Bob Graham

excerpts from the Iowa Daily Report

May 2003

…  Graham says he and family – including four daughters and 10 grandchildren – will take their annual family vacation in IA this August. They’ll travel in two Winnebago RVs – which are built in Forest City.(5/1/2003)

… For Lieberman, it’s too bad every state isn’t South Carolina – because he leads the Dem field in awareness, favorability and ballot preference among likely SC Dem voters. According to an American Research Group survey (conducted 4/24-29), almost half of the state’s Dem voters are still undecided (47%) – but Lieberman has nearly one-fifth (19%) the vote. Three wannabes are bunched together behind Lieberman – Gephardt 9%, Kerry 8% and Edwards (who was born in Seneca, SC) 7% with Sharpton at 3%. The 2% players are Dean and Graham, while Biden (who’s not an announced candidate), Hart (who’s not an announced candidate) and Moseley Braun (who is an announced candidate) register in with 1%. Bringing up the pack – Kucinich and Gen/CNN war analyst Clark with solid 0% showings.(5/2/2003)

… Graham, who made his first campaign visit to IA earlier this week, discounted suggestions he’s getting a late start and predicted he will quickly “close the gap” on the other Dem wannabes. Radio Iowa reported Graham, whose campaign was delayed due to his heart valve surgery in January, cited his resume, that “he’s the only candidate from a ‘major’ state” in the Dem race, and his “fire in the belly” as reasons his candidacy will succeed. He also noted that he is one of two former governors (along with Dean) in the Dem pres field. During his Iowa visit, Graham announced that he and his family – including four daughters and 10 grandchildren – would tour IA during their annual August vacation in two Winnebago RVs, which are manufactured in Forest City.     (5/2/2003)

… Two of the Dem wannabes – Graham and Lieberman – were among the missing when Senate Democrats blocked floor action on consideration of the Priscilla Owen judicial nomination. The vote: 52-44 with two Dems (Miller of GA, Nelson of NE) joining Republicans, but 60 votes are required to invoke cloture on the nomination. The other Dem senator-candidates, Edwards and Kerry, -- obviously – voted against the Owen nomination. Senate Dems indicated they plan to filibuster her nomination – meaning they would be running duel filibusters against both the Owen and Estrada nominations. Meanwhile, the Washington Times reported yesterday that Senate Republicans are studying strategies to break the filibusters. (5/3/2003)

… Headline from OpinionJournal.com: “Is Graham crackers? …A Democratic candidate runs against a successful war.” The column by assistant OpinionJournal.com editor Brendan Miniter says, “Too bad Bob Graham didn’t open the morning papers before he opened his mouth on Sunday.” Miniter notes that on ABC’s “This Week” last Sunday Graham pointed out that “we have virtually abandoned the war” on terrorism. More Miniter: “Did he miss the Sunday New York Times?” – citing a Times report by C. J. Chivers indicating three manuals were found in Iraq that were “nearly identical to those found in al-Qaeda bases in liberated Afghanistan.” And more Miniter: “Mr. Graham, of course, is also wrong about the Bush administration neglecting Afghanistan. There are still 11,500 U. S. soldiers there hunting for al Qaeda terrorists and Taliban remnants …Why do Mr. Graham and some of his fellow Democrats insist, against all evidence, that the war in Iraq has nothing to do with terrorism? Because they seek to discredit President Bush’s most impressive achievement to date, yet they can’t be seen as opposing the war on terror. Mr. Graham hopes to cover himself by arguing for a different war. If elected president, Mr. Graham promises to bring the international community into the rebuilding effort in Iraq and concentrate on Hezbollah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad and other terrorist groups. He should know that another Democrat tried a similar approach and got trounced. In 1988 Michael Dukakis opposed President Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative, but to avoid appearing soft on defense, he urged more spending on conventional weapons like tanks. Tanks were not kind to the Massachusetts governor that year. Democratic naysaying about a successful war doesn’t promise to be a winning strategy in 2004, either.” (5/3/2003)

… Graham update: It would appear Graham still hasn’t read the Sunday New York Times. Yesterday, he said: “The war on terrorism has been on the back burner for the past year. We need to put it on the front burner.”(5/3/2003)

… More from the ABC/Washington Post poll: ABCNews.com’s Langer also reports that Lieberman has now established a “statistically significant lead” over the other Dem wannabes. He notes that Lieberman is “likely the best-known Democratic candidate by dint of his exposure as Al Gore’s running mate on the 2000 ticket” – but that the ABC News/Washington Post showing is “numerically his best in any national media-sponsored poll this year.” The Big Three – the group that’s topped most recent polls – continued their dominance: Lieberman 29%, Gephardt 19%, Kerry 14%. All others in single digits, but the surprise is Moseley Braun in fourth with 6%. The rest: Edwards at 4%, three – Sharpton, Graham and Dean – at 3%, and Kucinich 2%. (5/4/2003)

… Pre-debate handicapping and analysis from yesterday’s Los Angeles Times: “Each candidate has begun to try to establish distinguishing characteristics: Kerry has sought to capitalize on his medal-winning service in the Vietnam War – where he served in a Navy unit in the Mekong Delta – to establish in voters’ mind his competence on national security issues. That could be a key in running against Bush’s record as a wartime leader …Dean, a strong critic of Bush’s policy toward Iraq, has received warm receptions from Democrats who opposed the war. The early support Kerry and Dean have attracted [was] likely to make them targets [during last night’s debate]. Edwards, an attorney before winning his Senate seat in 1998, raised more money than any of the candidates during the first three months of this year, with many of the contributions coming from trial lawyers. Lieberman, who was Al Gore’s vice presidential running mate in 2000, is seeking to appeal to party centrists. Gephardt has set out a detailed health-care proposal that aims to provide coverage for nearly all Americans – an issue dear to many Democrats. Graham, who was governor of Florida for eight years and is now serving his third Senate term, has touted himself as the most experienced candidate.” Times’ staff writers James Gerstenzang and Mark Z. Barabak concluded their report: “Braun, Sharpton and Kucinich are liberal underdogs in the race who are seeking to present themselves as realistic alternatives to the more prominent candidates.” (5/4/2003)

