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

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.

Our Mission: to hold the Democrat presidential candidates accountable for their comments and allegations against President George W. Bush, to make citizens aware of false statements or claims by the Democrat candidates, and to defend the Bush Administration and set the record straight when the Democrats make false or misleading statements about the Bush-Republican record.

… Dean at the University of Iowa I: University of Iowa students got a steady feed of Bush-is-a-liar taunts as Howard Dean wooed the youth of America. Dean’s liar, liar, pants on fire approach got a roar of response from the 930-students crowd. An article by Lynn Okamoto in today’s Des Moines Register, reports on this latest Dean college tour stop, and takes note that “the Republican National Committee has said in the past that the Democratic presidential candidates are long on criticism of Bush, and short on substance.”

… Dean at the Univeristy of Iowa II: College “Deanies” and “wanna-see-Deanies” turned out by the hundreds at the University of Iowa on Sunday to listen to presidential candidate Howard Dean speak on the evils of the Bush administration, the verbal egg-throwing of his Dem rivals, and his superior approach to all things racial. Current Dean rant is the work “quota.” An article by Jeffrey Patch in today’s DailyIowan quotes Dean as saying, “Every pollster and every politician in America knows that the word quota is a race-loaded word. It’s deliberately designed to appeal to people’s fears that they’re going to lose their place in a university or their job to a member of a minority community.” Dean’s been on a 4-day college town tour – or “outreach,” as Dean campaign manager Joe Trippi spins it – targeting younger voters. Dean seems to fit the bill to appeal to the younger Americans. Recalling his college years, the DailyIowan article offers up: Dean’s favorite movie is “Animal House”, he joined and later quit a fraternity (claiming culture disenchantment), he drank and smoked pot occasionally. Somewhat sheepishly came this quote next in the article: “What went on in my irresponsible youth went on in my irresponsible youth – Ba-boom. I never did anything as bad as Arnold Schwarzenegger, I can tell you that.”

… The free-trade issue grows hot and get hotter in Iowa as the January 19^th caucus draw nearer. Today’s Des Moines Register article by Philip Brasher explores the inner party battle: stay on-point with Clinton’s hugely popular and successful NAFTA free-trade policy, or change course back into the politics of isolationism. The article points out the Dem dilemma – how does a Dem wannabe get the labor endorsements AND keep Iowa’s exporters happy? As the article points out, Iowa’s exports to Mexico alone last year amounted to $700 million. Abandoning NAFTA could cost big bucks to Iowans. Whether you say semantics or spin, the terminologies are revealing as the presidential candidates jockey for position as seen in this Dick Gephardt quote from the article: “We need to have a policy to build new jobs in this country. Part of it is fair trade, not just free trade” said Gephardt… Cato Institute’s Dan Griswold counters: “It would be a deal-killer in any trade negotiations with non-Western developing countries.” As far as the Republican side of things, the article reports: “President Bush picked up Clinton’s free-trade policy. His administration is working on a new WTO agreement to lower trade barriers worldwide and is separately negotiating for bilateral deals with Australia and Latin American nations.”

… Joe Lieberman, treading in the steps of Martin Luther King Jr., spoke yesterday at the same small Baptist church in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. As reported by TheUnionLeader, AP account, Lieberman addressed the predominantly black congregation at the New Hope Baptist Church in Portsmouth, NH, focusing on social and economic issues. The article says, “He [Lieberman] urged the voters there to elect a ‘moral superpower’ in 2004, not a military superpower.”

