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Politics : Those Damned Democrat's -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: calgal who wrote (1576)	1/18/2004 12:11:43 AM
From: calgal	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1604

Carol Moseley Braun drops out of race, endorses Dean By Jill Lawrence, USA TODAY CARROLL, Iowa — Former Illinois senator Carol Moseley Braun dropped out of the Democratic presidential race Thursday and endorsed Howard Dean for the party's nomination, saying he was "a Democrat we can all be proud to support." Howard Dean appears with Carol Moseley Braun after she announces she is dropping out of the race Timothy A. Clary, AFP "Gov. Dean has the energy to inspire the American people, to break the cocoon of fear that envelopes us and empowers President Bush and his entourage from the extreme right-wing," Braun said. Dean and Braun appeared together in Carroll, Iowa, where Dean was campaigning for Monday's Iowa caucuses, which begin the nomination season. Braun will campaign for Dean three to four days a week, starting Saturday in South Carolina. (Related audio: Braun announces her withdrawal) "She's a principled person. We just hit it off. I like her a lot," said Dean at the joint appearance. "It's going to be a big help to us." Quick question Carol Mosely Braun is the latest Democrat to exit the race for the party's nomination. Whom do you think should be the next Democrat to drop out? Wesley Clark Howard Dean Sen. John Edwards Rep. Richard Gephardt Sen. John Kerry Rep. Dennis Kucinich Sen. Joseph Lieberman Al Sharpton Latest results The high-profile endorsement comes as the race here is tightening and Dean, a former Vermont governor, appears to be losing some ground in tracking polls. MSNBC reported Thursday that it's virtually a four-way tie for the lead in Iowa, according to its polls. Sen. John Kerry, Dean, and Rep. Dick Gephardt are all neck and neck with Sen. John Edwards close behind. It also comes four days after a debate in which rival Al Sharpton attacked Dean on his affirmative action record in Vermont, and Braun came to Dean's defense. Sharpton and Braun are both African-American. Braun has been in low single digits in polls nationally and in early primary states, and she expects to report raising less than a half-million dollars for 2003. She does not bring a raft of followers to Dean's fold, but her stamp of approval could help Dean with minority voters who are important in upcoming primaries, including the Feb. 3 contest in South Carolina. The Dean campaign will pay Braun's expenses when she campaigns for him and may eventually put her on the payroll as a consultant, sources close to the Dean campaign said. Braun is making the move, they said, because she has been disturbed by recent attacks on Dean by rival candidates, among them Sharpton and Gephardt. During the testy exchange Sunday night with Sharpton, Dean conceded that he had not named any minorities to his Cabinet while governor. "We have to have an honest conversation about race in this country. I think Howard's right about that," Braun said when it was her turn to speak. Later, she reprimanded Sharpton by name. "The fact of the matter is, you can always blow up a racial debate and make people get mad at each other," she told him. "But I think it's time for us to talk about, what are you going to do to bring people together? Because ... people cannot afford a racial screaming match." Vermont has a tiny minority population. Dean has had awkward moments on race matters several times in the campaign, particularly during one debate when he argued with Sharpton and North Carolina Sen. John Edwards over his remark that he wanted votes from people with Confederate flags on their pickups. Even as he pounds against "the establishment," Dean has been on a roll with high-level endorsements. On Sunday he is scheduled to visit former president Jimmy Carter in Plains, Ga. The trip is not expected to yield an endorsement, merely high praise, according to the Dean campaign. Contributing: Associated Press

To: calgal who wrote (1576)	1/18/2004 12:31:04 AM
From: calgal	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1604

Economic news pushes mortgage rates to 6-month lows By Thomas A. Fogarty, USA TODAY Mortgage interest rates tumbled to six-month lows this week, reacting to continued tame inflation and recent news of scant December job growth. The 30-year mortgage interest rate averages 5.66%, down from 5.87% last week, mortgage investor Freddie Mac reported Thursday. The interest rate for a 15-year home loan averages 4.97%, down from 5.17% last week. Rates were last this low during the week ended July 11. In the short term, the drop in what were already viewed as borrower-friendly rates will further fuel a housing market that is coming off a record-setting 2003. But industry economists in a conference call this week agreed that rates seem poised for a moderate rise of a percentage point or so during 2004, which could take the edge off the current housing market. The drop in mortgage rates from last week is a reaction to a government report showing the economy added just 1,000 jobs in December. Economists had been looking for 150,000 new jobs. The bond market reacted by driving down yields on 10-year Treasury notes, the benchmark for long-term mortgage rates. Freddie Mac economist Amy Crews Cutts said the labor report had "a chilling effect on the market's recent exuberance." She says mortgage rates should remain low for some time because of what she calls "an almost-inflationless recovery." Adding to evidence that inflation remains in check is a government report issued Thursday that says consumer prices rose just 0.2% in December. For 2003, inflation was just 1.9%, the report said. On this week's conference call, David Lereah of the National Association of Realtors said he expects 2004 to be the second-best year on record. Sales of existing homes should be 5.8 million this year, down from 6.1 million in 2003. His forecast presumes a modest rise in mortgage rates. But if rates spike, he said, home sales could dive. Lereah says he worries most about the potential effect of rising deficits in the federal budget and in foreign trade. The twin deficits could stoke inflation, and force interest rates higher than expected, he said. David Berson of mortgage investor Fannie Mae also looks for a strong year, but off slightly from 2003. He says the housing market could withstand a run-up in rates if the increase is caused by a recovering economy. Bond investors respond to a strengthening economy by driving up long-term rates. A stronger economy would increase the number of jobs and boost household balance sheets, offsetting a spike in rates. "It isn't necessarily a bad thing for housing," he said.