Howard Dean

excerpts from the Iowa Daily Report

September 1-15, 2003

… Insurgent Dean -- now acting like a team player – sends out fundraising appeal for the DNC. Subhead from “Washington Whispers” in U. S. News & World Report: “Dean moves to end the Democratic family feud” Report by Whispers columnist Paul Bedard: “Howard Dean, long on the Democratic establishment's you-know-what list for dumping on party boss Terry McAuliffe, has made nice. Insiders tell Whispers that Dean, the front-runner in opinion polls and fundraising, has become the first--and only--of the nine presidential candidates to help McAuliffe raise cash for the Democratic National Committee Presidential Trust. ‘For all those who think Dean and Terry don't get along,’ says a party insider, ‘here's the proof that the feud is over.’ Another official 'fessed that Dean's plea to big donors was ‘shocking,’ but added: ‘We love this guy now.’ In one letter shown to Whispers, Dean asks a donor to pony up the maximum $25,000 for the fund. Of course, party officials say the effort isn't totally magnanimous; it suggests that the candidate thinks he has the nomination sewn up. The trust is the kitty that goes to the eventual party nominee to fight President Bush. ‘He's already looking to the general election,’ says an official who also noted that the self-declared liberal has started to tout himself as a moderate.”(9/2/2003)

… Report from the Dean frontlines: 10,000 looked like a big crowd in Seattle – until 15,000 showed at New York City rally. Headline from Sunday’s Miami Herald: “Dean faces the test of a lifetime…The former Vermont governor’s off to a great start, but can the dazzle last?” Excerpts from report by the Herald’s Peter Wallsten: “Howard Dean, the once-unknown physician-turned-governor of a tiny state, climbed to the podium in a downtown Seattle park this week and looked out in amazement at the scene below: 10,000 people, chanting his name in unison. It was the largest crowd to gather anywhere this year for a Democratic presidential candidate -- until the following night, when about 15,000 crammed into a park near New York's Times Square to chant Dean's name and boo President Bush. By all measures, the events of the past month have elevated Dean, 54, to the top of the heap of Democrats seeking the nomination to challenge Bush in 2004. He is raising more money, generating more excitement and garnering higher polling numbers than anyone -- surpassing the race's supposed heavyweight, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, in a recent poll of New Hampshire voters by a 38-17 margin. Next week, Dean's campaign begins airing ads in six states far from the traditionally early battlegrounds of Iowa and New Hampshire, thanks largely to an unexpectedly fruitful three-month fundraising period that strategists predict will total more than $10 million by Sept. 30. It's enough for Dean campaign manager, Joe Trippi, a Diet Pepsi-swilling veteran of presidential politics and the father of Dean's Internet-based success, to declare this ‘the most successful insurgent campaign in our party's history.’ Or, as Dean puts it, ‘This isn't just a campaign. It's a movement.’ But could this really be a real-life Josiah Bartlet -- the liberal Democratic president from a small New England state played by Martin Sheen on TV's The West Wing -- for 2004? For all of the glory of his campaign's surprising success, Dean is about to undergo the test of a lifetime: The scrutiny and scorn from opponents in his own party, who view him as too liberal to pose a potent challenge to Bush; from Republicans seeking to discredit a potential Democratic nominee; and from a national media eager to dig into the life and times of an obscure former governor of a largely white state with a third the population of Miami-Dade County. Dean's leading rivals are already charging that his dazzle will not last, that he is tapping an ‘anger vein,’ as one opposing strategist put it, rampant in a limited set of young, mostly white protester types. Absent from Dean's base are substantial numbers of blacks, Hispanics and labor union activists. Dean supporters ‘represent a particular and discrete demographic of people who are very angry,’ said Chris Lehane, a senior advisor to Kerry. ‘It's a demographic that spends a lot of time on the Internet.’(9/2/2003)

… Even when he’s not in sight, Dean dominates latest wannabe discussions. Headline from yesterday’s The Union Leader: “Kerry, Lieberman fire at front-runner Dean” Excerpt from AP report – datelined Washington – by AP’s Jennifer C. Kerr: “He wasn't even on the Sunday talk shows, but Howard Dean got plenty of air time as his Democratic rivals for the White House took aim at the former Vermont governor. ‘Howard Dean has zero experience in international affairs,’ said Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry on NBC's Meet the Press. ‘The presidency is not the place for on-the-job training in this new security world,’ he said. Dean has opened up a wide lead over Kerry - by more than 20 points - in the latest poll in New Hampshire, a key state because of its Jan. 27 primary. Dean had been trailing Kerry earlier this year. Kerry dismissed the new numbers, saying, ‘I'm not concerned about it.’ He added, ‘Summertime is not when presidential races are won.’ Dean aides said their candidate is gaining ground and that must be making Kerry nervous. ‘For seven months they ignored us, now they're attacking us,’ said campaign manager Joe Trippi. ‘I wonder why that is?’ White House hopeful Joe Lieberman also had Dean in the political crosshairs. The Connecticut senator said Dean is not the candidate to take on President Bush: ‘I worry that he cannot win.’ On CBS' Face the Nation, Lieberman also accused Dean of flip-flopping on some of his positions. ‘He's got to let the American people know exactly where he stands,’ said Lieberman.” (9/2/2003)

… “Labor leaders look at Dean and see a combination of George McGovern and Michael Dukakis. They see the inspiration for a new generation of Reagan Democrats.” – Sentences from Detroit News commentary. Headline on Nolan Finley commentary: “Howard Dean may inspire new generation of Reagan Democrats” Excerpt from Finley’s column in Sunday’s News: “What's giving the bosses of Big Labor bellyaches as the nation heads into another presidential race? The prospect that Howard Dean might end up carrying the Democrats' water next fall. Dean is the folksy physician from Vermont, a former governor who speaks to the heart of die-hard Democratic lefties. He is inspiring an army of aging hippies and youthful idealists who find in his liberal ideals hope for wresting America from the fat cats and returning it to the people. Dean grabbed all the press in the summer campaign warm-up. His rallies were part tent revival, part Phish festival. Polls now show him well ahead of the rest of the Democratic pack in the early primary states. And the money is simply pouring in. Dean-ites look at their man and see a John McCain-style straight talker with Ralph Nader's playbook. Labor leaders look at Dean and see a combination of George McGovern and Michael Dukakis. They see the inspiration for a new generation of Reagan Democrats. A soft-on-defense, anti-war, tax-and-spender who will send their members rushing into the arms of George W. Bush. Labor delivered the votes for Bill Clinton in 1996 and Al Gore in 2000, and that quieted fears that the GOP had hijacked labor's core. But union members are flag-wavers, much more conservative on issues like national security and gun control, and not likely to fall in line behind an old school peacenik like Dean. If they go in big numbers to Bush and the GOP, it increases the possibility that Republicans will win super majorities in the Senate and House, clearing the way for implementing the conservative agenda. So some labor leaders are agitating for unification behind a single Democratic candidate to counter the Dean surge. The Teamsters have already endorsed Dick Gephardt, the Missouri congressman who has the best defense credentials of any of the Democrats except Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut. Several other unions are also backing Gephardt. But Gephardt shares the same affliction as most of the other candidates. He's dull, boring, dry as toast. Union members may give him their vote -- but first they have to care enough to come to the polls. Dean, on the other hand, has the fire. He can speak to the 25 percent of voters who hate Bush and will bring out college students who otherwise wouldn't vote. And in a primary or caucus clogged with candidates, that could be all it takes to capture the delegation. That would leave labor in a position it hoped never to be in again -- using membership money to back a candidate its members can't stomach. Labor thinks it has a shot at Bush, even if national defense remains a top shelf issue, if the Democrats field a candidate able to articulate the concern over a declining manufacturing base and the loss of union jobs. Dean may talk the talk on trade and job protection, but union members are smart enough to know that jobs don't come from that far left. Privately, some union officials hint they may effectively sit out the general election if Dean wins the nomination. That may be the safest position. Reagan Democrats may not be as wild for Bush as they were for the Gipper, but at this point, it's hard to see them connecting with Howard Dean.” (9/2/2003)

… “With a Pile of Money, Dean Ups the Ante…Primaries are months away, but the other candidates are pressed to make a move soon.” – headline on Ronald Brownstein column in Sunday’s Los Angeles Times. Excerpts from Brownstein’s column: “After beginning the year as a longshot, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean has surged past his rivals as the race for the Democratic presidential nomination hits the Labor Day milepost. Dean has raised more money than any of his opponents in recent months, rocketed to the top not only of polls in Iowa and New Hampshire but some national surveys of Democrats, and drawn much larger crowds than usually seen at this point in the nomination process. ‘Dean has dramatically altered the race,” said Simon Rosenberg, president of the New Democrat Network, a centrist Democratic group. ‘He has become the front-runner.’ Major tests await Dean, including a series of candidate debates that begin this week. And more twists and turns may be inevitable, since relatively few Democrats outside of the first states on the primary calendar are paying close attention to the contest. ‘No campaign has ever put a lock on things in the summer,’ said Jim Jordan, campaign manager for Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.). ‘This thing will be settled somewhere in the snow.’ But with Dean demonstrating so much strength, the pressure is rapidly intensifying on the contest's eight other candidates to slow his momentum or increase their pace — or both. Although the first voters won't cast ballots until January, a wide range of Democratic strategists say that if the other candidates cannot change the race's trajectory in the next three months, Dean may establish advantages too large to overcome. ‘Whatever third-quarter strategy they have been waiting to unveil, it's time to unveil it now,’ said Donna Brazile, who managed Democratic nominee Al Gore's 2000 campaign. ‘If they have something to offer the American people, I don't know what they are waiting for.’ Dean appears on track to raise significantly more money than his Democratic rivals for the reporting period that ends Sept. 30. That would send shock waves through a Democratic establishment still concerned that Dean's unrelenting opposition to the war in Iraq might make him an easy general election opponent for President Bush…That imperative is likely to mean more attacks on Dean in the weeks ahead, starting Thursday in New Mexico at the first of several debates sanctioned by the Democratic National Committee. But finding ways to attract a second look at their own campaigns may be even more important for the other main contenders — Kerry, Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina and Rep. Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri, all of whom have found themselves overshadowed by Dean. ‘There is plenty of time,’ said longtime Democratic pollster Peter Hart, who is neutral in the race. ‘The question is: Is there a message or a persona by which one of the other candidates can emerge? Part of the reason Dean has emerged is that nobody else has presented a very detailed or attractive picture.’ With the war in Iraq and the California gubernatorial recall dominating the news and the 2004 election more than 14 months away, presidential politics seem distant to most Americans. But the calendar is already pressing on the Democratic hopefuls.”(9/2/2003)

