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—5:30 am: Former President Bill Clinton gives the closing address at the Brookings Institution's U.S.-Islamic World Forum, Doha, Qatar
—6:45 am: Rev. Al Sharpton appears live on Fox Morning News
—7:45 am: Rev. Sharpton is live on Washington, D.C. WWDC FM
—8:45 am: Rev. Sharpton greets Metro riders at the Cardozo Station, Washington, D.C.
—9:30 am: Sen. Joe Lieberman has breakfast with supporters to discuss the Oklahoma primary, Tulsa, Okla.
—9:45 am: Gen. Wesley Clark hosts a roundtable discussion at Stonyfield Farm, Londonderry, N.H.
—10:00 am: Sen. Kerry attends a rally with Iowa Legislators on the Capitol Steps, Des Moines, Iowa
—10:00 am: Sen. Joe Lieberman speaks to families to discuss his middle class tax cut plan, Tulsa, Okla.
—10:30 am: Gov. Howard Dean attends a "Caucus for Change" pancake breakfast at Central College, Pella, Iowa
—10:30 am: Hillary Clinton gives a major foreign policy address at Cornell Medical Center, New York, N.Y.
—11:00 am: Rep. Richard Gephardt attends a "Countdown to Victory" event at the public library, Atlantic, Iowa
—11:00 am: Edwards delivers a speech on rural issues at the public library, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
—11:00 am: Democratic investor George Soros launches his new book at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington, D.C.
—11:00 am: Rep. Dennis Kucinich speaks at at Guideone Insurance, West Des Moines, Iowa
—12:00 pm: Vice President Cheney speaks at a safety ceremony for the 99th Airlift Squadron at Andrews Air Force Base, Washington, D.C.
—12:00 pm: Rev. Sharpton participates in the Small Business Walk at Georgia Avenue Cleaners, Washington, D.C.
—12:00 pm: Rep. Kucinich visits Walnut Creek Alternative High School, Wes Des Moines, Iowa
—12:40 pm: Rep. Kucinich visits East Side Senior Center, Des Moines, Iowa
—12:45 pm: Gen. Clark receives the endorsement of the Abenaki tribe at the Museum of Natural History, Concord, N.H.
— 1:00 pm: Politics Live on abcnews.com
—1:00 pm: Rep. Gephardt attends a "Countdown to Victory" event at Steam n' Koffee, Council Bluffs, Iowa
—1:00 pm: Sen. Kerry attends a town hall at the Williamsburg Community Center, Williamsburg, Iowa
—1:00 pm: Sen. Edwards speaks about rural issues at the Mary Treglia Community House, Souix City, Iowa
—1:25 pm: President Bush arrives in Monterey, Mexico for the Special Summit of the Americas
—1:30 pm: Rep. Kucinich goes on Des Moines WOW FM with host Preston Daniels, former Mayor of Des Moines
—2:10 pm: President Bush meets with the president of Mexico, Monterey, Mexico
—2:30 pm: Sen. Lieberman speaks at a meeting of the Democrats of Greater Phoenix, Tucson, Ariz.
—3:25 pm: President Bush and Mexican President Vicente Fox speak to the press, Monterey, Mexico
—3:25 pm: Gov. Dean atetnds a "Caucus for Change" event at Iowa Wesleyan College, Mt. Pleasant, Iowa
—4:15 pm: Rep. Kucinich visits Ames High School, Ames, Iowa
—4:30 pm: Sen. Kerry attends a town hall meeting at Parthenon Pizza and Steak House, Fort Madison, Iowa
—4:30 pm: Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun appears on CNN's "Inside Politics."
—4:50 pm: Rev. Sharpton appears live on Washington D.C.'s WUSA
—5:00 pm: President Bush meets with the leaders of CARICOM, Monterrey, Mexico
—5:00 pm: Sen. Edwards meets with Democratic activists at Baker's Court restaurant, Storm Lake, Iowa
—5:20 pm: President Bush meets with the president of Chile, Monterey, Mexico
—5:20 pm: Vice President Cheney and his wife Lynn arrive at Buckley Air Force Base, Aurora, Col.
—5:30 pm: Rep. Gephardt tapes an appearance with CBS' "Late Show with David Letterman," New York, N.Y.
—6:00 pm: Sen. Lieberman tours a children's hospital and speaks to the press, Phoenix, Ariz.
—6:00 pm: Rev. Sharpton attends a get out the vote rally at M Brown Greater New Hope Baptist Church, Washington, D.C.
—6:00 pm: Rep. Kucinich attends a rally for peace and jobs at Elks Lodge, Mason City, Iowa
—6:15 pm: Sen. Kerry attends a town hall at the Burlington Steamboat Senior Center, Burlington, Iowa
—6:25 pm: Gov. Dean attends a "Caucus for Change" event at the League of United Latin American Citizens Hall, Ft. Madison, Iowa
—6:30 pm: President Bush attends the Inauguration Ceremony of the Special Summit of the Americas, Monterey, Mexico
—6:30 pm: Vice President Cheney speaks at a Bush-Cheney '04 fundraiser at the Hyatt Regency, Denver, Col.
