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—--7:00 am: Rev. Al Sharpton greets riders at Fort Totten Metro stop, Washington, D.C.
—8:00 am: Rev. Sharpton goes on the "Russ Parr Morning Show" on 93.9 WKYS, Washington, D.C.
—8:30 am: Rep. Dick Gephardt speaks at the Council on Foreign Relations, New York, N.Y.
—8:45 am: Rev. Sharpton takes young voters to vote for the first time at Anacostia High School, Washington, D.C.
—8:50 am: President Bush meets with the prime minister of Canada, Monterey, Mexico
—9:30 am: Sen. John Kerry attends a rally at Black Hawk County Soldiers Memorial Hall, Waterloo, Iowa
—9:30 am: Rep. Dennis Kucinich has breakfast at Mom's Diner with the executive director of the North Dakota Democratic Party, Fargo, N.D.
—10:00 am: President Bush attends the Second plenary session, Monterey, Mexico
—10:35 am: Rep. Kucinich goes on the Ed Schultz Radio Show, KFGO 790 Fargo, N.D.
—11:00 am: Sen. John Edwards speaks about health care at Fair Meadows Village, Des Moines, Iowa
—11:15 am: Rep. Kucinich tours the Homeless Health Services Basement of St. Mark's Church, North Fargo, N.D.
—11:30 am: Gen. Wesley Clark tours Child Health Services and hosts a roundtable discussion, Manchester, N.H.
—12:05 pm: Rep. Kucinich attends a rally and speaks to the press at the Democratic-NPL headquarters, North Fargo, N.D.
—12:15 am: President Bush attends the third plenary session, Monterey, Mexico
—12:30 pm: Sen. Kerry attends a town hall at Two Brother's Restaurant, Independence, Iowa
—2:00 pm: President Bush meets with the President of Bolivia, Monterey, Mexico
—2:15 pm: President Bush attends the summit's closing session and signs the Political Declaration, Monterey, Mexico
—2:30 pm: Sen. Kerry attends a town hall at Deleware county fairgrounds, Manchester, Iowa
—2:55 pm: President Bush participates in an official photograph with the participants of the Special Summit of the Americas, Monterey, Mexico
—3:00 pm: Sen. Joe Lieberman delivers a major speech about the Clinton legacy, Dover, Del.
—3:15 pm: Sen. Edwards speaks about health care at Child Health Services, Manchester, N.H.
—4:45 pm: Martin Sheen, Rob Reiner and Kirsten Dunst host an event on behalf of Howard Dean at Morningside College, Sioux City, Iowa
—5:00 pm: Rep. Gephardt participates in a health care roundtable, Seattle, Wash.
—5:30 pm: Sen. Edwards holds a town hall meeting at the YWCA, Manchester, N.H.
—5:45 pm: Sen. Lieberman hosts a town hall Meeting at Flatbread Pizza, North Conway, N.H.
—6:00 pm: Rev. Sharpton hosts a victory party at Republic Gardens, Washington, D.C.
—6:30 pm: Rep. Gephardt attends a rally at the Machinists Union Hall, Seattle, Wash.
—6:30 pm: AFSCME President Jerry McEntee attends a "Bowling for Dean" family night at Miller Time Billiards and Grill, Davenport, Iowa
—6:30 pm: Rep. Gephardt is profiled by ABC's "World News Tonight"
—7:00 pm: Sen. Kerry attends a Town Hall for America's Future with Vinton County Dems, Vinton, Iowa
—8:00 pm: Sen. Edwards holds a town hall meeting, Exeter, N.H.
—8:15 pm: Sen. Kerry joins Carole King at a "Women for Kerry" concert at the Paramount Theater, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
—8:15 pm: Sen. Lieberman attends a house party, Randolph, N.H.
—8:35 pm: President and Laura Bush return to the White House
NEWS SUMMARY
He might have belonged to Viacom last night — with its fancy pants "Top Ten" list — but today, Jan. 13, 2004, Richard A. Gephardt and his campaign for president are wholly-owned subsidiaries of ABC News.
Gephardt has already appeared on "Good Morning America" today; his sunny campaign manager is the guest on Politics Live (with the rockin' Red bus webcasting live at 1 p.m. ET from outside the campaign's Des Moines headquarters); and Gephardt will be featured on World News Tonight's candidate profile series this evening.
And he appears in the World's Stuffiest Room this morning to speak to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York about what CNN calls "international relations."
Take that, Bob Dole!!!
To the strains of Eminem's "Lose Yourself," ABC's Jake Tapper offered a look at Gephardt's "one last shot" at the presidency today on "Good Morning America."
Following the Tapper piece, Rep. Gephardt sat down with ABC's Diane Sawyer and we learned that the Missouri Congressman has seen Eminem's movie and feels a kinship with the rapper's poor childhood.
