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

... Clinton – Bill, not Hillary – calls for repeal of presidential term limits

... In California, Kerry argues Bush “has offered nothing” to address the medical needs of working Americans

... In California, Kucinich’s vegetable oil-powered bus breaks down – but it doesn’t impede his attacks on the Bush administration

... Edwards to release names today of more than 70 Iowa Dem activists supporting his presidential bid

... AP’s Iowa caucus-watcher, Mike Glover—apparently waiting for at least one wannabe to return to IA from CA – writes in candidate profile that Gephardt “relishes his newfound freedom”

... In California, Lieberman says Bush has “pursued a Flintstones agenda in a Jetsons world”

... Boston Herald reports GOP seeks to link Gore with Kerry by launching “shadow campaign” against the 2004 wannabe

... Iowa lawmakers convene in special session to consider Iowa Values Fund economic development proposal, other priorities. Radio Iowa reported this morning that GOP Senate leaders came up with new funding mechanism for the Values Fund after a four-hour meeting last night

... Big trouble at the DNC. Leading black Dems protest the layoffs of 10 minority staffers

... News & Observer reports Dean is “far from being a consistent liberal by national Democratic standards”

... Former NFL coach Shula and wife hosting Graham fundraising event tonight

... LA Times: GOP senators will need Democratic help in Senate to pass future initiatives

... Most absent Iowa legislator says he couldn’t resist Kerry invite to run in the Boston Marathon

... Sioux City school board begins discussion of anti-hazing policy that could be implemented next fall

... In California, Kucinich doesn’t need microphone to address small group, but he plods on

... Statewide newscasts today report that Army Pvt. Kenneth A. Nalley, 19, of Hamburg – in extreme southwest Iowa -- was one of two killed in a traffic accident in Iraq on Monday. Reports say Nalley was escorting a convoy in a Humvee when a heavy equipment transporter crossed the median and struck Nalley’s vehicle. He joined the military last July

... Eastbound lane of Interstate 80 blocked this morning near Dexter exit – about 25 miles west of Des Moines -- due to semi crash, involving a truck carrying strawberries. Authorities said it was reopened by mid-morning

... Nine-year-old killed near Colfax last night during a church-sponsored hayrack ride. Reports say the victim apparently fell under the tires of the hayrack, but the accident – which occurred during the Assembly of God youth activity -- was still under investigation today. Name not yet released

... Register reports two Iowans – 14-year-old Regina Reinig of Earling and 13-year-old Jonathan Isaac Hahn of Elkader – remained in competition for today’s third round of the National Spelling Bee in DC

... Sports: Just days after his father said Adam Haluska – a sophomore-to-be from Carroll – said his son would remain with the Iowa State basketball program, he requests (and gets) his release. Early speculation: Haluska may transfer to ISU rival Iowa Hawkeyes.

... In a candidate profile piece, the News & Observer of Raleigh – Edwards’ home state newspaper – reported that Dean “presents himself as the only Democrat running for president who can energize the party’s disaffected liberal wing while drawing a large number of votes from independents and Republicans. ‘I’m a Democrat from the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party,’ Dean declares in his trademark line, suggesting disdain for his rivals for the party’s 2004 White House nod.” Lawrence M. O’Rourke of The News & Observer’s Washington Bureau – reporting from Des Moines – wrote: “With one breath, Dean sounds like a committed liberal, pointing to his early and aggressive opposition to the war against Iraq. He accuses his rivals of voting for the tax cuts proposed by President Bush. Dean warns that Bush is leading the country ‘into a depression.’ ‘I’m an unusual candidate who is not driven by the polls,’ said Dean, noting that as governor of Vermont for 11 years he signed the nation’s first law extending equal rights to gays and lesbians. But Dean is far from being a consistent liberal by national Democratic standards. His plan to provide ‘health insurance that can’t be taken away’ relies more on private industry and less on government revenue than proposals of other Democratic candidates.”

... Item from New Hampshire’s The Union Leader online today says Edwards will release names of more than 70 Iowa Democratic activists endorsing his candidacy. Report says AP has secured a list of the Edwards IA supporters that includes Polk County (Des Moines) Sheriff Dennis Anderson, Cherokee County Democratic chairwoman Janet Melton and two members of the party’s state Central Committee.

