Deans' Perfect Storm Grows

Kerry's Michigan followers celebrate New Hampshire win


An EPIC/MRA poll released Monday showed Kerry was the favorite of 37 percent of the 400 likely Michigan Democratic caucus voters polled Jan. 20 through Sunday. Dean, who led the field in an October EPIC/MRA poll, was at 14 percent along with U.S. Sen. John Edwards of North
Carolina.

Missouri poll looks at voters as primary nears

Kerry, who was preparing to make his first visit to Missouri today fresh off his win in New Hampshire, had 25 percent support of those who said they would vote in Tuesday's primary, the survey by The Kansas City Star and KMBC, Channel 9 showed. No rival was in double digits.

"He's been in the service and in the Senate for such a long time, I just have a feeling that he can beat Bush a lot easier than Governor (Howard) Dean could," said Milberta Parish, a retired Independence office clerk.

The poll also showed that 60 percent of survey respondents said the Democratic candidate for president could defeat Bush in November, compared with 32 percent who said that would not happen.

"I think the American people have seen really how this guy is," John Young, 39, a St. Louis pipefitter, said about Bush. "He's proven to the people that he's not really presidential material."

The contender who came closest to Kerry was Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina with 9 percent. Third place was held by Dean, the former Vermont governor, who had 6 percent. He was followed by retired Gen. Wesley Clark of Arkansas, with 3 percent, and Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut with 2 percent.

We Predict, The Voters Decide

Any bets that you are wrong. Dean will never get the nomination. He attracts white liberal angry white guys. That is it.

Gephardt or Kerry will get the nod from the DNC. If you want to draw an analogy, Dean is to the Democrats what Buchanan was to the Republican party.

If history is any indication of what can happen in an election, Dean like Buchanan will do well in the primaries, but when it came to crunch time ...... well you know the rest of the story.

The latest poll out of Iowa shows Gephardt inching ahead. If the economy holds on its pace Bush will win. If not, then it's up for grabs.


41 posted on 11/09/2003 11:53:26 AM PST by loudmouths

[snip]

Edwards comes across as a champion of the working class. However, we don't like his style of politics because of he being a trial lawyer, but he is one candidate that has the potential of beating Bush.

As for Senator Kerry, he is getting very lttle press but is the strongest Democratic candidate that could challenge Bush. This should change shortly.

[snip]

A Gephardt/Edwards ticket may be a strong ticket. We still believe that Gephardt will win Iowa and then will put most of his energy in S.C..

Dean is done. Clark or Kerry can win N.H.

Andrew Sullivan: "Dean gave arguments. Kerry spoke in packaged Shrumisms. Dean has a vision. Kerry has ambition. If I were a Democrat, I'd vote for Dean over Kerry in a heartbeat."

Figures.

But stayed tuned, Bush's Marriage Amendment support will turn him into a Democrat.

The Dean Dementia

Dean Sees Silver Lining in Second Place

He evidently needs glasses. The silver lining is more like a torrential downpour. A perfect storm indeed.

Presidential Polls in New Hampshire

BabesforBush

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Loud Mouths

Out of curiosity, a google search for "Loud Mouths" under images provides some interesting results.

Clinton is first.

Most googled image in the last 24 hours


Gay Pride

Not familiar with the site, but this site it is getting a few hits from the request. On the average, there is about 20 hits an hour.

Newsweek Poll:
And They're Off

Kerry surges to the head of the pack, beating even Bush in a hypothetical election. But the Democratic horserace is still far from over.

We felt Gephardt or Kerry would get the nomination and nod. We were wrong about Gephardt, but we hold to Kerry winning the nomination.

For the record, where we stood back in July 03.

Edwards comes across as a champion of the working class. However, we don't like his style of politics because of he being a trial lawyer, but he is one candidate that has the potential of beating Bush.

As for Senator Kerry, he is getting very lttle press but is the strongest Democratic candidate that could challenge Bush. This should change shortly.

Sour Grapes

Critical of Caucuses, Dean Demands Changes in Iowa

All of that talk back in Canada seems to be true afterall.

D.C. School Vouchers Win Final Approval


Not a word from the Democratic presidential candidates.

Look at who endorsed it. The Mayor of D.C. A Democrat.

More pandering and lying by Dean.

Pressed in recent interviews why he would leave Iowa at a crunch time, Dean said he could not turn down an invitation to appear with a former president he admires. But when a visitor to the Maranatha church -- thousands come from out of town annually to hear Carter's Sunday-morning homilies -- thanked Carter for inviting Dean, Carter quickly interjected "I did not invite him" before adding "I'm glad he came."

Pressed in recent interviews why he would leave Iowa at a crunch time, Dean said he could not turn down an invitation to appear with a former president he admires. But when a visitor to the Maranatha church -- thousands come from out of town annually to hear Carter's Sunday-morning homilies -- thanked Carter for inviting Dean, Carter quickly interjected "I did not invite him" before adding "I'm glad he came."


"He called me on the phone and said he'd like to worship with me," Carter explained to reporters before the church service began. The appearance was originally slated for Jan. 4, but an Iowa debate that afternoon made out-of-state travel impossible for Dean, and this was the only alternative left in January, said Chip Carter, the former president's son and a Dean backer. The former president said he has visited with retired Gen. Wesley K. Clark and hopes he will again.

At the time Dean's visit was arranged, the apparent logic was that appearing with Carter would bolster Dean's antiwar credentials, advance what Dean has said is his plan to more openly promote his religious devotion and help create a mood of inevitability around his candidacy. Back then, it was not expected that he would be in a tight four-way race, scrambling for every last vote.

The Last Populist

Dick Gephardt is the genuine article; the people of Iowa don't seem to care anymore.

