Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin to Endorse Dean

Newsday ^ | 1/9/04

[areafiftyone]

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin will endorse Howard Dean for the Democratic presidential nomination, party sources said Friday, giving a key boost to an embattled front-runner 10 days before the state's kick-off caucuses.

[GraniteStateConservative]

Because Harkin only matters in Iowa.

I disagree. Harkin is a national figure among progressives. He's run for president and got 16K votes in New Hampshire after winning uncontestedly in Iowa. Many wanted him to run in 2000 against Gore.

[irgbar-man]

To your points: Yes, McGovern got his clock cleaned by the hated Nixon. History in turn cleaned Nixon's clock and gave us Carter in '76.

Dean is farther left and the far left hates Bush so intensely -- I really got the impression just the other week that Hillary may not try to steal the '04 nomination after all. She'll take 4 more years to weave her web. Let her.

[GraniteStateConservative]

Jeanne Shaheen, former Gov of New Hampshire. Also Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Ted Kennedy.

[Mo1]

Hmmmmm ... that's pretty sad for Kerry

[monocle]

Harkin has been brain dead for decades.

[JohnnyZ]

Clark has to be up 10 points in these states just to be tied with Dean after he gets these big wins in January.

Of course if some of the other folks are knocked out, Clark may pick up their non-Dean or anti-Dean votes, which could offset that.

I think in some places, like South Carolina, Dean can only reach a certain ceiling, beyond which it'll be all anti-Dean (at least with white voters).

[dc-zoo]

More than an endorsement. Curse of the "dung-heap".

[twigs]

how better to alienate all but the most die-hard commie wackos from the Dim party?

Lots of Dems are not wacked out commies, just wrong on some key issues. My husband is one: he almost always votes Dem, and personally dislikes Pres. Bush, but absolutely can't stand Dean and really fears for our country if he should win. So, he's been grousing lately that he's going to have to vote Republic. If marriage has taught me anything, it's to keep my mouth shut at key moments. When you win the battle, just smile quietly and enjoy the victory.

[philosofy123]

I love Nixon. Out of all the US Presidents, he remains my favorit. I would rank him above Abraham Lincoln!

[BushisTheMan]

"Four years ago, I didn't really understand the Iowa caucuses," Dean said during the day.

And four years from today, Dean will be saying "I didn't really understand that Americans would support the war against terrorism."

[Irene Adler]

"Harkin? I thought he died a few years ago."

Oh, be still, my heart. However, sorry to say, the evil, vicious Harken is still with us. Even if he did die, Iowa has a democrat gov. at present so another rat would simply fill the slot.

[onyx]

Oh Meek, is that not the dream team for a trouncing?

HA! Howard Dean and Barney Frank. LMAO!

[KQQL]

Tom Harkin on Iraq and the Gulf War

"The Gulf War was like teenage sex. We got in too soon and out too soon".

[Irene Adler]

"Iowa is strange....any state that elects Harkin AND Grassley, and keeps re-electing them..is politically psychotic...that's the oddest pair of senators I can recall.."

This is very true, and I live in Iowa. Iowa has many sort of moderate-conservatives and also a strong, old-timey farmer-labor tradition, as well. A candidate who gets a real committment from either side of the spectrum can do well in Iowa. Also, I have noticed for years that Iowans simply LOVE incumbents. If you manage to win once, and you take care of the home folks when they call your office with their problems, you often can hang on for a long, long time.

[KQQL]

Tom Harkin Spits On U.S. Military

From the Des Moines Register, Iowa Senator Tom Harkin: "What we were told and what you saw in the press last fall and earlier this year is that he had a massive war machine. It looks now like this was just a Third World country - there were people fighting with tennis shoes on, on the Iraqi side.

I don't know what else we're going to find, but they didn't fly even one airplane in the air. They had almost nothing. So if they were that weak, where we could just roll over them like that, tell me again how he was such a big threat in the past?"

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_041103/content/stack_b.guest.html

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[GmbyMan]

**I think in some places, like South Carolina, Dean can only reach a certain ceiling, beyond which it'll be all anti-Dean (at least with white voters).**


The problem with your theory in South Carolina is that Clark will split the "anti-Dean" vote with John Edwards. I think a Dean win in Iowa almost assures him the nomination and a probable win even in some of the southern states.

[ken5050]

Thanks for the info..and Iowans also have the most nicely drawn congressional districts....all straight lines...the gerrymander is not native to the state..

[TomHarkinIsNotFromIowa]

Hey you know what? Dean's crazy. Harkin doesn't even live in Iowa. He lives in the Bahamas. If Dean would look at the following link even he would puke:

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/opinion/datelinedc/s_155912.html

[JohnnyZ]

The problem with your theory in South Carolina is that Clark will split the "anti-Dean" vote with John Edwards.

Now I wouldn't go so far as to say my theory has problems. I said Dean's support among southern whites has a ceiling, certainly less than half, maybe 20-25%. He may, however, get black support, as he has been picking up endorsements from the Cong. Black Caucus. I think blacks are the key to South Carolina, and which way they go will determine who wins. Will they vote for the liberal, Dean? Clinton's man Clark? Or, if he's still around, Clyburn's man Gephardt? Some will go Lieberman, since he's a Believer and they've already voted for him once.

I don't think Edwards will do very well in South Carolina, maybe 10-15%, and much worse everywhere else, where he's polling 3%; I think he'll get no momentum from Iowa and New Hampshire.

[swampfox98]

Dung heap likes the Hobbitt, huh?