... Headline from yesterday’s San Francisco Chronicle: “Kerry pushes for health care in Bay Area visit…Bush opponent tours hospital in Peninsula” The Chronicle’s Carla Marinucci reported: “Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry toured a San Mateo County hospital overburdened by scores of new patients – including laid-off dot-commers – to highlight his health care proposals and argue Tuesday that President Bush ‘has offered nothing’ to address the medical needs of working Americans…Chris Lehane, a spokesman for Kerry, said the senator – on his 15th trip to California – intended to stress how the Bush administration’s economic policies have had a ripple effect on health care, education and a variety of issues that affect every American. ‘John Kerry stands as the only candidate in the field who can take these issues directly to George W. Bush,’ he said. In San Mateo, Kerry pushed his $72 billion health care plan, which he said could eventually cover 96 percent of Americans, and nearly 99 percent of all children without health insurance. ‘It is the only health care plan that has been offered in this country than deals with bringing down costs for all Americans,’ he said…Kerry, responding to a question about health care for undocumented immigrants, said the country needs ‘immigration reform,’ but ‘it is important for us to recognize that the children of an undocumented immigrant are Americans’ who deserve health care, proper nutrition and education.”

... The Des Moines Register – under the headline “Newton event looms large” – reports that six of the Dem wannabes already have signed up for a forum sponsored by the Jasper County Democrats in Newton next month. The event, which will be held at Newton High School from late morning through mid-afternoon, is expected to include candidate presentations and breakout sessions for central IA Dems to meet with the wannabes. The Dem hopefuls scheduled to attend the 6/21 cattle show so far: Dean, Edwards, Gephardt, Graham, Kerry and Kucinich. (Iowa Pres Watch Note: Missing – Sharpton, Moseley Braun and Lieberman, who is unlikely since he does not campaign on Saturdays to observe the Jewish Sabbath.)

... In New Hampshire, the Union Leader reports this morning that two media outlets – WMUR and The Union Leader – sent invitations to the Dem hopefuls yesterday inviting them to participate in a series of four forums in the “first-in-the-nation” primary state. The Union Leader’s John DiStaso reports that the four forums would include two “town meetings” – in September and October – and two debates in December and January, the final one about a week before the leadoff primary.

... Kucinich’s Great California Adventure I: From the San Jose Mercury News – “He promised a vegetable oil-powered bus, but he was whisked away in a Mercedes. Dennis Kucinich, the Ohio congressman, proud liberal and long-shot Democratic presidential candidate, was supposed to kick off a 10-day ‘Clean Energy Road Tour’ in California on Saturday in a ‘state-of-the-art, ecologically designed Greyhound.’ But in what some 300 supporters at an Oakland rally surely hope isn’t a metaphor for his uphill campaign, the bus broke down before the tour even started, the victim of a busted clutch. So while Kucinich had to settle for a German luxury car, his backers had to settle for the candidate’s fire-breathing rhetoric. In a half-hour speech, the former mayor of Cleveland blasted the Bush administration on everything from the war in Iraq to tax cuts to free trade to military spending. And the crowd didn’t seem at all disappointed. Never mind that Kucinich – one of a procession of Democratic hopefuls coming to California in the coming weeks looking for cash, endorsements and, to a lesser extent, votes – is barely a blip on the presidential radar screen. With the primary election still nine months away, this is the season in politics to dream of upsets.”

... More from the San Jose Mercury News coverage: “To campaign successful in the early caucuses and primaries in Iowa and New Hampshire, candidates must raise money in places like California and New York. They have been coming West for months, courting support from Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Hollywood and Los Angeles. Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts and John Edwards of North Carolina have been two of the most successful. Each has raised more than $1 million in the state.” The report noted that Kerry, Gephardt and Lieberman were scheduled in CA this week, and Graham is due in next week.

