Saturday, February 22, 2003

CANDIDATES/CAUCUS:  The Iowa Wabbit Hutch is empty today as the Dem candidates hang out in D. C. during the DNC’s winter meeting, but they are still engaged in Widiculous Wabbit Whetoric. Jane Norman of the DMR’s Washington Bureau reports that Dean’s anti-war message met with “loud approval” as four candidates – Dean, Lieberman, Gephardt and Moseley-Braun – addressed the DNC on Friday. Dean also got top billing in AP coverage. More candidates appear at DNC today…Several news sources indicate Michigan Democrats – in possible violation of national party rules -- are pushing effort to hold caucuses on same day as the New Hampshire primary, which tentatively has been set just days after the Iowa caucuses – January 27, 2004…Associated Press reporting that Lieberman and Gephardt leading Democrats, but that Hillary looms in the background. AP says that CNN-TIME national poll has Lieberman at 16%, Gephardt 13% -- good leads over Kerry 8%, Edwards and Sharpton 7%, Moseley-Braun 4%. Dean and Graham 3%, and Kucinich 2%. But, the CNN-TIME shows that among leading Democrats Hillary was viewed favorably by 72% with Lieberman 49% and Gephardt 41%.

IOWA POLITICS: DMR sidebar: Longtime Vilsack campaign consultant Teresa Vilmain named as general election strategist, charged with winning back the White House, at the DNC.

MORNING SUMMARY: DMR’s top front page headline: “Scores perish in club” Death toll at least 96 in R. I. fire.

WAR/TERRORISM: Gilbert Cranberg, former DMR editor of the editorial pages, has an “Iowa View” opinion in today’s DMR: “Did Powell deceive Security Council? He embellished quote to make it appear much more incriminating”

STATE ISSUES: DMR headline: “GOP objects to livestock rules…Vilsack administration strayed from law, they say”

OPINION: DMR Editorial: “’Reform’ run amok…Count on Grassley to restore common sense to welfare legislation.”

SPORTS: Iowa and Iowa State try to win again today with home games – K-State visits Ames in early p.m. game, Wisconsin in Iowa City at 3 p.m…. Drake at Evansville tonight, UNI at Louisiana Tech…In women’s basketball: ISU at Oklahoma, Wichita State at UNI.

WEATHER: …5 a.m. 27 degrees with fog/mist. High today 28, possibly some flurries this morning, low tonight 12, High tomorrow 18 with chance of snow, but most snow to move south of Iowa, possibly 2”-4” in Missouri…WHO-TV meteorologist Ed Wilson says, “the big story will be the cold highs in the 20s and lows in the singles to sub-zero range” as cold front moves into Iowa. Lows Sunday and Monday nights could be around zero…Another big storm moving up from South along East Coast, lots of rain. Currently, a tornado watch for parts of Georgia and Alabama…The Quad-City Times reports this morning that chances of spring flooding on Mississippi River during spring are low. The Times report says the Quad-City area has received only 33 percent of its normal precipitation this winter. The flood report also says that snow depths in the Mississippi Basin are low.

IOWAISMS: Among survivors of the West Warwick, R.I., nightclub fireworks fire is Eric Powers, a 1990 Dubuque Hempstead High School grad, who signed on as drummer for the Great White band late last year. He informed his parents in Dubuque that he escaped the inferno. The band used a brief pyrotechnic display during appearance in Sioux City last month…In today’s Mason City Globe Gazette, Kristin Buehner reports that pyrotechnics are banned at the legendary Surf ballroom in Clear Lake.

WEEKEND QUESTION TO PONDER: This is a non-Iowa entry, but worth mentioning: Where are the Iraqi “Peaceniks”? Jeff Jacoby points out on FrontPageMagazine.com (2/21) that millions of anti-war protestors are turning out in Europe and the U. S. “Something was missing from last weekend’s vast wave of demonstrations against war in Iraq: Iraqis.”

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