Bob Graham

excerpts from the Iowa Daily Report

July 2003

 … Under the subhead “Taking de(bait),” Greg Pierce – in his “Inside Politics” column in yesterday’s Washington Times – reported on Graham’s latest wacky (and unsuccessful) campaign ploy. Pierce reported: “Bob Graham has struggled to win attention in the Democratic presidential sweepstakes, so the Florida senator seized on President Bush's fund-raising visit to Mr. Graham's home state yesterday. He challenged Mr. Bush to a debate. In a letter to the White House dated Friday and released yesterday, Mr. Graham told the president: ‘It is my understanding that you will be in my home state on June 30 for fund-raisers in Tampa and Miami. ...As senior U.S. senator of this state, past chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a candidate for the presidency in 2004, I invite you to a debate to discuss the future of this state and our nation. This debate will be with a neutral moderator, such as Michael Putney, of ABC affiliate WPLG in Miami, on the 30th of June, in either Miami or Tampa. WPLG can broadcast our debate on their station and surely ABC affiliates throughout the state and the nation would be willing to carry the debate as well.’ The senator said that in deference to the office of the president, ‘I will adjust my schedule to accommodate yours.’ We checked the wires yesterday and couldn't find anything about a debate, so Mr. Bush must have turned down the offer to match wits with a candidate who so far has failed to make much of an impression on fellow Democrats. On the other hand, Mr. Graham may have won some free publicity from gullible political columnists.” (7/2/2003)

… Somebody had to do it and it appears that Greg Pierce – in yesterday’s “Inside Politics” column in the Washington Times – did. Under the subhead “Last-minute appeals,” Pierce did a postmortem on the frantic efforts by the various wannabes to inspire contributors during the final hours before Monday’s FEC deadline. Pierce’s report: “Several presidential hopefuls in the nine-member Democratic field sent out urgent pleas for last-minute cash as the second quarter's close approached Monday. ‘Only a Few Hours Left,’ said a campaign e-mail from Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri. ‘The clock is ticking,’ North Carolina Sen. John Edwards told prospective donors in another online pitch. ‘There are only 12 hours left before the critical June 30 fund-raising deadline,’ Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut senator, wrote in an e-mail message. ‘Before 12 midnight (Central Time), please visit my Web site and make a contribution to my campaign.’ Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor, posted real-time totals every half hour on the Internet and urged donors to ‘hit a grand slam for Dean.’ Mr. Dean's overall total of about $7.1 million for the second quarter topped early estimates from other Democratic candidates. Officials with the campaigns of Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and Mr. Edwards said they expected second-quarter totals of about $5 million. Added to their first-quarter figures of more than $7 million, they could still lead the early Democratic money race overall. Mr. Gephardt was aiming for $5 million in the second quarter, Mr. Lieberman hoped for $4 million and Sen. Bob Graham of Florida expected to report $2 million to $3 million in contributions, officials with those campaigns told AP. Former Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley Braun said she raised about $150,000 during the quarter. Al Sharpton and Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio did not provide estimates.” (Iowa Pres Watch Note: Other reports have indicated that Kucinich expected to report “about $1 million” for the second quarter while Sharpton supporters said he would report receiving about $100,000 in contributions.)  (7/3/2003)

… Graham sings in New Hampshire, says he doesn’t have to win state next year to be declared the winner.  Report – headlined, “Graham focuses on seniors in Manchester, Derry visits” – by the Union Leader’s senior political reporter, John DiStaso: “One minute, soft-spoken Sen. Bob Graham is somberly warning a group of senior citizens that George W. Bush is ‘distrustful of the American people.’ The next, he’s cheerfully singing them ‘Plant a Radish’ from the Broadway hit ‘The Fantastiks’ and his own campaign song, ‘You’ve Got a Friend in Bob Graham.’  It’s all in a day’s work on the New Hampshire Presidential Primary campaign trail, and it’s all part of the Florida senator and former governor’s effort to get noticed in the first-in-the-nation primary state, where he says he doesn’t have to win in order to be declared the winner next January.  Despite an impressive resume, a growing campaign staff and a warm personal style, Bob Graham has a long way to go before anyone other than himself and his aides begin comparing him to former President Bill Clinton, who finished second in the 1992 primary but declared himself the “Comeback Kid” winner.  Yet, with two New Englanders — John Kerry and Howard Dean — leading the pack in New Hampshire and the only other southern candidate, North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, also having trouble catching on, the door is open…He said that for every problem, Bush has the same ‘green pill’ solution: ‘We’re going to give tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans.’ He told the seniors, ‘There hasn’t been a President in our lifetime who has been as distrustful of the America people as George W. Bush.’ Bush, he said, believes ‘people should be held in the dark’ on key issues. He said in an interview later that Americans seems to trust Bush, but the trust ‘is not reciprocated.’” (7/5/2003)