... Associated Press’s Iowa caucus specialist Glover writes about Gephardt’s “newfound freedom” as a presidential candidate vs. being Dem House leader. Glover reported: “Gone is the title of House minority leader and the legislative and political responsibilities that came with it. Gone, too, is the pressure of worrying about the next congressional campaign. Dick Gephardt has shed his leadership job to focus on what is probably his last political chase, his second and final bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. He clearly relishes his newfound freedom. At one recent Iowa appearance, he pounded his fist and spoke passionately about his family’s health care experiences. Constant eye contact with the crowd, a jab of his hand or finger to make a point – all are hallmarks of an energized Gephardt on the campaign trail. ‘He always looked wooden to me on the tube,’ said 19-year-old Spencer Higgins of Ottumwa, who is barely aware that Gephardt ran unsuccessfully for the 1988 nomination. ‘The man’s alive, man. Alive.” That assessment may come as a surprise to some in Washington who see the 13-term Gephardt as a Capitol Hill creature, a no-nonsense Missouri lawmaker who has spent nearly half his 62 years waging fights in Congress over trade, taxes and welfare…Still, the words Gephardt and charismatic rarely appear in the same sentence, and the candidate must overcome the perception he’s a political has-been.”

... Headline from yesterday’s Sacramento Bee: “Lieberman sets goal of 3 percent productivity by the end of his first presidential term” The Bee carried advanced coverage of Lieberman’s planned remarks at a San Diego campaign stop yesterday. The AP report by Nedra Pickler said Lieberman “blamed President Bush for a sluggish economy that Lieberman said has kept Americans out of work. ‘The administration of George W. Bush has pursued a Flintstones agenda in a Jetsons world,’ Lieberman said in remarks prepared for delivery Wednesday at the University of California, San Diego. ‘And in so doing, George Bush has let the sparks of innovation fall to the floor. As your president, I will make sure they spread to a much bigger, broader fire.’ The Connecticut senator said he would work toward ensuring U.S. productivity growth – the amount of output per hour of work – is at 3 percent annually by the end of his first term…Lieberman’s goal of 3 percent growth would double the rates experienced for two decades before 1995, but is less than the 4.8 percent achieved last year. The Lieberman campaign says recent productivity gains have been linked to rising unemployment, while his economic plan would focus on creating new jobs. He criticized Bush for the job losses, deteriorating economy and reduction of national savings.”

... The Boston Herald – headline “GOP seeks to link Gore with Kerry” – reported: “GOP operatives have already launched a shadow campaign branding Sen. John F. Kerry as a carbon copy of another Democrat maligned as aloof and phony: Al Gore. ‘Wherever he goes, Kerry walks in thinking he’s the smartest guy in the room – and he just has to show it,’ said one Massachusetts Republican, echoing party insiders. ‘Gore was the same way. They’re really birds of a feather.’ Kerry aides, however, consider such comments from Republicans a back-handed compliment, saying it shows that the Bush team views Kerry as the strongest potential challenger. ‘If you go behind the fence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, into that dark, secret room where George Bush and Karl Rove are plotting the race, I guarantee you the candidate who strikes the most fear in their hearts is John Kerry,’ said Kerry spokesman Chris Lehane, who also served as Gore’s campaign spokesman…Gore, the former vice president who began the 2000 contest as a favorite against Bush, struggled to shed the same disparaging labels in his troubled White House bid three years ago. ‘Gore and Kerry are a couple of pompous guys,’ said former Reagan White House political director and GOP analyst Lyn Nofziger. ‘You don’t see much humility in either one. They seem very pleased with themselves – and that can sure hurt in the long run.’…Kerry strategists contend such harsh tactics will only backfire. ‘If these guys think they’re going to run the 1988 Michael Dukakis campaign all over again, they’re in for a rude surprise,’ said Lehane, asserting that Kerry is a decorated Vietnam combat veteran with strong national security credentials.”

... Several Florida media outlets report that former Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula and his wife, Mary Anne, will host a fundraiser for Graham at their Miami Beach home tonight. It is one of several fundraising events the Dem wannabe has scheduled in his home state this week – before heading out to California on another fundraising expedition next week.

... Headline from this morning’s Washington Times: “Top Black Democrats protest layoffs of 10” Report: “Leading black Democrats in Congress and the national party are protesting the layoffs of 10 minority staffers at the party’s headquarters. The Democratic National Committee notified some committee members and lawmakers yesterday that they were cutting the positions to save money and streamline operations in preparation for next year’s presidential election. ‘I’m just outraged,’ said Donna Brazile, who served as Al Gore’s campaign manager in the last presidential election and is also the chairman of the DNC’s Voting Rights Institute.”

