Howard Dean

excerpts from the Iowa Daily Report

January 1-15, 2004

• “That's what terrifies the Democratic barons now. They see how Howard Dean and the noisy pothead left can remake their party, and, unlike the youthful Republicans who powered Barry Goldwater to the nomination in 1964, will remake it into a permanent minority party — a caucus of gays, feminists, angry blacks and any other bellyachers with a nurtured grievance or unrequited gripe. Not even Hillary could revive it.” -- writes Wesley Pruden.

• It's getting to be pretty hard to see how you stop Howard Dean," said pollster John Zogby, who said the attacks so far were not having the desired effect. "His supporters seem to rally around him the more he's in crisis."

(1/2/2004)

Stop Dean strategies

The Washington Post covers how various campaigns are trying to shape their approach to stopping Howard Dean:

The strategies range from Rep. Richard A. Gephardt's one-state last stand in Iowa to Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman's rapid-fire attacks on Dean to retired Army Gen. Wesley K. Clark's national campaign on electability. All of them depend on Dean stumbling during the Jan. 19 Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary the following week.

The article places Wesley Clark as the one best placed to challenge Dean. (1/2/2004)

Dean worries

The Sioux City Journal reports the Northwest Iowa Democratic faithful are not comfortable with Howard Dean. The story tells one person switched from Dean to Kerry and how party leaders find that party supporters are uncomfortable with Dean:

With the holidays over and the caucuses less than three weeks away, Ewing said, voters are now ready to get serious about picking a candidate. From her conversations with Monona County residents, Ewing said Dick Gephardt and Kerry seem to be the primary choices. "I think Dean is probably more popular in eastern Iowa, with the colleges," Ewing said.

She was joined by Donna Clothier, Shelby County Democratic Party chairwoman, in saying that Gephardt and Kerry are more electable and more experienced in foreign policy than Dean. "They are seasoned and know what they are doing," Clothier said. "I just question whether Gov. Dean is seasoned enough to be president. He has made some terrible mistakes in the last few weeks." She said people initially liked Dean's firebrand method of speech, but are increasingly concerned over some gaffes that resulted in backpedaling. (1/2/2003)

Unintended consequences

The NY Times covers Democrat National /committee Chairman Terry McAuliffs plan for a quick unity behind a Presidential nominee may be going awry:

In a classic case of unintended consequences, a process intended to produce unity, a strong candidate, and a compelling platform to take against President Bush has so far produced a campaign that many Democrats describe as strikingly harsh and marked more by daily bickering than sweeping themes or compelling new ideas on where to take the country.

While it is hardly unusual for political contests to get rough, it rarely happens this early. And it almost never happens in the Iowa caucuses, a state where Democrats say, or at least used to say, that voters punish candidates who engage in negative campaigning. (1/2/2003)

Gays boosted Dean

The LA Times carries a story about how gays and lesbians were critical to Howard Dean’s early boost into the lead:

"The early foundation of Governor Dean's presidential campaign - both in fundraising and organization - was built by the support of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community around the country," said Dean finance director Stephanie Schriock.

The gay community "was the first to recognize Dean's strength of character after his leadership on Vermont's civil union legislation, and because of that, they were the first to open up their homes for events and ask their friends and colleagues to give money to this endeavor," she added. (1/2/2003)

Dean’s Southern charm

The Washington Post reports Howard Dean doesn’t seem to have any Southern style to his wooing of votes down South.

So far this morning, Howard Dean has made references to being a "Vermont Yankee," a "guy from the North" and a variation on "not from 'round here." And he's only halfway through his speech.

"This is not some crackpot socialist idea from some liberal Yankee state up in the North," the former Vermont governor tells a sleepy group of breakfasters at Horne's Country Buffet. He is speaking on the topic of his universal health insurance plan. This is a few minutes after he asked, rhetorically, if "that Yankee from way up there" can win in South Carolina, and a few minutes before -- in response to a question about the environment -- Dean says the Bush campaign will try to tar him as "this environmentalist, Birkenstock-wearing guy from Vermont."

The article is 4 pages on the web and shows the cultural differences between Dean and the South may not be bridged, but that Dean can find support South of the Mason Dixon Line. (1/2/2004)

Dean’s no environmentalist

The LA Times covers Howard Dean’s record as Governor of Vermont and finds that Dean put big corporations ahead of the environment:

Dean's 11-year record as governor suggests he is much more a pragmatist on environmental issues than an ideologue, a centrist who often catered to business interests first, addressing the accompanying environmental concerns later. And his focus on a few pet environmental projects — while largely ignoring others — left some here feeling that Dean lacked a broad vision for the environment.

"In Vermont, the environment is a consideration in almost everything we do. We hold our leaders to a high standard," said Mark Sinclair, senior attorney at the Conservation Law Foundation, a New England environmental group considered to be moderate. "But [Dean] failed to show real leadership on most environmental issues [and] missed a lot of opportunities. He is portraying himself as being a lot greener today than he was, in action, as governor of Vermont." (1/2/2004)

• "I pray every day," he told reporters in mid-December. "I don't wear it on my sleeve, because I'm a New Englander, and New Englanders don't wear much on their sleeve that's personal," said Howard Dean.

• Democrats are "reaping what they've sown. Their leaders have lined up behind Howard Dean's brand of angry, intolerant politics. They've made their message clear: 'moderates need not apply' and that's a sad trend for a once-great party," Tom DeLay said about Congressman Ralph Hall switching to Republican.

• "Governor [Howard Dean], if you can't stand up and answer serious questions from fellow Democrats, how can you expect the rest of us to step aside and watch you lose your cool against George Bush and lose the election," said Dick Gephardt.

• "You see, there is a Howard Dean pattern," Gephardt said. "First, say something indefensible. Then deny you ever said it. Then when it's proven, don't tell anyone why you said it."

• "Since 1977, Dick Gephardt has sponsored 20 pieces of health care legislation -- not a single one has become law," Howard Dean’s Iowa director Jeani Murray said. "Why in the world would Americans want to keep an ineffective leader in Washington, let alone promote him to the White House?"

• "He's a doctor [Howard Dean]," Susan Allen, his press secretary when he was governor. "He sees a problem, he diagnoses the problem, and he prescribes a fix. And then he moves on to the next problem. It can come across as annoyance, I guess. He also doesn't suffer fools."

(1/3/2004)

Debate prelims

The Des Moines Register carries a story about how Rep. Dick Gephardt blasted away at Howard Dean yesterday. It also reports on how Sen. John Kerry did the same thing in New Hampshire. Both will be attending tomorrow’s Des Moines Register Debate with Dean.

Wesley Clark and the Rev. Al Sharpton did not accept invitations to take part in the debate. This is a time when Clark should not have skipped Iowa. The Register debate is one of the most covered events up to this point. Clark expects to offer a big domestic proposal on Monday while everyone will still be covering what happened at the debate in his absence. On Tuesday of next week there is a lengthy radio debate with WOI public radio in Ames. Clark’s skipping Iowa is beginning to have consequences.

The debate will be carried live by Iowa Public Television, Fox television news, CNN and C-SPAN. IPTV will make the broadcast available to other public stations, and Associated Press television will make it available to member stations. WNET of New York City is among public stations planning to carry it live.

This is the first debate since the capture of Saddam Hussein and will be the first test of the new positions taken by Sen. John Kerry and Rep. Dick Gephardt regarding their more hawkish positions visa-a-vis Howard Dean.

Gephardt in Des Moines yesterday signaled his intentions to blast away at Dean:

Gephardt said Friday that he plans to hammer away on Dean's record in Vermont and statements on the campaign trail between now and caucus night.

"But according to Governor Dean, we're all lying - all of the other candidates and every major newspaper in the country," Gephardt said.

Joe Trippi, Howard Deans campaign manager responded:

"Guess why they are all in Iowa trying to do this stop-Dean movement. It has nothing to do with our electability," Trippi said. "Of course there's the risk that we won't win, but that doesn't change the fact that we're going to do everything we can to win." (1/3/2004)

Dean struggles with religion

Howard Dean while campaigning in Iowa told reporters that he was struggling with speaking about religion in public. He also struggled to come up with his favorite book in the New Testament according to the LA Times:

When asked about his favorite book in the New Testament, Dean first cited the Book of Job, which is in the Old Testament and is the story of a pious man whose possessions are stolen and children killed before God ultimately restores his good fortune.

Dean corrected himself about an hour after the interview ended, returning to the front of the plane to tell reporters he misspoke when he said the book was in the New Testament.

He said that despite its dark tone, the story resonates with him. "It's such an allegory," he said. "It sort of explains that bad things could happen to very good people for no good reason." (1/3/2004)

Dean lousy on Vermont security

The Associated Press reports on the fact that Howard Dean made a lousy security administrator as Governor of Vermont:

Presidential hopeful Howard Dean, who accuses President Bush of being weak on homeland security, was warned repeatedly as Vermont governor about security lapses at his state's nuclear power plant and was told the state was ill-prepared for a disaster at its most attractive terrorist target.

The warnings, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press, began in 1991 when a group of students were brought into a secure area of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant without proper screening. On at least two occasions, a gun or mock terrorists passed undetected into the plant during security tests.  (1/3/2004)

Temper – what temper?

The NY Times covers Howard Dean’s temper and the fact that he doesn’t think that he has one. This despite the fact Dean wrote about it in high school. Dean characterizes it as standing up for himself. An incident with friends shows it to be different:

Late one night last August, he found himself way ahead in a heated game of hearts with two of his Yale classmates, David Berg and Ernie Robson, who are among his oldest friends. Suddenly he began losing one hand after another, until his certain win had disappeared.

"He throws his cards all over the floor and gets up smoking and huffing," Mr. Berg recalled. "Naturally, Robson and I are in hysterics, because it's all just theater."  (1/3/2004)

• "The fact is, since Saddam Hussein has been caught, we've lost 23 additional troops; we now have, for the first time, American fighter jets escorting commercial airliners through American airspace," Howard Dean said why he is right the we are not safer with the capture of Saddam Hussein.

• "A gaffe in Washington is when you tell the truth and the Washington establishment doesn't think you should have," Howard Dean said.

(1/4/2004)

Dean working Feb 3 circuit

The LA Times reports on how Dean is working hard on the Feb. 3 primary states:

While Howard Dean's rivals are focusing almost entirely on the first several states that vote in the Democratic presidential race, the former Vermont governor appears to be building enough strength in the next wave of contests that he could virtually clinch the nomination by mid-February, even if he stumbles early.

With Dean's opponents forced to concentrate their efforts on Iowa and New Hampshire — or, at most, the seven predominantly Southern and Western states that vote on Feb. 3 — the front-runner's emerging advantage in states such as Michigan, Wisconsin, Virginia, Maine and Washington that follow with primaries or caucuses later in February could provide him a formidable firewall against any early reversals.