… The Des Moines Register reports that two Iowa Dem party staffers have been hired to oversee Graham’s campaign effort in the state – and probably plan the Graham family vacation in the state this August. Jessica Vanden Berg, 28, the IA party’s caucus director, will be director of Graham’s IA caucus campaign. Sarah Benzing, 25, who was the state party’s field director last fall, will become director of field operations for Graham. (5/4/2003)

Associated Press coverage of last night’s debate: “No Democrat has carried South Carolina in a presidential race since Jimmy Carter of neighboring Georgia in 1976. Al Gore visited the state only once in 2000, but Graham and Edwards tout their southern roots as an advantage that can help them beat Bush.”(5/4/2003)

… Headline from this morning’s Union Leader online in New Hampshire: “Graham to join Democrats in race” He officially becomes the ninth Dem wannabe today with an announcement in his hometown of Miami Lakes, FL – a community his family developed from its expansive dairy farm. Associated Press reported that Graham “launches his Presidential campaign several months behind a crowded field of Democrats but is resolute in the belief his credentials, and years of toiling in the nation’s key battleground state, will help separate him from the crowd.” Florida news reports – outside of those already dismissing his candidacy – indicate he’ll emphasize his experience as a three-term senator and former governor, while highlighting that the last three Dem Presidents (Clinton, Carter and Johnson) are from the South. (Iowa Pres Watch Note: It would appear Graham missed a history or geography lesson along the way. If he thinks a Southerner should be elected president – and considers LBJ a former president from the south – what’s wrong with the Texan who’s already there?)(5/6/2003)

… Graham – known affectionately by Iowa Pres Watchers as “Graham Crackers” – is a former FL gov, a current FL sen and the target of a commentary by Peter A. Brown in the Orlando Sentinel. Headline, “Bob Graham – nowhere man in 2004” Brown wrote: “Virtually every four years some thoughtful, well-respected senator indulges himself into thinking his Capitol Hill reputation is useful currency in a White House campaign. Then he falls flat on his face. Five dollars will get you 10 that, in 2004, his name will be Bob Graham. Graham, a well-regarded three-term senator and former governor, is revered in Florida politics. But he is a much longer shot than most presidential wannabes with a similar profile. Three times in the past 16 years, Democratic presidential candidates have considered and rejected Graham as their running mate. Michael Dukakis, Bill Clinton and Al Gore each knew what he was doing. Graham is the 2004 version of Richard Lugar of Indiana and Orrin Hatch of Utah, who in 1996 and 2000 somehow thought their decades in the Senate and position as the Republicans’ congressional expert on foreign affairs and the judiciary, respectively, would impress primary voters. Boy, were they wrong…. Graham, of course, argues correctly that, when he began his political career with a long-shot run for governor, he was in a similarly precarious situation. Perhaps, but in this race, he sure looks like the 2004 model of Lugar and Hatch.”(5/6/2003)

… From yesterday’s “Best of Web” column by James Taranto on OpinionJournal.com (Wall Street Journal): “Two of the candidates – John Edwards and Bob Graham – seem likely to join Fritz Hollings, TOM HARKIN, Dick Lugar, Orrin Hatch and others in the Annals of Forgotten Senators’ Presidential Campaigns. Edwards’s only distinction is that he’s the prettiest of the nine candidates (OK, not much of a distinction in this crowd). He’s only a first-term senator, and hardly anyone outside of his home state other than political junkies has heard of him. Granted, he’s spent as much time in public office as George W. Bush had four years ago …Bob Graham is the one candidate we feel sorry for. He’s as unknown outside his home state as Edwards is, and he doesn’t have inexperience as an excuse. If anyone has paid his political dues, the 66-year-old has: elected governor of Florida in 1978, and to the Senate in 1986, where he’s been ever sense. When he opens his mouth, the reason for his obscurity becomes clear; to put it bluntly, he is one of the dullest men in American politics. To be sure, dullness also reflects good qualities -- responsibility, sobriety – but America is electing a president, not a designated driver.” (5/6/2003)

… More post-debate analysis: Washington Post’s Dan Balz – headline, “Debate Bares Democrats’ Great Divide” – wrote in yesterday morning’s editions: “Democrats are united in their determination to send President Bush back to Texas in November 2004, but the first debate of the presidential campaign exposed the limits of that unity and the near-total absence of consensus about how best to challenge the president in the general election. The president was barely a presence at Saturday’s 90-minute debate on the campus of the University of South Carolina, attacked from time to time for his tax cuts and record on the economy but hardly the main focus of the nine candidates on the stage. Instead, the Democrats turned on one another – in some cases to bare serious differences over the war in Iraq or how to expand health care coverage; in other cases to reveal personal animosities and to begin in earnest the jockeying for position in what now promises to be an especially tough battle for the nomination.” Balz noted that during the debate Kerry and Dean “attacked one another” …Edwards attacked Gephardt … Lieberman “attacked any number of his rivals” …Graham and Sharpton, at different points, “urged their fellow candidates to aim their fire at the president, rather than give the Republicans ammunition to use against the Democratic nominee – but to no avail.”(5/6/2003)

Report on Graham, who formally announced his candidacy in Florida yesterday – Slogan: “Proven Leadership Working for America.” The Miami Herald’s Tyler Bridges reviews Graham’s weekend adventure in South Carolina where he joined the other candidates for the debate and other Dem party activities. Excerpt from Bridges’ coverage: “If ever Bob Graham needed to wow a crowd, it was Saturday afternoon when he – along with the other Democratic presidential aspirants – competed for the affections of more than 1,000 party activists in a state that could decide who will challenge President Bush next year, with the nation’s top political reporters watching. Graham bombed. Each of the other seven presidential candidates who appeared in person roused the crowd with stirring lines, attacking Bush for the country’s economic problems and his favored prescription: tax cuts tilted toward the wealthy…Graham only received tepid applause when he said, ‘We remain unprepared to deal with terrorist attacks at home’ and ‘I know that the economy is running at one of the slowest rates in American history,’ Graham also suffered the indignity of being gonged not once but twice – a signal to the candidate and the audience that he ran over the allotted six minutes.” (5/7/2003)