Gephardt touts trade votes in 'victory tour'





Photo: Shauna Stephenson/ Iowa State Daily
Presidential hopeful Dick Gephardt holds seven-month-old Megan Klabunde, Nevada, Wednesday at the Gates Memorial Hall in Nevada.

Rural areas of Iowa draw Edwards in delegate search

Edwards has a tough row ahead. He may get more people in the polls, but he has to do it in the rural areas and there he has to compete with Gephardt.

It is expected that he won't make the 15% in many areas.



Sen. John Edwards speaks Monday as his hosts, Willis and Juanita Hamilton, listen at left. Photo by john cullen

Edwards roars through on a high

He pleads for local Democrats to come with him: ‘I need you!’

John Edwards rode a wave of momentum through Storm Lake on Monday, stumping before a packed house at Baker’s Court.

New Poll Shows Kerry in the Lead

Des Moines, January 15, 2003 - We've just gotten some new numbers in from a Zogby Poll. It shows that John Kerry is now in the lead at 22 percent. Howard Dean and Dick Gephardt are tied at second place with 21 percent. And John Edwards is coming in at 17 percent. So if the poll holds, it would show that times are changing for the campaign. The Margin of error is +/- 4.5%

Gephardt holds. His support continues to remain strong. Kerry continues to pull voters away from Dean.

A Gephardt/Edwards ticket may be a strong ticket. We still believe that Gephardt will win Iowa and then will put most of his energy in S.C..

Dean is done. Clark or Kerry can win N.H.

What we said on FreeRepublic.


Any bets that you are wrong. Dean will never get the nomination. He attracts white liberal angry white guys. That is it.

Gephardt or Kerry will get the nod from the DNC. If you want to draw an analogy, Dean is to the Democrats what Buchanan was to the Republican party.

If history is any indication of what can happen in an election, Dean like Buchanan will do well in the primaries, but when it came to crunch time ...... well you know the rest of the story.

The latest poll out of Iowa shows Gephardt inching ahead. If the economy holds on its pace Bush will win. If not, then it's up for grabs.


41 posted on 11/09/2003 11:53:26 AM PST by loudmouths

Pro-voucher groups accuse judge of bias, call for probe

The Black Alliance for Educational Options and the Coalition for Latino Children in Education criticized District Judge Joseph E. Meyer for not disclosing that his wife was a CEA member.

Sharpton Blasts Dean on Race in Debate

Gephardt Admits Mistake on Race Issues in '70s

Who ever is digging up this issue, they will not get the desired results.

Dean Holds Two-Point Lead on Gephardt in Iowa

Democratic presidential front-runner Howard Dean holds a narrow two-point lead over Missouri Rep. Richard Gephardt in Iowa barely one week before the state's caucuses, according to a Reuters/MSNBC/Zogby poll released on Sunday.

The former Vermont governor led Gephardt 25-23 percent in the three-day tracking poll, with Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry in third place at 14 percent and North Carolina Sen. John Edwards moving up to a close fourth at 13 percent.

Prediction............ Gephardt wins Iowa.

Gaffe That Flounder

Dean Praises Importance of Iowa Caucuses

"Four years ago, I didn't really understand the Iowa caucuses," Dean, who leads in polls but is facing a strong challenge by rival Dick Gephardt, told The Associated Press on Friday. "I wouldn't be where I am without the Iowa caucuses."

So given his latest statement, it stands to reason that his original comment was made without an understanding.

What does that say about Dean, a man who makes such bold and cutting statements about Iowans without really understanding the Iowa caucuses.

If Dean had been asked about his comments at the time, would he have said I understand the Iowa caucuses or would he have said I really don't understand the caucuses.

Dean has yet to feel the fall out on this one.

Gephardt's plan to 'win' Iowa

Gephardt has warned repeatedly that, because Iowa is a caucus state, poll numbers can be misleading. But polls can be misleading in contrasting ways.

On one hand, pollsters rarely ask for voters' secondary preferences. To the extent Gephardt resonates as the next-best option for Iowans otherwise enamored with nonviable candidates, Gephardt will do better than expected because his support is wider than polls indicate.

On the other, a significant portion of Dean's support will undoubtedly come from sporadic or first-time caucus-goers that "likely voter" samples often overlook. (David Yepsen of the Des Moines Register expects caucus turnout in 2004 to be at least double what it was in 2000.) To the extent these newly mobilized voters back Dean, the former Vermont governor will do better than expected because his support is deeper than polls indicate.

Thus the outcome in Iowa for 2004 may very well turn on the answer to a single question: Is Dean's political support deeper than Gephardt's is wide?

Gephardt won Iowa in 1988, and he understands the state's caucus well. Because his 2004 campaign depends on him winning Iowa again, Gephardt will use every strategic and tactical angle available. Of course, Dean's campaign and his supporters will be guarding vigilantly against any attempt by Gephardt to exploit caucus procedures to their advantage.

Many are predicting the battle between Gephardt and Dean to be close. If so, the irony is that caucus-goers who initially favor neither of them could decide the winner -- and it will be their second choices, not their first, that prove decisive.

Dean Often Feuded With Labor As Gov.

Key union endorsements have helped propel Howard Dean into the forefront of the Democratic presidential race, but he wasn't always the darling of organized labor.

During 11 years as Vermont's governor, Dean frequently feuded with the state's largest labor union, which refused three times to endorse him for re-election because of policy disputes. He also angered virtually every union in the state in 1995 when he refused to reappoint a labor-backed member of a state labor relations board.

To help the cause, I thee wed

Illinois woman wants to take part in the caucus, so she marries her Iowa beau in a quickie Vegas wedding.



Paging Britney Spears.