… Graham-sponsored truck wins NASCAR race in Kansas. Associated Press report: “Sen. Bob Graham's presidential campaign has hit the NASCAR racing circuit in a big way. The candidate-sponsored Ford truck, No. 50, won its first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, a 250-miler in Kansas. Graham's campaign signed the deal to sponsor a racing team in a bid to reach rural voters who flock to auto races. He is the first presidential candidate to have his campaign logo emblazoned on a NASCAR vehicle. Saturday's victory in the O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., was the first NASCAR truck series win for 21-year-old driver Jon Wood. Jack Roush, the team's owner, acknowledged in a statement that No. 50's sponsorship is unusual, ‘but when a distinguished United States senator calls with interest in our program, we're glad to accept the support and participation in the democratic process in a unique way.’ Graham's campaign will pay Roush Racing for an undetermined number of races. Terms of the contract were not disclosed but will become public when the campaign files its finance reports later this year…The term ‘NASCAR dads’ became the last election campaign's hot demographic. They are white, working-class men who admire Bush but who can often be persuaded to vote Democratic if the issues are right. NASCAR is particularly popular in the South and Midwest, where Bush generally was favored in his 2000 election and which he must protect for his re-election.”(7/7/2003)

… Yesterday’s coverage Graham “workday” in New Hampshire may be another indication his campaign has been derailed. New Hampshire Sunday News headline: “Graham working on the railroad for votes” Coverage from Conway by AP’s Holly Ramer: “Democratic Sen. Bob Graham invited New Hampshire voters to come aboard his Presidential campaign yesterday. He devoted one of his ‘workdays’ to being a conductor on the Conway Scenic Railroad. Graham, who likes to spend the day learning a new job while he campaigns, spent yesterday on the diesel electric locomotive that takes tourists for scenic trips. He received a half-hour of training and wore an employee name tag with ‘Bob’ on it. The 11-mile trip back and forth in Conway lasted about an hour. Some of the riders on the antique Pullman cars seemed surprised to meet a Presidential candidate. Several said they were impressed with the Florida senator, but he probably didn’t pick up many votes for the New Hampshire primary because most of the riders were from out of state.  ‘Are we going to see the President now?’ 6-year-old Brendan Sullivan of Groveland, Mass., asked after talking with Graham about the Boston Red Sox. ‘He’s not the President yet,’ replied his mother, Barbara Sullivan. ‘He’s a senator. Isn’t he a senator?’…Graham said the hardest part of the job yesterday was learning how to use the ticket punch. ‘You can’t punch through more than seven or eight at a time,’ he said. When asked if yesterday’s workday was a good way to attract votes in New Hampshire, given that many of the passengers were from elsewhere, Graham said: ‘I think it is one of the best ways to prepare for public service.’” (7/7/2003)

…Graham warns that Iowans may be “overwhelmed” by his campaign between now and January. Dem county leader says he’s the “one remaining candidate” potential caucusgoers want to see. Excerpt of Ed Tibbetts’ report from yesterday’s Quad-City Times: “Democratic presidential candidate Bob Graham said Tuesday he is opening eight regional campaign offices in Iowa to reach out to people in advance of the 2004 caucuses. He also plans to be in the Quad-Cities later this month in what would be his first visit to the area since announcing his candidacy this May. Graham, a senator from Florida, has been conspicuously absent from the Quad-Cities, some activists say. Most of the other candidates considered to be seriously vying for the party’s nomination have already been here, some several times. ‘He’s the remaining candidate that people have really wanted to get a close-up look at,’ said Susan Pamperin, the Scott County Democratic Party chairman. Graham, who also is a former governor of Florida, has said that he is the best man to win in November, in part because of his experience, but also because he is from a large state with a treasure trove of electoral votes. Florida decided the 2000 presidential election. Graham has been to Iowa four times since announcing his candidacy and, in a conference call with Iowa reporters Tuesday, said that he and his family will invade the state next month when he, his wife, their four children, their spouses and the 10 grandchildren will tour the state in recreational vehicles. He said the Quad-Cities would be one of the stops in the seven-day caravan. ‘Be careful, you may be overwhelmed,’ he said.”(7/10/2003)

