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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
* QUOTABLE:
Adam Parkhomenko,
founder of VoteHillary.org, which is urging the
senator to accept a draft at next summer's
Democratic convention, said he was not discouraged
that Clinton would not be on the New Hampshire
ballot. "We're looking for a deadlocked
convention," he
said. "We're trying to convince her that a
draft at the convention is what the Democratic
Party needs."
"If George Bush wants to make this election about
national security, I have three words for him
he'll understand: Bring. It. On,"
said John Kerry.
"There is not much you can say when your only son
has been killed in a war that the American people
... increasingly recognize as not necessary. I put
my arms round her and she cried and I did too,"
said Wesley
Clark.
"It is imperative that creeping protectionism be
thwarted and reversed. The costs of any new such
projectionist initiatives, in the context of wide
current account imbalances, could significantly
erode the flexibility of the global economy,"
said Alan
Greenspan.
Jonathan Chait
writes in the New Republic that Dean's stance
"takes some guts. He framed his own platform using
terms that are guaranteed to make it sound like
old-fashioned big government -- perhaps the only
way to make the word "regulation" even less
appealing is to add on the prefix 're.' "This is
reason number 457,862 why Dean would get torn to
shreds in a general election match-up with Bush.
But you have to admire his courage."
“The chasm between how the general speaks about
foreign policy and about the bread and butter
issues of American life may help explain why
General Clark has not been able to maintain the
kind of excitement and attention he attracted when
he cannon-balled into the race two months ago,”
writes Edward
Wyatt.
''I'm not going to trash anybody on it. These are
some very thorny, legitimate issues,''
said John Kerry
about Gov. Jeb Bush regarding his controversial
push to keep a brain-damaged woman alive.
* TODAY’S
OFFERINGS: *Dean, Dean the mean
machine *Dean’s new handler *Speaking of Carville
*Dean’s deferment *Gephardt responds to
Dean ad *Gephardt responds to RNC ad *Gephardt, the
alternative *The real goods *Edwards endorsed by
educators *Edwards to visit every
county in Iowa *Edwards responds to
Republican ad *Edwards: Bush a
turkey *Not looking good for Edwards *Lieberman
door-to-door *Clark & Clinton *Job loss real
*Kucinich as an Independent *Kucinich would close
School of Americas *Kucinich responds to
Republican ad *Sharpton upset *Poll
watching *Bush’s strength *Bush’s belief *Trojan
horse *Trade war clouds *There is new religious
group in town
* CANDIDATES &
CAUCUSES: Howard Dean has proven himself
as the angry candidate who in his own words “gets
in your face if it is necessary.” He has said that
America wants a candidate who can get in President
Bush’s face. The Dean campaign’s current website
once again follows the rapid response method
invented by James Carville during the Clinton
campaign. They have responded to the Republican
National Committee’s ad with an appeal for their
supporters to contribute $360,000 to their
campaign by midnight Tuesday.
Campaign Manager
Joe Trippi sent the following email to more than
503,000 online supporters of Howard Dean on
Friday:
This weekend, the Republican National Committee is
launching its first television ads for George W.
Bush. The ads show the fear-mongering that George
Bush and Karl Rove are going to use, with their
$200 million in special interest money, to try to
distort what we are fighting for in this election.
There is only one way to stop them -- and that is
by standing up and telling the truth about what
this president has done to our country. To do
that, we’ve put up the bat on our website. Our
goal is to raise $360,000 by Tuesday at midnight
-- $5,000 for every hour they are going to lie to
the Americans people with their ad… Gina Glantz will be a senior
adviser to the former Vermont governor and will
travel with him as he campaigns for the Democratic
presidential nomination, the campaign announced
Friday. Glantz, a highly regarded
political operative, is currently an assistant to
the president of the Service Employees
International Union, the labor group that helped
to solidify Dean's status as the Democratic
front-runner when it endorsed him earlier this
month. Political commentator and
consultant James Carville is the TV ad pitchman
asking for money for the Democrats. “Bush will
raise $250 million to fund relentless attacks on
our Democratic nominee — he'll stop at nothing,"
Carville says in the ad. "With your help, I know
we can win. So stand up, be counted and contribute
today." The 30-second spot will air in
Iowa on broadcast stations and nationally on the
cable channel MSNBC on Monday, the day of a
televised Democratic debate.
