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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: "Some said Medicare
reform can never be done. For the sake of our
seniors, we've got something done. We're acting,"
President Bush
said. "This thing has taken on
a life of its own,"
Dennis Kucinich
said Tuesday about the number of dates that he has
been offered after his answering the spouse
question in a debate. "I've been getting
calls from all over the country and getting
messages from around the world, so go figure." "We cannot afford to have
a leader who weaseled out of going to Vietnam on a
medical deferment for a bad back and wound up on
the ski slopes of Aspen like Howard Dean,"
said former
Senator Max Cleland. “This is a flagrant
example of the special interests triumphing over
the interests of ordinary people. Under Franklin
Roosevelt, we had the New Deal. Under Harry
Truman, we had the Fair Deal. Under George W.
Bush, we have the Big Deal: The bigger you are,
the better the deal,”
writes Sen. Tom
Harkin in an editorial about the Medicare bill. "With all due respect to
Congressman Gephardt, he appears to be chucking
rocks in a glass house,"
Joe Lieberman
spokesman Jano Cabrera said about Gephardt’s
criticism of his opponent on race issues. "There are some pills in
that bottle that are going to give you more pain
than prescriptions"
said Joe
Lieberman about the drug bill. “I don’t believe that
this bill passed because there wasn’t enough soft
money,” the
presidential candidate said in a conference call
with reporters. “The system is better off
without the soft money. It was the right thing to
do,” said Dick
Gephardt about complaints by Democrats that they
needed soft money to combat the AARP’s ads. "In its unseemly rush to
go home for Thanksgiving, the Senate abandoned
America's seniors to the tender mercies of the
drug industry and HMOs. Congress claims they’ve
passed a prescription drug benefit -- but for
America’s seniors, this bill is a turkey and it
represents everything wrong with Washington
today,” said
Howard Dean. "On Friday afternoon,
Bush attacked -- and you responded. We put up the
bat and asked you to raise $360,000 by Tuesday at
midnight. In just 54 hours you surpassed that goal
-- and because of you, yesterday we went on the
air in Iowa to challenge Bush's attempts to
question the patriotism of those who opposed the
war in Iraq,"
Campaign Manager Joe Trippi wrote in an email to
supporters early this morning. "Eid Mubarak! As Muslims
around the world celebrate the end of the holy
month of Ramadan, a month of fasting, charity, and
reflection, I join you in praying for peace and
understanding,”
offered Howard Dean to Muslims on the Eid-Al-Fitr,
end of Ramadan. “I am mortified that this
improper, unethical and simply unacceptable breach
of confidential files may have occurred on my
watch," said
Sen. Orin Hatch after finding out that a
Republican Judiciary Committee staff had
improperly obtained the infamous Democrat memos.
“It will be great for the
Massachusetts tourist industry. Homosexuals coast
to coast will head there to get married.
Bed-and-breakfast inns will thrive. Fox will
develop a "Gay Divorce Court" show, and it will
top the Nielsens. Two married guys will be unable
to choose between watching football or going
antiquing and end up in Probate Court fighting
over alimony. Love is a beautiful thing.”
-- written by
columnist Mike Barnicle about gay marriages.
* TODAY’S
OFFERINGS:
*Missing in action *Race matters *Gephardt
branching out
*Gephardt has something for everyone *Dean on
education
*Kerry on education *The erudite mugging
*Bob Graham’s daughter hired *Good news is bad
news
*The softer side of Dean *Dean’s the winner!
*Soldiers upset with Dean *Clark’s manufacturing
security plan
*Edwards on the trail *What’s up with Lieberman?
*McCain ad *Make mine healthcare
*They want the out-there guy *Sharpton’s gravy
train
*Pitchman Carville at it again
*It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas
*How sweet it is *The wayward brother
*Message to Israel? *How he did it
*Combat zone bound *Republican guilty
*Steamrolled *Where’s the money when you need
it?
*How the Democrats do it
* CANDIDATES &
CAUCUSES: Sens. John Kerry and Joe
Lieberman made a big deal about fighting to stop
the Medicare bill and then both skipped out to
campaign and didn’t even vote no. Here is what
Kerry has to say about the Medicare defeat he
took:
John Kerry said, “I cancelled my campaign schedule
to return to Washington to fight tooth and nail
against this special interest giveaway with a
Senate filibuster. We lost that critical vote and
I returned to Iowa to take the fight for real,
affordable prescription drug relief to the country
as I run for President. I fought to stop this
special interest giveaway because it offers the
wrong prescription for America’s seniors."
"I am traveling on a bus today in Iowa with
seniors who understand that this bill is a raw
deal and who want to replace George W Bush with a
President who has the courage to fight for real
prescription drug benefits that helps our seniors,
instead of lining the pockets of drug companies
and insurance companies. This vote was a big win
for drug companies and a loss for America’s
seniors. Seniors are going to find out that they
were misled by the Bush Administration when they
begin to feel the effects of a bill that does not
give them more affordable prescription drugs or a
quality Medicare plan that allows them to choose
their own doctors and their own hospitals. I ask
all seniors to stand with me as we take a stand
against this sham." Sen. Joe Lieberman, skiddadled
to Arizona to share the spotlight with President
Bush. There he lashed out at Bush and criticized
the Republican-backed legislation changing
Medicare and providing prescription drugs benefits
to seniors.
"This bill gives less in the way of drug benefits
to millions of seniors who are low-income. This
bill gives billions of dollars to insurance
companies." Lieberman, who came to Arizona
on Tuesday to file his presidential candidacy for
the state's Feb. 3 primary, said he had cautioned
seniors against supporting the Medicare measure. Rep. Dick Gephardt was in
Michigan at the Corinthian Baptist Church in
Detroit where he spoke on the issue of race, jobs
and healthcare. It was the race issue where he
took on his opponents.