They haven’t exactly been acting like buddies over recent weeks – or during last Saturday night’s debate – but Dean and Kerry probably have more motivation this morning to escalate the two-wannabe exchange of charges and countercharges: A new New Hampshire poll shows them in a 23%-all deadlock. The Franklin Pierce College poll (conducted 4/27-5/1) indicates they have left the rest of the field in the political dust with Lieberman a distant third (9%) and Gephardt in fourth (8%). An indication of the overall situation – Dean and Kerry have 23% each and 31% are undecided, leaving the other nine wannabes (and potential wannabes) included in the poll to divide up the remaining 23%. Making the poll even stranger, two non-candidates – Hart and General Wesley Clark – are next, registering 2% each. Then, at 1% -- Edwards, Graham, Kucinich and Moseley Braun. Sharpton, as in most NH polls, registered a solid 0%. Two more notes: The number of undecideds dropped 7% -- from 38% a Franklin Pierce poll early last month.  Although most of the Dem candidates are not well-known in New Hampshire, six of the wannabes have higher unfavorable ratings than favorable impressions – Clark, Graham, Hart, Kucinich, Moseley-Braun and Sharpton. The worst unfavorable rating – Sharpton (60%) to a 5% favorable showing, followed by Hart (52% unfavorable, 23% favorable).(5/7/2003)

When Senate Republicans attempted – and failed -- for a fifth time to try to break the Democratic filibuster against judicial nominee Miguel A. Estrada, only one Dem wannabe voted against it: Edwards. That’s because the other three senator-wannabes – Graham, Kerry and Lieberman – were AWOL from the Senate on Monday. The vote was 52-39 on the Estrada filibuster this time, but 60 are required to proceed with the nomination. The Senate also confirmed – on a 66-25 vote – Ohio Supreme Court Justice Deborah Cook for the U. S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati. Same lineup – Edwards voted no with Graham, Kerry and Lieberman absent. (5/7/2003)

From the New Hampshire beat, The Union Leader’s John DiStaso reported Graham was being endorsed by longtime activist-lobbyist Jim Monahan and retired Manchester firefighter and activist Skip Hebert. He also reported that Graham was scheduled in New Hampshire May 7-9 (today thru Friday) – with one stop that would include a “work day” as a teacher.  (5/7/2003)

Under the subhead “Graham’s big day,” Greg Pierce reported in the “Inside Politics” column in yesterday’s Washington Times: “Democratic Sen. Bob Graham comes home to Miami Lakes, Fla., today [yesterday] to formally initiate a presidential campaign that has earned him an unfamiliar tag – underdog. On the main street of the planned Florida community where his father’s dairy farm once stood, Mr. Graham will begin the task of introducing himself to the nation and trying to convince skeptical Democrats that he has the passion and ideas to challenge President Bush next year, Reuters news agency reports. It promises to be an uphill battle for the 66-year-old two-time governor and three-term U. S. Senator who has not lost an election in Florida since running for the state Legislature in 1966. But it is one he is convinced he can win, the report said. Turning his immense popularity in the state into a national groundswell could be tough, given his sometimes charisma-challenged public appearances.”(5/7/2003)

An Iowa spin on Graham’s announcement: The Quad-City Times – headline, “Graham comes out fighting” -- did an Iowa version yesterday of the ninth wannabe’s candidacy announcement. The Times’ Ed Tibbetts reported that Graham “may be entering the 2004 presidential race late, but among Democrats seeking the nomination, he holds a politically potent hold card: He’s from Florida, perhaps the most symbolic of the swing states. Graham formally announced his candidacy Tuesday in his hometown of Miami Lakes. He accused President Bush of taking the country off-course, both economically and in its relationship with other countries. ‘America has gotten off-track,” Graham later said in a conference call with reporters from Iowa and New Hampshire…With its trove of electoral votes and deep financial pockets, his home state gives Graham a good launching pad. But he comes to the race late in Iowa, where rivals have been working on activists for months …Graham helped himself, however, by signing up Sheila McGuire Riggs, the ex-chairwoman of the Iowa Democratic Party, to chair his campaign in the state. Two other Iowa staff people are also ex-party employees.” (5/8/2003)

Leftover from the Graham candidacy announcement earlier this week: From the Los Angeles Times coverage by Nick Anderson – “Graham is the only Democratic senator seeking the presidential nomination who opposed the congressional resolution in October that authorized Bush to use military force against Hussein’s regime. ‘Instead of pursuing the most imminent and real threats – international terrorism – this Bush administration chose to settle old scores,’ Graham said. ‘We all agree that Saddam Hussein is an evil man, but he is not our biggest threat.’ He said the administration’s foreign policy had needlessly ignited hostility to the United States around the world, ‘not only by those who hate and threaten us but also by those who share our values.’” The report added that “Graham’s position on the war separates him from the rest of the Democratic pack” – joining anti-war wannabes Kucinich, Dean, Moseley Braun and Sharpton.  (Iowa Pres Watch Note: Another difference – only two, Graham and Kucinich, actually voted against the congressional resolution since the other three aren’t in Congress. On the other hand, they have something in common – the five definite losers in the Dem presidential derby.) (5/9/2003)

Hi, my name is Bob and I’ll be your waiter today. In his “Inside Politics” column in yesterday’s Washington Times, Greg Pierce reported – under the subhead, “Waiting tables” – that Graham plans to do a “work day” in Des Moines on Mother’s Day. Pierce’s commentary: “Giving Mom a break from the kitchen on Mother’s Day? If you are in Iowa, the person clearing your family’s dirty plates at a local restaurant may be one of the Democratic presidential candidates, the Associated Press reports. Bob Graham, who formally began his campaign Tuesday, plans to wait tables at a Des Moines eatery as part of his traditional ‘workdays,’ in which the Florida senator labors in a regular job such as teacher or firefighter …The only hitch for the campaign is finding a restaurant. The initial choice, a popular family owned Italian restaurant, Tumea and Sons, isn’t open on Sundays.” (5/9/2003)