Democrat National Committee spokesman Tony
Welch said the ad was not in response to the
Republican National Committee’s ad running in Iowa
before the Democrat debate on Monday… The
NY Times has a lengthy story on Howard Dean’s
deferment from the Viet Nam War. The issue is at
the forefront because of the challenge in New
Hampshire from John Kerry. Dr. Dean got the
medical deferment, but in a recent interview he
said he probably could have served had he not
mentioned the condition:
"I guess that's probably true," he said. "I mean,
I was in no hurry to get into the military." The
desire by Dean not to serve his country during the
Viet Nam War is also complicated by the fact that
he cavorted as a ski bum after graduating from
Yale.
In the 10 months after his graduation from Yale,
time he might otherwise have spent in uniform, Dr.
Dean lived the life of a ski bum in Aspen, Colo.
His back condition did not affect his skiing the
way the rigors of military service would have, he
said, nor did it prevent him from taking odd jobs
like pouring concrete in the warm months and
washing dishes when it got cold.
Even the candidate's mother, Andree Maitland Dean,
said in a recent interview about his skiing after
receiving a medical deferment, "Yeah, that looks
bad." Rep. Dick Gephardt appears to be
the fighter with the cool head in the ring as he
responds to the war to both Howard Dean and the
Republican National Committee. Gephardt, who in
surveys does not gather in the anti-war vote into
his supporters the way that Howard Dean and John
Kerry do, is chiseling into the minds of the
voters his steadfastness on the issue. This is
meant to not only clarify the nuances of his
differences with Bush, but also to entrench in the
mind of the voters that he is a steadfast leader
who does not act out of the petulance of anger.
The Gephardt campaign has a new
ad up in Iowa that hits hard at Dean’s latest
mailer and TV ad that singles out rival Gephardt
on the war issue. It seems that Gephardt is not
afraid to take Dean on with his war stance. The ad
takes clips from Deans’ response to a moderator
during the NY debate where Dean says, "On the $87
billion for Iraq?" Dean asks. "We have no choice,
but it has to be financed by getting rid of all
the president's tax cuts." The other clip of Dean
is from Iowa Public Television where Dean states:
"I don't think this Iraq disagreement frankly
rises to the level of a big campaign issue and I
don't, I don't intend to make whether you voted
for it or against the supplemental appropriation a
campaign issue." Gephardt’s campaign clearly put
to the forefront the issue of Dean’s truthfulness
– a valid question that has been raised by
political commentators who have been watching
Dean. Gephardt had been on the air
with moderate $100,000 buys every week in Iowa
since September until his two-week hiatus. The buy
for the new ad was larger — $170,000 for a
weeklong run — and airtime was purchased
statewide, including in the Davenport media market
for the first time. Dean spent $250,000 for a 10-day
run on his latest ad in Iowa. He has spent more
than $1 million on ads there, typically in spurts
of $200,000 buys. The
Associated Press offers an exchange between
the two campaigns staff:
Gephardt campaign manager Steve Murphy, who
earlier this week said Gephardt would not engage
in a slugfest with Dean, said the ad sets the
record straight. "We are challenging the
credibility of his ad. We are not going to get
into a negative slugfest with Howard Dean in Iowa.
That statement still stands," Murphy said.
A Dean spokeswoman shot back. "The Gephardt
campaign has been attacking the Dean campaign
since August, and not just on the air," said
spokeswoman Sarah Leonard in Iowa.
Gephardt has released the following statement in
response to the Republican National Committee’s ad
in support of the President this weekend.
"Once again, the president has chosen to
politicize the war on terror for partisan gain.
Democrats have supported the war on terror and I
have backed the president when he was right, but
forcefully pointed out when he was wrong.
"I supported his decision on Iraq because I
believed it was the right thing to do. But, I have
told him he was wrong to go without our allies and
leave us isolated and alone in the world.
"Debating national security is fair game, but
questioning others' patriotism is beneath this
president." The singling out of Gephardt for
attack ads by Howard Dean is causing some to look
at Gephardt as the alternative to Dean. Gephardt
is also looking past Iowa for a strategy that can
gain him momentum. It seems that S. Carolina and
Michigan are the keys to keeping his campaign
going against the greater possible expenditures of
Dean. Gephardt expects to be outspent two to one
in Iowa. Dean has not yet made a push in S.
