|
Iowa 2004 presidential primary precinct caucus and caucuses news">
Iowa 2004 presidential primary precinct caucus and caucuses news, reports
and information on 2004 Democrat and Republican candidates, campaigns
and issues Iowa
Presidential Watch's
IOWA DAILY REPORT Holding
the Democrats accountable today, tomorrow...forever.
... QUOTABLE: "Some of the best have
fallen in service to our fellow Americans. We
mourn every loss. We honor every name. We grieve
with every family. And we will always be grateful
that liberty has found such brave defenders,"
President Bush
said. Sen. John Breaux (D-La.),
one of the most centrist Senate Democrats,
declined to rule out following Miller’s lead and
endorsing Bush. The senator confined himself to
saying Miller had the right “to endorse whomever
he wants” and adding that there are “a number of
good Democratic candidates.” "No matter how much
people might disdain their tactics of working
together on this, it does point out how important
this endorsement will be,"
said Dean
campaign manager Joe Trippi regarding three rival
campaigns working in coordination to block Dean’s
endorsement by the Service Employees International
Union. "This race is likely to
be very tight and go down to the wire,"
said Matthew
Dowd, White House political strategist. "How do we solve this
problem? Ask a nurse. I have. And that's how I
developed my plan to address the nursing shortage,
which will restore new health, vitality, safety,
and vigor to the nursing profession,"
said Howard Dean
about his new plan for ending nurses shortages. "From the start, we have
told our supporters that they had the power to end
the hold of special interests on our political
process. Hundreds of thousands have responded by
offering what they can afford to take our country
back," said Dean
campaign manager Joe Trippi about their raising
$354,891 from 6,177 Americans over four days
during Halloween. "What Franklin Roosevelt
did was to get the Southern white working class to
vote with the Southern African-American working
class," said
Dean, about the former Democratic president
regarding a response to the Confederate flag flap
yesterday in Des Moines. "Over the past eighteen
years Bob Graham has made the country stronger and
the Senate a more thoughtful place. His expertise
on security issues and his gift for seeing life
through others' eyes have made him a leading voice
for Florida and America,”
said Joe
Lieberman in response to Graham’s decision not to
run for the Senate. “He’s not a crazy man on
guns,” said U.S.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif. in Davenport defending
Dean against recent attacks by his opponents on
his gun position. "Every bold idea I am
offering is about creating jobs and getting our
economy turned around. I am going to beat George
Bush next year by giving the voters the clearest
choice. They can either vote to continue Bush's
dismal record on jobs, or they can vote for my
plan for health care that can’t be taken away and
a proven commitment to American jobs,"
said Dick
Gephardt before filing for to be on the New
Hampshire Primary ballot. “The difference between
us and George Bush is one of priorities. Where we
see an untouched wilderness or a scenic coast,
George Bush sees an oil field,”
said John Kerry
in introducing his clean waters proposal. “Dr. Dean is hardly
sympathetic to the Confederacy, or Jim Crow, or
apartheid or any other kind of racial
discrimination. He was merely saying he'd like to
win the support of Southerners who over the years
have fled the Democratic Party represented by the
Kerrys and the Dick Gephardts,"
-- from the Wall
Street Editorial.
Former
Democratic state Chairman Charles Whitehead said
in December 2002, "If Senator Graham
decides to retire, the Democratic Party in the
state of Florida is in a pitiful condition. I
don’t think we can get our act together in time to
run for a statewide race if he doesn’t stay." “Everyone should have
health insurance? Listen carefully,”
Kucinich said.
