News
- 01-24-04 Poll: Kerry Leads Bush (Bloomberg)
"Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts has taken a national lead among Democratic presidential hopefuls and pulled ahead of President George W. Bush in a head-to-head match-up, according to a Newsweek poll." 1-04
- 01-27-04 Kerry Wins on Health Care and the Economy (CNN News)
"Sen. John Kerry attracted New Hampshire primary voters on the key issues of health care and the economy, according to exit polls." 1-04
- 01-28-04 Candidates Begin Super Seven Contest (BBC News)
"Democratic presidential candidates are preparing for a wide-ranging test of their popularity as campaigning begins for contests in seven states."
"The contenders vying for the party nomination face primaries next Tuesday in Arizona, Delaware, Missouri, Oklahoma and South Carolina."
"New Mexico and North Dakota will be holding caucuses on the same day." 1-04
- 01-28-04 Dean Replaces Trippi as Campaign Manager (ABC News)
"Democrat Howard Dean shook up his faltering bid for the White House on Wednesday, replacing his campaign manager with a longtime associate of former Vice President Al Gore."
" 'Governor Dean asked Roy Neel to join the campaign as CEO and Joe Trippi resigned as campaign manager,' said Tricia Enright, a campaign spokeswoman." "One source said the former Vermont governor offered Trippi a spot on the payroll as a senior adviser, but he decided to quit rather than accept the demotion." 1-04
- 01-30-04 Kerry and Edwards Garnered Favorable Media Coverage (CMPA.com - Felling)
"Prior to their surprising Iowa caucus performances, 98 percent of the network evening news coverage of Democratic Presidential candidates John Kerry and John Edwards was positive, according to research conducted by the Center for Media and Public Affairs (CMPA). The study also found Howard Dean received more critical coverage over the same time period, at 58 percent positive." "This report examines the 91 stories broadcast on the ABC, CBS and NBC evening news from January 1st through January 18th, the night before the Iowa caucus." 1-04
- 01-30-04 Poll: Bush and Kerry Tied - It's the Economy (Bloomberg.com)
"Support for Kerry and the president split along party lines. Just 3 percent of Republicans don't support the president and 11 percent of Democrats don't back Kerry. Independents remain divided, with 55 percent backing Kerry and 39 percent backing Bush." 1-04
- 02-02-04 Kerry's Sources of Funds (MSNBC News)
"Over the years, reports the nonpartisan Center for Public Integrity, Kerry has raised more than $30 million for his Senate campaigns. A good portion has come from industries with an interest in the committees on which Kerry has a seat—including more than $3 million from financial firms (Kerry serves on the Senate Finance Committee)." 1-04
- 02-02-04 Kerry's Sources of Funds Challenged (CNN News)
"Sen. John Kerry braved sub-zero temperatures Sunday to stump for votes in frosty North Dakota, while his rivals tried to heat up the race with a new line of attack: that the Democratic front-runner has been too cozy with lobbyists to effectively lead the fight against powerful special interests."
According to the CNN article, Howard Dean, citing figures from the Center for Responsive Politics, stated that Kerry had received more campaign contributions from registered lobbyists since 1989 than any current or former senator.
"The CRP's figures on contributions from lobbyists do not include contributions from lawyers, many of whom lobby on behalf of their clients. Among current and former senators during the past 15 years, Edwards, a trial lawyer, has received more money from lawyers than anyone else, followed by Kerry." 1-04
- 02-02-04 Poll: Kerry Leads Bush (CNN News)
"Sen. John Kerry, the front-runner among Democrats vying for their party's presidential nomination, leads President Bush in a head-to-head matchup, according to a CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll released Monday."
"Kerry was the overwhelming choice of registered Democrats for the presidential nomination. Support for Kerry as the Democratic nominee stood at 49 percent, compared to 14 percent for Dean and 13 percent for Edwards. The other Democratic candidates were in the single digits."
"A majority of those polled now say they disapprove of Bush's handing of the economy, foreign affairs, the situation in Iraq and health care." 1-04
- 02-05-04 Dean - Wisconsin Test (Bloomberg.com)
"Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean said he may be forced to quit the Democratic presidential nomination race if he doesn't win the Feb. 17 Wisconsin primary."
