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IOWA
DAILY REPORT Holding
the Democrats accountable today, tomorrow...forever.
PAGE 2
Monday,
Aug. 4, 2003 … The
headline Republicans don’t want to see in
August the year before the next election – “Some
GOP Politicians See Uncertain Job Prospects”.
The headline, from the Los Angeles Times, tops
a Janet Hooks’ report on economy/jobs concerns
facing some GOP incumbents from depressed
areas. Excerpt: “Despite an intensified
White House defense of its economic policies
and a welcome jump in the national growth rate
this week, many Republicans up for reelection
next year remain edgy as they await clearer
signs of a sustained recovery. ‘We are not
where we need to be on the economy,’ said Rep.
Dave Camp (R-Mich.). ‘And this is not where
I'd like to be a year from now.’ Republicans
generally believe that the tax cuts they have
passed will do what President Bush promises:
kick-start the stock market, spur growth and
restore public confidence in the U.S. economy.
But the economic indicator that traditionally
has the most political significance is also
the slowest to rebound: job creation. And
GOP hopes for good news on that front were
dashed Friday. The economy lost another 44,000
jobs in July, the Labor Department reported.
Although the unemployment rate dropped to 6.2%
— down from a nine-year high of 6.4% in June —
officials said that was because nearly 500,000
people simply had stopped looking for a job.
Even before the new report, some
Republicans returning to their home districts
during Capitol Hill's summer break have been
met with tough questions about why so many
people are still out of work. ‘There's a
lot of anxiety out there,’ said Rep. Paul Ryan
(R-Wis.), whose district has been battered by
plant closings. ‘Some people see a light at
the end of the tunnel, but some haven't seen
it yet.’” …
Republicans still battling for Hispanic
support – only one in five committed to vote
for Bush. Excerpt from Associated Press
report: “Hispanics tend to identify more
with Democrats and generally favor them on
domestic issues, but many haven't decided what
they think of President Bush and lean toward
his position on tax cuts and school vouchers,
says a new poll. The CBS-New York Times poll
suggested Hispanics tilt toward a Democratic
candidate in the 2004 presidential race, but
many remain undecided. When Hispanic
registered voters were asked whether they
would vote for Bush or a Democratic candidate
for president, 21 percent said Bush, 31
percent said a Democrat and 45 percent were
undecided. Hispanics were more likely than
non-Hispanics to prefer tax cutting to
reducing the size of the deficit. And they
were more inclined to support tax-supported
vouchers to send children to private schools.
And on social issues like abortion and gay
relations, the poll showed Hispanics tend to
be more conservative than non-Hispanics.
But by almost a 2-1 margin, Hispanics were
inclined to say the Democratic Party comes
closer to representing their values. Asked
which party cares more about the needs of
Hispanics, 50 percent said Democrats, and 19
percent said Republicans. One in five said
they didn't know. Hispanics were more likely
than non-Hispanics to say they want a bigger
government that offers more services. And they
overwhelmingly support affirmative action, by
a 76-14 margin, while non-Hispanics were split
on the topic. Hispanics were significantly
more likely than non-Hispanics to be worried
about the possibility of losing their jobs in
the next year. About half of Hispanics
have an opinion about the president
personally, and they tend to like him by a 2-1
margin. More than four in 10 didn't offer
an opinion of Bush. More than half, 52 percent
of Hispanics, approve of the job he's doing.
The poll of 3,092 adults, including 1,074
Hispanics, was taken July 13-27 and has an
error margin of plus or minus 3 percentage
points for the non-Hispanic sample and 4
percentage points for Hispanics.”
This morning’s headlines:
Des Moines
Register, top front-page headline: “Iowa
soldier is killed in Iraq…Dubuque’s
Deutsch a ‘hero,’ dad says”
Main online
stories, Quad-City Times: “Dean, Gephardt
lead in Iowa poll” & “West African
troops arrive in Liberia today”
Nation/world
heads, Omaha World-Herald online: “A
weekend of protests ends peacefully” & “Episcopal
Church closer to having a gay bishop”
Featured
reports, New York Times: “Medicare Drug
Bill Held Up by Dispute on Discount Cards”
& “Food and Peace Just a Memory in Liberian
City”
Sioux City
Journal online, top stories: “Soldier,
former Dubuque man killed in Iraq” & “Israel
rejects idea of permanent cease-fire, demands
disarming of Palestinian militants”
Chicago
Tribune, top online stories: “Iran may pose
nuclear threat” & “Gay bishop nears
confirmation”
Iowa Briefs/Updates:
Radio Iowa reported that Iowa is going to get
another phone company. Stella Shaffer’s
coverage indicated that Algona’s
municipal utility – which already offers
electric, water and communications services –
such as cable TV and high-speed Internet – is
taking applications for phone service that
will begin in Mid-August.