… “What’s the deal with Dean?” – headline on Mark Silva’s Sunday column in the Orlando Sentinel. Excerpt from Silva’s column: “At least 10,000 people pack shoulder to shoulder in a city park and spill into the streets of downtown Seattle on a Sunday night to see an awestruck Democrat running for president, five months before any state starts primary voting. ‘Can you hear me all the way down that street over there?’ Howard Dean, the candidate, calls from his platform. ‘This is unbelievable,’ says Dean, ex-governor of a tiny and faraway state. ‘This crowd is so enormous, I'm a little awestruck.’ Later, behind stage, Dean is asked about the building momentum of his campaign for his party's 2004 presidential nomination. ‘It's pretty scary,’ he allows. Dean, who came from backwater Vermont with an audacious bid for the White House, has scared more than himself. He has shaken up a pack of established, Washington-based Democrats, some complaining that Dean is too liberal to wage a credible challenge against President Bush. And, the GOP is reveling at that prospect…Dean offers, on the hustings, the seldom-seen inspiration of a political leader courageous, combative and powerfully intelligent. Fiercely critical of Bush and the war with Iraq and refreshingly optimistic about the possibilities for this country: An economic revival and commitment to health care ‘for every single American.’…’I want an America based on hope,’ Dean, a former family physician, tells growing and exuberant audiences. ‘Not an America based on fear.’…Dean may be riding a wave among progressive primary voters in New Hampshire and antiwar caucus-goers in Iowa this summer. But when the presidential campaign heads South -- to the war-supporting and self-described moralistic region that Bush swept state-by-state in 2000 -- Dean's wave may well hit a reactionary breakwater…With eyes on the West Wing, Dean is striving to dispel the notion that he inhabits the Left Wing. Dean, who balanced the budget in a state whose constitution does not demand fiscal prudence, who offered businesses tax breaks as incentives for development, who enjoys praise from the National Rifle Association, says he stands ready to dispatch American forces to die abroad in the defense of his country.”(9/2/2003)

…  Dean & The Clintons I: Wall Street Journal’s John Fund reports that the “hostility of Team Clinton” could be one of the obstacles blocking Dean’s route to the Dem nomination. Hillary may not want the nomination, but she doesn’t want Dean to get it either. Headline on Fund’s column yesterday on OpinionJournal.com: “The Anti-Dean…Why Hillary opposes the Democratic front-runner.” Excerpts from “John Fund’s Political Diary”: “While Hillary Clinton swears she isn't running for president, she certainly isn't happy about Howard Dean becoming the Democratic frontrunner. The Clintons--along with Terry McAuliffe, their hand-picked chairman of the Democratic National Committee--could become some of the biggest behind-the-scenes obstacles to Mr. Dean's insurgent candidacy. The fevered speculation last week that Hillary, seeing polls showing softening support for President Bush, just might make a last-minute parachute entry into the 2004 race was based on poor reading of the tea leaves. The evidence was the fact that several e-mail postings on Sen. Hillary Clinton's Web site urged her to run now and the news that she is meeting with political strategists about her future. Then it turned out that the meeting was one of a series she routinely holds and Mrs. Clinton herself told reporters on Friday: ‘I am absolutely ruling it out.’ Some of the media speculation about a Hillary run is generated by potential Democratic candidates who aren't running in 2004. Hank Sheinkopf, a Democratic consultant who worked on President Clinton's 1996 re-election campaign, told the Associated Press ‘There are those in my party who might like to see her go, so she can get knocked off [by Mr. Bush], opening up a different field in 2008.’ He added that ‘so long as she's in the way, anybody who wants to run [in 2008] can't consider it.’  Similarly, it's clear that many of allies and supporters of Bill and Hillary Clinton don't want Howard Dean to be the party's 2004 standard bearer. Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana, chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council, dismissed Mr. Dean's fiery speeches against the Bush White House by asking, ‘Do we want to vent or to govern?’ Al From, the founder of the moderate DLC, was instrumental in promoting Mr. Clinton as a candidate back in 1992. He now says that Mr. Dean belongs to the party's ‘McGovern-Mondale wing’ and that he would repeat their failed candidacies by being swamped in the popular vote. The Clintons may not be keen on a Democrat winning the White House in 2004, but a Bush blowout might weaken the Democratic Party for 2008 when Mrs. Clinton is expected to run. But Clinton supporters have other reasons to be leery of a Dean candidacy. In June, the Drudge Report noted that Mr. Dean had confided to associates that he intended to change the leadership of the Democratic National Committee if he became the party's nominee…Anti-Bush partisans may be having their joy ride with Howard Dean, but it's clear they are secretly pining for Hillary. Once they are absolutely convinced she won't answer their calls, I have no doubt many of them will grow tired and skeptical of Mr. Dean. That doesn't mean he can't win the nomination, just that the obstacles blocking his way--including the hostility of Team Clinton--will likely remain.”(9/3/2003)

… Vilsack’s “first tier” remains the same as it was weeks ago: Dean, Gephardt and Kerry. Headline from this morning’s Quad-City Times: “Vilsack’s not ready to endorse candidate” Excerpt from report by the Times’ Todd Dorman:  “Gov. Tom Vilsack was willing to handicap the Democratic presidential race Tuesday, but Iowa’s top Democrat said he is not ready to hand out an endorsement just yet. With Labor Day having signaled the start of a more intense period in the campaign, Vilsack said U.S. Rep. Richard Gephardt, D-Mo., former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., make up the race’s ‘first tier.’ Kerry formally announced his candidacy Tuesday with a series of events that included a speech in Des Moines. Recent polls in Iowa, where the precinct caucuses open the nomination process Jan. 19, show Gephardt and Dean locked in a neck-and-neck race with Kerry running third. U.S. Sens. John Edwards, D-N.C., and Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., trail the top three. ‘But there is opportunity for other candidates to move into that first tier and to have a successful caucus night,’ Vilsack said. ‘I think we’ll see a lot of activity the next three or four months.’ The governor said he expects Iowa Democrats to start paying more attention to the race, partly because, he says, they now see President Bush as politically vulnerable. ‘We have a situation in Iraq that clearly was not handled very well. There was no plan for peace,’ Vilsack said. ‘With the economy, the president talks about that fact that he recognizes there is suffering, but he has no plan.’ Vilsack, who chairs the Democratic Governors Association, has hosted Edwards, Gephardt, Dean and Lieberman at his Terrace Hill residence. But the governor said he has no plans at this time to endorse any of the nine candidates. In 2000, Vilsack remained neutral in the race between Vice President Al Gore and former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley of New Jersey. The governor’s wife, Christie Vilsack, endorsed Gore, however.  ‘I’ve left open the option for me to endorse a candidate…I have no timeline,’ the governor said. If he does pick a candidate, Vilsack said he would do so to help undecided voters make a decision. ‘It might be an aid to people. I don’t think anyone’s endorsement is a key for any candidate,’ he said. As for undecided candidates, Vilsack suggested Gen. Wesley Clark’s possible late entry into the Democratic race would be ill-advised. ‘He would clearly start behind, and I think it would be very difficult for him in the early states to catch up,’ Vilsack said.”(9/3/2003)

… Dean & The Clintons II: Dean, inspired by “Sleepless” tour and other successes, eyes matching – or exceeding – Clinton’s fundraising mark. Headline from yesterday’s Washington Times: “Fruitful tour spurs Dean to aim at Clinton’s record” Coverage – an excerpt – by Waltraud Kaserer: “The success of Howard Dean's cross-country tour last week has inspired the former Vermont governor to try to break a $10.3 million Democratic fund-raising record set by Bill Clinton in 1995, campaign organizers say. During the three-day ‘Sleepless Summer Tour,’ Mr. Dean visited 10 cities and raised more than $1 million — the amount President Bush collected in one recent fund-raising dinner. The average contribution to Mr. Dean's campaign was $58.60. The $10.3 million aimed for the quarter ending Sept. 30 is the amount Mr. Clinton raised during the similar period in 1995 and was the best performance by any Democratic presidential candidate in a single quarter in the year before an election. The rallies and various fund-raisers along the 6,100-mile route attracted more than 40,000 people. One of them, Cheryl Dehnt from Leander, Texas, said she hadn't been politically active until now.  She came to the fund-raiser in Austin because ‘Dean is the first guy who gives us hope, that there will be a chance…I saw him first on TV, and he was the first one who was telling the truth," she said…Although the campaign tried to have blacks and Hispanics on the podium in every city, the hands holding the blue ‘Howard Dean for America’ placards were mainly white.  Mr. Dean considers as unfair the criticism from fellow Democratic candidates and Republicans that he can motivate only the ‘Birkenstock liberals.’…’Nobody is asking those questions to one of the other white candidates. It's just because we are out and doing very well,’ he said. ’We are working on diversity…Our prime message is very powerful to the African-American community. It's about health insurance, about jobs, about education. The African-American community did not support the war on Iraq.’…A few months ago, the former governor was running behind most of the other eight Democratic candidates for the primaries, which kick off with the District's primary in January. In the latest Zogby poll, Mr. Dean leads New Hampshire, with 38 percent approval from likely Democratic voters, 21 percentage points ahead of the second-best candidate, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts. Critics say Mr. Dean could peak too early. ‘We have momentum,’ he said. ‘Keeping it is going to be a struggle.’ Mr. Dean has about 339,000 supporters and wants to increase that number to 450,000 by the end of the month. His staff totals more than 120. Volunteers were recruited mainly on the Internet. His next big event will be the Democratic National Convention's debate in Albuquerque, N.M., on Thursday. ‘We are expecting to be attacked there,’ Mr. Dean said. ‘But I will handle that.’”    (9/3/2003)

… Must read. DeLay calls Dean “an embarrassment to the democratic process and the Democratic Party.” Under the subhead “DeLay vs. Dean,” Greg Pierce reported yesterday in his “Inside Politics” column in the Washington Post: “House Majority Leader Tom DeLay yesterday condemned the comments of presidential candidate and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean for saying ‘John Ashcroft is not a patriot.’…’Howard Dean is a cruel and extremist demagogue,’ Mr. DeLay said in a statement. During a campaign appearance in New Hampshire last weekend, Mr. Dean said Mr. Ashcroft ‘is not a patriot’…’John Ashcroft is a descendant of Joseph McCarthy," he said, in a reference to the communist-hunting senator of the 1950s. ‘John Ashcroft loves America more than Howard Dean could ever know.’ Mr. DeLay said. ‘John Ashcroft has sacrificed for his country, and devoted his life to serving it. He is as kind, generous, and patriotic a man as I've ever met. And Howard Dean is as ignorant on John Ashcroft as he is on national security.’ The Texas Republican added: ‘Howard Dean's comments are an embarrassment to the democratic process and the Democrat Party. If this cruel, loudmouth extremist is the cream of the Democrat crop, next November's going to make the 1984 election look like a squeaker.’ Mr. Dean's communications director, Tricia Enright, fired back, the Associated Press reports. ‘The narrow ideological agenda of the DeLay-Ashcroft wing of the Republican Party threatens basic American freedoms that have been enshrined in the Constitution for over 200 years. Those policies are not only extreme, they are cruel," she said.”(9/4/2003)

