GENERAL:                                                                                              Tuesday, April 8, 2003

Many Monday night TV viewers confused as CBS wrapped up national college basketball championship game with standard “one shining moment” tribute to tournament participants – but last night it was uncertain whether the “shining moment” was to celebrate NCAA tourney participants or the numerous military (and media) reports that Saddam & Sons were knocked out by a barrage of cluster bombs. Fox News Channel ace Rita Cosby said it was “fascinating information” that Coalition intel could place the Hussein trio – along with high-ranking Iraqi military personnel – within feet of each other as bunker buster bombs started falling. Some media reports say the meeting was to plan “escape routes” out of Iraq – possibly trying to get to Crete. How long will it be until a Saddam impersonator starts appearing on Iraqi TV contending he’s (as well as other Saddam imposters) still alive, in control and prepared to carry on the fight? …

Iraqi denials there’s no American troops in the neighborhood become more and more bizarre, but one thing certain: Saddam (if he didn’t meet his demise last night) can’t go home – at least to a couple of his palaces – again. 

Media outlets report U. N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he expects the United Nations to play a major role in post-war Iraq. He also named a special adviser in Iraq – which raises the possibility Iraq will now be overrun by an army of advisers after the war …

Extensive statewide media coverage continues this morning reporting on funeral services in Davenport yesterday for first Iowan – Marine Sgt. Bradley Korthaus – killed in Iraq action. Top headline QCTimes.com (Quad-City Times) this morning: “Fallen Q-C Marine Korthaus laid to rest” Also, CNN had live interview yesterday with parents of Army Spc. James Kiehl, a Comfort TX native who was among several 507th Maintenance Co. troops killed during an ambush in Iraq. Kiehl’s wife Jill, who’s eight months pregnant, is staying with her parents in Des Moines…

Some snow continues across state – harassing Iowans and visiting presidential aspirants – this morning. A few schools – mostly in the Fort Dodge-Carroll area -- delaying start today. Sections of I-35 in southern IA and Highway 20 across northern IA are “completely covered” with snow, according to State Patrol. Roads southwest of DSM are “mostly covered” and in eastern Iowa are “partly covered.” Reports that University Ave. bridge over I-35 in West Des Moines is a “glare of ice” this morning, head-on collision reported near Earlham on I-80.

CANDIDATES/CAUCUSES:

Des Moines Register political columnist David Yepsen warns this morning Dem Party may “McGovernize” itself – again – by taking “extreme anti-war stances” that hamper efforts to win election. Commenting on Edwards at DSM forum on Sunday, Yepsen writes that Edwards may have “found a political vaccine to combat McGovernism: straight talk about support for the war and a healthy dose of political reality.”...

Kerry continues current three-day Iowa trip with scheduled visit to Des Moines today.

Hart expected in state today and tomorrow. 

Edwards wrapped up two-day visit yesterday. 

Still due to make Iowa appearances this week: Gephardt, Dean, Lieberman, Kucinich…

AP’s resident caucus-watcher Mike Glover – who just last week was in Sioux City covering Dean – showed up in Cedar Rapids yesterday for Kerry appearances. Glover reports Kerry said “democracy affords rival Democrats the right to criticize President Bush even with the nation at war.” Kerry comment: “This is a democracy. We could be at war a year from now. Would we put the election on hold?” …

Coverage of Kerry local appearance in yesterday’s Clinton Herald by staff writer Scott T. Holland: Kerry “spoke at length on education, promising to ‘criss-cross this country to confront current leadership for making a mockery of the words ‘leave no child behind.’ Kerry also vowed to ‘put arts, music, dance, theater and good, working libraries back into out schools and restore the full measure of what education must be.”

Another excerpt: “As president, Kerry said, he would work to see health care recognized as a right, not a privilege.” Holland also noted that Kerry was accompanied by reporters from Boston and Washington newspapers…

Graham campaign officials report just over $1 million raised during Jan.-Mar reporting period, but they’ve only held first fundraiser -- last week after the filing deadline. They attribute low figure to late start and Graham’s January heart surgery.

Still no indication of an IA visit by Graham yet, but he’s apparently headed to CA and NH this month to raise dollars and press flesh…

From Jennifer Harper’s “Inside Politics” column in yesterday’s Washington Times: “Sen. John Kerry’s recent attempt to play hardball are not playing so well. According to an online poll (www.vote.com), 89 percent of some 13,000 people who voted since Friday believe the Massachusetts Democrat ‘should restrain his criticism of President Bush while the nation is at war with Iraq.”…

Kerry was blistered by a weekend editorial in a Laconia [N. H.] Citizen because he has “changed his criticism toward the war from that of honorable restraint to barbs that drip vitriol.” The editorial continued that Kerry is “perhaps feeling the heat from Dean and trying to attract the anti-war crowd that forms the base of the former Vermont governor’s support.” Noting that Kerry supported the Iraq initiative and “even joined the president to criticize ‘armchair generals’ who had been critical of the U. S. war plan,” the editorial added: “Fine words, but apparently hollow words that shift with the political winds.”