Also on TV, at 6:30 pm ET, ABC's Peter Jennings will profile Rep. Gephardt as part of the "Who Is?" series on "World News Tonight."
And, in between, if you think The Note is more fun than a barrelful of monkeys (get it?) wait until you see what we've got streaming your way live weekdays at 1:00 p.m. ET on abcnews.com.
It's the re-launched Politics Live, our daily political briefing that features the very latest reporting from the trail and the politicians and reporters on it.
This week we're anchoring from the political front lines in Iowa from the world-famous ABC News buses.
And today's episode continues our Gephardtpalooza with exclusive chat with campaign chief Steve Murphy immediately before he takes on Deb Orin and all the rest of the national media on his daily press conference call.
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. Your mom might not be able to tape it, but think of all those bustling New Yorkers who will see you anyway.
Missed yesterday's show?
No tears. LINK Here's a clip from Monday's Politics Live, with Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack, discussing her nod to Senator Kerry.
Check out the clip and see the First Lady of Iowa bigger than life on that Jumbotron.
And check out today's show, or you will have to go to your afternoon meeting relying on this Note, which is — let's face it — out of date almost before you read it!
The program is also available to AOL subscribers.
But you can't tell the players without a program — which means ya gotta sign up to have ABC News Live delivered right to your desktop.
The print coverage today is heavily skewed toward — surprise!! — Dr. Dean, but there are two must-read stories on him that are connected in more ways than might be immediately apparent to the casual reader:
1. Adam Nagourney and Jodi Wilgoren of the New York Times write that Dean has slipped into "turbulent territory" in both New Hampshire and Iowa, reporting that in Iowa, where the race is "remarkably close," Dean's supporters are fretting over what they saw as Dean's "faltering" performance in Sunday night's debate; and that in New Hampshire, where, "although Democratic strategists say they see little chance that Dr. Dean will lose … General Clark's rise is threatening Dr. Dean's once-dominant position in the state and could dash his hopes of essentially ending the contest with an overwhelming victory there." LINK
"At the same time, advisers debated what — if anything — they needed to do to deal with General Clark's success in New Hampshire. One Dean adviser likened the retired military man's performance to Dr. Dean's early rise in the polls last year that went unnoticed and largely unchecked by Mr. Kerry, who at the time was the dominant candidate."
2. The Los Angeles Times' Ron Brownstein reports that Howard Dean "apparently has bought more television advertising in Iowa than any previous presidential candidate, underscoring the advantage he gained by opting out of the public financing system." LINK
Finally, with apologies to — and homage to — Larry King and Roger Simon:
The Zogby tracking poll is crack for the weak.
When Jean Hessburg says "Crazy tight," she means it.
It is not impossible that Ron Suskind wrote the book just to make Paul Krugman happy — except that the guy seems incapable of BEING happy.
Which will there be more of in the next two weeks — feature stories about Howard Dean, or investigative ones?
Does John Harris "get" Kate O'Connor yet?
For our money, Centro has replaced 801 — and we never thought that that would happen.
You can tell what kind of person you are by whether you look at Tuesday, Jan. 20 as:
A. the day of the final State of the Union before President Bush stands for re-election.
B. the day after the Iowa caucuses.
C. a week before the New Hampshire primary.
D. the first day in years that Gordon Fischer has to pay for his own dinner.
Is it just us, or do fewer restaurants serve gingerale than in the old days?
What DOES Dick Cheney think about all this Paul O'Neill stuff?
And what does Mrs. Cheney think?
President Bush concludes the Special Session of the Americas in Monterrey, Mexico today.
Gov. Dean has no public events today and is in Vermont.
AFSCME President McEntee and Martin Sheen, Rob Reiner and Kirsten Dunst campaign on Gov. Dean's behalf in Iowa.
Rep. Gephardt speaks to the Council on Foreign Relations this morning and campaigns in Washington state this evening. Live coverage in New York, affiliate coverage in Washington. He is profiled at 6:30 pm ET by ABC's "World News Tonight," as the latest installment of its special series "Who is … "
Gen. Clark is in New Hampshire today.
Senator Lieberman delivers a major speech in Delaware this afternoon before heading to New Hampshire.
Rev. Sharpton is in Washington, D.C. today.
Rep. Kucinich is in North Dakota.
ABC News Vote 2004: the Democratic nomination fight:
Ginia Bellafante, who earlier this year wrote an amazing article on candidates' show preferences, does the style as substance story today. LINK
Robert Pear reports that Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson blames the Democratic presidential candidates for the country's negative impression of the recently passed Medicare bill. LINK
Peter Wallsten of the Miami Herald seems to understand that the race for the nomination is all about acquiring delegates. LINK
USA Today 's Susan Page leads her campaign trail wrap-up with Howard Dean fighting back "with sharp criticism of his rivals for showing what he called a lack of backbone against President Bush." LINK
The AP rounds up the candidates' tax plans: LINK
The Wall Street Journal 's Alan Murray offers some suggestions to the Democratic presidential candidates to avoid getting caught in "Karl Rove's tax trap" — namely, to avoid raising the top tax rate to 45 percent in the name of middle class tax relief. Democrats who are paying lip service to the idea of tax fairness should look at eliminating loopholes and tax shelters if they want to talk with any credibility, Murray writes.