—6:45 pm: Gen. Clark receives the endorsement of Reps. Martin Frost and Solomon Ortiz at the Westin, Dallas, Tex.
—6:45 pm: Sen. Edwards meets with Democratic activists at Cronk's Cafe, Denison, Iowa
—7:15 pm: President Bush attends the first plenary session, Monterey, Mexico
—7:30 pm: Gen. Clark holds a fundraiser at the Westin, Dallas, Tex.
—8:00 pm: Sen. Lieberman meets with supporters at the El Portal Restaurant, Phoenix, Ariz.
—8:15 pm: Gov. Dean attends a "Caucus for Change" event at the Best Western, Burlington, Iowa
—8:45 pm: Sen. Kerry attends a town hall at the American Legion Club, Muscatine, Iowa
—9:00 pm: Sen. Edwards meets with Democratic activists at Perry Elementary School, Perry, Iowa
—9:20 pm: President Bush meets with the president of Brazil, Monterey Mexico
—9:45 pm: Sen. Lieberman speaks at a celebration for Martin Luther King, Scottsdale, Ariz.
—10:10 pm: President Bush attends a dinner hosted by President Fox, Monterey, Mexico
—11:30 pm: Rep. Gephardt appears on CBS' "Late Show with David Letterman"
NEWS SUMMARY
Hang on to your hat Note readers (and your gloves, mittens, scarves, and woolens, for Iowa and New Hampshire) — for those of you who love what we write (ok, ok, at least you sometimes read it) we have news:
Starting today, you can find a streaming version of The Note on the Web!
Airing live weekdays at 1:00 p.m. ET on abcnews.com, the re-launched Politics Live features the very latest reporting from the trail and the politicians and reporters on it.
Anchored by Mark Halperin, Politics Live offers you All the News since the papers, the morning shows, and The Note that's Fit to Stream!
And this week, the program will be anchored from one of those ABC News buses that is shaking up the Iowa political landscape. Today, we'll be in Williamsburg, Iowa, with John Kerry on the stump. Kerry, we are told, will be endorsed today by Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack, and the two will travel the state together. One Vilsack is certainly a prize endorsement, but others are bound to speculate that Ms. Vilsack's nod is a wink from her husband.
And for those of you wondering whether you want to appear as a guest on the show when called by the producers, consider this: the program also airs on the ABC Jumbotron at the Crossroads of the World in Times Square. If you want your Q Rating to be higher among Dutch tourists, now is the time to act.
The program is also available to AOL subscribers.
Come one come all! Subscribe now for your own ticket to Being in the Know. Simply sign up here
signing up here and have ABC News Live delivered right to your desktop.
And since we've been talking it up, we wanted to give you a preview from a pre-re-launch episode.
Here's a clip of Politics Live last fall, right after Gen. Clark announced that he would indeed be a candidate.
The anchor: Mark Halperin. The General appears as himself. The topic: SCOTUS history.
Today's guest … . after our news summary.
Last night's Brown & Black Forum in Iowa was awkward at best and all the reviews coming in today focus on mostly failed attempts on behalf of Dean's opponents to take him down a week before Iowans attend the caucuses.
However, having governed an overwhelming white state and campaigned for president in the white states of Iowa and New Hampshire, the question of whether Howard Dean (should he emerge the nominee) can maintain and/or build upon Gore's 2000 advantage with non-white Democratic base voters hangs in the air.
As many weekend stories suggested, the game is all about on the ground organizing now and turning out the vote — along with swaying the undecideds. John Edwards Des Moines Register endorsement gets lots of play today and some second (or is it third?) looks at Edwards' candidacy.
The question of whether Edwards is enjoying a boomlet with voters is one of many dynamics we would suggest you watch today:
a. With Dean still leading in New Hampshire and Clark perceived to be rising, look for the other candidates and their opposition research departments (via news stories) to delve more into Clark's background. See today's New York Times story. And Walter Shapiro says that Billy Shaheen's wife is going after Clark today her own self.
b. How will weekday dynamics effect the direction and velocity of the Paul O'Neill charges? Will the White House be forced to respond (finally) on the merits?
c. Read the important story by Howard Kurtz in the Washington Post on the press-driven expectations game in the Democratic nomination process, a past practice that we are strongly discouraging in this election cycle.
d. In an era of sped-up news cycles, how fast will the press' mood swings about momentum resolve themselves?
e. Will Howard Dean win more news cycles than he'll lose between now and next Monday?
f. Will the press settle on a threshold for Dean in Iowa? What if he comes in first, second by a point, second by two points?
g. What's Rick Lyman working on this week? Is Isikoff in Vermont?
h. Will Kate O'Connor and Rick Ridder kiss a second time?
