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

THE CLINTON COMEDIES:

… “Hillary could be no pushover in N. H.” – Boston Herald headline. The Herald’s David R. Guarino, reporting yesterday on recent New Hampshire poll, writes that Hillary’s entry would be damaging to Kerry. Excerpts from Guarino’s report: “U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton could join the race for president as the New Hampshire front-runner - but former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean would be her toughest competitor, a new Herald polls shows. Clinton's entry into the race would be a crisis for Massachusetts Sen. John F. Kerry, who would find his base of traditional Democratic voters seriously threatened. The race now tied between Dean and Kerry would quickly become a Dean-Clinton standoff, with Clinton picked by 27 percent of voters and Dean by 23 percent in the poll. Kerry would fall to a second tier at 16 percent and all other candidates would be relegated to single digits. But Dean's support among independent- and reform-minded voters seems intact with or without Clinton in the running. ‘She doesn't eat into Dean's lead at all,’ said Herald pollster R. Kelly Myers. ‘As of today, Dean is the only one who could hold his own (against Clinton).’ Indeed, among independents polled in the survey, Dean and Clinton are locked at 21 percent and 22 percent respectively. Women, who favor Kerry when he's pitted against Dean, flock to Clinton in the poll. Thirty-two percent of women voters said they'd pick Clinton while only 18 percent picked Dean and 16 percent tapped Kerry. An overwhelming 30 percent of men picked Dean, with only 19 percent picking Clinton and 16 percent Kerry…’If Hillary Clinton suddenly expressed some interest in the race, the biggest potential loser is Kerry,’ Myers said. The Herald poll of 402 likely New Hampshire Democratic primary voters, taken July 22-24, has a plus or minus 4.9 percent margin of error. Without Clinton in the race, Kerry and Dean sit atop the pack in the Herald poll - Dean leading 28 percent to Kerry's 25 percent with U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) at 11 percent and U.S. Rep. Richard Gephardt at 9 percent. Clinton's soaring favorability rating, 65 percent, is second only to Kerry in New Hampshire - the neighboring Bay State senator is viewed favorably by 67 percent of voters.”

… A flurry of stories surfaced during the weekend – especially with Ed Gillespie’s election as RNC chairman – about increased efforts by Republicans to fight back against Dem criticisms and the Dem wannabes. The following Washington Times account is representative of the articles that have appeared in several media outlets. The Times headline: “GOP steps up defense of Bush” Excerpt from Stephen Dinan’s report: “Republicans' defense of President Bush and the war in Iraq stiffened yesterday as House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said Democrats are accusing the president of being a traitor. ‘If you take their comments to their logical conclusion, they're essentially calling our commander in chief Benedict Arnold,’ Mr. DeLay, Texas Republican, told the College Republicans at their biennial national convention in the District. ‘Ridiculous as it sounds, the logical extension of the Democrat leadership's assertion is that President Bush is an international war criminal. If we are to take this nonsense seriously, that is how out of control the Democrats' rhetoric has become.’ But Mr. DeLay said Democrats haven't explicitly made those charges because they themselves don't believe them. ‘The Democrats' accusations aren't meant to be taken seriously. Because they're unserious people,’ he said. ‘We're in the middle of a global conflict between good and evil, and they're in the middle of a Michael Dukakis look-alike contest.’ In New York, new Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie said Democrats' sole strategy is to try to weaken the president, though they present no credible alternative …Republicans are making a concerted effort to push back after nearly a month of Democratic challenges to the legitimacy of the war in Iraq. On Thursday, Vice President Dick Cheney, in a speech at the American Enterprise Institute, laid out part of the case the administration relied upon to decide Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was a threat that had to be removed. And as Congress prepares for its summer recess, Republicans are going home with talking points to help put the entire Iraqi situation in focus …Democrats aren't backing down, and are in fact using Iraq to challenge the president on his leadership all around — an area where, to date, American voters have rated Mr. Bush highly …Democrats particularly targeted the now-famous ‘16 words’ from this year's State of the Union address, in which Mr. Bush cited British intelligence claims that Iraq had tried to buy nuclear material from Niger. Even though British agencies stand by the report, the White House earlier this month said the information should not have been included in a presidential speech. Sen. Bob Graham, Florida Democrat and another presidential contender, has suggested Mr. Bush was deceptive to the point of committing an impeachable offense. Now congressional Democrats are expanding their criticism of the State of the Union speech, arguing Mr. Bush was also wrong in claiming Iraq tried to buy aluminum tubes for nuclear-weapons production. But Mr. DeLay and Mr. Gillespie both said yesterday that Democrats' charges are the result of a party without any agenda other than to beat Mr. Bush in 2004 …For his part, Mr. DeLay left few Democratic notables unscathed. ‘Just look at their presidential candidates: It's like they're lost in a time warp. They want to tax like Mondale, spend like Carter, and fight like McGovern,’ he said. Mr. DeLay went on to assail individual candidates by name, then as a whole, calling their ideas ‘just weird.’…’It makes you wonder if at their next presidential debate, the Democrats are all going to show up wearing aluminum-foil helmets to protect their brain waves from the mother ship,’ he said.”