The AP's Sidoti reports on the flooded New Hampshire airwaves while the candidates are trudging through the Hawkeye State. LINK
E.J. Dionne of the Washington Post explores the Democrats' attempts to take back the morality mantle on the campaign trail. LINK
Iowa:
They aren't your old union uncle's caucuses anymore. The New York Times ' Carl Hulse reports that while the Iowa caucuses still have "an aura of days gone by, some of the home-style charm of the meetings is disappearing this year. The organizers, hoping high interest and anti-Bush sentiment spur a record turnout that shows Iowa deserves its place at the head of the presidential election line, have moved most of the gatherings out of parlors into public buildings that can hold more people." LINK
The Dean-Gephardt accusations get play here.
Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Gordon Fischer (who is almost becoming a household name) will be the guest of honor at 2:00 pm EST for today's online chat at washingtonpost.com. LINK
The Des Moines Register 's Ken Fuson makes an appearance in USA Today in the form of an open letter to America explaining how Iowans love the quadrennial attention. LINK
Knight-Ridder's James Kuhnhenn and Matt Stearns Note the arrival of proxies in Iowa, for caucuses they speculate will be the "most important since 1988." LINK
Ken Fuson and Bill Reiter at the Des Moines Register found Iowans going out of there way to describe Dean supporters at their headquarters "terrible neighbors," reflecting that they litter and don't park their cars neatly. LINK
The Des Moines Register 's Laurie Mansfield Notes the charitable efforts of various campaigns in Iowa. LINK
Gephardt:
Rick Pearson of the Chicago Tribune reports that Gephardt's campaign stump speech contains a dose of criticism for the Bush Administration's health-care policies and the pharmaceutical industry's advertising. LINK
The New York Times ' Swarns on Gephardt's "three-day pass" to dial for dollars. ttp://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/13/politics/campaigns/13GEPH.html"> LINK
The Des Moines Register 's Johnathan Roos heard Dick Gephardt's oft-repeated contention that being a Midwesterner will help him win the White House against Bush in November. LINK
From ABC News' Gephardt campaign reporter Sally Hawkins:
Top Ten Reasons to Not Be In Iowa Six Days Before the Caucuses
10. You're giving a foreign policy speech at the Council of Foreign Relations, in which Bush is referred to thirteen times in various disparaging ways but there is nary a mention of any of your Democratic opponents.
9. You are doing some much-needed fundraising in New York and Los Angeles, where the votes may be few but the big money is bigger than in areas where thousands of jobs have moved to China.
8. You're feeling more confident in your performance on the 19th, since one of your staffers has concluded you are first on the "second-choice list" of likely caucus-goers' and Howard Dean is last — because he's polarizing. Edwards is second on the second-choice list, since few can find something really wrong with him and Kerry is third.
7. You're in good hands with labor coordinator Chuck Rocha and five presidents of the major unions, who have endorsed you .
6. Howard Dean and John Edwards are out-of-state too.
5. You are receiving the nod from former South Carolina governor Jim McNair today.
4. You are running a national campaign and must make your rounds to plan for caucuses in Washington State on Feb. 7th and the primary in Michigan, where Internet voting has already began.
3. Your new ads are going up in Iowa and the expensive Boston markets that reach southern New Hampshire, so you're covered.
2. You have surrogates pouring in from around the country to campaign for you, including eleven members of Congress who will rally Iowans on your behalf. Also, your daughters Chrissy and Kate, son Matt and your wife Jane will all be in Iowa for the final push. Even "The Creek Dippers," an unknown folk band found their calling and arrived in Iowa to jump on your campaign trail.
1. You got an NYPD escort and sped through midtown Manhattan in rush hour traffic to make the taping of The Late Show with David Letterman on time, and that beats riding in a mini-van on I-80 any day.
Read more from the trail with Gephardt on abcnews.com: LINK
Dean:
The Washington Post 's John Harris and Dan Balz report Dean lashed out at his rivals yesterday, Noting that "Dean's decision to push back against his opponents underscored concerns among his advisers and supporters that he has spent too much time on the defensive in recent weeks and that he has sometimes appeared rattled by rivals' attacks and lackluster in debate." "I'm tired of being a pincushion here," Dean said. LINK
As ABC News' Dan Harris reported last night, Dean said, "I'm going after everybody because I'm tired of being the pin cushion here" and began to take his stump speech in a more aggressive direction.