While most of the '04 Dems continue to shake hands at diners and town halls, President Bush is set to engage in a diplomatic tango with his old friend President Fox of Mexico.
Howard Dean appeared on the CBS Early Show and had this to say about print journalists: ""I think print reporters have a lot of space and not much to fill it with."
ABC's "Good Morning America," the CBS "Early Show" and the NBC "Today Show" all highlighted Dean's admission last night that he did not have any black or Latino members of his cabinet while serving as Vermont's governor.
On Politics Live today, the Des Moines Register 's David Yepsen.
President Bush is in Monterey, Mexico today for the Special Summit of the Americas.
Vice President Cheney is in Washington, D.C. this morning and in Colorado this afternoon.
Gov. Dean, Reps. Gephardt and Kucinich, and Sens. Kerry and Edwards are in Iowa.
Dean is in Iowa the rest of the week except for Wednesday, when he is in Iowa and New Hampshire, after a little downtime in Vermont.
Gephardt is in New York and Seattle tomorrow, Iowa and Michigan on Wednesday, and Iowa through the weekend. Kucinich is in North Dakota and Iowa this week. Kerry is in Iowa tomorrow and in New Hampshire on Wednesday.
Edwards is in Iowa tomorrow morning and in New Hampshire tomorrow night and Wednesday. He is in Iowa the rest of the week.
Gen. Clark is in New Hampshire this morning and Texas tonight. He travels back and forth between New Hampshire and New York and South Carolina the next two days.
Senator Lieberman campaigns in Oklahoma and Arizona. He returns to New Hampshire on Tuesday for the rest of the week.
Rev. Al Sharpton is in Washington, D.C today and tomorrow.
Ambassador Moseley Braun appears on CNN's Crossfire this afternoon.
Black and Brown Forum
The New York Times ' Purdum and Nagourney wrap up last night's debate, Noting the attacks on Howard Dean's "recent and still largely undefined promise to cut payroll taxes" and Sharpton's attack on "the paucity of minority officials in senior positions" of Dean's Vermont administration. LINK
The Washington Post 's Dan Balz and John Harris also highlight Sharpton's attack on Dean but let Dean explain his own notion of race in the country: "Dean said the 'biggest challenge' facing minorities 'is to help white audiences understand the plight of minority populations when it comes to race.'" LINK
The Chicago Tribune's Pearson and Zeleny report that several candidates used last night's Brown and Black Forum as an opportunity to attack Dean as weak and insensitive on racial issues, as well as the now-standard attacks on tax cuts and the war in Iraq. LINK
The Los Angeles Times' Matea Gold and Nick Anderson have Howard Dean "faltering several times" in Sunday's debate when questioned about race. LINK
The Des Moines Register 's Tom Beaumont's writes up Dean's debate performance with an ominous tone: "Dean has been roundly praised in previous debates for his ability to withstand attack after attack from his competitors for the nomination. But during Sunday's debate … he seemed uncertain and nervous when the Rev. Al Sharpton grilled him about his record of appointing minorities to top positions during his time as governor." LINK
The New York Post 's Deborah Orin and Vincent Morris call last night's debate Dean's worst performance yet.
LINK
Karen Branch-Brioso at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noticed that last night's debate turned into another occasion of "everybody kick Howard Dean." LINK
ABC News Vote 2004: the Democratic nomination fight:
Howard Kurtz objects to the quadrennial handicapping of the candidates, writing that it's a game "in which the presidential campaigns keep trying to lower the bar (to beat those all-important odds) while the press keeps it high (to winnow an unwieldy field more quickly). And it's more than just a parlor game: Those who do BTE (better than expected) reap positive headlines, which often translate into fundraising success. Those who fail are all but written off by the press, which gives them the aura of losers, which makes it hard to get coverage, which makes it all but impossible to raise campaign cash." LINK
Please: everyone involved read this and do some soul searching. There's nothing wrong with giving Iowa and New Hampshire a big role, but letting other states be involved too.
"After all the name-calling, fingerprinting, muckraking and flip-flopping, the Democratic president primary may yield a winner who is not even a Democrat: President Bush," writes the Associated Press' Fournier. LINK
The Washington Post 's Jonathan Weisman reports that the Democratic candidates are attempting to wrest the "tax reform" label from the Republicans, "embracing fundamental changes to the tax system — from eliminating the need for tax returns for most Americans to consolidating the bewildering plethora of tax credits — likely making the issue unavoidable during the general election campaign." LINK
The Wall Street Journal's John Harwood and Jacob Schlesinger key off the Zogby numbers and declare a "shakiness in front-runner Howard Dean's once commanding lead." They throw in other poll results showing Clark moving up in New Hampshire and declare that the dynamics of the race that seemed so clear — i.e., that Dean's insurgency took over the contest — aren't quite so definitive anymore.
