screen -- but he will have to do
very well in Iowa. Fewer Democratic primary voters
are now saying that President Bush is likely to win
in 2004. That is a good sign for these candidates.”
Month
Dean %
Kerry %
September 03
30
20
August 03
38
17
June 03
22
25
February 03
13
26
… “Lieberman Slams Clark Following Debate” –
headline posted on washingtonpost.com late this
morning. Report – an excerpt – from AP’s Nedra
Pickler: “Igniting a spate of post-debate
recrimination, Joe Lieberman accused new
presidential rival Wesley Clark on Friday of taking
‘a journey of political convenience, not conviction’
from the Republican ranks to the Democratic Party.
Clark's camp called Lieberman desperate. On
the day after a 10-way Democratic presidential
debate, Lieberman took issue with Clark
expressing support for the Bush administration's
policies in a May 2001 address to the Arkansas GOP.
Bush was pushing his tax-cut package at the time.
‘I was fighting that reckless economic strategy
while Wes Clark was working to forward the
Republican agenda by raising money for the
Republican Party,’ the Connecticut senator said.
Clark spokesman Mark Fabiani fired back:
‘I think Senator Lieberman is an increasingly
desperate candidate and it's unfortunate that
instead of articulating a vision for the future as
General Clark has with his New American Patriotism,’
Senator Lieberman is attacking other Democrats.’
Lieberman, the 2000 Democratic vice presidential
nominee, has languished in key state polls and fund
raising although his national poll rating is
relatively high. The debate Thursday opened with a
question to Clark about the May 11, 2001,
address in which he praised President Bush and top
administration officials. Clark also has
acknowledged supporting Republican Presidents Nixon
and Reagan. Clark replied that he has taken ‘an
incredible journey’ since 2001 and is now a strong
Democrat. ‘We elected a president we thought was a
compassionate conservative. Instead we got neither
conservatism or compassion,’ the retired general
replied. In a statement to The Associated Press,
Lieberman replied: ‘It looks like it's a journey
of political convenience not conviction.’ During
the debate, his rivals largely gave Clark a pass on
the issue, but Lieberman's comments Friday suggest
the retired general will come under greater scrutiny
as his campaign proceeds.”
… “10 Democrats vs. Bush” – headline on
editorial in today’s Boston Globe. “Two hours is
a long time for a presidential debate, even one
featuring 10 wordy Democrats. Yesterday's engagement
in New York City included more honest public
discussion on American economic policy than
President Bush has offered in his entire term.
On fair trade, health care, tax cuts, job creation,
Social Security, energy independence, corporate
responsibility, and the role of labor unions, the 10
Democrats parsed their differences but were united
in their disdain for the Bush administration,
calling his policies ‘reckless,’ ‘ill-advised,’ and
‘a failure.’ Taken together, the Democrats'
accusations add up to a broad condemnation that Bush
will find difficult to ignore for the 10 months left
before the Democratic convention. There were
differences among the Democrats -- even a bit of
friction, much of which focused on former Vermont
governor Howard Dean. After US Representative
Richard Gephardt said Dean sided with
Republican Newt Gingrich on Medicare cutbacks,
Dean bristled, saying, ‘Nobody up here deserves
to be compared to Newt Gingrich.’ There is plenty
of heat in the primary campaign, a fact made clear
to reporters attending the debate by the rapid
volleys from the various staffs charging opposing
candidates with making wrong, exaggerated, and
misleading statements -- even as they were still
debating. But overall the focus was on Bush --
especially his tax cuts and other economic policies.
As Senator John Edwards of North Carolina put
it, the sum of these policies is that ‘we have a
train wreck coming.’ While much of the predebate
focus was on the newest candidate, retired General
Wesley Clark, he drew no special attention
from his competitors. While some of Clark's
answers showed him more adept at delivering
sentences than substance, he showed promise of
becoming a debater to be reckoned with. John
Kerry staked out his defense of the middle class
firmly, though some of his responses lacked clarity.
And some of the questioners -- making good on their
‘Jeopardy’ theme -- pushed too hard for simplistic
answers, as if any hint of complexity betrayed
weakness. For the most part, the candidates were
effective in contrasting the economy during the
Clinton administration, which produced millions of
new jobs and budget surpluses, with the current
economy, with its job losses and budget deficits. An
added theme was the Bush administration's insistence
on helping its wealthy and powerful friends, as
symbolized by the defense contractor Halliburton.