Nedra Pickler of the Associated Press has the pin cushion comment too and uses it to explain a change in strategy. LINK
"The comments marked a shift in strategy for Dean, who had been behaving like a front-runner and attempting to shrug off the daily barbs from his rivals. He told reporters last week that he would remain above the fray."
David Yepsen of the Des Moines Register sees Dean trying desperately to sit on his lead in Iowa, in the process stifling himself and missing his "Sister Souljah" moment at Sunday's Forum when the "asterisk," Rev. Al Sharpton attacked him over the lack of minorities in his Cabinet. LINK
Thomas Fitzgerald at Knight-Ridder wrote up Howard Dean's return to "us versus them" rhetoric in Iowa as his lead there evaporated into a statistical dead heat with Dick Gephardt. LINK
Vincent Morris at the New York Post Notes the same rhetorical shift, and spots the addition of John Edwards to Dean's list of people to disparage in speeches. LINK
The Des Moines Register 's Tom Beaumont says that the campaign is in its final stretch and spots Dean having difficulty winning over several undecided voters with a perfunctory "I can win because I am not from Washington." LINK
Jodi profiles Dr. Judy, made all the more better by Ruth Fremson's photo of Ms. Steinberg Dean with Kristin Morgante! LINK
"During Dr. Dean's two years of relentless campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination, Dr. Steinberg has stood by her husband's side at a political event exactly once, at his official announcement speech here in June. A country doctor who still makes the occasional house call and attends PTA meetings, Dr. Steinberg has given about a dozen interviews — none televised — two fund-raising letters and a cameo on a half-hour advertisement. She has never been to Iowa."
The Washington Post 's Jim VandeHei and Jonathan Finer add to Sharpton's recent attacks by reporting that Dean not only never named a minority to his five-person cabinet but also filled all but one 24 state judicial positions with white lawyers — "the one exception was a woman whose paternal grandparents were from Spain"-- and "oversaw an education system that was criticized by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights for indifference towards growing racism in its schools." But Dean and his supporters defended his record, arguing that Dean "had a very small pool of minorities within the state to chose from," and quotes African-American Rep. Francis Brooks as saying "I have never seen a prejudiced bone in Howard Dean's body." LINK
Jill Lawrence of USA Today takes a look at Dean's non-white appointments in Vermont. LINK
"'In retrospect, most people could easily have done better,' says Robert Appel, executive director of the Vermont Human Rights Commission. 'The opportunities were there to make good on that vision.'"
"Others in the state, some of them African-American professionals whom Dean approached about high-level jobs and part-time commission posts, say Dean was thwarted by Vermont's tiny minority population and the reluctance of minorities to leave the private sector."
Wall Street Journal editorial page writer Jason Riley calls Howard Dean the "un-Clinton" when it comes to black voters — coincidentally a significant part of the Democratic Party base. Dean is trying, Riley argues, but he doesn't understand what he needs in order to accomplish what has to be done — do at least as well among black voters as Al Gore did in 2000 — nine out of every 10 black votes.
Aaron Sheinin of the State, however, writes that Dean is likely to get a pass from voters on the race issues plaguing his past governorship. LINK
The New York Post 's Deborah Orin writes up the sad history of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Day in Vermont under Howard Dean, when the holiday was not officially celebrated and state offices closed until 2001. LINK
Lawrence recently spent some time in Vermont and discovered that Howard Dean the politician is largely influenced by Howard Dean the doctor. LINK
"'When he first became governor, he acted like a doctor,' says Jeanne Keller, a health-care policy analyst who was president of a statewide employer coalition on health during most of Dean's tenure. 'Accept our word for it. We know the answer.' It was like, 'Take this legislation and call me in the morning.'"
The Boston Globe 's Peter Canellos explores the outrage that launched Dean to the head of the pack and that Sens. Lieberman and Kerry are exploiting as the former governor's greatest liability. LINK
The Los Angeles Times' Mark "Z" Barabak and Matea Gold have Dean falling back onto the issue that fueled his rise: "his outspoken opposition to the war in Iraq and his condemnation of fellow Democrats who backed the administration's policy." LINK
Glen Johnson saw Dr. Dean take the gloves off. LINK
"Howard Dean said repeatedly yesterday that the political and media establishments were trying to derail his presidential campaign."
John McCormick of the Chicago Tribune reports that Dean again re-emphasized his "Washington outsider" credentials yesterday as he defended his diversity record. LINK
Salon's Eric Boehlert writes that the media is hell-bent on portraying Dean as angry, gaffe-prone and unelectable. LINK
The Washington Post 's Richard Cohen writes not every off-the-cuff remark of Dean's is necessarily a gaffe. LINK
"In his case, the controversial is being confused with the contemptible. In due course, he will learn his lesson, revert to standard American political pablum and end each speech with 'God Bless America.' A clear voice will be muffled because, among other things, too much of the press prefers to take umbrage by surrogate: My God, did you hear what he said about Iowa — or, earlier, about guys who drive pickups with Confederate flag decals?"