Jill Lawrence and Susan Page of USA Today lead their Iowa weekend wrap-up with the potent combination of large numbers of undecideds in Iowa and no candidate with an overwhelming lead in the polls. LINK
The Des Moines Register 's Tom Beaumont also gives a lot of credence to Zogby's latest poll numbers and observes a newly energized (thanks to Mr. Beaumont's paper) John Edwards. LINK
The New York Times ' Kate Zernike on the Democratic candidates' opposition to the "No Child Left Behind" bill: "Never mind that most of the Democratic presidential candidates voted two years ago for a bill that Republicans and Democrats alike hailed as the most significant federal education legislation in four decades. Listening to them recently has made it easy to forget." LINK
The New York Times ' Jodi Wilgoren follows Rep. Kucinich and Gov. Dean into an Oelwein church and reports that "Dr. Dean, who has lately been trying to inject religion into his campaign, was, for once, overshadowed by Mr. Kucinich." Wilgoren also writes up Dean's flashing of his "his much-talked-about temper." LINK
The Los Angeles Times' Ron Brownstein looks at how all the leading Democrats are not willing to go as far on gun control as Bradley and Gore were in 2000. LINK
The Boston Phoenix declares that the Democratic nominee must "take a page out of Bush's prayer book" and convince the voters of his beliefs to have any chance of wooing the coveted moderate vote. LINK
The Des Moines Register 's Rekha Basu is overjoyed that the debates have finally passed. LINK
Roll Call 's Chris Cillizza and Paul Kane report on the Hill surrogates coming out to Iowa for their candidates, adding that "the Bush-Cheney '04 team, meanwhile, fearful that the caucuses and the resulting media attention will focus almost entirely on Democratic themes, is dispatching a dozen surrogates to the Hawkeye State on Jan. 19, led by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie."
Note Jay Carson's comments on Dick Gephardt.
Iowa:
The air war ain't nothin' compared to what is going on the ground. The New York Times ' Jim Rutenberg reports that the current Iowa commercials are "an exercise in tact" compared to the direct mailings, full of "body blows." LINK
The Chicago Tribune's John McCormick and Jeff Zeleny Note that the Iowa caucuses do not have a history of reporting timely, or necessarily accurate results (Gephardt in '88 and Bush I in '80?). Two names to know: Andrew Brown and Dave Vogelaar are in charge of ensuring the electronic delivery of caucus results. LINK
The Los Angeles Times' Jim Rainey looks at the get-out-the-vote dynamics in Waverly, Iowa. LINK
USA Today 's Andrea Stone writes Ottumwa, Iowa has pockets of support for each of the four leading candidates in the upcoming caucuses. LINK
Don't miss the party Sunday night at 5 pm local time out at the Art Center. LINK
New Hampshire:
The Washington Post 's Hanna Rosin reports that of all the New Hampshire campaigns, only Dean's doesn't abide by the "unofficial rules for the young staff who work the New Hampshire primary: … half an hour from midnight, they [become] fellow partiers, bumming cigarettes, buying each other beers, bound by the weird facts of their daily existence: long, long days, addiction to campaign adrenaline, month-to-month leases." LINK
The Associated Press takes a look at campaigning in the frigid New Hampshire winter. LINK
ABC Vote 2004: Bush-Cheney re-elect:
The New York Times ' Elisabeth Bumiller Notes that unlike his father, President Bush "has embraced not only "the vision thing" but the idea of a very big presidency: big ideas, big costs, big gambles." LINK
Timing is everything. The Wall Street Journal 's Schlesinger Notes how the current economic expansion bodes well for President Bush's re-election campaign and is in stark contrast to what his father faced in 1992. The boom of the 1990s has blunted the sharp edge of the recession so that economic growth — even minus jobs creation — isn't quite so stark in terms of consequences for voters. In addition, now that they're managing more of their money and more involved with stocks and their own financial future, voters have a better understanding of what they're worth, as well as the ups and downs of the market.
Worth Noting is Christie Todd Whitman's fervent plea for the Rights of moderates in her Republican Party on the editorial page of the New York Times , writing "we too often follow the advice of political consultants to appeal not to a majority of the electorate but only to the most motivated voters — those with the most zealous, ideological beliefs." LINK
Man, oh, man we can't wait to see how the RINO-hunting crowd enjoys this one
The Associated Press reports Vice President Cheney isn't changing his views on gay marriage espoused during the 2000 campaign (it should be left up to the states), but if President Bush determines a gay marriage ban is the administration's policy, Cheney told a Colorado newspaper he will support that policy. LINK
The Times ed board believes Bush's plan to create a new class of "temporary" workers in the United States is "a reasonable idea but unduly limited." LINK
The New York Times ' Steven Greenhouse finds business owners are getting behind the president's immigration plan, while organized labor and its Democratic backers are expressing concern the proposal "would create a permanent, exploitable second-tier of workers who would never have the opportunity for permanent residency and full citizenship." LINK
Laura Blumenfeld puts a GOP strategist Grover Norquist/Bush campaign manager Ken Mehlman meeting on the front page of the Post , logging their "hopschotch[ing] across state lines, refining what Norquist calls, with a wink, 'our secret plan to seize power.'" Note Karl Rove on the record too. LINK
Lloyd Grove points out a possible reason why the Bush Administration keeps the president away from journalists, and then also what Andy Card and Karl Rove think of the news media. These gems come from interviews performed by Ken Auletta on the tension between the current administration and the news media.
