Sen. Hillary Clinton, who many Democrats see as their best hope for winning the White House in 2004, is heading to Iowa this weekend with six candidates to speak at a party fund-raiser.
Sen. Hillary Clinton, D.-N.Y. |
The Iowa caucus next January will kick off the race for the Democratic nomination.
Clinton will headline the event in Des Moines tomorrow night, the annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, which sold out in a record 77 hours, the Waterloo/Ceder Falls, Iowa, Courier reported.
Although she has insisted she is not running, the paper noted her popularity among Democrats means she will have to contend with a lot of speculation.
Trying to dismiss questions about the presidential race, the senator’s communications director, Joe Householder, insisted Clinton accepted the invitation to help raise money for the Democratic Party in Iowa.
“As first lady and as a senator, she’s always been willing to go anywhere that she’s asked to go to help Democrats raise the resources they need to be competitive,” Householder said, according to the Iowa paper.
But national pollster John Zogby sees Clinton’s appearance in Iowa as a “wonderful tease” for a 2004 or 2008 candidacy.
“I think, you know, the woman doth protest too much,” Zogby said, according to the Courier. “But hey, why not. It never hurts to have people talking about you.”
An unaffiliated group called Draft Hillary 2004 tried to gain entry to the event but was denied. The group will set up a booth outside, however, to recruit more supporters.
“As far as I’m concerned, and the 42,000 people that have signed up, she’s the only one that can do it,” Adam Parkhomenko, the group’s president, told the Courier.
The dinner, with about 7,500 guests, is expected to raise about $300,000 for the state party.
Iowa GOP spokeswoman Kristin Scuderi thinks the event sold out because Democrats want Clinton in the race.
“I just think that speaks volumes about how weak their candidates are, especially the fact that Hillary’s leading the field, and she’s not even in the race,” Scuderi told the Iowa paper.
Only three of the nine leading Democratic candidates will not attend, Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, Rev. Al Sharpton and Gen. Wesley Clark.
Candidate Howard Dean, former Vermont governor, regarded as the front-runner, will appear at a Des Moines school the morning of the fundraiser with rocker Melissa Etheridge, the Courier said. Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts will play hockey with Des Moines firefighters and Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina will join University of Iowa football fans at a tailgate party. Supporters of Rep. Dick Gephardt will try to knock on the doors of 10,000 homes in Des Moines.
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