"Dean said Tuesday his comeback strategy is to continue accumulating delegates to the Democratic National Convention while staying in the race at least through March 2, when voters in California, New York, Ohio and seven other states vote."
"A candidate needs 2,162 delegates to win the party nomination. Based on primary and caucus votes so far, Kerry has 176 delegates, followed by Edwards with 86, Clark with 50 and Dean with 24."
"In addition, there are 802 so-called super delegates, state party leaders, activists and elected officials who are not bound by the results of primaries or caucuses." 1-04
- 02-08-04 Bush: Iraq Was Not an 'Imminent Threat' (Bloomberg.com)
"President George W. Bush said chemical and biological weapons Iraq may have possessed were a danger even if the threat wasn't imminent and that former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein might have disposed of them before the war." 2-04
- 02-08-04 Kerry Wins and Dean Second in Washington and Michigan (CNN News)
"Democratic presidential front-runner Sen. John Kerry will try to make it three-for-three this weekend as he enters Sunday's caucuses in Maine following twin victories Saturday in Michigan and Washington state."
"In Michigan, with 100 percent of the state's Democratic caucuses reporting, Kerry had 52 percent of the vote, and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean was a distant second with 17 percent."
"In Washington, with 99 percent of precincts reporting in the state, Kerry, claimed 48 percent of the delegates selected Saturday. Dean trailed with 30 percent." 2-04
- 02-08-04 U.S. May Have Found Saddam's Money (Guardian Unlimited)
"The United States believes it has found at least $300 million Saddam Hussein hid in banks, yet doesn't have enough evidence to get countries such as Syria and Switzerland to hand over the money, U.S. and European officials told The Associated Press."
"Much to the frustration of the Bush administration, countries that acted quickly on relatively weak evidence involving al-Qaida funds have been unwilling to do the same on Iraq, partly because of growing doubts about the quality of U.S. intelligence."
"Were the account held in a U.S. bank, federal authorities wouldn't need any more evidence than they already have because the Patriot Act, passed after Sept. 11, 2001, gives them expanded powers of search and seizure." 2-04
- 02-09-04 Deficit - Bush Seeks to Borrow Additional $1 Trillion (Washington Times)
"President Bush, saying the economic recovery is firmly in place, yesterday proposed adding $1 trillion to the national debt to fund the cost of shifting to a partially privatized Social Security system." 2-04
- 02-09-04 Poll: Kerry Leads in Tennessee and Virginia (Bloomberg.com)
"Almost half the Democratic voters in Virginia and Tennessee favor John Kerry to be their presidential nominee, according to new polls that show the Massachusetts senator solidifying his front-runner status."
"Both states hold primaries tomorrow."
"Tomorrow's primaries will test Kerry's appeal in the South against two southerners, Senator John Edwards of North Carolina and Retired General Wesley Clark of Arkansas. " 2-04
- 02-10-04 Bush Military Records to be Released - Attempt to Prove Service (Reuters)
"The White House pledged on Tuesday to release President Bush (news - web sites)'s pay records in an bid to refute charges he shirked his Vietnam War era military duties."
"Those records, however, may not put an end to the controversy. A columnist writing in Tuesday's Washington Post recalled his own Vietnam-era Guard experience and said he was paid despite skipping service for two years." 2-04
- 02-10-04 Bush Military Records to be Released - Rebuttal of "Proof" (Washington Post - Cohen)
"As it happens, there are no records to show that Bush reported for duty during the summer and fall of 1972. Nonetheless, Bush insists he was where he was supposed to be -- 'Otherwise I wouldn't have been honorably discharged,' Bush told Tim Russert. Please, sir, don't make me laugh."
"For two years or so, I played a perfectly legal form of hooky. To show you what a mess the Guard was at the time, I even got paid for all the meetings I missed."
"When Bush attempts to drape the flag of today's Guard over the one he was in so long ago, when he warns his critics to remember that 'there are a lot of really fine people who have served in the National Guard and who are serving in the National Guard today in Iraq,' then he is doing now what he was doing then: hiding behind the ones who were really doing the fighting."