“When others in this campaign for president were
questioning race-based affirmative action, I was
leading the effort in Congress against Republican
attempts to eliminate affirmative action,"
Gephardt told the audience. He further accused Sens. John
Kerry and Joe Lieberman "severely questioned the
wisdom of continuing affirmative action," Gephardt
said. Gephardt didn’t leave out Howard
Dean as he once again raised Al Sharpton’s
original questioning of Dean’s statements about
using economic opportunity and less affirmative
action based on race. "I don't agree with that,"
Gephardt said. Gephardt’s comments brought
reaction from his opponents, according to the
Associated Press:
Lieberman spokesman Jano Cabrera said Tuesday that
Gephardt raised similar questions back then. He
pointed to a 1996, St. Louis Post-Dispatch article
that quoted Gephardt as saying, "Reforms should
focus less on making distinctions based on race
and more on expanding opportunities for all."
"As a student, a prosecutor and a Senator, I have
worked to open the doors of opportunity for every
citizen so that we all can fully participate in
the American dream," hey said. "Mr. Gephardt is a
good man, but on this issue, I take a backseat to
no one."
Dean spokesman Jay Carson said Gephardt is
resorting to "desperate negativity."
"Gov. Dean has always been a strong supporter of
affirmative action and he believes there is still
a great need for affirmative action today," Carson
said in a statement.
Kerry also has claimed14 times he has defended
affirmative action on his
website.
Gephardt offers the following highlights of this
plan to increase minority economic opportunities.
The full text is available at his website:
·
Increase support for federal
minority business development programs that
provide essential contracting opportunities for
small disadvantaged businesses .
·
Provide incentives to bring private
capital back into minority communities and expand
home-ownership .
·
Renew and expand the Clinton
administration's commitment to capital access for
under-served communities and borrowers by renewing
the tax credits and venture capital firms made
available by the New Markets Initiative.
·
Establish the National Affordable
Housing Trust Fund in the Treasury of the United
States to provide for the development,
rehabilitation, and preservation of decent, safe,
and affordable housing for low-income families.
·
Create a Single-Family
Home-ownership Tax Credit to promote
home-ownership among low-income individuals.
·
Provide state and local assistance
for infrastructure development and improvement to
attract private capital. A Gephardt administration
will provide $172 billion over three years to
state and local governments in payment for 60% of
their employee's health insurance costs.
·
Create a National Development Bank
which will provide a federal guarantee on state
and local debt instruments that can be used to
revitalize state and local economies, invest in
critical needs such as education and
infrastructure, and fund local micro-loan programs
and cooperative projects that will further
economic development.
·
Solve the health care problem and
make health care affordable. The Gephardt health
care plan will provide universal coverage, make
health care more affordable for small businesses
and guarantee health coverage for their employees.
Those who have been wondering
about Dick Gephardt being a one-state campaign can
stop wondering. With his forays into Michigan (see
article above) and the release of supporters in
Oklahoma and his advances in N. Dakota (where he
just received the Building and Construction Trades
Council, AFL-CIO, endorsement) Gephardt is doing
what a candidate for President needs to do -- he
is strategically scooping up delegates for the
nomination. While Howard Dean’s campaign
manager Joe Trippi announced that Dean was the
only one who was positioned to begin to raise his
image on a national basis, Gephardt is proving
that is not true. It looks like Dean’s best
strategy is to increase his concentration on Iowa,
New Hampshire and S. Carolina -- the must win
states for Gephardt, John Kerry and John Edwards
respectfully. Here is the list of Gephardt
endorsement for Oklahoma. Gephardt is calling the
running tally of Oklahoma endorsements of "Ten
Weeks 'til Tuesday," Every Tuesday, Gephardt will
release the list with the new names. Gephardt's Oklahoma campaign
also recently opened office headquarters in both
Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Below is a list of Sooner State
Supporters for Gephardt. The names in bold
are recent additions:
·
Darlene Aebischer - OK State
Convention Delegate, Pooleville
·
Ron Aebischer - Democratic activist,
Pooleville
·
Kelly Ahl - Democratic activist,
Tulsa
·
Tom Albaugh - Vice-President of
Northeast OK Labor Council; Chair, Precinct 142,
Tulsa
·
Pam Allen - Cleveland County
Democratic Party Co-Chair, Norman
·
Haskell Ames -Democratic State
Convention Delegate, Teamsters Local 523, Tulsa
·
Jack Anderson - Democratic activist,
Jenks
·
Robert Anderson -Democratic
activist, Choctaw
·
Mannix Barnes - Campaign Manager,
Lloyd Fields for Labor Commissioner campaign,
Oklahoma City
·
Scott Blubaugh - Field
Representative, Oklahoma Farmers Union; Precinct
420 Vice Chair, Ponca City
·
Connie Branstetter - Nowata County
Democratic Party Secretary, Nowata
·
Christie Breedlove - 2nd District
Federation of Democratic Women, Tulsa
·
Jessica Brown - OK State Convention
Delegate; Attorney, Ardmore
·
Judy Calhoun - 4th District
Democratic Co-Chair, Norman
·
Randy Campbell - President and
Business Manager, Teamsters Local 523, Tulsa
·
Tony Carr - Democratic activist,
Oklahoma City
·
David Clymer- State Delegate, Yukon
·
Wallace Collins - former State
Representative, Cleveland County Democratic Party
Chair, Norman
·
Cari Colwell- Democratic activist,
Blanchard
·
Gary Cook- former Democratic Party
State Delegate, Bethany
·
Amy Corley - Candidate for House
District 94, Oklahoma City
·
David Corely- Democratic activist,
Del City
·
Mike Couch - Democratic activist,
Broken Arrow
·
Rep. Kevin Cox - Oklahoma City
·
Geraldine Crawford -Democratic
activist, Muskogee
·
Ginger Cyrus- Democratic activist,
Oklahoma City
·
Coleman Davis - Oklahoma
Democratic State Committee, Dist. 1 Co-Chair,
Tulsa
·
Terry Detrick - Vice-President,
Oklahoma Farmers Union, Ames
·
Doris Dickerson- Democratic
activist, Oklahoma City
·
Carl Downing - Co-Chair, 5th CD
Democratic Party, Oklahoma City
·
Ab Durham - Democratic activist,
Nowata
·
Freda Durham - Nowata County
Democratic Party Chair, Nowata
·
Eleanor Edmondson - former school
teacher, Democratic activist, Chickasha
·
Joan Filler- Democratic activist,
Oklahoma City
·
James Fish - Democratic activist,
Oklahoma City
·
John Forbes- Director of Lawyers for
Working People, Democratic activist, Midwest City
·
Mary Fore- Democratic activisgrt.