Clark:
Joan Vennochi of the Boston Globe writes, "With the rest of the presidential pack in Iowa, Wesley Clark had New Hampshire to himself. He used the time to pitch himself as experienced, disciplined, and humane, a warm and fuzzy ex-general as antidote to a hot and bothered ex-governor." LINK
Former New Hampshire Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, the chair of Kerry's campaign, ripped Clark yesterday for not being a "real Democrat." LINK
The New York Daily News' Maggie Haberman writes that while his rivals (minus Senator Joe Lieberman) slug it out in Iowa, Gen. Wes Clark's movement in New Hampshire makes him a target to which the others will most certainly turn their attention when they move from the Hawkeye to the Granite State. He's even started taking fire from Howard Dean.
LINK
Clark's war room staffers earned their keep yesterday when creating The General's response to the 2002 tape on the possible Iraq/al-Qaida connection. The AP's Holly Ramer quotes The General from New Hampshire yesterday, "'It would be naive to think the Iraqi intelligence agency never tracked anyone from al-Qaida, but that's a far cry from saying there's any relationship between Saddam Hussein and 9/11,' he said." LINK
Kerry:
The Washington Post 's William Branigin sizes up the field in Iowa and leads with Iowa first lady Christie Vilsack's endorsement of Senator Kerry. LINK
With some help from Ceci Connolly, the Washington Post 's Brian Faler includes a fun Kerry/Kennedy exchange from the campaign trail. LINK
Patrick Healy of the Boston Globe writes up John Kerry's battle against the rising Wesley Clark in New Hampshire. A battle Senator Kerry has to fight from Iowa. LINK
Thomas Oliphant of the Boston Globe sees Edwards and Kerry as underdogs with momentum in Iowa and he apparently liked the Kennedy/Kerry Iowa routine. LINK
Kerry leads the charge in the Boston Herald's Guarino piece on Clark attacks. LINK
The Des Moines Register 's Perry Beeman heard Christie Vilsack say very nice things about John Kerry yesterday. LINK
The Boston Phoenix follows a New Hampshire voter to a Kerry event, she leaves impressed but proclaims "'I really like Clark' … Such are the realities of the nearly impossible position in which Kerry finds himself these days." LINK
ABC News Kerry campaign reporter Ed O'Keefe files on the snowball fight of the year:
When the Senator emerged from the Vilsacks' two-story home, the press stood patient, poised with crystallizing snowballs in hand. The Senator sensed an ambush, but it was the First Lady who fired the shot heard round Mount Pleasant, starting a war she would not finish, and leaving the Senator to mount a one-man offensive.
Diving off the porch, the 60-year-old Senator quickly surveyed the scene and, without hesitation, took the most aggressive tactic possible, driving straight at his pen and pad-less opponents. A daring move, mind you, as he immediately faced hostile fire from ABC on the right. Doing his best "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," Kerry jumped and with both legs in the air managed to avoid what seemed to be an inevitable hit.
Kerry continued his counter-offensive, pointing his right index finger at his intended target: David Halbfinger of the New York Times . Halbfinger fired at solid pitch; the Senator was only glanced, slowed but not stopped, and thus forcing Halbfinger's retreat into the neighbor's yard. Picking up fresh arsenal from the Governor's ice-soaked lawn, the Senator and the reporter charged simultaneously, locking arms, before there was a final peace.
Read more from the trail with Kerry on abcnews.com: LINK
Edwards:
John Wagner of the Raleigh Observer says "the campaign may finally — possibly — be taking off." The large crowds responding to the Des Moines Register endorsement seem positive although the paper's picks in 88, 92 and 00 turned out to be losers. LINK
Mark Siebert at the Des Moines Register sees John Edwards gaining the big Mo' in Iowa. LINK
From ABC News' Edwards campaign reporter Gloria Riviera:
DENISON, IOWA, Jan. 12 — For the Edwards campaign, it was a day of campaign firsts. The first day each and every event was packed, the first just-about-but-not-quite semi-swipe (reporters would do best to make due with it and not hold their breath for anything more), the first time in a long time the names Bill Clinton and John Edwards were uttered in the same breath of comparison and not preceded or followed by the phrases "at one time" and "has so far failed to catch fire" and last but not least today was the very first day the press flew on the candidate's private charter plane.