"Bush now wants to drape the Vietnam-era Guard with the bloodied flag of today's Iraq-serving Guard -- 'I wouldn't denigrate service to the Guard,' Bush warned during his interview with Russert -- but the fact remained that back then the Guard was where you went if you did not want to fight. That was the case with me. I opposed the war in Vietnam and had no desire to fight it. Bush, on the other hand, says he supported the war -- as long, it seems, as someone else fought it." 2-04
- 02-10-04 Kerry Gets the Nod for "Electability" (Washington Post - Cohen)
"Sen. John Kerry's perceived ability to beat President Bush in November apparently resonated among voters in the Virginia and Tennessee Democratic primaries who responded in balloting Tuesday."
"In Virginia, for example, nearly 90 percent of exit poll respondents said they thought Kerry would likely beat Bush in a face-to-face matchup."
"Exit polls also showed Kerry's appeal with key demographic groups, including African-Americans, veterans and seniors." Kerry won the primaries in Tennessee and Virginia. 2-04
- 02-10-04 September 11 Panel Not Getting Cooperation (ABC News)
"The federal commission reviewing the Sept. 11 attacks is pressing the Bush administration to turn over notes taken on classified presidential briefing papers or face a subpoena."
"The material in question is the daily intelligence summary prepared for President Bush by the Central Intelligence Agency and includes a memorandum dated one month before the 2001 attacks that discusses the possibility of airline hijackings by al-Qaida terrorists." 2-04
- 02-11-04 Clark Finished With Race for President (USA Today)
"Despite a belated bid that outlasted the campaigns of political veterans Dick Gephardt and Joe Lieberman, Clark will leave the race Wednesday after disappointing finishes in Tennessee and Virginia on Tuesday." 2-04
- 02-12-04 Powell and Rice Attempt to Defend Attack of Iraq (CNN News)
"Two top members of President Bush's Cabinet Wednesday defended his decision to invade Iraq despite finding no weapons of mass destruction there."
"U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell presented his spirited defense during testimony Wednesday before the House International Relations Committee."
"His appearance before the panel came as Democratic critics and others have raised questions about prewar intelligence on Iraq's weapons programs and the president's judgment in taking the nation to war."
"At Wednesday's hearing, Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-New York, lectured Powell with a withering attack on the Bush administration, saying the president is using 'shifting justifications for the war' and 'refuses to take personal responsibility for what is at best an intelligence disaster.' "
" 'The truth was murdered before the first shot was fired' in Iraq, he said, and the president now suffers 'a complete lack of credibility.' " 2-04
- 02-13-04 National Guard Officer Claims Bush Personnel Records Were "Trashed" (CNN News)
"A former officer in the Texas National Guard said Thursday he once overheard a conversation in which there was a request to sanitize President Bush's Guard records during Bush's tenure as Texas governor."
"Soon afterward, he said, he saw Bush's Guard performance review in a trash can. Bush served in the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War era." 2-04
- 02-21-04 Same-Sex Marriage - Bush Backs Constitutional Ban (Bloomberg.com)
"U.S. President George W. Bush said today he supports a constitutional amendment banning same-sex couples from getting married."
"Kerry and North Carolina Senator John Edwards, his main rival for the Democratic nomination, said today that amending the Constitution is unnecessary and the issue of marriage should be left to the states."
"Republican lawmakers aren't united on whether the Constitution should be amended or what such an amendment would say, said House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas. Some lawmakers said the issue should be settled in the courts or through the regular legislative process."
"Representative Marilyn Musgrave and Senator Wayne Allard, both Republicans from Colorado, have introduced legislation that would start the amendment process."
"Any action to change the Constitution requires a two-thirds majority in both chambers of Congress to be sent as a proposed amendment to the states, and takes effect only if three-fourths of state legislatures approve it." 2-04
- 02-22-04 Nader to Run for President (Bloomberg.com)
"Consumer advocate Ralph Nader said he will run again for the U.S. presidency as an independent, a bid that Democrats said threatens to drain votes away from their candidate and may help re-elect President George W. Bush." 2-04
- 02-24-04 Polls: Kerry Ahead of Bush (USA Today)
Provides results from five or more polls showing the patterns of support for President Bush versus Senator Kerry for president of the United States. 2-04
- 02-27-04 Budget Deficit to Balloon (USA Today)
"President Bush's budget would produce deficits totaling $2.75 trillion over the next decade, the Congressional Budget Office projected Friday in the first authoritative look at the plan's longer-range implications."