… Graham – who’s almost become a one-issue Iraq/terrorism candidate – continues Iraq criticisms, says Al Qaeda may have trained as many as 120,000 terrorists. Associated Press coverage from FOXNews.com: “A congressional investigation into the Sept. 11 attacks has concluded that 70,000 and 120,000 terrorists were trained by Al Qaeda and some are still in the United States, Sen. Bob Graham, R-Fla., said Sunday. ‘We have to assume that as those people were placed around the world, some were placed inside the United States. Some of them are in the United States today,’ Graham said on NBC's ‘Meet the Press.’ After months of investigation and a series of congressional hearings last year, the House and Senate Intelligence panels wrapped up their report Dec. 20 and released a summary. The full classified report is still under review at the FBI and CIA, which are trying to determine whether any disclosure of information might pose a risk to national security and should remain secret. Graham, a Democratic presidential candidate and the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, has criticized the administration repeatedly for delaying release of the report. He said Sunday the administration has approved inclusion of the estimate of Al Qaeda's terrorist training in the final report. Graham said that estimate shows that the Bush administration ‘lost focus’ when it turned its attention to war with Iraq. ‘We allowed Al Qaeda to regroup and regenerate,’ he said. ‘They've conducted a series of very sophisticated operations, thus far none of it in the United States, but seven Americans were killed in Saudi Arabia.’”(7/15/2003)

… This is the story yesterday that political news outlets just couldn’t resist: Graham, a six-letter name, believes “deceit” is a five-letter word. Excerpts from AP coverage of Graham’s Miami Beach comments: “Democratic presidential candidate Bob Graham, in sharply criticizing President Bush's veracity about Iraq's weapons programs, got a bit confused about the number of letters in the word ‘deceit.’ Graham, who participated in a candidate's forum at the NAACP convention, was asked if the president lied to the American people when he said in his State of the Union address that Iraq had been trying to buy uranium in Africa to develop nuclear weapons - a claim the White House has acknowledged should not have been included. ‘I would not use the three-letter word,’ the Florida senator told reporters. ‘I would use the five-letter word: deceit. That he deceived the American people by allowing into a State of the Union speech at a critical point when he was making the case for war with Iraq, a statement that he either knew was wrong or should have known was wrong.’ If Democrats were in control of the House, Graham was asked if he would support impeachment. ‘If the standard of impeachment that the Republicans set for Bill Clinton - a personal, consensual relationship was the basis for impeachment, would not a president who knowingly deceived the American people about something as important as whether to go to war meet the standard of impeachment?’ Graham asked.”(7/16/2003)

… Does Singing Bob Graham have a song for this situation? Sounds like “headin’ for the last roundup” might work, but the real question is whether he’ll be “back in the saddle again” in this campaign? Headline from yesterday’s Orlando Sentinel: “Graham lags in money chase” Excerpt from DC dispatch by Sentinel Bureau Chief Tamara Lytle:  “Sen. Bob Graham raised only $2 million during the second quarter of the year -- well behind five other Democratic candidates for president. Political experts called it a ‘miserable showing’ and said Graham's campaign would be dead in the water if his fund raising doesn't pick up soon. ‘No one can contend he [Graham] has lived up to his potential as a presidential candidate,’ said Larry Sabato, head of the University of Virginia Center for Politics. ‘Florida is a gold mine. He should have been able to raise $5 million-plus just from Florida.’ Jamal Simmons, spokesman for the senator, said Graham is on course in his fund raising. Graham joined the fray late, after open-heart surgery this past winter. ‘For someone who started at zero 100 days ago, we've had a strong start,’ Simmons said. ‘At the end of the day, money is not what determines the winner.’ But it's darned important, said Norm Ornstein, scholar at the American Enterprise Institute think tank. When candidates get a reputation for lagging, donors stop giving them money, he said. ‘Any way you look at it, it's a disappointing quarter [for Graham],’ Ornstein said. ‘Not a disqualifying quarter but a disappointing quarter.’”(7/17/2003)

