The Note
W A S H I N G T O N, Feb. 17—
, 2004 -- TODAY SCHEDULE AS OF 9:00 am (all times ET):
—7:00 am: Gov. Howard Dean appears on CBS' "Early Show," CNN and NBC's "Today Show"—8:00 am: Sen. John Kerry receives the endorsement of the Alliance for Economic Justice with Rep. Richard Gephardt, Milwaukee, Wis.—8:30 am: The American League of Lobbyists hosts "Campaign 2004: Gearing Up for a Whole New Ballgame," Washington D.C.—8:30 am: Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson speaks at the Health Leadership Education Conference about the Medicare bill, Washington, D.C.—9:30 am: Sen. John Edwards greets voters at Brandy Street Pharmacy, Milwaukee, Wis.—11:00 am: FBI Director Robert Mueller speaks at the Foreign Press Center, Washington, D.C.—11:30 am: Mrs. Bush speaks at Bentonville High School on education initiatives, Bentonville, Ark.—11:30 am: Sen. Edwards greets voters at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.—12:00 pm: Treasury Secretary John Snow, Commerce Secretary Don Evans, and Labor Secretary Elaine Chao tour and speak at the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute Foundation, Spokane, Wash.—12:00 pm: Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers Gregory Mankiw speaks at the National Economists Club conference, Washington, D.C.—1:00 pm: Mrs. Bush attends a Bush-Cheney 2004 fundraiser reception, Rogers, Ark.—1:00 pm: Politics Live on ABC News Live and AOL—1:30 pm: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's communications director holds briefing on first 100 days, Sacramento—1:35 pm: President Bush speaks to military personnel, Fort Polk, La.—2:00 pm: House of Representatives convenes for legislative business—2:50 pm: President Bush has lunch with National Guardsmen of the 39th Brigade Combat Team, Fort Polk, La. —4:30 pm: Secretaries Snow, Evans and Chao hold a roundtable discussion with business women at the Red Lion Hotel, Richland, Wash.—5:00 pm: Rep. Dennis Kucinich visits the black studies department and attends a rally at Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio—6:00 pm: Polls close in Kentucky 06—6:30 pm: Rep. Kucinich attends the National Legacy Awards at Cleveland State, Cleveland, Ohio—7:00 pm: Mrs. Bush attends a Bush-Cheney 2004 fundraiser reception, Newport Beach, Calif.—7:25 pm: President Bush returns to the White House—8:00 pm: Secretaries Snow, Evans and Chao visit the El Porton Restaurant, Yakima, Wash.—8:30 pm: Gov. Howard Dean attends a primary night party at the Concourse Hotel, Madison, Wis.—8:30 pm: Sen. Kerry attends a primary night party at the Marriott West, Madison, Wis.—8:30 pm: Sen. Edwards attends a primary night party at Serb Hall, Milwaukee, Wis.—9:00 pm: Polls close in Wisconsin—11:00 pm: Rep. Kucinich attends a "meet the candidate" event at HiFh Club, Cleveland, Ohio
NEWS SUMMARY
"This is only going to end when somebody gets hurt" is something our parents said to break up the horseplay.
But it could also apply to this year's general election presidential campaign.
Please spare us the "the most negative," "the longest," "the most expensive" — we don't mind these things, and, in fact, we think a vibrant democracy can handle some flying elbows and 8 months worth of scrutiny of its presidential candidates.
But take 1,000 Googling monkeys and give them 1,000 pairs of scissors to match their 1,000 sleek PCs, and you get The Note's very patented "Ten Political Dynamics to Watch" ® clip-n-save — in order of current importance:
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1. Defining John Kerry — it gets the "Judy Keen" treatment on the front page of USA Today today. Note the retro Mary Matalin quotes! LINK
2. The overlay of the map showing (manufacturing) job loses juxtaposed with the map of the battleground states — check out these ripped-from-the-headlines USA Today and Washington Post headlines: "Most Economists Credit Bush's Tax Cuts in Rebound" and "Economy May Work in Bush's Favor"
3. The ultimate decision of the FEC and the courts of the legality of the 527s' big spending.
4. What John Kerry can raise on the Internet and in the salons in the next 6 months.
5. Bin Laden's fate and the facts on the ground in Iraq.
6. A politically succesful end of the all-GOP-controlled congressional session, especially the appropriations process. And those energy and highway bills.