Are these the concrete signs of momentum, or is it simply January in Iowa? The following facts are proposed for independent conclusions: Expect to see Edwards two most recent ads, "Better Life" and "Two Americas" re-cut and on the air to include a tag on the Des Moines Register endorsement. Next look for North Carolina Governor Easley will campaign with Edwards on Thursday in Iowa. Perhaps more exciting for all those who remember with fondness bountiful provisions of microwaved spring rolls and caramel corn, the Real Solutions Express will return to Iowa on Thursday to carry the Senator and his family into the final weekend before the Iowa caucuses.
On the events: venue and crowd size varied, and by now campaign staffers make folding chairs appear and disappear in the blink of an eye so press staff can give reporters "every seat was taken" read-outs. Edwards is sticking to his "I NEED YOU! JOIN ME IN THIS FIGHT, THIS CAUSE!" rhetoric, and was thrown by only one question throughout the whole day. It came from one 8-year-old Casey Young of Granger, Iowa. The young Young asked the young Edwards if he would consider a woman, young or old, on his VP ticket. Yes, Edwards told her. In fact (insert Edwards spokeswoman Jennifer Palmieri's alert meter inching higher), Edwards said, there was more than one woman on a whole list of people he was actively considering. Probably a bit farther than he had to go on live television. Asked to expand later by ABC News, Palmieri said "knew this was going to come up" but had no further comment at that time.
Read more from the trail with Edwards on abcnews.com: LINK
Kucinich:
The San Francisco Chronicle's Carla Marinucci profiles Rep. Dennis Kucinich, describing the "unapologetic liberal bent of the former boy mayor from Cleveland." LINK
Frank Santiago at the Des Moines Register heard Dennis Kucinich calling for war reparations to Iraqi families in West Des Moines yesterday. LINK
Sharpton:
Al Sharpton, "Politician of Protest"; the Washington Post documents Sharpton's commitment to fighting police brutality. LINK
From ABC News' Sharpton campaign reporter Beth Loyd:
Jan. 12 — At 7 a.m. on Monday, Rev. Sharpton was shaking hands at a metro station in Washington, D.C., his operatives handing out fliers promoting the Sharpton rally scheduled for later that evening. Sharpton rarely goes to neighborhoods and train stations for mano-y-mano campaigning and, therefore, is not an expert.
According to a metro station patron, the Reverend was operating more like a celebrity than politician. He just stood there waiting for people to approach him and he would shake hands and move on to the next-never once did Sharpton take the initiative to walk over and engage the metro-riders.
The flyers — advertising the rally at Great New Hope Baptist Church — read "Monday, January 11."
Read more from the trail with Sharpton on abcnews.com: LINK
The New York Times ' Michael Slackman follows Rev. Sharpton in his campaign for the Washington, D.C. primary to report that Sharpton wanted to damage Dean's reputation enough in Sunday night's debate so that minority voters choose him over Dean, but not so much that they don't vote for him in November. Sharpton adds, "I still think what [Dean] is saying is good in terms of race. And I still think that if he happens to get the nomination, I would support him wholeheartedly against President Bush." LINK
Moseley Braun:
From ABC News' Moseley Braun campaign reporter Monica Ackerman:
Jan. 13 — Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun missed her only public event of the day in Iowa yesterday. According to the Director of the Iowa/Nebraska Primary Health Care Association, Ted Boesen, they had been planning an event with her for a week. A staffer at the Primary Health Care center decided to pull the plug when the campaign called late Friday to confirm their attendance. Mr. Boesen said the staffer cancelled because of the late confirmation. Yet, for some reason, physicians and patients were awaiting the Ambassador's arrival yesterday. Campaign manager Patricia Ireland says she's "horrified" by the whole situation. Mr. Boesen says it was a matter of miscommunication. He went on to say that he admires the Ambassador's run for presidency. He also would have liked the publicity. Senator John Kerry spoke to the association at their Waterloo site. Rep. Kucinich was scheduled to speak at another site this Friday, but cancelled.
The misunderstanding should not affect Moseley Braun's standing in Iowa. Ireland has already said "they're not playing" in the Hawkeye state. Moseley Braun won't even be in Iowa for the caucus. Instead, the Ambassador will spend Martin Luther King Day in South Carolina.
Read more from the trail with Moseley Braun on abcnews.com: LINK
Nader:
From ABC News' third-party candidate campaign reporter Erik Olsen:
In what sure had the feel of a pre-campaign warm up lap, Ralph Nader took the podium before a very welcoming group of independent voters in Manchester, New Hampshire and made a case for an independent voice (his?) in Presidential politics in 2004. The crowd of several hundred (need one say eclectic?) individuals, which had gathered in Bedford, NH for the Choosing an Independent President national conference, gave Nader the kind of warm and fuzzy response that must have brought back pre-spoiler visions of his 2000 run when he could pontificate on everything from corporate greed to the sins of our "two party duopoly" … and still get applause.
While he remains somewhat coy about a Nader 2004 candidacy — he says he will decide for sure by the end of the month — he told ABC News that if he runs in 2004, his campaign will be "innovative, adaptable and flexible."
