Dean's grassroots drive sprouts locally

[NNN0LHI]

Found this on the top of the front page of my local Sunday edition Republican newspaper. Not a hit piece either. Don

http://www.daily-journal.com/content/?id=32014

August 10, 2003

By Robyn Singleton,

As former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean has emerged as the man who might beat Bush, Kankakee County supporters are among 80,000 Dean disciples across the country who met in cafes and pubs last Wednesday evening to map out grassroots campaign strategy.

A Wall Street Journal article published that day proclaimed that, in a polarized America, Dean "may be electable after all." All last week, presidential candidate Dean seemed to be everywhere.

As word spread that his campaign had outpaced President George Bush in fundraising and that the doctor-turned -Democrat had a slight edge in popularity polls from early primary states Iowa and New Hampshire, Dean pulled the media trifecta. His face was on the covers of Time, Newsweek and U.S. News and World Report all in the same week. Television news broadcasts during the past week, too, were all Dean all the time. He was on Larry King on CNN Monday night and the Today Show on NBC Tuesday morning, among others.

"When I saw him raise all that money so quickly, that really caught my attention," Bill Leitshuh, a retired history teacher from Momence, said. Leitshuh and his wife Cathy were among about 10 Dean supporters who showed up at the monthly "Meetup" at Mary Todd's restaurant in Frankfort Wednesday evening. snip

Will and Kankakee residents interested in Howard Dean will meet again at Mary Todd's, 695 La Grange Rd., Frankfort, Wednesday, Sept. 3 at 7 p.m.

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[Duder]

1. Dean is everywhere

[diplomats]

2. Dean outpaced Bush in fund-raising?

Wow. I hadn't heard that. Does anyone have details?

[arcos]

3. I think that's stretching it a little...

Dean raised $500,000 online during a weekend, to compete with Cheney who was having a fundraiser on Monday night. And Dean beat Cheney easily, with contributions from thousands of supporters.

That does not mean Dean is beating Bush in fundraising though. He beat him in that particular week.

[diplomats]

4. Thanks for clarifying that

eom