The Times also carries a short primer on Dean’s life, if you haven’t read one of the two books already out there. (1/4/2004)

Newsweek/Time on Dean

Howard Dean is the subject of a major story. The article reflects on the usual -- not since Jimmy Carter has anyone come from the outside, the Internet phenomenon, changing positions, numerous gaffes, etc… but the interesting line is about trade. Trade is the Holy Grail of the industrial labor movement. And the industrial unions are the ones who are supporting Dick Gephardt:

…Dean was for NAFTA and GATT, but now opposes any further free-trade agreements unless they have higher labor and environmental standards. He once thought it might be wise to raise the retirement age to protect Social Security; now he rules that out. Dean once thought Medicare was a miserable, poorly administered program; now he wants to save and expand it.

Time Magazine’s cover carries their feature story on Dean. There the question is, who is Dean?:

To understand how he thinks, Dean tells TIME, it helps to look at the way he and his doctor-wife Judith Steinberg treated their patients in their family practice back in Vermont. "She's very methodical. She'll exhaust all the possibilities until she gets to the one that's the most likely," he tells TIME. "I'm intuitive, and I jump steps ahead. Part of what gets me in trouble on the stump is that I shorthand things. I know what I'm thinking, but I don’t say every word of it. I was that way as a doctor. I eliminate possibilities unconsciously, before they get to my consciousness. It's also part of my political judgment. I often know I want to do things before I know why, although the thinking goes on all the time. The way I think is, if you give me information, I tuck it back somewhere and work on it and work on it and work on it without being aware of it. All of a sudden, 10 months later, something will pop out, based on a whole series of things that I've learned in the last 10 months. And finally, all of a sudden, it falls into place." (1/4/2004)

Iowa Debate Analysis
by Roger Wm. Hughes

The Iowa Des Moines Register debate covered little new ground but demonstrated that each candidate has chosen the line on which they will fight out their campaign.

Howard Dean may have made the most revealing comment when he began to talk about the fact that he will “balance the budget in the sixth or seventh year of his term.” It was reminiscent of the kind of mistake made by President H. W. Bush when he looked at his watch while candidate Bill Clinton was responding to the issue of people suffering because of the poor economy of the time. Whether it becomes a signature of Dean’s style of mis-speaking and presuming the candidacy is yet to be seen. After Dean made his statement the audience began laughing at Dean’s presumptive second term. He was clearly dazed and blankly unaware as to why the laughter erupted from the live audience at his statement…

In a signal as to the nature of the divided labor support in this election, the greatest rift and desire to mix it up came over Dick Gephardt’s charge that he was the only one who had opposed NAFTA and the Chinese trade agreement. Everyone wanted to take on a piece of Gephardt and defend their position on that front. John Edwards made the most point against Gephardt by getting him to admit that Edwards did not vote against NAFTA. Edwards also listed a number of trade agreements that he opposed including fast track trade agreement authority for the President.

Gephardt still made points and left the closing statement for the large number of industrial unions supporting him:

"Howard, you were for NAFTA, you came to the signing ceremony. You were for the China agreement ... It's one thing to talk the talk, you've got to walk the walk," Gephardt said.

Dean took several hits from the traditional triad of Dick Gephardt, John Kerry and Joe Lieberman on Iraq, running against Washington, raising taxes on the middle class and the hypocrisy of not opening up his sealed records. In addition, Dennis Kucinich hit him for not agreeing to pull the troops out of Iraq now.

Kerry, in a clear statement aimed at Dean, said Democrats can't defeat Bush by being light on national security ... “We can't go back to raising taxes on the middle class. We need a president who has the temperament and the judgment to be able to convince America that we know how to make this country safe.”

Lieberman’s attack was, "I don't know how anybody could say that we're not safer with a homicidal maniac, a brutal dictator, an enemy of the United States, a supporter of terrorism, a murderer of hundreds of thousands of his own people ... in prison instead of in power."

Dean’s rebuttal was that we have lost 23 more troops since the capture of Saddam, and we are canceling airline flights and we should have concentrated on Osama bin Laden:

“I actually don't believe that, because I think, given the time that's elapsed, we could have done the proper thing, which George Bush's father did, and put together a coalition to go after somebody who was a regional threat but not a threat to the United States.”

“Our resources belong in fighting Al Qaida. Al Qaida has got us in a position where we're now worried because we're at level orange. We need a concentrated attack on Al Qaida and on Osama bin Laden. Saddam Hussein has been a distraction.”

Lieberman offered this rebuttal:

“… Howard Dean's criticism of my statement that we're safer with Saddam Hussein gone. You know what? We had good faith differences on the war against Saddam. But I don't know how anybody could say that we're not safer with a homicidal maniac, a brutal dictator, an enemy of the United States, a supporter of terrorism, a murderer of hundreds of thousands of his own people in prison instead of in power.”

“And to change the subject as Howard does and to say that we haven't obliterated all terrorism with Saddam in prison is a little bit like saying somehow that we weren't safer after the Second World War after we defeated Nazism and Hitler because Stalin and the communists were still in power… We have many threats to our security, there is no question. We are a lot stronger... “

Dean made his frequent argument regarding the Bush middle class tax cut -- that property taxes for schools, college tuition and health insurance premiums have all increased higher than the Bush middle class tax cuts, which Dean targeted at $304.

Lieberman chastised Dean for not recognizing the middle class tax cut and said that in Iowa it was closer to approximately $1,800 for a middle income family of 4.

Dean was also challenged on not being the only Democrat candidate who balanced a budget -- Gephardt argued he had gotten the votes for President Clinton’s plan to balance the budget. (1/4/2004)

• “As a winter blizzard howled outside the suburban headquarters of Iowa Public Television, inside the studio, the former Vermont governor found himself ducking a barrage, not of snowballs, but of barbed questions and criticisms. At the end of the two-hour debate, sponsored by the Des Moines Register, Dean was still standing, and no visible damage showed.” -- writes David S. Broder for the Washington Post.

• “In Dean's alternate reality, everything the Bush administration has done and might do is a failure, no matter the facts. The president's even responsible for Mad Cow Disease. It's Goebbels again: Just keep repeating the lies until the lies assume the force of truth.” -- writes columnist Ralph Peters.

• “Howard Dean's built his credibility on directness and honesty and integrity, both as governor and as candidate. I think that's why he's doing as well. I think that's why he's going to win the Iowa caucuses and go on to be the nominee of the Democratic Party,” said Steve Grossman, chairman of, Dean for America.

(1/5/2004)

ABC: super delegates

The Rules of the Democrat National Committee allow for the selection of super delegates to attend the National Convention. It is a way that the old political bosses were included into the process of selecting the Presidential nominee. ABC has surveyed these super delegates to find out their preferences:

The ABC News super delegate estimate as of Monday, January 5 at 9:00 am:

Howard Dean 90    John Kerry 59    Dick Gephardt 49    Wesley Clark 24    Joe Lieberman 20    John Edwards 16
Carol Moseley Braun 4    Al Sharpton 3    Dennis Kucinich 2
…[T]his ABC News exclusive is the first time any news organization has compiled an overall tally of the current delegate race — made up of commitments from the party activists and leaders, local elected officials, current Democratic governors and members of Congress, and former presidents, vice presidents, congressional leaders, and DNC chairs.  (1/5/2004)

Bradley to endorse Dean

The Boston Globe is reporting that Howard Dean is planning a surprise visit to New Hampshire Tuesday in expectation of receiving the endorsement of the other leading Democratic contender from the 2000 race, former US senator Bill Bradley. The Dean campaign has changed plans and is making a trip to New Hampshire where supporters are being invited to a breakfast:

A senior aide traveling early this morning with Dean in northern Iowa authenticated the invitation but refused to say that Bradley was planning to endorse Dean, explaining, ``Nothing is confirmed at this point.'' The aide acknowledged that scrapping the early-morning event in Iowa, whose kickoff caucuses are two weeks from tonight, Monday would be unusual, particularly on the day of a debate, but the aide explained, ``It wouldn't be the only wacky thing we've done in this campaign.'' Dean is expected to fly back to Des Moines to participate in the candidate forum. (1/5/2004)

Dean’s mouthpiece

Howard Dean’s Campaign Chairman Steve Grossman was on Fox News with Chris Wallace and offered interesting comments about the Dean campaign. One of the most interesting concerned the fact that Dean would be a tough, strong foreign policy President:

WALLACE: The Washington Post and ABC did a poll this last week that asked people who they trust more to handle national security, the war on terrorism. 67 percent said Bush. 21 percent said Dean…. Mr. Grossman, isn't that an awfully steep mountain that the governor's going to have to climb?

GROSSMAN: I don't think Howard Dean is well-known to all the American people yet. Remember, we are just beginning to see the first caucuses in the next two weeks, two weeks from tomorrow. So a lot of people haven't focused on this yet.

I draw a lot of -- not that I look at polls, because when people vote, that's when you really get the results. But in a recent poll, George Bush and Howard Dean were five points apart, a recent poll that was just released last Friday.

So, in a head-to-head match up, you're going to have two interesting candidates, one a former governor, sitting president, the other a very successful five-term governor.

It's not lost on me, Chris, that four of the last five presidents of this country have been governors. The American people want strong, decisive, aggressive, proven leadership. That's what they're going to get in Howard Dean.

That's what they're going to get in Howard Dean, whether it's on foreign policy, whether it's on domestic policy, whether it's on health care, education, jobs, or giving the people back their right to political power in this country.

Howard Dean is leading a movement that's going to reinvigorate participatory politics in this country. That's the unique quality this campaign has. That's why he's doing as well as he is. (1/5/2004)

• “The incivility of the Internet doesn't help. For example, I doubt Dean or Kucinich believes any opponent, opposing staffer or journalist is a "Nazi," yet each man has loose-cannon supporters out there accusing people of that. Such kooky behavior does neither candidate any good and arguably costs them support.” -- writes Des Moines Register columnist David Yepsen.

• “I know that everybody here's been told I'm a raging liberal and never can get elected," Howard Dean said in Charles City. "I'm such an underdog that there's a Time/CNN poll out today that shows I'm five points behind George Bush 51 to 46. Half the people in this country don't know anything about me."

• "What I see is that despite their criticisms, he presents himself as who he really is, and I think he's able to get that across to people: What you see is what you get," said the Rev. Netha Brada, a 66-year-old Dean precinct organizer from Iowa Falls, Iowa.

• A top aide said Dean is considering a tax reform plan for the general election that includes a reduction in payroll taxes. If Dean rolls out such a plan, it could offset what many strategists see as a big liability: his support of what amounts to a nearly $2 trillion tax increase by calling for a repeal of Bush's tax cuts. -- writes the Washington Post

• “Howard Dean will not have the credentials [to be president]... His judgment is called into question in these past months by the statements he's made publicly...," said John Kerry.

(1/6/2004)

Dean’s momentum gaining weight

"His campaign offers America new hope," Bradley said in endorsing Howard Dean’s candidacy. "His supporters are breathing fresh air into the lungs of our democracy. They're revitalizing politics, showing a way to escape the grip of big money and to confront the shame of forgetting those in need."

Bradley opposed Al Gore for the Presidential nomination four years ago. He represented New Jersey in the Senate for 18 years before his challenge of Gore.