As Senator Joe Lieberman put it, referring to
reconstruction work in Iraq: ‘Halliburton writes the
specs and then gets the no-bid contract.’
Normally an incumbent president likes to see the
challengers in the opposing party battle each other
before he engages. But this year Bush's declining
poll numbers and the public's worries about the
economy argue for more of a response than a series
of photo opportunities. The Democrats have given him
plenty to answer for.”
…
“Do not call”
-- subhead from Greg Pierce’s “Inside Politics”
column in today’s Washington Times. Pierce’s report:
“Even before the Senate voted yesterday to
support a national ‘do-not-call’ list to protect
people from unwanted telephone solicitations, Sen.
John Edwards, North Carolina Democrat, sent out a
press release boasting his solution. He was
co-sponsoring a bill, the press release said, that
would authorize the Federal Trade Commission to
institute such a list. ‘People trying to have a
peaceful family dinner shouldn't have to put up with
pestering calls from telephone pitchmen,’ Mr.
Edwards said in his press release. ‘This is
about giving people a choice and respecting their
privacy.’ But when the Senate took up the bill up
just two hours later, Mr. Edwards was nowhere around
to urge passage of the bill or even to vote for it.
He, along with the three other Democratic senators
running for president, were in New York for a
debate. Earlier in the day, the House approved
similar legislation, 412 to 8. Among those not
voting were Reps. Richard A. Gephardt,
Missouri Democrat, and Dennis J. Kucinich,
Ohio Democrat, who were also in New York debating
one another.”
… Ted Kennedy and son Patrick will campaign a day
– and two miles apart – in Waterloo this weekend,
but for different Dem wannabes. Headline from
today’s Boston Herald: “Kennedys take rival sides
on campaign trail” Coverage by the Herald’s
Noelle Straub: “On the presidential campaign
trail, it's not necessarily like father, like son
when it comes to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and his son,
Patrick. Both the senior senator and his son, the
congressman from Rhode Island, will hit the trail in
Waterloo, Iowa, this weekend -- but for rival
candidates. The elder Kennedy speaks tomorrow
at a rally for White House hopeful Sen. John F.
Kerry at a Waterloo church. The next day, the
younger Kennedy will cheer for a competing
presidential wannabe, Rep. Dick Gephardt, at
a Democratic reception less than two miles away. ’I
never tell Patrick how to vote or who to support,’
the senior Kennedy said. ‘I'm sure he's making
plenty of friends in Iowa. I just hope he reminds
them to show up next November to vote for John after
he makes his run through the primaries and wins the
nomination.’ The senator, like all 10
Massachusetts congressmen, has endorsed his fellow
Bay State Democrat, Kerry, in the 2004 presidential
race. But Patrick Kennedy feels more allegiance to
his House colleague. The two worked closely
together when Gephardt (D-Mo.) was House
minority leader and the Rhode Island congressman
served as chairman of the Democratic Congressional
Campaign Committee, which recruits House candidates
and raises money. The elder Kennedy will start
his day of Kerry-boosting in Des Moines at an event
focused on health care issues and end it with
remarks to a Democratic barbecue in Iowa City. In a
daylong campaign blitz Sunday, Patrick Kennedy will
attend five Democratic receptions in the eastern
half of the state.”