“I say everyone should have health care. I’m not
selling insurance.” “We need to reform the
health care system,”
Carol Moseley
Braun said. “Tinkering with it is only a
half-step that won’t get us there.” "This is going to be a
very unpredictable election, even more than in
1980 with the hostage crisis in Iran,"
said John
Weaver, a top strategist in the presidential run
of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in 2000 and now a
Democratic adviser. "Our country's
approaching a choice now. Just as our economy is
gaining some momentum, some in our nation's
capital, some in Washington, are saying now is the
right time to raise taxes. To be fair, they think
anytime's a good time to raise taxes,"
President Bush
said. “Democratic party
operatives say choosing a nominee early will allow
the candidate to concentrate on defeating
President Bush. But the accelerated process does
little to help the electorate make an informed
choice.” -- from
USA Today’s editorial.
… TODAY’S
OFFERINGS:
Three against one
Dean as Popeil
Speaking of the unconventional
The Doctor’s prescription for nurses
He’s so critical
Promising the moon
Clark favorable to landmine treaty
Clark claims to be Internet King
ZIP code competition
Clark Rocks
Kerry to clean up rivers
He didn’t listen to me
Pie judging
Edwards gains Iowa endorsement
Booking it
Sharpton hosts Saturday Night Live
The Iowa scene
The best of times the worst of times
Bush in California
How low can you go?
Elderly not happy
He costs too much
Iowan died in Chinook attack
Graham not running
Daschle can be beat
MoveOn.org movie
* CANDIDATES &
CAUCUSES: The campaigns of John
Edwards, Dick Gephardt and John Kerry have all
joined forces, according to an
Associated Press story, to block Howard Dean’s
endorsement by the 1.6 million member Service
Employees International Union (SEIU). The union is
the largest member of the AFL-CIO and consequently
important in blocking or gaining the AFL-CIO
endorsement. The story reports that the three
campaigns held a conference call and shared
intelligence about the possibility of blocking the
Dean endorsement. They then all agreed to call
whoever they could to stop the endorsement. The
call was the result of an Oct. 30 announcement by
SEIU spokeswoman Sarah Howard that the union would
either endorse Dean or no one at all at its Nov.6
board meeting. The Dean campaign has expressed
concern about coordinated attacks against their
front running campaign in the past. They recently
suggested it regarding Dean’s Confederate flag
missteps when all the campaigns piled on Dean. If
Dean wins the endorsement, it will be the first
time that Dean makes significant gains into the
traditional Democrat wing of the party. Dean’s
Internet driven campaign has put him at odds with
the traditional levers of power for the Democrat
Presidential nomination. The Associated Press
article points out:
“SEIU is among the most racially and ethnically
diverse labor unions, representing janitors,
health care workers and other service employees.
With health care a priority of the SEIU political
machine, an endorsement also would help shield
Dean from criticism that he has not always
supported Medicare.” Howard Dean continues to
break the mold. Now he is entering into the world
of such legends as Ron Popeil and the pocket
fisherman. In a day when everyone says to keep
statements to sound bites Dean is going for
30-minute infomercials. Dean is spending 70,000
and starting to air his infomercials in Iowa
today. Dean is not the first to go to
infomercials. Both Steve Forbes and Ross Perot
used lengthy commercials to get over complex
subjects. Dean’s commercial comes from the taping
in Sioux City that IPW reported earlier. Howard Dean is holding it
next meet-up Internet meeting Wednesday and their
website announces that 133,000 Americans are
coming to the meeting. Here is what is on the
website:
“Meetup is the heart and soul of our campaign.
This Wednesday, November 5 at 7 pm, more than
133,000 Americans are signed up to Meetup for our
campaign in hundreds of locations across the
country. Those who attend will play a direct role
in helping us to win in Iowa and New Hampshire—and
to defeat President Bush and the special interests
that fund him in 2004.” The only doctor running for
president, Howard Dean, took on the nursing
shortage issue in Des Moines Iowa yesterday. Iowa
has one of the largest percentages of elderly in
the nation. In calling for his plan, Dean cited
that the current nursing shortage will grow from
6% in 2000 to 12% in 2010, resulting in a shortage
of approximately one million nurses. The key
points of his plan are: 1. Ban “mandatory
overtime.”
2. Improve Working Conditions and Compensation
for Nurses.