… Millionaire Graham is the “notorious tightwad” in the Dem derby – but probably driving his 1999 Mercury Sable to nowhere in the presidential race. Excerpt from copyright story by Kris Hundley in the St. Petersburg Times: “U.S. Sen. Bob Graham is a notorious tightwad who has gone to great lengths to portray himself as a regular guy. He drives a 1999 Mercury Sable and slows golf games by retrieving lost balls from lakes. Campaign workdays put him to work alongside airport baggage handlers and construction workers. But Graham, 66, is worth at least $7.6-million, thanks to a hefty stock portfolio and his family's beef, dairy and development business. Such wealth carries with it a host of potential land mines for politicians, especially ones like Graham, who are running for president. Consider his holdings: Graham Cos., the business started by Ernest R. Graham, the senator's father, more than 70 years ago, sells sugar cane to U.S. Sugar, which contributes thousands of dollars to the senator's political action committee. Runoff from its sugar cane crop flows into the Everglades. Graham has been one of the strongest supporters of spending billions in taxpayer money to restore the Everglades …Graham, who has spent nearly four decades in public life, appears well aware of these potential conflicts. And so far, he seems to have skirted problems by cautiously distancing himself from day-to-day personal money management issues. Though his wealth has drawn criticism from some quarters, it has been muted by lack of evidence that he has leveraged his position for personal profit. The senator's holdings in Graham Cos. have been in a blind trust for nearly 30 years. His votes on agricultural issues have been mixed. There's little in Graham's record to indicate he has allowed specific stock holdings to affect his vote. He has long supported a Medicare drug benefit, which was opposed, until recently, by big pharmaceutical companies like the ones in his wife's portfolio. He opposed drilling for oil in the Alaskan reserve, though approval could have helped oil companies such as Anadarko Petroleum Corp., which have been among his wife's holdings.”(7/17/2003)

… “Graham: Bush ‘transgressions’ warrant impeachment” – Headline from this morning’s Union Leader online. Excerpt from Union Leader senior political reporter John DiStaso’s coverage of Graham appearance in Concord: “Democratic Presidential candidate Bob Graham charged Thursday that President George W. Bush’s ‘transgressions’ in the pre-Iraqi war intelligence controversy warrant his impeachment. The Florida senator predicted the President will certainly not be impeached — but only because Bush’s fellow Republicans control the House of Representatives, which must initiate such a procedure.  But Graham said the issues facing Bush are ‘a more serious transgression of Presidential power’ than the ‘serious personal consensual act’ that led to former President Bill Clinton’s impeachment by the House in December 1998. He was acquitted by the Senate the following year. ‘This is a case in which someone has committed actions that took America to war, that put American men and women’s lives at risk,’ Graham said after unveiling an economic plan at Page Belting Co. factory.  ‘I think this is clearly more serious’ than Clinton’s actions, Graham said. ‘This goes more to the responsibilities and the acts of the President as opposed to personal consensual relationships. And there can’t be anything more serious than going to war, and if, in fact, we went to war under false pretenses, that is a very serious charge. But it’s academic because this House of Representatives is not going impeach George W. Bush.’  He said the Republicans lowered the impeachment standards when the House impeached Clinton ‘My opinion is, if the standard that was set by the House of Representatives relative to Bill Clinton is the new standard for impeachment, then this clearly comes within that standard,’ Graham said.” (7/18/2003)