"One major item omitted by Bush's budget but included in Friday's projections was the cost of his proposal to make tax cuts permanent that otherwise would expire in 2010. Bush's tax plans would add more than $1.3 trillion to deficits over the decade, although his plans to curb domestic spending would save $700 billion over that same period, the budget office said."
"Wary of the impact on deficits, Republican congressional leaders already have said they will not move this year on Bush's proposal to extend the tax cuts, which is the pillar of his plan for strengthening the economy." 2-04
- 02-29-04 Bush Begins National Ad Campaign (WJLA.com)
"The first advertising of Bush's re-election campaign begins Thursday, and the multimillion-dollar buy, the cable stations chosen for the spots and the type of ad provide a window on his spring strategy: appeal to the conservative base." 2-04
- 02-29-04 Local Views of Key Issues (Akron Beacon Journal)
"Earlier this month, the Beacon Journal solicited the opinions of 99 area residents -- collecting a broad range of perspectives by seeking out those of various ages and occupations to determine what issues are important in the region."
"The results of the informal survey provide a snapshot of what's on residents' minds as the Democratic presidential candidates make their way to Ohio to rally support for Tuesday's primary."
"Not surprisingly, the economy was cited most often as the issue respondents said they'd like to see addressed first by the president and Congress. The war in Iraq came in second, with 19 responses, followed by education, which 13 people cited."
"Of the 12 respondents who identified themselves as Republicans, 10 said they believed the economy was getting better or staying about the same. Only two saw it as worsening."
"The 43 self-identified Democrats were more pessimistic -- with 26 saying the economy is worsening and 17 saying it's better or staying the same." 2-04
- 02-29-04 Poll: Kerry and Bush Tied But Kerry Plus Edwards Ahead (CBS News)
"If the November election were being held today, President George W. Bush might lose his bid for re-election to an unnamed Democratic nominee. 48% say they would vote for the Democratic candidate, and 43% would support George W. Bush. In December, a CBS News poll showed Bush ahead of an unnamed Democrat by nine points."
"When specific Democratic candidates are mentioned opposite George Bush, the race becomes much closer and both John Edwards and John Kerry run about even with Bush."
"But a Democratic ticket that combines the two candidates -- John Kerry for President and John Edwards for Vice President -- has more appeal, and could give the two Democrats a solid victory over Bush and Dick Cheney." 2-04
- 03-02-04 Kerry Wins Super Tuesday and Edwards Drops Out (CNN News)
"Sen. John Kerry all but claimed the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday night, with what was shaping up to be a triumphant Super Tuesday and the decision of his chief rival, Sen. John Edwards, to quit the race." 3-04
- 03-03-04 Record U.S. Trade Deficit (CBS News)
"The United States registered a record $489.4 billion trade deficit for 2003 as a rebounding U.S. economy strengthened Americans' appetites for a wide range of foreign-made goods, including cars, clothing and TVs."
"Critics point to the deficits as evidence that the president's free-trade policies aren't working and are a factor in the loss of U.S. jobs."
"The latest snapshot of trade activity comes amid rising tensions over global trade and concerns about the flight, or outsourcing, of U.S. jobs to other countries. President Bush's chief economist, Gregory Mankiw, struck a political nerve earlier this week when he described the loss of U.S. jobs to overseas companies as 'just a new way of doing international trade.' "
"Painfully slow job growth in the United States is a political sore spot for the president and an issue that Democrats, seeking to capture the White House, like to point out to voters in an election year." 3-04
- 03-04-04 Bush Aid Defends Use of September 11 Images (Bloomberg.com)
"President George W. Bush's spokesman defended the use of images from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in political advertising after some relatives of victims said the campaign is exploiting the tragedy."
"The ads to promote Bush' re-election, which include video clip of firefighters carrying a flag-draped stretcher through the rubble of the World Trade Center, reinforce the shared grief of the nation, White House press secretary Scott McClellan said."
"The International Association of Firefighters, which is backing Kerry, also criticized the ads, releasing a statement that called use of the images 'disgraceful.' " 3-04
- 03-04-04 Poll: World Now More Dangerous Because of Bush (CBS News)
"A majority of people in Canada, Mexico and five European countries have an unfavorable view of the role that President Bush plays in world affairs, Associated Press polls found."
"Only in the United States did a majority of those questioned, 57 percent, have a positive view of President Bush's role."