Carolina and the
Boston Globe covers the state’s field of
candidates and their standing and offers this
insight about Dean in the state:
Moreover, his campaign's vaunted use of technology
as an organizing tool does not seem to be as
effective here. Several websites of Dean
supporters in the state show modest activity, and
the last entry posted on the SC for Howard Dean
weblog was dated Aug. 4.
Gephardt has big plans for the Feb. 3 round,
according to Gephardt’s campaign manager:
But Gephardt has other prospects on Feb. 3, and
his campaign manager, Steve Murphy, predicts he
will win the most states and the most delegates
that day -- an accomplishment that could create
momentum during the intense month of primaries
that follows.
Gephardt's home state of Missouri, with 74
delegates, is the biggest prize, and none of his
opponents is contesting him there. Gephardt is the
only candidate to have stumped in North Dakota, a
caucus state with 14 delegates up for grabs. Clark
is scheduled to make an appearance today. There,
Gephardt has three paid staff working and was
endorsed this week by 11 state legislators,
one-fourth of the state's Democratic lawmakers.
In Oklahoma (40 delegates), where Lieberman has
won some major endorsements, Gephardt has picked
up important labor union backing in recent weeks
and has four paid operatives on the ground. The
Globe reports that a major problem for Gephardt
could be Wesley Clark’s campaign:
Despite his late entry in the race, Clark is also
a major factor, hoping to grab an early win to
establish his political legitimacy. He has led in
one South Carolina poll, and his background opens
doors to about 400,000 military retirees plus a
large population of active personnel. He was
endorsed recently by former governor Jim Hodges
and gained infrastructure when most of Senator Bob
Graham's campaign staff and many of his supporters
jumped to Clark after the Floridian dropped out of
the race on Oct. 6. John Kerry, who has finally
become engaged in his campaign, is rolling out the
real goods on himself and offering the country his
real deal. Kerry’s campaign has launched a two
front attack with television ads. Kerry is taking
advantage of the fact that Howard Dean supporters
see Kerry stronger on the environment than Dean to
run a new ad in Iowa highlighting his record of
standing up against special interests to protect
our environment. The new ad in New Hampshire is
about standing up to Bush and his HMO and drug
company friends to lower the costs of prescription
drugs and cut the costs of health care. He has launched a bus tour of
New Hampshire where he will outline what he would
do in the first 100 days of his Presidency.
“I
believe in a Democratic Party of real solutions,
of real leaders, that offers a real deal to the
American people. I’m running to replace George
Bush’s Raw Deal with a Real Deal that stands up to
the powerful interests. That’s built on people and
products not privileges and perks. And that stands
on the side of those who are standing up for
what’s right,” said John Kerry.
“It’s a
President we’re choosing here. That’s why today I
want to lay out some of what I’ll do in the first
hundred days of a Kerry Administration to make the
Real Deal a reality. In the weeks ahead, I’m going
to lay out an Action Plan for the First 100 Days.
The specific steps we will take to change America
– the steps I will fight for in the early days of
a Kerry Presidency.” And the
real deal would: 1. ban lobbying for five years We
will reinstate the five-year ban on lobbying so
that government officials - like Bush’s former
campaign manager and FEMA director - cannot cash
in by peddling influence. We will also shine the
light on the secret deals in Washington by
requiring every meeting with a lobbyist or any
special interest deal inserted into a bill by a
lobbyist be made public. 2. First major legislative
affordable health care John
Kerry’s first major proposal to Congress will be a
realistic plan that stops spiraling healthcare
costs, covers every child in America, and makes it
possible for every American to get the same health
care as any Member of Congress. 3. Reward companies that create
jobs not phony corporate profits We
will work to reward companies that create jobs by
helping with health care costs, a new
manufacturing jobs tax credit and new assistance
for small businesses. We will also close every
single loophole for companies that take jobs
offshore and apply new criminal penalties, such as
RICO penalties, on companies that defraud their
customers and workers. 4. A new national education
trust fund We
will propose a National Education Trust Fund to
make sure that, for the first time ever, we fully
fund our schools so they have the tools to assure
our kids can succeed in the 21st century economy.