"He didn't free the slaves.
He didn't rid the world of Hitler.
He didn't even — like his father — preside over the destruction of the Berlin Wall.
Yet George W. Bush tells New Yorker writer Ken Auletta: 'No President has ever done more for human rights than I have.'" LINK
Roll Call 's Ethan Wallison say the White House and the Hill GOP campaign agendas may diverge — and soon.
Writes Wallison, "While Republicans on Capitol Hill would like nothing better than a smooth exit before the elections, GOP strategists say the White House believes it is necessary to ensure that President Bush and his agenda hold the attention of voters through Election Day."
"For one thing, the strategists say, voters need to see that the president has a 'vision' going forward. But just as importantly, the White House needs a diversion that will prevent Democrats from seizing the initiative."
"'[Karl] Rove does not like an empty channel,' one White House insider said, referring to Bush's top political strategist. 'If you leave a vacuum, someone fills it.'"
"As for the president, the source said, 'This guy saw his father go down to defeat because he didn't have a vision for the future. [Bush] will not make this mistake.'"
Stephen Dinan of the Washington Times criticizes Bush for often signing bills during his term that originally made a grand presentation of principles later abandoned by the time he signed legislation. LINK
Hugh Aynesworth of the Washington Times reports Bush's immigration plan received positive reaction throughout much of Texas. LINK
Steve Miller of the Washington Times reports that Bush's approval with the Arab-American community may not go as smoothly in 2004 as it did in the past election. LINK
The economy:
The Wall Street Journal 's Jon Hilsenrath reports that December's 5.7 percent unemployment rate — the lowest since October 2002 — isn't because people are finding work. It's because they gave up looking for it.
The New York Times ' Louis Uchitelle says the inability of jobless numbers to capture what is going on in the nation's labor market is "giving politicians unusual leeway to make conflicting claims about the employment picture." LINK
Former Bush Administration strategy/personality:
John Kerry makes an appearance in USA Today 's wrap-up of all things O'Neill. "Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry said O'Neill's comments show that the administration deceived the public about its reasons for going to war in Iraq. 'It would mean they were dead-set on going to war alone since almost the day they took office and deliberately lied to the American people, Congress and the world,' Kerry said." LINK
The New York Times ' Richard Stevenson picks up former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill's comments, highlighting O'Neill's claim that President Bush was focused on "finding a way" to oust Saddam Hussein from his very first National Security Council meeting. LINK
The Wall Street Journal offers a blow-by-blow chronicle of the week's events surrounding the book by one of its former reporters, Ron Suskind.
From the outside:
The Boston Globe 's Mark Jurkowitz curtain-raises tonight's MoveOn.org event in New York unveiling the winning anti-Bush television ad. LINK
A new survey out today from the folks over at Americans for Gun Safety finds in a survey of the Democratic candidates that this year's hopefuls are "taking the gun issue to the political center, rejecting the most far-reaching gun restrictions supported by former candidates Al Gore and Bill Bradley." Reports the group, "all eight respondents say the 2nd Amendment confers to an individual the right to own guns and all support closing the gun show loophole, renewing the assault weapons ban, and vigorous enforcement of existing laws. But six of the eight oppose the federal licensing of gun owners and the registration of handguns — the two gun issues that Gore and Bradley sparred over and the issues that some analysts believe ultimately cost Democrats the White House."
Newsweek's Periscope Notes the candidates say they won't be Gored this time around.
LINK
Dean:
Yes, that was Rick Ridder you've seen, helping to organize Dean folks in Eastern Iowa. The original campaign manager to Dean — the prodigal son — has returned. Attention Walter Shapiro (and Joe Trippi): we're reliably told that Kate O'Connor even shared a kiss with him! This is important, as Ridder famously hinted to Mr. Shapiro that he moved on in part because he wasn't sure what role O'Connor would play in the campaign.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
The Des Moines Register looks at "Camp Dean." LINK
In a look at the role of the First Lady, the Hartford Courant Notes that Americans may just not be ready for Dr. Judith Steinberg's plan to keep her medical practice going if her husband wins the White House.
LINK
Jill Lawrence reports Howard Dean continues to take buckshot from his opponents. LINK
The Boston Globe 's Glen Johnson also saw Dr. Dean's temper flare. LINK
Ray Long and John McCormick at the Tribune report that an AFSCME rally in Chicago yesterday, Dean repeatedly tripped over his own words. LINK
The Union-Leader's John DiStaso writes that the Dean tax policy shift was most likely spawned from the important Iowa and New Hampshire voters. LINK
Roll Call 's Brody Mullins reports the Outsider is Coming In, writing "the Dean campaign is laying plans to open an office inside the Beltway to house the flood of Democratic consultants and lobbyists who want to help Dean prepare for a race against President Bush by soliciting endorsements and crafting policy positions."