Reports are that his old supporters in Iowa and New Hampshire were asking him whom he was supporting and he said Howard Dean. There is speculation Dean represents the kind of campaign that appeals to the youth of America and has the energy of a Kennedy-like campaign that both Al Gore and Bill Bradley had hoped to run. AP reported that he responded to the question of why he was supporting Dean by saying:

"His campaign offers America new hope. His supporters are breathing fresh air into the lungs of our democracy. They're revitalizing politics, showing a way to escape the grip of big money and to confront the shame of forgetting those in need," Bradley said.

"When Governor Dean says that his campaign is more about his supporters than about him, he shows admirable modesty, but he sheds light also on why his campaign offers the best chance to beat George Bush," the former senator said. "That is, he has tapped into the same wonderful idealism that I saw in the eyes of Americans in 2000, and he has nourished it into a powerful force."

An anecdotal profile of Dean’s new political activists shows that they were previously community volunteers and activists.

There is increased speculation that Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin may also choose to endorse a candidate. The choices seem to be narrowing between Dean and Dick Gephardt -- this despite Harkin’s close association with Sen. John Kerry and supporter Sen. Ted Kennedy. The thing that may be holding Harkin back from endorsing Dean is the strong union support Harkin has received over the years. The unions made up the bulk of the support Harkin received when he ran for President against Bill Clinton.

Iowa’s Gov. Tom Vilsack has announced that he will not endorse a candidate so that Iowa remains an open competitive place for candidates seeking the nomination. This also could cause Harkin to pause in his nomination.

However, Harkin has always followed a path that provided him the greatest political influence. Harkin endorsed Al Gore when he was behind to Bill Bradley in the Iowa Caucuses. Harkin helped Gore when Iowa and then Gore went on to defeat Bradley in New Hampshire thereby ending Bradley’s candidacy. (1/6/2004)

Dean favored big corporate friends

When Howard Dean was governor of Vermont, his administration was taken to task in a 1993 state audit that questioned the involvement of a top Dean aide in the awarding of a contract to a health maintenance organization. The aide, the audit noted, once represented the H.M.O. as a lobbyist. The NY Times reports that the contract was canceled after the audit was made public.

Edward S. Flanagan, who conducted an audit that showed the same H.M.O. continued corrupt practices in a contract covering state employees latter in an audit, defended the audits and his motivations.

"I am a supporter of Howard Dean's presidential campaign, so this puts me in a rather awkward position," he said. "But the factual bases for these reports are rock solid and thoroughly documented." (1/6/2004)

Dean on No Child Left Behind

Howard Dean criticized the President's failure to follow through on the promises of "No Child Left Behind":

"The standards are so ridiculous that every single public school in America will be deemed to be a school in need of improvement or a failing school by 2013," former Vermont governor Howard Dean said in a teleconference yesterday. He said the law, which he has pledged to dismantle, was "making education in America worse, not better."

His press release is as follows:

"The President is visiting a St. Louis area school to celebrate the second anniversary of the 'No Child Left Behind' act. Following his speech he will attend a fundraiser where he is expected to raise $2.5 million. Less than 30 miles away, the Northwest School District in Jefferson County is awaiting a February vote on whether to increase property taxes in order to generate $2.4 million to help cover school budget shortfalls of $4.8 million.

"Increased property taxes are just one example of the 'Bush Tax,' the amount that ordinary people pay in increased property taxes and higher payments for services to cover President Bush's misplaced priorities. President Bush had no problem finding money for lavish tax breaks for millionaires, or over $150 billion for his misguided war in Iraq. But when it comes to fully funding his NCLB mandates, schools are out of luck.

"Nothing illustrates the President's misplaced priorities better than the his actions today. Instead of trying to solve problems so that government works for the people again--so that the Northwest School District doesn't need to raise taxes by $2.4 million--the President has illustrated his true priorities by attending a fundraiser where he will raise $2.5 million for his campaign coffers--for a primary in which he faces no opponent.

"The Northwest School District is not the exception. Districts across America have been forced to increase taxes or lay-off teachers, increase class sizes, and consider closing school doors. Many communities have made these sacrifices and have still been forced to raise taxes.

"This year we have the power to change our system, so that it works for the people again. By reclaiming our democracy, we can tell the politicians in Washington that our children matter more than fancy fundraisers and special interest money."  (1/6/2004)

Deanites shovel snow

The Des Moines Register reports on some of the Dean volunteers innovative campaign techniques. It would make Dean’s campaign manager Joe Trippi proud.

When the weather threatened their plans to canvass neighborhoods, seven Dean supporters offered to shovel sidewalks… Surprisingly, only five residents accepted the offer… "A lot of the people in the neighborhood we went to had snow blowers," said Heather Strassberger, 26, of Bar Harbor, Maine, who has been working in Iowa since Dec. 27… The effort was not a total waste… "A couple of them sounded like we convinced them to vote for Dean," Strassberger said.

Trippi once set up a lemonade stand to win votes.   (1/6/2004)

Loosen up, Dean

Des Moines Register columnist has a bit of advice for the Howard Dean campaign on how to nail down Iowa. It comes in response to one of those hand-written letters flooding into Iowa by Dean supporters. This one came from someone in California to his wife:

“Which brings me to the meat of this letter. Things are going well for Dean, but they can always get better. Is there any way, for instance, you can thaw him out, loosen him up a bit?”   (1/6/2004)

Dean, you’re wrong

Howard Dean and his other wannabee rivals have constantly suggested that the budget cannot be balanced without getting rid of Bush’s tax cuts. The CBO, which is charged by Congress to calculate the long-term effects of government policy, projects that the Bush economic plan, including his huge tax cuts, would reduce the federal deficit to just $9 billion in 2011 and run a surplus of $161 billion in 2012 — which would be years six and seven of a Dean administration.

Dean recently said that he would "balance the budget in the sixth or seventh year" of his administration at the Des Moines Register Debate.  (1/6/2004)

Dean favored in D.C.

"I think Howard Dean is clearly first, the Rev. Al Sharpton second, and former Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley Braun and Rep. Dennis [J.] Kucinich of Ohio flip-flopping between third and fourth," predicted Lawrence Guyot, a 30-year veteran of civil rights and political activism in the District.

The Washington Times reports that Howard Dean is the likely winner of the first in the nation primary in Washington, D.C. The primary is not recognized by the Democrat National Committee and was organized for the principle purpose of winning the District representation in Congress.   (1/6/2004)

Attack Dean ad

The Washington Times reports on a controversial ad to run in Iowa:

The Club for Growth Political Action Committee said the 30-second spot against the former Vermont governor will begin running in Des Moines today — two weeks before the Iowa Democratic caucuses.

In the ad, a farmer says he thinks that "Howard Dean should take his tax-hiking, government-expanding, latte-drinking, sushi-eating, Volvo-driving, New York Times-reading ..." before the farmer's wife then finishes the sentence: "... Hollywood-loving, left-wing freak show back to Vermont, where it belongs."

The Club for Growth is being criticized by other Republicans for possibly weakening Dean and thereby preventing Dean form winning the nomination:

Republican strategist Alan Hoffenblum said the Club for Growth should heed the late Republican strategist Lee Atwater's admonition: "Never interfere with your opponents when they are in the middle of destroying themselves."

The line is actually from Alexander the Great but is often attributed to Julius Caesar who used it far more frequently than Alexander.

The Club for Growth in part defended their ad campaign as being good for America. They argued Dean is so bad for America that he has to be stopped now. The organization also announced it would spend $4 million soon to counter the tens of millions liberals are about to spend against Bush. (1/6/2004)

Howard Dean tax policy position

Wants to abolish Bush's tax cuts. Hopes to end corporate tax loopholes and eliminate tax shelters. Would boost Internal Revenue Service resources to help the organization collect billions of dollars in back taxes. (1/6/2004)

• "I'm afraid Howard Dean has said a number of things that are polarizing," said Joe Lieberman. "He has represented anger. Anger has fueled his campaign."

• "It is true I said Medicare is the worst program that was ever invented, because you can't administer it properly," Howard Dean said. "Of course we're going to keep Medicare. It's one of the great programs that ever was."

• The former Vermont governor is closing in on the honor of leading the Democratic ticket at the same time that his critics and rivals are busily converting his own utterances into controversies that could blow his chances to smithereens. The nightmare possibility for the Democrats is that the two might happen at once -- that Dean will polish off his opponents just as he commits the gaffe of all gaffes, the one for which no repairs are possible. -- writes David S. Broder.

• "Dean is electable precisely because he's making a decisive break with the spinelessness and pussyfooting that have become the hallmark of the Democratic Party," Arianna Huffington writes."Far from Dean not being able to 'compete' with Bush on foreign policy, he's the one viable Democrat who isn't trying to compete on the playing field that Bush and Karl Rove have laid out,"

• A sense of skittishness about Howard Dean is beginning to stir in New Hampshire. Whether that doubt freshens to a gaffe-driven gust or is merely an evanescent breeze of unease remains to be seen, but creeping disquiet about Dean came up often in conversations with more than three-dozen voters on Friday and Monday. -- writes Scot Lehigh of the Boston Globe.

• When asked why, as it seemed the Senator [Kerry] was suggesting, he felt frontrunner Howard Dean had stepped up his attacks on a re-focused Kerry, the Senator offered only one word: "footsteps."

• The Chicago Sun Times reports Mayor Daley digs Dean — or at least finds his message has real appeal. Says Daley of Dean, "He's tapping into this whole anti-Washington, anti-establishment [movement] … If you look at the polls, he is hitting a chord there against the establishment, the Democratic Party and everything else." More Daley: "He symbolizes that, if you go to Washington as a senator or congressman, you cannot run for president. That's a real big symbol."

(1/7/2004)

Staffer oops

Howard Dean’s staff messed up and wound up having a reporter for the Arizona Republic listening in as they discussed tactics on a conference call. The Republic recounts how the Dean campaign planned to attack Wesley Clark and help make Dean look more decisive in the voters’ perceptions:

"Tomorrow, (Tuesday) we're going to start by having Bradley do sort of a subtle thing, if we can, by saying that Dean is a real Democrat, and then follow that up the next day with an in-state person that's probably a little more direct," one unidentified staffer said.

The mistake seemed to be a matter of timing. The reporters were discovered when another reporter joined the line and they were informed that they were early and to call back in ten minutes at which time Howard Dean would be on the line discussing No Child Left Behind. However, that wasn’t before the reporters heard Dean staffers talk about how to position Bill Bradley and then do a follow-up attack on Clark:

"The Bradley message could be, like, (Dean) knew where he stood on the war, is still a Democrat, takes . . . positions, blah, blah, blah," the staffer said.

The next day, the speaker said, "surrogates" for Dean, both local and national, could "then hit Clark on the flip side of the argument: that he's indecisive, didn't know what party he's with, doesn't know his position on the war," she said.