… “Casualties
not cutting war support, for now” –
Headline from yesterday’s Washington Times.
GOP leaders doubt Iraq encounters will impede
GWB’s march toward re-election – but pollster
Luntz says it could be a problem if situation
exists well into ‘04. Excerpt from
coverage by the Times’ Ralph Z. Hallow:
“Republican leaders say U.S. casualties in
Iraq could grow into a serious political
problem but aren't likely to turn Americans
against President Bush or the war on terrorism
any time soon. ‘While the American people
have concerns, they also know the war is not
over, and freedom has its costs,’ said
Colorado state Republican Chairman Ted Halaby.
Continuing attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq
‘should not be an obstacle to the president's
re-election,’ he said. ‘It becomes a problem
if it continues well into 2004,’ said
Republican pollster Frank Luntz. ‘If Americans
see light at the end of the tunnel, they will
accept sacrifices from the military. But they
need to know it will come to an end.’ Texas
Republican National Committee member Tim
Lambert dismisses comparisons between Iraq and
the war in Vietnam that some Democrats and
some in the news media make. ‘Body bags
will not be an issue — as long as we are
aggressively pursuing the enemy,’ he said. The
latest polls seem to support that view: 69
percent of Americans surveyed think Mr. Bush
did the right thing in Iraq and 66 percent
support his war on terrorism, according to a
Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll published
Thursday. The July 27-28 survey of 1,007
adults found that 58 percent said U.S. troops
should stay in Iraq as long as necessary, even
as long as five years. The poll had a margin
of error of 3.1 percentage points. Republican
leaders, buoyed by such results and eager to
sound united behind the president, add other
provisos to their rosy predictions. ‘The
American public will be supportive as long as
there is progress in Iraq,’ said Marty
Ryall, chairman of the state Republican Party
in Arkansas. ‘The elimination of Saddam
Hussein's two sons is an example.’ He and
several other Republican leaders added another
proviso. They said Mr. Bush must keep making
the case effectively to the public that the
steady toll of American casualties is worth
the price.” Today’s editorials: Des Moines
Register:
“The dual nature of marriage…The pope
and the president spoke similar words. They
shouldn’t have” & “When reform goes awry”
Excerpt: “The messy recall campaign against
Gov. Gray Davis is made possible by ‘reform’
enacted during the Progressive Era. It shows
how good intentions go awry…Iowa and most
states to the east did not amend their
constitutions to allow initiative, referendum
or recall, but several states in the West
did.”
… Several
sportscasts this morning report that former
Iowa QB Brad Banks – the runner-up in last
fall’s Heisman Trophy voting – has been
released by the NFL’s Washington Redskins
… Veteran NASCAR driver Ken Schrader is
scheduled to return to the Independence
Motor Speedway on Wednesday night to
participate in a race that was rained out on
7/9. Schrader and former Winston Cup champion
Bill Elliott are expected to appear in the
regular Dodge Weekly Series program in
Farley on Thursday night, 8/14. Sports
reports indicated they are to compete in the
late-model division race
… DSM 7 a. m. 64, fair/clear. Temperatures at
7 a.m. ranged from 53 in Spencer, 54 in
Estherville and 55 in Clarion to
63 in Muscatine and 64 in Des Moines
and Oelwein. Today’s high 82,
mostly sunny. Tonight’s low 62, chance
T-storms. Tuesday’s high 81, chance T-storms.
Tuesday night’s low 63, chance T-storms. From
WHO-TV’s Brandon Thomas: “Showers and t-storms
will move into central Iowa after midnight
Monday, with more t-storms likely on Tuesday.
Highs will be in the low eighties. Mostly
sunny on Wednesday, with highs in the mid
eighties. A sunny, but hot start to the
Iowa State Fair on Thursday. Highs will be
in the upper eighties.”
Balloon pilots from across the country and
around the world are in Indianola this week
for the annual National Balloon Classic. This
year, events started last Friday and run
through next Saturday. The races launch every
morning starting around 6:30 a.m. and every
night around 7 p.m., weather permitting.
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