…Post debate analysis: “Democrats target Bush, not each other, in debate that may favor front-runner” – headline from this morning’s The Union Leader. Excerpt from analysis by AP’s Ron Fournier: “President Bush was an easy target. Too easy for eight presidential candidates who railed, in harmony, against White House policies in Thursday night's debate. In doing so, they failed to distinguish themselves from each other. Their hands-off approach may have best served Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor who left the debate relatively unscathed and still the party's presidential front-runner. ‘Dean kept his shine on,’ said Democratic strategist Donna Brazile who managed Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign. ‘Nobody took any of the gloss from the type of message and the type of campaign he's been running.’ Joe Lieberman tried. The Connecticut senator accused Dean of pressing for fair trade standards that would scuttle existing treaties and cost millions of jobs. ‘If that ever happened, I'd say the Bush recession would be followed by the Dean depression,’ Lieberman said. It was the type of shot Democratic activists had expected since Dean surged this summer to the head of the nine-candidate field. A day before the first major debate of the 2004 campaign, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson spoke for the entire party when he predicted verbal ‘fireworks.’ But there was more fizzle than fireworks. Democrats targeted Bush, not each other. Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts accused the president of a ‘failure of leadership’ in the world. Lieberman said Bush has been a ‘powerful failure’ on the economy. Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina and Dean accused Bush of refusing to tell the truth about the conflict in Iraq -- both its costs and risks. But voters already knew that the Democrats don't like the president; they learned nothing new Thursday night about why they should favor one candidate over another. The campaigns are unsure how to respond to Dean's rise. Some strategists fear the former Vermont governor will pull away with the nomination unless he is confronted. Others worry that aggressive tactics will make their candidates look mean while firing up Dean's backers. That may be why the most pointed criticism came outside the University of New Mexico's Popejoy Hall - in press releases distributed by campaign aides and in post-debate interviews. Away from the debate spotlight, Lieberman said he would have criticized more Dean policies if given the opportunity during the 90-minute debate. Arguments over strategies to confront Dean have deeply divided Kerry's campaign. The senator has criticized his own staff while promising there will be no shake-ups. His wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, complained publicly that the campaign waited too long to air its first television ads. ‘They all have to be careful’ about attacking each other, said Kathleen Sullivan, head of the Democratic Party in New Hampshire. ‘Their job tonight was to introduce themselves to voters.’…’I don't think anybody had to win or lose tonight - and nobody did.’” (9/5/2003)

… Analysts say other wannabes may have to confront Dean before he pulls too far ahead of them. Headline from yesterday’s Christian Science Monitor: “Democratic race pivots on Dean…rivals may focus as much on the Vermonter as on Bush.” (Editor’s Note: The following report, obviously, was written before last night’s Dem debate, but the content and observations are worthwhile.) Excerpt from coverage by the Monitor’s Liz Mariantes: “With the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination now in the decisive fall campaign season, the growing dominance of former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean is changing the dynamics of the race. In a field characterized for months by evenly matched contenders - and no real stars - Dr. Dean is suddenly setting the pace, presenting his opponents with both a standard and a target. Already, candidates such as Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry are stepping up their criticisms of Dean, even as they scramble to adopt some of his tactics. The attacks are likely to take a more pointed tone beginning [last night], when all nine candidates assemble in New Mexico for the first of six fall debates. For rivals looking to topple the surging Dean, the debates may provide a singular opportunity - as one famously did for Vice President Walter Mondale in 1984 when he brought a halt to Sen. Gary Hart's surging campaign with his pointed line, ‘Where's the beef?’ Yet the candidates face significant risks in trying to bring Dean down - and most are likely to approach the task with caution. Not only can attacks easily tar the person launching them as much as their intended object, they could also inflame Dean's supporters. Still, analysts say Dean's mounting strength may well force his rivals to confront him directly before he pulls too far ahead. ‘Right now, Dean has the momentum, and it's not apparent that momentum can be broken unless he screws up - or unless his opponents raise or point to an issue that puts him on the defensive,’ says Stuart Rothenberg, a political analyst. Most rival campaigns profess themselves unconcerned by Dean's apparent strength. Although polls show the former governor with widening leads in key primary states such as New Hampshire and Iowa, some argue much of this momentum can be attributed to Dean's early spate of TV advertising -- a move other candidates are only now following. In national surveys, however, Dean still trails the better-known Sen. Joseph Lieberman and Rep. Richard Gephardt among registered Democrats…Regardless of which candidate is most threatened, analysts agree that the rest of the field is now essentially fighting to become the alternative to Dean - which means the fight will likely take a sharper turn. ‘It will get a good deal more nasty because now the battle is for second place,’ says Emmett Buell, an expert on the primary process at Denison University. The candidate who successfully claims that position, Professor Buell notes, ‘might well have a better chance’ of winning in the end, particularly if Dean stumbles or is unable to convince voters of his electability in a matchup with President Bush.”(9/5/2003)

… Dean apparently dazzles coffee house crowd in Santa Fe – or at least one reporter believes he did. Report – an excerpt – by the New Mexican’s Steve Terrell: “Howard Dean wowed ‘em again. The former governor of Vermont, who in the last two months has become the surprise front-runner for the Democratic nomination, was interrupted by loud applause several times Wednesday as he gave an off-the-cuff pep talk to supporters who filled Tribes Coffee House in downtown Santa Fe. About 100 people filled the Mideastern-decorated coffee house. Another 150 or so lined up in the covered pathway leading from Tribes to San Francisco street, where they listened to his talk over speakers. The crowd even spilled over onto the sidewalk outside the hallway. The appearance was at one of the monthly ‘meet-ups’ local Dean supporters organized through the http://meetup.com Web site…He was the only one of the nine Democratic candidates to make a public appearance in Santa Fe on the eve of the Albuquerque debate. The crowd wasn’t quite as large as the one Dean attracted to the Plaza on a Saturday afternoon in late June. But it wasn’t bad for a rainy Wednesday night in Santa Fe. Dean, who has taken some guff in the campaign because he is not tall — spoke on a stage atop what looked like a soap box wrapped in campaign banners. But he appeared comfortable talking to the crowd and later taking their questions. He hit upon his standard themes, ripping into President Bush for the war in Iraq and what he said was deception the administration used to justify the war. He also blasted Bush for the economy and for using racial ‘code words’ when the administration intervened in the University of Michigan affirmative-action case in the U.S. Supreme Court.” (9/5/2003)

… “Dean stumps for Davis in California” – headline from report posted last night on CNN.com. Dean blames recall situation on Bush, Karl Rove and right-wing Republicans.  Excerpt: “Presidential candidate Howard Dean Saturday urged Californians to vote against the effort to oust Gov. Gray Davis, calling it part of a plan by right-wing Republicans to subvert democracy.  ‘I think this is the fourth attempt to undermine democracy in this country by the right wing of the Republican Party since the 2000 elections,’ said Dean. Other examples, he said, were the refusal by the ‘conservative-dominated United States Supreme Court’ to order a recount of the votes in Florida during the 2000 presidential election and separate GOP-led redistricting efforts in Colorado and Texas that could result in a loss of seats currently held by Democrats.  ‘I believe the right wing of the Republican Party is deliberately undermining the democratic underpinnings of this country,’ Dean told a news conference.  ‘I believe they do not care what Americans think and they do not accept the legitimacy of our elections and have now, for the fourth time in the fourth state, attempted to do what they can to remove democracy from America.’ Davis expressed optimism that the voters would allow him to serve out his term…Although Davis expressed gratitude for Dean's support, he did not reciprocate when asked whether he would support Dean's bid for the Democratic nomination for president.  ‘I'm taking one election at a time,’ he said. Only after the October 7 recall vote will he decide whom to support for the Democratic presidential nomination, Davis said. But, he added about the former Vermont governor, ‘he has precisely the right experience to be president.’ The recall effort picked up steam when, shortly after he was elected to a second term as governor last year, Californians were told they faced a $38 billion deficit. Dean said it would be unfair to hold Davis wholly responsible for the state's budget deficit, which has since been pared to $8 billion.  ‘The deficit that was incurred last year is directly traceable to the president of the United States' extraordinary financial policy in which he managed to turn the largest surplus in the history of America into the largest deficit in the history of America in only two-and-a-half years,’ he said. Davis said that since George W. Bush became president, the country has lost 3.3 million jobs, equivalent to 3,500 jobs per day. Asked whether his presidential bid might be adversely affected by his support for Davis, Dean responded, ‘I don't care. My trademark is I say what I think, for better or for worse.’ He added, ‘I'm tired of having this country run by the right wing. That is not where most people are in this country, and I think we ought not to put up with this anymore.’ Asked whether he believed the White House was involved in the effort to unseat Davis, Dean said, ‘Absolutely. I think [Bush chief political adviser] Karl Rove and George Bush have their hand in this.’ The White House has said it is not involved in the race. Although Dean is the first of the nine Democratic presidential candidates to stump for Davis, all have signed a letter opposing the recall effort and others will soon follow Dean's lead, Davis predicted. In addition, former President Clinton will travel to California in the next week to 10 days to speak in support of Davis, he said.”(9/7/2003)

… “Dean holds strong lead over Kerry in N. H. poll” – headline from this morning’s Boston Globe. Dean has a 12-point lead over Kerry, Gephardt and Lieberman – former double-digit wannabes in NH polls – each at 7%. Excerpt from coverage by Globe’s Anne E. Kornblut: “Former Vermont governor Howard Dean holds a strong 12-point lead over Senator John F. Kerry in the New Hampshire primary race, but Democratic primary voters are evenly divided over which of the two men would better be able to defeat President Bush, according to a new Boston Globe and WBZ-TV poll. Underscoring his front-runner status, Dean drew support from 38 percent of likely voters, compared with 26 percent for Kerry, who remains in second place in the state. Potentially more significant is Dean's appeal among voters who backed Senator John S. McCain in 2000: 54 percent of those who supported McCain's maverick candidacy -- and helped the Arizona Republican soundly defeat George W. Bush in the nation's first primary during the last campaign cycle -- said they intend to vote for Dean. Only 15 percent of McCain voters said they were planning to support Kerry. And in an increasingly polarized political climate, Dean's supporters also showed more enthusiasm for their candidate, suggesting that the rage among Democratic partisans has not subsided. While 32 percent of Dean backers say they will ‘definitely support’ him in the primary, 26 percent of Kerry's supporters say the same for the Massachusetts senator…The poll of 400 likely Democratic primary voters, all of whom said they were registered Democrats or Independents, was conducted by KRC/Communications Research of Newton on Tuesday and Wednesday, just as the airwaves were filled with images of Kerry officially declaring his candidacy. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points -- in other words, Dean's level of support could be as high as 43 percent, or as low as 33 percent. Once the presumed front-runner in a nine-way race for the nomination, Kerry has struggled to match Dean's pace in fund-raising and his surge in the polls, although advisers to Kerry's campaign and independent analysts note that the Jan. 27 primary is still months away…The other seven Democrats in the race fell far behind the top two candidates, failing to register in double-digits in the state. Representative Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri and Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut each received 7 percent of the Democratic field, while Senator John Edwards of North Carolina received 6 percent. Nine percent of those polled said they did not know who they would support in the nomination race. But in an unusually compressed nomination process that has defied expectations so far, some of the polling results suggested that the landscape may shift again before the primary election. Asked how they would vote if retired General Wesley Clark entered the race, the number of undecided voters jumped from 9 percent to 23 percent (and 5 percent said they would probably vote for Clark, who has said he will announce his intentions in the coming weeks).”(9/7/2003)