… It’s “Work Week” for John Edwards. And as his current standings in the 2004 presidential race show, Edward’s got a lot of work to do if he hopes to capture the Democratic nomination. The UnionLeader.com gives it’s report on the latest Edwards campaign effort in and article by Jerry Miller. Excerpts: “HAMPTON FALLS — Democratic Presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. John Edwards, D-S.C., used the town’s common yesterday to launch what his campaign dubbed “work week,” described as a seven-day period during which the freshman senator said he will outline his plan to reverse the loss of more than three million jobs under the Bush administration. … Referring to the first Bush administration, during which then-President Bush said, “Read my lips, no new taxes,” Edwards said the son’s slogan should be, “Read my lips, no new jobs.” … Later in the day, in Londonderry, Edwards touted his job stimulus plan and ratcheted up attacks on the Bush administration’s economic and foreign policy records at a town hall meeting at Londonderry High School. Among the 50 or so voters who grilled Edwards on everything from health-care subsidies to the costs of his plan to provide a free first year of college tuition to anyone qualified to attend, there appeared to be a consensus among several: the message and earnest, youthful presentation were attractive, but it remained too early for several to throw their wholehearted support Edwards’ way. Especially as most polls still place him fifth or lower in the Granite State

… Wesley Clark takes a jab at Jeb, as in the brother of GWB and governor of Florida. Washington Times InPolitics writer Greg Pierce reports: “Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark on Saturday accused Florida Gov. Jeb Bush of wrongdoing in the 2000 election. The retired general, speaking in El Dorado, Ark., "suggested that [President] Bush's brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, influenced the recount in that state in the 2000 presidential election," the Associated Press reported without further elaboration. However, the wire service did quote Mr. Clark as saying: "I don't put a lot of stock in these polls that have me leading President Bush 49 to 46 percent, but if things keep going this way, he's going to need a brother in the 49 other states to win this election."

… And from Planet Kucinich -- On an offshoot link from the Kucinich official campaign website, proof is presented why Kucinich can beat George Bush in the 2004 presidential contest. Excerpts: “If any Democrat has a history of attracting swing voters and "Reagan Democrats" in winning elections against better-funded Republican opponents, it is Dennis Kucinich. He has repeatedly defeated entrenched incumbents. … Kucinich is a winner because he builds Wellstone-like grassroots campaigns against bigger-spending opponents. … He is an unabashed progressive who wins because swing voters who don't agree with him on every issue still see him as a fighter for their interests… No Democrat is better positioned in 2004 to attract 'Reagan Democrats' and swing voters with a frontal attack on how Bush policies hurt them and favor the rich. …no other candidate can attract disaffected voters, 3rd party voters and Ralph Nader supporters to the Democratic column like Kucinich. … No candidate can better tap into and mobilize the anger of the Democratic base than Kucinich… Kucinich's best efforts couldn't win Ohio for Gore in 2000, but Kucinich can win Ohio himself if he is the 2004 Democratic presidential candidate. And in presidential politics, as Bush-strategist Karl Rove knows well: As Ohio goes, so goes the nation.”

… Smokin’ Joe Lieberman is calling for release of Pentagon Iraqi oil document and reconstruction costs. In an article on the Lieberman campaign website, Lieberman issues this proclamation: “As I said on Friday, one value has been repeatedly missing from this presidency: integrity. Now we learn that while the Bush Administration was telling us that Iraq could finance its own reconstruction, they didn’t tell us that a secret governmental task force had already concluded that Iraq could produce less oil than the Administration was claiming. George Bush’s Administration has forteited the benefit of the doubt, and now it’s time for us to ask what they knew and when they knew it. The Bush Administration must immediately release the report of this secret Energy Infrastructure Planning Group. It must release all U.S. government assessments, classified and unclassified, of the predicted costs and dureation of iraq’s reconstruction. And it must do so now, before Congress approves $87 billion to rebuild Iraq.”

· on the Clark Blog: “ENOUGH OF THE CLARK/DEAN CRAP......JUST ASSOCIATING DEAN WITH CLARK WOULD BE DANGEROUS..REPUBS WOULD ASSOCIATE DEAN'S WEAKNESS WITH CLARK.”

· on the Dean Blog: “Dean's "quota" comments -- they are not a very inspiring reference to racial issues in this country. They sound academic and not worth all the attention. I would recommend talking about more pressing issues of race "in front of white audiences" 1) support death penalty in some cases, but here's it's current application inequities and how to fix it. 2) the prison system, what the numbers are and how Dean's policies will help change things 3) racial profiling? at any level? probably too hot for the news now. 4) public urban education. Dean will fix NCLB, but can we emphasize accountability or funding or something in a way that specifically targets urban schools serving minority populations??? 4) others, anyone else got ideas?? THE QUOTA SPEECH DOESN'T CUT IT!”