7. Does "they have not led, we will" resonate more in New York or Boston?
8. Can Teresa Vilmain turn her attention away from the birthday list long enough to target, target, target from a Wisconsin abode?
9. Can John Kerry explain his health care plan to ordinary Americans in a politically appealing way?
10. Andrea Mitchell and everyone else (soon to be) appearing big time on MSNBC for political coverage.
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By the sheerest of coincidences, the Washington Post 's Dan Balz subsumes nearly all ten items with the general election's first must read (See below.).
Hello, Wisconsin!
Your polls open as early as 8 am ET. They close at 9 pm.
In this general election battleground state, Senator John Kerry is looking to reaffirm his lead in the nomination fight by winning his 15th primary/caucus. Senator John Edwards is looking for as much evidence as possible that he can continue as a viable candidate through the early March contests. And Gov. Howard Dean hopes a last-minute surge by progressive Wisconsinites will save his movement, at least temporarily.
Will there be any candidate drop-outs in this news cycle or by the end of the week? Pending the results, only Dean seems a candidate to become a former candidate.
(WBAY in Green Bay Noted last night that with "the East Coast duo of Kerry and Kennedy leading the cheers, this Midwestern crowd waved on its support. Some told us they didn't start as Kerry supporters but they are tonight." LINK
All have claimed the mantle of the LaFollette legacy. They've expended most of their breath on taxes, trade and jobs and spent lots of time around liberal Madison.
The three (along with Rep. Dennis Kucinich and Rev. Al Sharpton) squared off in a debate Sunday night that produced little in the way of news, or fireworks. Edwards hit Kerry on trade, but once, and only indirectly. Dean seemed barely there, at times.
A Kerry-Edwards Super Tuesday clash — if it comes — will surely have a lot of NAFTA talk.
Seventy-two (72) delegates will be allocated. Delegates are apportioned both according to the vote in each congressional district (47) and statewide (25). Candidates must receive at least 15 percent (either within a congressional district or statewide) of the vote to be eligible to be apportioned delegates. (Wisconsin has 15 additional super delegates.)
A total of 2,161 delegate votes are needed to secure the Democratic nomination for president. To date, a little less than 25 percent of the available allocated delegates have been apportioned.
It's pronounced "Muh-wau-kee," by the way.
State officials project a total statewide turnout of 1.6 million. They did not disaggregate for Democrats.
The election will be administered by the state elections board and county, city and town clerks. Counties will use a mix of paper (945), optical scan (898), and lever machines (15) LINK
(The state has received a HAVA waiver to use the outdated machines while it updates its election procedures and processes.)
The primary is open to all registered voters regardless of party. Registration deadline is 10 days before an election, or at the polls with proof of at least ten-day residency.
Senator Kerry is in Wisconsin today. Senator Edwards is in Wisconsin today. Gov. Dean is in Wisconsin today.
Rep. Kucinich is in Ohio today.
President Bush is in Louisiana.
Mrs. Bush is in Arkansas and California.
ABC News Vote 2004: the delegate count:
As the Democratic nomination race heads to the dairy farms, college campuses, and sports bars of Wisconsin, here are the current totals in the ABC News Delegate Estimate.
Delegates so far (pledged delegates and superdelegates combined)*:
Kerry 560 (roughly 26% of the total delegates needed to secure the nomination)
Dean 186
Edwards 162
Sharpton 15
Kucinich 2
Delegates needed to win the nomination:
2,161
Delegates at stake today (Feb. 17): 72
John Kerry's huge victories in the Nevada and Washington, DC caucuses over the weekend allowed him to win nearly three-fourths of the 40 delegates at stake on Saturday.