... Kucinich’s Great California Adventure II: In the Sacramento Bee – under the headline, “Kucinich stumps as the anti-Bush…He decries the president’s tax cuts and vows to ‘stop this march toward war.’” – reported on the Ohio Democrat’s stop at the California state Capitol. Ed Fletcher of the Bee’s Capitol Bureau reported: “Give presidential long-shot Dennis Kucinich a microphone – or not – and he won’t hide his distaste for the Bush administration’s handling of the economy, trade and national security. While the Ohio congressman lacks both money and name recognition as he seeks the Democratic presidential nomination next year, he promises to deliver a sharp contrast to the nation’s 43rd president. ‘I’m the candidate who is not trimming the edges, I give people a clear choice,’ Kucinich said Tuesday from the steps of the state Capitol. His staff had a microphone and speakers set up for him, but with only two journalists and a handful of onlookers present, he chose to go without it. Monday evening, he drew hundreds of voters to an appearance at California State University, Sacramento. ‘We have to stop this march toward war,’ he said, warning of the administration’s sharpening rhetoric toward Iran.”

... A few weeks ago, Lieberman proposed that the Dem wannabes meet for a series of monthly debates and now, according to an online report this morning, it appears the DNC has narrowed the list of possible sites for the once-a-month forums. The Union Leader item today says the cities being considered to host the debates are Detroit, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, Albuquerque, Miami, Phoenix and Portland, Ore. Six cities will be selected by the DNC to host the debates, which will be co-sponsored by media outlets and constituency groups.

THE CLINTON COMEDIES:

Headline from Washington Post online: “Clinton Wants Change in Presidential Term Limits” Post carries Reuters report out of Boston last night -- Bill Clinton “said on Wednesday Congress should change the rule barring him from seeking a third term in the White House, but stopped short of saying he wants to return as commander-in-chief. Speaking at the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum [in Boston], Clinton questioned certain aspects of the 22nd Amendment of the Constitution, which prevents a person from being elected president more than twice. Clinton said the amendment, passed after Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected to a record fourth term, should be changed simply to keep a person from being elected to more than two consecutive terms as president. ‘I think since people are living much longer…the 22nd Amendment should probably be modified to say two consecutive terms instead of two terms in a lifetime,’ Clinton said. The former president said such a change probably wouldn’t apply to him but would benefit future generations.” (Iowa Pres Watch Note: That last sentence is really depressing to Iowa Pres Watch since we were anticipating Bill would be challenging Hillary for the 2008 Dem nomination. How could they deprive Dem voters of a clear choice – although there’s not much doubt about the vice presidential nominee on either Clinton ticket in 2008: Monica Lewinsky.)

... In a copyright story yesterday, the DSM Register named 11 Iowa legislators who missed at least 10 % of the votes taken during the 109-day session that ended earlier this month. The worst violator: State Sen. Matt McCoy – a Des Moines Dem who even worked prez wannabe Kerry into one of his excuses for being AWOL. McCoy missed 104 of 344 Senate votes. One of his reasons for being absent, according to Lynn Okamoto’s analysis: “John Kerry invited me to run in the Boston Marathon and I did it. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” His weakest excuse, however, was this: “The bottom line is we’re citizen legislators and I have a position outside the Legislature. What I try to do is make sure I’m there for every key, critical vote.” The Register reported that McCoy missed a total of 18 days – and 30% of the Senate votes. As an indication of how much McCoy abused the system – and his constituents – the next most absent legislator was Dem Rep. Todd Taylor of Cedar Rapids, who missed 20% of the House votes. (Iowa Pres Watch Note: For those not familiar with McCoy’s antics – and excuses – he wanted to run for Congress in 2002, but then Dem incumbent Boswell moved to DSM and ended McCoy’s aspirations. It appears, however, that he’d feel right at home in Congress – giving Gephardt some competition for compiling the worst House voting record.)

... Des Moines Register, top front-page headline: State – “Hard bargains on table for state’s leaders” Report on legislative special session to consider Iowa Values Fund proposal, income tax reform, school construction plan, business regulatory reform, and property tax relief package.