They wed Dec. 18 in Las Vegas, in the same chapel Britney Spears chose to become a bride ever so briefly last weekend.

This should go over well with Iowans.

Iowa senator endorses Dean for president

Four-term Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin announced yesterday that he would support Democratic presidential contender Howard B. Dean, praising his "plainspoken" style and saying the former Vermont governor was the "Harry Truman of our time."

Would that be his "plainspoken" style in regard to the Iowa caucuses? Going out on a limb by saying the endorsement by Harkin doesn't help and Dean's comments in the past about the Iowa caucuses will add instability to that growing "Perfect Storm".

The forecast is for stormy skies, gale force winds, and of particular special interests, waves that will sink the U.S.S. Dean.

The Perfect Storm

Gephardt, Dean trade barbs about nasty campaign tactics

Trippi said 3,500 Dean supporters from 48 states have canvassed Iowa to gather support for the former Vermont governor, but none will take part in the actual caucus. Even if a campaign tried such a tactic, he noted, Iowa is made up of tight-knit communities that would catch on to the illegal tactic.


Tale of the tape on Howard Dean

Harsh remarks on caucuses

“If you look at the caucuses system, they are dominated by the special interests in both parties,” he said. “[And] the special interests don't represent the centrist tendencies of the American people. They represent the extremes. And then you get a president who is beholden to either one extreme or the other, and where the average person is in the middle.”

He added, “Here's what happens: Say I'm a guy who's got to work for a living, and I've got kids and so forth. On a Saturday, is it easy for me to go cast a ballot and spend 15 minutes doing it, or do I have to sit in a caucus for eight hours? … I can’t stand there and listen to everyone else’s opinion for eight hours about how to fix the world.”


Dean has shown a disdain for the Iowa Caucuses so what the hell, why not.

Gephardt, Dean lead among Md. delegates

Six of the 23 delegates who responded to telephone calls from the Associated Press are backing Gephardt, and four are supporting Dean. The only other candidate named by the delegates is John Edwards, who has the backing of U.S. Rep. Albert Wynn.

What is with all of the Flap?



Dean in Muscatine ... Democratic presidential hopeful Howard Dean tries his hand at flipping pancakes as Muscatine resident Max Allan Collins looks on this morning at the American Legion in Muscatine. Coming Thursday in the Muscatine Journal: A report on Dean's visit. PHOTO: Beth Hecht/Muscatine Journal



Dean packs them in with a pancake feed Even Gephardt fans were amazed at the crowd
More than 400 people jammed into the Embers Lounge Saturday morning to eat pancakes and listen to Howard Dean campaign for president. Local Democrats could not recall ever being part of such a gathering in Storm Lake. The crowd was twice the size that organizers expected.

What is being said on the trail

What the presidential candidates had to say when asked how they would unite Americans who are closely divided along party lines:

U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich: "As president of the United States, I think I'll appeal to conservatives as someone who wants to conserve the air, wants to conserve the water, wants to conserve jobs, wants the United States sovereignty to be protected by withdrawing from NAFTA and the WTO. These are the kinds of values which I think have the possibility of winning the White House."

Sen. Joe Lieberman, Connecticut: Politicians "too often act in reflexively partisan ways, unwilling to acknowledge it that maybe sometime the folks on the other side of the line are actually right, and we ought to work with them to get something done. In this election, I've said we shouldn't try to replace the polarizing leadership of George Bush with polarizing Democratic alternatives."

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean: "I agree with accommodation. Bill Clinton did a fantastic job as president because he had extraordinary political skills, bringing people together. But you cannot accommodate to the right wing led by people like Tom DeLay. Their values are not the values of the American people. And I think that it's time to stand up to those folks' values."

U.S. Rep. Richard Gephardt: "I don't think we can beat George Bush if we maintain a position on trade like George Bush. And I think Howard and John and Joe, frankly, have shared the same position that George Bush has on NAFTA, on China. I was against those treaties. I think it's the wrong way to go."

Former Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley Braun: "I want to take the men-only sign off the White House door, not just for myself, but in order to invigorate this democracy and give people some thought that this government - that leadership of this government - can come from some quarters other than George Bush and "George Bush Lite." "

Sen. John Kerry, Massachusetts addressed the issue in his closing remarks: "George Bush has taken America in a radically wrong direction. Yes, we can't beat him by being "Bush Lite." But we also can't beat him by being light on national security or light on fairness for middle-class Americans. . . . I've been making those fights all my life, from taking on Richard Nixon and the Vietnam War to stopping George Bush from giving Alaska away to the oil companies."

Gephardt Campaigns in S.C. Steel Town



U.S. Rep. Dick Gephardt, D-Missouri, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, gives a thumbs up as he's applauded after a campaign speech to an audience that included out of work steel workers in Georgetown, S.C., Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2004. (AP Photo/Lou Krasky)

LOCAL DEMOCRATS BACK GEPHARDT: POSHARD, COSTELLO, GRAY SUPPORT CONGRESSMAN FROM MISSOURI TO CHALLENGE BUSH FOR PRESIDENCY

On Tuesday, former presidential candidate and former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley, D-N.J., became the latest national Democratic figure to endorse former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean. Former U.S. Sen. Paul Simon endorsed Dean from his hospital bed last month days before he died. And polls show Dean leading the Democratic field in the Iowa caucuses Jan. 19, and in the New Hampshire primary eight days later.

But Poshard was one of several prominent Southern Illinois Democrats to say Tuesday they back Gephardt as their party's presidential nominee.

"My support for Dick Gephardt has to do with leadership, and I saw that clearly at a time when I thought that this country needed bipartisan leadership on a lot of issues," Poshard said.

Iowa is where it starts.