Kerry is way out in front in the ABC News delegate estimate with 560 overall delegates.
The Massachusetts senator has more than three times as many delegates than Howard Dean who places second in our estimate with 186 delegates. This total includes both pledged delegates who are allocated according to their home state's primary and caucus results as well as "unpledged" delegates, known as "superdelegates," made up of state party leaders and activists, Democratic governors, members of congress, former presidents, vice-presidents, and national party chairmen.
ABC News Vote 2004: Bush-Cheney re-elect:
Hey, Terry Holt — are you going to make "Massachusetts" an issue or not? Seems to some like your flip flopping on this is a character issue.
Check out the Life section of USA Today and you will find Bob Minzesheimer's comprehensive list of upcoming Bush-bashing books, in a wave begun by The Price of Loyalty. LINK
"In the first half of 2004, major commercial publishers will publish at least 25 books critical of Bush."
The Washington Post 's Allen writes that "Bush gave Florida voters a preview Monday of his campaign pitch."LINK
New York Times ' Sanger looks at President Bush's "conversation" in Tampa yesterday — a policy event that certainly looked a lot like a campaign event to some White House scribes. LINK
Los Angeles Times' Chen picks up on the same theme on the conversations, "although Bush speaks far more than he listens during the nearly hourlong sessions that amount to an economics seminar for Everyman."LINK
And the Washington Post 's Allen Notes that President Bush is honing a campaign message: the economy is strong, the tax cuts should be permanent and those opposed to that "are essentially saying they are 'going to raise your taxes.'"LINK
More on the president's trip to the Sunshine State:
Miami Herald : LINK
Tampa Tribune: LINK
St. Petersburg Times: LINK
Palm Beach Post: LINK
Wealthy Arab-Americans are who strongly support President Bush's decision to invade Iraq are donating money to his re-election campaign at the same time as polls say he is losing support among this group overall because of the war on terrorism and the Middle East.LINK
Vice President Cheney raised $200,000 in Albuquerque yesterday and stuck to his fundraiser speech, defending the war in Iraq, the war on terrorism, and the administration's tax cuts.LINK
Roll Call reports that Bush Cabinet members are already being deployed to help win congressional seats for the GOP. LINK
"A senior administration official said Vice President Cheney is expected to devote about 50 percent of his political itinerary to helping Congressional candidates and the state party committees through the convention this summer."
Senator Zell Miller, the Georgia Democrat, will be sent out to campaign on behalf of President Bush this election year, much to the dismay of his Democratic colleagues. LINK
Washington Post 's Cohen looks at the president's appearance on Meet the Press and chalks up the performance to what Cohen sees as a lack of material and nuance.LINK
FLOTUS in Arkansas. LINK
ABC News Vote 2004: The economy:
A sense of economic well-being among voters could help President Bush at the ballot box, the Washington Post Weisman reports, despite his recent polling numbers on the issue. LINK
USA Today 's Peronet Despeignes writes that most economists believe the tax cuts were one of several influences that helped stimulate consumer spending and the economy in the short run. LINK
The Wall Street Journal 's television friendly Alan Murray thinks that Gregory Mankiw exposed "one of the great rifts in the current U.S. political debate": "economists vs. everybody else."
Murray rises to Mankiw's defense in a way that only someone inside the Beltway could do!!! Gloria Borger — populist — will surely set him straight. Or Lou Dobbs will.