"The AP-Ipsos poll found that people in the two countries bordering the U.S. and in five major European countries think the war in Iraq increased the threat of terrorism in the world." 3-04
- 03-04-04 September 11 Families Disgusted by Bush Ads (Yahoo News - Egan)
"Families who lost relatives in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks voiced outrage on Thursday at President Bush (news - web sites)'s first ads of his re-election campaign that use images of the devastated World Trade Center to portray him as the right leader for tumultuous times."
" 'Families are enraged,' said Bill Doyle, 57, of New York, who is active in several Sept. 11 family groups. 'What I think is distasteful is that the president is trying to use 9/11 as a springboard for his re-election.' "
"The International Association of Fire Fighters, which has endorsed and campaigned for Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites), denounced the spots as 'hypocrisy at its worst.' "
" 'I'm disappointed but not surprised that the president would try to trade on the heroism of those fire fighters,' the union's general president, Harold Schaitberger, said."
"U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, a New Jersey Democrat, said the use of the images 'demeans and dishonors those who died.' " 3-04
- 03-05-04 Major Jobs Disappointment (CBS News)
"The U.S. employment report for February proved to be a major disappointment. The jobless rate remained unchanged at 5.6 percent, and the economy was only able to generate 21,000 jobs."
The latest snapshot of the employment climate released by the Labor Department on Friday depicted the painfully slow job growth the country has been enduring." 3-04
Papers
- "Defeat Bush" Ads in the News (CBS News - Murphy)
"The ad that won MoveOn.org's 'Bush in 30 Seconds' contest was not about the war in Iraq or the PATRIOT Act — two issues that have fueled the liberal group's rise and enraged its membership."
"Instead, the more than 100,000 who voted on line, as well as a panel of celebrity judges, picked 'Child's Pay' by Fisher, a Denver ad executive."
"Fisher's quiet yet slick spot, which depicts children toiling at jobs many adults would avoid — just to pay off the federal deficit — will air during the week of the president's State of the Union address, say MoveOn organizers." Editor's Note: The Child's Pay ad became national news when CBS refused to accept it for use during Superbowl. Even CBS Evening News carried the refusal as a news story. 2-04
- Budget Deficit - Solution by Dean (DeanforAmerica.com)
"From 1994 to 2001, the rule known as 'Pay as you go' was in effect in the U.S. Senate. The rule required that there must be a 60% 'super majority' of Senators to approve legislation that would increase the federal deficit over a 10-year period. In other words, new programs or increased funding had to be paid for with revenues or savings, not more borrowing. The rule was an important tool in the successful Clinton-Gore efforts to balance the budget, but an effort to extend the rule was opposed by the Bush administration and lost by one vote. As President, Governor Dean will strongly support reinstituting the Pay as You Go Rule. It is a guiding principle of his fiscal philosophy that the government must learn to live within its means." 1-04
- Bush Strategist Karl Rove (Salon.com - Bryce)
Describes the role of Karl Rove as strategist for George W. Bush. 12-02
- Bush Strategist Karl Rove (The American Prospect - Meyerson)
"What Rove is doing is coming up with a new generation of wedge issues. Bill Clinton took all the old GOP favorites -- crime and welfare in particular -- off the table. Rove is responding by finding new ways to pick apart the Democratic base -- and with party strength so evenly divided, it doesn't take much to tip the balance one way or the other." 12-02
- Bush Strategist Karl Rove (The American Prospect - Meyerson)
"What's exceptional about Rove's tenure is less his brilliance than the fact that he's the only power center on the domestic side of the Bush administration (imagine, by comparison, Powell, Cheney, Rice and Rumsfeld rolled into one on the foreign-policy side)." 12-02
- Bush Strategist Karl Rove (Time.com - Carney)
Describes the role of Karl Rove as strategist for George W. Bush. 12-02
- Bush Strategist Karl Rove (Time.com - Reaves)
Describes the role of Karl Rove as strategist for George W. Bush. 12-02
- Clark's Role in Kosovo (MSNBC News)
"A detailed examination of Clark's role in the war and his tenure as NATO's senior military officer from 1997 to 2000 shows that three of Clark's most prominent traits — his willingness to defy convention, his persistence and his occasionally grating self-confidence in matters small and large — not only influenced his advocacy of the war, but also helped alienate some of his superiors."