"The new partnership between Dean and Washington demonstrates the surging confidence shared by both Dean and his one-time skeptics that the former Vermont governor will claim the Democratic nomination in the next few months."
Maria Echaveste tells Roll Call she hopes the office will be open for business shortly.
Gephardt:
Rick Klein of the Boston Globe observed some Iowans connecting to Gephardt's Midwestern demeanor and Notes that for those not supporting the Congressman he is a very popular second choice. LINK
Jo Mannies at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notices that the Missouri Democratic Party leaders have relocated to Iowa. LINK
The Los Angeles Times' Ron Brownstein uses his column to examine Rep. Gephardt's proposals on how to close the trade deficit and his reliance on a global minimum wage. LINK
The Los Angeles Times' Janet Hook profiles Rep. Gephardt. LINK
From ABC News Gephardt campaign reporter Sally Hawkins:
DES MOINES, IOWA, Jan. 11--Rep. Gephardt must win Iowa in order to have a chance at the Democratic nomination. So say the pundits and political reporters. But, even his campaign manager has said it in the past and Gephardt, himself, has admitted a caucus win is essential on at least one rare occasion over a hamburger at a Des Moines Wendy's.
However, day in and day out, when Gephardt wraps up his speech and asks for help on caucus night, he consistently says "I'm going to win in Iowa and I'm going to win in the mid west. I'm going to win in South Carolina and I'm going to beat George Bush."
Gephardt has been questioned almost every day for months about his fate after the caucuses if Dean wins. His standard answer is to declare that he will win and that he does not answer "iffy questions". Time and time again, reporters rephrase themselves to see if they can dig out a different answer, and almost always the effort is fruitless.
So, reporters' pens began scribbling quickly when a change was heard — twice in recent days.
The congressman told an audience in Williamsburg, Iowa, "I've got to win Iowa so I can win the nomination and take on George Bush." It happened again this morning in Madison County and, again, reporters made Note.
Is there a difference?
Steve Murphy advised not to read into it too much. On a conference call with reporters the Gephardt campaign manager was asked about the candidate's apparent inconsistencies. His answer was a familiar one. "We consider that to be a moot point, because we are very confident that we are going to win here."
Later, he added that the two sentences are one in the same and advised that there is no change afoot. But, while he would not address a scenario where Gephardt loses in Iowa, he did say a Howard Dean loss here would be "devastating" for him since Dean has "created the expectation that he's going to win". "If he's loses here, that's going to be a very damaging defeat for him. And he will start to take on the characteristics of a failed front-runner", Murphy said of Dean.
Tomorrow night, Gephardt will appear on The Late Show with David Letterman where he'll read the "Top Ten List". Perhaps, it will be the top ten ways to say "I'm going to win in Iowa."
Read more from the trail with Gephardt on abcnews.com: LINK
Clark:
The New York Times ' Ed Wyatt reports that Clark, on camera, said in 2002 that he believed Iraq was connected to Al Qaeda. This contrasts to Clark's recent comments to the effect that "there was no imminent threat from Iraq, nor was Iraq connected with Al Qaeda." LINK
Gen. Wesley Clark jumped on Paul O'Neill's coattails yesterday, saying the former treasury secretary's assertions just confirm what The General as thought about the war in Iraq all along. The AP's Kate McCann reports from Manchester.
LINK
Gert Clark gets Boston Globe profile treatment courtesy of Joanna Weiss who places The General's wife somewhere between Dr. Judith Steinberg and Teresa Heinz Kerry on the political spouse spectrum. LINK
From ABC News Clark campaign reporter Deborah Apton:
He's wearing his new green LLBean sweater … again. It could become as big a story as the argyle.
He's eating his cheetos and chocolate-covered gummy bears (chocolate goomies Clark calls them)-his favorite snack foods.
He's laughing with his staff, one leg swung over the seat, straddling it-
He answers questions from the traveling press corps.
It's the charter flight on Saturday from Manchester, N.H. to Superior, Wis.
Read more from the trail with Clark on abcnews.com: LINK
Lieberman:
From ABC News Lieberman campaign reporter Talesha Reynolds:
DES MOINES, IOWA, Jan. 11--Senator Lieberman used to say you couldn't find anyone angrier about the 2000 election than Al Gore and himself--two guesses as to when he stopped saying that--but in this race, he rarely capitalizes on what most Democrats felt was a huge injustice, much to the chagrin of some of his supporters.