From Los Angeles Times online – headline, “Bush Delays 9/11 Report, Graham Says” – a report yesterday that said Graham “accused the Bush administration Thursday of stonewalling on the public release of a congressional report on the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. ‘The only reason that delay has occurred is because the administration does not want our report to be available to the American people,” said Graham, Florida’s senior senator and former chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.” The Associated Press report said, “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. Graham, who chaired the committee at the time the report was completed, said he thinks the White House is behind the delay. ‘They don’t want this report to come out,” he said. “There has not been in my memory, and I would question whether there has been in modern American history, an administration that was so committed to secrecy as this Bush administration.”(5/10/2003)

And the Graham campaign keeps stumbling along… Graham hasn’t even been a candidate a week yet, but not a day goes by that one of the FL newspapers hasn’t had a story about his campaign misadventures, missteps or general lack of charisma. The latest installment, courtesy of yesterday’s Congressional Quarterly midday update – “Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., got a prime opportunity to discuss his presidential campaign on the ‘Today’ show Wednesday morning, but host Katie Couric focused on Graham’s habit of logging his activities each day. She quoted a Washington Post story about unusual entries, such as one noting the music at his campaign kick-off that said, ‘We Are Family plays (Sister Sledge).’ Couric, NOT REALIZING THE POST PIECE WAS PARADOY, asked Graham incredulously, ‘ What do you do this for?’ Graham said, ‘That is absurd.’ The St. Petersburg Times reported that Graham tried to explain the log was bogus, but his answer was unclear and viewers probably did not realize what he meant. ‘Today’ show spokesperson Lauren Kapp declined to discuss whether Couric had misunderstood the Post story, saying only: ‘Katie followed up on a story in The Washington Post regarding the senator’s daily log. The senator answered the question.’” (5/10/2003)

In Des Moines, three Dems say GWB vulnerable in 2004. Register’s Thomas Beaumont yesterday reported on Saturday night event at state fairgrounds: “Three Democratic presidential candidates said in Iowa that President Bush can be defeated in 2004 despite his postwar popularity, but they differ on why they think the president is vulnerable. ‘The outcome of the 1992 election indicates that the association with the troops and the prominence gained are not guarantees of re-election,’ said Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., referring to Bush’s father, former President Bush, who saw his postwar popularity evaporate by Election Day …Graham said President Bush is vulnerable because his approval rating today is 10 to 15 points lower than his father’s was at the end of the Persian Gulf War …Dean accused Bush of failing to buy stockpiles of plutonium used in building nuclear weapons to keep the radioactive material out of terrorist hands …Kucinich said he believes Bush can be beaten mainly because he believes the president misrepresented the purpose of the war …Kucinich was the most outraged of the three by Bush’s aircraft carrier landing on May 2 ….’The president, by that stunt, sends a message that the military is in control of our government,’ Kucinich said. ‘It’s against every tradition and principle of a democracy.’”(5/12/2003)

AP’s designated IA caucus watcher Mike Glover reported in this morning’s print editions it “didn’t take Florida Sen. Bob Graham long to find a nugget as he bustled around a crowded diner, polishing tables and carting away tubs of dirty glasses and dishes in a classic campaign endeavor, ‘We’d like Bush fired and I’m a Republican,’ said Louis Smith, a retired college professor taking out his wife, Joyce, for a Mother’s Day brunch …After a minute, Graham was off to the Drake Diner’s next table that needed busing …Graham spent five hours busing tables at the diner, the 388th “work day” of his political career ….Since entering the race for the Democratic nomination, Graham has pledged to continue his work days in early voting states like Iowa and New Hampshire. He arrived in Iowa after spending a day teaching school in New Hampshire, and plans to work as the hired help on an Iowa farm next week.” (5/12/2003)

Lieberman was one of three senators to miss the latest cloture votes to end the filibusters against the judicial nominations of Miguel A. Estrada and Priscilla Richman Owen. The other three Dem senator-wannabes – Edwards, Graham and Kerry – were present and voted against ending the filibusters. Lieberman also was the only Dem presidential candidates missing when the Senate voted 96-0 to add seven eastern European nations to NATO – Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. (5/12/2003)

Veteran Washington Times political ace Donald Lambro – under the headline, “Kerry gets high liberal marks on defense” – reported: “Sen. John Kerry has the most liberal voting record on defense legislation of all of his Senate rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination, according to several advocacy groups that rate lawmakers’ votes. The Americans for Democratic Action, one of the nation’s oldest and most liberal advocacy organizations, gives the Massachusetts senator a stellar 93 percent score for the votes he has cast on national security amendments and bills during his Senate career – from questioning antimissile defense systems to supporting nuclear test-ban treaties. His grade is by far the most liberal among the top tier of Senate Democratic candidates seeking their party’s nomination for president in 2004.” Lambro wrote that the ADA ratings indicated Edwards was Kerry’s nearest rival with a grade of 71.5 percent, followed by Lieberman (51%) and Graham (48%). The report noted three of the senators supported the resolution approving use of military force in Iraq with Graham opposed.(5/13/2003)

The Miami Herald – under the online headline, “Graham lags behind president in Florida …Democrats face trouble, poll shows” – reported: “He may be Florida’s most venerable politician, but even U.S. Sen. Bob Graham doesn’t have the juice in his home state to overcome the popularity of a wartime president – at least not now – a new poll conducted for The Herald and two other newspapers shows. If Graham were the Democratic nominee for president and the election were held today, he would lose to President Bush 52 percent to 43 percent in Florida, the state where Graham has held elected office since the 1960s, served two terms as governor and 17 years as a senator.” More: “The survey, with a margin of error of four percentage points, puts a ding in the most compelling argument for Graham to win his party’s nomination: that he can deliver Florida’s critical 27 electoral votes in November 2004 and kick Bush out of the White House …Graham appears to be struggling with the same challenge now facing some of his rivals, like North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, who are forced to argue that they can win a national election despite early polls showing their weaknesses at home …The best, albeit predictable, news for Graham’s campaign is that he would easily win the March 9 Democratic primary in Florida, taking 54 percent against his eight rivals.” The poll indicated Lieberman was the second choice with 13%. (5/13/2003)