… OpinionJournal.com (Wall Street Journal) raises
questions about what The General was doing at a GOP
Lincoln Day dinner just two years ago? Editorial
excerpt: “If you're an active Republican, there's
a good chance you've attended a Lincoln Day dinner,
a staple on GOP community calendars. So it is in
Little Rock, Arkansas, where the Pulaski County
Republican Party invited hometown hero Wesley Clark
to address its members on May 11, 2001. Anyone
wondering where the Democratic candidate for
President stands on a range of issues is sure to
find the speech illuminating. Lincoln Day dinners
are partisan political events, and it was entirely
in keeping with the spirit of the evening for the
keynote speaker to voice his admiration of
Republican leaders. In Mr. Clark's words,
Ronald Reagan was ‘truly a great American leader,’
who ‘helped our country win the Cold War.’ His
successor, George Bush, demonstrated ‘courage’ and
‘vision’ in postwar Europe, exercising ‘tremendous
leadership and statesmanship.’ The general also
sang the praises of the current GOP leadership in
Washington: ‘I'm very glad we've got the great team
in office, men like Colin Powell, Don Rumsfeld, Dick
Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, Paul O'Neill--people I
know very well--our president, George W. Bush. We
need them there, because we've got some tough
challenges ahead in Europe.’ The speech also
provides a look at the general's thinking on the
foreign-policy and national-security challenges
facing the country. Mr. Clark offered ‘a small
prediction’ that by the time his book came out ‘it
may be World War III.’ He expressed the view
that ‘we're going to be active; we're going to be
forward engaged. But if you look around the world,
there's a lot of work to be done.’ Mr. Clark
was asked about those remarks at yesterday's
Democratic debate, and he replied that the country
had made ‘an incredible journey’ since September
2001 and that Mr. Bush had ‘recklessly cut taxes’
and recklessly took us into Iraq.’ We'd say the
retired general has made a rather astonishing
journey himself, and the public will have to judge
the sincerity of his conversion.” (Iowa Pres
Watch Note: Also see related coverage in today’s
report on Clark’s Arkansas appearance from
the DRUDGE REPORT.) Morning … The Union Leader editorial this morning sees little
benefit to ex-guv Shaheen’s involvement in Kerry
effort in NH. Editorial headline: “Jeanne and
John: What will Shaheen bring Kerry?” The
editorial: “It was little surprise that Jeanne
Shaheen signed on with John Kerry’s presidential
campaign. The question now is, what does this mean
for Kerry? There’s no doubt that Jeanne Shaheen
is an excellent campaign manager. Both in and
outside of New Hampshire, Shaheen may prove
effective at generating some additional support for
Kerry. How much support remains to be seen.
Every week it seems that more and more Democrats in
New Hampshire are being caught in Howard Dean’s
gravitational pull. Though polls show that
undecided New Hampshire Democrats lean more toward
Kerry than Dean, Kerry
continues to fall behind Dean in each
successive poll. Despite her skills, Shaheen’s
impact on Kerry’s campaign could be negative in New
Hampshire. Shaheen is an establishment Democrat, so
she is not likely to bring along large numbers of
the young, angry Democrats who are drawn to Dean.
During her Senate campaign last fall she vocally
supported President Bush’s tax cuts and his
leadership in the war on terror. The last thing
Kerry needs in New Hampshire is to turn off liberal
voters by making himself look more moderate. By
adding Shaheen to his team he risks doing just that.
… Dem Debate Coverage: “10 Democrats, in
Debate, Assail Bush on Iraq and Economy” –
headline from New York Times report today on last
night’s Democratic debate. Excerpt from coverage by
Kirk Semple and Carla Baranauckas: “The 10
Democratic presidential candidates, meeting in New
York for a feisty televised debate, roundly
criticized President Bush on economic policy issues
yet clashed among themselves as they jockeyed to
differentiate themselves in a crowded field. The
candidates, appearing at Pace University in lower
Manhattan, agreed on the need to repeal President
Bush's tax cuts, at least in part, and expressed
uncertainty about President Bush's request for $87
billion to pay for the continuing American
involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. But the
Democratic hopefuls, revealed clear divisions on the
issues of trade, jobs, taxes and health care. The
most heated exchange came when Representative
Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri accused Howard Dean,
Vermont's former governor, of having supported Newt
Gingrich on a $270 billion cut in Medicare in 1995.
He snapped: ‘Now, you've been saying for many months
that you're the head of the Democratic wing of the
Democratic Party. I think you're just winging it.’
Mr. Dean responded, his face tense with anger:
‘That is flat-out false, and I'm ashamed that you
would compare me with Newt Gingrich. Nobody deserves
to be compared to Newt Gingrich.’ He continued:
‘To insinuate that I would get rid of Medicare is
wrong, it's not helpful, and we need to remember
that the enemy here is George Bush, not each other.’
Senator John Edwards of North Carolina issued
a plea for harmony, saying, ‘We need to be really
careful that our anger is not directed at each
other.’ [Yesterday’s] event was the third in a
series of debates leading up to the primaries and
the first for Gen. Wesley K. Clark, who began
his campaign eight days ago. He has quickly
emerged as a threat to the field's leading
candidates, particularly Mr. Dean, and his rivals
had hoped the event today would offer them a chance
to impede the general's surge. On Wednesday, two
of the Democratic candidates raised questions about
the retired general's Democratic credentials. Both
Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts and Mr.
Dean wondered why General Clark, who
retired from the Army, had supported Republicans
like Presidents Richard M. Nixon and Ronald Reagan.