Clark Campaign Communications Director Matt Bennett responded to this report:

"The Dean camp's secret back-room plotting to have Bill Bradley and others attack Wes Clark isn't a bit surprising. Governor Dean seems to like others to do his heavy lifting - just last week Howard Dean asked Democratic Party Chairman Terry McAuliffe to protect him from the criticisms of his rivals. The fundamental difference between Governor Dean and General Clark is that Howard Dean is a politician, and Wes Clark is a leader."

"Wes Clark has run a war, making life and death decisions every day. If the Dean Campaign wants to have a debate about decisiveness, we're ready."   (1/7/2004)

Dean’s lie

Democratic presidential front-runner Howard Dean, during a candidates' debate in Iowa on Sunday, "baldly lied in a way that may come back to haunt him," New York Post columnist John Podhoretz writes.

Mr. Dean, criticized by Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry for once having suggested that President Bush might have known in advance of the September 11 terrorist attacks, responded: "You better go look what I said about Saudi Arabians tipping off the president. I said I didn't believe it, and I said it right on that show."

Mr. Podhoretz said, "Here's the totality of what Dean said on Diane Rehm's National Public Radio show in December: 'The most interesting theory that I've heard so far, which is nothing more than a theory, I can't — think it can't be proved — is that he was warned ahead of time by the Saudis. Now, who knows what the real situation is .. .'

The columnist said, "Do you see anywhere in this quote an assertion that Dean 'didn't believe it'? (He did use those words on 'Fox News Sunday' a few weeks later, after a firestorm erupted on the matter.)"

"Rarely has a major-party candidate told as blatant (and as easily checkable) an untruth in a debate," Mr. Podhoretz writes.  (1/7/2004)

Dean’s wife will appear

Howard Dean announced that his wife will do press interviews and make some campaign appearances. However, she is not going to be a key campaign prop, according to the Associated Press account:

"I do not intend to drag her around because I think I need her as a prop on the campaign trail," he added.

 Dean’s wife, Judy, is expected to do television interviews and possibly appear in a campaign commercial.

Dean said that if he wins the nomination, Judy’s life will remain focused on her medical career and caring for their teenage son still living at home, he said.

Judy Dean, 50, is a doctor with a full-time practice in their hometown of Burlington, Vt., where she is known professionally as Judy Steinberg. Dean said she would practice medicine in Washington if he won the presidency.

Dean said his two children — Paul, 17, and Anne, 19 — will be "out of bounds" as he pursues the presidency. (1/7/2004)

Dean needs money

Howard Dean’s campaign may be the most financed of the Democrats, but if he is to reach his $200 million goal he needs to get going. Dean will have to raise $20 million to $26 million every month before the Democratic convention opens July 26. According to the Times Mirror Joe Trippi Dean’s campaign manager is hoping Dean becomes the presumptive nominee soon:

Trippi acknowledged that a sharp increase in fundraising will not take place until Dean becomes the acknowledged nominee. "Its hard to raise that kind of money" when running against fellow Democrats, he said. But "it's different when the story gets turned and raising money is to defeat George Bush. ... If and when we are at the point where it's Howard Dean versus George Bush, that is when we believe we can do that (raise $200 million)."  (1/7/2004)

Dean making major shift

Howard Dean is reported to be contemplating a major shift in his policies just after defending those policies on Tuesday’s debate on NPR. Dean, while weathering an attack on his repeal of all of Bush’s tax cuts, accused his opponents of not leveling on the fact that it takes tax revenues to pay for the things they were promising the American people. The Boston Globe reports that Dean is now looking for a tax cut to deliver to the voters:

Dean's action comes after his team of economic advisers privately gave him a "unanimous" recommendation to back a middle-income tax cut to offset the increases that would come with repealing Bush's plan, a top campaign official said.

The economic team has been especially concerned that Dean's proposed repeal of the Bush cuts has enabled critics to accuse him of supporting what amounts to a $2,000 tax increase on families earning between $73,000 and $145,000.

Some advisers worried that stance could be politically fatal in the general election if Dean is the Democratic nominee.

The signal that this would happen came during the same debate in which he condemned his opponents. He stated, "Ultimately, we will have a program of tax fairness for middle-class people."  (1/7/2004)

Short people

Rush Limbaugh is tweaking Howard Dean on how he came off equal in height to 6’8” Bill Bradley in a CNN story that carried Bradley’s endorsement. It happened because Dean was on the podium platform and Bradley wasn’t. Here is a recount carried by Limbaugh:

"Chatting with reporters on his campaign jet recently, Dean complained about a New York Times story that had described him as 'diminutive.' Dean first noted that the Times reporter, Adam Nagourney, is 'about five-three.' Then he added, 'I don't know that I'm so short.' Well, a reporter asked, how tall are you? 'I'm five-eight,' Dean replied. 'Almost five-nine.' Dean probably should have stopped here, but he didn't. 'Five-eight and three-quarters,' he continued. 'The reason I don't tell anybody about the three-quarters is that it sounds like I'm very sensitive about my height. And I'm not.' Where would anyone get that impression?"  (1/7/2004)

The gang’s all here

Howard Dean has been collecting stars and they are about to come out according to the NY Times:

Former Vice President Al Gore is scheduled to spend Friday and Saturday campaigning for Howard Dean in the eastern Iowa cities that gave Mr. Gore an overwhelming victory in the 2000 Democratic caucuses. Then he heads to South Carolina on Dr. Dean's behalf later this month.

Mr. Gore's wife, Tipper, is likely to be the headliner at several events for Dr. Dean next week, Dean campaign aides said. And Mr. Gore's rival in the 2000 primary fight, former Senator Bill Bradley, who made his endorsement official on Tuesday with twin appearances in Des Moines and in Manchester, N.H., has agreed to sign an e-mail solicitation for contributions.

At the same time, Representative Jesse L. Jackson Jr. of Illinois, who is featured in an advertisement for Dr. Dean now running on black radio stations in South Carolina, plans to make several visits to stump for him in that state before its Feb. 3 primary. Representative Robert Menendez of New Jersey will do the same in the heavily Hispanic states of Arizona and New Mexico, which vote the same day. (1/7/2004)

Super Delegates

The Associated Press has canvassed the 725 named super delegates (there are another 77 super delegate slots that have not been filled). A total of 802 super delegates are qualified to attend the Democratic convention when it convenes in Boston starting July 26.

The results show: Howard Dean-80; Dick Gephardt-57; John Kerry-50; John Lieberman-25; Wesley Clark-22; John Edwards-15; Al Sharpton-3; Carol Mosley Braun-3; and Dennis Kucinich-2 super delegates.

It is expected that most super delegates will commit after the Feb. 3 round of states.  (1/7/2004)

Poll Watching

In the national USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll Bush is viewed favorably by nearly 2-to-1, 65% to 35%. Howard Dean has a net negative rating, with 28% viewing him favorably, 39% unfavorably. Of the Democrats, only retired Army general Wesley Clark has a net favorable rating of more than one point. His rating was 37% favorable, 26% unfavorable.

If the election were held today, President Bush defeats Democratic front-runner Howard Dean 59% to 37% among likely voters. Against an unnamed Democrat, he wins 55% to 38%. Bush’s support is fairly strong with 45% saying they're sure to vote for him. Democratic support is softer; 27% say they will support their party's nominee.

Six in ten Americans say they approve of the job Bush is doing. That's higher than the approval ratings Clinton, Carter, Reagan or the elder Bush had at this point. Bush's approval rating on handling Iraq has risen 11 points in a month, to 61%.

Bush’s rating on the economy is up 6 points. His 54% approval rating on the economy contrasts with a 24% rating for his father one year before the 1992 election.  (1/7/2004)

NPR Debate

"I don't know of a case where a Democratic candidate for president has been elected who called for a massive increase in taxes on the middle class," Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman said. "These are our people," said Joe Lieberman

"If I can begin to breach the gap between Bill Bradley and Al Gore, and bring in people who have served long periods of time in Washington, and all the enthusiastic supporters we have, then I think I may be the right candidate to beat George Bush," Howard Dean said.

The NPR sponsored debate found the Democrats once again arguing about whether tax cuts are tax cuts and whether tax increases are tax increases. Each Democrat candidate has a plan to increase taxes, however, in Dean’s case he believes that his increase is a cut and that Bush’s tax cut is an increase.

Sen. John Kerry took Dean’s repeal of all of the Bush tax cuts to task "Everybody in Iowa will pay additional taxes at 15 percent and the marriage penalty will be reinstated," Kerry said. "Now, there's a terrific message: Democrats in America, if you get married, you ought to pay more taxes. I think it's wrong."

Dean said Kerry's argument was "hogwash," adding: "We cannot keep telling people we're going to give them all the programs they want and then there's not going to be any sacrifice of any kind." (1/7/2004)

• "As I have consistently said since November 2002, I will propose additional tax reforms that will make the tax code fairer for working families - and that will ensure that corporations and the wealthy pay their fair share," Howard Dean said.

• There is much buzz about whether Senator Tom Harkin will endorse Dean or not. Harkin, who has the wettest index finger in Iowa politics, can sense Dean's Big Mo and wants to be part of it. -- writes Des Moines Register columnist David Yepsen.

• But concealed in this optimistic picture is a doomsday scenario that is shaping every serious Democratic campaign: If Dean does not win the January contests with a show of force, by decisive margins, then even a victory could count as a loss. Dean's campaign staffers might not talk about it, but the plan to counteract that scenario is plain: Over the next two-and-a-half weeks, they hope to overwhelm all challengers, demonstrating unequivocally that opposition is futile. -- writes Josh Benson in Salon.

• "From a religious point of view, if God had thought homosexuality is a sin, he would not have created gay people." – Howard Dean.

(1/8/2004)

Poll watching

Republican strategist David Winston said Mr. Dean had "made some inroads into Clark voters, but his recent statements have caused those voters to return back to Clark." Mr. Winston pointed to Mr. Dean's comments that Saddam Hussein's capture did not make America safer, that the presidential hopeful would not prejudge Osama bin Laden until the terrorist mastermind is put on trial, and that the Democratic Leadership Council is the Republican section of the Democratic Party.

Among Democrats, Mr. Dean's negative rating has doubled from 10 percent in November to 22 percent, although his favorable ratings also increased, from 36 percent in November to 45 percent.  (1/8/2004)

Dean’s religion

Howard Dean said that his religious views helped him to decide to sign the gay civil union bill when he was Governor of Vermont. "The overwhelming evidence is that there is very significant, substantial genetic component to it (homosexuality)," Dean said in an interview Wednesday. "From a religious point of view, if God had thought homosexuality is a sin, he would not have created gay people."

The Dean campaign has recognized the great divide that exists in politics today between the Republicans and Democrats with those supporting the Republican Party identifying with religious practices more than with the Democrat Party. The LA Times reports that Dean has continued to discuss his religious beliefs over the past few days:

Dean has been expanding on his religious views in a series of conversations with reporters, but his remarks Tuesday and Wednesday were the first time he has talked about how faith has influenced his policy making. (1/8/2004)

Dean’s newest staff

Democratic presidential front-runner Howard Dean named a Clinton-era arms-control expert, Leon Fuerth, as his national security adviser yesterday.