... Quad-City Times, top stories on online: Local – “Witness: Pickup was out of control” Report: Residents said a dark-colored pickup truck traveled recklessly about their quiet Davenport neighborhood where, police say, a driver attended a party before being involved in a double-fatality accident Saturday on Interstate 280.

... Online headline, Sioux City Journal: “Bush signs $350 billion tax-cut, state aid bill into law”

... Omaha World-Herald, nation/world online head: “Bush plans three-way Mideast summit”

... Chicago Tribune, main online headlines: “Bush Steps Into Bumpy Mideast Peacemaking” & “Serial Killer Suspect Returns to La.”

... New York Times, online headlines: “Allies to Retain Larger Iraq Force as Strife Persists” Officials say majority of about 160,000 American and British troops in Iraq are likely to stay until security improves. & “Tax Law Omits Child Credit in Low-Income Brackets” Due to a last-minute revision in the tax bill that the president signed, millions of low-income families will not get the increased child credit that is in the measure.

... Radio Iowa reports that a new lab for advanced research has opened at the University of Iowa to target study of such health threats as SARS and the West Nile virus. Matt Kelley’s report quoted Dr. Greg Gray, director of the U-of-I’s new Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, as saying the research facility also will be pursuing “tuberculosis, AIDS and other newer diseases, particularly those that attack the respiratory system.

... Multiple news reports say a three-judge panel of the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will review arguments in the case that resulted in closing the Meskwaki casino near Tama. The casino was padlocked – by federal court order -- last weekend because of a tribal leadership dispute, and is expected to remain closed during the appeal process.

... KCCI-TV (Des Moines) reports a Tama man told a federal judge he videotaped himself having sex with children, some as young as six years old. Juan Ramos, 40, who said he started making the videotapes early last year, now faces a prison sentence of at least 10 years and a $250,000 fine.

... Radio Iowa reports that a northeast Iowa veterans group is raising money to help the family of a fallen Iowa soldier. The story says the Decorah VFW is trying to send the family of an Ossian native – Marine Gunnery Sgt. Jeff Bohr – to attend a ceremony next month at Camp Pendleton in California, where the Corps plans to name a building in Bohr’s honor. Bohr, who was killed 4/10 in Baghdad, has served as a drill instructor at the Marine camp.

... BBC News reports that “UK Prime Minister Tony Blair is to make an historic visit to Iraq to thank UK troops for their role in the war which toppled Saddam Hussein. He will be the first national leader to visit Iraq since the end of the war in the country last month.” Update: Blair was in Iraq this morning, visiting with Brit troops in the Basra area.

... On the Iran Front: VOANews (Voice of America) reports that “Iran’s President Mohammad Khatami has called on Muslim nations to reject terrorism. Mr. Khatami said terrorism and fanaticism have distorted religion, but in a reference to the United States, he sharply criticized what he called ‘unilateral’ responses to it…Some 57 countries representing the world’s one billion Muslims are in attendance at the three-day conference as either observers or members of the OIC. Senior Bush administration officials are expected to meet in Washington Thursday (today) to review U.S. policy toward Iran.”

Los Angeles Times headline: “GOP Will Need Democrats’ Help on Rest of Agenda…Republicans control the Senate by a tight margin and face divisions among themselves.” Times Nick Anderson writes – “Wanted: Nine Democrats. That’s the challenge facing Republican leaders in Congress as they move beyond last week’s success in passing the nation’s third-largest tax cut…For the future, if GOP leaders and President Bush want to enact Medicare reform, legal reform, welfare reform, energy legislation and many other major items remaining on the administration agenda, they will have to find a strategy to consistently muster 60 votes in a Senate that has just 51 Republicans. That is the supermajority generally required to break a Senate filibuster. Finding those nine votes will be no easy task. Democrats are still smarting from their tax defeat and spoiling for fights with the Bush administration as they look ahead to the presidential election. Four Democratic senators, in fact, are charging hard for their party’s nomination to oppose Bush. Further obstacles to enactment of significant legislation stem from internal divisions among Republicans themselves. On any given issue, a few Republican centrists, such as Sens. John McCain of Arizona or Lincoln Chaffee of Rhode Island, are liable to break from their leadership and at least threaten to give Democrats the upper hand.”