Sunday night was to be different, though. In perhaps the strangest of many strange moments in the Brown and Black forum, Senator Lieberman used his
question to the other candidates to remind people of the wrong he and hundreds of disenfranchised Floridians suffered four years ago, and called on them to
sign a letter in support of funding the Help America Vote Act. It was supposed to be a rallying cry, and perhaps an effort to boost his sagging national poll numbers, but it ended in a whimper — or a chuckle — not a bang.
Lieberman took an eternity on the wind up, and was interrupted several times by moderator Lester Holt: "And Senator, your question is to whom?"
"Senator, we'd like to get to the question if we could." "Is your question whether they will sign it?" After several minutes, Lieberman
finally came to his question, "Will you join me in this letter to make sure that in this year's voting in November there are no more Floridas?"
Senator Edwards was the first to respond, or rather not respond, saying, "I don't need a response. It was a great speech by Joe, but what did the letter
say that he's asking me to sign?"
For that rambling monologue, Lieberman was the butt of several jokes for the rest of the night, including his own. In the spin room Lieberman
mused, "If you thought my remarks were long in posing the question, wait 'til you hear my first state of the union address. It's gonna be
memorable." Lieberman Noted that Rep. Kucinich signed the copy of the letter he'd brought to the stage and said he looked forward to the rest of
the candidates doing the same.
For more on the Lieberman campaign trail, go to LINK
Edwards:
The Times ' James McKinley, Jr. writes the Edwards campaign "hinges on the notion that he has not forgotten where he comes from, Noting it never takes the candidate long to tell his audience he was reared by working-class parents in mill towns of the Carolinas and was the first in his family to go to college." LINK
The Post 's Vanessa Williams writes that the day after he received the Des Moines Register 's endorsement, "Edwards's smile was a little wider, his voice a little louder, as he greeted larger-than-usual crowds, including many Iowans who said they had been drawn to attend his rallies after reading the upbeat editorial." LINK
The Los Angeles Times' Scott Martelle reports that Edwards' endorsement by the Des Moines Register has Iowa residents taking another look at his candidacy. LINK
The Washington Post editorial board thinks highly of Edwards but has a common concern about the Senator: "North Carolina Senator John Edwards is the opposite — a candidate who remains as appealing as ever and who seems to have grown more thoughtful and confident. That apparent deepening helps but does not entirely allay concerns about his inexperience." LINK
"With the Democratic candidates fighting to become the standout alternative to Dean, Edwards has been unable to distinguish himself," writes Raja Mishra of the Boston Globe . LINK
ABC News' "full-stop knackered" Edwards campaign reporter Gloria Riviera reports:
DES MOINES, IOWA, Jan. 11--Senator Edwards enjoyed day-of-endorsement glow by tossing out a new question at his campaign events. In keeping with the theme of the New Year's new speech (was New Year's Eve really less than two weeks ago?) in which Edwards says, "Iowans are direct, so I am going to be direct … " he grabbed the mike, paused and said, "Have you all seen the paper?" A sure-fire one-two punch if you are keeping successful stump tactic score: laughter followed by applause.
So, did the endorsement make a difference out on the trail today? When will we see a new ad?
In addition to new poll numbers showing a "veryclosetoKerry" fourth, though not close enough for the dream "John-John" ticket one woman shared with me, and the simple fact that it was the second to last Sunday before the big day all contributed to decent crowds of two hundred plus and culminating in the campaign's pre-debate magnum opus event held in Adventureland in Altoona, Iowa.
The number of people interviewed after events who say they have decided to go with Edwards, enjoyed a decent spike by my entirely unscientific tally (9 out of ten). At the same time, there were a few still sprinkled from event to event who expressed concern over Edwards vote in favor of the war in Iraq and his background as a lawyer.
It was more of a rally cry than anything else. Edwards was joined by Elizabeth, who was overheard saying she couldn't sleep after hearing the endorsement news and when she did, was awakened by her two kicking kids under the age of five. New Mexico Attorney General Patsy Madrid, the chair of his campaign in that state, is also here on Edwards' behalf, as was the Altoona Sheriff.
All in the day was both hectic and energetic. There were some "communications problems" for key campaign staff. Translation: lost cell phones, low batteries, and blackberries gone missing. Then there was the fact that at the debate's end we in the press corps did not know whether we were on a charter or on a bus to our early event in Cedar Rapids. Just when I was starting to think about how much I would not enjoy, in fact downright hate, a midnight drive to the airport to rent a car … the ever-polite Kim Rubey called to inform me of "go time" and location.
Read more from the trail with Edwards on abcnews.com: LINK
Kerry::
The Boston Phoenix concedes that Kerry's chances are "fading" and his only hope is to bare his soul, explain why his "position on Iraq can't be reduced to a seven second soundbite" and attack Dean's gubernatorial paper cover up under the Freedom of Information Act. LINK
From ABC News Kerry campaign reporter Ed O'Keefe:
DES MOINES, IOWA, Jan 11.--As the "Real Deal Express" turned into the intersection of Beef Boulevard and Dairy Drive, there was no question: the snow patched sprawl outside the Keppy 4-H Hall on the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds was a long way from Storrow Drive. Yet inside the red and blue campaign bus was Massachusetts' junior Senator and aspiring president, John Kerry; and outside, patiently waiting, was the senior Senator from Massachusetts and one-time White House aspirant, Ted Kennedy.
