Democratic Presidential Hopefuls Square Off Tonight
______________________________________
Likely Topics: Middle-Class Tax Cuts, Medicare, Commitment To Party Values
UPDATED: 7:07 p.m. EDT October 9, 2003
PHOENIX -- The bickering Democratic presidential candidates face off Thursday in their fourth debate in five weeks, with disputes over middle-class tax cuts, Medicare and their commitment to party values dominating the fall campaign.
The 90-minute debate, broadcast live on CNN starting at 8 p.m. EDT, is the first since Sen. Bob Graham of Florida abandoned his 5-month-old campaign Monday after determining he could never win.
The latest New Hampshire poll showed former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean as the front-runner, about 10 points ahead of John Kerry. Lagging behind are newcomer Wesley Clark, Sens. Joe Lieberman and John Edwards, and Congressman Dick Gephardt.
But in a CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll, Clark holds a slight edge.
The poll showed the retired general with 21 percent support -- five points ahead of the candidate who's raised the most money among Democrats: Dean.
Next were Sens. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and John Kerry of Massachusetts, with 13 percent each.
They are followed by former House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, with 8 percent; New York's Al Sharpton, with 6 percent; former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois, with 4 percent. In the last spot were Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina and Congressman Dennis Kucinich of Ohio -- each with 2 percent.
Fifteen percent were undecided.
Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press.
nbc5.com |