Andrew Sullivan has Integrity

FURTHER THOUGHTS ON DEANO: To clarify: I didn't say I'd support Dean over Bush or that I agreed with everything Dean has said. Far from it. I just think it's healthy for the Dems and the country to have a real debate, especially about how to deal with terrorism. Bush thinks it's a war; Dean doesn't. Therein lies a very important discussion, one that's been bedeviled by the far left's loopiness and the need to rally around the president during a national security crisis. I'm glad that Dean won't wilt under pressure. Even if democracy flourishes in Iraq, he will stick to regretting that we ever deposed Saddam by force of arms. I want to see that argument aired and resolved.


What did Sullivan say in an interview with John Hawkins?

It's probably Dean vs. Bush, and I'm leaning towards Bush if Dean doesn't get serious about national security. But if Bush endorses a constitutional amendment against equal marriage rights, I couldn't support him and would urge anyone else who cares about civil rights to follow suit.

So much for Sullivan's support and it is good to see he cares more about his interest than the interest of the U.S.

Let's see, Iraq and WMD's on one side of the scale and his ability to marry on the other.

Then on top of that you have these quotes.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY: "[Bush's] fiscal record is appalling — spending is out of control. The fiscal record of the Bush administration makes Clinton look downright responsible." - Edward H. Crane, president of the Cato Institute, in today's New York Times. If I were Howard Dean, I would combine my populist rhetoric with a laser-beam message about Bush's fiscal recklessness: a left-right two-fer. Fiscal conservatives like me are going to be looking in 2004 for someone - anyone - who can control government spending. We know Bush is hopeless and cares not a whit about this country's future fiscal health. What we need to know is that some Democrat won't be so bad.

BIG GOVERNMENT BUSH: More evidence of the runaway federal government under Bush. The sheer profligacy of this administration continues to astound. If you're a fiscal conservative, Howard Dean is beginning to look attractive.
- 3:14:00 PM

Poll: Bush's support building

What we said about the Harris poll has come to light.

This poll is a joke. There is no fluid movement in the support. Consider that CBS and ABC had poll numbers taken the last week in December showing Bush at 55 and Dean at about 36. Put the Harris Poll in the trash bin. More suspect is, CNN usually will poll with Gallup and USA Today, so it looks as if CNN is poll shopping.

Vermont Auditors Faulted Dean Aide on Contract in '92

Dean denies the impact.

Dr. Dean's top aides from that time, as well as officials in his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, contended that both audits were overblown and that the criticisms in them were without merit.

(snip)

Mr. Flanagan, however, defended both the audits and his motivations.

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

So much for Flanagan and his integrity. Two wrongs still don't make it right and what the hell is he still supporting Dean for.

The article goes on further.

These audits have emerged as several of Dr. Dean's Democratic opponents have been stepping up criticisms of the candidate seen as the front-runner in the presidential race. His rivals often cite him for hypocrisy in chastising President Bush for taking actions that they say are similar to actions Dr. Dean took as governor.

They have pointed out that Dr. Dean criticized President Bush's tax cuts for corporations even though Dr. Dean, as governor, championed tax breaks for corporations doing business in Vermont.

Dr. Dean has criticized the Bush administration for being secretive, yet he sealed almost half of his own governor's records until 2013.

And Dr. Dean has accused the president of under-financing domestic security, yet during his tenure as governor, his rivals note, the state's biggest terrorist target, the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant, was criticized for its own poor security.

Certainly, Dr. Dean's top supporters expect that his opponents will seize upon the disclosure of these latest audits as further grist.

Dr. Dean has been critical of the Bush administration's treatment of special interests. The disclosure of the audits of Community Health Plan could result in similar criticisms that Dr. Dean, while governor, rewarded companies with ties to his political allies.

Another major factor in these and other audits conducted during Dr. Dean's tenure as governor was the continuing bad blood between his office and Mr. Flanagan's, said Kathy Hoyt, who had been the governor's chief of staff.

"There were some tense times between the governor's office and the auditor's office," Ms. Hoyt said. "And a lot of that was those of us in the administration feeling that the auditor was using stories and making these allegations to get a name for himself."

Mr. Sorrell, the attorney general, said he found the 1993 audit to be shallow and biased.

"We considered when we looked at the facts that this was a politically driven document from Flanagan," he said. "It was not the first nor was it the only time there were flare-ups between us and the auditor."

Mr. Flanagan, a liberal Democrat and graduate of Harvard Law School, was elected auditor in 1992. Under him, the state job went from a sleepy post to an activist one.


This is a hit peice on Flanagan.

Bin Laden tape backing holy war is genuine, the CIA believes

The latest tape of Osama bin Laden calling on Muslims to keep up a holy war against the United States is almost certainly genuine, American and British authorities said yesterday. In Washington, a CIA spokesman said a technical analysis indicated the voice in the tape, broadcast on the al-Jazeera satellite channel and which referred to the capture of Saddam Hussein on 13 December, probably was that of the al-Qa'ida leader.

Dizzy Dean Gets it Wrong, Again


Dean supporters would back party nominee

New Hampshire Democrats loyal to Howard Dean disagree with the Presidential hopeful’s conjecture that hundreds of thousands of his newly politically-involved supporters will stay away from the polls if he doesn’t emerge from the National Democratic Convention with his party’s nod.

Of 10 Democrats interviewed over the last two days, only Gordon Porter Miller of the Upper Connecticut Valley town of Orford concurred with Dean.

Clark’s military background draws veterans' praise



Wesley Clark flips pancakes before speaking to veterans at a VFW post in Rochester Saturday. (AP)

Wesley Clark says he can carry the South

This may very well be. But there is Iowa and Gephardt. Did Clark do Gephardt a favor by staying out of the debate? It wasn't until Clark stepped in the race, that Gephardt's numbers began to fall.