Inside the hall, 500 Democratic faithful successfully answered "Who's got Mo?" with "Kerry's got Mo" in a call response chant. But the activist warming up the crowd may have reached a bit when "Carpe Diem" quickly turned into a phonic mishmash leading to shouts of "Carpe" from some, "Carpe Diem" from others and even an inspiring cry of "Per Diem" from the press corps.
Nevertheless, all was quickly forgiven when the headlining act of this Massachusetts Miracles Tour walked out from behind an enormous blue curtain. "Are you happy to see old Ted?," Kennedy asked, without having to wait a moment for the thunderous applause of validation.
Kennedy, whose 31.2% second place finish against Carter's 59.1% showing in 1980 seriously hindered the liberal lion's ability to pose a challenge to the incumbent, recalled the good and the bad times with humor.
"I remember being in Iowa in 1960 … and 39 of 44 Democratic convention delegates went to John F. Kennedy for President of the United States! I remember coming back here in 1968 and the extraordinary support you gave to my brother Bob. And I remember 1980 when the people of Iowa told Ted Kennedy to stay in the United States Senate!", Kennedy bellowed to an enthusiastic crowd.
Given a glowing introduction, Kerry complimented his colleague calling Kennedy "the undisputed champion of the Democratic wing of the Democratic party."
Read more from the trail with Kerry on abcnews.com: LINK
Kucinich::
Dennis Kucinich courts Looking Horse in Iowa. LINK
From ABC News Kucinich campaign reporter Melinda Arons:
Outside the convention center last night was where one found the true believers. Aboard what they call the "Magic Bus," a group of supporters from various states had pooled their resources to create what one of them called "an expression of our creativity and our politics." Equipped with bunk beds, a small kitchen and only one heater to brave the freezing temperatures, the group takes such loving care of the tattered, Love Bug-era vehicle that they shooed Congressional Quarterly columnist Craig Crawford off the premises when he started to light up a cigarette. But perhaps it's just a particular kind of smoke the travelers dislike---Crawford claimed upon exiting that the interior smelled like "a Grateful Dead concert."
Read more from the trail with Kucinich on abcnews.com: LINK
Roll Call 's Mark Preston reports that "Rep. Dennis Kucinich violated House ethics rules designed to prevent Members from using official government resources to benefit their political campaigns." Seems "Kucinich's campaign failed to abide by House ethics regulations, which forbid a Member's campaign from immediately publicizing material that was released by his Congressional office." Note the paper also reports it's unlikely Kucinich will be penalized for the violations.
Sharpton:
From ABC News Sharpton campaign reporter Beth Loyd:
JAN. 11 — Rev. Al Sharpton took the opportunity at the well-timed Brown-Black debate to raise a race question to his biggest perceived threat in Tuesday's District of Columbia primary. He slammed Dean for failing to have a person of color in a senior policy role in his administration in Vermont--another example of what Sharpton calls, "walking the walk but not talking the talk." He passionately attempted to distinguish himself as the candidate bringing race to the forefront-chiding Moseley Braun for defending Howard Dean.
When Dean made mention of his many endorsements among black and Hispanic politicians, Sharpton whipped out his favorite endorsement one-liner. He said, "I think you only need cosigners if your credit is bad"-a rather ironic statement considering Sharpton's recent media-focused endorsement ceremonies in New York and Washington.
(Speaking of bad credit … )
When Saturday came, it brought with it an incredibly unflattering front page New York Times article on Sharpton's financial troubles both within his National Action Network and in the campaign. The campaign saw it coming yet campaign manager Charles Halloran was "relieved." He said, "It could've been worse," which makes one wonder … Fortunately for the campaign, the strategic attack on Dean will likely trump this. The campaign proudly sent around the AP article moments after it was posted.
Today marks a first in the Reverend's campaign. Besides the media hits and the church visits, Sharpton is scheduled to pop up at various Washington metro stops in an effort to promote support and to get people to the polls on Tuesday. He will also canvass neighborhoods, door-to-door.
Read more from the trail with Sharpton on abcnews.com: LINK
D.C. Primary:
Brian DeBose of the Washington Times reports D.C. Democrats are not concerned with tomorrow's voter turnout in the nation's first primary, viewing voting as more of a protest symbol of the city's fight for congressional voting rights rather than an election. LINK
From the outside:
The Union-Leader Notes the trials and tribulations of being an independent presidential candidate in this country, as discussed yesterday in the Granite State by Ralph Nader, and how making it easier for people to vote could give alternate parties a better shot of breaking the two-party mold. LINK
Politics:
We wish you a fast recovery, Senator Baucus. LINK
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