ABC News Vote 2004: The Democratic nomination fight:
The Washington Post 's Daniel M.R. "Mustest Readest" Balz examines "whether a liberal New Englander and member of the Washington elite can attract support in the more conservative swing states that cost Democrats the White House in 2000." LINK
"'This idea of Dukakis, Dukakis, Dukakis — we're not going to run against him as Dukakis,' said one senior Bush adviser. 'Dukakis was an outsider and mainstream compared to Kerry. We're going to run against him as John Kerry. Look at Dukakis's positions on what he did as governor. He was a real outsider who could make an argument about change and doing things that were fiscally conservative. John Kerry has none of that.'"
"[Bush campaign manager Ken] Mehlman made clear that is precisely what the GOP will try to do. 'There is a big stylistic difference going forward," he said, 'between a president who is a straight shooter, who when he says something you can put it in the bank, and an opponent who has consistently shown through this campaign that he says one thing and does something else.'"
In a huge meta-must-read cover story, Judy Keen of USA Today outlines the portrait of Senator Kerry the Bush team is painting. Whether or not these lines of attack, sitting along with that $170 million and all ready to go, will be enough to stop the Senator from Massachusetts has yet to be determined. Keen looks at Bush campaign tactics one-by-one. LINK
"The drawback to the Bush strategy is that much of it has been tried before, most recently by Kerry's rivals for the nomination. Former Vermont governor Howard Dean called Kerry "the handmaiden of special interests," and retired general Wesley Clark said he's "part of the problem" in Washington. Those criticisms have not slowed Kerry in the Democratic primaries."
The Washington Post 's E.J. Dionne writes in a must-read narrative that the Democrats have been well-served by intramural competition and that Kerry "needs the competition because he really needs the workout. With the nomination almost in hand, Kerry is lapsing into his old habit of giving wordy answers that don't seem quite responsive, especially in trying to explain his position on Iraq." LINK
The Los Angeles Times duo of Barabak and Anderson size up the current state of play by declaring today a day that "could possibly settle the fight for the Democratic presidential nomination just about a month after the first votes were cast." However, Donna Brazile (much like John Edwards and Howard Dean) is eager to see the race continue for a little while longer. LINK
Ron Brownstein of the Los Angeles Times weighs the pros and cons of prolonging the Democratic nomination fight. LINK
"Advocates of extending the race argue the party would benefit from similar media attention as the candidates campaign in the March 2 states — and conceivably beyond into Florida, Texas and Illinois, which vote later in the month."
"But some skeptical Democrats caution that media attention could dwindle if Kerry wins decisively in Wisconsin. And others, like Doyle, worry about the possible attacks on Kerry that Republicans can adopt if he wins the nomination."
The New York Times ' Jim Rutenberg, who like Brooks Jackson probably has a little more time on his hands than anticipated, writes the nomination season "has been like none other in a generation, with the fewest and tamest televised attack advertisements in at least three decades, political scholars and strategists said." The new campaign finance law, a multi-candidate field, and Democratic party unity unseen in recent years have all contributed to this reality and Terry McAuliffe's giddiness. LINK
The Wall Street Journal 's John (Who's Your Daughter?) Harwood Notes on his paper's august front page that Democratic factions "are agreeing as rarely before to put aside litmus tests and policy disputes to pursue what all of them have decided is a paramount goal: dumping George W. Bush."
The Washington Post 's VandeHei and Broder report on Dean's and Edwards' efforts to keep their campaigns afloat by attempting to stage an upset in the Wisconsin primary. LINK
Attention Robert Krulwich: President George W. Bush and Senator John Kerry are COUSINS! Well, 16th cousins, three times removed, to be exact, reports Matt Sednesky of the Chicago Sun Times. LINK
Tom Oliphant of the Boston Globe writes that the reason Sens. Kerry and Edwards broke from the pack in Iowa was because they spoke to the concerns of the voters. Kerry talked of the high costs of health care and Edwards of "the sharp deterioration in recent years in the typical household's financial condition." LINK
Live Online today at : Joe Trippi at 11 am ET and Peggy Noonan at 1 pm.