… Graham bashes Bush, outlines plan to increase taxes on wealthy. Headline from Friday’s Union Leader: “Graham issues plan for economic renewal” Excerpt from Concord report by Union Leader senior political reporter John DiStaso: “Democratic Presidential candidate Bob Graham yesterday detailed a plan to hike taxes for the wealthy and cut them for the middle class. He’d also spend more than $300 billion over five years to build schools, highways, water facilities and parks while beefing up homeland security and balancing the budget by 2010. The plan came with a 40-page book and is dubbed ‘Opportunity for All: Bob Graham’s Plan for Economic Renewal.’… Calling himself ‘an eternal optimist,’ the U.S. senator from Florida told about 40 workers at the Concord factory that his plan ‘will create more than 3 million new private-sector jobs’ and ‘give hope and opportunity to all Americans.’ Graham decried projections of a $450 billion budget deficit this year. He said that since President George W. Bush took office, 2.5 million have lost their jobs and 1.4 million have lost their health insurance coverage, while the stock market has lost 20 percent of its value. ‘By any standard, the record is clear. Most Americans are not better off today than they were the day George Bush took office,’ Graham said. ‘And Democrats do not deserve to be elected unless they have a solid plan for economic growth. Today, I am offering the first comprehensive economic plan.’…Graham said he would rely on ‘shifting the tax burden from working Americans to the wealthiest of Americans’ by repealing the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts, except for those directed at the middle class. He would raise the former top tax rate to 38.6 percent and add a new ‘Millionaires Tax Bracket’ at 40 percent. He also would repeal the dividend and capital gains tax cuts recently signed into law by Bush. Graham would eliminate payroll taxes on the first $10,000 of salaries and wages in fiscal 2005 and 2006, which he said will put $760 into the pocket of each middle-class American.” (7/20/2003)

… Graham surfaces in Des Moines over the weekend to raise Cheney questions and promote his economic package – but the really bad news is that he keeps promising to return to Iowa with his family for an August “vacation.” First, the headline from yesterday’s Des Moines Register: “Graham: Cheney knew claim on Iraq uranium dean was false” Excerpt from report by Sunday Register’s lead wannabe writer Thomas Beaumont: “Democratic presidential candidate Bob Graham said Saturday that Vice President Dick Cheney knew information in the president's State of the Union address in January was false and should have told him to omit it. Graham, the former chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said he was privy to an intelligence report last year about a claim that Iraq had tried to buy uranium from the African nation of Niger to build a nuclear weapon. Graham said Joseph Wilson, a former U.S. ambassador who investigated the claim at Cheney's behest, reported that the claim was invalid because it was based on documents that had been forged. British intelligence was cited as the source of the claim. ‘I cannot believe that report was not made available to the vice president,’ Graham said while campaigning in Des Moines. ‘And I cannot further believe the vice president, seeing that report, would not have told the president.’…The White House has denied knowledge of Wilson's report. Republican National Committee spokesman Chad Colby said Graham had no proof that Cheney saw Wilson's report. ‘He needs to stop making baseless claims,’ Colby said…Second, an excerpt from coverage of Graham’s comments on his economic plan by AP’s Amy Lorentzen: “Florida Sen. Bob Graham touted his economic plan Saturday, saying it's a stark contrast to the Bush administration's fiscal policies. Graham, who is vying for the Democratic presidential nomination, said his plan will put money back in the hands of the American middle class. He said that's a change from President Bush's policies, which have widened the gap between rich and poor and dramatically increased the national deficit. ‘If you're in a hole the first thing you do is to stop digging. We're in a hole but it looks like what George W. is doing is asking for more shovels,’ Graham said to a group of about a dozen potential supporters who gathered at a coffeehouse in downtown Des Moines. He told the group that his six-year economic plan will lower the deficit while investing in the nation's future. His plan would promote a national high-speed rail system and encourage the use of renewable fuels such as wind power. The plan also includes increasing tax credits for students and people in job training programs to create a more skilled work force. Graham has been one of the least active candidates in Iowa, where precinct caucuses in January will launch the presidential nominating season. Over the past two weeks, however, he has announced the opening of eight satellite offices throughout Iowa and that he plans to take a weeklong family trip across the state in August. Graham, who spent the morning at a downtown farmers' market, also continued criticizing the president for misleading the American people about the war in Iraq.”(7/21/2003)