But today, the debate's moderator, Brian Williams of
NBC, offered General Clark an early question
about his Democratic credentials. The general
responded: ‘I am pro-choice, I am pro-affirmative
action, I'm pro-environment, pro-health. I believe
the United States should engage with allies. We
should be a good player in the international
community. And we should use force only as a last
resort. That's why I'm proud to be a Democrat.’
On the question of Mr. Bush's request for $87
billion to pay for the continuing military and
reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the
candidates were united in saying they had many
questions about the request but divided over whether
they would approve it. ‘If George Bush rebuilds
Iraq the way he rebuilds the United States,’ Mr.
Kerry said, ‘they're going to lose three million
jobs over the course of the next two years.’ The
senator said he had yet to decide on how he would
vote on the appropriation request, as did General
Clark. ‘There are dozens of questions to be
asked on this.’ Chief among those questions, he
said, was how the administration plans to pay for
it. Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut
said the request needed to be approved because ‘we
have 140,000 troops there.’ But he criticized
Mr. Bush for going to the United Nations ‘like a
beggar.’ Mr. Dean, Mr. Edwards and Senator Bob
Graham of Florida also said the United States must
spend whatever is needed to support the troops.
But Representative Dennis J. Kucinich of Ohio
and the Rev. Al Sharpton said they did not
support the appropriation for Iraq. ‘I say bring
the troops home unequivocally,’ Mr. Kucinich said.
The candidates lashed out at President Bush on his
economic policies. Carol Moseley Braun, a
former senator from Illinois, said: ‘The economic
policies, the trickle-down economics that this
administration has given us has created a situation
that we've never seen before in our memory, of
embedded wealth, entrenched poverty and a shrinking
middle class.’ She added: ‘That, it seems to me, is
the antithesis, the opposite of what the American
dream is all about.’” … Dem Debate Analysis: Headline from today’s
The Union Leader – “Clark avoids specifics”
Excerpt from report by AP’s Ron Fournier: “Right
from the start, Wesley Clark bluntly acknowledged
his political inexperience -- then cited it in
dodging specifics and fending off criticism in his
first presidential debate. ‘If I've learned one
thing in my nine days in politics,’ the retired Army
general said with a smile, ‘you better be careful
with hypothetical questions.’ That's how he avoided
the issue of financing the reconstruction of Iraq.
He also pleaded ignorance on health care policy –
‘I don't have a complete package’ -- and stepped
around questions about home mortgages and other
issues while nine other Democratic hopefuls gave the
newcomer a pass. ‘Wesley Clark escaped the venom
of the rest of the candidates,’ said Dan
Glickman, former Democratic congressman from Kansas
and now director of the Institute of Politics at
Harvard's Kennedy School. ‘I don't know if they're
nervous about him or if his poll numbers are so high
they're afraid to attack him.’ Only twice was
Clark's name mentioned by a rival, once by New York
activist Al Sharpton who welcomed him to the
debate…and the Democratic Party. Glickman said
he's not sure what to make of the hands-off
approach: ‘Maybe they believe they've got to take
down Howard Dean first before going after
Clark.’ Dean is the former Vermont
governor and campaign front-runner who fended off
attacks from Reps. Dick Gephardt of Missouri
and Dennis Kucinich of Ohio as well as Sens.
John Kerry of Massachusetts and John
Edwards of North Carolina. ‘The real debate
was between Dean and Kerry and Gephardt, the rest
were placeholders,’ said Democratic strategist Jim
Duffy. That could help Clark, who's not
in a bad place; he shares the lead in national polls
and has gained ground in key states. Clark is also a
slippery foe, because he has no political record to
flyspeck while Dean's five terms as governor and two
years on the campaign trail give critics a treasure
trove of material. ‘He did fine,’ Dean said of
Clark after the debate. Having second thoughts,
Dean spun back around and told reporters:
‘I'm a little worried. I had no idea he has said all
those nice things about the president.’ Dean has
the most to lose if Clark's Internet-driven campaign
takes root. Yet he let his rival off the hook when
Clark tried to explain his past support for
Presidents Nixon, Reagan and Bush. Clark didn't hide
from the fact that he hasn't been around long.” … Dean, on day of major debate, still keeps focus on
campaign basics – solicits union support in Detroit.