Des Moines Register, top front-page headline: “Bob Hope…Entertainment giant dies at 100”

Quad-City Times, featured online stories: “Bob Hope, nation’s most-honored comedian, dead at 100” & Iraq – “Grenade from above kills U. S. soldier”

Nation/world heads, Daily Iowan (University of Iowa): “Last bow for legend of comedy” & “Iraqi, U. S. casualties mount”

Sioux City Journal, main online reports: “Bob Hope, who entertained from WWII to Gulf War, dead at 100” & “U. S. troops capture Saddam bodyguard; Iraqi guerillas kill American soldier”

Featured headline, New York Times: “Pentagon Prepares a Futures Market on Terror Attacks” Report says the online market would allow anonymous speculators to bet on forecasting terrorist attacks, assassinations and coups.

Omaha World-Herald, nation/world heads: “U. S. forces capture Saddam bodyguard” & “New 9/11-style hijacking threats called credible” Report says U. S. officials said Monday they have learned of credible threats of possible new airline suicide hijackings planned by terrorists for the latter part of the summer.

Chicago Tribune online, top stories: “U. S. Troops Capture Saddam Bodyguard” & “Liberia rebels capture port city”

… Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson reports that Gov. Tom Vilsack says Iowa farmers could face new restrictions as the state attempts to clean up waterways that have been designated by the feds as ‘impaired’ because of pollution. Vilsack said ‘clearly, if we continue to do what we're doing, we're going to continue to get what we're getting.’ He said buffer strips and wetland restoration projects aren't enough to deal with the problem. Vilsack said there will be a water quality summit on Nov. 24 and 25 in Ames to discuss just such an initiative…The Sioux City Journal reports that authorities are investigating the apparent theft of a nearly three-foot tall prize peony from a Sioux City gravesite. The report said Dr. Michael and Susie Jones got the Bratzella peony – at a cost of $250 -- for her parents’ gravesite three years ago and it had grown large enough to be worth $1,000. Police labeled the crime felony theft and indicated they would charge the thief, if caught, with a class D felony.

… “N. Korea Accused of Bolstering Economy with Illegal Drug Sales” – Headline from VOANews (Voice of America). Excerpt from report filed yesterday by VOA’s Amy Bickers: “North Korea is accused of using cash from drug trafficking to bolster the communist state's weakened economy. A group of nations has made plans to intercept North Korean vessels suspected of carrying illegal drugs or arms. Last May, a North Korean defector claiming first-hand knowledge of North Korea's drug enterprise testified before the U.S. Congress. The defector, whose identity was kept secret, said the North Korean government directly oversees the production and export of thousands of kilograms of illegal drugs a year as a way to raise cash. He said that in 1997, the cash-short government ordered all collective farms to set aside 10 hectares for poppy cultivation, and then flew in experts from Thailand to supervise the refining of the poppies into heroin. The testimony, which appears to be the most authoritative on the subject ever given in public, comes as Washington and its allies discuss how to bring an end to North Korea's nuclear weapons development. The United States and 10 other nations, including Japan, Australia and Britain, have agreed to intercept North Korean vessels suspected of carrying illicit drugs or arms. The idea is to disrupt Pyongyang's sales of these items, which are believed to be important sources of hard currency for the impoverished state.”

… “Israel to Press Ahead With Security Fence Around West Bank” – VOANews headline from yesterday. Excerpts from report by VOA’s Ross Dunn in Jerusalem: “Israel is to press ahead with the construction of a security fence around the West Bank despite pressure from the United States for changes to the plan. The decision comes as Israel's prime minister heads to Washington. Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, said that the planned contours of the security fence to encircle the West Bank will not be altered. He made the pledge during a meeting of cabinet ministers from his ruling Likud Party on Sunday, shortly before departing for Washington. Mr. Sharon reaffirmed this position in a separate meeting with his defense minister, Shaul Mofaz. The two men agreed that the outline of the fence would remain the same but construction of the barrier would concentrate for the moment on what Israeli officials described as ‘less problematic’ sections. The officials said this meant that the planned building of the fence around some major Jewish settlements would be put off until a later date. Mr. Sharon's policy stance on the issue comes ahead of his scheduled meeting at the White House on Tuesday with President Bush.”