We will make a new deal on education – if
Washington is going to mandate something for our
schools, then the funding should be mandatory. 5. End of an era of Ashcroft John
Ashcroft has launched an all-out assault on
individual rights, allowing for a wholesale
invasion of attorney-client conversations, e-mails
and telephone calls. Immediately after the
election, John Kerry will name a new Attorney
General whose name is not John Ashcroft. We will
also fight to protect women’s rights, civil rights
and workers rights and enforce anti-trust laws. 6. Repeal Bush assault on the
environment &make US energy independent We
will rollback the George W. Bush assault on clean
air and clean water and work to strengthen our
nation’s environmental laws. Kerry will also put
forward a plan to make the U.S. energy independent
of Middle East oil in ten years—and create 500,000
jobs by investing in energy renewable sources,
such as ethanol, solar, and wind. 7. A new era of national service John
Kerry will call on Americans of all ages – from
students to America’s seniors - to serve in our
classrooms, after school programs, nursing homes
and nursery schools. We will fight to allow
students to earn four years of college tuition in
exchange for two years of national service. His
plan will require mandatory national service for
high school kids and enlist a million Americans in
service a year. 8. Create a middle class economy
and end the privileged class economy We
will fight to repeal the Bush tax cuts for the
wealthiest Americans so that we can invest in
education and health care. We will also protect
middle class tax cuts, such as the child credit
and the elimination of the marriage penalty and
propose additional tax credits to help middle
class families make ends meet. 9. Cut the deficit in half in
four years We
will put forward a budget to restore fiscal
sanity, eliminate corporate welfare, and cut the
deficit in half in four years. However, we will
keep our compact to seniors by securing Medicare
and Social Security and protecting our children
and veterans. 10. Rejoin the community of
nations We
will immediately declare the Bush policy of
unilateralism over and work to rebuild our
shattered alliances all across the globe. We will
launch a successful war against terrorism and also
restore trust here at home and abroad by making
sure that America always tells the whole truth. The Edwards for President
campaign announced that the North Carolina
Association of Educators (NCAE) has recommended
Senator John Edwards for president. The educators
offered the following comments:
"John Edwards supports public education in his
personal as well as public life," said Carolyn
McKinney, president of the NCAE. "He not only says
the right things, he does the right thing for
students and educators. As a senator, he listens
to the concerns of educators and follows through
with proposals for action. NCAE particularly
appreciates his intent to fix and fund the No
Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation." This is a big boost to Edwards
in a state that he must win given that presently
indications are that he will come in fourth in
Iowa and is unlikely to reach the top three in New
Hampshire. The Edwards’ campaign announced
that Sen. John Edwards will campaign in all 99
Iowa counties by the end of the year, despite
spending fewer days in Iowa to date than Dick
Gephardt, Howard Dean, and John Kerry. Edwards
follows Dean in being the first to campaign in all
99 counties. It is likely that Edwards and Dean
will be the only two candidates to accomplish
this. However, Gephardt could decide to duplicate
this campaign ritual. Edward,s commenting on the
commitment to visit every county, stated:
"Iowa is an extremely important component to my
overall campaign. I am very proud that I have been
able to take my campaign from a community center
in Des Moines to a living room in Sac City and
will be able to meet caucus goers in every single
Iowa county as a result," Edwards said. "I grew up
in a small, rural community in North Carolina, and
so I know about the issues facing small towns and
rural communities firsthand. I have a strong
commitment to revitalizing rural areas, and I look
forward to sharing my ideas directly with
caucus-goers in all 99 counties."
The Republican National Committee's new ad is
misleading, and it implies that Democrats across
the country are not committed to fighting
terrorism. This ad is morally reprehensible - it
is wrong to suggest Democrats are attacking the
president for attacking the terrorists. The RNC is
using this ad to disguise the truth: that this
administration has not done all that it can and
should to secure our ports and borders, assist our
first responders, and protect our chemical and
nuclear power plants.