"Clark supported bombing Yugoslavia in an effort to force Milosevic to relinquish control over the province of Kosovo..." but "...the predominant Army, Marine Corps and Air Force views were that such a war would be unwise without clearly articulated U.S. interests, and political backing for overwhelming force."
"The frictions, stemming largely from a conviction that Clark had failed to respect his superiors' orders, culminated in 2000 with his dismissal by Cohen at a moment when he expected to be reappointed for another year."
"Clark explains that he wore a second hat, little understood in Washington, as the top NATO officer as well as the top U.S. officer in Europe. In that role, he says, he had a responsibility to meet with members of Congress and senior officials outside the Pentagon to inform them about 'dangers looming in the Balkans,' including the risk of genocide such as that seen in Bosnia." 12-03
- Dean - An Editorial Defending Dean's Iowa Caucus Speech (CBS News - Meyer)
"I'm not being contrarian for the sake of being contrarian, honest. But I don't think Howard Dean's 'I Have A Scream' performance was weird, troubling, scary, revealing or nuts. I don't think it was a big deal in any way, shape or form. I thought it was standard pump-up-the-troops campaign stuff."
"What I do think is bizarre is the hubbub it caused."
"I've looked at the tape many times and that's how it plays for me. Sure, if he had done it during a State of the Union speech or an appearance before the Council on Foreign Relations, it would have been crazy. But this was a rally. So spare me."
"I've seen a lot of politicians do a lot weirder things."
"I wish Dean hadn't renounced the Scream. His wife said it was 'silly' and I think that's about the full extent of it." 1-04
- Dean - Editorial on Judy Dean as Role Model (MSNBC News - Kuntzman)
"Instead of finding fault with presidential hopeful Howard Dean's wife, the press ought to take a closer look—at themselves."
"In what is supposedly an enlightened age for women, we in the media should be celebrating Dean's independence, not questioning it. Shouldn't it be refreshing to meet a woman who'd prefer to be a doctor than gazing longingly from the edge of the stage as her husband delivers the seventh identical stump speech of the day? (And how come all of my supposedly gifted media colleagues missed the irony of an independent, modern woman, who nonetheless has one foot in that bygone age of doctors who make house calls? That alone should have won her points.)"
"Nonetheless, my colleagues dismiss her with the sobriquet of 'media shy.' Well, I've got a secret for you: Most people are media shy. Most people don't want to have a conversation with a person who has no desire to get to know them, but is merely waiting for them to say something that will sound weird to 51 percent of the population." 1-04
- Dean - Sawyer Interviews the Deans (ABC News)
Summarizes an interview with Howard Dean and his wife, Dr. Judy Dean, after the Iowa caucuses. Also provides a transcript of the entire interview with ABC News' Diane Sawyer. 1-04
- Dean Former Strategist Joe Trippi (MSNBC News)
Provides an interview with Joe Trippi, emphasizing how he began gaining support for Dean via the Internet. Trippi was replaced as campaign manager on January 28th, 2004. 1-04
- Dean Iowa Caucus Speech - C-Span Version (C-Span.org)
Provides the full Howard Dean "concession" speech at the Iowa Caucus. (See "Most Watched Video" in the center panel.)
Editor's Note: This version presents the sounds from the audience much softer than is heard on the Dean-approved videotape. Dean's "scream" is much louder than in the Dean-approved version. 1-04
- Dean Iowa Caucus Speech - Dean-Approved Version (IdiomStudio.com)
Provides a clip of Howard Dean's controversial "concession" speech at the Iowa Caucus.
Editor's Note: This version presents the sounds from the audience much louder than is heard on the C-Span videotape. Dean's "scream" much softer than in the C-Span version. 1-04
- Economy the Main Issue for Voters (Bloomberg.com)
"John Kerry is leading Howard Dean in polls predicting the outcome of today's New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary, helped by his focus on improving the economy in a state that has lost 12,000 jobs since 2001." 1-04
- Editorial - America Faces a Clear Choice (GeorgeWBush.com - Mehlman)
Provides the George W. Bush re-election campaign site. "President George W. Bush and the American people have answered history’s calling. Through forward looking policies, America confronted difficult tests. And with four more years of President Bush’s leadership, the American people will transform today’s tests into tomorrow’s opportunities."
"Nine months from now, we will make a choice."
