THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA KANSAN
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2007
NEWS
3A
ELECTION 2008
Final Iowa campaigns under way at Democratic fundraising dinner
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Democratic presidential hopefuls take the stage at the party's annual fundraising dinner Saturday in Des Moines, Iowa. Former Sen. John Edwards, left, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) were among the candidates who spoke.
BY MIKE GLOVER ASSOCIATED PRESS
DES MOINES, Iowa — The race for the Democratic presidential nomination moved into overdrive Saturday as candidates scrambled to outdo each other to win over the Iowa activists who will lead off the contest on Jan. 3.
Six Democratic rivals trotted out celebrities, filled the air with populist rhetoric and schmoozed party regulars in the most hectic day of a campaign that's been intense for months.
The city took on a circus-like atmosphere as candidates raced from forums to rallies to marches to receptions, capped by the Iowa Democratic Party's annual fund-raising dinner. Nine thousand boisterous activists chanted and cheered during the event, which traditionally begins the sprint to Iowa's leadoff causes in January.
Some of the hottest rhetoric of the night came from John Edwards, who has sounded an increasingly sharp populist theme in recent weeks.
"It is time for us as a party to stand up with some backbone and some strength for what we actually believe in," said Edwards. "We do not believe in allowing lobbyists to write the laws of the United States of America and we do not believe that we are above the law."
Edwards made a pointed reference to former President Bill Clinton and his failed effort to overhaul the nation's health care system — an effort led by one of Edwards' rival candidates, Hillary Rodham Clinton.
"It is not enough," Edwards said. "Look at what happened in the 1990s when we had a Democratic president, a Democratic House and a Democratic Senate but still drug companies, insurance companies and their lobbyists killed universal health care in the United States of America."
He offered the sharpest line in a night of tough rhetoric.
"I think it is time for us to give America hope," said Edwards. "It is time to give those entrenched interests that are standing against America hell."
But it was the matchup between Clinton and Barack Obama that was watched closest. Clinton has a significant lead nationally but only a small edge in Iowa, where she is being pressed by both Obama and Edwards. Clinton and Obama
stacked the hall with larger contingents than their rivals, Obama bringing along a few thousand red-shirted backers and Clinton with an equal number of noisy supporters.
“When I am your nominee, my opponent won't be able to say that I supported this war in Iraq, or that I gave George Bush the benefit of the doubt on Iran,” said Obama. “And he won't be able to say that I wavered on something as fundamental as whether it's OK for America to use torture — because it's never OK.”
Obama has been critical of Clinton on all those issues, and he said Democrats were at their best "when we've led not by polls, but by principle, not by calculation but by conviction, when we've had leaders who could summon the entire nation to a common purpose — a higher purpose."
"We are ready for change," said Clinton. "Change is just a word if you don't have the strength and experience to make it happen."
Clinton argued the party should pick "a nominee who has been tested and elect a president who is ready to lead on day one. Fortunately, I have a little experience standing up and fighting for what I believe is right and what I believe America needs and how we can get there together."
Clinton played the front-runner role to the hilt.
"I'm not interested in attacking my opponents," said Clinton. "I'm interested in tackling the problems of America. We should be turning up the heat on the Republicans — they deserve all the heat we can give them."
"The world is waiting for an American president they can trust," said Joe Biden. "The American
people are waiting for one of us to step up ... when they can trust. Not trust in terms of our honesty, trust in terms of our judgment."
Bill Richardson joined in the chorus of criticism of the war.
"The most important issue affecting this race is the war," said Richardson, who hit his rivals on the issue.
"The leading candidates are talking about keeping troops (in Iraq) until 2013," said Richardson. "I will bring troops home within one year and we will do it with a plan, a political compromise."
At the same time, Richardson argued "it is critically important that Democrats not tear each other down" as the speeches wound deep into the night.
"Welcome to breakfast in Des Moines," said Christopher Dodd, as he took the stage, saying major candidates had left open the potential that troops could be in Iraq until 2013.