ABC News Vote 2004: veepstakes:
Bill Clinton dialed up Fred Dicker to correct the record. LINK
"Clinton, denying a report in yesterday's Post, said he is staying clear of having any influence on the selection of a Democratic vice-presidential candidate. 'It is a deeply personal decision who you pick as your running mate,' Clinton told The Post ."
"'I have not taken sides with regard to any of the candidates for president. I like Wes Clark, but it would be disloyal of me to favor any individual when so many have been helpful to me,' Clinton added."
Wisconsin:
The Boston Globe 's Pat Healy writes that while Sens. Kerry and Edwards focused on jobs while campaigning hard in Wisconsin yesterday — even making separate visits to the same mill town — Gov. Dean's anti-Washington message was "all but drowned out" by questions on his campaign's staffing changes. LINK
The Hartford Courant's David Lightman writes that populism sells in Wisconsin and all the candidates have been peddling it. LINK
The Washington Post 's Gernhart writes that if Wisconsin voters elect Kerry for his electability, they would be changing years of Badger State voting trends. LINK
Dean:
Howard Dean faced lots of questions about Grossman's departure during appearances on NBC's "Today Show," CBS' "Early Show," and CNN's "American Morning," but he made no new news.
The New York Times ' Nagourney and Wilgoren write that as Dean "vowed on Monday to continue his bid for the presidency," Edwards and Kerry "began contemplating the contours of a two-man race." There are lots of nuggets in this story that you won't want to miss including Dean's refusal to answer a "routine" question about Truman's use of the bomb because he just didn't "feel like it" and Senator Kerry's description of Dean in their post-debate conversation as "very warm." You'll also love this blind quote on the latest installment of the "when will he get out" parlor game. LINK
"I know what all of us think he ought to do," one senior aide said. "But he needs to decide whether he should do it first, and when and how. Maybe it's Wednesday, maybe it's Thursday, maybe it's Friday, maybe it's not for two more weeks. Anybody who says they do know is lying to you. He's going to get there eventually, but I don't know when."
Despite picking up a Wisconsin superdelegate, the Los Angeles Times' Matea Gold writes, "for the first time, Dean appeared to be accepting the likelihood that his insurgent campaign, which once seemed unstoppable, was coming to an end." LINK
The Washington Post 's editorial board — channeling Jay Carson — believes it would have been worthwhile to know how Americans for Jobs, Healthcare and Progressive Values paid for its television ads when they first came out. LINK
Glen Johnson of the Boston Globe summarizes the message and tone of the final day of Gov. Dean's campaigning … in Wisconsin. LINK
Johnson also Notes that despite his plea for $700,000 in fast Internet fundraising from Wisconsin supporters last week to get the Dean for America message out on the airwaves, "a media consortium in Wisconsin released an analysis of advertising spending in the state by the Democratic candidates. It indicated Dean had not spent the $700,000 he said he needed for television ads, having booked only $227,000 worth as of last Friday"LINK
From ABC News Dean campaign reporter Reena Singh:
MILWAUKEE, WI, Feb. 17-Howard Dean is facing the window. His chin cupped in his palm. He peers out from gold-framed bookish glasses and catches glimpses of the Wisconsin landscape underneath clouds as white as the blank computer screens that will soon record the tale of Howard Dean and his Wisconsin Hail Mary.
On the ground, the National Campaign Chair is gone and there are reports that senior advisers have their bags packed for beaches and European cities. Some within the rank and file adorn their lapels with Miller High life pins instead of the customary Dean campaign buttons. Getting back to "real life," instead of campaign strategy, is the hot topic of conversation among staff and press.
Rather than be discouraged by the shift in focus, the candidate is rolling with the punches. On the Gulf Stream back to Vermont last weekend the Governor joined the traveling press in a raucous card game of Oh Hell. Later he appears relaxed with wife Judy at his side as they posed for a photograph with their son at his last regular high school hockey game at the same hour that other presidential candidates stood before cameras at the Wisconsin J.J. Dinner. On route back to the frozen-block-of-cheese state (Has my bitterness to being in Wisconsin in February been duly noted, yet?) he teased a reporter about the horror of being stuck in the motel room unable to open the door or the window and eventually escaping when a photog charming broke down the door. Screwed by Venus again. (Yes, also bitter about Valentine's Day.)