So it stands to reason that by Clark not campaining in Iowa, Gephardt should benefit from Clark's absence.



Retired Gen. Wesley Clark, one of nine Democrats running for that party’s Presidential nomination, speaks yesterday at a “Women for Clark” forum in Manchester. (BENJAMIN KEPPLE/UNION LEADER)

In other news, Clark's presidential bid is gaining steam which would indicate, Clark is eroding Dean's base. The Southern State races should be interesting if Gephardt wins Iowa.

David Broder comes up with an Analysis on the Democrat's Debate

The real issue was NAFTA and Gephardt clearly stood above the rest. Dean had no truthful answer on a subject that Democrats in Iowa care about.

In answer to Liberman's comment's, Iowa is a state that in polls, the people do not believe in gays having the right to marry, so Dean's excuse of secrecy about gays would not carry any weight. In Hew Hampshire the same can be said; Gay couples can marry at Portsmouth church, but City Hall won’t recognize them

Pastors at South Church, which is under the Unitarian Universalist faith, plan to sign marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples they wed and send them to City Hall. They’ve been marrying same-sex couples at the church for more than 15 years; they just haven’t sent in the paperwork.

I have watched Broder and just this weekend, I felt he does not have a grasp on what the voters feel.

His opinion on the debate is lacking on having a feel for the important issues.

Are You Happy?

Howard Dean on NAFTA Then

DEAN: I supported NAFTA, I supported the WTO. We benefited in Vermont from trade. But in the Midwest, our manufacturing jobs are hemorrhaging. We have to go back and revise every single trade agreement that we have to include labor standards, environmental standards & human rights standards. If we don't, the trade policy that we seek to help globalize and help workers around the country & the world is going to fail.

Source: [Xref Kerry] Debate at Pace University in Lower Manhattan Sep 25, 2003


Free trade costs Vermonters

FTAA Resources

NAFTA's Impact on Vermont



Dean Now.

DEAN: There's no reason we can't do both. Actually, I agree with a lot of some of the things that have been said about NAFTA and the WTO. I believe that NAFTA and the WTO only got -- only globalized the rights of multinational corporations, but they did not globalize the rights of workers. They are not going to globalize human rights, environmental rights, the right to organize. That needs to happen.

And if it doesn't happen, NAFTA and the WTO simply aren't going to work. Right now, we're exporting jobs, and that's not a good thing.

We need to have a level playing field. We need to have the same kinds of environmental protections, labor protections, human rights protections and worker protections if we're going to have open borders. That will not disadvantage exports.

The way to support American farmers is to change the American farm bill so that big corporations don't get the majority of the money that goes out of the farm bill.

We can support small family farms, and we should. But the money ought to go to the farmers, not the big corporations.

ANGER: Congressman Gephardt, you're a staunch supporter of traditional American unions. But you haven't been able to stop the loss, in Congress, of America's manufacturing and industry jobs to other countries.

Why would you do any better as president?

GEPHARDT: Well, I think I've made some real progress. I got a treaty with Jordan through the Clinton administration that really paid attention to labor and environmental rights. The Gephardt amendment is in law in the country, and it got markets open, like in Japan, where we've had to face unfair trade practices.

And the steel tariffs, which have helped save a steel industry in this country came in part from my advocacy.

Now, everybody up here, except Dennis, voted for NAFTA and voted for the China agreement. They did the wrong thing. I don't think we can win this race against George Bush with a trade policy that's exactly like George Bush's. I'm the only one who has led on this issue for over 20 years.

And let me tell you what I think we need to do. We need to get a trade policy that brings up conditions in these other countries so that we work toward a global marketplace that works for everybody. You can't do that if you give in to bad trade deals, like most of these candidates did.

(snip)


ANGER: Thank you. Thank you, Madam.

Governor Dean?

DEAN: First of all, I doubt anybody on this stage is against trade. And I also doubt anybody on this stage is talking about protectionism.

I too, Dick, did not vote for NAFTA or the WTO, because I have never served in Congress.

(LAUGHTER)

But I did support the WTO -- China's entry into the WTO in 1999 because I believed it was an issue for national security. I believe in constructive engagement.

That doesn't mean these agreements don't need to be changed. We have stood up for multinational corporations in these agreements, but we have not stood up for workers' rights, environmental rights and human rights.

ANGER: Thank you.

DEAN: And until we do, trade doesn't work.

ANGER: Thank you. We're going to...

GEPHARDT: Can I respond to this? He mentioned my name, and I'd like to...

(LAUGHTER)

ANGER: Everybody is going to mention somebody's name.

(LAUGHTER)

Fifteen seconds.

GEPHARDT: This is an important point.

Look, Howard, you were for NAFTA. You came to the signing ceremony. You were for the China agreement.

This is really what we're talking about here. It's one thing to talk the talk, it's another thing to walk the walk.

ANGER: And with that, we're going to go...

GEPHARDT: We've got to get labor and environment in these treaties. And we've got to do it when the treaties are before the Congress. That's when it counts.

Dean's answers are typical of side-stepping blame and criticism. You see, he supported it because it helped his state.

But his answer is a lie. "We benefited in Vermont from trade" is not true, because "we" is a collective answer meaning all of Vermont.

Dead Men Walking, er, Talking

Al-Jazeera Broadcasts New Audiotape Attributed to Bin Laden

It is always a pleasure to read the wacked out conspiracists. He's dead don't you know.

One that takes the cake is this beaut from a blast from our past.