…Capital Hill newspaper The Hill undercuts Graham’s Don Quixote fantasy – notes that he has “stumbled badly” in early-state fundraising battle, says he has raised only $1,750 which puts him eighth (behind Moseley Braun) in the dollar derby. Headline from The Hill: “Graham flops in key states…Money race shows Dean bests Kerry in early primaries” Excerpt from coverage by The Hill’s Sam Dealey: “In key presidential primary states, Democratic contender Sen. Bob Graham (Fla.) has stumbled badly in the fundraising political derby while Howard Dean’s insurgent candidacy outpaced that of Sen. John Kerry (Mass.), an establishment favorite. The figures for Dean, a former Vermont governor, and the others reflect campaign finance filings for the three-month period ended June 30. Fundraising is an important indicator of a candidate’s strength, and the Democratic aspirants continued to rake in the big cash from donors in perennial cash cows such as California, Florida and New York. crucial But an equally important vital sign for a presidential campaign is the candidate’s ability to raise funds in early-voting and caucus states such as Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina …A poor showing in these states — and in some instances an inability to win — could severely damage a candidate’s viability and even force him to withdraw. Sen. John Edwards (N.C.) maintained a healthy lead in early primary states, pulling in over $93,000. Dean followed with $75,000, and Sen. Joe Lieberman (Conn.) with $51,000. Kerry and Rep. Dick Gephardt (Mo.) were near even, with $41,000 and $36,000 respectively. Graham fared the worst in these states, with just $1,750. While Graham’s fundraising in Iowa and New Hampshire was never expected to be strong, his continued poor performance in South Carolina is likely to raise eyebrows. As with his first filing, the Floridian — one of just two Southerners vying for the Democratic nomination — reported raising no money in the Palmetto State last quarter. What’s more, Graham’s financial support in North Carolina also plummeted, from just $10,000 in the first quarter to $800, better only than former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun (Ill.). The Graham campaign said these anemic fundraising totals reflected a nascent campaign organization rather than lack of support in these states. ‘Primarily we’ve been focused on meeting with political leaders and trying to build a political organization in those states,’ said Jamal Simmons, the campaign’s spokesman. Campaign finance reports show Graham’s financial support comes overwhelmingly from home-state donors. Almost 75 percent, or $1.23 million, of Graham donors were Floridians.”(7/23/2003)

… Headline of the day from the Washington Times: “3 Democrats risk black vote again” The Urban League might as well schedule some time later for Lieberman, Graham and Kerry to show up to offer their apologies for not showing up in the first place. Excerpts from coverage by the Times’ Steve Miller: “Three Democratic presidential hopefuls have not agreed to appear at the National Urban League's annual convention in Pittsburgh next week, putting them at risk of again being distanced from black voters, an overwhelmingly Democratic bloc. President Bush and six Democrats have committed to speak at the nationally renowned black group's convention Monday, the first gathering that includes both the Democratic aspirants and the president. Democratic Sens. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, Bob Graham of Florida and John Kerry of Massachusetts have not committed. ‘It's a great platform for Democrats, and it will give Bush an opportunity to give a record of what he did in Africa,’ said Donna Brazile, who heads the Democratic National Committee's Voting Rights Institute. ‘This is a very important speech to give, this is not a sound bite. And if they will be following Bush, they will be able to critique his speech.’ Democratic sources yesterday said several candidates had opted out of the gala until Sunday when The Washington Times reported that Mr. Bush would attend. ‘All of them wanted to go, and some had already set the wheels in motion for it, but [the president´s appearance] made it more important,’ said one Democrat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Several calls to the campaigns of Mr. Graham, Mr. Lieberman and Mr. Kerry were not returned. Al Sharpton and Carol Moseley Braun, the two black candidates in the Democratic field, and Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina pledged to appear at least a week ago. A spokeswoman for the Urban League said that ‘in the last couple of days,’ Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich of Ohio and Rep. Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean had confirmed they would address the convention on Monday. The Democratic candidates who will not attend are aware of the fallout. Last week, leaders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People were outraged that Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Kucinich and Mr. Gephardt did not participate in a candidates forum at their convention in Miami Beach, Fla.”(7/25/2003)

