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The Morning Grind / DayAhead |
WWTD (What will Tom do?)
By John Mercurio
CNN Political Unit
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All eyes on Harkin: Sources say Iowa Senator Tom Harkin has leaned toward both Dean and Gephardt in recent days.
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ON CNN TV |
Iowa Senator Tom Harkin is the guest on "Judy Woodruff 's Inside Politics" at 3:30 p.m. ET Wednesday.
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VIDEO
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As the first of the Democratic presidential caucuses and primaries near, candidates are in constant motion.
Four years ago, Al Gore beat outsider Bill Bradley in Iowa. This year, outsider Howard Dean is the front-runner.
Teresa Heinz Kerry and her husband, Sen. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, talk with CNN's Paula Zahn
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SPECIAL REPORT
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- John Kerry is in New Hampshire today talking about workers rights. Joe Lieberman is down the road trying to position himself squarely between two "extremists," President Bush and Howard Dean. Hadassah's in the Granite State, too, as are Dennis Kucinich, Wesley Clark and Carol Moseley Braun.
But it's Tom Harkin, the junior senator from Iowa, who has caught the Grind's eye this morning, as we await final word on where (or whether) he'll throw his influential support this week. This morning, aides said Harkin, who's scheduled to be Judy Woodruff's guest on CNN's "Inside Politics" today, remained undecided and was continuing to talk with both Dean and Dick Gephardt. The two Dems are, of course, locked in a dead-even race in the Hawkeye State.
Some sources say Harkin had leaned strongly toward backing Dean as late as Sunday. But the senator apparently reconsidered under relentless pressure from Gephardt's labor troops and is now more than likely to remain neutral in the caucuses, now just 12 days away, sources said. Everyone close to Harkin cautioned, however, that the senator was keeping his own counsel and could change his mind with little warning.
Harkin's decision would have a dramatic impact on the Iowa race, which several polls suggest is too close to call. But if he plans to back one of the Democratic candidates in a splashy event designed to help his chosen candidate dominate a news cycle, his delay poses some logistical challenges in organizing an announcement. There are only so many hours left.
Harkin is likely to be tied up in Des Moines for much of Thursday, for example, at a previously scheduled meeting with the state chapter of the AFL-CIO on overtime legislation and other policy issues. Labor reps of both Gephardt and Dean plan to attend the meeting and lobby him, but sources said he won't make an announcement there.
This weekend also could be booked, or at least hectic, for a Harkin announcement. Dean aides said last night that Al Gore, perhaps the only Democrat considered as influential as Harkin in Iowa, will campaign for Dean in Iowa on Friday and Saturday. Gore won the Iowa caucuses convincingly in 2000 and narrowly carried the state in the general election that fall.
Kerry targets economy
Meanwhile, back in New Hampshire, aides say Kerry will build upon the economic speech he delivered Monday in Iowa by unveiling a 10-point "workers bill of rights." The news nugget is Kerry's call to create a new director of personal economic security, who would coordinate efforts to protect pensions and retirement, personal information and identify theft, fair lending and housing, wealth building and financial education. This director would work in the White House and report directly to the president and chief of staff.
Kerry also will take aim at the Bush administration and its record on corporate responsibility.
"Tyson. Tyco. It's wrong when companies turn their back on the country, their community and their workers," Kerry will say, according to an advance copy of the text obtained by the Grind. "If I'm elected president these corporate Benedict Arnolds will get called on the carpet in the Oval Office - and held accountable for their actions."
"It's time we had an economy again run not just by the values of our stocks but the values of our families; an economy where common courtesy and common sense counts for more than dollars and cents; an economy where we don't profit off trading bonds while trading away the bonds that hold our community together."
Dean and Edwards play nice
Finally today, we'd like to close by pointing out how nicely Dean and John Edwards are playing these days. We're not sure exactly why, or at least we can't confirm it, but we're not the only ones who've noticed.
First there was Dean's heartfelt bouquet to Edwards during the Des Moines debate on Sunday, apologizing again for attacking the senator last year.
Then came Edwards's plea Monday for reporters to stop badgering Dean with questions about his sealed gubernatorial records. Yesterday, asked to comment on other Democrats' criticisms of Dean, Edwards had this to say about the man he has to beat if he wants to be president:
"You know this is part of the back and fourth between campaigns. I'll let Gov. Dean defend what he did and didn't do in the state of Vermont. What I believe is we are going to bring change to this country. We don't need somebody who has been through politics for 20 years or been in Washington for decades. Which is what I offer."