… This isn’t the first time Dean – known hereafter as “Slippery Howie” – has attempted to evade public finance commitment. Headline from yesterday’s Boston Globe: “To Dean, finance law if familiar dilemma” Coverage – an excerpt – by the Globe’s Michael Kranish: “Six years ago, then-Governor Howard Dean signed legislation that he said would ‘change the way campaigns are run’ in Vermont. The intent of the law was to provide candidates for governor who participated in a voluntary system with a maximum of $300,000 in public financing, and set a spending cap. Dean, who at that time could attract donations more readily than challengers for his job, said he signed the law ‘even though I knew it was going to be to my own disadvantage.’ But when it came time for Dean to run for reelection in 2000, he rejected public financing and busted the spending cap by 300 percent. The governor cited several reasons for the turnabout, including a court ruling that enabled his Republican opponent, Ruth Dwyer, to take large contributions from the national party, as well as his need to offset money funneled to Dwyer from what he called an ‘anti-homosexuality’ lobby intent on unseating him because of his support for civil unions. Whatever the reason for Dean's change of mind, his reversal on campaign spending in Vermont provides insights into Dean's record on the issue at a time when he is seriously considering reversing his original decision to abide by a spending cap in the Democratic presidential primaries. On June 7, Dean wrote to the Federal Election Commission that he will abide by spending limitations in the primaries. The letter, signed by Dean, said he ‘will not incur qualified campaign expenditures in connection with my campaign for nomination in excess of the expenditure limitations.’ But Dean more recently has said he might drop that pledge, because he is concerned that President Bush is not abiding by a spending limit and would be able to financially ‘murder’ Dean next summer should he secure the Democratic nomination. Yesterday, Dean campaign manager Joe Trippi said Dean's lawyers have assured him that the FEC letter did not put the campaign ‘past the point of no return.’ He added that Dean will make a final decision later this year. Some opponents, including the campaign of Senator John F. Kerry, question whether Dean should be allowed to revoke his pledge. Kerry campaign manager Jim Jordan said yesterday that ‘Governor Dean's devotion to campaign finance reform is only occasional and only when it suits his political interests. We would have to seriously consider our options if Governor Dean decides to opt out and the FEC allows him to.’ As governor, Dean promised to enact campaign reform he called ‘the most far-reaching in the country.’ Funded by a tax on lobbyists, the law enabled a candidate who collected a total of $35,000 from 1,500 people to get a campaign finance grant bringing their total to $300,000. According to the Vermont Secretary of State's website, incumbents would get 85 percent of that amount. In 2000, Dean said he would participate in the system and qualified for it…Dean became worried that Dwyer would try to surpass him financially with large contributions from the national Republican Party…Dean was also quoted in an Aug. 13, 2000, Associated Press report saying he had no doubt that the "anti-homosexual lobby" would funnel money through the GOP to Dwyer.”(9/7/2003)

… People Powered Howard starts looking like he should be hanging out on a pro wrestling tag team with Jesse “The Body” Ventura – and now concedes that he’s sometimes Howard “The Mouth” Dean. Headline from yesterday’s The Union Leader:  “Dean says he has to watch his mouth” Excerpt from report – dateline: Phoenix – by AP political ace Ron Fournier: “Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean said Friday he can be a bit too mouthy -- then went out and proved his point The front-running candidate in a field of nine said his blunt-speaking ways may someday get him in trouble. Rivals hope his campaign will implode, and Dean said he knows one way that could happen. ‘I do have a mouth on me,’ the former Vermont governor said aboard a small charter plane taking him here from Albuquerque, N.M., site of the first major debate of the 2004 race. ‘That is, I generally say what I think so I get in trouble,’ Dean said. Could he hurt himself? ‘If I blew up in a debate or something like that, yes,’ Dean said. ‘But I haven't done that in 16 years of debates.’ Dean said he is learning to let irksome questions from reporters roll off his back, adding that it's actually easier to keep his cool with the national media than it was in Vermont, where reporters had greater access to him. ‘I can get snippy,’ he said, ‘no doubt about it.’ Less than an hour later, Dean was visiting his new campaign headquarters where he fielded more than a dozen questions at an impromptu news conference. As aides pulled him inside, Dean was asked whether he was surprised that rival John Kerry did not criticize him in Thursday's debate. ‘I wish he'd say to my face what he says behind my back,’ Dean said before disappearing behind the door, a grimace on his face. Kerry had obviously gotten under his skin. On a busy campaign day, Dean had managed to underscore one of the great dichotomies of his campaign: Blunt, unscripted comments and a brash approach to politics are drawing Democratic voters to Dean, but those traits could also be his undoing. He has already had to apologize for at least two caustic comments leveled at foes. In March, he accused Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina of avoiding talking about his support of the Iraq war before an anti-war audience. In June, Dean described Sen. Bob Graham of Florida as ‘not one of the top-tier candidates,’ a remark he regretted. Watching his mouth is just one of the ways Dean is trying to grow as a candidate now that he is the front-runner, an informal title that comes with greater scrutiny, pressure and risks. He hopes to cement his position atop the field by reaching out to minorities and party leaders who have been wary of his candidacy. With Kerry's stock falling, Democratic leaders who had considered the Massachusetts senator their front-runner must now decide whether to side with Dean or rally behind an alternative…Then there's his mouth. Before leaving Arizona for California, Dean realized he had unintentionally created news with his crack about Kerry. ‘I just wish he had given me a chance to respond to all that stuff - the zero experience on foreign affairs, the NRA stuff, the tax cut stuff,’ Dean said. In a television interview Sunday, Kerry suggested Dean was not ready to be commander in chief, linked him to the National Rifle Association and criticized him for wanting to repeal all of President Bush's tax cuts. ‘I would have liked to have responded to that in person,’ Dean said, relishing the thought of getting mouthy with Kerry.”(9/7/2003)

… Team Dean – in an apparent attempt to drive opposing campaigns planners crazy – raises stakes again: Drops $50K on SC radio buy aimed at black audiences. From report by AP’s Will Lester in yesterday’s The Union Leader: “Democrat Howard Dean is launching radio ads in South Carolina Saturday aimed at attracting black voters, who could make up almost half the electorate in the state's Feb. 3 presidential primary. So far, the former Vermont governor has drawn much of his support from whites, prompting the campaign to step up its efforts to reach out to minorities. The initial $50,000 ad buy will play on radio stations with a black audience, introducing Dean as ‘a presidential candidate not afraid to stand up to the president on economy and jobs, even if it means standing alone.’ Dean campaign manager Joe Trippi said the ad may be introduced in other markets later. ‘We will be going on the air soon in Latino and African-American communities in key states,’ he said. In late August, Dean began airing a television ad in selected markets in Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Washington state and Wisconsin. He also has been running TV ads in Iowa, where he's tied for the lead with Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri, and in New Hampshire, where he has holds a double-digit lead over Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts. He has run ads in Austin, Texas, as well. Once the campaign moves past January contests in Iowa and New Hampshire, the ability of candidates to attract support from minority voters will become crucial, with several contests in states with larger minority populations. The 60-second radio ad in South Carolina will run for more than a week in all of the state's major markets, said Tricia Enright, a campaign spokeswoman.” (9/7/2003)

.. For everyone wondering when Kerry would begin attacking Dean, they have misjudged the situation. Dean, in a phone interview with Des Moines Register Reporter Thomas Beaumont, has Dean blasting Kerry for mimicking his position of bringing in the U.N and specifically Arabic speaking peace keepers. Kerry spokesperson David Wade counters the claim of mimicking Dean by siting a Senate speech of Oct. 9, 2002 where Kerry calls for post-war assistance from nations in the region. Dean further lays claim to the fact that Kerry is copying his position at the same time he is claiming he has no foreign policy experience. In the article, reaction from Polk County Democrat Party Chairman Tom Henderson is as follows: “I just don’t think they [caucus attendees] listen to that [spats]. There is no copyright on ideas.”(9/8/2003)

… “The Tortoises and Dr. Dean” – headline from Christian Science Monitor commentary. Editorial says Dean looks formidable, but it would be foolish to write off other wannabes. Excerpt: “Election pundits are out in full force, what with Labor Day past and Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts officially launching his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. (What exactly was he doing before Tuesday?) Unfortunately for the candidates, the public has yet to pay much attention. According to a new CBS News poll, two-thirds of those questioned couldn't even name one Democratic presidential candidate. That public apathy (not unusual at this point in a race) makes the constant speculation over who's the front-runner the political equivalent of a sports-radio call-in show. And the California recall is stealing whatever limelight the national contenders might have. According to the CBS poll, Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut draws the most support from registered Democrat voters --with 14 percent. Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and Rep. Richard Gephardt of Missouri are the only other candidates garnering double digits. (Of course, there is no national primary.) But for the inside-the-Beltway crowd, Dr. Dean is the real front- runner. He's so far out front in fundraising that he may dispense with public financing. His hard-line position against the war in Iraq and tough criticism of President Bush warm the hearts of liberal-activists. He's also surged to statistical leads in key-state polls -- outdistancing previous favorites Kerry in New Hampshire and Gephardt in Iowa. Even so, the race remains wide open. At this point in 1996, Republican Sen. Bob Dole held a wide lead in New Hampshire, yet lost to Patrick Buchanan on primary day. Dean could peak too soon. He could falter in a barrage of negative press coverage. Events could overtake his campaign themes. Another candidate (Gen. Wesley Clark?) could enter the race and upset the poll numbers. At present, the Vermonter appears formidable. But to write off the others would be foolish - and unhealthy for a democracy's political market.”(9/8/2003)

… Sharecroppers, milkman, anti-Bush, courage – The themes for the initial flight of media spots being seen by the initial players in the 2004 nominating contests. Washington Post media guru Howard Kurtz says the wannabes are projecting the image that they feel best suits them in early TV spots. Headline from today’s Post: “Media Primary Commences as Democrats Run First Ads” Excerpts from Kurtz’ report: “ John Edwards talks about hailing from a family of sharecroppers. Dick Gephardt says his father was a milkman. Howard Dean says he's the man to stand up to President Bush, unlike many timid Democrats in Washington. John Kerry talks about the courage of Americans -- while using a flag-bedecked backdrop that may remind viewers of his own courage in Vietnam. The initial television ads of the Democratic presidential candidates, even at this early stage, shed considerable light on how they want to present themselves to primary voters in the only format they fully control. If you get just one chance to make a good first impression, these 30-second snapshots are an important clue to each man's media strategy. Despite their stylistic differences, the commercials, running mainly in Iowa and New Hampshire, all trumpet the need for jobs and, almost as often, expanded health care -- an issue about which Democrats had been skittish since the Clinton health plan crashed and burned in 1994. The ads all strike an us-vs.-them tone in which the candidates sell themselves as champions of the middle class. ‘I'm not sure how much it does with voters,’ said former Clinton White House spokesman Joe Lockhart. ‘But the unwritten rule is if you don't do well in the media primary, you may not get to the real primary. Obviously, Dean has passed the test, so he's in a different place than everyone else. But several of the others have to move numbers to keep reporters from dismissing them.’ Republican media consultant Don Sipple agreed that ‘the shelf life of early advertising is very short. But these candidates need to show movement in key early states in order to raise money around the country.’…Dean, the front-runner in polls in the early states, doesn't talk about his family or where he grew up (perhaps because a childhood in the Hamptons with a stockbroker father doesn't quite fit the log-cabin genre). Instead, he portrays himself as the anti-Bush, saying he wants ‘to change George Bush's reckless foreign policy, stand up for affordable health care and create new jobs…Has anyone really stood up against George Bush and his policies? Don't you think it's time somebody did?’ (9/8/2003)