3. Open the Door to Nursing.
4. Give Nurses the Help They Need To Do Their
Jobs.
5. Expand the Role of and Compensation for
Independent Nurse Practitioners. Howard Dean is not content to
issue two releases a day -- he has to go for
three. His most recent release on his website
continues the drumbeat against Bush on the economy
and Iraq. The 7.2 percent quarterly growth figures
have the Democrats spooked and they want to remind
the nation that this is the worst economy since
Herbert Hoover and the Great Depression. However,
another reason is that Dean can’t help going into
rapid response to Bush’s statements on the economy
yesterday: "It
seems only a small group of people have benefited
from President Bush’s economic and Iraq policies –
his campaign contributors, a wealthy elite who
have received unfair tax cuts and this
Administration’s large corporate friends who have
received billions in no-bid contracts,” Dean is
quoted as saying. Joe Lieberman released his
plan for higher education promising to bring
college within the reach of all Americans, better
prepare students for post-secondary education, and
ensure that students graduate on time and secure
high-wage jobs. Lieberman’s key points are: *
Tuition Help for Low-Income Families *
College Completion Credits *
College Report Cards *
"K-16" Coordination *
College Transition Initiatives *
Smaller High Schools To learn more got to
Lieberman’s
website. The Manchester Union Leader
story covering Clark indicates Clark’s willingness
to sign a landmine treaty ban:
Retired Gen. Wesley Clark said Monday he would
consider signing the International Treaty to Ban
Landmines. "I'd have to take a look at, primarily,
what's in the treaty since I worked on it,
particularly at the security requirements," he
told The Union Leader of Manchester. "But in
principle, I am against landmines." Wesley Clark’s campaign
claims to have surpassed Howard Dean’s campaign in
the most number of visitors to their website.
Clark, whose roots are in the on-line Draft Clark
Movement, has struggled with their on-line effort.
Now Clark’s campaign is trying to change that
perception as IPW reported yesterday. The
Boston Globe reports the Dean campaign is not
conceding its first place Internet position: "The
Dean for America website is one of the most
crucial organizing tools of this campaign," Dean
spokesman Jay Carson said. "It has been, and
continues to be, the most popular site." Wesley Clark is going to come
to a ZIP code near you. Maybe! The Clark campaign
is using the competition of who gives the most
money by ZIP code to try an roll in the money
on-line:
“It's a friendly competition between ZIP codes
around the country. If you and your neighbors have
the greatest number of people who contribute to
the Clark campaign online before November 24,
Clark will make a stop in your ZIP code during the
primary season.” Wesley Clark and the other
candidates except for Dick Gephardt are on CNN’s
Rock the Vote today. According to the campaign a
music producer shot Clark's ad in downtown New
York City last week. The spot shows Clark sitting
around a table with a group of young folks,
sleeves rolled up. He leans inward, talking to the
group about foreign and domestic policy issues and
… well, rock bands. ``I'm going to do what's
right to restore America's waterways, even if
polluters don't like it,'' said John Kerry as he
outlined his proposals to clean up rivers on the
Banks of the Mississippi River in Davenport Iowa.