"The recent attacks in Turkey show that the
terrorists are growing stronger. Instead of
running ads that do nothing to make this country
stronger and safer, the RNC should demand that
this administration do more to invest in the
security of our nation," said John Edwards. Edwards is offering campaign
contributors a premium of a T-shirt with President
Bush’s head on the body of a turkey during these
Thanksgiving times. It is his way of saying that
he is thankful for the contribution. However, the
King of the trial lawyers contribution is being a
turkey by suggesting that other Democrat
candidates agree to a ban on contributions from
Washington lobbyist. Edwards should try to see the
hypocrisy. With John Kerry making statewide
media buys after foregoing spending caps it begins
to look more difficult for John Edwards. Edwards
needs to make it to N. Carolina and win to
establish himself as the candidate of the South
and the heir to those delegates on the convention
floor. The two big winners of Edwards’ failure to
make to N. Carolina would be Dick Gephardt and
Wesley Clark. The Raleigh News Observer did an
in-depth on Edwards’ chances:
Most recent polls have shown Edwards running
fourth in Iowa, and Hanna said Edwards has a shot
at third. That would set him up to survive New
Hampshire and send him to South Carolina ready to
emerge, he argued.
"You can see the path," Hanna said.
But how realistic is it? And how daunting are the
obstacles?
One prominent pollster, John Zogby, said Edwards'
numbers have risen enough in recent weeks to catch
his attention. Zogby said Edwards' chance of
capturing the nomination are "remote" -- though
not implausible. The Joe Lieberman for President
Campaign today announced a weeklong all-out
canvassing blitz covering more than 10,000
households in 13 towns and cities across New
Hampshire's North Country. "The Lieberman Campaign is on a
mission in the North Country," said Lieberman's NH
State Director Peter Greenberger. "We will leave
no stone unturned, no door un-knocked and no
question in any Granite Stater's mind that Joe
Lieberman should be the next President of the
United States." The
Associated Press has a story on the uncanny
similarities between Wesley Clark and Bill
Clinton. The resemblance is more than being from
Arkansas, Rhodes Scholars, adopted, married
Northern women, modest origins. You get the
picture… and to get more, use the link. Wesley Clark took on Commerce
Secretary Lane Evans article in the Wall Street
Journal:
According to the Wall Street Journal, Commerce
Secretary Evans said it's "one of the great myths"
that anything is wrong with the U.S. manufacturing
sector. General
Wesley Clark disagrees:
"Mr. Secretary, manufacturing job loss is no myth.
Under the Bush administration, 2.6 million
manufacturing jobs have been lost. New Hampshire
lost 1 in 5 factory jobs. South Carolina lost
55,000. The Bush administration hasn't done
anything to help the manufacturing sector, and now
we know why-they don't even think it's a problem."
There is talk of Dennis Kucinich
running as an Independent after the primaries.
This of course presupposes the obvious that
Kucinich is not going to win his party’s
nomination. There is one drawback to his doing
this and it come from the fact he would have to
give up his Congressional seat that he is also
running for -- or maybe the Democrats in his
District wouldn’t be mad at him for destroying
their Presidential candidate’s hopes. They
certainly haven’t forgotten Ralph Nader. Here is
what MSNBC First Read says:
On Kucinich’s USA Today comments that the
Democratic party “doesn’t have a compass” and that
he rejects “where the party has gone,” embed Karin
Caifa gets this elaboration from the campaign
press secretary: Kucinich’s remarks were “not an
attack, but an attempt to reform” the party. “He
believes that in order for the Democratic Party to
win, it has to reclaim what Senator Wellstone
called the ‘Democratic wing of the Democratic
Party... Democrats are not going to excite
third-party voters or attract blue-collar
Republicans if they stay ‘Republican-Lite.’” Caifa
notes Kucinich has been actively courting
third-party voters, receiving endorsements from
members and leaders of the Natural Law Party, the
Green Party, and the Libertarian Party. Kucinich
insists his run for the presidency will be as a
Democrat and only a Democrat, but some supporters
have told Caifa they hope to see him further his
bid past the primaries by being an Independent. Dennis Kucinich release points
out that over the next three days, thousands are
expected to protest the School of the Americas in
Fort Benning, Ga. (The school has been renamed
Western Hemisphere Institute for Security
Cooperation.) Presidential Candidate Dennis
Kucinich today released the following statement:
"I stand against terror and violence and in
solidarity with the victims of the School of the
Americas graduates. I support nonviolent
demonstration against the SOA. The United States'
ability to persuade other nations to investigate
terrorism will be strengthened by the closing of a
US school that has trained over 60,000 Latin
American soldiers to wage war against their own
people, against union organizers, religious
workers, teachers, and student leaders. As
president I will close the School of the
Americas." Kucinich points out that a press
release from the Republican National Committee
states:
PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: "It would take one vial,
one canister, one crate slipped into this country
to bring a day of horror like none we have ever
known."