… “Democrat Dean Attracts Few Faces of Color” – headline from this morning’s Kansas City Star. Excerpt from report by AP’s Will Lester: “Democrat Howard Dean has drawn new faces to politics, many of them young, middle-class Web surfers. Few of those faces are of color. The presidential candidate has seized the momentum in the nine-way primary race with an Internet-driven campaign that has attracted thousands of supporters and millions of dollars. But Dean's success with minorities, a crucial constituency for any Democratic candidate, has been limited and political analysts wonder whether he can broaden his appeal. ‘I think it's going to be difficult for him to connect,’ said David Bositis, a political analyst at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a think tank focused on black issues. ‘He doesn't have any history with blacks.’ Dean, a Park Avenue-raised, Yale-educated internist, practiced in Burlington, Vt., and later served as the state's governor for 11 years. Vermont has a population that is nearly 98 percent white, according to the latest Census data. Throughout the campaign, much of Dean's support has come from the Internet, either through his own Web site or Meetup.com, a point of contact for those looking for Dean gatherings. Extensive computer use, according to recent surveys, is more common among whites than minorities. More than six in 10 whites describe themselves as Internet users, while about half of blacks say they use it, according to Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Among frequent Internet users, the digital divide widens between whites and minorities, with 60 percent of whites and 40 percent of blacks who go online saying they do so often. Beyond the source of support, two issues that could prove problematic for Dean are his opposition to expanding gun-control laws and his decision, while governor, to sign a civil-unions bill. Gun control is popular among inner-city residents faced with high crime rates. And while some equate discrimination based on sexual orientation with racial discrimination, many blacks do not see those prejudices in the same terms, viewing the matter through the prism of religion. A recent Pew poll showed blacks were more likely than whites to oppose gay marriage -- 64 percent to 51 percent. ‘That might be a sticking point,’ said Alan Smith-Hicks, a black electrical engineer attending a Meetup session for Dean in Baltimore last week. ‘They're concerned he's too liberal, that he's going to make gay marriage a federal law.’ Minority support for the candidates will be at the forefront Tuesday night as the nine Democrats gather in Baltimore for a presidential debate sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus and Fox News.”(9/9/2003)

… Slippery Howard I: Beware of People Powered Howard: Club for Growth’s Steven Moore says Republicans “shouldn’t get carried away” and begin salivating over a possible Bush-Dean contest. Headline on commentary in the 9/15 issue of The Weekly Standard: “The Appeal of Howard Dean” Excerpt from Stephen Moore’s op-ed: “Part of Dean's star appeal has been the refreshing genuineness of his campaign rhetoric, even when his ideas are cockeyed. By pledging to repeal the entire Bush tax cut--a move that would raise the average tax burden on middle income families with three kids by about $2,500 a year, Dean is attempting to prove that voters will swallow higher taxes to get more government largesse. In a recent debate, he confidently asserted that when working class voters saw his universal government-run health care plan, they would gladly pay for it. ‘If we're going to have a system of universal health care in America, we will have to pay more taxes,’ he said...God save the country if voters actually buy into Dean's health care socialism, but at least he is honest about the sacrifices required. This is not a man who believes in the mythical free lunch. Ever since that first meeting with Howard Dean some five years ago, I've been trying to think of what politician he most resembles. The former governor of a small state, he is charismatic, good looking, wonkish, craving of the spotlight, and capable of telling a room full of people precisely what they want to hear. The obvious answer recently hit me: Dean is Bill Clinton, but without the skirt-chasing.  Republicans are said to be salivating over the prospect of a Bush-Dean match-up. They shouldn't get carried away. Howard Dean, warns John McClaughry [of the Ethan Allen Institute, Vermont's sole dispenser of free-market views], has been ‘underestimated throughout his political career. He has an uncanny knack for finding where the political capital is stored and walking off with it.’ The trick for Dean is to ensure that the ultra-liberal positions he has taken in the primaries, which contradict his sometimes centrist record, don't cripple his ability to reach out to Middle American voters in a general election -- should he make it that far. If he does, and then finds a way to zig-zag back toward the center, Howard Dean could be George W. Bush's worst nightmare.”(9/9/2003)

… In new Iowa TV ads, Dean hits “Washington politicians” – such as guys named Kerry, Lieberman, Gephardt, Graham, Edwards and Kucinich. Excerpt from report by AP’s Iowa caucus-watcher Mike Glover: “Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean has launched his second wave of television ads in Iowa, with spots that focus on his health care record during his tenure as governor. ‘Washington politicians talk about the problem,’ a narrator says, ‘but a governor named Howard Dean did something about it and today virtually every child in Vermont has access to quality health care.’ The commercial will air in nearly every media market in the state for an undetermined amount of time, Dean aides said. The commercial is the same one the candidate has been airing in six states. Dean became the first of the Democratic hopefuls to begin airing commercials in Iowa earlier this summer, but he has plenty of company as the fall campaign picks up. Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts, Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina and Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri also are on the air with ads in Iowa. Dean has sounded an anti-Washington theme, and his latest spot follows that message. ‘If we can do that in a small rural state and still balance the budget, we can do that for every American,’ he said.” (9/9/2003)

… Slippery Howard II: “Dean’s ignorant stand on trade” – headline on editorial in yesterday’s Rocky Mountain News. Editorial excerpt: “Howard Dean has a Catch-22 idea that would be a sure formula for keeping impoverished nations impoverished. The former Vermont governor, now a Democratic presidential candidate, says the United States should not trade with these poor countries unless they enact the same sorts of labor and environmental standards as exist here. But of course they are incapable of doing that until they get richer, and one of the few ways they will get richer is through trade with us, which he would rule out.  Tough luck, poor people. As Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut pointed out in an Albuquerque, debate of the candidates last week, it's not just the poor nations that would suffer. So would the United States, which would lose export markets and millions more jobs. Want another recession? Dean is the man to bring it our way, Lieberman observed.  As Lieberman observed, ‘He said he would not have bilateral trade agreements with any country that did not have American standards. That would mean we would not have trade agreements with Mexico, with most of the rest of the world. That would cost us millions of jobs.’ And the net result? According to Lieberman, ‘The Bush recession would be followed by the Dean depression.’ Dean is pretty much an unknown quantity in the country at large, but he will become known in a hurry if he is sitting on top of the Democratic heap after the initial primaries, as some are predicting. In the meantime, he might want to acquaint himself with the field of economics.”(9/9/2003)

… Least surprising report of the day: Dem hopefuls take turns blasting Bush’s Sunday night speech. Headline from yesterday’s Chicago Tribune: “Candidates offer sharp criticism over holes in Iraq plan” Excerpt from coverage by Trib national correspondent Jeff Zeleny: “The leading Democratic presidential candidates, already relentless in their criticism of the Bush administration's handling of postwar Iraq, said the president's address to the nation Sunday night did little to ease concerns about achieving stability in the region. "We have trapped ourselves in Iraq because the president was impetuous in his decision and the Congress wouldn't stand up to him," said Howard Dean, the former governor of Vermont, whose presidential candidacy ascended with his strident opposition to the war. ‘It is beginning to remind me of what was happening with Lyndon Johnson and Dick Nixon with the Vietnam War,’ Dean said while campaigning in California. ‘The government began to feed misinformation to the American people in order to justify an enormous commitment of American troops, which turned out to be a major policy mistake.’ (9/9/2003)

… This should be real reassuring for most Iowa Dems and rural Americans: Dean to be endorsed by the majority of the DC council. What’s next – endorsements from the councils in Detroit, LA, Chicago and NYC? Excerpt from AP report: “Democratic presidential hopeful Howard Dean is poised to pick up endorsements from a majority of Democrats on the District of Columbia council. ‘His campaign has reached out to us, and frankly nobody else really has,’ said Councilman Jack Evans, adding that the Dean campaign has been courting local Democratic operatives for at least two months. The District of Columbia holds a nonbinding primary on Jan. 13, six days ahead of the Iowa caucuses and two weeks before the New Hampshire primary. It is considered a ‘beauty contest’ rather than a true primary because delegates will not be selected until caucuses on Feb. 14. The support of at least five and possibly seven of 11 Democrats on the 13-member city council could boost Dean's candidacy, Evans said. Dean won favor by coming out early in support of the city's successful effort to establish a presidential preference contest before Iowa and New Hampshire. Evans has been working to persuade several of his colleagues to back Dean, citing his support of issues important to city Democrats. ‘It's almost like we did with Bill Clinton back in 1991,’ said Evans, who expected Council colleagues Sharon Ambrose, Jim Graham, Adrian Fenty and Kathy Patterson to join him Tuesday to make their formal endorsement.” (9/9/2003)

* IOWA PRES WATCH SIDEBAR: In yesterday’s “Best of the Web Today” column on OpinionJournal.com, James Taranto wrote “the Jerusalem Post quotes Dean as uttering one of those bloopers that the media would trumpet as proof of his stupidity if he were a Republican. Asked about his views on the Israeli-Arab conflict, here's what he said: ‘The two-state solution is a solution that I support and I believe is the ultimate way to peace in the Middle East. And we're going to have to be the honest broker. The Americans are the only people who can broker that, and I wish the president had spent more time on the Middle East and less time on Iraq.’ More time in the Mideast and less time in Iraq? That's like saying you should get out of Indianapolis and go to the Midwest.”  (9/10/2003)

… “Democrats court union with anti-Bush themes” – headline from yesterday’s Washington Times. Excerpt from coverage by the Times Stephen Dinan: “The Democrats seeking the presidency tried to win approval of the nation's largest and fastest-growing union yesterday by portraying President Bush as the worst option for union members and for the nation as a whole. ... former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean criticized the president for opposing the University of Michigan's undergraduate and law school affirmative action programs, and particularly objected to Mr. Bush's characterization of them as quota programs. ‘This president played the race card, and for that alone he deserves to go back to Crawford, Texas,’ Mr. Dean said. ...  Mr. Dean said he wouldn't impose new taxes but would go back on the tax cuts Mr. Bush has pushed through Congress. ‘I think most people would be happy to pay the taxes they paid when Bill Clinton was president of the United States,’ he said. …In addition to the SEIU, the Democratic candidates met privately with leaders from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which is the nation's second-largest union. The SEIU's leaders will meet [Wednesday] to decide whether they have enough information to make an endorsement. SEIU President Andrew Stern said the union has committed 2,004 members to work full time on politics for the nine months leading up to the November 2004 election, and plans to have 50,000 members volunteer to make phone calls and campaign door to door.” (9/10/2003)