His proposal included an incentive-based plan to
curb runoffs into the nation's river systems and
put new efforts into restoring wetlands. His
package would create incentive systems for cities
along the river to control runoff that is steadily
polluting the river, and would put in place
similar incentives for farmers to create buffer
strips to control leaking of farm chemicals into
rivers. He also wants efficiency efforts and
proposes using educational programs to curb
wasteful water use. The package does not have a
price tag, and he said he would work closely with
cities and states to hammer out details of the
plan. Dick Gephardt campaigning in
New Hampshire complained about President Bush not
listening to him about getting help from other
countries for Iraq War according to the
Boston Globe: "I told the president four times
in the White House that we needed help," the US
representative from Missouri said. "This is going
to be difficult. He literally did not answer my
questions. It's five months after he landed on
that aircraft carrier in his flight suit and we
still don't have the help that we need," Gephardt
said. Dick Gephardt’s website has
asked Iowans to send in their favorite place to
buy pie. From the sounds of it Gephardt’s daughter
is not going to be one of the judges according to
ABC’s embed Sally Hawkins: “She differs from
her father, however on one major thing: she
doesn't like pie. While her pie-loving dad is
regularly the recipient of freshly baked pies when
traveling in Iowa, Chrissy was given a piece by a
supporter this weekend and had a very different
reaction. "I don't really like pie but this is
still really good," she reportedly said. The Edwards for President
campaign in Iowa announced today that Iowa State
Senator Keith Kreiman has endorsed John Edwards
for President. Kreiman joins supporters from every
region of the state who have publicly announced
their endorsement of Edwards, including State
Representatives Ro Foege and Kurt Swaim.Kreiman,
lives in Bloomfield.
"John Edwards is clearly the best candidate for
Iowa. He has the best chance of any Democrat to
beat George Bush next fall," Kreiman said. "But
most importantly, Edwards will protect jobs from
leaving our country and bring fiscal sanity back
to Washington. For workers, seniors and for
everyone concerned about the future of our
children and our country, John Edwards is the best
choice. Many of my friends from Wapello,
Appanoose, Davis and Wayne counties and I will be
proud to stand in his corner at the caucuses on
January 19th.” Edwards will return to Iowa
November 15-17, 23-24, and 29-30 to listen to
Iowans and share the ideas he has laid out in
"Real Solutions for America." Edwards is scheduled
to be in New Hampshire Nov. 5-8. Sen. John Edward’s website
for Iowa shows that Edwards is trying to tap into
the goodwill of collecting books to help kids
read:
“Now, because of their commitment to education -
and because they know how important reading is -
John and Elizabeth are leading the Books Offer
Opportunity for Kids (BOOK) drive in Iowa. At
every campaign event and all 14 offices statewide,
the Edwards campaign is collecting donated books,
with the goal of gathering 2004 books to donate to
afterschool program, libraries, and other
educational programs for Iowa children. It's a
great way to participate in the caucus process,
and help Iowa's children at the same time.
Please bring books for kids to any campaign event
or our campaign offices, and if you have large
donations, we'll be happy to pick them up. For
more information, contact
iowa@johnedwards2004.com or call us at (515)
243-6622.” Sharpton will host Saturday
Night Live on December 6, and show’s producers
selected him because they believe “his many
one-liners at the televised debates have already
made him the undisputed king of campaign comedy.”
Sharpton embed Tom Llamas gets Sharpton manager
Charles Halloran saying, “It could be good be for
the campaign, it could be bad for the campaign, it
depends on how it goes.”
Associated Press Mike Glover has a good story
worth reading about how Iowa is shaping up :
“While all the attention in Iowa is being focused
on Dean and Gephardt, there's yet another
fascinating race shaping up and that's the one for
third place.” But mores so… The
Washington Post is running a story about how
difficult it is to run a campaign during these
uncertain times: “Running for president always
involves making a bet on the future, but rarely
have candidates encountered an environment at home
and abroad as unpredictable as it is today, adding
a wild card to the strategic planning of President
Bush and his nine Democratic rivals.”
* ON THE BUSH
BEAT:
CNN is reporting on Bush visit to California:
“Both Democratic Gov. Gray Davis and Republican
governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger will join
Bush on Tuesday as he surveys the charred region
on foot and by air. Bush also will meet with area
firefighters, who battled flames that swept across
more than 743,000 acres, caused more than 20
deaths and destroyed more than 3,570 homes.” The White House released an
internal memo to lower expectations concerning
Bush’s poll numbers once the presumptive Democrat
nominee is known according to the
Associated Press: “Dowd, chief strategist and
poll-watcher for Bush's re-election campaign,
wrote to fellow campaign chiefs, "After the
Democratic nominee is all but certain in the late
winter/early spring, it would not be surprising
for us to fall behind a bit. First, this is just
the nature of the divided and polarized
electorate. Second, once the Democratic nominee is
all but assured, that person will receive a deluge
of positive press at least for a couple of weeks,
and this will temporarily be reflected in public
opinion polls." The National Annenberg
Election Survey shows that the elderly are not
happy with Bush’s plan to allow adults ages
18-to-64 support the investment of Social Security
funds in stocks. The survey showed that those 65
and older opposed the proposal by 55-36 percent.