Oklahoma City
·
Sheryl Fuller- Democratic activist,
school teacher, Blanchard
·
Linda Gilliand- State Delegate,
Pryor
·
Elvin Hart- Democratic activist,
Oklahoma City
·
Rebekah Hasty - Democratic activist,
Oklahoma City
·
David Hau - State Delegate, Yukon
·
Monica Hau- Democratic Activist,
Yukon
·
Ryan Hawkins- Democratic activist,
Tulsa
·
Larry Hensley - Chairman,
Oklahoma Sheep and Wool Commission, Kinta
·
Alton High- State Delegate, Oklahoma
City
·
Teresa Hill - Co-Chair, Oklahoma
County Party, Oklahoma City
·
Steve Holden - Tulsa attorney,
Democratic activist, Tulsa
·
Jim Huff- Democratic activist,
Oklahoma City
·
Cinda Hughes - Affirmative Action
Representative, Democratic Party State Central
Committee; Member, Board of Directors of Office of
Handicap Concerns, Oklahoma City
·
John Hunter- Ironworkers Local 48
member, Democratic activist, Oklahoma City
·
Lloyd Fields - former State
Representative, former Labor Commission candidate,
McAlester
·
Connie Fisher - Precinct 13 Chair,
OK State Convention Delegate, Tulsa
·
Mike Frickenschmidt -Executive
Director of Oklahoma Co-op Council, Enid
·
Andy Frye - OK State Convention
Delegate, Pryor
·
Genevia Fulton- State Delegate, New
Castle
·
Sandra Gilliam - OK State Convention
Delegate; former City Council candidate, Tulsa
·
Dr. Michael Gorton - Democratic
activist, Oklahoma City
·
Lynn Greene - OK County Democratic
Party Secretary; OK State Convention Delegate,
Oklahoma City
·
Allan Harder - Chair of Affirmative
Action Committee for State Democratic Party,
Director Native American Outreach 2002 OK
Coordinated campaign, Oklahoma City
·
Alton High- State Delegate, Oklahoma
City
·
Jason Hymel- State Delegate, Moore
·
Jesse Isbell - Secretary, 5th CD
Democratic Party, Oklahoma City
·
Jesse Jackson - Democratic activist,
Oklahoma City
·
Bob Kerr - former Lieutenant
Governor, Oklahoma City
·
Lillian King - Democratic activist,
Oklahoma City
·
Carrie LaCount - Democratic
activist, Oklahoma City
·
Mike Lamb - Democratic activist,
member Machinist Local 1461, Wagoner
·
Dee Lancaster - Democratic State
Convention Delegate, member TWU Local 514, Tulsa
·
Carma Lee Brock - Democratic
activist, Tulsa
·
Milt Lehr - Woods County Democratic
Party Chair; OK State Convention Delegate, Alva
·
Rep. Al Lindley - Oklahoma City
·
Bob Matthiesen - Chairman, Noble
County Democratic, Billings
·
Blanchie Mayes - Affirmative Action
Committee member, Tulsa
·
Robert Mayes - Affirmative Action
Committee member, Tulsa
·
Ron McMurtrey - Alfalfa County
Democratic Committee, Farmer, Cherokee
·
Daniel McCune - Democratic activist,
Oklahoma City
·
Carolyn McShan - Democratic
activist, Oklahoma City
·
Ted Metscher - school teacher,
Democratic activist, Oklahoma City
·
Harry Miester - OK State Convention
Delegate, Oklahoma City
·
Richard Morrissette- Democratic
activist, attorney, Oklahoma City
·
Paul Muegge-former State Senator,
Tonkers
·
Mason Mungle - Legislative
Director, Oklahoma Farmers Union, Atoka
·
Eddy Navarro - President,
Bricklayers Local 5, Oklahoma City
·
Lylene Parrish - Democratic
activist, Bixby
·
Paul Polin - Democratic activist,
Tulsa
·
David Pool - President OK State
Council of Machinists, Member, AFL-CIO Executive
Board, Coweta
·
Ken Powders - Chairman, Okmulgee
County, Okmulgee
·
Delores Raeder- State Delegate,
Oklahoma City
·
James Reed- State Delegate, Member
of the Affirmative Action Committee, Moore
·
Ola Reed- State Delegate, Member of
the Affirmative Action Committee, Moore
·
Darryl Roberts - former
Congressional candidate, Ardmore
·
Dillon Royal - Democratic activist,
Oklahoma City
·
Barbara Royce- State Delegate,
Oklahoma City
·
Marla Schovanec - Democratic
activist, Macomb
·
Mae Scott - Carter County Democratic
Party Chair, Ardmore
·
Barbara Selby - Campaign Manager,
Darryl Roberts for Congress campaign, Burneyville
·
Bill Settle - Attorney and former
state representative, Muskogee
·
Sen. Frank Shurden - Henryetta
·
Terry Slaughter -Democratic
activist, Oklahoma City
·
Joe and Lisa Smith - State
Delegates, Midwest City
·
Rick Smith - State Delegate, Pryor
·
Amy Sparks - Democratic activist,
Pryor
·
Joe Steichen - Member, Sheep and
Wool Commission, Ponca City
·
Harvey Swift - OK State Convention
Delegate, Oologah
·
Edmond Synar- father of the late
Congressman Mike Synar, Muskogee
·
Darrell Tharpe - District Lodge
Business Representative, Machinists and Aerospace
Workers, Wright City
·
George Violette - Democratic
activist, Oklahoma City
·
Debra Walters - Democratic activist,
Oklahoma City
·
Frieda Wilcox - Rogers Co.