… Crowd chants “No more lies” and “Bush must go” as Dean attracts about 3,700 at University of Maryland. Excerpt from report by Lori Montgomery in yesterday’s Washington Post: “Former Vermont governor Howard Dean brought his high-energy campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination to Maryland yesterday, gathering endorsements from nearly three dozen local officials and drawing close to 4,000 fans to the University of Maryland at College Park. The rally, Dean's first in Maryland and his second in the Washington region, was held in an outdoor amphitheater overflowing with a mix of college students and area supporters of all ages. The crowd cheered Dean's assault on President Bush's tax cuts and what he called ‘lies’ about the Iraq war. ‘When I was your age, the government didn't tell us the truth about Vietnam, either,’ Dean said, urging them to follow his generation's footsteps. ‘You're going to change presidents, and you're going to change foreign policy in this country.’ The audience delighted in Dean's rhetoric, chanting ‘No more lies’ and ‘Bush must go,’ drowning out a handful of Republican hecklers. ‘I'm happy to hear a Democrat who's not afraid to sound like a Democrat,’ said Claire Schuster, 30, of Silver Spring. Her mother, Michelle Schuster, 56, agreed. Dean ‘hit the points that hit home to me. I was moved by him talking about the sense of community we've lost.’…With about four months left until the first primary, Dean has pulled far ahead in fundraising, is the clear frontrunner in New Hampshire and is building impressive operations in other key primary states. In Maryland, Democrats will not cast their ballots until March 2. But that hasn't dimmed the fervor of Dean partisans in the state. Terry Lierman, Dean's Maryland coordinator and co-chairman of his national finance committee, boasted that Dean already has 6,000 volunteers, many of them drawn to nearly two dozen Internet-driven ‘meet-ups’ that gather across Maryland. ‘No one else is even on the radar screen compared to that.’ Lierman said.” (9/10/2003)

… “Dean asks Clark to join campaign” – headline from this morning’s The Union Leader. Coverage – excerpt – by AP’s Ron Fournier: “Democrat Howard Dean has asked retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark to support his presidential campaign if Clark decides not to enter the race. The pair met in California on Saturday to discuss the presidential race that Clark is expected to enter as early as next week, becoming the 10th Democratic candidate. Dean, the current front-runner, asked Clark for his support on the outside chance that Clark doesn't seek the presidency on his own. ‘They've gotten together several times,’ said Joe Trippi, Dean's campaign manager. ‘They talk about a lot of issues. Every time the governor talks to him he asks for Clark's support. I don't think there's any news in that. I hope every Democrat is asking for support.’ Trippi and Clark's top political adviser, Mark Nichols, talk frequently about the race. Officials familiar with the conversation say neither Trippi nor Dean have asked Clark or his advisers to stay out of the race. News of the meeting, first reported by The Washington Post, raised questions about whether Dean was trying to strike an alliance with Clark early in the nomination fight, perhaps promising him a spot on the presidential ticket should Dean be nominated. Officials close to Dean said there is no such agreement in the works. The meeting took place on the sidelines of Dean's public embrace of California Gov. Gray Davis, who is fending off a recall effort. Clark, a former NATO commander, has never run for political office. Other candidates have also courted Clark, including Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, who spoke to the retired general in the past couple of weeks seeking his support. Dean's advisers, recognizing that the former Vermont governor's lack of foreign policy experience could be a liability, have long been intrigued by the idea of drawing the retired general into Dean's inner circle. Both Dean and Clark opposed the war in Iraq, and both are producing excitement on the Internet with grass-roots activists. Still, Dean's advisers hold out little hope that Clark will do anything other than seek the presidency himself.” (9/11/2003)

… Daily Iowan (University of Iowa) editorial: Dean “isn’t really trying to reach minorities, at least not in Iowa.” Excerpt of commentary by the DI Editorial Board:  “During Howard Dean's visit to Iowa City, Daily Iowan reporters asked the front-running Democratic presidential candidate about his campaign's lack of minority supporters. He said, ‘When you have a rally like that in Iowa, it's a little tougher.’ While his statement was likely intended to reference Iowa's relatively small minority population, it still reflected a cavalier attitude toward recruiting much-needed minority support to his campaign. Pointing to Iowa's demography is not only off-base but is wholly ignorant. It also shows he isn't really trying to reach minorities, at least not in Iowa. Dean needs to realize the fault lies in the messenger, not the audience. Iowa boasts a strong minority population in some places. West Liberty, which is just a short jaunt down U.S. Highway 6 from Iowa City, has a sizable Latino population: more than 1,300 people in the town of just over 3,000… If Dean continues to say it's ‘tougher’ to get minorities, he will only alienate important constituents for any Democratic candidate and hurt his campaign. Dean's failure to broaden his reach so far is hurting him in other areas, most notably labor. Andy Stern, the president of the Service Employees International Union, said on Monday that Dean needs to broaden his support to gain labor backing. All nine candidates are in a tight race for labor endorsements, and there were signs early this week that Dean is getting the message. During his speech to the service-workers union Monday, Dean touted the Supreme Court for upholding the University of Michigan Law School's enrollment policy. Dean has done a good job shoring up support from previously ignored voting blocs, particularly students. His unprecedented Internet recruiting has propelled him into an early lead. His e-backers, however, are mostly white upper-middle-class computer users. He needs to garner more minority support in order to win the nomination. If his campaign turns a corner and becomes serious about that goal, Iowa minorities will be the first to notice. That's when Dean will acknowledge them rather than fall back on the perception of a homogenous Iowa population.” (9/11/2003)

… Tough day for Dean: He’s not only under fire – as usual – from other wannabes, but now House Democrats give the anti-Washington hopeful a taste of real world DC politics. Letter criticizing him for Israel comments gets support from Kerry and Gephardt supporters – as well as Jewish lawmakers. Headline from this morning’s The Union Leader: “Pelosi, other Democrats knock Dean on Israel” Excerpt from AP report: “Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean drew fire from House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and several Jewish lawmakers on Wednesday over his remarks concerning Israel. ‘This is not a time to be sending mixed messages,’ Dean's critics said in a letter circulated by Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif., and signed by Pelosi and more than two dozen other Democratic House members who are supporting other candidates. ‘On the contrary, in these difficult times we must reaffirm our unyielding commitment to Israel's survival and raise our voices against all forms of terrorism and incitement.’ Last week at a rally in Santa Fe, N.M., Dean said an ‘enormous number’ of Israeli settlements must go to make progress in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ‘It's not our place to take sides,’ he said…New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler, a Dean supporter who is Jewish, said he was comfortable with Dean's position, although Dean initially used some language that could concern some pro-Israelis. But Nadler said Dean's clarifications since then should have cleared that up. ‘This is sent out by Gephardt supporters and it should be seen for what it is -- a political document trying to exploit his statement before he has a chance to clarify it.’ Nadler said. Pelosi spokesman Brendan Daly said she did not sign the letter because of her endorsement of Gephardt, but because she was concerned about Dean's comments on Israel. "It is unacceptable for the U.S. to be evenhanded on these fundamental issues,’ the letter said. During the debate Tuesday night, Dean defended himself by saying he and former President Bill Clinton held the same view on the issue -- that the United States must have the trust of both sides to negotiate between the two countries. He repeated that argument during an appearance Wednesday on CNN's ‘Wolf Blitzer Reports.’…’I believe the position that I take on Israel is exactly the position the United States has taken for 54 years,’ he said on the show. But he acknowledged that saying there should be an ‘evenhanded policy’ toward the Israelis and the Palestinians may have been a poor choice of words. ‘I have since learned that is a sensitive word to use in certain communities,’ he said. ‘So perhaps I could have used a different euphemism. But the fact of the matter is, at the negotiating table, we have to have the trust of both sides.’”  (9/11/2003)

… Kerry vs. Dean: Wannabes find new area for battle as Kerry suggests he may break federal spending cap. Headline from this morning’s Boston Globe: “Kerry says he might exceed spending limit…Would follow suit if Dean rejects public financing” Excerpt from report by the Globe’s Michael Kranish: “Senator John F. Kerry said yesterday that he would break a federal spending cap, reject public financing for the presidential primaries, and possibly use his personal funds if Howard Dean's fund-raising strength leads the former Vermont governor to go beyond the federal spending limit. Dean sent a letter to the government in June saying he would abide by the limit, but is now considering exceeding the cap. ‘If Howard Dean decides to go live outside of it, I'm not going to wait an instant,’ Kerry said in an interview at his campaign headquarters. ‘Decision's made. I'll go outside. Absolutely. I'm not going to disarm.’ As recently as Aug. 31, the Massachusetts Democrat expressed indecision on the matter, saying only that he would ‘reserve the right’ to exceed the cap if Dean did so. No major Democratic candidate has rejected public financing and the spending cap since the voluntary program became law after the Watergate scandal. If Kerry and Dean exceed the cap, it would also enable them to break the spending limit of $729,000 in New Hampshire, setting off a financial arms race that could dramatically alter the way the campaign is run in the first-primary state, said Larry Noble, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics, which studies money and politics. ‘It would probably signal the demise of the public financing system, at least as it is presently constituted,’ Noble said. ‘If the calculation is that you can't win if you take public funding and the limits that come along with it, the serious candidates are going to have to figure out a way out of that system.’ Kerry bristled when asked about the possibility that Dean may break the cap, pointing out that Dean had pledged in a letter to the Federal Election Commission that he would abide by the spending cap. The issue prompted Kerry to use some of his strongest language yet about Dean, criticizing the former Vermont governor for changing his positions on a variety of issues. ‘Somebody who wants to be president ought to keep their word,’ Kerry said. ‘I think it goes to the core of whether you are a different politician or a politician of your word or what you are.’ Dean campaign manager Joe Trippi said in a telephone interview that he didn't want to respond directly to Kerry's criticism of Dean. But Trippi said that ‘the facts have changed’ since Dean said he intended to abide by spending limits, observing that Dean has surprised people by collecting so many small donations from so many Americans. ‘I think a couple of million Americans giving $77 is totally within the spirit of our democracy,’ Trippi said. ‘I don't think writing a check to yourself or collecting bundled money is.’ He was alluding to the practice of prominent fund-raisers collecting contributions to one candidate from a number of associates…In the interview, Kerry was asked repeatedly whether he would use personal funds if Dean exceeds the cap. ‘Whatever's legal under the law,’ Kerry responded. He is married to one of the country's wealthiest women, Teresa Heinz Kerry, but there are restrictions that probably would prevent the senator from tapping her wealth. Kerry probably could tap half of their jointly owned assets, including a Beacon Hill townhouse that may be worth around $7 million. In his 1996 Senate race against William F. Weld, Kerry used jointly owned assets as collateral to pay for loans for campaign advertising.” (9/11/2003)