Graham at least gets good grades for message/issue discipline, but is anybody listening -- or even care? Since he announced his candidacy a week ago, the FL senator has been on a continuing rant contending that the Bush administration has delayed a report on the 9/11 terrorist attacks. From yesterday’s Washington Times: “Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Bob Graham of Florida yesterday [Sunday] accused the Bush administration of ‘covering up’ information vital to protecting the country against future terrorist attacks.” He made the comments on CBS’ ‘Face the Nation’ Sunday. The Times report continued: “Sen. Chuck Hagel, Nebraska Republican and Select Intelligence Committee member, was later asked to address Mr. Graham’s comments on CNN’s ‘Late Edition.’ Mr. Hagel said he was stumped by the accusation. ‘I am not aware of what he is talking about,’ Mr. Hagel said. ‘Obviously, with this very serious charge, someone is going to pay attention to that, and I suspect we will be accepting that challenge and finding out what he is talking about here shortly.” (5/13/2003)

And now comes one of the toughest challenges of being an Iowan – no off-color jokes, please – as most Americans can’t even name a Dem presidential candidate while they become household names (and café visitors) in places like Eldon, Strawberry Point and North Buena Vista. CBSNews.com reported last night that the most common response to a question about whether respondents could name “any Democratic presidential candidates” was a resounding 66% that answered, “No, cannot recall any.” That means 34% -- presumably residents of IA, NH, SC and the candidate’s respective home states – could name at least one Dem wannabe. The numbers: 9% know Lieberman is running for the Dem nomination followed by Kerry (7%) and Gephardt (6%). The order – Graham at 3%, Edwards and Sharpton at 2%, Dean at 1% and the others with a combined 4%. (Iowa Pres Watch Note: Watch out – Graham, who just announced a week ago, obviously has captured the momentum while Lieberman continues to build on his 2000 V.P. run. That, by the way, is Sharpton moving up on the outside. Yes, it really is too bad Hillary’s not in the field – yet – because she’d show the wannabes bow to create headlines, not to mention that she’s already well known for various reasons.)(5/14/2003)

Graham wasted little time blaming the Bush administration’s efforts in Iraq for contributing to the bombings in Saudi Arabia on Monday. Graham, who has registered almost daily accusations since announcing his candidacy that the Bush team has ignored terrorism, was quoted in yesterday’s Washington Times as saying, “It [the bombing] could have been avoided if you actually crushed the basic infrastructure of al Qaeda. They would not have had the capability to launch such a sophisticated attack.” Graham, a former chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said: “I think from the beginning of the war in Afghanistan, which was in early October of 2001, until about February or March of 2002, we were making good progress in dismantling the basic structure of al Qaeda. Then we started to redirect our attention to Iraq, and al Qaeda was regenerated.” The Times also reported that Senate GOP Leader Frist, although he hadn’t heard Graham’s report, said he would “wholeheartedly disagree” with the accusation. (5/15/2003)

Trouble in Graham’s Florida political paradise. Miami Herald report – headline, “Old friends say Graham is too close to Big Sugar” – by Peter Wallsten and Lesley Clark: “As he seeks the Democratic nomination for president, U.S. Sen. Bob Graham is under fire from environmentalists who say their longtime hero has failed them with his timid response to efforts by Big Sugar to loosen pollution restrictions in the Everglades. Citing the industry’s tens of thousands of dollars in donations since last year to Graham’s presidential campaign and political action committee, some critics are now charging that Graham is more interested in avoiding a fight that might undermine his ability to raise more money for what will be a costly campaign. The criticism of the contributions – including a $50,000 check last summer – could complicate Graham’s quest for the Democratic nomination in a field of rivals who have been quick to seize the issue popular with primary voters. Several of Graham’s competitors – including Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts and former Gov. Howard Dean of Vermont – have called on Gov. Jeb Bush to veto the measure, while Graham, a former two-term governor of Florida, has stopped short of such a demand …All told, according to state and federal campaign finance records, Graham and his PAC, the Bob Graham Leadership Forum, raised $61,000 from the sugar industry …The controversy could prove dangerous to Graham as he seeks to establish national viability in the race to challenge President Bush. Environmentalists have a strong voice in the Democratic Party, in Florida as well as key 2004 primary states such as California, New York, Arizona and Iowa.  ” (5/17/2003)

Graham’s problems with his home-state environmentalists may pale compared to the Democratic Leadership Council’s criticisms of Dean and Gephardt. The Washington Times’ Donald Lambro reported yesterday that the two wannabes were singled out for “lurching to the left on positions that would ensure President Bush’s re-election next year.” Lambro wrote that the DLC criticized Dean for “what it called a message of weakness on national security” and Gephardt for “his universal health care plan, which the DLC derided as a liberal, big-government proposal that was doomed to fail.” The DLC was especially critical of Dean, basically describing him as a George McGovern clone (or George McGovern wannabe). The Associated Press report on the DLC statement said: “ ‘What activists like Dean call the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party is an aberration: The McGovern-Mondale wing, defined principally by weaknesses abroad and elite interest-group liberalism at home.’  (5/17/2003)

After weeks of attacking each other and spending the past week or so pretending to be universal health care experts, the Dem wannabes in Des Moines yesterday shifted their focus to red meat politics – attacking GWB. Associated Press Iowa watcher Mike Glover reported that virtually all of the Dem contenders “charged that Bush is pushing tax cuts for the rich as the nation’s economy staggers and budget deficits swell.” Quote from Graham: “We’ve lost jobs, we’ve lost pensions and we’ve lost confidence in the American economy.”(5/18/2003)