Excerpt from AP report in today’s Union
Leader: “Democratic presidential candidate
Howard Dean hasn't yet won the endorsement of any
national unions, but that doesn't mean he's not
trying. The former Vermont governor on Thursday
addressed the Metropolitan Detroit AFL-CIO's 18th
constitutional convention in Madison Heights. Union
spokesman Shawn Ellis said the meeting would have
representatives from 330 locals with 180,000 members
from Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. Dean
spoke at a Metropolitan Detroit AFL-CIO event more
than a year ago. He also met in mid-August in
Detroit with United Auto Workers executives, who
have not yet endorsed any presidential candidates.
He spoke Thursday for about 20 minutes and was
enthusiastically received. Dean received the
loudest applause from the crowd of about 200 people
when he spoke about health insurance. ‘It's time
to stop talking and start doing something about
health insurance,’ he said. ‘Even Costa Ricans have
health care for all their people, and we can too.’”
DRUDGE REPORT headline: “General Clark praised
Condi, Powell, Rumsfeld and Bush: ‘We Need Them
There’” Excerpt: “Democratic presidential
hopeful General Wesley Clark offered lavish praise
for the Bush Administration and its key players in a
speech to Republicans -- just two years ago, the
DRUDGE REPORT can reveal! During extended remarks
delivered at the Pulaski County GOP Lincoln Day
Dinner in Little Rock, Arkansas on May 11, 2001,
General Clark declared: ‘And I'm very glad
we've got the great team in office, men like Colin
Powell, Don Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Condoleezza
Rice...people I know very well -- our president
George W. Bush. We need them there.’ A video of
Clark making the comments has surfaced,
DRUDGE can reveal. Clark praised Reagan for
improving the military: ‘We were really helped
when President Ronald Reagan came in. I remember
non-commissioned officers who were going to retire
and they re-enlisted because they believed in
President Reagan.’ Clark continued:
‘That's the kind of President Ronald Reagan was. He
helped our country win the Cold War. He put it
behind us in a way no one ever believed would be
possible. He was truly a great American leader.
And those of us in the Armed Forces loved him,
respected him, and tremendously admired him for his
great leadership.’ Clark on President George
Bush: ‘President George Bush had the courage and
the vision...and we will always be grateful to
President George Bush for that tremendous leadership
and statesmanship.’ Clark on American military
involvement overseas: ‘Do you ever ask why it is
that these people in these other countries can't
solve their own problems without the United States
sending its troops over there? And do you ever ask
why it is the Europeans, the people that make the
Mercedes and the BMW's that got so much money can't
put some of that money in their own defense programs
and they need us to do their defense for them?’…‘And
I'll tell you what I've learned from Europe is that
are a lot of people out in the world who really,
really love and admire the United States. Don't you
ever believe it when you hear foreign leaders making
nasty comments about us. That's them playing to
their domestic politics as they misread it. Because
when you talk to the people out there, they love us.
They love our values. They love what we stand for in
the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
and the Bill of Rights.’ …Gephardt takes to Iowa airwaves with attacks on Bush
– a switch from his biographical spots to go on the
offensive. From Associated Press report: “Presidential
hopeful Dick Gephardt began running a television ad
in Iowa on Thursday that attacks President Bush's
handling of the economy but does not mention his
Democratic rivals. ‘I'm Dick Gephardt and
I approve this message because I want to stop George
Bush and fight for America's middle class,’ the
Missouri congressman says in the 30-second spot.
