STAFFERS FOR FRONT-RUNNER DEAN SEEN CHASING AFTER CLARK
By Eric Slater, LA Times Staff Writer
PETERBOROUGH, N.H. -- In a sign that Wesley K. Clark's presidential campaign may be gaining ground in New Hampshire, Howard Dean's staffers on Wednesday staked out Clark's campaign appearances, handing out fliers that called the retired Army general "pro-war" and questioned whether he was a "real" Democrat.
In Peterborough, a man who identified himself as a Dean campaign staffer handed out the leaflets to people attending a Clark speech. And Clark campaign staffers said they found the fliers on windshields at an event in Bedford late Tuesday night.
The Dean flier lists various quotes from Clark on the war in Iraq, suggesting he supported the invasion. Clark, a retired four-star general and former NATO supreme allied commander, did initially support a war resolution, but one that included bringing in the United Nations. He has since been outspoken in criticizing the war and President Bush's handling of the conflict.
The reverse side of the flier -- with a headline that read "Wesley Clark: Real Democrat?" -- lists quotes from Clark complimenting Bush and members of his administration. It says he voted for Republican presidential contestants and did not register as a Democrat until October 2003.
Clark has said that, during his 34 years in the Army, he frequently voted for the candidate he felt was strongest on national defense, and that he did not need to register with a party in Arkansas, his home state.
Jay Carson, Dean's national spokesman, said the campaign was simply "pointing out facts that the American people should know about." He declined to elaborate on the timing.
For weeks Dean has been anointed as the Democratic front-runner based on fundraising, crowds, endorsements and polling numbers. But Clark appears to be making headway in New Hampshire, which holds the first primary Jan. 27 and where he is staking his first claim in the quest for delegates. He is not participating in the Jan. 19 Iowa caucuses.
This week Clark is drawing larger crowds, and a new CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll suggests Democrats nationwide are taking a second look at Clark. Dean's lead has shrunk to 4 points, with Dean drawing 24% among Democrats and Clark polling at 20%. Compared with other Democratic candidates, Clark also flooded the airwaves in New Hampshire and Boston with television ads last week.
One of Clark's campaign pollsters, Geoff Garin, said on Wednesday that their polling had found a steady rise in the candidate's approval ratings in several states that hold their primaries on Feb. 3, including South Carolina, Arizona and Oklahoma.
Clark aides suggested the apparent momentum may have been one factor that prompted the Dean campaign to distribute the leaflets. "The Dean campaign can undoubtedly feel the Clark campaign's hot, minty breath on the back of its neck," quipped Clark senior strategist, Chris Lehane.
Clark said of the fliers: "I guess that's what professional politicians do."...
MORE