... Special legislative session convenes in Des Moines today. In this morning’s Quad-City Times, Todd Dorman reported: “As Iowa lawmakers streamed back to the Statehouse for a special legislative session today, a legion of special-interest groups was already waiting to greet them. Trial lawyers, opponents of drunken driving, voting rights activists and disabled persons were among those who trooped to the Capitol, hoping to make a last-minute pitch to lawmakers. They are among numerous groups with a big stake in what happens after the gavel falls on the special session this morning. According to a watchdog group, more than 150 lobbyists representing 73 clients are registered to weigh in on the session’s four major issues: the creation of an Iowa Values Fund, a package of pro-business regulatory changes, income tax reform and a property tax overhaul. The group, Money and Politics Iowa, compiled the figures from lobbyist declaration forms. But much of the lobbying is not occurring under the Capitol’s golden dome.” Meanwhile, the Sioux City Journal reported this morning that Sioux City “labor leaders and workers Wednesday blasted Iowa Republican legislative attempts to erode injured workers’ rights and eliminate punitive damages in lawsuits against large companies.” The proposals are contained in the overall package being considered as part of a deal to secure passage of the Values Fund proposal. Sioux City attorney Al Sturgeon – who’s the Woodbury County Dem chairman – said during a news conference in the City Council chambers: “We urge Gov. Vilsack to veto this legislation if it’s passed.”

... The Sioux City Board of Education began discussion Tuesday of a new hazing policy that could be adopted for the 2003-04 school year. The Sioux City Journal reported yesterday that “Superintendent Larry Williams said the policy is needed since the topic ‘has captured the attention of the nation’ following the high-profile Chicago-area case in which senior girl athletes reportedly smeared animal feces on junior girls. ‘We welcome the opportunity to put ourselves on record on an issue that is often unspoken of,’ Williams said. He said hazing can occur in any community, so the proposed hazing policy will let Sioux City students know ‘that hazing is unacceptable.’”

... Today’s editorials, Des Moines Register: “Make it a metro vision…Downtown’s successful planning process should be duplicated on a larger scale.” & “Sharon’s gutsy stand…Like Nixon in China…it might signal a breakthrough…For the conservative Sharon to state the truth so plainly is far more effective than anyone from the left.”

... Columnist David Yepsen: Headline – “Surprise us with an ‘extraordinary’ session” Yepsen writes about legislative special session meeting in DSM today and observes “this special session could be no more extraordinary than a regular one – one that spends more and does little.”

... Headline from this morning’s Register sports section: “REVERSE MOVE…Haluska shuns ISU; Hawkeyes watch, wait” Report says basketball standout Adam Haluska, who recommitted to stay with the program after coach Larry Eustachy resigned, has “changed his mind – and may be headed to play for rival Iowa.” The Register report this morning said: “Adam Haluska has declined to speak to The Register since the season ended. However, he told the Ames Tribune last week, ‘I love being at (Iowa State), and I’m glad I’m going to be there.’”

... Also on the Iowa State basketball beat: Reports today say that new men’s basketball coach Wayne Morgan will receive a contract worth “about $500,000 annually” – less than half the $1.1 million Eustachy received before he resigned on May 5. Morgan was hired to replace Eustachy two weeks ago.

... DSM 7 a.m. 57, fair. Temperatures across Iowa bunched mostly in the 50s at 7 a.m. – 46 in Harlan to 59 in the Quad-Cities. Today’s high 82, partly sunny. Tonight’s low 62, chance T-storms. Friday’s high 82, chance T-storms. Friday night’s low 55, windy. From WHO-TV’s Steve Templeton: “T-storms move through late Thursday night and into Friday morning. The rain kicks out by the afternoon hours on Friday and this should lead into a cooler but dry weekend. Saturday and Sunday temperatures will be more near normal in the 70s, but still enjoyable.”

... A new museum is being planned in Muscatine to record and showcase the history of HON Industries – a company started shortly after World War II that has become the nation’s second-largest manufacturer of office furniture. The museum, scheduled to open early next year, will occupy the second floor of Muscatine’s History and Industry Center. The first floor houses a museum for the Muscatine Automatic Button Factory, where workers made pearl buttons from mussel shells collected from the Mississippi River.