On his Thursday August 15th daytime broadcast, Jones stated, "I have it from high level [sources] from inside the Bush administration...that bin Laden died of natural causes and that his family has given the body to the CIA, that they're gonna roll him out right before the election, that he's on ice right now. They will claim they killed him right before the election."

It used to be posted on this site.

http://www.theredflag.net/october_2002_jones_intelligence_sources_confirm_bin_laden_is_dead.html,

but it is no longer there.


2002, hmmmm we are still waiting.

In other related news, Bin Laden tapes 'authentic'

After reading the transcripts of the debates, two candidates stick out.

Edwards did well but he has some issues with being a trial lawyer and Gephardt comes across as sincere.

Dean is useless and Kerry can join the ranks of Braun and Sharpton. And Clark being AWOL does not serve his campaign well.

It will be interesting to see who Tom Harkin supports.

Complete debate transcript



PAUL ANGER, EDITOR, DES MOINES REGISTER: Hello, I'm Paul Anger, editor of The Des Moines Register. We're here in the Maytag Auditorium at Iowa Public Television in Johnston, Iowa, right next to Des Moines.

Outside, temperatures are falling, snow is falling, and the wind is up, but we believe things in here should heat up nicely in the next two hours.

Let's count down some numbers in this campaign. Ten months until America elects a president. Seven months until Democrats nominate a candidate to oppose George W. Bush. And only 15 days until Iowa Democrats gather to decide who they will support.

Time is growing shorter in this election process, so let's get on with our debate.

Joining us are seven Democrats running for president. From left to right on our stage, they are: Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut; Congressman Dennis Kucinich of Ohio; Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts; former Ambassador and Senator Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois; Senator John Edwards of North Carolina; Congressman Richard Gephardt of Missouri; and former Governor Howard Dean of Vermont.

All the questions I ask in this debate are quoted or paraphrased from those submitted to The Des Moines Register by Iowans. Each candidate will have 60 seconds to answer and 30 seconds of rebuttal time at my discretion.

Also asking their own questions will be two panelists, David Yepsen, the political columnist of the Des Moines Register and Michele Norris of the National Public Radio news program "All Things Considered."

The candidates have drawn for everything from positioning on stage to the order they will answer questions and give closing statements. And the winner of the first question is Senator Edwards.

The great divide

But if the economy shows signs of a strong recovery, as fourth-quarter 2003 statistics will determine when they are released this month, the general electorate could become diluted with voters who are more satisfied than purely partisan Democrats.

This is where the independent voters hold the cards.

Harkin endorsement looms as valuable asset

Harkin supported NAFTA and he voted for the October 2002 resolution authorizing President Bush to invade Iraq.

Harkin since then has said he regreted voting for NAFTA and the October 2002 resolution.

Gephardt stood firm on not voting for NAFTA but did vote for the October 2002 resolution.

Dean supported NAFTA and did not support the October 2002 resolution he says.

"Perfect Storm" may rain on Gephardt's parade

Down the street, Chuck Rocha, the burly steelworker running Rep. Richard Gephardt's labor organization in Iowa, predicted that hundreds of labor union operatives will trump the 3,500 rookies who have pledged to knock on doors for Dean.
"The labor piece of Gephardt's campaign will be a finely tuned machine," vowed Rocha, national political director for the United Steelworkers of America.

Then Rocha rubbed his shaved head and explained why that machine must work. "We know that if we don't stop Howard Dean in Iowa, he won't be stopped," he said.

(snip)

In the Red Oak fire station in western Iowa last week, Carroll Peterson showed Iowans' fickle nature after warmly introducing Gephardt to about 50 people.

"Well, Gephardt is my No. 1 candidate for the time being," Peterson, 62, a farmer, told a reporter when asked to size up the field.

But nearby, Bettie McKenzie, 78, displayed more enduring sentiments and the brand of fierce support that Gephardt will need across Iowa, and not just from union members.

"I don't think that people see what is happening with the Wal-Marts and these places paying low wages and denying people medical insurance. I think Gephardt is the only candidate who really understands and the only one who will fight for people," she said.


Between Gephardt and Dean, who supported NAFTA?

Caucus may draw record attendance

Party leaders project one in five registered Johnson County Democrats - 6,000 people - will caucus Jan. 19, making it the largest crowd ever. They and others like them will gather to talk politics, exercising their first-in-the-nation chance to help pick a presidential candidate from the crowded field of contenders.

To find your caucus site, log onto www.jcauditor.com

N.M. City Orders Campaign Signs Removed

The campaigns of Democratic presidential hopefuls Wesley Clark and Howard Dean have been warned by the city to take down some of their signs.

A Las Cruces ordinance prohibits political signs from being erected any earlier than 90 days before an election - and since the city attorney's office contends the Feb. 3 Democratic caucus is not legally an election, it told both campaigns that all signs on commercial property must come down.

As D.M. debate nears, rancorous talk revs up

Dean's chief rivals are sharpening their jabs as the campaign moves into the final weeks with the holidays past, a nationally televised debate in Des Moines on Sunday, and only 16 days left until the Jan. 19 caucuses.



Democratic presidential hopeful Dick Gephardt spoke to 160 people at Muscatine Books & More in Muscatine Friday evening. Beth Hecht/Muscatine Journal

Dean was warned about security at Vermont nuclear plant, documents show

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

Dean's Statement on Security Record

"As many have said before, the hindsight from the terrorist attacks of September 11th is 20-20 and no one was prepared for the events of that terrible day. In retrospect, every state in the country could have been safer and Governor Dean took swift and bold action to respond to make Vermonters safer. Governor Dean showed leadership and took responsibility by saying the buck stops here in terms of security by creating a Cabinet-level agency to respond to security threats. Dean actions included: placing state troopers and National Guardsmen at the plant, demanding a federal no-fly zone over the plant, increasing funding to prepare for an attack, and devising anthrax preparedness."