Democratic Vice-Chair, Owasso Rep. Dick Gephardt responded to
Sen. John Edwards’ plan to help the textile
manufacturers in S. Carolina and manufacturers
generally.
"The very problems with China trade cited by
Senator Edwards in his plan to aid Carolina
textiles were caused by a bad trade agreement that
he supported. As a result of the China trade
agreement, not only has the textile industry been
devastated by an increasing flood of imports from
China, but the furniture industry has as well.
Town after town throughout the Carolinas has seen
factory after factory and workshop after workshop
shuttered. North and South Carolinas' textile and
furniture workers needed Senator Edwards on their
side four years ago when their jobs were on the
line.
"I am the only candidate in this race who led the
fight against NAFTA and the China trade agreement,
which have cost South Carolina and the nation
thousands of jobs. I know a bad trade deal from a
good one." Dean campaigned in Iowa
promising money and more money for education
according to a
Des Moines Register story:
He pledged to invest $110 billion over 10 years
for preschool, medical care, child-care and other
support for young children.
He said his plan would double federal spending on
early education and care. It would offer "welcome
baby" visits to new parents, offer child care to
an additional 1.4 million children, and offer
pre-kindergarten to every 4-year-old.
It also would fully fund the federal Head Start
program for at-risk children and double enrollment
in Early Head Start, Dean said. Sen. John Kerry campaign in Iowa
called for the creation of a Education Trust fund
that would support education and not be subject to
political whims according to a Des
Moines Register story:
Kerry said the trust fund is needed because
education spending today "is vulnerable to
presidents like George W. Bush who send new
mandates to the states but don't provide the
necessary funding," he said. "With the National
Education Trust Fund, never again will teachers
and parents and students have to worry about the
whims of politicians in Washington." Kerry said his plan would
increase federal money for schools from $23.8
billion to about $35 billion by 2008. Kerry’s plan
would also:
The trust fund also would pay for special
education students and provide a $10,000 tax
deduction for educators and other professionals
who work in low-performing schools in under served
areas, Kerry said.
The federal government also would issue $24.8
billion in school modernization bonds to help
states and school districts repair old schools and
build new ones.
Tax credits to help parents pay for after-school
programs also would be included in his plan, Kerry
said.
He said his plan would ensure that chronically
disruptive or violent students would be placed in
alternative learning environments where they could
receive intensive help and the services they need.
The
Boston Globe story by is a must read. Poor
Kerry is beat up in ways he may never know, or
maybe the subtle and sophisticatedly aloof Kerry
might get it. You be the judge:
His campaign on the ropes, Kerry has gone the way
of all Bob Shrum candidates. The man who once
quoted Andre Gide in admiring his own complexity
(``Do not try to understand me too quickly'') now
finds that voters really don't get him at all. So
he has entered the great consultancy cocoon and
emerged as the most unlikely of pseudo-populists,
a self-styled road warrior embarking on a bus
barnstorming mission to reclaim the state that
served as his primary toehold back before blunt,
plain-speaking Howard Dean stole it away.
Thus it is that the man who has repackaged his
campaign around a slogan - ``The Real Deal'' - so
silly it sounds like he's promoting an Evander
Holyfield fight has in four sentences offered
three clichéd catch phrases, the last recycled
from Jimmy Carter's 1976 campaign. All while not
so subtly accusing Dean of empty-calorie politics.
Honestly, watching Kerry speak and then file his
candidacy papers at the secretary of state's
office, you can't help but feel a little sorry for
him. Jeanne Shaheen, the former Granite State
governor, has added some star power, and her
husband, Billy, has helped fire up a claque to
clap at the State House, but Kerry looks drawn and
exhausted, like a patient badly in need of a shot
of Vitamin B-12 and two days' sleep. That’s enough …go
read the story. Democratic presidential
candidate Governor Howard Dean announced today
that Gwen Graham Logan has joined the Dean for
America campaign as National Surrogate and
Southern Regional Advisor. As a surrogate, Graham
Logan will speak on behalf of Governor Dean
throughout the country. She will also assist the
campaign in the South, including her native
Florida. Graham Logan is the eldest
daughter of United States Senator and former
presidential candidate Bob Graham. Graham Logan is an attorney and
mother of three. She attended the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Washington
College of Law at American University. Howard Dean can’t stand
prosperity and the sky is going to fall, according
to his response to the fact that the economy grew
even faster in the third quarter than reported:
"This administration has compiled the worst
economic record since the Great Depression and it
is going to take more than one quarter of growth
to dig the country out of this hole. This
administration can revise the numbers, but they
can't hide the fact that three million Americans
who lost their jobs under this administration are
still out of work. We won't have recovered
economically until each one of those people has a
job again.
"Furthermore, this growth is built on a foundation
of reckless and irresponsible tax cuts and
record-setting levels of debt. This president's
approach is the equivalent of mortgaging your
house to get spending money for the weekend.
Unfortunately, the Bush administration’s fiscally
irresponsible house of cards upon which this
growth is built cannot continue forever." The
Boston Globe has a story worth reading about
Howard Dean’s soft side appeal to voters:
This softer side to Dean's rhetoric can be jarring
for those accustomed to seeing him in attack mode.
It comes, after all, from a man seemingly
determined to keep his personal biography -- and
sentiment -- out of his campaign, and often seems
oddly juxtaposed with Dean's militaristic march
though his stump speech or his thunderous "You
have the power" call-to-arms for disaffected
Democrats. The campaign hopes that this
softer appeal will soothe American’s anxiety about
jobs, financial security and corporate mistrust.