It's more like Howard's Big Vacation. Just last week he tackled water purification and dog pee with middle school aged children and then cow poop at a dairy farm. He played ping pong with a teenager in Milwaukee. The Governor breaks out with the Wisconsin fight song spontaneously. Last night, in fact, he took the stage in rolled up sleeves as the Wisconsin fight song blared at his last Badger State rally. And still there was no melt down. Today the fun continues as he visits the factory that manufactures his new favorite root beer and receives his very own Dean Press Corps 2004 t-shirt, which read "Establishment Media" on the front and "We Have The Power," on the back. (Bloggers, get over yourselves. The Governor loves the t-shirts.)
Critics chalk it up to denial, but regular slips into the past tense reveal signs of an understanding that his is unlikely to regain his front-runner status.
Tonight the death watchers join the core traveling press to Vermont. Reports of legacies, contributions and analysis of Dean's political carcass will come in their time. Until then Howard Dean is savoring the final moments as a presidential candidate. His thoughts in the clouds.
Kerry:
From ABC News Kerry campaign reporter Ed O'Keefe:
GREEN BAY, W.I, Feb. 16--Forty-four years ago, a 23-year-old Ted Kennedy accepted a dare, agreeing to fly off a Wisconsin ski jump to support his older brother, then-hopeful candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, Senator John F. Kennedy.
On Monday, the-now Senior Senator from Massachusetts who good-naturedly described himself as "71 and a little heavier" nevertheless offered to do the same for his junior colleague, Senator John F. Kerry.
Fortunately for Kennedy, Kerry might not need any stunts for a decisive Wisconsin win.
Despite a wide lead in most Badger State polls, a commanding 560 delegate head count nationally, growing fundraising and positive press, the frontrunner is taking no chances. Or, some might argue, Kerry is going for the jugular in what could, for the first time in four decades, prove an influential Midwestern contest.
Engaging in his most active single state day of campaigning since New Hampshire, Kerry started early and ended late on Election eve. Holding three events in Wausau, Green Bay and Milwaukee, Senator Kerry deviated from his tarmac to tarmac, media and momentum-dependent game plan but stuck strictly to the strategic anti-Bush playbook.
Kerry's immediate post-Wisconsin strategy will be to travel to Ohio, a state the Senator has repeatedly claimed was a winnable one for Vice President Gore in 2000. In regards to further plans, Kerry would only add, "We're talking about the schedule right now. Obviously, New York, California, Ohio … it's hard right now to say."
The Massachusetts Senator may be tired of the Iowa-New Hampshire-Wisconsin cold. Traveling from Green Bay to Milwaukee, the Senator turned to his campaign staff and proclaimed, "Hey guys, we have to go to Hawaii. How can you dis Hawaii?"
Adding insult to injury, it appears that if Kerry does not make it to the Aloha State before their February 24th primary, he may not even be able to bank all those campaign hotel credits.
Having spotted a traveling reporter booking an upcoming vacation online, Kerry turned to all-purpose aide Marvin Nicholson and asked, "Do we get (hotel) points? (The reporters) get points for vacation."
Nicholson, the 6'8" Kerry "body man", replied, "Ah, I don't know. We'll look into it."
Kerry retorted, "Look into it. Yeah, I've heard that staff answer before."
The Kerry campaign remains up with three rotating ads in Wisconsin through Tuesday's primary. They have not made any final decisions with regard to Super Tuesday advertising.