"I am pleased to announce that Leon Fuerth will join my campaign as chair of my core group of national-security and foreign-policy advisers," Mr. Dean said in a statement.

Mr. Fuerth, an authority on arms control and nonproliferation, was national security adviser for eight years to former Vice President Al Gore. The move came one day after Mr. Dean announced that Roy Neel, who served as a top aide to both Mr. Gore and President Clinton, had joined the campaign as a full-time senior adviser.  (1/8/2004)

About those poll numbers

Des Moines Register columnist David Yepsen offers some good advice to those who are watching the poll numbers. He suggests that the numbers may underestimate a couple of candidates. Dean's support is coming from a lot of younger voters, and those people are big cell-phone users. Pollsters find it hard to contact the correct cell-phone numbers when they make random calls of likely voters.

Another candidate to be careful about is Dick Gephardt and his labor support. The question is --  will a high percentage of the 95,000 Iowa union members show up? They certainly have more than one reason to be motivated… if nothing else than to make sure the service unions don’t take over the entire union movement.

Another group that is not on the usual caucus attendees that pollsters probably have underrepresented on their call list are the military veterans John Kerry is attracting. (1/8/2004)

Caucus strategy

Iowa Democratic Caucuses are about the election of delegates to the County Convention; where more delegates are elected to District and State Conventions; where delegates are elected to the National Democratic Convention. The process of electing those delegates on Jan. 19 is about creating a viable group that qualifies to receive one of the delegates that are allotted to their precinct. The allocation of delegates is based on dividing the number of Democrats in the county into the size of the Democrat County Convention. Then each precinct’s number of registered democrats is divided by that number and that is how many delegates will be elected from that precinct.

One of the challenges for the candidates is to get their supporters to recruit from other non-viable groups or to join other groups, in order to better position their candidate in the results.

Several campaigns are developing ways to swing support in some of the 1,990 precincts on caucus night -- to benefit their own candidate or to hurt someone else’s, according to a Boston Globe story about the caucuses:

At headquarters for Howard Dean, advisers are working on an automated system that would let precinct captains dial in early tallies. Knowing how Dean is faring statewide would allow the campaign to advise its supporters to throw Dean votes in some precincts to another candidate.

Dean’s campaign is not the only campaign playing that game:

"It's fair to say every campaign is going to have a strategy for caucus night" of how to manipulate votes once an early tally has taken place, said Rob Berntsen, the Iowa caucus director for Senator John Edwards of North Carolina. "It's going to be a very, very important period. . . . We've got to be prepared." (1/9/2004)

Poll watching

Des Moines TV KCCI-Channel 8 news poll shows Dean with support from 29 percent of likely caucus-goers, followed by 25 percent for Gephardt, 18 percent for Kerry and 8 percent for North Carolina Sen. John Edwards. Thirteen percent of those polled said they were still undecided about whom they will support in the Jan. 19 caucuses. The poll has a 5 percent margin of error.  (1/9/2004)

N.H. tracking poll

Howard Dean is reported to be at 35 percent of likely primary voters in the New Hampshire poll. Clark was at 18 percent while Kerry had 12 percent. Joe Lieberman at 8 percent, Dick Gephardt at 6 percent, John Edwards at 3 percent, Dennis Kucinich at 2 percent, and Carol Moseley Braun and Al Sharpton at less than 1 percent, and 16 percent said they were undecided. (1/9/2004)

• “Although he occasionally says something refreshing, "it is hard to like Howard Dean. He seems as big a trimmer as Bill Clinton, and as bold and talented in that area as Mr. Clinton. He says America is no safer for the capture of Saddam Hussein, and then he says he didn't say it. He floats a rumor that the Saudis tipped off President Bush before 9/11, and then he says he never believed it. When he is caught and has to elaborate, explain or disavow, he dissembles with Clintonian bravado. This is not a good sign." -- writes Peggy Noonan.

• "It seems like the race is tightening," said Doug Sosnik, political director in the Clinton White House. "While Dean remains the solid front-runner, the race has a very fluid feeling to it."

• "I can't stand there and listen to everyone else's opinion for eight hours about how to fix the world," said Howard Dean about Iowans and the Iowa Caucuses in an old television interview.

• Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, said Mr. Dean is "having enough difficulty on taxes and Iraq, he should stay away from theology."

• “The trouble is the unDean is different everywhere you look. In the Granite State, Laura and co. reckon the unDean is Kerry. In Iowa, it’s Dick Gephardt, the soporific 1970s union throwback. In Arizona, it’s General Wesley Clark, the pantomime stalking-horse entered by the Clintons. In South Carolina, it seems to be the Revd Al Sharpton, the distinguished race-baiter. And all these states are voting in the next month, which means, no matter how well he does, each unDean could be undone by some other unDean a couple of days later.” -- writes Mark Steyn in the American Spectator.

• "I had listened to him [Howard Dean] on TV, and I thought he sounded pretty good," Jenny Briggs, an Iowa State University graduate said, standing in the town square in Newton, Iowa. "It turned out he was too good to be true."

• "Dean has helped create this mood of self-righteous delusion," says New Republic. "Only Lieberman — the supposed candidate of appeasement — is challenging his party, enduring boos at event after event, to articulate a different, better vision of what it means to be a Democrat." --writes the New Republic in endorsing Sen. Joe Lieberman.

(1/9/2004)

Dean disses Iowa Caucuses

I have spent nearly two years here in Iowa, talking to Iowans and campaigning in all 99 counties," Dean said. "I believe it's time to stand together, in common purpose, to take our country back and the Iowa caucus is where it all begins."

That was Howard Dean’s response to the revelation Dean was critical of the Iowa Caucuses when he was Governor of Vermont. Dean made the comments on a Canadian television program on which he was a regular guest while governor of Vermont. The program theme explored the differences between Canada and the United States.

The Dean statement on the Canadian television program that is causing him trouble is:

"If you look at the caucuses system, they are dominated by the special interests, in both sides, in both parties. The special interests don't represent the centrist tendencies of the American people. They represent the extremes."

The resulting flap from this latest Dean verbal revelation has resulted in Iowa’s Democratic leaders coming to the defense of the Iowa caucuses:

"The Iowa caucuses are dominated by regular Iowans who are concerned about bread and butter issues that all Americans care about," Gordon Fischer, the state's Democratic chairman said.

"The governor believes the Iowa caucuses remain a good proving ground for candidates as they take their messages into living rooms and around kitchen tables of real people," said Amanda Crumley, spokeswoman for Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, a Democrat who is neutral in the race.

Dean’s opponents were less kind…

Which Howard Dean are Iowans going to vote for — the one who insults them, or the one who will be soon releasing yet another clarifying statement?" said Kerry spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter… She also stated, Dean "is going to extremes of his own to win over Iowa voters."

"I can't understand his comments about special interests dominating the caucuses," Dick Gephardt said. "Who are these special interests?"

Dean used his patented line ‘the voters have the power’ and he is with them to respond to criticism over the comments, "On caucus night, I am confident that we'll have terrific turnout that reflects a new energy and a new belief that people have the power to take back their country," (1/9/2004)

Dean workers fired for misconduct

The Dean campaign on Thursday was forced to fire two low-level volunteers who went into Kerry's campaign offices posing as average voters. The two workers went into Kerry’s office trying to glean information on the Kerry campaign. John Kerry's Iowa state director, John Norris, said that two out-of-state Dean supporters posed as undecided Iowans and tried to get information about campaign voter calling scripts from a Kerry office in Creston. Kerry's campaign reacted with outrage. Dean aides said the campaign adheres to strict ethical codes and that the two volunteers were dismissed. (1/9/2004)

Dean planning dirty tricks?

Richard Gephardt's campaign manager, Steve Murphy, said a Dean field organizer told a Gephardt staff member that some of the expected 3,500 out-of-state Dean supporters coming to Iowa to turn out the caucus vote would try to infiltrate the process.

"It has come to our attention that your campaign in Iowa is engaged in an effort to violate caucus rules and send out-of-state supporters to pose as Iowa residents and caucus in cities and towns across the state," Murphy said in a letter to Trippi.

Dean campaign manager Joe Trippi denied the accusation and told Murphy in a letter that "sleazy tactics like yours are exactly the reason that people have stopped participating in the political process."

State party officials sent a warning to the campaigns in November after a Dean staff member in Vermont called and asked if a hotel address was sufficient grounds to participate. At the time, Dean officials dismissed the significance of the call and attributed it to a teen-age intern.

We understand that the grassroots enthusiasm this campaign has generated and the over 3,500 volunteers who are canvassing in Iowa this month is threatening to Dick Gephardt,” Trippi said.

Except for a few urban precincts it would be very difficult for outsiders to infiltrate an Iowa caucus meeting. Candidates not currently registered must sign a separate sheet that would automatically draw attention to them. They are also required to publicly declare who they are for. Once again, this would make them subject to scrutiny by opposing campaigns. Anyone attempting to sneak into a precinct caucus meeting is subject to criminal prosecution. (1/9/2004)

Dean changing strategy

Dean’s misstatements and opponents’ attacks have the campaign rethinking its tactics. Dean's staff and supporters are moving into the front line of defense for Dean. This allows him to avoid the media.  Dean’s appearances are left to staged events, such as this evenings appearance with former Vice President Al Gore and friendly audiences. However Dean’s frank talk is what propelled his candidacy and his political staff’s counters to criticism do not carry the weight of a true Dean response.

"It's not so much the attacks that are hurting us. None of this is sticking," argued Dean campaign manager Joe Trippi. "But they are hurting us because we're not getting our message out — standing up to President Bush and health care — because it's hard to do that when you're constantly answering charges." (1/9/2004)

Dean’s gun record

The Washington Post covers Howard Dean’s record on gun control. The gun owners of Vermont have always worried about what Dean would do if he had to protect their rights, according to the story. One of the reasons is the way he sent back a questionnaire they sent:

On a candidate questionnaire Gun Owners of Vermont sent out in July 1998, Dean left four of the five questions blank, scrawling at the bottom: "I support leaving the gun laws in Vermont alone as I have for the past 14 years. I, as always, reserve the right to change my position if compelling evidence warrants it. I have not seen such evidence in the past 14 years."

Like so many issues it is hard to tell what Dean would really do if it came down to it:

"He speaks out of both sides of his mouth on this stuff," said Sam Frank, former sheriff of Orange County, Vt. He and several other police officers across the country sued to prevent the government from requiring them to perform background checks on gun purchasers, as mandated by the Brady federal gun law. One case succeeded in the Supreme Court in 1997.

"Even after we won, he was slow to stop the checks, and I had to write letters to the attorney general," Frank said. He and other gun rights activists say Dean avoided taking a public position on controversial gun issues. When the City Council in Montpelier, Vermont's capital, voted to ban the carrying of loaded weapons, gun rights advocates asked the governor to declare he would veto any bill that authorized the change. (1/9/2004)

Harkin’s endorsement

"He's the Harry Truman of our generation," Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin said in interview with The Associated Press. "Howard Dean is really the kind of plain-spoken Democrat we need."