Headline on CNN.com – “Graham, Edwards put Senate Democrats in bind …Possible replacements await decision” CNN.com featured a Reuters report that said Edwards and Graham “may be busy running for president, but their fellow Democrats back home are in limbo as they anxiously await word on the pair’s Senate re-election plans next year. Edwards, a freshman from North Carolina, and Graham, a three-term veteran from Florida, have left open the option of running for the Senate again next year if their presidential campaigns do not take off. The uncertainty has left the Senate races in both states in suspended animation and complicated Democratic hopes of recapturing a Senate majority next year …Neither Edwards not Graham have set a timetable to decide, although they might not know the fate of their presidential bids until February of next year.” (5/18/2003)

In Omaha over the weekend, Graham told 400 Dems at annual Morrison-Exon Dinner that his candidacy represents the best opportunity to defeat GWB. World-Herald headline: “Graham says he is Democrats’ best bet” Excerpt from Henry J. Cordes coverage: “Not only did the appearance give the Florida Democrat access to the media market in southwestern Iowa, he could also pick up some key volunteers and support for his bid in next year’s Iowa caucuses. Activists from Nebraska often cross the river to stump for candidates in Iowa’s first-in-the-nation presidential test …The lawmaker, who has never lost an election during a political career that began in 1966, [told the audience] he was the party’s best hope to unseat Bush. He cited his centrist political leanings and proven vote-getting ability in Florida, the key swing state that Bush controversially won in 2000. ‘I know I can win the 27 electoral votes in Florida and not have to rely on the U.S. Supreme Court,’ he said.”(5/19/2003)

IOWA DEM WANNABE POLL CITED. Under the headline, “Field of 9 down to leaders, longshots” – Donald Lambro reported in yesterday’s Washington Times: “The nine-member field of Democratic presidential candidates has been effectively whittled down to about three or four top contenders in the early nominating contests, with everyone else nearly off the radar screen. Democratic strategists say it will be difficult for anyone to catch up to Missouri Rep. Richard A. Gephardt in the Jan. 19 Iowa caucuses, where the former House Democratic leader has widened his lead to 25 percent or more. His closest rival, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, trails behind in second place with 13 points, according to pollster John Zogby. None of the other candidates is running even close to the two front-runners in the state. Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, who was catapulted into contention earlier this year as a result of his opposition to the war in Iraq, has fallen back in the caucus state, drawing around five points. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut doesn’t fare much better than that. Freshman Sen. John R. Edwards of North Carolina is ‘barely on the radar screen’ in Iowa, Mr. Zogby said.” Lambro wrote the rest of the field – Moseley Braun, Sharpton, Kucinich and Graham – are “at 1 percent or 2 percent or register no support at all.” In making his case that the field is narrowing down, Lambro also noted that Kerry and Dean lead the Dems in New Hampshire with Gephardt and Lieberman following – and “the rest of the field registering 1 percent or less.” He noted, however, that Lieberman has been leading in national polls at 19 percent, followed by Gephardt (14%) and Kerry (12%).(5/22/2003)

From Congressional Quarterly’s midday update yesterday: “TODAY’S TRIVIA: Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., has saved nearly 4,000 spiral notebooks in which he has recorded every daily detail of his life, a practice he has called ‘my greatest attempt at staying disciplined.’” (5/22/2003)

When the Senate voted Tuesday night (7:24 p.m. EDT) – by a 51-43 margin – to end a 10-year ban on research and development of low-yield nuclear weapons, only one of the Dem presidential candidates was present and voting: Lieberman. The other three Senate wannabes – Edwards, Graham and Kerry – were among six senators recorded as not voting. Lieberman (along with Harkin and Hillary) voted for a Democratic amendment to keep the ban. Grassley joined with Republicans and a couple Dems to end the 10-year restriction on nuclear arms R&D. Quote worth quoting: Ted Kennedy – “This issue is as clear as any issue ever gets. You’re either for nuclear war or you’re not. Either you want to make it easier to start using nuclear weapons or you don’t…If we build it, we’ll use it.” (5/22/2003)

Graham attacks both George W. and Jeb Bush. Under the headline “Graham gives the Bushes a scolding…Senator shores up image on Everglades,” the Miami Herald’s Peter Wallsten yesterday reported from Tallahassee: “U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, moving Wednesday to repair his environmental image while adding some sting to his presidential message, accused the Bush brothers of ‘malfeasance’ for backing controversial Everglades legislation and predicted Florida would punish the president for it next year. The scolding from the typically measured senator came days after leading environmentalists accused Graham of failing to forcefully oppose the sugar industry-backed bill even while some of his primary opponents and leading Republicans in Congress demanded a veto. Campaign strategists hope that Graham’s statement Wednesday will quiet his critics who question his commitment to the Everglades restoration while demonstrating that he is capable of unleashing a strong attack that could distinguish him from his eight rivals for the presidential nomination. Graham’s statement also marked the most concrete sign yet that the Democrats view Gov. Jeb Bush’s support for the Everglades measure as a potential campaign weapon to use against his brother in the battle for the state’s 27 electoral votes. [Graham’s] statement drew laughter from Gov. Bush, who reminded reporters that Graham had not even asked him to veto the bill after he signed it Tuesday. ‘With all due respect to the senior senator, I got a faxed letter from him 30 minutes after I signed the bill, urging me to veto the bill,’ Bush said…The governor reveled in Graham’s meanderings on the issue, noting that he received letters long ago from former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, two of Graham’s rivals for the Democratic nomination, ‘before the senior senator from Florida.’”(5/23/2003)