Read more from the trail with Kerry on abcnews.com: LINK
The AP's Lolita C. Baldor reports that Kerry has no plan to give up his Senate seat in Massachusetts. LINK
The Boston Herald writes that despite his front-and-center campaigning for his junior Senator, Senator Edward Kennedy's real assistance is coming from behind the scenes. LINK
"Kennedy is helping his Massachusetts colleague court an informal network of hundreds of major party donors across the country in hopes of erasing President Bush's huge money advantage."
The New York Times ' Stolberg Notes Kerry's deflecting criticism of his vote for NAFTA. He's taking a mend it, don't end it approach. LINK
The Wall Street Journal 's Dugan and Cummings write that "the party's deep-pocketed supporters on Wall Street and in New York's business community now are coalescing around Senator Kerry." Note the Gephardt, Clark, and Lieberman fundraisers ready to raise money for Senator Kerry. And apparently Senator Kerry has a meeting with John Catsimatidis in his future about some of his campaign trail anti-business rhetoric.
Hey Wonkette: how sneaky and blatant is it that the media writers are assigned by the high-minded editors to do the Polier story? LINK and LINK
The Baltimore Sun quotes former Gore adviser Elaine Kamarck. "The most critical decision John Kerry has to make in the next month is what his relationship with Howard Dean will be … the only potential he has for getting us within striking distance of the Republicans' money is to somehow convert that Dean fund-raising machine into a generic Democratic or Kerry machine." LINK
Attention Jay Leno's Note-reading writers: Karel Janicek of the Chicago Sun Times reports on the small Czech Republic town of Horni Benesov and why they are rooting so strongly for John Kerry to win the Democratic nomination. LINK
The Washington Times ' James Lakely reports that the DNC will not heed Kerry's request that his supporters "stop suggesting that President Bush shirked his duty during the Vietnam War." LINK
"At Sunday night's Democratic debate in Milwaukee, Mr. Kerry dismissed the charge by DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe that Mr. Bush was AWOL — absent without leave — when he was required to report to the Alabama Air National Guard in 1972 … . Asked whether the DNC will heed Mr. Kerry's call to drop accusations that Mr. Bush was AWOL, spokesman Tony Welch said, 'the White House did more to advance this than anyone else' and that Mr. McAuliffe stands by his position."
John Glionna of the Los Angeles Times takes a look at the prominent role Vietnam is playing in Kerry's presidential campaign.LINK
Edwards:
The New York Times ' Randy Archibold Notes that after weeks of rarely mentioning Kerry's and Dean's names, Edwards campaigned across Wisconsin yesterday "drawing attention to them on one matter, and one matter only: trade." LINK
From ABC News' Edwards campaign reporter/Badger Lisa Todorovich:
HOPSCOTCHING AROUND WISCONSIN, Feb. 16 — The political press corps traveling with Senator John Edwards is filled with professionals. They're people who understand the nuances of the campaign, who can pick up the slightest change in a tightly scripted and fine-tuned stump speech, who can analyze a candidate's body language, turn of phrase, and even the way he looks at an audience. They know his positions on the issues, swap jokes over beers on the campaign plane and can tell when he's tired. They write endlessly about crowds, message, and strategy, and they speculate about the campaign's next move.
And for two minutes on the day before the Wisconsin primary, they were upstaged by a 10-year-old girl wearing a scrunchy shaped like a little leopard.
During a press availability Monday morning at the seen-better-days South Milwaukee Community Center, after Edwards had ginned up a crowd of about 150 with theater in the round and talk of bringing together the "two Americas," after questions about when and where he first started talking about NAFTA, Leigh Harwood, daughter of the Wall Street Journal 's John Harwood, got her chance.
"Do you have enough followers to win the primary on Tuesday?" she asked.
"I don't know. We'll have to find out tomorrow. But we have a lot of strong supporters in Wisconsin we're very proud of," Edwards said.