Harkin's support will give Dean the backing of the state's most durable Democratic politician, and a man whose organization can prove a vital asset on caucus night Jan 19. Harkin helped swing the election to Al Gore against Bill Bradley. This is a big blow to Dick Gephardt and the industrial unions backing him. Those unions are long time supporters of Harkin.

The Des Moines Register just this morning ran this story on the Harkin endorsement watch:

Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin said he would decide whether to throw his coveted endorsement to any of the candidates by the weekend.

Harkin, who had been weighing backing Dean, said Thursday the longer he waited to decide, the less likely an endorsement would be.

Harkin said he didn't think his endorsement would make Democrats who have made up their minds rethink their decisions. But it might influence those who remain strategically uncommitted, awaiting signs of momentum.

Harkin, interviewed on CNN, did not deny he came close to a Dean endorsement but then held back under intense pressure from labor leaders backing Gephardt. "I've been called by a lot of people, as you can imagine," Harkin said. (1/9/2004)

• “Why is Howard Dean talking about religion now after not talking about it all these years? It’s kind of like Pete Rose admitting that he lied after all these years.” – an Iowa caucus goer.

• To Howard Dean at a forum meeting, "Please tone down the garbage, the mean-mouthing of tearing down your neighbor and being so pompous," said Dale Ungerer, a 66-year-old retiree from Hawkeye, Iowa.

• "People might not like the fact that you're attacking Howard Dean," said Arthur Sanders, a political science professor at Drake University. "But it may affect how they think about Howard Dean."

• Howard Dean may end up as a footnote in history, but he has already earned a place in the dictionary as the illustration accompanying the word smug. -- writes Charles Krauthammer.

• Joe Lieberman said on Fox News Sunday that Dean was "running to meet Bush's polarization with anger and polarization of his own."

(1/12/2004)

The push is on

Howard Dean was rescued by what was called a tourniquet endorsement by Sen. Tom Harkin. Dean’s numbers have been eroding under withering attacks by his opponents. He has stemmed that tide first with Bill Bradley’s endorsement and now by the Iowa Democrat Godfather Tom Harkin. Harkin and Al Gore campaigned in Iowa to bolster the faithful and breathe life into the stalled Dean campaign that had begun to show slippage in Iowa, New Hampshire and nation wide.

“If we are going to take our country back, we’re going to have to take our political system out of receivership,” Gore said. “We’ve got to take our country back from the special interests.”

Harkin said, “I’m going to spend the next nine days — day and night — doing what I can to ensure that Howard Dean wins the Iowa caucuses.”

Dean did take a side trip to Illinois to stir up the AFSCME union there. Dean addressed an Illinois convention of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Although the union is backing him already, Dean said he must energize rank-and-file members

Dick Gephardt is in a political life or death struggle and has closed in on Dean’s lead to within the margin of error in polls. Dean leads Gephardt 25 percent to 23 percent, with Sen. John Kerry at 14 percent and Sen. John Edwards right behind at 13 percent, according to a Reuters/MSNBC/Zogby poll. Gephardt continues to predict he will win Iowa.

There is much in this campaign that is now going under the radar screen of public view. There will be a barrage of direct mail hitting Iowa’s mailboxes in the coming days. Dean has already sent out a direct mail piece specifically against Kerry on the issue of electability. The mailer references Kerry is hurting in his home state of Massachusetts and if his home state will not support him he can’t beat Bush. The NY Times reports on some of the mailings:

“Howard Dean Tried to Deny Supporting Republican Medicare Cuts — But He Got Caught," blares one glossy mailing from Representative Richard A. Gephardt recently sent to voters. On its cover: a clench-jawed Dr. Dean with the tabloid-style headline "CAUGHT."

A mailing from Dr. Dean says Senator John Kerry is "Bad for Iowa Farmers." Mr. Gephardt and Mr. Kerry, another mailing from Dr. Dean asserts, "are running one-state campaigns" and stand no chance against President Bush.

One of the aspects of mailings are the targeting of audiences.. women of a certain age on an issue… Catholic communities like Dubuque, Carroll and Sioux City and farmers in certain size counties as examples. This is the time that a message is honed for a particular audience and the opposition doesn’t know what is happening and can’t respond in time.

One of the key factors besides creating viable groups is the turnout aspect of the campaign. There are really only two campaigns -- Dean’s and Gephardt’s, that have full-blown capabilities of identifying and turning out their voters. Kerry has some capabilities but not even close to the other two, and Edwards has the least of the top four candidates.

Dean’s inability to beat George Bush remains a key part of his opponents’ themes. Both Kerry and Gephardt carried that theme on the Sunday Talk shows and in their stump speeches as well. Gephardt stresses political experience and Kerry stresses foreign policy experience. Gephardt pushes hard, saying voters will not elect Dean over Bush because of his constant misstatements.

"They look at who has steady hands, experience, doesn't make mistaken statements every day that have to be clarified the next day," Gephardt said.

Both Gephardt and Kerry came short of saying that Dean could not beat Bush if nominated and both said the reason they were seeking the nomination was to beat Bush.

Kerry brought in the star power of Sen. Edward Kennedy to campaign for him in eastern Iowa. Kennedy was asked about the differences between his and Kerry’s vote on the war according to Reuters:

"If he (Kerry) had been president we wouldn't be at war in Iraq," Kennedy told reporters after addressing a rally of a few hundred people organized by the Kerry campaign.

Kerry also received the endorsements of Iowa newspapers: the Quad City Times in Davenport; The Iowa City Press Citizen; and the Burlington Hawkeye. The Quad City Times in endorsing Kerry said that he was an extraordinary individual, but most important of all he listens:

He ponders questions, asks follow-ups and answers thoughtfully. He appears to be continually learning, whether it is the kite-surfing he took up a couple years ago, the guitar lessons he has put on hold during this campaign, or asking our opinion on Mississippi River lock expansion.

Kerry could be facing trouble from John Edwards campaign, which is only a few percentage behind Kerry in the latest poll. Edwards received the Iowa’s largest newspaper’s -- the Des Moines Register -- endorsement. The paper said it was his time. Edwards has been plagued by questions of being too young. The Register said in the editorial:

John Edwards is one of those rare, naturally gifted politicians who doesn't need a long record of public service to inspire confidence in his abilities. His life has been one of accomplishing the unexpected, amid flashes of brilliance.

Edwards is handicapped by not having the money or organization Kerry has. This tightening of the race makes not only first and second a race, but it is shaping up that third and fourth between Kerry and Edwards could be equally exciting. This could ruin Kerry’s bump out of Iowa and take him out of the race entirely.

Interestingly, Kerry could get some help from from an unlikely source – Howard Dean. There is a move to offer excess votes to Kerry in the caucus to keep him alive to take votes from Wesley Clark in New Hampshire. Des Moines Register columnist David Yepsen writes about it in his column:

There's talk in his campaign of trying to help Kerry win second place here. The gambit goes like this: Once Dean sees he has won the most delegates at a caucus, any extra Dean supporters will be shifted to Kerry's preference group to help Kerry beat Gephardt for second. The idea is that an unexpected second-place showing for Kerry in Iowa would help boost Kerry against Wesley Clark for second place in New Hampshire, and Clark is the guy Dean fears most in the contests down South.

Meanwhile, Dean is renewing his attacks on President Bush and Washington. Dean slammed the President regarding his plan to come up with a new space vehicle that could take America to Mars. At one stop where he said the President wanted to go to Mars a member of the audience shouted at Dean, “ send him.” Dean replied, "I have news for you. The president already is on Mars. He has no connection to what's going on in ordinary communities anywhere."

Dean also treated a Republican who challenged him at an Oelwein, IA stop with his much waited for public anger. The Republican rose to ask that candidates quit the bashing of Bush.

"Please tone down the garbage, the mean-mouthing of tearing down your neighbor and being so pompous," said Dale Ungerer, a 66-year-old retiree from Hawkeye.

Dean began by calmly replying: "George Bush is not my neighbor."

However, when Ungerer stood and tried to interrupt, Dean shouted: "You sit down. You had your say. Now I'm going to have my say."

Dean did just that by offering his typical Bush bashing tirade that indicated his Christian teachings weren’t about loving his neighbor, according to Reuters:

"George Bush has done more to harm this county right here with unfunded mandates, standing up for corporations who take over the farmers' land, making it impossible for middle class people to make a real living, sending our kids to Iraq without telling us the truth first about why they went," Dean said.

"It's not the time to put up any of this 'love thy neighbor' stuff ... I love my neighbor, but I'll tell you I want THAT neighbor back in Crawford, Texas where he belongs."

After leaving the meeting Unger was questioned by most of the reporters who had been following Dean. "This is the president of the United States," he said. "I don't think that's being a good neighbor to ordinary working people."

In the end, it’s all about delegates. It’s all about being in Boston in late July and winning a majority of the 4,325 delegates to lead the Democrat party against Bush. And the first votes in electing delegates to that convention are cast on January 19 … in Iowa.  (1/12/2004)

Black & Brown debate

Eight Democrats gathered for the Black and Brown debate and Al Sharpton nailed Howard Dean on the issue of race. Dean had made the statement earlier in the campaign that he was the only candidate talking about race to white audiences. Sharpton challenged Dean on his record of hiring minorities in top cabinet posts while Governor of Vermont (Dean’s record reveals a great big zero…). It resulted in a heated exchange between the candidates:

"If you want to lecture people on race, you ought to have the background and track record," said Sharpton.

"I will take a back seat to no one in my commitment to civil rights," Dean said, pointing out he had the most endorsements from members of the black and Hispanic congressional delegations.

"I think you only need co-signers if your credit is bad," Sharpton responded later when he had the chance.

It didn’t stop with Sharpton and Dean. Carol Moseley Braun took on Sharpton as well.

“You can always blow up a racial debate and make people mad at each other. But I think it's time for us to talk about, what are you going to do to bring people together?" she said.

Sharpton referenced the fact of Dean lecturing Democrats on race throughout the campaign, adding: "I want him to be accountable since he brought up race. That's not racial hysteria; that is accountability."

Sen. John Kerry leveled some of his harshest criticism at President Bush once again making the case that the war on terrorism isn’t a war but a police law enforcement effort:

“This president is actually playing to the culture of fear in our country. The war on terror is far less of a military operation and far more of an intelligence-gathering, law-enforcement operation…. And in order to fight an effective war on terror, we need unprecedented cooperation with other countries. The very thing this administration is the worst at is they push other nations away from us.”

One of the more humorous lines came when Rep. Dennis Kucinich was asked his opinion about going to Mars as President Bush is expected to suggest:

“You know, first of all, I've been wondering why the president would, while we're still in Iraq, talk about gong to the moon and going to Mars. Maybe he's looking for the weapons of mass destruction still.”

Sen. Joe Lieberman fumbled in this debate and was not up to the shorter time frames of the debate format. He had a proposal to ask all the other candidates to sign a letter to President Bush to enforce the new voter law but he couldn’t get his question out in time and looked foolish.