Presidential Candidate Dennis Kucinich today
released the following statement:
"I agree with Ed Gillespie. We need to highlight
the differences between our two parties. Not all
of the Democratic candidates are doing so, and
most of them are supporting the President's policy
of keeping our troops in Iraq. I oppose this
policy and have a plan to quickly bring our troops
home. I also intend to repeal President Bush's tax
cuts for the super wealthy but leave in place
those small cuts we managed to win for ordinary
Americans. The Republican National Committee is
using money that derives largely from the
wealthiest few in America to pay for
advertisements aimed at keeping all Americans
scared. We will not be frightened into submission.
We will not forget the lies we were told about
weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. We will not
forget that Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11. We
will remember that for the hundreds of billions we
are spending on an unjust and destabilizing
occupation in Iraq, we could have an investment in
American education that would include free
pre-kindergarten and free college tuition. We need
to get our priorities straight and not give in to
the fear-mongering. I offer America the hope of a
new approach and a clear choice in the next
election." Howard Dean is not the only one
upset about his words being used in a campaign ad.
Al Sharpton is too, according to the Charlotte
Observer:
"I am outraged and disgusted to see the Committee
for Justice -- a White House front group -- use my
name, my face and my statements in a misleading
manner to smear Sen. John Edwards," Sharpton said
in a statement. "I am strongly opposed to the
nomination of Janice Rogers Brown.
"... Sen. Edwards properly voted against Janice
Rogers Brown."
C. Boyden Gray, White House counsel for the first
President Bush, created the Committee for Justice.
Sean Rushton, the group's executive director,
stood by the ad.
"Our ad doesn't claim that Sharpton supports her,"
he said. "It claims he doesn't support her
filibuster." Howard Dean remains ahead in New
Hampshire at 38 percent in the American Research
Group poll, but John Kerry's support dropped 7
percentage points to 17 percent. It is imperative
to each that they win New Hampshire. Dean and
Clark were the gainers of Kerry falling percentage
because Twenty-one percent remained undecided from
two weeks earlier. Wesley Clark –7; Joe Lieberman -
5 percent; John Edwards and Dick Gephardt at 4
percent; Dennis Kucinich – 3; Carol Moseley Braun
– 1; Al Sharpton - less than 1. National Journal Insider poll
has Howard Dean moving up with 41 first place
votes -- up from 39 votes. Dick Gephardt dropped
to 5 first place votes from a previous 8 first
place votes but stays in second place. In third
place is John Kerry with 0 first place votes.
Wesley Clark is in fourth place and John Edwards
is fifth place and Lieberman is in sixth place. The comments for Clark were
good: Finally gets good fitness reports. "If he’s
really raising as much money as they claim, he’s
moving back up my list," said one Insider. "On
Sunday’s Meet the Press, we saw the Wes Clark we
had hoped to see all along," said another. "He’s
worth watching again," added a third. The comments for Lieberman were
bad: Bad karma. "How is he hanging on with all
that overhead?" asked one Insider. "Seems like
something has to give soon." Said another, "When
the only folks who show up for a major campaign
event like registering for a primary are your
staff, family, and friends, it is possible that it
might be time to reconsider the decision." A national poll shows Bush would
win: In a direct run against Bush, Gen. Wesley
Clark fares the best among registered voters
(Clark 42%, Bush 49%), closely followed by
Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry (Kerry 41%, Bush
49%). Bush would beat any of three
other Democrats, 52 percent to 39 percent, in a
direct match: Missouri Rep. Dick Gephardt,
Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman, or Vermont Gov.
Howard Dean. Against Bush, North Carolina Sen.
John Edwards would lose, 38 percent to 52 percent. When registered Democrats are
asked which Democratic presidential nominee they
would vote for, Dean edges out Clark 14 percent to
12 percent, followed Lieberman (11%), Kerry (9%),
Gephardt (6%), then Edwards and the Rev. Al
Sharpton (5%).