It was the question that follows Edwards to every event, even as the campaign plans fundraising events in New York later this week and campaign stops in Georgia, Maryland and Ohio. Does he have enough supporters? Can he win enough to keep going until Super Tuesday? And beyond? At what point is enough enough?
The march forward continues, the campaign maintains, to the shores of March 2. And even a casual observer has to admit that Edwards connects with voters. Whether it'll propel him far enough is a separate question. Another still is whether a finish far behind the winner — in either second or third place — will give him enough oomph to go out and keep convincing those donors to write those checks to keep him on the air in huge states. Not to mention whether it will allow him to keep credibility with voters when he says that he's going to be the next president of the United States.
At Edwards' last primary eve event, at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, a supporter held up a sign made of red posterboard that read: "2nd in Iowa, 1st in Wisconsin."
We'll have to find out Tuesday …
Read more from the trail with Edwards on abcnews.com: LINK
The Washington Post 's Vanessa Williams Notes the longer Senator Edwards remains in the race, "the more he hears that he should be on the party's ticket in November — as the number two." LINK
President's weekend must reads:
Newsweek's Evan Thomas on Bush's and Kerry's "war stories." LINK
Ron Brownstein thinks voters don't care too much about candidates' war histories. LINK
The New York Times ' Nagorney and Stevenson report that President Bush's campaign will intensify in the coming weeks. LINK
The Washington Post 's Ceci Connolly on Kerry's fundraising efforts. LINK
The veepstakes, by T.S. Purdum. LINK
Kentucky 06:
While the Democratic presidential primary in Wisconsin is the only national contest on our calendars today, The Note is pretty sure that some of our media colleagues will pin the future of the Democratic Party, control of the House of Representatives, the 2004 campaign season, Bush v. Kerry, our country, our children, and the American Dream itself on the votes cast today by the residents of the sixth congressional district of Kentucky.
Kentucky's special election to fill the vacant House seat previously held by Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher is between Republican State Senator Alice Forgy Kerr and Democrat Ben Chandler, the former state attorney general and Democratic candidate in last fall's gubernatorial contest. Polls are open from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm ET.
The Lexington Herald-Leader's Ryan Alessi reported on Sunday that less than one fifth of the district's 442,000 voters are expected to cast their ballots. LINK
The race is being watched by many observers on both sides as a more important event evaluating public opinion of President Bush. Bush won Kentucky handily over Gore in 2000 and remains popular there, but Chandler's name recognition from his race in the fall against Fletcher may outweigh Kerr's ability to gain favor with voters by aligning herself in their minds with the qualities that they like about the president.
If Chandler wins, then it would be the first time a Democrat has picked up a special election House seat since 1991.The Chandler campaign and Democrats are not talking up that angle — at least not loudly.
No matter who wins today, part of the prize is preparing for the May 18 primary to try to move forward and win the seat again in November. Both Chandler and Kerr have filed for that primary already. LINK
The politics of national security:
David Brooks thinks that now, "in the midst of the war against Islamic totalitarianism, the crucial question is this: Is the Democratic Party truly set to reclaim the legacy of Truman and Kennedy, or is it still living in the shadow of Vietnam?" LINK
The politics of gay marriage:
Elizabeth Mehren of the Los Angeles Times writes up Speaker Finneran's "hopelessly deadlocked" Massachusetts legislature on the issue of gay marriage. LINK
The Los Angeles Times profiles the man about Washington, Mr. Matt Daniels, progenitor of the marriage amendment. He is not who you think he might be. LINK
ABC News Vote 2004: The Campaign Bus Logs:
As the campaigns go national, so do our campaign buses. Here's a behind-the-scenes look at their daily logs.
From ABC News Blue Bus Producer Matt Frucci:
Quote of the Day:
"Hey Mark, no wait, I need the other Mark." — unnamed guest talking to Matt, looking for Michael, under the impression both our names are Mark.
Local Flavor:
"Good morning, sir, this is your wake up call. It is currently 8 degrees out." — Hotel wake-up call.