Dean also had trouble with the format – he wanted a ‘plant’ from the audience to answer his question and was denied.

Clearly Edwards was the candidate who gained the most from this final debate -- if anyone did. However, with no one breaking away from the pack or committing a disastrous mistake, the candidates emerged from the final debate still locked in a tight race to the Iowa Caucuses finish next Monday night.

[For the full transcript, go to the Washington Post.]  (1/12/2004)

Dean’s religious problems

Howard Dean continues to have problems figuring out his religious inclinations. He recently lost track of the books of the bible as to whether Job was in the New Testament or not. He then said that signing the gay union legislation was guided by his religious belief that God made gays. Now, he criticizes Bush for using religion in making decisions, according to the Associated Press:

“I think we ought to make scientific decisions, not theological and theoretical decisions,” Dean told voters at a town hall meeting. “I think that what the President did on stem-cell research was based on his religious beliefs and I think that is wrong.” (1/12/2004)

Deanies don’t play with others

The Washington Post has a lengthy story about how the Dean troops don’t come out to play with the other campaign staff:

"I'm sure they think they're starting a revolution," says one press secretary for a rival campaign. "Just like when I was in college, and I used to listen to Rage Against the Machine a lot, and I thought I was starting a revolution, too." (1/12/2004)

Dean’s trade blockade

The Washington Times covers the issue of Howard Dean’s statement that he would save manufacturing jobs:

Mr. Lieberman's campaign has compiled government trade statistics that show Mr. Dean's trade policies would cost the United States $1.2 trillion and more than 8 million jobs. It would end all trade with Africa, Central and South America and most of Asia.

"It's absolute economic insanity," said David Littman, chief economist at Comerica Bank in Detroit. "People call him a doctor, but he's clearly not a doctor in economics." (1/12/2004)

Dean on MTBE

Democratic presidential candidate Governor Howard Dean, M.D., today criticized the Bush administration for protecting MTBE manufacturers and distributors from state lawsuits aimed at getting money to fund clean-up operations. Dean also reiterated his support for New Hampshire's suit to ensure that polluters, not taxpayers, pay for decontamination efforts. Excerpts:

"Unfortunately, the citizens of New Hampshire have a front-row seat for one of the worst examples of the interests of corporate contributors being placed over the public interest," Dean said. "For over ten years, the oil and gas industry was aware that MTBE was a problem affecting the very water we drink, yet it looked the other way. Now rather than being held accountable for the costs of clean-up - which could reach $30 billion - the Bush White House and Republican Congress are rewarding the oil and gas industry with immunity from lawsuits and $23 billion in tax breaks."

”Even though oil and gas companies knew about the dangers of MTBE for at least 10 years, they continued to use the gasoline additive, contributing to the contamination of 9,000 wells in 31 states. In New Hampshire, MTBE is thought to be seeping into the state's ground water supply, which provides drinking water for 60% of the state's residents. The energy bill contains a provision to provide immunity from liability to the oil and gas industry and the main manufacturers of MTBE. It also contains $23 billion in tax breaks for the oil and gas industry.

"Washington's politics are not working for the people's interest," said Dean. "As President, I will break the strangle-hold of the oil and gas industry on our political process. That will enable us to have a new energy economy that will create jobs, protect the environment, and keep our energy dollars at home, rather than sending them to the Middle East. To that end, I propose that by the year 2020, 20% of our energy come from new energy sources, such as wind, solar, and hydrogen."  (1/12/2004)

Dean: a pin cushion no more

Howard Dean quit trying to be Mr. Nice and said that he would no longer be a pin cushion for his opponents, accusing the media and his opponents of ganging up on him.

This is what's been going on for two months and we're not going to put up with it any more," he said. "We've been attacked by everybody, including the establishment news media, the establishment candidates from Washington."

Dean used one of his familiar anti-Washington lines on the stump as well.

"We need real change, and we don't just need a change in presidents," Dean said. "We need a change in Washington, and we're not going to get it by electing someone from Washington."

Dean even took on Sen. John Edwards who recently was endorsed by Iowa’s largest newspaper, The Des Moines Register. Edwards is known for his positive campaign. Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin praised Edwards during his endorsement of Dean because Edwards is pulling from those who would support Dick Gephardt.

"You go to Washington, you're a Washington politician," Dean said referring to Edwards.

Edwards responded in Storm Lake, Iowa, telling reporters that if caucus-goers wanted a candidate "who has been in politics for nearly two decades and is good at sniping at other Democrats, they have other choices, that's not me."

Howard Dean first started in politics in Vermont in 1983.

Dean, who was assailed by Al Sharpton at the recent Brown & Black forum for his record on civil rights, was obviously still shaken by the experience:

“I'm not the least bit ashamed or defensive about my civil rights record. I was taken aback by the Reverend's attack and I should have perhaps been a little quicker on my feet," Dean told reporters.

The attacks and criticism of Howard Dean continues to result in his supporters sending more money to Dean. Campaign spokesman David Carle said Monday that they collected about $1 million last week. Campaign Manager Joe Trippi sent out e-mails when The Club for Growth ran an ad characterizing Dean's campaign as a "tax-hiking, government-expanding, latte-drinking, sushi-eating, Volvo-driving, New York Times-reading, body-piercing, Hollywood-loving, left-wing freak show." The e-mail was sent last Wednesday after posting a message on its website earlier in the day telling supporters about the ad.

Dean, campaigning in Davenport, brought up the Democrats’ new hero Secretary of the Treasury Paul O’Neill’s comments. Dean stated that the new book by O’Neill puts added pressure on Democrats who voted for the resolution authorizing war in Iraq to explain themselves.

Dean also stirred up his opponents in a conference call back to New Hampshire, according to New Hampshire Politics.com. He once again used O’Neill’s comments on the War in Iraq. In the call, he criticized his opponents for supporting the war and said that he would welcome congressional oversight of his administration’s intelligence data. The expected comments about ‘open up your records in Vermont’ followed. His accusations also evoked the following statements:

“Sounds like a one-trick pony going back to his one trick as he free-falls in the polls,” Kerry spokesman Mark  Kornblau said. “Howard Dean’s built his candidacy demonizing Democrats who asked the tough questions and acted responsibly on the war, and he’s continuing to do so until the last day.”

“The only issue [Dean] really has here that’s propelled his candidacy is the war,” Gephardt spokeswoman Kathy Roeder said. “As he feels threatened in New Hampshire, he’s returning to that red meat issue that he can get voters really hot about by politicizing the war. He doesn’t have a coherent domestic agenda.”

“We’re certainly flattered that the presumed frontrunner in this race thinks we’re enough of a threat in this race to attack us,” Clark spokesman Mo Elleithee said. “But I’ve got a little secret for Gov. Dean. If you repeat an untrue charge it still doesn’t make it true. The bottom line is that Gen. Clark has always been against the war.”

In a response to Sen. Tom Harkin’s endorsement of Dean, Gephardt campaign manager Steve Murphy said,  “We haven’t seen much impact, in the field or in the polling,” he told reporters. He said labor is the base of Harkin’s support network and labor is with Gephardt.

AFSCME President McEntee and Martin Sheen, Rob Reiner and Kirsten Dunst campaign on Gov. Dean's behalf in Iowa.

Rep. Gephardt speaks to the Council on Foreign Relations this morning and campaigns in Washington state this evening -- live coverage in New York, affiliate coverage in Washington. Gephardt is profiled tonight at 6:30 pm ET by ABC's "World News Tonight," as the latest installment of its special series "Who is … "  (1/13/2004)

Dean minority record defended

A member of Vermont’s black community defended Howard Dean’s record of recruiting minorities, according to the Associated Press. Vaughn Carney, a lawyer and executive with a financial services company stated that he had been asked to serve in his administration and to recommend other minority possibilities:

"He asked if I had an interest or if I knew of anyone who had an interest," said Vaughn Carney, a lawyer and executive with a financial services company. "I myself was constrained by other commitments. I wasn't aware of anyone who would be qualified or would be available."

In other coverage not everyone was complimentary of Dean…

"'In retrospect, most people could easily have done better,' says Robert Appel, executive director of the Vermont Human Rights Commission. 'The opportunities were there to make good on that vision.'"

Jason Riley calls Howard Dean the "un-Clinton" when it comes to black voters — coincidentally a significant part of the Democratic Party base. Dean is trying, Riley argues, but he doesn't understand what he needs in order to accomplish what has to be done — do at least as well among black voters as Al Gore did in 2000 — nine out of every 10 black votes.

Sharpton said that despite his tough words for Dean on Sunday, he doesn't want minority voters to refuse to cast votes for Dean should he win the nomination.  (1/13/2004)

Dean’s wife

The NY Times profiles Howard Dean’s wife (Dr. Judith Steinberg) and the beginning controversy surrounding her lack of participation in the campaign and in Howard’s life:

Some Dean backers see Dr. Steinberg as a role model for independent women balancing careers and children, but others in the campaign increasingly regard her absence as a potential liability for a candidate who is known for his reluctance to discuss his personal life or upbringing. Yet the topic is all but off-limits with the candidate. Voters also have begun to ask about a marriage in which the partners are so often apart — she skipped Dr. Dean's birthday-party fund-raiser, the family-oriented Renaissance Weekend, even the emotional repatriation ceremony of his brother's remains in Hawaii. (1/13/2004)

Dean’s conversion not selling

The Washington Times reports Howard Dean’s saying he is going to talk about his religion has made a lot of skeptics in South Carolina:

"A lot of Democrats here are calling it his 'Road to Columbia conversion,' " said one senior state Democrat, referring to the state's capital city.

"I don't think he's had any Damascus conversion," said Ike Williams, a veteran of South Carolina politics and former head of the state branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. "Dean is practicing the politics of convenience."  (1/13/2004)

• "We can't win if we keep lying," Howard Dean said.

• "Of course it's going to have an effect," said Joe Trippi, Dean's campaign manager. "Who can get hammered this long without it having some effect?"

• “He ]Dean] looked like a deer caught in the headlights." -- comment about Howard Dean during the Black and Brown Debate by Jeff Bovee, 33, a professor of exercise science at Central College and a Dean supporter.

• "I think a lot of couples are like us, where they have two career-couples, and both careers are very important to the individuals," Dr. Steinberg, 50, wife of Howard Dean, said in an interview this fall. "Each individual has to do what works for her. What works best for me, and what I'm best at, is being a doctor."

• "'When he first became governor, he acted like a doctor,' says Jeanne Keller, a health-care policy analyst who was president of a statewide employer coalition on health during most of Dean's tenure. 'Accept our word for it. We know the answer.' It was like, 'Take this legislation and call me in the morning.'"

• “…Dean does sometimes talk before he thinks and he stomps on his own message. But some of the time, he does think and what he says reflects thought -- but of the unorthodox kind. He said something worthwhile about Saddam Hussein's capture and something reasonable about the Iowa caucuses. The truth is supposed to make you free. In politics, it will make you unemployed.” -- writes Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen.