* ON THE BUSH
BEAT: The
Associated Press in covering the story of the
Republican ad on Democrats attacking Bush for
fighting terrorism covers the question of Bush’s
strength on the issue. A new Los Angeles Times poll
shows a majority of voters disapprove of the way
Bush has handled Iraq, and don't think the outcome
there has been worth the number of lives lost.
Nevertheless, the opinion survey finds that voters
trust Bush to make the right decisions in Iraq,
and they give him high marks for his handling of
the war on terrorism. President Bush sent shock waves
in the Christian right when he answered a British
reporter’s question as to whether they worship the
same god as Christians, according the
Washington Post:
"I do say that freedom is the Almighty's gift to
every person," the president replied. "I also
condition it by saying freedom is not America's
gift to the world. It's much greater than that, of
course. And I believe we worship the same god."
The
head of the Richard D. Land, president of the
public policy arm of the Southern Baptist
Convention:
We should always remember that he is commander in
chief, not theologian in chief," Land said in a
telephone interview yesterday. "The Bible is clear
on this: The one and true god is Jehovah, and his
only begotten son is Jesus Christ."
American Muslims had a different response:
Sayyid M. Syeed, secretary general of the Islamic
Society of North America, responded to Bush's
statement with a single word: Alhamdullah,
Thanks be to God.
"We read again and again in the Koran that our god
is the god of Abraham, the god of Noah, the god of
Jesus," he said. "It would not come to the mind of
a Muslim that there is a different god that
Abraham or Jesus or Moses was praying to."
* THE CLINTON
COMEDIES: Hillary is ginning up opposition
to the Medicare bill. She sent out the following
e-mail:
In recent days, I have been trying to study and
understand the implications of the Medicare
compromise, which totals 1100 pages. In an attempt
to hide its worst elements, this bill has been
designed to be purposely confusing and cumbersome.
Read my full statement at
http://activate.friendsofhillary.com/t?ctl=4B3763:1F0AD46
I am astonished and saddened at how this
legislation wraps a skimpy drug benefit around
many radical elements that will harm Medicare and
undermine programs that people need. This bill is
a Trojan horse for our seniors!
In medicine, the core ethical principle is the
Hippocratic Oath: "First, do no harm." This
legislation should be held to the same standard.
But this legislation violates the Hippocratic
Oath:
> It takes away benefits people already have.
> It forces people to pay more out of pocket for
benefits that they already receive.
> It drastically skews the system against
traditional Medicare.
This bill is confusing and there's a catch. The
catch is: The whole bill is designed to bring
about the demise of Medicare.
SPEAK OUT! I have said that Medicare is a promise
we made to our seniors, a promise that I am not
willing to break. Talk to your friends, your
family, your Representatives in Congress and tell
them that you will not undermine Medicare. Visit
http://activate.friendsofhillary.com/t?ctl=4B3723:1F0AD46
to let us know your thoughts about this Trojan
horse of a bill.
* NATIONAL: A group is forming in opposition
to the Christian conservative Christian Coalition
-- although the did not say so. But clearly their
aims are different from the Christian
conservatives according to a
CNN story:
The Clergy Leadership Network will help churches,
temples and mosques develop voter registration
programs, run its own get-out-the-vote drives and,
if it has enough money, air issue ads, said the
Rev. Albert Pennybacker, the group's president and
chief executive. He is former president of the
Interfaith Alliance.
The group, which includes Jews, Muslims and
Christians, will counter the conservative voice of
Christian groups such as the Christian Coalition,
said Pennybacker, who belongs to the Disciples of
Christ, a Protestant denomination.
Network leaders stop short of saying they want a
Democrat in the White House after next year's
elections, but make it clear they want a change in
leadership, including the president and the
Republican-controlled Congress. The
Washington Times covers Alan Greesnpan’s
warning about trade wars threats to the American
and global economy. This comes at a time when most
Democrats are campaigning on protectionism and the
President announced tariffs against China on
textiles. The Times story opens with:
Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan warned
yesterday that "creeping protectionism" in the
United States and elsewhere threatens the world
economy and will make it harder for the United
States to finance its massive trade deficits.
His comments came as China announced it might
impose tariffs on imports from the United States
in retaliation for U.S. tariffs on steel imports
that have been ruled illegal by the World Trade
Organization. The mini-trade war with China was
sparked Tuesday by President Bush's decision to
slap quotas on some Chinese clothing imports.
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