Another excerpt: “On diplomacy and the U. N., Kerry said, ‘I don’t think they’re going to trust this president, no matter what.’ And if Kerry were elected president, would the U. N. delegates trust a man who talks from both sides of his mouth?” …

From Lieberman’s weekend West Coast swing, the Seattle Times reported yesterday that he “continues to be a strong supporter of the war in Iraq and will not second-guess President Bush or his diplomats or generals on the progress of combat.” During a Sunday interview with Times chief political reporter David Postman, Lieberman said he believes “the war has moved with stunning speed and success” and added: “I don’t want there to be an inch of difference between me and the president on this war.” The Postman report said, however, the “Connecticut senator and 2000 vice presidential nominee does question the Bush administration’s plans for postwar Iraq.” 

A Postman observation: “Lieberman’s visit here was a low-profile, early-season appearance on a West Coast swing. He arrived yesterday [Sunday] morning and was gone by last night.” The report said Lieberman “kept mostly to a suite in the Westin Hotel” raising money, meeting with union officials representing Boeing machinists and having lunch with Microsoft employees...

Speaking of Lieberman, South Carolina media reporting that a 5/3 debate featuring the Dem wannabes – billed by the state Democratic party as “The Nation’s First Democratic Debate” – has been moved back 12 hours. It had been set for 8:30 a.m., but out of deference to Lieberman, an Orthodox Jew, the debate was rescheduled until after sundown – 8:30 p.m. Party officials said Lieberman did not request the change, but they rescheduled to ensure his participation. As the Dem vice presidential nominee in 2000, Lieberman did not campaign on the Sabbath. 

The party’s website said the usual suspects – Kerry, Lieberman, Edwards, Gephardt, Dean – have agreed to participate in the debate and “no commitments” have been received from Sharpton or Graham. No word on website about Moseley Braun, Kucinich, Hart  -- or Hillary or Biden or CNN war commentator Clark. State convention originally set for Saturday morning has been moved to afternoon – and Friday night Jackson-Jefferson Day event will feature LA Sen. Landrieu as keynoter.

MORNING SUMMARY:

Morning headlines focus on Baghdad, possibility Saddam & Sons wiped out: 

Des Moines Register top front page headline: “U. S. strike targets Saddam, his sons”

Sioux City Journal top online headline: “Tanks rumble into Baghdad”…

Interesting development: CNN political analyst Bill Schneider – pointing out yesterday the eerie similarity of numbers in latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll -- said it’s “Bush’s war” because of alignment between GWB supporters and Iraq war supporters. He point out that latest survey – conducted 4/5-6 – shows president’s job approval at 70%-27% -- while those supporting the Iraq war registered at 70%-27%, too. Schneider says the next step is to determine how GWB uses political capital he’s built up – that most poll respondents want him to strengthen the economy. He notes, however, that presidents have less influence and impact on economy than most voters (or poll respondents) expect…

A new documentary that focuses on the devastating impact of methamphetamine use in Iowa – and the negative impact the highly addictive illegal drug has on rural areas – will premier tonight (10 p.m.) on the HBO cable network. The documentary features Iowa law enforcement authorities discussing the state’s meth problem and shows a SWAT team conducting a raid on a meth house in a Des Moines neighborhood.

WAR/TERRORISM:

KWKY Radio (Des Moines) talk show host Salier said yesterday he is “worried” that Sec of State Powell will insist on involving France in the post-war Iraq process. Salier, who returned to the air yesterday after a two-week honeymoon, said: “I don’t want the French anywhere near Iraq.”…

VOANews (Voice of America) reports that talks between North and South Korea – scheduled to start yesterday – have been scrapped. The account by Steve Herman in Tokyo said “Seoul says it did not receive confirmation from Pyongyang that the meetings to discuss North Korea’s suspected development of nuclear weapons would take place. South Korea says, with the cancellation of the talks, ties with North Korea are now effectively frozen.”…

From GOP political activist Chuck Muth: “Yet another indication of the plummeting demise of the United Nations comes out of North Korea, which on Saturday, according to Reuters, said ‘it would not recognize any ruling by the U. N. Security Council on Pyongyang’s nuclear standoff with the United States.’ It said ‘the United Nations had lost its mandate’ to involve itself in the dispute because of its failure in handling the Iraq situation. Pretty bad when even North Korea has lost faith in the U. N.”