This is coupled with the desire by most Americans
for more control over their lives. Dean delivers
this soothing message in the form of appealing to
community:
"Bigger and bigger corporations might mean more
efficiency, but there is something about human
beings that corporations can't deal with, and
that's our soul, our spirituality, who we are,"
Dean told a breakfast crowd in Sidney, Iowa. "We
need to find a way in this country to understand
and to help each other understand that there is a
tremendous price to be paid for the supposed
efficiency of big corporations. The price is
losing the sense of who we are as human beings." From
the Globe’s account, it is selling:
"I love that talk about community because we are
supposed to be a Christian nation, and if we are a
Christian nation, I have to be concerned about
you, I have to be concerned about him," said Paul
McFarland, 62, a retired military man who listened
to Dean at an Ottumwa VFW Hall. "That's the way
God wanted it, that's what a Christian nation is
all about and we have strayed away from that." Des
Moines Register columnist David Yepsen calls
Howard Dean the winner in the Iowa Debate:
Howard Dean won Tuesday's debate of Democratic
presidential candidates in Iowa. Wesley Clark came
in second.
Dean went into the two-hour gabfest with a new
poll of likely Democratic caucus-goers showing he
has retaken the lead in Iowa over Richard
Gephardt, who has slipped back into second place
while John Kerry occupies third. Front-runners
become pincushions in debates, and Dean handled
the poking well, by staying above the fray and by
not responding to every jab Kerry or Gephardt
sought to administer. Drudge Report is running an
exclusive developing story that soldiers are upset
over the repatriation ceremony of Howard Dean’s
brother:
Active duty soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines
are upset over being forced take part in a
military repatriation ceremony today for remains
believed to be those of the non-military brother
of presidential candidate Howard Dean, the DRUDGE
REPORT has learned.
"His brother will receive full military
honors...flag over the coffin and all!" fumes one
soldier, who asked not to be named.
Governor Dean is set to visit to the Joint POW/MIA
Accounting Command (JPAC) and the repatriation of
his brother to Hickam AFB, Hawaii.
The brother's remains were recovered in Laos by a
JPAC recovery team this past month. JPAC's mission
is to search, recover, and identify remains of US
service members who were killed in previous wars.
During the Vietnam War,
Dean's brother and an Australian friend treked
into Laos as civilians -- and were captured by
the Vietcong and killed.
JPAC was pressured to not only recover his
brother's remains, but to bump Dean's recovery
over numerous other MIA's who actually died
fighting for their country, a well-placed military
source tells the DRUDGE REPORT.
Additionally, JPAC is being pressured to push up
Dean's brother's identification ahead of
approximately a hundred other service members’
remains, it is claimed.
Says one source: "These service members were
recovered from all US wars, whose families are
waiting to finally get word that their loved one,
who gave his life for his country has been
identified and is finally coming home. It usually
takes 2 years plus for an identification.
Apparently, this 'rush job' will be done in 4-6
months. That's not all, we are repatriating his
Australian friend, with military honors, and
pushing his identification ahead our service
members also."
The military source continues: "We feel it is not
only a slap in the face to the service members who
gave their lives for our great country, but also
the men and women who are currently in harms way"
In the past, JPAC has recovered remains of
civilians [specifically contract civilians working
for the military], but never with military honors!
In fact, one time, JPAC team members conducting
the recovery had to actually pay the postage to
FEDEX the remains back to the family because the
government would not pay for it. Wesley Clark visited the
University of Wisconsin at Green Bay to bring
attention to his Manufacturing Security Plan.
While it is not the best photo opportunity to talk
about manufacturing jobs, Green Bay is a
manufacturing town in a manufacturing state. It is
certain that many of the student’s families are
employed in manufacturing jobs. Clark’s plan covers 15 points.
Three proposals that will catch attention are: the
$10,000 job creation tax credit; the mandatory
reporting of number of jobs cut in the US and
number of jobs transferred oversees; and
manufacturers who move oversees for tax purposes
can’t sell to the government. Here is his proposal
in its entirety:
·
$10,000 Job Creation Tax Credit
for manufacturing and other industries harmed by
outsourcing. Wes Clark would create a Job
Creation Tax Credit, which would provide up to a
$10,000 tax credit for each new full-time employee
hired in manufacturing or other industries
negatively affected by outsourcing (e.g. customer
call centers) in 2004 and 2005. This tax credit is
part of Wes Clark's overall two-year, $100 billion
Job Creation Plan.
·
Stop China's currency
manipulation. Wes Clark will push for what the
G-7 has already supported: market-based exchange
rates. No large country, including China, should
be allowed to manipulate currency markets to keep
its currency at artificially low levels. The
reason is simple: China's undervalued currency
gives Chinese manufacturers a significant price
advantage over U.S. manufacturers.
·
Let trade benefit American
manufacturers by insisting that all nations play
by the rules. Americans must not shy away from
global competition. Trade can increase growth and
raising living standards for everyone, but only if
all countries play by the rules. Wes Clark also
believes we should review all of our existing
trade agreements to ensure that our trading
partners are living up to the provisions requiring
other countries to open their markets to U.S.
products, including elimination of non-tariff
barriers. We must also ensure that China is
complying with World Trade Organization (WTO)
rules. Finally, Wes Clark believes that
environmental and internationally recognized core
labor standards should be an integral part of all
future trade agreements. Wes Clark will protect
American jobs and workers by enforcing America's
trade laws and increasing funding for trade
enforcement, not cutting it as the Bush
Administration has done.
2. STOP REWARDING COMPANIES THAT MOVE JOBS
OVERSEAS AND START REWARDING COMPANIES THAT
PRODUCE IN AMERICA
·
Require companies to disclose
layoffs in America and job increases overseas.
Consumer, investors, and workers all have the
right to know which companies are moving which
jobs overseas. As President, Wes Clark would work
to develop a system of timely reporting to ensure
that we have timely and accurate information on
companies that export jobs.
·
Stop rewarding companies that
shift jobs overseas. As President, Wes Clark
would eliminate government incentives for
companies to shift jobs overseas.
o
Stop tax breaks for companies
that move overseas for tax reasons. Wes Clark
would close outrageous loopholes in the tax code,
like the ones that allow companies to avoid taxes
by shifting income to Bermuda. In addition, Wes
Clark would institute a 90-day review of all tax
and spending provisions affecting large
manufacturing firms. The review will focus on
eliminating tax and spending provisions that give
manufacturing firms incentives to move jobs
overseas.
o
"Buy American": As President,
Wes Clark would strengthen America's manufacturing
base by developing "Buy American" guidelines for
defense and other government procurement.
o
Deny government contracts to
firms that move headquarters overseas for tax
reasons or shift substantial numbers of U.S. jobs
overseas. Wes Clark believes that companies
should not be rewarded for moving their
headquarters to overseas tax havens or shift
substantial numbers of U.S. jobs abroad. As
President, he will look for ways to make certain
these companies are not rewarded with government
contracts.