Illinois poll revealed. Excerpt from coverage of the Dem candidates by Chicago Sun-Times Washington Bureau Chief Lynn Sweet: “In a poll of 1,000 Illinois Democratic Senate primary voters conducted by one of the Illinois U.S. Senate candidates from April 22-24, Braun and Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.) led the pack with each polling 17 percent.” Lieberman had 16%, Kerry 11%, Dean 5%, Edwards 4%, Sharpton 2%, and Graham 1%. The poll has 26% as undecided with a margin of error of 3.1%. More excerpts from the Sweet coverage: “For months, Edwards has been making trips to the Chicago area to woo local donors, fund-raisers and the political elite…an Illinois Senate campaign shared the poll with the Sun-Times on the condition that its name not be used because it did not want to get involved in presidential politics. The poll, in an oversight, forgot to include Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio). In looking at the bottom rungs of an April ABC News poll, Braun polled 6 percent to 4 percent for Edwards and 3 percent or less for Dean, Sharpton, Graham and Kucinich.”(5/23/2003)

Graham also was in New Hampshire during the weekend although, according to the Sunday News coverage from Keene, his comments appeared to be more incoherent and disjointed than Edwards’ remarks. Under the headline “Graham warns of economic jeopardy,” the Sunday News reported that among Graham’s remarks were such gems as “New Hampshire is the place to begin Presidential primaries. You can’t get away with slick 30-second commercials here. You have to know the answers to questions, and you have to respond…The country is in jeopardy in terms of economic security. I voted no on the tax cuts because I didn’t think it was a good idea to pass a trillion dollars worth of debt onto the next generation…That [tax cut] philosophy is usually called ‘trickle down.’ But our industrial capacity is only being used at 75 percent. The problem is the lack of confidence from consumers…Four out of the five last U.S. Presidents served as governor at some point in their careers. I can beat George Bush in Florida, and I won’t have to wait for the Supreme Court to cast a ballot to do it.” (Iowa Pres Watch Note: Graham – obviously – was making an assumption about the Florida outcome. There was no indication in the Sunday News coverage Graham mentioned recent polls have indicated that he trails GWB in a head-to-head matchup in Florida. He presumably mentioned, given the content of his comments, that he is a former governor)  (5/26/2003)

Headline from today’s The Union Leader: “No front-runner, Democrats plot strategy for nomination” Analysis by AP’s veteran political reporter Ron Fournier: “The campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination will pit the tortoises against the hares, three patient plodders hoping to overtake three confident sprinters after the race’s first lap.” Fournier described Kerry, Gephardt and Dean as “the pacesetters. Following the traditional nomination path, they are seeking victories Jan. 19 in Iowa or eight days later in New Hampshire to build momentum for the first multistate showdown Feb. 3.” He wrote that three others – Lieberman, Edwards and Graham – are “betting their candidacies on a largely untested theory that they can wait until Feb. 3 or beyond for their first victories. They will need a lot of money and a bit of luck to pull it off. At least one of the slow-starters, Edwards, may air the campaign’s first ads early this summer to jump-start his bid.” Another excerpt: “Eight months before the first vote is cast, no front-runner has emerged in a campaign that may last just six weeks in early 2004, according to Democrats in key states and the candidates’ own strategists…After the Feb. 3 elections in Arizona, South Carolina, Delaware, Missouri, New Mexico and Oklahoma, eight more states plus the District of Columbia select delegates in the next three weeks. Then comes Super Tuesday on March 2, when California, New York and at least seven other states choose delegates. After that big day, more than half of the 2,161 delegates needed for the nomination will have been awarded.”  (5/26/2003)

Los Angeles Times headline from Sunday – “Democrats’ Plans Could Be Costly… Party analysts fear the presidential candidates’ spending proposals will undermine their economic argument against reelecting Bush.” Times political ace Ronald Brownstein writes – “Even with the federal government facing record budget deficits, many of the 2004 Democratic presidential contenders are advancing much larger spending programs than Al Gore was willing to risk as the party’s 2000 nominee. Some Democratic analysts are increasingly concerned that these substantial new proposals may threaten the party’s ability to challenge President Bush in next year’s election on what could become a major vulnerability: the federal budget’s sharp deterioration, from record surplus to massive deficits, during his presidency. ‘At some point, the Democrats will be called to task to see if their own programs meet the fiscal test they are holding up for the Bush administration,’ said Elaine Kamarck, senior policy advisor to Gore in 2000. Already, the spending proposals – especially for health care – are emerging as a key divide in the Democratic race. Three leading contenders – Sens. Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, John Edwards of North Carolina and Bob Graham of Florida – are questioning whether health-care plans by three rivals – Sen. John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and, especially, Rep. Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri – are affordable, economically and politically. Yet the pressure to produce bold ideas attractive to Democratic primary voters may be triggering a spending competition that will make it difficult for all of the candidates to hold down the cost of their agendas. And that prospect has Republicans practically salivating at the opportunity to portray the Democrats as recidivist big spenders.” (5/26/2003)

The Washington Times yesterday reported that Gephardt dominates while Graham and Kucinich lag in endorsement battle. Headline: “Gephardt takes early lead in ‘endorsement primary’” Coverage by Times’ Charles Hunt says Gephardt “leads the pack of presidential hopefuls in the so-called ‘endorsement primary.’ Earlier this month, Mr. Gephardt announced endorsements from 30 House colleagues, including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, and Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer, Maryland Democrat…Sen. Joe Lieberman, Connecticut Democrat, has the second-highest number of endorsements from congressional colleagues – 12 – from eight states, including fellow Connecticut Democratic Sen. Christopher J. Dodd.” The Times report continues to note that Edwards has “rounded up support from six congressmen from his state and one more from Texas,” Kerry has is supported by Sen. Edward Kennedy and three other members of Congress, Dean has endorsements from both Vermont senators and two House members, Moseley Braun has two congressional endorsements, and Sharpton announced last week that “he had the support of Rep. Jose E. Serrano, New York Democrat.” Graham and Kucinich haven’t listed any endorsements yet, but the Times noted “Mr. Graham’s office said he has not yet sought endorsements from fellow legislators.” The significance of the endorsement battle – outside of generating media coverage and showing a support base – is that members of Congress are voting super-delegates to the Democratic national convention. (5/28/2003)