Another independent voice, Libertarian candidate Gary Nolan, also spoke briefly at the event, campaigning on a platform of small government and the elimination of income taxes. Expressing his disdain for the Bush Administration, the former radio talk show host pledged to be the "Ralph Nader of the Republican Party," by campaigning hard in Libertarian-leaning states where he can steal the GOP vote.
D.C. Primary:
The hometown paper on today's big vote: LINK
"No delegates will be selected, there will be no direct effect on anything in the real world, and to the extent that the vote will 'send a message,' it is overwhelmingly likely that no one will be listening very hard, since the ballot for this Democratic primary is conspicuously lacking the names of most of the major Democratic presidential candidates."
As Brian DeBose of The Washington Times Notes, the importance here is symbolic, D.C. Democrats are also voting today on statehood for the District. LINK
ABC 2004: The Campaign Bus Log:
From Onawa to Sabula, from New Ipswich to Scott Bog, ABC News' Campaign Buses — Red, White and Blue are the biggest things to hit Iowa and New Hampshire since Jack Germond. They feature full-service production suites, hungry reporters, and fun-loving producers — and they're the centerpiece of ABC News' Vote 2004 coverage.
Those bus producers — some of them legends in the broadcast business — file memos to the news division every night, providing a unique look at life on the road. Here are some of their observations.
From ABC News "Legendary" Leo Meidlinger on the Blue Bus:
"HIGHLIGHT: Stopping at MARGARITA'S (cleverly, a Mexican restaurant) for an early dinner and being visually harassed by Richard Hanes, a perennial Republican presidential candidate. He tried to make a citizen's arrest as we departed the restaurant because he claimed we had parked TEAM BLUE BUS illegally. Police, who were called earlier by restaurant staff, politely escorted Mr. Hanes away from the TEAM BLUE BUS."
From ABC News' Gitika Ahuja on the White Bus:
"(Oh my God, is Derrick Shore on THIS bus?)"
And two thoughts:
"'What I REALLY need is some sushi and a good yoga class to keep me going ' Gloria Riviera after months on the road covering John Edwards, in Downtown Des Moines after 2 sun salutations and a downward dog. "
"'Is the fact that I can't print bad feng shui or a wayward satellite on it's way to Mars with GW??' -anonymous producer at 4am, when s/he couldn't print the Tapper script on the White bus."
From ABC News Laiea Smith on the Red Bus:
"' I seen them buses on Teee -Veee, but I didn't think it wud be right cheer ' — Anonymous … . at the Pizza Heus (No it's not a typo) in Williamsburg, IA."
Help them out: "Looking forward: Anybody got 2? … Red Bus hoping to land some tickets for tomorrow night's Carol King concert."
"Miles Traveled: 236 … .. 1.5 came after we tried to fit a 14 foot bus into a 10.5 foot underpass."
From the outside:
The AP's Beth Fouhy has a look at "Child's Pay," the winning television ad in MoveOn.org's recent competition. LINK
The Post 's Brian Faler reports on why Moveon.org hasn't decided whether to hold a second primary for its endorsement. LINK
The folks at CARE, the organization "dedicated to fighting global poverty" has taken their usually international act to Iowa for the first time, polling a group of 400 registered Des Moines voters last month with the help of Lake Snell Perry Associates on their views on foreign aid and U.S. international leadership as part of the "Better Safer World Campaign." LINK .
Among the survey's highlights: The group reports it found 81 percent of those polled believe the U.S. government should do more to help poor and developing countries and 68 percent urge Congress and other elected officials to fully fund the president's initiative to combat AIDS around the world.
The Note took a moment to ask CARE President Peter Bell what he thought the survey showed about what Iowans are looking for in a Democratic nominee?
Based on the poll results and what Iowans told me during my visit to Des Moines last week, they want humanitarian assistance and global poverty to be campaign issues. They want to know what candidates will do to reduce hunger and extreme poverty in the world. We've received positive indication of candidate support on these issues, but no one has taken leadership yet.
ABC Vote 2004: Bush-Cheney re-elect:
The New York Times ' Dick Stevenson reports that Bush yesterday disputed Paul O'Neill's assertions that the administration planned to attack Iraq in early 2001, saying, "And no, the stated policy of my administration toward Saddam Hussein was very clear Like the previous administration, we were for regime change. And in the initial stages of the administration, as you might remember, we were dealing with desert badger or fly-overs and fly-betweens and looks, and so we were fashioning policy along those lines. And then all of a sudden September the 11th hit." LINK
The Washington Post 's Dana Milbank (congratulations, Dana!) writes on the front page of the Post that the White House is firing back at Paul O'Neill. Scott McClellan yesterday said O'Neill was "trying to justify personal views" and the Treasury Department "requested a probe into whether O'Neill was authorized to disclose the documents he released." LINK
The Wall Street Journal 's editorial board is firing back too. Ron Suskind's book is "shallow" in its characterization of the tax cut debate, drawing too-broad portraits of both sides, they write, and O'Neill is "a policy and political blunderbuss" that the president just tuned out when O'Neill said he wasn't listening. "Next time, Mr. Bush needs a Don Rumsfeld at Treasury." Ouch.