·
Start rewarding companies that
create jobs in America. As President, Wes
Clark would seek to implement tax and spending
initiatives - above and beyond the $10,000 job
creation tax credit - that provide manufacturing
firms the incentive to keep existing manufacturing
jobs in the United States.
·
Work to raise standards globally,
creating a win-win for America's workers and for
international development. Wes Clark would
work with other countries to help raise their
labor and environmental standards, transforming a
race to the bottom into improvements benefit for
America's workers and encourage international
development. This will eliminate the rush of
manufacturers to open factories in countries with
hazardous factory conditions, forced labor, child
labor, and suppression of freedom of association.
3. CREATE THE CONDITIONS FOR THE MANUFACTURING
SECTOR OF THE FUTURE
·
Reduce labor costs by making
healthcare more affordable. The National
Association of Manufacturers has stated that "the
rising cost of health care coverage is one of the
biggest impediments to sustained recovery in the
manufacturing sector." The AFL-CIO's manufacturing
agenda features health care reform as a central
element. Wes Clark's health care plan would
establish universal access to more affordable
health care, while ensuring that America's
families and employers get better value for their
health dollars. Wes Clark also supports a
comprehensive, meaningful, and affordable
prescription drug benefit for Medicare.
·
Promote Pension Reforms. Wes
Clark will fight for pension reform to strengthen
"defined benefit" pension plans. He will also
explore ways to relieve companies of some pension
burdens that make American companies less able to
compete with the foreign manufacturers.
·
Lower the cost of capital through
deficit reduction and tax reform. Wes Clark's
"Saving for America's Future" plan reduces the
budget deficit every year, lowering interest
rates. Lowering the cost of capital will allow
America's companies to invest and grow. In
addition, Wes Clark favors tax reform that makes
the tax system simpler, fairer, more progressive,
and more pro-growth.
·
Implement regulatory reforms that
are pro-market and pro-consumer. Too often,
the Bush Administration has used regulatory reform
to bail out corporations rather than promote true
competition. As a result, regulations are standing
in the way of efficiency improvements in many
industries that would benefit consumers and
businesses. Wes Clark would implement regulatory
reforms that use market-based incentives while
protecting the environment and consumers against
abuses.
·
Increase exports by consolidating
and improving trade promotion. According to
the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, ten
federal agencies help U.S. firms export their
products abroad. As President, Wes Clark would
consolidate the trade promotion activities of the
U.S. government into fewer agencies, which will
save money and simplify government, helping
manufacturing firms get what they need from their
government and enabling more effective promotion
of U.S. manufacturing exports.
·
Invest in education and training.
Wes Clark will soon release a detailed plan to
improve education from cradle to grave. It will
address improving the quality high schools and
expanded access to college. It will also focus on
improving job training programs and expanding
continuing education for workers.
·
Invest in innovations to keep
U.S. manufacturing competitive. New
technologies represent the future of American
manufacturing. Wes Clark believes that America
needs a new and more ambitious technology policy
to encourage research and development to produce
the next generation of breakthrough innovations.
·
Expand the Manufacturing
Extension Program (MEP). Wes Clark will
reverse the Bush Administration's budget cuts for
the Manufacturing Extension Program (MEP). This
program is proven to help small and medium-sized
manufacturers get the help they need in business
planning and low-cost loans to be successful. Sen. John Edwards’ book is out
and it is getting some reviews, but not many in
the Northern climates as of today. Edwards
continues to stick with his plan of being the nice
guy who squeezes between the fighting Howard Dean
on one side and the duo of John Kerry and Dick
Gephardt on the other. To that end Edwards
revisited Oklahoma and picked up the following
endorsements:
·
Senator Jay Paul Gumm, District 6
·
Representative Joe Dorman, Rush
Springs
·
District Attorney Rob Wallace,
Poteau Edwards
also managed to give a big slap in the face to
Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley regarding rural health
care reimbursements:
“The Republicans’ approach to improving and
strengthening Medicare is unwise and unfair,
particularly to Iowa’s seniors, and that’s why I
voted against the Republican legislation this
morning. Iowa’s health care system and the seniors
who depend on it have suffered because Iowa does
not receive its fair share of reimbursements for
services provided under Medicare. Republicans in
Congress have repeatedly failed to address this
important issue, and it is unfortunate that Iowa’s
Republican Senator Charles Grassley has been
pushing a bill that doesn’t adequately address the
Medicare reimbursement gap and is so harmful for
seniors everywhere in the long run. I look forward
to continuing to work with Senator Harkin,
Congressman Boswell and other Democrats in
Congress to increase the Medicare payment rates in
Iowa and address the unfair disparities between
urban and rural Medicare payments.” Sen. Joe Lieberman is thankful
this Thanksgiving because he has the money to
finish in New Hampshire, according to his website.
The cut off for matching funds before handing out
checks in January is midnight tonight, and
Lieberman was asking his supporters to fill up the
JoeMobile so he would have enough gas. The
following report is on his website:
With plenty of time to go before our midnight
deadline, you helped us shatter our goal of
raising $300,000. You topped off the JoeMobile
tank and added an extra $59,259.79 (for a grand
total of $359,259.79) to help keep the JoeMobile
running all the way across the finish line in New
Hampshire.
Thank you for your support Lieberman has an endorsement ad
with former Sen. John McCain supporters who helped
McCain win New Hampshire against George W. Bush in
2000. New Hampshire lets unaligned voters vote in
either partys’ primary. Odds are most of them will
be over at the Democrat voting booth. Here is the
TV ad transcript:
Announcer: Something's
happening...