… The New York numbers are in – Bush $3.1 million, Kerry $1.7 million, Lieberman $1.4 million, Edwards $1.2 million, Sharpton $14,010. From DC, AP’s Devlin Barrett writes about NY and related fundraising numbers: “New Yorkers have given more than $6 million to Democratic presidential contenders in the first half of 2003, but home state candidate Al Sharpton has received just $14,010. Nationally, Sharpton lags far behind the big-name candidates in fund-raising, but the disparity only grows within New York, according to figures from the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP). In the first half of 2003, according to the CRP, Sen. John Kerry led among New York Democratic donors with $1.7 million, followed by Connecticut's Sen. Joe Lieberman with $1.4 million, and John Edwards of North Carolina with $1.2 million. Coming in fourth was former Vermont governor Howard Dean, with $844,749 followed by Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri with $804,501. Sen. Bob Graham of Florida collected just under $100,000. New York is a key fund-raising state for both parties. President Bush has taken in nearly $3.1 million, figures show. Sharpton's relatively tiny $14,010 beats out only Carol Moseley Braun, a former U.S. Senator from Illinois who took in $5,750 from New Yorkers, according to the CRP. The largest share of Sharpton's money comes from Michigan, specifically the Detroit area, which contributed $36,000, followed by Pennsylvania with $17,000. New York state is third on the list, counting for just 11 percent of his campaign money. He has raised a little more than $184,000 nationwide. The activist's campaign manager, Frank Watkins, said the numbers show Sharpton ‘made the most mileage with the least amount of fuel.’”(7/25/2003)

…Under the subhead “Deranged moderate,” Greg Pierce reported in his “Inside Politics” column in yesterday’s Washington Times: “’Florida senator Bob Graham seems to be carving out a new niche for himself: that of the deranged moderate,’ National Review says in an editorial. ‘Graham is supposed to be a great asset to the Democrats. He has a moderate record, foreign policy experience, and popularity in a state rich with electoral votes. He has often been discussed as a vice presidential nominee. But he hasn't been getting much attention in the presidential primaries, and so he keeps turning up the volume,’ the magazine said. ‘In his latest eruption, he suggested that Bush's alleged deceptions in the run-up to the Iraq war warrant impeachment. (Graham, of course, voted against impeaching Clinton for breaking laws.) Graham's strategy does not appear to be working: The fire-breathers have settled on Howard Dean. What Graham may be doing is talking himself out of the number-two slot.’”(7/29/2003)

… Relentless – and sometimes ridiculous – Graham continues defending his comments about Bush’s Iraq conduct meeting the standard for an impeachable offense. Headline from CNN.com: “Graham defends argument for impeachment… Durbin: ‘Evidence doesn’t support’ Florida senator’s comments” Excerpt from the CNN report: “Sen. Bob Graham defended his assertion that President Bush's actions in making the case for the war in Iraq reach the standard of an impeachable offense set by Republicans against former President Clinton. ‘Clearly, if the standard is now what the House of Representatives did in the impeachment of Bill Clinton, the actions of this president [are] much more serious in terms of dereliction of duty,’ the Florida Democrat and presidential hopeful said on ‘Fox News Sunday.’ Graham also charged that Bush ‘knowingly’ misled the American people about the reasons for going to war in Iraq -- both by claiming that Iraq was trying to buy uranium in Africa and by withholding information about the length, danger and expense of postwar reconstruction.  ‘This president failed to tell the American people what he knew about the consequences of military victory in Iraq,’ Graham said on NBC's ‘Meet The Press.’…Graham said on Fox that his comments about impeachment amount to ‘a very academic discussion’ because Republicans control the House, which would have to initiate any impeachment proceedings.  ‘Tom DeLay and the other leadership of the House of Representatives are not going to impeach George W. Bush,’ Graham said. ‘The good news is that in November of 2004, the American people will have a chance to both impeach and remove George W. Bush in one step.’ But another prominent Democratic critic of the Iraq war, Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois, said Sunday that ‘the evidence doesn't support’ Graham's comments about impeachment.  ‘There is absolutely no evidence that the president knowingly misled the American people,’ Durbin said on CNN's ‘Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer.’ ‘I've never made that charge, nor have I heard it made from any credible source.’” (7/29/2003)

Graham main page

top of page

Paid for by the Iowa Presidential Watch PAC

P.O. Box 171, Webster City, IA 50595

privacy  /  agreement  /    /  homepage / search engine