"Between victory in Iraq or insecurity in America."
"Between more money in the pockets of families or more power in the halls of government."
"Between a nation that respects innocent life and reaffirms the sanctity of marriage or activist judges who legislate from the bench."
"And nine months from now, we will choose between a leader of principle who will take America forward or a politician of protest, pandering and pessimism who will take America backward." 1-04
- Editorial - Dean's Edge (Time.com - Sullivan)
"He [Howard Dean] once told the New Yorker, 'I think the problem with the Democratic Party in general is that they've been so afraid to lose they're willing to say whatever it takes to win. And once you're willing to say whatever it takes to win, you lose.' That's a brilliant analysis of what ails the Democrats — and it's why, even under Clinton, they saw their congressional power ebb and collapse. If Dean is a doctor, he's got the diagnosis dead right." 1-04
- Editorial - Personal Freedom Versus Federal Authority (Time.com - Sullivan)
"There has always been a tension in conservatism between those who favor more liberty and those who want more morality. But what's indisputable is that Bush's 'compassionate conservatism' is a move toward the latter — the use of the government to impose and subsidize certain morals over others. He is fusing Big Government liberalism with religious-right moralism. It's the nanny state with more cash. Your cash, that is. And their morals." 1-04
- Editorial - Seven States and Four Contenders (CBS News - Meyer)
"The coming week in politics has all the ingredients of a classic: four strong candidates with money in their pockets, and varying degrees of desperation and fire in their bellies, competing in seven wide-open states all over the country, with two debates mixed in for good measure." 1-04
- Editorial - The Dean Legacy (McCall.com)
Howard Dean bowed out of his bid for president on February 18th.
"Though Dr. Dean ended the active portion of his campaign, to his credit, he didn't call on his supporters to join him in burning down any bridges. Instead, he urged them to hang together within the Democratic Party, reasoning that that will be the only way to reach their original goal: Limit President Bush to one term in office. It would have been easy for Dr. Dean to break off, with Ross Perot-style ideology, and form an independent party. Instead, he wants to transform his 318,884 donors into a force to help oust the President and get Democrats elected, no matter who heads the ticket."
Dr. Dean's meteoric rise was only surpassed by his stunning downfall. The speed of both the trip up and back down is more embarrassing to the political columnists who declared him the front-runner than to the candidate himself. However, he made political science history with his revolutionary use of the Internet, now emulated by other candidates, and his mobilization of voters who otherwise would have stayed on the sidelines — voters drawn to the Democrat who first dared to challenge the President's policies in Iraq." 2-04
- Editorial - War Records - Bush and Kerry (MSNBC News - Clift)
"Kerry is accompanied on the campaign trail by the men he served with in the Mekong Delta [during the Vietnam war]." "Kerry's candidacy was elevated when a former Green Beret whose life he saved showed up on the campaign trail in Iowa to attest to Kerry's courage. In addition, former Georgia senator Max Cleland, who lost three limbs in Vietnam and was defeated in 2002 after GOP attacks on his patriotism, appears regularly with Kerry."
"There is another chapter to Kerry's war history that Republicans are examining, and that is his leadership in 1971 of Vietnam Veterans Against the War. Some GOP strategists envision television ads linking Kerry with Jane Fonda in order to undermine his credentials as a decorated war veteran."
"Highlighting Kerry's antiwar activism is a risky strategy for the Republicans. If the election turns into a debate over war records, Bush can't win."
"Boston Globe reporter Walter Robinson did an exhaustive study of Bush's military service, which was published in May 2000. Robinson concluded that during Bush's final 18 months in the Texas Air National Guard in 1972 and 1973, he did not fly at all and was 'all but unaccounted for,' with no records to indicate that he attended any of the required drills." "Under the rules at the time, guardsmen who miss duty were supposed to be reported and could then be drafted." "In fairness, Bush has been candid about why he enlisted in the Air National Guard. Like many young men of his generation, he wanted to avoid Vietnam. He told one reporter, 'I was not prepared to shoot my eardrum out with a shotgun in order to get a deferment. Nor was I willing to go to Canada. So I chose to better myself by learning how to fly airplanes.' " 1-04
- Edwards Watch (CBS News - Rather)
"The press herd has thundered toward Kerry. With good reason: New England regional favorite Senator John Kerry, from neighboring Massachusetts, roared into New Hampshire fueled by his hard-won, upset first-place showing in Iowa. The herd loves a frontrunner so, true to form, hoof beats abound around Kerry now."
