Web posted
Friday, February 1, 2008
Democrats caucus Tuesday
The Democratic Caucus for Cowley County will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the First Christian Church in Winfield, 914 Alexander St.
By JOHN HANNA
AP Political Writer
TOPEKA -- A television ad featuring Gov. Kathleen Sebelius for presidential candidate Barack Obama started running Thursday in Kansas, as campaigning picked up before the state's Democratic caucuses.
The Sebelius ad started in Wichita the same day Obama's campaign brought former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle to Lawrence. Also, rival candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign announced supporters will participate Monday night in a 21-state teleconference with her on the eve of Super Tuesday.
Democrats will caucus Tuesday night at 50 sites across the state. At stake are 32 of Kansas' 41 delegates to the Democratic National Convention in August in Denver.
Sebelius is among the nine other delegates, who go to the convention no matter which candidate they support. Others include Lee Kinch, a Derby attorney serving on the Democratic National Committee who has endorsed Obama, and Teresa Krusor, of Winfield, the state party vice chairwoman, a Clinton supporter.
Spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran said Sebelius filmed the ad Tuesday in El Dorado, where she appeared at an Obama rally. El Dorado was the hometown of his grandfather on his mother's side.
''The governor's very popular,'' said Dan Watkins, a Lawrence attorney who is the Obama campaign's senior adviser in Kansas. ''Kansans like the governor's approach to doing her job. Her support for Obama can't do anything but help.''
But Krusor and Dan Lykins, a Topeka attorney and state party treasurer who backs Clinton, said they doubt the Sebelius ad will have much effect. They said what matters is getting supporters to the caucus sites.
''I think Senator Clinton has been around for a long time, and I think when it comes down to it, I think Kansans will vote their consciences, and they'll vote for the candidate they truly believe can best serve our country,'' Krusor said.
Clinton's event Monday night will link at least one site in each of the Super Tuesday states, and Clinton, who is expected to be in New York, will answer a question from each state. The event in Wichita will be at a sports bar; organizers said Kansans could also watch over the Internet or on cable's Hallmark Channel.
Krusor said the Clinton campaign expects several hundred Kansans to participate. Obama's rally in El Dorado drew about 2,300 people.
''These are meant to be town halls that are not enormous rallies,'' said Isaac Baker, a Clinton campaign spokesman.
While Clinton's campaign opened offices earlier this month in Kansas City, Topeka and Wichita, Obama's organization opened its Lawrence headquarters in October. Obama has 18 paid staffers in Kansas, compared with Clinton's three.
Also, high-profile surrogates have traveled to Kansas for Obama. Daschle met with Obama supporters at Haskell Indian Nations University. Others who have been to the state include Reps. Gwen Moore of Wisconsin and Betty McCollum of Minnesota; U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri attended the El Dorado rally.
''I think he is the more compelling candidate. I think he has a special gift of being able to inspire people,'' Kinch said. ''He has a special appeal to young people.''
Krusor said she is supporting Clinton because of her experience.
''She's campaigned for 35 years for people to have better life,'' Krusor said. ''She's the most qualified and experienced candidate running for president.''
Lykins argued that Clinton enjoys strong support among longtime Democratic activists and labor organizations.
''I think we've been working harder here in Kansas than Senator Obama,'' Lykins said. ''It's just that he's had his paid staffers here longer.''
Lykins also believes Clinton will benefit in Kansas from rival John Edwards' decision to suspend his campaign. He said many Edwards supporters are blue-collar workers who'll support Clinton.
But Watkins said he believes Edwards supporters will gravitate to both Obama and Clinton. He said while Obama attracts new voters, longtime activists like himself also are drawn to him once they learn about him.
As for whether Clinton's campaign is working harder, Watkins said: ''The proof will be at the caucuses Tuesday night.''
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How to caucus
TOPEKA (AP) -- A look at the Democratic and Republican presidential caucuses in Kansas:
DEMOCRATIC
DATE: Tuesday, Feb. 5.
LOCATION: 50 sites across the state.
BECOMING ELIGIBLE: Caucus workers will check each voter's name against a list of registered Democrats; people who aren't registered but wish to do so can fill out registration cards, but they must be able to tell workers their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number.
GETTING IN: Doors to caucus sites open at 6 p.m. local time. After 7 p.m., people won't be allowed to get into line to verify their eligibility to vote.
VOTING: A caucus leader will direct voters to certain areas, where they'll cluster with like-minded voters. There will be one area for Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, as well as former candidates John Edwards, Bill Richardson and Dennis Kucinich. There will also be a designated place for uncommitted voters.
After 30 minutes, a preliminary count will be taken. A ''realignment'' period will then begin, during which voters can move from group to group. Then, a final count will be taken.
AT STAKE: 32 of the state's 41 delegates to the Democratic National Convention, Aug. 25-28 in Denver. The other nine delegates -- party leaders, elected officials and an unnamed, unpledged ''add-on'' go to the convention, no matter whom they support.
REPUBLICAN
DATE: Saturday, Feb. 9.
LOCATION: 67 sites across the state.
BECOMING ELIGIBLE: Caucus workers will check each voter's name against a list of registered Republicans. Potential voters must show photo identification.
GETTING IN: Doors to caucus sites open at 9 a.m. in Johnson, Sedgwick and Shawnee counties and by 9:30 a.m. at all other sites. Speeches for candidates begin at 10 a.m., and people who are still in line before those speeches end at about 11 a.m. can cast ballots.
VOTING: Each voter will mark a paper ballot beside the name of one of seven candidates. They are John McCain, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Ron Paul and Alan Keyes, as well as two candidates who have dropped out, Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson. The votes then will be tallied.
AT STAKE: 36 of the state's 39 delegates to the GOP National Convention, Sept. 1-4, in Minneapolis. The other three delegates are the party's state chairman and two Kansas representatives on the Republican National Committee, who go to the convention no matter whom they support.
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