OPINION:

Des Moines Register editorials: “Slash prisons, fix budget…It doesn’t make sense that Iowa is a leader in inmate growth while schools, kids suffer.” “Meanwhile, back at the economy…The end of the war could bring a boost, but fundamental problems will remain.” Excerpt: “If Bush’s tax cuts won’t work, what will?”…

Under the headline “Presidential Backbone” on OpinionJournal.com, columnist Peggy Noonan wrote that “George W. Bush is an American of the big and real America.” An excerpt: “Mr. Bush was born in superior circumstances and rose with average gifts. And yet when you look at Mr. Bush now I think you have to admit – I think even clever people who talk loudly in restaurants have to admit – that he has shown himself not to be a man of average gifts. Backbone is not an average gift. Guts are not an average gift. The willingness to take pain and give pain to make progress in human life is not an average gift. All in all these are amazing qualities in a political figure, and in a president. There’s a headline for America: America appears to have a president worthy of its people.”…

Noonan was on a literary roll yesterday – a few more words worth noting about the death of NBC’s David Bloom: “Bloom’s reports were riveting and historic…He was on fire. He seemed to have no agenda but to bring you the latest…The U. S. Army is almost in full control of that sad place this morning. David Bloom won’t be with the Mighty Third and reporting on the last fighting and the first greetings, and that’s a shame and a loss to us all…And he brought joy to the endeavor, didn’t he? He brought hunger, and energy. He made being a reporter look like the best job in the world. Rest in Peace, David of Arabia, journalist of warriors.”

SPORTS:

There was no joy in Mudville when the mighty Casey struck out – and there’s no joy in Iowa Falls or Sioux City (or among IA basketball fans) this morning because the mighty Kirk and the mighty Nick failed in their effort to win the NCAA national basketball championship for Kansas last night. The two Iowans – Kirk Hinrich of Sioux City and Nick Collison of Iowa Falls – were involved in 113 wins (an average of 28 a year) during their four years at KU, but couldn’t win one more as Syracuse prevailed 81-78. Headline on Keeler column in today’s Register: “Perfect ending slips away for Kansas’ Iowa tandem”…

The Iowa City police blotter continues to include the names of Hawkeye athletes. The Quad-City Times reported that Chris Smith, a senior who is competing for the starting free safety position during the current spring football practice, was charged with disorderly conduct after police to a call about a fight in progress at a downtown bar. That’s two arrests in three days for Hawkeye football players, after junior defensive end Matt Roth was charged with public intoxication and unlawful use of an Iowa driver’s license.  The Times reported that Smith was the ninth Iowa football player – and 12th high-profile athlete – arrested by Iowa City police within the past year…

Meanwhile back on the field, coach Kirk Ferentz announces the usual spring football game will be reduced to a controlled intrasquad scrimmage – on Saturday, 4/19. WHO-TV reports Ferentz took the action became of mounting spring practice injuries.

WEATHER:

DSM 5 a.m. 27, light snow, fog/mist, wind chill 16...Temps across IA primarily in 20s – but extremes range from 14 in Spencer and 16 in Estherville to 34 in Keokuk…

High today 42, partly sunny. Low tonight 25, partly cloudy. High Wednesday 55, partly sunny. WHO-TV’s Brandon Thomas reports: “Sunny skies on Wednesday, but a bit foggy in the morning. Highs will be in the low/mid forties. It will be even warmer on Thursday, with highs in the mid sixties.”

IOWAISMS:

WHO Radio reports that more than 4,500 Iowa students attending FFA Leadership Conference on Iowa State University campus in Ames this week…

The Quad-City Times reported that Les Swanson – the last living Quad-City musician to play with legendary cornetist Bix Beiderbecke – died from pneumonia at a Moline, IL, care center on Sunday. The report said that during Beiderbecke’s era Swanson, 97, played in the Trave O’Hearn and Jimmie IIicks groups and spent a considerable amount of time with Bix while on vacation from the Paul Whiteman band shortly before Beiderbecke’s death in 1931. He performed two songs – “Tenderly” and “I Wish You Love” – during the 100th anniversary to Beiderbecke’s birth last month – on 3/10 – at the Blackhawk Hotel in Davenport.  Swanson also was a former assistant editor of what then known as the Daily Times in Davenport and wrote a book titled “Covered Bridges in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin.”

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