By any objective analysis, Kerry is the candidate of the moment. He deserves to be. He earned it. But if you’re looking for the candidate of the next moment, you might want to keep your eyes on Senator John Edwards."
Edwards’ showing in Iowa was at least as impressive as Kerry’s; perhaps more so, when one considers that Edwards had less money, less organization, and came from further back in the polls." 1-04
- Election of U.S. President - Progress (theGreenPapers.com)
Provides information on primaries, caucuses, and conventions, by state. 12-03
- Fact or Falsehood? (FactCheck.org - Annenberg Public Policy Center)
In an attempt to discredit political opponents, presidential candidates have, on occasion, distorted the facts. The Annenberg Public Policy Center checks allegations to determine if the facts are presented truthfully. Provides links to original sources of information when "debunking" a statement.
The site quotes Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan: "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." 1-04
- Issue - Health Care Comparison Among Three Candidates (DeanforAmerica.com)
Provides Dean, Kerry, and Gephart Health Insurance Plans, presented by the Dean Campaign. Annual costs for this insurance, according to the analysis, are $88.3 billion for the Dean plan, $214 billion for the Kerry plan, and $72 billion for the Gephart plan. Site does not include the weaknesses of the Dean plan. Editor's Note: This was prepared by Howard Dean's campaign and should not be viewed as impartial. 1-04
- Kerry Strategist Jeanne Shaheen (USA Today)
"Kerry concedes that Shaheen was 'critical' to his turnaround: 'She provided great, mature, seasoned leadership when it was needed,' he says." 1-04
- Kerry and Edwards - Why They Got the Votes in Iowa (CBS News - McDermott)
"Voter concern about health care and the economy boosted Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry to victory in the Iowa caucuses. North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, who finished second, also benefited from voter concern with these two issues, according to a CBS News entrance poll of caucus-goers." 1-04
- Kerry's Military Advantage (CBS News - Kuhn)
"It is John Kerry the veteran who thinks he can win this Democratic race."
"He thinks it was not only the key to his comeback in Iowa, it could well be the key to victory in New Hampshire. Most importantly, he and those stumping for him, think it is the bridge that will bring him to the South." 1-04
- Money - Financial Information on Howard Dean for the Presidential Election of 2004 (CNN News)
Provides a tally of financial information on Howard Dean. For example, he raised over 3 million dollars in the second quarter and almost 9 million in the third quarter. 12-03
- Money - Winning Compared to Spending in the Senate (OpenSecrets.org)
Provides a list of expenditures, winners, and losers for Senate seats. More than two-thirds of the heaviest spenders were the winners. Also provides a great deal more information about donations and elections. 12-03
- Money Raised for the Presidential Election of 2004 (CNN News)
Provides a tally of amounts raised by candidates as of December 2003. 2-04
- Money Spent for the Presidential Election of 2004 (CNN News)
Provides a tally of amounts spent by candidates as of December 2003. 2-04
- Persons Behind Kerry's Lead (MSNBC News - Curry)
"Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe arranged a front-loaded schedule of primaries and caucuses that boosted the winner of the first two contests in Iowa and New Hampshire." 2-04
- Potential First Ladies (ABC News)
"If you stood all these women — Kathy, Judy, Elizabeth, Jane, Gertrude, Hadassah, and Teresa — up on stage together and asked the average American voter who they were, you would be hard-pressed to get a correct answer."
"Though their faces are not instantly recognizable, these would-be first ladies are nonetheless key players in the political game of 2004 and, as such, fair game for consultants." 1-04
- Primaries - An Introduction to the Primary (Vote-Smart.org)
"Primary Elections - an election prior to the general election in which voters select the candidates who will run on each party's ticket. Primaries are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders, and may be open or closed." Describes types of primaries, such as open, closed, blanket, runoff, and presidential. 1-04
- Primaries - Election Dates (Vote-Smart.org)
Provides information on primaries, by date. 12-03
- Primaries - History of the Primary and Caucuses (TheGreenPapers.com - Berg-Andersson)
Provides a history of how primaries and causes have been used to select presidential candidates for the major political parties. 1-04
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