… Under the headline “The pitfalls of arrogance,” columnist Robert Novak writes that the House “defied” the president on two important issues before heading for the August recess. Excerpt from Novak’s column in yesterday’s Chicago Sun-Times: “As Congress hurried last week to clear its agenda so it could leave town for its August recess, the House of Representatives defied President Bush on two important issues--and by big margins. This suggested the political omnipotence of the Bush White House has been exaggerated. It also points to the pitfalls of arrogance. Last Wednesday, the House passed an appropriations bill overruling Federal Communications Commission decisions to ease anti-monopoly restrictions on acquisition of television stations. Although the president had signaled he would veto such a provision, only 21 votes were cast against the bill (while 400 members, including all Republican leaders, voted for it). At 2:51 a.m. Friday, the House risked another veto by voting for reimportation of drugs from Canada. Right up until the roll call, White House operatives (and pharmaceutical industry lobbyists) predicted a very close vote. It wasn't. The bill passed 243-186, with 87 Republicans splitting from their leadership to support the bill. Why did Bush's usually dependable allies in the House desert him on these two issues? The threats from a president who has yet to veto any bill were not taken seriously. If Bush found no difficulty deviating from the conservative line on education, campaign finance reform and expanding Medicare subsidies, Republican House members had no trouble deserting the president on two issues with substantial support from their core constituents and opposition from television and pharmaceutical interests. Beyond these practical considerations, however, lies a deeper problem that the Bush political team does not fully perceive. The word frequently heard around Capitol Hill last week to describe the White House was ‘arrogant.’…To demonstrate their irritation and signify they have no fear of retaliation by Bush, however, House Republicans last week defied the president on two heavily lobbied issues…With the quiet days of August preceding the early start of the presidential campaign, this might be a good time for the president's team to engage in a little self-analysis and even self-criticism. On the contrary, indications from the White House suggest that last week's defeats were considered relatively unimportant and of no great concern. Arrogance is a difficult trait to correct.”

… “Student search ruling too broad” – Headline on editorial in yesterday’s Daily Iowan (University of Iowa). Editorial excerpt says “the Iowa Supreme Court revoked students' Fourth Amendment protection from unreasonable and illegal searches. The action overturned a ruling by the 7th District Court in Muscatine County that said the school had no reasonable grounds for a search that yielded less than a gram of marijuana from a Muscatine High School student's coat pocket. Although the new ruling attempts to give school officials latitude for searching lockers, it also opens students' private property to arbitrary searches and strips students of basic civil liberties…Before winter break in 2001, Muscatine High School officials conducted a locker clean-out to search for overdue library books and get rid of accumulated trash. ’It would be contrary to the mission of our educational system to force schools to wait for problems to grow worse before allowing steps to be taken to prevent those problems,’ Justice Mark Cady wrote in a statement for the high court's opinion. School officials should have the authority to search school property under more flexible standards than those to which we hold law-enforcement officials. They have the safety of the entire student body to consider. The slow-moving legal process would prevent school officials from acting quickly and could end up compromising students' safety. However, this recent ruling is too broad. It found that searching a students' personal belongings is reasonable, especially if the student isn't present to account for their contents. Given those standards, other personal items, including bags and purses, could be searched if in a locker. Apart from its intrusive nature, the court's decision may ultimately prove unconstitutional. In a 1985 U.S. Supreme Court decision, New Jersey v. T.L.O., the justices ruled that a school principal may single out and search a student's locker only if there is cause to reasonably suspect that the locker contains evidence that the student has violated a criminal law or a school rule. Balancing school safety with individual students' rights is a precarious position. The Iowa Supreme Court had an opportunity to encourage schools to treat students as people with inalienable rights rather than give schools the authority to treat them as dangerous criminals. Unfortunately, this time the justices taught the wrong lesson.”

… Today’s editorials, Des Moines Register: “Don’t make outcasts of all …Iowa goes too far in restricting where ex-offenders can live.” Reaction to court ruling that determined the state’s law restricting housing options of sex offenders is unconstitutional. & “The remarkable Armstrong …He might simply be the greatest athlete of our times.” Lance Armstrong keeps winning the Tour de France. & “Now they say intelligence was ‘murky’” Excerpt: “Chalking things up to ‘murky’ intelligence is one way of explaining away dubious claims made to justify a war.”

… DSM 7 a.m. 65, clear. Temperatures across the state at 7 a.m. ranged from 54 in Harlan and 55 in LeMars to 64 in Oelwein, Algona and Ottumwa and 65 in Lamoni and Des Moines. Today’s highs 86, mostly sunny. Tonight’s low 64, chance T-storms. Wednesday’s high 83, chance T-storms. Wednesday night’s low 64, mostly clear. From WHO-TV’s Brandon Thomas: “A cold front will move through the state on Wednesday, bringing scattered showers and t’storms in the mid-afternoon. Highs will be in the low/mid eighties. Another around of t’storms are possible Thursday morning and again in the late afternoon. Highs will be in the low eighties. Mostly sunny on Friday, with highs in the mid eighties.”

… Sergeant Floyd Encampment set in Sioux City for mid-August. The Sioux City Journal reports that a family trail ride, educational programs, and an 1804 living history encampment are among the activities scheduled for the Sergeant Floyd Memorial Encampment at the Sergeant Floyd River Museum and Welcome Center in Sioux City on Aug. 16-17. A new addition to the annual encampment is a Lewis and Clark Family Trail Ride from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Aug. 16. The recreational family bike ride will begin at the Sergeant Floyd River Museum and Welcome Center where participants will receive a trail map and journal to complete at educational stations along the trail. The ride will conclude at Bruguier's Cabin, which will be open for the event. Throughout the day, visitors will be able to explore a re-creation of the 1804 camp with its authentic tents, camp equipment, uniforms and firearms like those used by the Lewis and Clark Expedition. An 1804 reveille and flag-raising ceremony, periodic musters and inspections and arms drills will be conducted by the Discovery Corps, Inc., an Omaha-based historical re-enactment group.