Thursday, October 9, 2003
Demos warm up for Phoenix here
Chris Richards / Staff
U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., introduces himself at Local 479, the International Fire Fighters Union Hall, on the South Side.
David Sanders / Staff
U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., fields reporters' questions outside the Foothills home of David and Ellen Epstein.
The debate
The Democrats running for president will meet in the Orpheum Theater in Phoenix for a debate today.
• CNN will broadcast live from
5 to 6:30 p.m.
• CNN's "Inside Politics" will also air live from the
theater at 1 p.m.
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By C.J. Karamargin
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Two New England senators rolled their presidential campaigns into Tucson Wednesday, a day before squaring off with seven Democratic rivals in a debate televised live to the nation from Phoenix.
In a South Side union hall, John Kerry of Massachusetts touted his experience as a Vietnam War veteran, prosecutor and lawmaker at a rally of enthusiastic supporters.
At the other end of town, Joe Lieberman of Connecticut was the main attraction at a fund-raiser held in a Foothills home.
Together, the campaign appearances highlight the newfound prominence of Arizona in the quest for the Democratic nomination.
It is today's debate at the elegant Orpheum Theater in downtown Phoenix, though, that will draw the national spotlight.
"The debate makes the point," Lieberman told the Star. "Arizona will play a very important role in next year's election."
Candidates
on the Web
Learn more about the Democratic presidential candidates online at their campaign Web sites:
• Carol Mosley Braun -
www.carolforpresident.com
• Wesley Clark - www.clark04.com
• Howard Dean -
www.deanforamerica.com
• Sen. John Edwards - www.johnedwards2004.com
• Rep. Dick Gephardt -
www.dickgephardt2004.com
• Sen. John Kerry -
www.johnkerry.com
• Rep. Dennis Kucinich - www.kucinich.us
• Sen. Joe Lieberman - www.joe2004.com
• The Rev. Al Sharpton - www.al2004.org
Learn more about President Bush's campaign for a second term from his Web site:
• www.georgewbush.com
Why the attention?
The road to the White House winds through Arizona thanks to the state's early presidential primary.
• February: The state's Democrats go to the polls on Feb. 3 - the first big day on next year's election calendar. Contests will also be held in Delaware, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Virginia.
• January: Those match-ups follow the Jan. 19 caucuses in Iowa and the Jan. 27 New Hampshire primary.
• March: Democrats should have a good idea who will face President Bush by March 2, when California, New York and 10 other states have their say in picking the party's nominee.
• Next November: The general election is held.
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Sponsored by the Arizona
Democratic Party, the debate comes less than four months before the state's Feb. 3 presidential primary - the earliest in the state's 91-year history.
If past debates offer any guide, Iraq, the economy, health care and education are likely to be the main topics at today's 90-minute forum. Criticism of President Bush and his administration's policies will be front and center.
Kerry offered a taste of that Wednesday night to more than 100 supporters at Local 479, the International Fire Fighters Union Hall.
Speaking without notes and flanked by union members carrying Kerry placards, the four-term senator ripped into the president for promoting tax cuts that benefit the wealthy while ignoring first responders like firefighters.
"Ladies and gentlemen, there are fundamentals in life," he said. "One . . . is that you have to take care of those who take care of you. We are all in this together. But you wouldn't know it from the choices President Bush is making.
"I've come here to Southern Arizona today, to Pima County, to tell all of you that we are witnessing the beginning of the last days of the Bush administration," he said.
The audience included former Tucson Mayor George Miller, Pima County Supervisor Sharon Bronson, County Recorder F. Ann Rodriguez, and state Reps. Ted Downing and Olivia Cajero Bedford.
Lieberman, noting that Bush had a slim margin of victory in Arizona in 2000, told reporters assembled outside the home of David and Ellen Goldstein that he is confident the state is winnable in 2004. "Arizona's electoral votes are up for grabs. It's no slam dunk," he said.
Lieberman said he was disappointed that California voters recalled Gov. Gray Davis, a
Democrat narrowly elected to a second term last year.
But Lieberman said he was heartened by California's rejection of an initiative that would have banned the collection of information that could be used to document discrimination.
He said he hopes the California vote will "encourage the people of Arizona to reject the discriminatory Protect Arizona initiative," that would deny services to illegal immigrants.
"That's not what we want America to be. We want America to come together," he said.
Lieberman, who was the
Democratic vice presidential candidate in the 2000 race, also said it's too soon to speculate whether the California vote has any meaningful implications for next year's presidential race.
For Kerry, the recall represents a clear sign "that a lot of people are angry" with government at all levels.
"People are sick and tired of government that doesn't address real concerns," he said.
* Reporter Joe Burchell contributed to this story.
* Contact reporter C.J. Karamargin at 573-4243 or cjkarama@azstarnet.com.