Rebecca Scott, McCain Supporter for Joe:
An ethical leader.
Announcer: McCain supporters are
backing Joe Lieberman.
Rhonda Della Salla, McCain Supporter for
Joe: They're both straight talkers.
Lorraine Perkins, McCain Supporter for
Joe: Both John McCain and Joe Lieberman
vote their own conscience.
Randy Dirth, McCain Supporter for Joe:
They both get past the party ideology and focus on
the key issues.
Announcer: Joe Lieberman stood up
to combat global warming, defend our security and
close corporate loopholes.
Melinde Lutz Sanborne, McCain Supporter
for Joe: I think it goes back to
integrity.
Don Byrne, McCain Supporter for Joe:
Someone I can trust and believe in.
Bob Stone, McCain Town Chair for Joe:
Four years ago I supported John McCain, this year
it has to be Joe Lieberman.
Joe Lieberman: I'm Joe Lieberman
and I approve this message. The ad coincides with a mailing
sent to 30,000 former McCain supporters in New
Hampshire. According to an Associated Press story,
the Lieberman campaign would not disclose the cost
for the new ad, but said airtime was bought in
Manchester, N.H., and in Vermont, which broadcasts
into New Hampshire. The campaign has not yet
purchased airtime in the more expensive Boston
market that broadcasts into southern New
Hampshire. Rep. Dick Gephardt and Sen. John
Kerry both put up new TV ads on the subject of
healthcare. Both of the candidates use personal
stories to show their desire to bring all
Americans healthcare coverage. After listening to
Bob Dole’s erectile dysfunctional problem,
listening to Kerry’s prostrate cancer survival is
not shocking anymore. Kerry’s ad makes this point:
"A few months ago, I was diagnosed with prostate
cancer," Kerry says in his ad. "I'm cured now, but
I was lucky. As a United States senator, I could
get the best health care in the world. Most people
aren't so lucky, and we need to change that.
That's why my plan gives every American access to
the same health care that Congress gives itself." Gephardt's ad features old
pictures of him with his son. Here is his ad:
"Thirty-one years ago, our 2-year-old, Matt, was
diagnosed with terminal cancer. Our health
insurance paid for experimental treatments that
saved Matt's life. But in the hospital, we met a
lot of parents who didn't have insurance. I'll
never forget the terror in their eyes." While Rep. Dennis Kucinich may
live on his own planet, there are lots of women
who would be agreeable to living out there with
him. Kucinich responded to a question at the Nov.
5 Planned Parenthood Federation of America forum
about what role the first spouse would play in
their administration. Kucinich, a twice-divorced
bachelor with a grown daughter in college, didn't
waste time getting to the point. The Web site PoliticsNH.com,
which covers New Hampshire politics, set up a
contest for a date with Kucinich. Now 80 women are
vying on the website contest for a date with
Kucinich. The website plans to fly the winning
woman to the state next month for dinner at a
vegetarian friendly restaurant with Kucinich, who
agreed to the date. The
Associated Press story reveals some of the
suitors’ passions for Kucinich:
"There are thousands of us that are in love with
you and would give our left arm to have a few
moments alone with you. That's our fantasy!" wrote
Margie of Milton, Wis.
Annie of Chicago wrote that she was attracted to
Kucinich's platform, presence and passion. "I
share your dream of finding a true love who would
team his talents with mine to make the world a
better place," she wrote. While
it may be good for dates it may not be good for
politics as the Associated Press reports:
Robert Schmuhl, who studies personality and
politics at the University of Notre Dame, said
using humor in campaigns can be a successful
political tool, but it also could backfire.
"In this instance, Congressman Kucinich has been
successful," Schmuhl said. "But one wonders
whether it is helpful in portraying a presidential
image." An LA Times story reveals that
Al Sharpton may not be puritanical in his
candidacy for the Presidency:
On the campaign trail, an insurgent such as Alfred
C. Sharpton Jr. can't be expected to follow the
rules. His goal, after all, is not so much to win
the Democratic presidential nomination as to
continue his slow climb from a master of
confrontational street theater into a national
spokesman for minorities and the poor. At times,
he has moved nimbly toward that goal. He has been
so witty and incisive in debates with his eight
Democratic rivals that he has been widely
acclaimed in the mainstream media as Campaign
2004's resident provocateur. The story describes how James L.
Taylor, an assistant professor at the University
of San Francisco, drove Sharpton across the Bay
Bridge to San Francisco. The professor was doing
it as a courtesy after Sharpton visited with black
professors in Oakland. He said his guest barely
responded as he tried to describe the social and
economic malaise confronting poor Bay Area
communities.
"People like Al Sharpton tragically disappoint
you," said Taylor, who is thinking of backing
Dean. "You think they can come out and represent
the people, but instead of using their position
for the people, they seem to use it for
themselves." According to the Washington
Times’ Inside the Beltway, the Democratic
National Committee, in dire need of campaign cash,
has enlisted CNN "Crossfire" co-host James
Carville to call President Bush a liar. Writing on behalf of the DNC,
Mr. Carville says the president's re-election
strategy will be to continue politicizing the
September 11 terrorist atrocities while
questioning the patriotism of Democrats — who he
says only want answers about Mr. Bush's "State of
the Union lies." Mr. Carville says Mr. Bush
dreams "about a country with no debate and no
dissent," and calls another four years of his
leadership "almost unimaginable." MoveOn.org, the fastest growing
political movement dedicated to defeating George
Bush, is helping their members with their holiday
shopping. They have e-mailed members letting them
know that they have T-shirts for a $40
contribution, and for $70 they can have two. The greeting line on the e-mail
is T-shirts and swing states. The organization is
pledged to raise $10 million to run advertising to
defeat Bush in swing states. The organization
recently aired one of its ads in Washington D.C.
that charges President Bush with being the first
President since Herbert Hoover to have lost jobs. The message also includes the
fact that thanks to a matching donor, ‘every cent
of your contribution will be put into our
swing-state ad project to get out the truth about
George Bush. For a friend or family member who’s
concerned about the President and his policies,
it’s a great gift -- each T-shirt contribution
will allow us to reach hundreds of voters over the
air. Get two and keep one for yourself.’ The matching donor is
mega-wealth George Soros -- who has said that Bush
reminds him of the Nazis.