In his “Inside the Beltway” column in yesterday’s Washington Times, John McCaslin – subhead: “Democrats are coming” – wrote: “About the only body in Washington that Democrats are in control of these days is the Democratic National Committee. So rather than convening a summit on the South Lawn of the White House or in the majority wing of the Congress to unveil what is being called the ‘New Democrat’ agenda, pow-wow co-hosts Sen. Mary L. Landrieu of Louisiana and Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico are summoning Florida Sen. Bob Graham and Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman – both presidential candidates – and Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln and a number of other influential Democrats to the Capitol Hyatt Hotel on June 17. Inside the Beltway is told that the topics of discussion will include developing a ‘winning message’ to retake a majority in Washington, terrorism and the role of U.S. leadership, the “stagnant” economy, and federal and state budget deficits.” (5/28/2003)

It’s becoming the toss-up question of the campaign – whether Graham will ever be a viable contender or if he’s just in it for the No. 2 spot? He, however, keeps issuing denials that he’s a vice-presidential aspirant. The Miami Herald reported yesterday that Graham “has appeared on C-SPAN’s Road to the White House, is meeting with voters in New Hampshire living rooms and is raising cash in California for his presidential campaign. But many people think he is actually eyeing another job…Graham tries to shoot down the question of the vice presidency every time it is raised…Others say there are good reasons to believe him. ‘It’s so arduous to run for president,’ said Don Fowler, a South Carolinian who was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1994-96. ‘It takes away from so many things.’ In a recent interview, Graham said he is ‘bemused’ by the vice presidency question, especially since Republican operatives are among those peddling the theory. ‘The main reason the Republican National Committee is saying this is they want to diminish our campaign,’ Graham said. ‘I take that as a form of flattery.’ To be sure, Graham is a leading candidate to be the Democratic nominee for vice president if his presidential campaign falls short.” (5/28/2003)

Hardheaded Graham keeps trying to generate interest – probably for the 2,000th time during the last month – to get media, public interested in claim the White House is intentionally delaying 9/11 report. Headline in today’s DSM Register: “Graham leads charge against Bush in inquiry…Others shy from saying president covered up evidence” Register’s Beaumont does roundup on wannabes’ views about Graham’s contentions. Excerpt: Graham “says the Bush administration’s failure to release documents regarding the 2001 terrorist attacks is tantamount to a cover-up, but his Democratic presidential rivals aren’t so sure…Only former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean suggested Graham might be right, but stopped short of echoing his position. ‘He knows what the facts are, and he knows what was covered up,’ Dean said in Des Moines last week. ‘If Bob Graham’s saying that, it’s probably true, but I don’t know.’” (Iowa Pres Watch Note: Four words of advice for Graham – Give it up, Bob. Graham has been babbling about the alleged White House cover-up since he announced his candidacy last month and outside of an occasional story – like Beaumont’s – during a slow news period it doesn’t get much coverage or have much credibility.) (5/28/2003)

More from the San Jose Mercury News coverage: “To campaign successful in the early caucuses and primaries in Iowa and New Hampshire, candidates must raise money in places like California and New York. They have been coming West for months, courting support from Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Hollywood and Los Angeles. Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts and John Edwards of North Carolina have been two of the most successful. Each has raised more than $1 million in the state.” The report noted that Kerry, Gephardt and Lieberman were scheduled in CA this week, and Graham is due in next week. (5/29/2003)

Several Florida media outlets report that former Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula and his wife, Mary Anne, will host a fundraiser for Graham at their Miami Beach home tonight. It is one of several fundraising events the Dem wannabe has scheduled in his home state this week – before heading out to California on another fundraising expedition next week. (5/29/2003)

Florida Dem political ace named to No. 2 slot in Kerry campaign. The Miami Herald’s Peter Wallsten – whose byline usually appears on reports about the Graham candidacy – reported that Kerry has “named one of Florida’s leading Democratic political operatives to a senior post in his presidential campaign. Marcus Jadotte, formerly chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Peter Deutsch, D-Pembroke Pines, is now Kerry’s deputy campaign manager – the campaign’s No. 2 staff job. The appointment is a coup of sorts for Kerry, of Massachusetts, who is raising money and campaigning aggressively in Florida despite the fact that the state’s favorite Democratic son, U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, is one of his rivals for the party’s presidential nomination.” The Wallsten report continues that Jadotte, 31, could “help Kerry navigate primaries in key southern states such as South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. Kerry, a Vietnam veteran, and Graham, former chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, are touting themselves as the most credible wartime rivals to President Bush, but each is battling the impression that he is a regional candidate – Kerry in the Northeast and Graham in South. While recent polls suggest that Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut would place a distant second behind Graham in the Florida presidential primary, Kerry has raised the most money in the state behind Graham...A spokesman for Graham, Jamal Simmons, said Wednesday in an interview: “We wish Marcus well, but not too well.’ ” (5/30/2003)

News services and most major newspapers gave the following story solid play and – for somewhat obvious reasons – Iowa Pres Watch has chosen to go with the San Francisco Chronicle headline: “’The most pro-gay field ever’…Advocacy group rates Democratic presidential candidates on the issues” Excerpts from the Chronicle coverage: “Democratic presidential candidates running in the 2004 election are more sympathetic to gay and lesbian issues than any field in history, according to a report released Wednesday. A study by the country’s oldest national gay and lesbian political organization details differences among the nine announced Democratic candidates, from former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean’s support for federal civil unions to Florida Sen. Bob Graham’s opposition to allowing gays to serve openly in the military…’As a group, this is the most pro-gay presidential field ever,’ said Matt Foreman, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, which has compiled records of candidates since 1988.” The Chronicle report said Moseley Braun “received the highest rating, agreeing with the group on all 11 issues identified as most critical to gay rights.” Dean, who signed a civil unions measure in 2000 as governor, came in second while Graham was last – primarily because he opposes gay marriages and voted in 1994 against spending federal dollars on educational material that discussed homosexuality. Foreman said, however, that even Graham is hardly ‘terrible on gay issues,’ the Chronicle reported.  (5/30/2003)

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