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Politics : WHO IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT IN 2004 -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Glenn Petersen who wrote (7678)	12/16/2003 11:35:35 PM
From: Glenn Petersen	Respond to of 10965

Pro-Gephardt Cash Went to Anti-Dean Group story.news.yahoo.com Tue Dec 16, 6:53 PM ET By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - Several labor unions that endorsed Dick Gephardt (news - web sites) donated $50,000 apiece to a group broadcasting commercials that question Democratic presidential rival Howard Dean (news - web sites)'s credentials, including one spot that features Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) and two others that align the former Vermont governor with President Bush (news - web sites). One of the unions, the International Association of Machinists, called Tuesday for the group, Americans for Jobs, Healthcare and Progressive Values, to pull the ad and release the names of its financial backers. Other labor unions that gave money to the group include the Laborers International Union of North America and the Ironworkers Union, both of which have endorsed Gephardt for president. "The ads are despicable and we ought to ask for the refund," said Rick Sloan, a spokesman for the International Association of Machinists. "They've done more to damage Dick Gephardt than anything any of his opponents could have done or dreamed of doing." Gephardt said Tuesday he had no idea who was financing the group. "I haven't seen the ads. I have no knowledge of them. I've had no knowledge of who is doing this or why they're doing it," the Missouri congressman said in a conference call with reporters. Mystery has shrouded Americans for Jobs, Healthcare and Progressive Values since it began ads against Dean two weeks ago in Iowa, questioning his record on Medicare, gun ownership and trade. The group has refused to disclose its financial backers until campaign finance laws require it to do so in early February. It has spent $380,000 to run commercials in Iowa so far, a moderate amount for a two-week period, and $10,000 apiece in New Hampshire and South Carolina. The organization's two top officials — its president Edward Feighan, a former Ohio congressman, and treasurer David Jones — have ties Gephardt, who is in a tight race with Dean in Iowa, which holds its caucuses Jan. 19. Feighan donated $2,000 to Gephardt's campaign, campaign finance records show. Jones is a former Gephardt fund-raiser. Jones said Tuesday that the group would not pull its ads. "We're an independent organization, and we will determine when we will disclose our donors and we will do so as prescribed by law," Jones said. "If Howard Dean is so concerned about secrecy, why doesn't he open up his records as governor of Vermont?" Dean has said a judge should determine which of his sealed records from his 11 years as Vermont's governor should be made public. On Tuesday, Joe Trippi, Dean's campaign manager asked rival campaigns in a letter to join him in denouncing the group's latest ad, which uses a magazine cover of bin Laden to question Dean's national security credentials. "Using the image of Osama bin Laden, it is the kind of fear-mongering attack we've come to expect from Republicans and panders to the worst in voters," Trippi wrote. Gephardt condemned the ads earlier Tuesday before receiving the letter. He did not say they should be pulled. "I'm sorry they're doing this, but there's nothing I can do about it, but I would call on them and any other 527 to reveal their donors in a timely basis," Gephardt said in the conference call. Campaign finance laws prohibit federal candidates or their campaigns from coordinating with such outside groups, nicknamed "527s" after the section of the tax code that applies to them. Donald Kaniewski, political director of the Laborers union, said unions gave money to the group because "we wanted to highlight issues we think matter in this debate about who should be standard-bearer for the Democratic Party." He said he would not have used bin Laden's photograph to raise what he says are legitimate concerns about Dean's record. He said he expressed his dismay to the group, but his complaints fell on deaf ears. Also Tuesday, Dean began advertising his advertising in Arizona with a 60-second biographical ad. And Gephardt began running a new ad in Iowa in which he promises to set aside Bush's tax cuts during his first week as president and use the money to assure everyone has health insurance. ___ AP Labor Writer Leigh Strope in Washington contributed to this report.

To: Glenn Petersen who wrote (7678)	12/17/2003 12:43:22 AM
From: Raymond Duray	Respond to of 10965

Democrats.com fights back against secret 527 attacks: democrats.com Democrats.com Unity Pledge As Democrats, we share one overriding goal for 2004: replacing George W. Bush with a legitimately-elected Democratic President who will undo the massive damage created at home and abroad by Bush. We welcome the vigorous competition of ideas in our Democratic primaries. But we insist that this competition be conducted with civility, respect, and even love for fellow Democrats. We reject all divisive efforts, whether by individual candidates or their supporters. And when the primaries end, all Democrats must unite behind our Presidential nominee. As a loyal Democrat, I pledge my full support for the Democratic nominee for President - whoever wins the primaries. In addition, I pledge to do everything in my power to defeat George W. Bush and elect a Democratic President. Finally, I call upon all Democratic candidates - as well as their supporters and Democratic Party officials - to join me in taking this pledge. *** Unacceptable Tactics A secretive group called Americans for Jobs, Health Care and Progressive Values launched an attack ad campaign in Iowa claiming Dean "cannot compete with Bush on foreign policy." The group has ties to the Gephardt and Kerry campaigns, and appears to exist only to attack Dean. We call upon Gephardt and Kerry to denounce this secretive and divisive effort, and announce their support for the ultimate Democratic nominee.