* ON THE BUSH
BEAT: President Bush received some
extra sweets before his Thanksgiving dinner. The
Medicare victory was sweetened by news that the
economy surged at a blistering 8.2 percent annual
rate in the third quarter, and that consumer
confidence in November climbed to its highest
level in a year. On top of that, Bush collected
another $3 million for his campaign, bringing his
re-election fund to at least $105 million. Bush
also received news that he leads all Democrat
candidates in Florida by 20 percent. The better
news was that Brad Coker, director of Mason-Dixon
Polling & Research Inc., said Mr. Bush's 54
percent approval on conduct of the war and 52
percent voter confidence on the economy means "it
will be very difficult for the Democrats to win in
Florida" next year. So on the “Peace and
Prosperity,” he seems that he should be moving
ahead on half of it in more and more voters’
opinions.
Reuters has a story about Neil Bush (the third
child of George and Barbra Bush) that details his
deposition in his divorce from wife Sharon. It
details his business deals and admission to
extramarital sex with women in Asia:
According to legal documents disclosed on Tuesday,
Sharon Bush's lawyers questioned Neil Bush closely
about the deals, especially a contract with Grace
Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp., a firm backed
by Jiang Mianheng, the son of former Chinese
President Jiang Zemin, that would pay him $2
million in stock over five years.
The Bush administration
announced the reduction of U.S. loan guarantees to
Israel by $289.5 million. Some believe that it is
a way of registering its disapproval of Israeli
actions on the West Bank. The cut will be made
from $1.4 billion in U.S. guarantees due this
year, the Israeli Embassy said. Overall, Israel
has been due to receive $9 billion in guarantees
over three years.
*THE CLINTON
COMEDIES: Some have wondered how President
Bill Clinton didn’t seem to mind about all that
happened around him. His former Treasury Secretary
Robert Rubin reveals in his latest book that
Clinton shared his technique with him, according
to the Washington Times’
Inside the Belway:
Incredibly enough, Mr. Rubin took these "mental
devices" Mr. Clinton revealed and, for lack of his
own personal crisis, applied them to his tennis
game.
"While playing, I kept in mind the thought that
even ... a fine tennis player makes a lot of
errors; the object is to focus on hitting the shot
as well as possible and not to worry about either
the likelihood of messing up or the outcome of the
point," he says.
"When I told [political operative] Steve Friedman
that the Lewinsky matter had improved my tennis
game, he waited with bated breath for what I had
to say. He may have been somewhat disappointed by
my explanation." The Associated Press is
reporting that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton will
spend Thanksgiving in Afghanistan before traveling
to Iraq with a former Army paratrooper turned
senator to meet with soldiers and ask questions
about the United States' ongoing nation-building
efforts. The former first lady and Sen.
Jack Reed, D-R.I., have both been critical of the
administration's handling of post-combat problems
in the war on terrorism, particularly after major
military operations ended in Iraq. Clinton and
Reed said Tuesday they were concerned about the
current efforts to win the "hearts and minds" of
Iraqis.
* NATIONAL: Sen. Orin Hatch revealed that a
member of the Republican Judiciary staff
improperly acquired documents from the Democrat
Judiciary computer. Those documents have appeared
in the newspapers and revealed the Democrats’
tactics of using race as a factor in choosing
which judicial nominations they would filibuster.
They also detailed how the Democrats used the
confirmation process to affect the outcome on the
Michigan Law School’s affirmative action case.
Reuters reports:
"It is with deep regret I must report today the
interviews conducted to date have revealed that at
least one current member of Judiciary Committee
majority staff had improperly accessed at least
some of the documents referenced in the media
reports," Hatch said.
Democrats on Hatch's committee said through a
spokeswoman they were "saddened and disappointed
to have their suspicions confirmed that Republican
staff violated the privacy of Senate computer
files."
The spokeswoman, Tracy Schmaler, also said, "The
investigation that counts is the one being
conducted by the Senate Sergeant at Arms."
"Democratic members ... look forward to the
results of that ongoing investigation when it is
completed so that all can know the full extent of
this violation and wrongdoing," she said. A
Washington Post story details the plight of
the Democrats’ defeat on the Medicare bill:
In politics, there's nothing like having the other
side steamroll your party -- using your own
steamroller -- to jangle the emotions.
Democrats have owned the Medicare issue for nearly
40 years. But this week, the Republicans climbed
into the driver's seat and mashed the gas pedal.
In closed-door sessions that excluded nearly all
Democrats, through rule-bending roll calls,
dishing out goodies to friends and twisting arms
of the recalcitrant, the Republicans passed $400
billion worth of changes. Democrats spent the day
picking carpet fibers out of their hairdos and
sorting out their reactions. The
Hill Reports that some Democrats where longing
for the days of soft money so that they could
combat the AARP’s ad campaign:
The McCain-Feingold restrictions on soft money
hampered Democratic efforts to oppose the
Republican-backed Medicare reform bill, according
to some House Democrats.
“We’re getting killed on the airwaves by the AARP
on Medicare,” said Rep. Albert Wynn (D-Md.).
“We’ve got all these great arguments to make
against the package and we don’t have the
resources to make them.”
Noting that the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Finance
Reform Act prohibits the use of issue ads that
could have been produced with soft money under the
old campaign finance laws, Wynn said, “This is
when soft money could have been real helpful.” A
Hill story indicates that the Republicans are
going to start raising money the way the Democrats
are:
House Republicans have designated 10 lawmakers as
regional fundraising captains as part of an
ambitious plan to boost campaign contributions.
The idea is to bring lawmakers to where the money
is actually being raised while increasing the
personal attention prospective donors across the
country receive from members of Congress.
Democrats say the GOP operation imitates a
fundraising strategy they’ve pursued since the
beginning of the year.
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