… Service Employees International delays decision as Edwards gains – and Kerry stumbles – in the endorsement derby. Excerpt from report by AP’s Leigh Strope: “The largest union in the AFL-CIO decided Wednesday to delay making a presidential endorsement, although John Edwards surged from unknown to contender while John Kerry stumbled. Service Employees International Union officials said members weren't ready to commit to one of nine Democrats vying to challenge President Bush next year. An endorsement probably won't come until November, said President Andy Stern. Even so, the top contenders shuffled slightly after 1,500 state and local union leaders heard from the candidates Monday. Edwards, the North Carolina senator, catapulted into the top three, pushing out Kerry, the Massachusetts senator. Former Vermont governor Howard Dean and Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri, the traditional labor favorite, remained on the list, Stern said. He would not disclose rankings and vote totals…SEIU members before Monday didn't know much about Edwards. But he ‘introduced himself powerfully, and moved from having almost no support to being one of the top three candidates that the members leaving this conference are interested in,’ Stern said. Several SEIU members said they liked Edwards' populist message and his John F. Kennedyesque good looks. In nearly every speech he gives, and Monday's was no different, he highlighted his working-class background as the son of a mill worker. Stern cautioned that Kerry, who has lost his front-runner status to Dean, still had a lot of support in the union, with the rankings reflecting just the views of the 1,500 leaders at this week's conference. Conference participants were asked to rank their two favorites before and after they heard the candidates. Many arrived already enthusiastic about Dean, and after hearing him, ‘their enthusiasm is unabated,’ Stern said. ‘I think Howard Dean is making a series of statements that are very important and powerful,’ he said. Gephardt, who has been plagued with concerns about his ability to excite Democratic voters, increased his support, Stern said, noting that members responded favorably to his fiery and passionate speech. He too emphasizes his blue-collar roots and his Teamster father in his speeches. Gephardt has staked his presidential ambition on support from organized labor, and has received 12 union endorsements so far. No other candidate has won backing from an international union. But Gephardt's support is mostly from trades and industrial unions, reflecting the common divide in organized labor between traditional, blue-collar unions and public and service sector unions. SEIU is the nation's fastest growing union and among the most liberal and racially diverse, making it an enticing prize for Democrats seeking labor support. Its members are janitors, nursing home workers, home health care workers, hospital nurses and government employees. Many are Hispanic. Gephardt, who stumbled in his 1988 bid, must convince leaders like Stern that the lectern-pounding, red-faced, emotional candidate of Monday is for real if he is to have a shot at a laborwide, AFL-CIO endorsement next month. It's a difficult task made even tougher by Dean, who is wooing labor leaders with the large crowds he has attracted and his successful Internet fund-raising. The wild card remains Wesley Clark. Stern said his union would take a serious look at the retired Army general who has been flirting with a run. Clark was invited to this week's conference, but was unable to attend. SEIU leaders hope to meet with him in the next week or two, Stern said. Meanwhile, Clark has promised to reveal his presidential plans by the end of next week.”  (9/11/2003)

… TV viewing guide: Keep the kids away tonight – Dean to be on “K Street” with Carville and Begala. Report in yesterday’s Washington Post: “Howard Dean is willing to be depicted as the tool of handlers -- and has a sense of humor to boot. In Sunday night's premiere of the HBO show ‘K Street,’ Dean is seen being coached for this week's presidential debate by Democratic strategists James Carville and Paul Begala (who says he did the scene without the script). ‘What about heat and passion on TV?’ Dean asks, and ‘can a potential president of the United States get away with that?’ Talk about surreal: Dean even tries out a line about being the only candidate willing to talk about race to white audiences -- which caused a flap when he actually delivered it in the real, non-HBO debate. ‘K Street’ is bipartisan, though; Carville keeps feuding with his wife, Mary Matalin, a former aide to Vice President Cheney, and Republican Sens. Don Nickles (Okla.) and Rick Santorum (Pa.) make cameo appearances.” (9/14/2003)

… “Double-talk could derail Dean machine” – headline on Deborah Orin’s column in Thursday’s New York Post. Column excerpt: “Democratic 2004 front-runner Howard Dean is starting to get a reputation for talking out of both sides of his mouth – and not just on Israel. That could become a big problem for a guy who's running on a ‘tell it like it is’ platform --- it may be the first hint of an Achilles heel that might slow Dean's surge to the Democratic nomination. For instance, Dean called for raising the Social Security retirement age, then denied it, then belatedly admitted it -- but said he wasn't for it any more. Last week, he said U.S. troops ‘need to come home’ from Iraq -- now he says we shouldn't pull out. He demanded that all U.S. trading partners meet U.S. labor and environmental standards -- when reminded that would halt trade with countries like Mexico, Dean said he only meant the far lower international standards. But that's not what Dean told the Washington Post or the online magazine Slate, which wrote that Dean emphatically took the ‘exact opposite’ position this summer.  Dean said ‘it's not our place to take sides’ in the Mideast -- but then took sides on settlements, saying Israel must give up an ‘enormous number.’ Under fire, Dean now insists he takes sides in favor of a ‘special relationship’ with Israel. In most campaigns, doublespeak hurts big time --just look at how Dean has zapped Sen. John Kerry (Mass.) for his Iraq doublespeak since Kerry voted yes on the war and now blasts it. But some say double talk won't bother Dean's true believers. ‘Dean isn't running a traditional campaign. It's a cross between a populist campaign and a movement,’ says Democratic strategist Donna Brazile, who managed Al Gore's 2000 race. ‘It may not matter to the Dean constituency because it's not a traditional constituency. You may be playing into his hands by saying he's flip-flopping,’ Brazile adds -- meaning criticism just makes Dean fans more intense. True enough. Dean fans sent more money -- not less -- when he had a disastrous time on NBC's ‘Meet the Press.’ But the question now is whether doublespeak stops Dean from lining up new recruits. That would be big trouble.”  (9/14/2003)

… And the anti-Dean beat – and Dean beating – goes on. Besides Gephardt, the Dem hopefuls are almost lining up – Kerry, Sharpton, Lieberman, Edwards – for shot at the Wannabe Wonder. More – an excerpt – from Iowa AP political ace Glover’s coverage: “While Gephardt was challenging Dean, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts took issue with Dean's call to repeal all of President Bush's tax cuts. Although Kerry didn't mention his rival by name, it was clear who he was referring to during an appearance Friday at Benedict College in Columbia, S.C. ‘Middle class families are taking too many hits already -- their health care costs are rising, housing payments are higher, their jobs less secure, and college is costing more and more…’ Kerry said. ‘Unfortunately, some in my party want to repeal the tax cuts Democrats gave middle-class families. This is wrong.’ Al Sharpton sent a letter to Dean Thursday, challenging him to oppose a plan to allow Internet voting in Michigan's presidential primary. Sharpton said the plan would give an advantage to voters who are wealthy enough to have a computer and Internet access. Earlier in the week, Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut criticized Dean's comments on Israel in which the former Vermont governor said ‘it's not our place to take sides’ in the Mideast nation's conflict with the Palestinians, a comment Lieberman said broke with 50 years of U.S. policy. The morning after Tuesday's Democratic presidential debate, Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina assailed Dean's claim during the event that he is the only candidate to talk about race with white audiences. Edwards said Dean should know that virtually all of his primary foes preach racial equality on the campaign trail.”   (9/14/2003)

… “For Dean, a Deeper Hole on Middle East…” – subhead on roundup report in yesterday’s Washington Post. Kerry charges Dean with insulting the memories of innocents killed by “these suicidal murderers.” The Post’s Juliet Eilperin wrote: “Howard Dean, in a hole for his statement that the United States should not ‘take sides’ between Israel and the Palestinians, keeps on digging. Under fire from fellow candidates, Democratic lawmakers and Jewish groups, Dean sought to soften his claim that ‘it's not our place to take sides’ in the Middle East. In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, Dean allowed that he only meant that the United States should be an honest broker in negotiations and that ‘perhaps I could have used a different euphemism.’ But, in talking about Israel's assassinations of leaders of the Islamic Resistance Movement, known as Hamas, Dean said: ‘There is a war going on in the Middle East, and members of Hamas are soldiers in that war, and, therefore, it seems to me that they are going to be casualties if they are going to make war.’ U.S. politicians typically call Hamas fighters ‘terrorists’ rather than soldiers. Rival candidate Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.) yesterday said that in referring to Hamas members as soldiers, Dean ‘insults the memory of every innocent man, woman, and child killed by these suicidal murderers.’ Dean, in a statement, said, ‘Of course, Hamas is a terrorist organization,’ adding that his rivals were guilty of ‘petty, political gamesmanship.’ Fortunately for Dean, he did not say ‘freedom fighters.’” (9/14/2003)

… Accelerated Iowa campaign effort highlighted by four Dem wannabes taking to the TV airwaves. Headline in yesterday’s Quad-City Times: “Caucus field is opting for TV” Excerpt from report by the Times’ Ed Tibbetts: “There’s still four months to go before the Iowa caucuses, but Democrats running for president have begun filling the airwaves with television commercials. Four of the candidates are already on the air, and one says he’ll continue running commercials until the Jan. 19 caucuses. Experts say the advertising — which appears to be happening earlier than in past Democratic caucus races — is being prompted by the heavy slate of candidates, peer pressure and the proximity to Labor Day. And another says the ads are spurred by a desire to look presidential to political types beyond our borders. U.S. Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass, John Edwards, D-North Carolina, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and U.S. Rep. Richard Gephardt, D-Missouri, all are advertising on television. In fact, Dean kicked it off with a $300,000 buy this summer. Edwards’ campaign says it will continue with its commercials right up to the caucuses. Like many of the happenings on the campaign trail this year, Dean appears to have been a catalyst for some of the activity. ‘Dean upped the ante by airing his ads,’ says Steffen Schmidt, a political science professor at Iowa State University.” (9/14/2003)

… IOWA PRES WATCH SIDEBAR: Fox News reports that Dean complicates his Middle East position by referring to Hamas terrorists as “soldiers of war.” Dean has been under fire for suggesting the United States should not take sides in the Middle East conflict and Israel should get out of disputed territories of the West Bank. While he has insisted that he backs U.S. policy supporting Israel, statements made on Wednesday about Hamas raise new questions. ‘There is a war going on in the Middle East, and members of Hamas are soldiers in that war,’ Dean said Wednesday. Dean condemned terrorism but his description of Hamas -- designated by the United States as a terrorist group -- as ‘soldiers in a war’ conflicts with U.S. policy. The European Union also approved last week the designation of Hamas as a terrorist organization. (9/14/2003)