"I'm not going to wait until 2013," said Dodd. "Any Democrat who can't stand up here and promise they're gonna get our troops out of Iraq before 2013, I wonder what they're standing for."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi moderated the event, telling activists "they are going to hear from the next president of the United States."
Iowa Democratic Chairman Scott Brennan said the dinner traditionally marked a point where campaigns began to get serious.
Anti-war activists were joined in a protest march by backers of former Sen. Mike Gravel and Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich, who were not invited to the dinner because they don't have active campaign operations in the state.
THE CHANGING FACE OF WARFARE IN THE 21ST CENTURY
ROBERT J. DOLE INSTITUTE OF POLITICS
The University of Kansas
www.doleinstitute.org (785) 864-4900
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Giving back repays students
Students experience positives, negatives of life as volunteers at Lawrence Memorial Hospital
BY SASHA ROE
sroe@kansan.com
Ahram Han gained a new appreciation for life when she saw a patient who was paralyzed for life, yet happy to be alive and with a giant smile on his face. Han, Reeds Spring, Mo., senior, is one of about 200 University of Kansas students who volunteer at Lawrence Memorial Hospital, where students often get more than they give.
"He was basically paralyzed," Han said. "But he still had a smile on his face. I thought, 'I have so much more.' Still, he was happier than I was."
Han said volunteering at Lawrence Memorial Hospital provided both inspiring and heartbreaking experiences. She said a baby was born with a disability when she was volunteering in the maternity ward. Han said it broke her heart to escort the father to the room to see his child for the first time.
Han, who now works as a lead person for the volunteer program.
helps patients move between rooms and trains other volunteers.She said it was rewarding to spend time with the patients, even though it seemed like her work was minor.
volunteers aren't just sitting around but being proactive". Hoover said. "Volunteers should just make the nurses' and doctors' jobs a little easier."
Hoover said he volunteered for about two years in the emergen c y room. His main jobs were to make patients comfortable and assist the doctors and nurses with various tasks, such as taking patients to get X-rays.
"The best thing is looking at other health care professionals and learning from them. It's neat to see people who are so passionate about what they're doing."
However, he said the emergency room challenged him to see how well he could handle many eye-opening situations.
"I don't heal them, but the little things I do make a difference," Han said.
"I don't heal them, but the little things I do make a difference."
Hoover said he was interested in a career in health care and he enjoyed observing the staff. He said he was impressed with the quality of the doctors and nurses and had
"The staff appreciates it when
Tony Hoover, Wichita senior, said that it was important to remember that volunteering might not be the most glamorous job, but that the little jobs volunteers performed were a huge help to the staff.
AHRAM HAN Reeds Spring, Mo., senior
said she volunteered on the fourth floor, which had elderly patients and patients recovering from long-term illness or injury.
"The best thing is looking at other health care professionals and learning from them." Hoover said. "It's neat to see people who are
so passionate about what they're doing.
formed close friendships with them.
She said working with the elderly
Rachel Williams, Conway, Ark., junior, said she started volunteering because a class her freshman year required it. After the experience, she was hooked and decided to continue volunteering.
TONY HOOVER Wichita senior
Williams, a music therapy major.
was fulfilling and had taught her a lot about life. She said a general misconception was that elderly people had to be talked to as if they were children, but she had learned that they deserved a great amount of respect.
Williams said one woman said she had been a singer and had sang for Eleanor Roosevelt.
"They've experienced a lot, and then I see them in that setting." Williams said. "It makes me want to live as well as I can."
Becki Carl Stutz, the hospital's student volunteer coordinator, said many students were interested in the experience because they were pursuing degrees in health care. Stutz said the hospital tried to place them in areas of interest, including radiology, surgery and the maternity ward.
Stutz said volunteers worked one shift each week. Before becoming a volunteer, students go through a brief training session to go over situations they might encounter while volunteering.
She said the staff and patients appreciated the help and the interaction with student volunteers. For more information, visit the Lawrence Memorial Hospital Web site at www.lmh.org.
- Edited by Tara Smith
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