Shuttered mill backdrop for Democratic stumping

Gephardt said in a conference call Tuesday that Dean was right but came to the issue too late. He said he has always opposed trade policies such as the North American Free Trade Agreement that foster taking jobs offshore, and he is the one with the background and experience to follow through on his promises.

He also said he would be coming to Georgetown soon, but he would not give a date.

On Friday, his staff said he would stump at the steelworkers' hall at 3 p.m. Wednesday.

The United Steelworkers national organization has endorsed Gephardt.

Northeastern liberal image haunts Kerry in S.C.

South Carolina is home to more than 400,000 veterans — more per capita than any state.

Clark closes Southern tour with S.C. vets

Getting veterans to turn out for the Democratic primary may be tough, said Norm Spaulding, 69, an Army veteran and Clark supporter. “It’s basically a Republican area,” he said of the state.

Al Sharpton Positions

Al Sharpton is positioning himself to broker a deal.

Sharpton opens first South Carolina campaign office

Clark will be the one trying to do the deal making.

Top Google Request to This Site: Dean Gaffe


dean "else comes from a farm state"

Here is the original quote from the Post Crescent.

Candidate packs the house

“I understand farm issues. Nobody else comes from a farm state."

Trippi's Boner

Everybody is familiar with "Tricky Joe" Trippi's boast that Stubby Dean would have a million supporters by the end of the year, and two million by the end of the primary season.

Well, the end of the year is hours away and a quick check of the tally over at deanforhimself.com shows that Trippi was just a wee bit off. The number of people who have submitted their email addresses to the Dean campaign (Trippi considers them supporters) is around 551,700 and has been stuck in the 500,000 range for months.

[Trippi, Dean, and the Deanie-Greenies are intensely proud of their half-million supporters. Are they aware that George W. Bush has collected email addresses from SIX MILLION supporters?]

Originally, Trippi's little plan was to ask each of the projected 2 million supporters to pony up $100 each, thereby matching Bush's war chest. Trippi has since modified that plan, now asking 1 million supporters to cough up $200 each. Will he be begging for $400 each in a few weeks? Joe Trippi is obviously an inept political operative, sacrificing the general election (and the Democratic Party) for the sake of Stubby Dean's vanity run for the nomination. That decision to flip-flop and forgo public financing is looking like a real boner for Trippi.

Gephardt Faults Dean Over Health Coverage

But Mr. Gephardt reserved his sharpest criticism for Dr. Dean, his chief rival in this state's Jan. 19 caucuses. He faulted Dr. Dean, the former governor of Vermont, as supporting Republican efforts in the 1990's to slow the growth of Medicare and as trying to reduce Medicaid services to the poor and disabled in Vermont, and he suggested for the first time that such positions raised questions about Dr. Dean's character.

The health care speech came on a day when another Democratic presidential candidate, Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, underlined the problems of insurance coverage for employees of small businesses and Dr. Dean focused on corporate wrongdoing.

In Iowa, Mr. Gephardt said Dr. Dean's penchant for angry retorts and his policy shifts on major issues like Medicare, trade, corporate tax breaks and Iraq might ultimately cost him the election. And he vowed to continue condemning what he described as Dr. Dean's "indefensible record," despite recent complaints from the former governor.

"Governor, if you can't stand up and answer serious questions from fellow Democrats, how can you expect the rest of us to step aside and watch you lose your cool against George Bush and lose the election?" Mr. Gephardt asked in his speech at the Broadlawns Medical Center here. "You see, there's a pattern with Governor Dean. First say something indefensible. Then deny you ever said it. Then when it's proven you said it, don't tell anybody why you said it. Then go say it all over again."

The attacks reflect the mounting intensity of the race here in advance of the caucuses. Mr. Gephardt's advisers say he must win in Iowa to have a chance at the Democratic nomination, and he remains in a tight contest with Dr. Dean for primacy here.

Dumbing Down

Tests for new teachers weighed

Despite their strong national reputation, newly minted Iowa teaching graduates have posted what one education official called 34;surprisingly" low scores on a standardized exam.

(Subscription required)

Teachers can't even get high test score on standardized tests. No wonder why the pulix skool teacher is bitch'n about the test.

Vote for Vovak

Bush challenger campaigns in Sioux City

...In his prior visit to Sioux City and LeMars in early August, Vovak was still an independent and called himself "a reluctant Republican." Now he fully has the party affiliation and said, "I am just starting my aggressive campaigning."

He has been to 95 of Iowa's 99 counties. Said Vovak, "I am trying to make people realize they need to be serious about electing a president, just like I am serious."

Vovak drove up to City Hall downtown in "Air Ford One," a Ford F250.

When he walked into the building, bemusement reigned on the faces of the Sioux Cityans Vovak encountered on the ground floor -- he makes quite an impression with the circa-1700s powdered wig. He said the attention drawn by the wig "saves me millions in campaign contributions," yet he still spurns going for the old Whig Party."



Republican presidential hopeful Daniel Vovak talks with Anne Jager, city of Sioux City management assistant, Friday as he campaigned in Sioux City. Vovak said he is the only Republican running against President George W. Bush. (Staff photo by Jerry Mennenga)

CNN/Time Poll conducted by Harris Interactive. Dec. 30, 2003-Jan. 1, 2004. N=604 likely voters nationwide. MoE ± 4.

.

"Suppose the 2004 election for president were being held today and you had to choose between [see below], the Democrat, and George W. Bush, the Republican. For whom would you vote: [see below]?"

.

George W. Bush Howard Dean Not Sure

51 46 3

12/03 - 1/04

Among all registered voters:

11/03

52 40 8

9/03

52 42 6
.