Paul Krugman opines that that in light of Paul O'Neill's comments, "the credentials of the critics just keep getting better. How can Howard Dean's assertion that the capture of Saddam hasn't made us safer be dismissed as bizarre, when a report published by the Army War College says that the war in Iraq was a "detour" that undermined the fight against terror? How can charges by Wesley Clark and others that the administration was looking for an excuse to invade Iraq be dismissed as paranoid in the light of Mr. O'Neill's revelations?" LINK
Politics of immigration:
The Washington Post 's Mike Allen and Kevin Sullivan report that, unsurprisingly, Mexican President Vicente Fox declared his support for Bush's immigration plan yesterday. LINK
The Wall Street Journal 's Greg Hitt and Joel Millman report Note that Fox called the plan a step forward toward his ultimate goal that Mexican citizens could some day travel easily across the U.S. border and back, as Canadians do.
Bill Sammon and Stephen Dinan of The Washington Times team up on the subject of President Bush's new immigration proposal — one that many Hispanics feel will be unable to get passed in Congress and therefore is using them as a political pawn. (Remember Gray Davis' last minute passing of the drivers' licenses for illegal immigrants?) LINK
The economy:
The Wall Street Journal 's Neil King and Scott Miller report the actions suggested yesterday by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick in an effort to rev up trade talks — from doing away with farm-export subsidies and cutting food tariffs to halting talks about investment rules that have stopped Brazil and China, among others, from negotiating. It remains to be seen how such proposals will play with labor unions and farmers in an election year. Bush Administration strategy/personality:
The Associated Press polled Americans on the president's space vision. "President Bush's plan to build a space station on the moon and eventually send astronauts to Mars hasn't grabbed the public's imagination, an Associated Press poll suggests." LINK
The land of five-plus-two-equals-seven:
The Washington Post 's Tom Edsall reports that the RNC will ask the Federal Election Commission today to expand the ban on soft money to include all "527" organizations, most of which have been set up by Democratic groups to counter Republican advantage in raised "hard money." LINK
Politics:
Rep. Chris Shays makes it 40 percent of the Nutmeg State's House delegation calling on Gov.
Rowland to resign and the Democrats haven't even weighed in yet. LINK
Rowland is in a fight for his political life — and don't think he and his allies are not acting that way. The Hartford Courant reports.
LINK
Roll Call 's Ed Henry mentions in "Heard on the Hill" that Tom Daschle will soon be serenaded by none other than John Mellencamp and Elvis (Bill Clinton) in honor of his 25 years on the Hill.
While a book by a fella named Suskind is causing all the ruckus, we Note a brand new name to the ranks of Best Selling (Democratic/Liberal) authors such as Franken, Moore, Miller, Ivins & Clinton: Jeff Nussbaum, who along "with" James Carville debuted at lucky 13 on the Gray Lady's list with their lacing and inspiring tome, "Had Enough?" While Carville is no stranger to this hallowed circle, it's Jeff's first appearance, and by all accounts, it's well deserved and he's earned a Cajun Ribeye at the next Steak Night.
We look forward to seeing where Jeff lands next …
We got your Bobble right here …:
What scenario pits a former actor-turned-governor against a doctor and an ABC News political director? A Bobble Head Election, of course.
We here at ABC News have had a sneak peak inside this year's first internet election of the 2004 season, and we can tell you, while this year's Democratic Presidential hopefuls may differ in height and, well, fundraising ability, we have have to wonder, when it comes to Bobbling, are all heads created equal?
In this election, the politics of Tammany Hall reign supreme, with money buying votes, and voting more than once being strongly encouraged. Possible candidates range from the Ah-nold to Charlie Cooke, with the Bobble Head Election mindlessly promoting it's own agenda: raising $50,000 for the Kristen Ann Carr Fund for Sarcoma Research ( LINK ), which provides grants for research and treatment of sarcoma.
Those who don't find their favorite candidate, don't despair; the site features a write in ballot section, where you can cast votes for future bobble head dolls to compete in the bobble head election, including ABC News's own Mark Halperin (did we mention self-promotion a la Pete Rose?). And don't worry, regardless of whether your particular candidate has opted-out or failed to qualify for matching funds, each vote cast (purchase made) will contribute $5 to the Sarcoma Fund.
Check back in to see how Halperin takes on the Terminator as the Bobble Head Election continues through the year. LINK
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