• "They didn't say much about the war now, did they? They didn't say much against No Child Left Behind either. Who was the one who was willing to take on George Bush when his popularity was at 70 percent?” said Howard Dean.

• "If there was someone with my views who’s out of the back of the pack, maybe I’d support him," Carol Brown, of Hampton Falls, NH said. "Dean’s no less electable than any other candidate.”

(1/13/2004)

• "Many of them have 'Mad Dean' disease. They cannot see past that. We must make sure that this season does not self-destruct the Democrats," said Rev. Jesse Jackson.

• “Howard Dean is the only candidate who can look at problems like a doctor would, look at evidence, make a diagnosis and give the right prescription,” Rob Reiner said.

• “We know where he [Howard Dean] would have stood,” said Martin Sheen. “He would have said no to the Iraq war. He would have said no to war and yes to life. He would have said poverty and racism are weapons of mass destruction.”

• "I do not think somebody [Wesley Clark] ought to run in the Democratic primary and then make the general election the Republican primary between two Republicans," Howard Dean said.

(1/14/2004)

Iowa battleground

Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin appeared on Iowa Public Television for a one on one interview with Des Moines Register political columnist David Yepsen and critiqued the race for President and revealed some of his reasons for endorsing Howard Dean. The inferred message and reason for endorsing Dean probably came back when he offered advice to Wesley Clark to not pass up the Iowa Caucuses. He told Clark that if Howard Dean wins Iowa and New Hampshire that Dean will be unstoppable.

The prospect of choosing an early nominee and ending the bloodletting that is going on clearly was a big factor in Harkin’s decision to endorse Dean. Harkin admitted that he had a difficult time choosing who to endorse and that many Iowans were asking him who should they vote for. So, he has come into the arena and is lending his weight to Dean through direct mail letters and phone calls to friends urging them to support Dean.

Harkin believes that Dean has a better organization on the ground in Iowa than Dick Gephardt.

While Dick Gephardt was making a speech in New York about the world is a dangerous place and Dean isn’t capable of handling the job, Dean was releasing a new TV ad in Iowa while he was in Vermont doing satellite interviews with local television stations in Arizona, Oklahoma and New Hampshire. The ad in Iowa follows the red meat anti war rhetoric that launched him into the lead:

"Where did the Washington Democrats stand on the war?" the narrator of the Dean ad asks. "Dick Gephardt wrote the resolution to authorize war. John Kerry and John Edwards both voted for the war. Then Dick Gephardt voted to spend another $87 billion on Iraq."

"Howard Dean has a different view," the ad says.

Gephardt’s message was, “We're deciding whether foreign policy is reduced to bluster and recycled Cold War taunts or whether we have a real and sustained commitment to break the cycle of poverty and ignorance."

Dean had stand ins helping out in Iowa yesterday. Actor Martin Sheen and Hollywood director Rob Reiner were doing media and crowd appearances as they flew around Iowa.

"As the acting president of the United States," Sheen roared to thunderous applause, "I am here to announce that next Monday, January 19, is Howard Dean Day in America!"

Dean is in Iowa again today beginning a bus tour of the state. The media crush is beginning to grow exponentially. Clearly the story will build with the lead story being between Gephardt and Dean and whether Gephardt stays alive after Iowa being the question along with can anyone stop Dean.

On that front, it is going to become even harder after Sunday when Howard Dean makes a trip to go to church in Plains Georgia with Jimmy Carter. Carter is going to say nice things about Dean, and it is likely to be some of those words will be said in a religious context. How is Wesley Clark going to stop Dean in the South again?

Hopefully, Dean will not show up in a Playboy interview after the visit. However, Dean is the cover of the Jan. 16 Rolling Stone magazine and there is an interview.

The third seat out of Iowa is still a question. Register columnist David Yepsen is frequently quoted for having said there are three tickets out of Iowa: first class for first place; second class for second; and stand by for a third place finish. The race for third place is still in doubt, which means that Kerry could be in serious trouble. Edwards has been catching fire and has even come under attack from Dean lately. Edwards acknowledge the attack yesterday.

‘The reason we have got so much traction and such an extraordinary response in Iowa is because I've focused on a positive, uplifting message," Edwards told a crowd in Manchester, New Hampshire. "And it's ironic that that message is working and therefore I'm being attacked."

Edwards is handicapped in Iowa because he doesn’t have the organizational effort going for him the way that Sen. John Kerry does. So, the race for third may not be a fair fight in Iowa provided that Kerry stays on message and keeps the wheels on his campaign.

Part of the disparity that may play out between Kerry and Edwards is the Veterans who Kerry is directing an organizational appeal towards.

A source close to Kerry says the effort to organize veterans is "unprecedented in Iowa." The vets are "hard to identify, hard to find, and hard to bring to the caucus process." The Kerry campaign has veterans calling other veterans -- the vets respond better to fellow veterans calling them than to some 19-year-old, a senior campaign aide says. This senior aide says "it doesn't take that many voters to shift a precinct." Kerry's campaign claims 10,000 vets will caucus for him on Monday.

Iowa seems to have its own version of MoveOn.org’s amateur ad campaign contest. However, it is not television ads but radio. Dale Todd of Cedar Rapids is organizing a "draft Clark" movement in the state aimed at encouraging caucus-goers to select Clark. He has raised enough money to put a ad on some of the major radios in Iowa. You can cover the state with buys on 16 radio stations for about $50,000 a week for saturation. They did not report how much money they had to spend. However, they did release what the ad will say.

"You can caucus for Wesley Clark for president," the ad says. "That's right, you can caucus for Wesley Clark. And let's get real, Democrats. Are we going to nominate a candidate who can capture our imagination but can't actually beat George Bush?"

Sen. Tom Harkin said that he thought Democrats could get behind Dean after he wins the nomination. It doesn’t look like that will be a ‘hundred percenter…’  (1/14/2004)

Dean a proponent of unilateral action

Howard Dean has been a great critic of unilateral action, but he urged then President Clinton in a letter to act unilaterally:

The White House

Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

After long and careful thought, and after several years of watching the gross atrocities committed by the Bosnian Serbs, I have reluctantly concluded that the efforts of the United Nations and NATO in Bosnia are a complete failure.

I think your policy up to this date has been absolutely correct. We must give, and have given, this policy with our allies and with the United Nations every opportunity to work. It is evident, however, that the cost in human lives in allowing this policy to continue is too great. In addition, and perhaps more importantly for the United States, we are now in a position of ignoring, as many did in the 1940s, one of the worst crimes committed in history. If we ignore these behaviors, no matter where they occur, our moral fiber as a people becomes weakened. As the Catholic Church and others lost credibility during the Holocaust for not speaking out, so will the United States lose credibility and our people lose confidence in themselves as moral beings if the United States does not take action.

Since it is clearly no longer possible to take action in conjunction with NATO and the United Nations, I have reluctantly concluded that we must take unilateral action. While I completely agree with you that no ground troops should be committed for other than humanitarian purposes in Bosnia, I would ask that you take the following steps in Bosnia. First, lift the arms embargo as it applies to the Bosnian government. Second, enforce a full embargo of the sort that is now in effect in Iraq on the Bosnian Serbs and upon Yugoslavia. Third, break off diplomatic relations with Yugoslavia. Fourth, commit American air power to support the Bosnian government until the situation is stabilized and the civilian murders and atrocities by the Bosnian Serbs have been stopped.

I understand the risks of this policy and their implications for the NATO Alliance and the future success of the United Nations. Surely, however, as you watch and read about the huge amount of unwarranted human suffering, particularly of children, you would agree that our current course must now be changed.

I urge you to make these changes as soon as possible, and I look forward to supporting your policy fully to the best of my ability.

Sincerely,

Howard Dean, M.D.
Governor   (1/14/2004)

Dean left a mess behind

Howard Dean brags about how he insured everyone in Vermont, especially children, and balanced the budget. The Boston Globe reports that Dean may have left the state a big mess to clean up soon:

"Damn right," Dean said in an interview with the Globe last week. "That was pretty smart, not to have to put a big hole in the budget to insure everybody. That was the Medicaid program, and we figured out how to use it."

Critics say Dean expanded the Medicaid program without sufficient foresight. Governor James Douglas, a Republican who served as state treasurer from 1995 to his election in 2002, said in an interview last week, "We maintained a balanced budget, but now I am seeing the consequence of that balance. . . . We have a Medicaid program -- just heard from someone on our senior staff today -- that will be in a hole five fiscal years from now to the tune of about $200 million because it is on a projectory of costs that is just not sustainable."

Dean offered a solution that sounded a lot like take two aspirins and call me in the morning:

Dean says the answer lies in not cutting people from the rolls but in reducing the number of benefits the method he employed during his tenure. In 1993, for example, Dean proposed cutting $1.2 million in Medicaid, which affected dental coverage as well eye care benefits for some elderly residents. Following protests and a lawsuit by Vermont Legal Aid, Dean dropped most of the cutbacks.  (1/14/2004)

Dean: I know best

In a story that sounds a lot like ‘I know best,’ ABC News reports on how Howard Dean as Governor involved himself in one of his employee’s personal matters in an inappropriate manner. Dean is accused of not paying attention to the standard signs of abuse and supporting the trooper who was in charge of his personal security.

Dean filed papers supporting Dennis Madore, the state trooper who headed Dean's security detail stating in a three-page affidavit for use in a custody hearing, that Madore was "a firm but gentle disciplinarian" and a "wonderful parent." Dean was for warned that his actions would be wrongful, according to ABC:

In a phone call to his Burlington home on June 1, l997, Maggie Benson — a longtime Dean supporter and friend of Donna Madore — told the governor that Dennis Madore was an unfit parent and that Dean could damage himself politically by being involved.

According to Dean's handwritten notes on the call, he hung up on the supporter because he construed her tone to be threatening.

"She said she did not believe Dennis was a good father and I told her the conversation was inappropriate," Dean wrote.

ABC reports that Dennis Madore was eventually brought to justice in so far as it was possible due to expiration of statue of limitations:

In September 2000, Madore was removed from the governor's detail because of the investigation. He was later fired in December 2000 because "he had engaged in acts of domestic violence during the course of his marriage and had possibly committed perjury during his divorce proceedings," according to the current Vermont attorney general, William Sorrell. (1/14/2004)

• "Let's not kid ourselves about this, these guys are looking at the end of their careers if I win and they're going to do anything they can to stop me," said Howard Dean.

• "Howard Dean travels the country and yells and pounds the podium against NAFTA, against the secrecy of the Bush-Cheney White House, and against insider corporate deals," he said. "This is the same Howard Dean who said he strongly supported NAFTA, who won't release his records as governor, and who wanted Vermont to 'overtake Bermuda' as a tax haven for companies like Enron," said Dick Gephardt.

• We haven't lifted up any rocks in terms of Dick Gephardt or John Kerry or John Edwards or anybody else," he said, "But if this is the politics that people want to play .... ," said AFSME union leader Gerald McEntee.

(1/14/20040