… Washington Post: Most Dem wannabes are haunted by their past records -- but Dean benefits since he’s the one without a voting record on the Bush agenda.  Headline from Friday’s Post: “Past Votes Dog Some Presidential Candidates… Democrats Defend Siding With Bush” Excerpt from report by Jim VandeHei: “Presidential candidate John F. Kerry is bashing President Bush's policies on Iraq, education and civil liberties. What he rarely mentions, however, is that his Senate votes helped make all three possible. The Massachusetts Democrat is not alone. Rep. Richard A. Gephardt (Mo.) -- who is calling Bush's Iraq policy a ‘miserable failure’ -- led the House fight last year to allow the president to wage the war without the international help the lawmaker now demands. Gephardt, then the House Democratic leader, also voted for the USA Patriot Act, which expands the government's surveillance powers, and for Bush's No Child Left Behind education program. He often criticizes the policies now. Sen. John Edwards (N.C.) is calling for Bush to enlist the help of the United Nations in Iraq, even though he, like Kerry and Gephardt, had the opportunity to vote against the war resolution and in support of one measure demanding U.N. involvement during last fall's congressional debate. Edwards is also calling for changes to the Patriot Act, for which he voted, and more funding for the education plan, which he voted to authorize. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (Conn.) voted with Bush on all three, too. That these lawmakers voted with Bush on key issues is complicating their bids to win their party's nomination, as fellow Democrats demand explanations. As the campaign progresses, it also could make it harder for them to draw sharp distinctions with Bush on what are shaping up as among the biggest issues of the 2004 campaign, according to political strategists. Kerry, Edwards, Lieberman and Gephardt contend that their votes for Bush's agenda took place in much different political climates and were predicated on their beliefs the president would carry out each initiative in a different manner than he has. In Iraq, they say, they believed he would work harder to win U.N. assistance. On the Patriot Act, they believed the administration would carefully protect citizens' privacy and civil rights. And on education, they believed Bush would fully fund the program. Moreover, a large number of congressional Democrats voted the same way they did. ‘Your votes are your votes, and you need to stand and explain,’ Gephardt said. ‘You have to also describe changes you would like to now make and also be legitimately critical of where the administration has done something’ wrong. Still, their rivals are starting to use the votes against the lawmakers, especially Kerry and Gephardt. In Tuesday night's debate at Morgan State University, Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (Ohio) -- the only House member running for president who opposed the Bush agenda in Congress -- and others repeatedly accused their rivals of trying to have it both ways, voting with Bush in Congress and bashing him on the campaign trail, especially on Iraq. The most stinging rebuke came when Al Sharpton turned Gephardt's new favorite phrase against the Missouri lawmaker, saying it was a ‘miserable failure’ for Gephardt and other Democrats to have helped authorize the war. The biggest beneficiary of all this appears to be Howard Dean, who as a former Vermont governor did not have to vote for or against the president's agenda, party strategists said. ‘He does get a break, because he didn't have to lay it on the line with a vote,’ said Gerald W. McEntee, international president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. This has freed Dean to become Bush's biggest critic of the war and helped distinguish him from the Democratic pack by allowing him to ridicule Bush's domestic agenda without having to defend a series of votes.” (9/14/2003)

… People-powered Howard continues to backpedal on Israel comments, says he had no intention of suggesting U. S. abandon long-standing relationship – urges Bush to “swallow his pride” and send Bill Clinton to the Middle East to rescue peace process. Headline from CNN.com: “Dean defends Middle East remarks” Excerpt: “Under fire for saying that the United States should be even-handed in the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, 2004 Democratic presidential front-runner Howard Dean Wednesday said he would not abandon the long-standing policy of strong U.S. support for Israel. The former Vermont governor said criticism of his remarks by presidential rival Sen. Joseph Lieberman was a ‘despicable’ attempt to divide the Democratic Party, which has long enjoyed the support of many Jewish voters. ‘We do have a special relationship with Israel. We would defend Israel if necessary. I think that is well-known,’ he told CNN. ‘However, we are also the only country capable of bringing peace to the Middle East, and when we sit at the negotiating table, we do have to have the trust of both sides or we will never succeed.’ Dean also called on President Bush to ‘swallow his pride’ and send former President Bill Clinton to the Middle East to salvage the peace process. ‘I think Bill Clinton is the president who has come the closest to bringing Israelis and Palestinians together,’ he said. ‘Bill Clinton may just be the person we need to put those negotiations back on track.’ The controversy began last week when Dean, speaking about the Middle East, said he didn't ‘believe stopping the terror has to be a prerequisite for talking. You always talk.’”  (9/14/2003)

… “Dean calls for overhaul of mental health care” – headline from yesterday’s Union Leader. Excerpt from coverage – dateline: Lebanon – of Dean’s remarks in New Hampshire by AP’s Holly Ramer: “Complaining that jails and prisons have become the largest providers of mental health care, Democratic Presidential hopeful Howard Dean yesterday proposed an overhaul focused on early intervention and integrating treatment with existing social services.  ‘The Los Angeles jail now treats more patients than any psychiatric hospital in the United States of America,’ Dean told an audience of doctors at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. ‘Treating mental health problems early is less expensive, more effective and more humane than waiting until people with serious mental illness end up in a hospital or a jail cell,’ he said.  Dean, who said his background as a physician gives him a unique appreciation of the problem, said the public mental health system is in shambles and the federal government does little to help the 11 million American adults who struggle with mental illness. ‘As access to health insurance has declined for all but the wealthiest Americans, mental health care has been pushed to the bottom of the barrel. The result has been treatable illnesses turning into serious health crises, and too many working people being driven into poverty and homelessness,” Dean said.  Dean promised to improve school-based screening to identify children who are at risk and proposed pairing mental health treatment with programs that address unemployment, homelessness and drug addiction.  ‘Too many children who need help are going unnoticed and failing to address their needs contributes to alarming suicide and dropout rates,’ he said.”  (9/14/2003)

… Dean – an admitted “big mouth” – learning that not all words and phrases are favorable to his candidacy. Report says “it is his casual -- some would say reckless -- use of language on issues demanding precision that has landed Dean in the hottest water.” Headline from Friday’s Union Leader: “Dean finds words can be a friend or foe” Excerpt from coverage by AP political watcher Ron Fournier:   “Howard Dean is learning that his words count -- and can count against him -- as the Democratic presidential front-runner. From the Middle East to race, Social Security and campaign finance reform, the former Vermont governor is getting singed by nearly every hot-button issue he touches. His eight Democratic rivals hope to slow Dean's momentum by highlighting his policy flip-flops and misstatements, probing every pronouncement for the slightest sign of a gaffe. Dean has given them plenty of ammunition, though his foes have taken some liberties with his record. ‘It's what the field typically does to front-runners,’ Democratic strategist Paul Begala said. ‘People attack you over every minute difference.’ Dean holds a precarious perch atop the Democratic field. Casting himself as a straight-shooting, anti-establishment candidate, he raised more money than his rivals from April to June, drew massive crowds at summer rallies and surged to the lead in key-state polls. After they were slow to recognize his summer ascent, Dean's opponents opened the fall campaign by questioning his foreign policy credentials and attacking his positions on taxes and trade. Rival campaigns also highlighted shifts in Dean's policies, including: His denial that he ever suggested raising the retirement age, though he has…His vow to attack any Democrat who opts out of the public finance system, only to consider leaving it himself…His softening of support for rolling back the embargo on Cuba.  Dean allies argue that any open-minded politician evolves on issues -- or gets caught musing aloud about possible reversals, a habit Dean says he picked up as governor. ‘Sometimes I think out loud when I shouldn't,’ he said in a recent interview. But it is his casual -- some would say reckless -- use of language on issues demanding precision that has landed Dean in the hottest water.” (9/14/2003)

… Gephardt pulls even in Iowa. If anyone is wondering whether the attacks on Dean by other candidates or Dean’s weapon of mass destruction, his mouth, had any effect on his standing in the race for the nomination, they can quit wondering. An Iowa Associated Press story by Mike Glover showed that in a recent Iowa poll Dean, the former Vermont governor, and Gephardt, the Missouri congressman, each received 19 percent support, with Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts at 10 percent. The largest group in the poll at 36 percent are those who have not made up their minds about the nine candidates seeking the party's nomination. Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina and Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut each had 6 percent, while the rest of the field was at 1 percent. The poll was commissioned by Davenport, Iowa, television station KWQC and the Davenport-based newspaper chain Lee Enterprises. The telephone survey, conducted by PMR Inc., a Davenport research firm and was taken Aug. 26-Sept. 6 among 400 registered Democrats and independents who said they were likely to attend precinct caucuses Jan. 19. The Iowa Precinct Caucuses allow anyone who registers as a Democrat the night of the caucuses to participate. This means that independents and even Republicans can attend the Democrat caucuses. However there is no history of any significant participation by Independents or Republicans in the past. Likely attendance at the Iowa Democrat Precinct Caucuses is 100,000.  (9/15/2003)

… Howard Dean is going for the record. Phone record, that is. In his quest to bravely go where no man has gone before, Dean takes on the Guiness Book of World Records. Here’s the report, according to WashingtonPost’s OnPolitics reporter Brain Faler. Headline: “Dean’s next frontier: the conference call?” Excerpts: “Having demonstrated his mastery of the Internet, Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean is taking on . . . the conference call? His campaign announced last week that it will try to break the world record for the largest-ever conference call. That record, according to the good people at the Guinness Book of World Records, was set in September 2000, when 3,310 people rang into a call hosted by the British teen-pop group S Club 7. Dean will host his call Sept. 29 -- the day before the deadline for reporting third-quarter fundraising totals -- when he will chat with supporters attending house parties for the candidate across the country. Campaign manager Joe Trippi declined to estimate how many people might join the call. But he promised to shatter the world record. "It's not even going to be close," Trippi said, appropriately enough, in a conference call. The only problem? "What we don't know is whether we can hit -- do all the calls we want to do -- because we're not sure that, technologically, it's possible," he said.” (9/15/2003)

… Showcasing once again his “verbal bull in a verbal china shop” approach to campaigning, Howard Dean attempts to shatter his opponents’ attacks as “silly” and “nitpicky.” In an article in today’s WashingtonPost’s OnPolitics by staff writer Dan Balz, Dean fights back against a week of attacks. Headline: “Dean Jabs At Rivals, Says No to Kerry Debate.” Kerry and other Democrats accused Dean of being naïve on foreign policy, a soul mate of former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) in the Medicare budgetary battles of the mid-1990s, changing his views on trade, and arrogant in saying he is the only white candidate in the nomination battle to talk regularly about racial issues. Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.), challenged Dean to a series of one-on-one debates to air their differences. Dean's campaign manager, Joe Trippi, rejected the proposal, calling it "presumptuous." Dean was dismissive toward the attacks, calling them "silly" and "nitpicky." He argued they will strengthen his candidacy, not weaken it. "That's what you have to go through," he said. "If I'm going to go up against George Bush, I'm going to get much worse from [White House senior adviser] Karl Rove than I am from these guys." Dean continues to be criticized for saying the United States should not take sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and for using the word "soldiers," rather than terrorists, to describe members of the Islamic Resistance Movement, known as Hamas. Dean said that in labeling Hamas members as soldiers, he was justifying the Israeli policy of assassinating Hamas leaders. Calling for evenhandedness in the Middle East, he said, was his way of saying that the United States needs to win the trust of both sides to bring about a peace agreement, and was not intended to advocate abandoning Israel in some way. His critics were engaging in a classic Washington insiders' game, Dean said. He said that Kerry has claimed he was misled by Bush before the Iraq war, adding, "I could see through that [Bush's intentions]." … The candidate said the criticism won't force him to change much. "I concede that I would be better off -- well I wouldn't necessarily be better off, I would be less controversial, if I didn't make absolute statements." But he said he also "would be less appealing." "As we get into this I have to find balance," Dean said, "but if I become too much like a Washington politician, then I am a Washington politician. Why not let somebody else do this?" (9/15/2003)

September 1-15, 2003

September 16-23, 2003

September 24-30, 2003