· on the Kerry Blog: “… I know Joe Wilson may endorse Kerry. That would be good as right now the entire scandal is very big especially with dems and him endorsing Kerry would likely give many moderate Clark and Dean supporters (along with many undecideds) a good strong reason to start considering Kerry…” “He’s [Howard Dean] pandering left, ripping off Wellstone and lying about being anti-war…”

· on the (unofficial) Kucinich Blog: “That the most beautiful face in the world. That’s my president!”

· on the (unofficial) Youth for Edwards Blog: “It helps the democratic party to have Edwards at the head of the ticket. The only way it hurts the party is if they are stupid enough to nominate Howard Dean, Skull and Bones John Kerry, or “let’s make this race exactly about war instead of domestic issues like the republicans want” Wesley Clark.”

… NBC’s Meet the Press yesterday showcased ex-diplomat Joseph Wilson. As reported by WashingtonPost.com, writer Walter Pincus, Wilson stated, “I do believe, however, that the president would never have condoned or been party to anything like this.”

… Could a Schwarzenegger win in California be a bad deal for Bush? New York Times’ Adam Nagourney writes today: “President Bush's political advisers have long yearned to win back this most Democratic of states. Accordingly, while wary of the unpredictable forces unleashed by California's tumultuous recall, they were roused by the prospect that Arnold Schwarzenegger could topple Gov. Gray Davis, providing at least a psychic lift to Republicans and a demoralizing blow to Democrats going into 2004. But now, in the final days of what has turned out to be a very messy election, even some Republicans are wondering if a victory by Mr. Schwarzenegger would be such a good thing for Mr. Bush. … Some were quick to recall that Mr. Bush, in running for president in 2000, would frequently end speeches by raising his right hand in the air and pledging to "return honor and dignity to the White House" — a not-too-subtle reference to President Bill Clinton's sexual exploits

… The New York Times is carrying a report today by David Sanger, giving account to the White House’s order for a ‘major reorganization of American efforts to quell violence in Iraq and Afghanistan and to speed the reconstruction of both countries…” The article says part of this reorganization calls for an “Iraq Stabilization Group” to be run by national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, who sent a memorandum to Colin Powell, Donald Rumsfeld and CIA head George Tenet…. regarding the memo, Rice is quoted as saying the memo is “a recognition by everyone that we are in a different phase now…” An interesting conclusion to the New York Times article: “If Mr. Rumsfeld is giving up some authority, officials say, so is Mr. Powell. The State Department has been in charge of the Afghan reconstruction effort, but now the White House will assert new control over the interagency effort there.”

… Focus on the Family’s James Dobson says he’s considering taking a leave from Focus to campaign against same-sex marriage. Washington Times InPolitics writer Greg Pierce quotes Dobson, “Marriage is the ground floor, the foundation of our society ... and yet it is on the ropes, in severe jeopardy" because "courts seem to be determined to redefine marriage and make it something it was never intended to be…For 26 years, I have been the head of a nonprofit organization, Focus on the Family, which is, of course, limited in its ability to speak to political issues. That, for me, is changing. I have resigned as president of Focus on the Family. I am chairman of the board, but I'm prepared to take a leave of absence and be involved in those races where there is an obvious lack of understanding of the importance of [the homosexual 'marriage´] issue, wherever that takes me."

… Here’s one to ponder -- guess who’s getting the 2003 George Bush Award for Excellence in Public Service? Edward Kennedy. Yes, that Kennedy. The one who has pummeled Bush, accusing him of using fraud on Americans concerning the prewar danger of Iraq. The award actually is named after the first President Bush, who will present personally to Kennedy on November 7 at Texas A&M University. Washington Times InPolitics writer Greg Pierce includes the AP report in his column today. It is also noted that the former President Bush has sole discretionon who receives the award. Prior recipients? former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl.