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geekpic. democratic presidential candidates.

On November 24th GeekPIC met to review all of the Democratic Presidential candidates for the 2004 election. Here are the meeting notes as well as more information provided by some of the individual researchers:

• Handout; civil rights activist; has been stabbed (good time to begin politicking)
• Sharpton defended an alleged rape victim (Duwanna Brawley)
• Doesn’t mention his family
• Jesse Jackson his mentor; sees himself as a new JJ as a leader of black america (they had a recent falling out)
• Talks a lot and loudly about things he believes in; pretty damn liberal (although not ridiculously); against Democrats’ move to the right
• Says he moves the people instead of moving with the people (thermostat vs. thermometer)
• In favor of 3 amendments to the constitution (women, civil rights, etc.)
  People dislike his “extremism”; regardless he’s trying to encourage voter registration—will bring votes out, but might splinter Democratic vote
  
  
  

senator john edwards
Presented by Chris H.

• Bkgrd: 49 years; several times millionaire, trial lawyer (apparently pretty successful)
• First in family to go to college; really likes to drink
• Senator from NC; his first public office—beat incumbent 5 years ago
• Things he tends to push hardest (as opposed to merely typical dem point of view):
• Healthcare: has done a lot; he & McCain wrote a patients’ bill of rights, have gotten a portion approved (watered-down version approved under Bush I); hold health plans accountable; also to help kids (Nathan walked in, note-taker distracted....); generic pharmaceuticals back on market to get rid of stranglehold of big incs; allow Canadian imports etc.
• Education: teachers who go to high-risk areas for 5 years it’ll be financially viable [note: he talks a lot for saying nothing]
• Different from typical dems: wants to reduce fed spending not military, though; increase security in bioterrorism (thinks ships not searched enough)
• Supports death penalty (he is from NC)

ambassador carol mosely-braun
Presented by Steph

• Began as state rep in ’79; got exec job later, ran for US Senator—Illinois—1st af-am female/democrat in senate
• Was once asked if she’d run for office again... said no in several languages, apparently she didn’t speak them well
• US Ambass. To N. Zealand (under Clinton); controversy has followed her around
  Wants to advance cause of women in higher office
• Knows she won’t win the nomination & says so, she’s a Liberal
• Pro-choice, against repealing aff action; pro gay-rights, never voted for increase in defense spending & has voted for contrary; maybe likes vouchers? Dislikes Patriot act a lot; never voted for a tax cut; against flag-burning amendment
• Criticized for giving cushy jobs, dated an accused sexual-harassor; has spent a great deal of $ perhaps public; unaccounted expenditures... no one thought her tryst with that dictator was a good thing (even J Jackson!)
• Investigated for taking $ from mom so she could qualify for Medicaid; consistently liberal voting record
• More info from Steph's notes

congressman dennis kucinich
Presented by Maegan

• Everything on scorecard of major issues demonstrates solid research; talks about how things he advocates will actually get done in accurate, realistic terms
• Boy mayor (Cleveland) at 31
• Re-entered politics in ’94... huge year for right to take fed gov’t
• Elected to his state legislature in ’94
• Elected to house of rep in US in ’96, still there
• Instant run-off voting, etc. as far as campaign finance reform
• Predictable list of endorsers
• Consistency of voting record with campaign promises: same promises made when he ran for Congress as he’s making today—all matches up well
• RNC research page: he votes to cut defense & intell spending, against force in Iraq
  Upshot: his voting record corresponds with promises
• 2001 started bill to estab dept of peace; sounds flaky but legislation actually straight forward & well thought-out controversy: not re-elected in Cleveland; their public utilities system in trouble; banks came to him urging privatization, he wouldn’t. he actually saved citizens millions of dollars, & he got an award in 1998 for saving their utilities. Criticized for this in 70s & praised in 80s & 90s for having the foresight to do the right thing.
• Not SO unelectable; keep him on our radar
• Has said he’ll only support someone for Supreme Court if they’ll support roe v wade
• More info from Maegan's notes

congressman dick gephardt
Presented by Rachel

• Other than very pro-labor & pro-fair-trade not free trade, he is the institution
• Has been dem leader of the house
• Working class roots (dad a teamster truck driver, mom a secretary)
• Graduated with degree in law, Northwestern
• Served in International Guard ’65-’71
• Missouri; has been in House for quite a while—ran for pres in ’88, won Iowa caucus, but lost nomination to Dukakis
• Has been accused of xenophobia due to his pro-labor stance re countries with which we have big trade deficits
• Current run: universal health care—repeal 2001 tax cuts, subsidizing employers’ health care plans; “Apollo program”—pretty traditional, environmental stuff with tax incentives, mostly; teachers corps molded on ROTC; main things: wants WTO to establish a world minimum wage, would like the domestic minimum wage to be a living wage
• Organized labor PACs are his biggest contributors; Steelworkers have endorsed him (steelworkers actually want tariffs abolished because we’re exporting jobs)
• Has been flaky on abortion; his opinions have actually evolved since his beginnings, he says (sketchy! Was out campaigning when a crucial partial-birth blah blah happened so we don’t know how he would’ve voted)
• Voted against 1st gulf war, but like other dems voted for resolution to give Bush authority to go into Iraq
• Seems to rest on his laurels... DIDN’T EVEN GO TO ROCK THE VOTE
• Right now he’s at 27% in Iowa with Dean at 20%; he’s gained since first of month
• To maintain his credibility he has to win Iowa (next to his home state); at 6% in New Hampshire
  
  
  

senator joe lieberman
Reviewed CNN copy because our presenter was sick; Jenni stepped up to the plate like the trooper she is

• Civil Rights: aff. Action. Opp. Same sex marriage, similar laws. Allows gay men in mil. Sex orient not bar to adoption.
• Supports hate crime bills.
• Defense: sup. Missiles & stuff.
• Read your hand- (e-mail)-out ... but if you don’t read it, please take note:
  THIS GUY VOTED FOR THE P.A.T.R.I.O.T. ACT
  
  
  

senator john kerry
Presented by Michael L.

• Who is Kerry? Party insider, from Boston, good record on women’s issues (estab’d women’s rape defense fund)
• In ’85 in senate, proposed amendment to employment non-discrim act that would’ve made sex orientation another thing you couldn’t discriminate on
• Good on queer issues; supports fed recognition of civil unions for tax reasons, insurance reasons etc.
• Opposite from Dean, worked to secure strong dem base
• Heinz fortune-heiress is his wife
• In latest poll, behind Dean in Massachusetts (his home state!); might dump tons of money on New Hampshire, but campaign not going so well altogether
• Health care similar to Edwards; wants to subsidize health care by providing tax credits (not so useful for those who start off poor); incentive to employers; free medical care for kids at or below 300% poverty level; wants to require malpractice claims revolved by 3rd party council before going to court
• Energy policy: very specific; “very interesting but not revolutionary”; wants a new trust: $ from energy companies to pay royalties to fed government to fund conversation, moving us to energy independence over next 20 years, move to hydrogen-based energy economy; Thinks longterm; move max to 36mpg by 2015; consumer tax credits for hybrids; advocate of windpower (way to subsidize farmers, perhaps?)
• Supports agriculture & rural economics
• Wants to build infrastructure to create jobs (a la New Deal) to help preserve & make more efficient energy consumption & provision (commuter rail etc.); wants to cut gov’t’s energy bill by 20% by 2020... wants to encourage institutions (doesn’t say how) to adhere to better energy policy; wants to build Alaskan pipeline to pump natural gas, cooperating with US, Canada & Mexico; wants to invest tons in research
  Education trust fund for actually doing what NCLB’s supposed to do
• Actual specifics: National Service Programs; 2 years of service in exchange for 4 years of tuition at state school; tries to avoid unfunded mandates
  Wants to create a community defense service (‘hood captains)
  Pro-jobs; either mili, peace corps, bring IT into first responders
  Iraq: wants to drive new UN resolution to create a UN mili force under US command, all under UN authority to rebuild it... pay for it by rolling back tax cuts
• More info from Michael's notes

governor howard dean
Presented by Corinne

• Was governor of Vermont ’91-2003; physician, so is his wife
• First in VT house, then Lt. Gov. (part-time job, also a doctor)
• Re-elected 5 times—stopped being governor so he could run for president
• His wife still does private practice in VT; he doesn’t have a campaign wife (she’s still doing her thing)
• Fiscal conservative, social liberal
• Started as an unknown candidate
• Innovative & fairly effective grassroots campaign mostly based on internet
• Focused on individuals & vocally against special interests, said he was going to get small donations from huge number of folks
• Refused federal matching funds because he would reach the cap
• Avg. campaign contribution of $71
• One of most liberal candidates; against Iraq war—has been & still is
• History of supporting civil unions for gays & lesbians in Vermont
• Pro-Universal healthcare, semi-private
• Criticisms: concern he can’t win the south (strong statement); too liberal to beat Bush; many not convinced by the “fiscal conservative” self-characterization
• Says he won’t reduce military spending; would redirect it towards renewable energy technology which he considers defense; interested in local first-responder stuff similar to Kerry; supports death penalty for terrorism/police-officer-killers/kid-killers; thinks guns are a state issue & not needed in Vermont (maybe in New York)
• More info from Corinne's research

general wesley clark
Presented by Bill

• Born in Chicago, grew up in Little Rock, top of class at West Point, was a Rhodes scholar
• Served in Vietnam, wounded 4 times, went on to military career until ’00 (4-star general)
• Supreme commander of NATO ’99-’00; oversaw Kosovo action
• Fired by William Cohen, Defense Secretary at the time (policy? Arrogant hot-head? More interested in multilateral approach?)
• Went on to join a financial services firm
• Has entered race very late (was encouraged to do so by a lot of folks on the web who pledged him $2 million)
• Traditional domestic democratic platform
• Unique stuff: economic plan, doesn’t want to repeal all Bush tax cuts, just the ones geared towards the wealth; wants to add more money for state budgets; fund more for homeland security (created never funded)
• Tax credits to employers for adding jobs
• Wants a civilian reserve corps; civilians volunteering to help at local, national level... matching skills with needs (forest fires to peacekeeping missions overseas) & people’s choices
• Wants to add funding for Americorps
• Wants to end US monopoly on occupation, perhaps add NATO—one of few candidates who thinks we should add troops to Iraq (didn’t originally support war)
  Trade agreements in future should be acc to international standards
  Supports card-check laws for unions (if majority at a company votes for it, employers have to recognize them)
• Supports universal (?) health care ‘til age of 22
• Hasn’t said much about environment, except that he doesn’t want to cut back regulations
• Seems most electable candidate of the dems—perhaps because bushies have us running scared regarding national security, so he can speak with authority on military matters
• Up to 4 million (behind others, but entered late)
• Questions about his convictions—not much of a Democrat. Hadn’t registered ‘til he ran for president. Mili folks are supposedly apolitical. Praised Nixon & Reagan; not a lot of history of speaking on these things in public
• His policy stuff straightforward democrat.
• Has often said he’s opposed war from start; once asked if he’d support bill supporting aggression in Iraq, said yes, now damage is done whether he meant it or not.