‘George Bush has lost more jobs than any president
since Herbert Hoover. He's lost more jobs than the
last 11 presidents.’ Tied with former Vermont
Gov. Howard Dean atop the latest Iowa poll, Gephardt
has become more harsh in his criticisms of the Bush
administration, often referring to Bush as a
"miserable failure" in debates and campaign
appearances. His new ad, the third he's run in
Iowa, continues the anti-Bush rhetoric and promises
voters he'll fight for the middle class. ‘Bush's
budget deficit is almost twice what it was under his
father and, 41 million Americans have no health
insurance,’ the ad continues. ‘Now, another George
Bush, another recession. I believe what's good for
America's middle class is good for America. I'll
remember that as president.’ The economy has lost
more than 3 million payroll jobs since Bush took
office, and the government faces a $455 billion
deficit for this fiscal year. Gephardt has so far
refrained from attacking Dean in his Iowa ads,
although he went after Dean in a South Carolina
radio ad last week that criticized the former
Vermont governor's views on trade. Gephardt won
Iowa's precinct caucuses in 1988 but failed to
capture his party's presidential nomination.” … There’s not much doubt remaining that
Team Dean can raise the bucks, but they haven’t
mastered the common campaign goal of lowering
expectations. Campaign sets 10-day
goal of $5 million. Meanwhile, Gephardt blasts Dean
in effort to raise money. Headline from today’s
Washington Post: “Campaign Deal: $10 Million For
a Quarter” Excerpt from report by the Post’s
Brian Faler: “No one doubts Democratic
presidential candidate Howard Dean's ability to
raise money anymore. But it sometimes seems as if
the former Vermont governor still does not quite
grasp a basic rule of campaign fundraising: lower
expectations. In an e-mail pitch the
campaign dispatched earlier this week, Dean said
he hoped to raise $5 million -- in just the last 10
days of this quarter. That's more than most of
his rivals took in during the previous quarter, and
more than what five of them have collected, in
total, thus far. The Dean campaign has said
it expects to raise more than $10 million in this,
the third quarter. His plea comes as the candidates
scramble for last-minute dollars, in time for the
Sept. 30 deadline for reporting the contributions to
the government. Most campaigns underestimate how
much they might report, so that when the actual
numbers come out they appear that much more
impressive. But if anything, the Dean camp suggests
that $5 million is doable. ‘If every person who
receives this e-mail contributes $100 to our
campaign, we will have raised $41 million -- a
staggering number that would prove the special
interests wrong and change politics forever in this
country,’ Dean wrote in his pitch. He
acknowledges that might be a reach: ‘We know that
not every person can afford to contribute $100.’
The Dean campaign raised $1,247,103.50 toward that
goal as of last night, according to its Web
site…Meanwhile, Democratic presidential candidate
Richard A. Gephardt is trying to use the Internet
and Howard Dean to raise his money. In an e-mail
pitch to supporters, the Missouri congressman's
campaign manager lambasted Dean, accusing him of
trying to undermine Medicare when he was governor.
‘Howard Dean went on to specifically endorse
the Republican plan to cut $270 billion from
Medicare,’ wrote Steve Murphy, referring to a
mid-1990s debate on the program. ‘Send $270 to
offset Howard Dean's support for cutting
Medicare and I will send you a certificate joining
me as a Charter Member of the Dick Gephardt
Real Democrat Club.’ The fundraising appeal
echoes a charge Gephardt first made earlier this
month -- and is the latest in a series of attacks he
has launched on Dean. For a while, President Bush
was on the receiving end as Gephardt repeatedly
called him a ‘miserable failure.’ But with
Dean on the ascent, Gephardt has unveiled
a Web site called DeanFacts.com, which shines
an unfavorable light on the governor's record, and,
more recently, has begun running ads in South
Carolina accusing Dean of supporting bad
trade agreements. ‘Let's show Howard Dean who's
the real Democrat,’ Murphy said in the e-mail.
At least he's not a miserable failure.”
* ON THE BUSH BEAT:
… “Poll Suggests Close Presidential Election” –
headline from washingtonpost.com. Excerpt from AP
report: “President Bush and the Democrats are
closely matched among voters more than a year before
the presidential election, says a bipartisan poll
released Thursday. Voters like the president
personally and favor his efforts on fighting
terrorism while they view Democrats as stronger on
the economy and other domestic issues, the survey
found. The Battleground 2004 poll showed people
were evenly divided on whether they thought Bush
should be re-elected or it's time to give someone
new a chance to be president. He had a slight lead
in a head-to-head matchup with an unnamed Democrat.
Just over half, 53 percent, said the country is on
the wrong track, while 39 percent said it is headed
in the right direction, according to the poll
conducted by GOP pollster Ed Goeas and Democratic
pollster Celinda Lake. Republican Goeas said Bush's
overall position in the polls is fairly strong given
the general pessimism about the country's direction.
‘You can't underestimate the depth of connection
of this president to voters’ after the terrorist
attacks of Sept. 11, Goeas said, adding the job
approval number and other measures don't reflect
that connection. ‘The events of Sept. 11 were a
defining moment.’ Lake said Democrats are able to
challenge Bush on foreign policy now because of
growing doubts about postwar Iraq. ‘You couldn't
touch this a month ago,’ she said. Bush had a 54
percent job approval rating in the poll and
two-thirds said they like him personally. In other
findings:…Asked what will convince them the economy
is improving, six in 10 said a drop in the
unemployment rate…While Democrats were favored on
the economy and health care, Bush had the upper hand
on foreign policy and the campaign against terror.