George W. Bush John Kerry Not Sure

12/03 - 1/04

54 43 3

Among all registered voters:

11/03

49 42 9

9/03

50 45 5

12/02 56 39 5
.

George W. Bush Joseph Lieberman Not Sure

12/03 - 1/04

52 46 2

Among all registered voters:

11/03

53 40 7

9/03

50 44 6

12/02 55 39 6
.

George W. Bush Wesley Clark Not Sure

12/03 - 1/04

53 43 4

Among all registered voters:

11/03

49 42 9
.

George W. Bush Dick Gephardt Not Sure

12/03 - 1/04

53 44 3

Among all registered voters:

11/03

52 39 9

9/03

53 42 5
.

This poll is a joke. There is no fluid movement in the support. Consider that CBS and ABC had poll numbers taken the last week in December showing Bush at 55 and Dean at about 36. Put the Harris Poll in the trash bin. More suspect is, CNN usually will poll with Gallup and USA Today, so it looks as if CNN is poll shopping.

Then you have this one from Iowa.

Bush Leads All Democrats In Iowa

If registered Iowa voters are any indication, President Bush is in a solid postion to be re-elected. His closest Democratic challenger right now is Missouri's Dick Gephardt.

Our exclusive Survey USA poll shows President Bush beating Gephardt 52 percent to 45 percent in Iowa.

As for other top Democrats, Wesley Clark trails President Bush right now, 59 to 35 percent. Howard Dean versus Bush results in 54 percent of registered Iowa voters supporting the president and 42 percent support for Dean.

Democrat John Kerry also loses by 12 percent right now in Iowa against the President. And former vice presidential candidate Joseph Lieberman trails Bush by 14 points, 59% to 35%. The survey was done earlier this week.

Clark Fodder

ICG forecasts “political instability” | 19:57 | B92

BRUSSELS -- Friday – Parliamentary elections in Serbia have ushered in a “period of political instability”, according to the International Crisis Group.

In its monthly bulletin, the influential Brussels-based NGO named Serbia among countries where the overall situation deteriorated last month.

The report warned that though the nationalist Serbian Radical Party, which won elections on December 28, was unlikely to be in the new government, in league with Slobodan Milosevic’s Socialist Party of Serbia they could “block reforms”.

The new government, it says, “is likely to be short-lived”.

The report also noted the start of the “highly politicised” trial for the murder of Serbian Minister Zoran Djindjic.

Zogby Sings Off Key

Democrats Chase Dean in 2004 Stretch Run

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

The question Democrats who may have supported Dean are asking is, can Dean beat Bush?The answer is no. And some of those that did support Dean are also saying no.

In Iowa, the undecided are deciding on Gephardt and Kerry and some of the Dean support is eroding.

Handicapping the Democratic Primary

REP. DICK GEPHARDT: If you are going to beat Bush -- if you look at the electoral map, we're going to win in California and New York. We're going to win in a few other coastal states. The key to the election is the Midwest. It's the heartland of the country. That's where I'm from. I'm the only candidate from that part of the country and that's where my union support is from.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANGLE: Now, the problem is Dean is ahead there, too. One of the latest polls 42 to 23 over Gephardt. What -- you would think that Gephardt, this is obviously in his neighborhood, and he has done well in the past with unions. What is going on here?

The latest poll? Gephardt inches ahead in Iowa Iowa poll puts Dean ahead of Gephardt

Zogby's polls are not as accurate. But where is Angle getting 42 to 23?

Gephardt on the stump




Staff photo by Kevin jacobus

Democratic presidential hopeful U.S. Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri is embraced by state Rep. Angeline Kopka of Nashua at the conclusion of a campaign event at Blackbird Books and Cafe in Nashua on Tuesday morning.

CLARK: DEM RACE IS DOWN TO ME AND DEAN

LOL!!!! Clark isn't even campaining in the Iowa caucus.

Democrats question if Dean has heft to win in November

Reality is settling in on Iowa Democrats.

Don't rush too quickly to crown Howard Dean. As the Jan. 19 Iowa caucuses approach, Democrats are starting to think about who has the heft to win the 2004 presidential race.

The year 2003 drew to a close with candidate John Kerry stumping in Onawa and then attending a New Year's Eve Party at the Sioux City Community Theatre. Two western Iowa county party leaders were wondering if Howard Dean, in spite of a lead in Iowa polls and with the endorsement of Al Gore, is the right candidate for the Democratic Party come November.

In fact, Jody Ewing recently jumped the Dean camp for Kerry. "I am one of the many who dated Dean and married Kerry," said Ewing, who now serves as Monona County chairwoman for John Kerry.

Caucus 2004

Just recently the article published by the Guardian on Alaskans was posted on this site. The article did not mention anything about two Middle Eastern men who booked a chater flight to an Athabascan village near the Alaska pipeline.

Information was posted in an update that a Col. in the Alaska National Guard had been sent to an undisclosed location in Northern Alaska.

Yesterday an article was published in the Anchorage Daily News to what seems to be information on what has transpired since the last post on this site.

State steps up oil facility security

Meanwhile, in a measure intended to safeguard the Prudhoe Bay oil fields that supply the pipeline, military patrols began checking all traffic on the Dalton Highway at two checkpoints, one at Mile 41 and another about 26 miles north.

Members of the Alaska State Defense Force -- volunteer military police -- are braving blizzard conditions and temperatures down to 17 below to work 24-hour checkpoints, taking shelter in trailers provided by the state Department of Transportation.

About 160 commercial trucks, 25 civilian vehicles and a few tour industry vehicles travel the highway every day in winter, said Gen. Tom Westall, force commander.