While, those younger than 65 favored the proposal
by 58-33 percent, Voters 65 and older made up 14
percent of the electorate in 2000, according to
exit polls, and leaned slightly toward Democrat Al
Gore. The elderly have consistently been a
decisive in elections. Democrats are currently
pandering to the group offering new plans for
healthcare, drugs and social security.
* THE CLINTON
COMEDIES: The
Seattle Times reports that Bill Clinton cost
more than he raised for a local charity: “A
charity fund-raiser for Seattle Hebrew Academy and
two local arts groups, which brought former
President Clinton to town, was a financial bust —
though not for the 42nd president. The September
event at Marion McCaw Hall cost organizers
$290,000 but brought in just $288,000, according
to organizers — a shortfall of $2,000 sponsors
blamed on sluggish ticket sales.”
*NATIONAL: Iowa National Guard
information specialist Col. Robert King is
scheduled to hold a news conference today
announcing the name of a Quad City soldier who
died in Sunday’s attack in Iraq of a Chinook
helicopter. The soldiers were on their way home
for R & R when the attack occurred. Sen. Bob Graham not only
dropped out of the presidential race he is
dropping out of the U.S. Senate. Taking a break
from his now famous workdays repairing the roof of
Lincoln High School in Tallahassee, he announced
that he would not be a candidate for the Senate.
It was Graham’s 391st workday. Graham reflected on
his goals in office and pledged that he would not
shirk from pursuing those goals. He also recounted
that his first workday began in the Miami-Carol
City Senior High School when he announced his
candidacy for Governor of Florida. The
Democratic slate could make for one of the most
explosive primaries in years, with representatives
from nearly every Democratic base group in the
mix: Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas, who is
Hispanic; U.S. Rep. Peter Deutsch, who is Jewish;
U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, who is black; and former
state Education Commissioner Betty Castor, the
only female candidate in the race. The
Republican field -- now mostly hard-line
conservatives -- may not be set either. Since the
exit of the early front-runner, U.S. Rep. Mark
Foley, several wealthy Republicans have complained
that the field is too conservative and have
floated the idea of financing their own campaigns.
Late Monday, Attorney General Charlie Crist, who
lost to Graham in 1998, would not rule out
entering the race, saying friends had encouraged
him to run. Republican Nation Committee
Chairman Ed Gillespie believes one of the most
vulnerable Democrat seats is that of Senate
Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD). He said that
Daschle's likely challenger, former Rep. John
Thune (R-SD) would fare well against the
three-term incumbent. MoveOn.org is sponsoring a
film they are calling a documentary on how Bush
administration exaggerated the Iraqi threat:
“MoveOn.org doesn't usually sponsor documentary
films, but this movie is a really important one.
It's built around interviews with over 20
intelligence and military experts, many of whom
are speaking out for the first time. True to the
MoveOn ethic, director Robert Greenwald lets the
facts speak for themselves. And the results are
pretty shocking. We're offering a free copy of
Uncovered for the first 10,000 people who
donate $30 or more to our $10 million MoveOn.org
Voter Fund ad campaign by midnight tomorrow. The
donations will be used in swing states to get the
word out about President Bush's lies. You can get
your copy and help the cause right now at:
Link”
click here
Paid
for by the Iowa Presidential Watch PAC
P.O.
Box 171, Webster City, IA 50595
privacy
/ agreement
/
/ homepage
/
search engine |