The poll of 1,000 registered voters who said they
are likely to vote was taken Sept. 7-10 and had a
margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage
points.” … “Biased coverage: Telegraph, Monitor
slap Cheney” – Headline on editorial in
yesterday’s The Union Leader. The editorial: “Liberal
media bias reared its ugly head again yesterday,
this time in the way two New Hampshire newspapers
covered Vice President Dick Cheney’s fundraiser in
Manchester. The headlines say it all. The Union
Leader capped its story on the event with the
accurate headline, ‘Cheney defends Bush’s
policies, raises money.’ The [Nashua] Telegraph
inaccurately titled its story, ‘Cheney draws more
protest than support,’ while the Concord Monitor
played Democratic press operative with its headline,
‘It’s all about the cash at Cheney fundraiser.’
The Telegraph reported that the protesters outside
Cheney’s downtown Manchester event outnumbered the
vice president’s supporters inside. The Monitor
counted ‘about 150’ Cheney supporters at the event,
with ‘several dozen’ protesters outside. Our
reporter estimated roughly 150 Cheney supporters and
about 100 protesters. The Associated Press also
counted ‘about 150 Republicans.’ The Telegraph’s
claim that there were ‘fewer than 90 supporters
inside and roughly twice as many protesters across
Elm Street outside’ is contradicted by the reports
of three other journalists. Furthermore, the
protesters were rounded up by labor unions, the
Democratic Party, and left-wing activist groups. It
is disingenuous to suggest, as The Telegraph did,
that more people in New Hampshire oppose the vice
president than support him. The Monitor
headline stating that Cheney’s event was ‘all about
the cash’ sounds as if it were lifted from the
Democratic Party’s talking points. And it also isn’t
true. The event was a fundraiser, but Cheney
spoke passionately about the war on terror and the
administration’s accomplishments. Fundraisers in
which administration officials jet around the
country to speak to friendly audiences are as much
about generating press coverage and getting the
administration’s message out as they are about
raising money. The next time John Kerry
holds a fundraiser in New Hampshire, we eagerly
await the Monitor’s headline, ‘Kerry fundraiser
all about the money.’ Something tells us we’ll
be waiting a long time.”
*This morning’s headlines: Des Moines Register, top front-page headlines: Iowa – “State
Pension fund could come up short” & Politics –
“Clark bid ‘reshuffles’ 2004 race, Vilsack says”
Main online heads, Quad-City Times: ”Rock singer
Robert Palmer dies of heart attack, manager says”
& “Islamic court blocks stoning”
Nation/world online stories, Omaha World-Herald: “Powerful
quake rattles northern Japan” & “2nd
ruling hangs up no-call list” New York Times, featured reports: “Powell Gives Iraq
6 Months to Write New Constitution” & “Do-Not-Call
Listing Remains Up in Air After Day of Twists”
Sioux City Journal online, top stories: “Strong quake
hits northern Japan, at least 160 injured” & “Bush
says 9/11 changed his assessment of Saddam
Hussein’s threat” Chicago Tribune online, main headlines: “Military too
dependent on reserves, general says” & “Bush
warns Iran anew on nuclear efforts” *
TODAY’S REPORT LINKS: -- Des Moines Register:
www.DesMoinesRegister.com -- NWS Des Moines:
http://weather.noaa.gov/weather/current/KDSM.html -- Quad-City Times:
www.QCTimes.com -- Radio Iowa/Learfield Communications:
www.radioiowa.com -- Sioux City Journal:
www.siouxcityjournal.com -- WHO Radio (AM1040), Des Moines:
www.whoradio.com -- New York Times:
www.nytimes.com -- Washington Post:
www.washingtonpost.com -- DRUDGE REPORT:
www.drudgereport.com -- Omaha World-Herald:
www.omaha.com -- WMT Radio (AM600), Cedar Rapids:
www.wmtradio.com -- The Union Leader, New Hampshire:
www.theunionleader.com -- WHO-TV, Des Moines:
www.whotv.com -- Chicago Tribune:
www.chicagotribune.com -- Various morning and midday newscasts from
around IA.
click here
Paid
for by the Iowa Presidential Watch PAC
P.O.
Box 171, Webster City, IA 50595
privacy
/ agreement
/
/ homepage
/
search engine |
