Democrat rivals crisscross Iowa for last-minute caucus support

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Democratic rivals swapped last-minute charges of smear tactics Saturday as polls pointed to the closest Iowa caucus finish since the event gained presidential campaign prominence in the 1970s.

"I'm in full combat mode," said Howard Dean, delivering a self-appraisal that applied no less to Dick Gephardt, John Kerry and John Edwards as they charged across the state on the race's final weekend.

The charges of distortion and malicious phone calls contrasted sharply with efforts to strike a softer closing note. Dean, Edwards and Kerry all invoked the ghosts of Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman and John Kennedy during the day, vying to be seen as the one rightful heir to past Democratic presidents.

The final television commercials were upbeat as well, including one from Edwards that relied on the written word -- rather than the spoken one -- to make its point. "To all those who stood up, listened and spoke out. Made us laugh, question, think and believe a positive vision of hope and new ideas can change America. Your time is now," rolled across the screen.

But the campaign niceties seemed to end there.

Kerry, who has gained ground in the polls in recent days, said Dean and Gephardt were trying to dampen his momentum in the agriculture-conscious state with a "smear effort" that distorted his record on farm issues. On Friday, the two rival campaigns provided reporters with comments Kerry made five years ago, indicating he would scale back the Department of Agriculture and revamp farm subsidies.

Kerry said during the day he would revamp the subsidy program, not end it. But Erik Smith, a spokesman for Gephardt dismissed the charge, adding "He's been sending negative mail on Gephardt for weeks."

Kerry's campaign, too, stood accused of unsavory campaign practices. Aides to Dean said at least one of their voters had received a badgering phone call from a Kerry supporter who called the former Vermont governor an "environmental terrorist."

Stephanie Cutter, a spokeswoman for Kerry, said the call was an "isolated incident" caused by overzealousness on the part of a young volunteer. She said he had been asked to leave the campaign, and was writing a letter of apology to the woman he called.

Dean's campaign wasn't willing to let it drop, though. "This kid's supervisor made no apologies for his phone call. Nor did that supervisor's supervisor," said Trish Enright, spokeswoman for Dean.

Aides to Edwards said an undisclosed number of their supporters in the state had received 2 a.m. telephone calls in recent days, informing them they were ineligible to vote.

The Monday night caucuses will set the party on a path to selecting a challenger for President Bush this fall.

Statewide polls suggested a tight finish four-way finish Monday night, when caucus-goers gather in 1,993 precincts in every corner of the state. That would make it the closest contest since it achieved prominence in 1976. That was the year Jimmy Carter finished behind uncommitted but ahead of his rivals, a showing that launched him on the road to the White House.

All four of the major rivals made multiple stops during the day -- Gephardt had seven as he struggled to avoid a loss that aides said could spell the end of his political career.

Dean, Edwards and Kerry referred to the ghost of Democratic presidents past.

Edwards offered himself as a successor to Franklin Roosevelt, who won creation of Social Security, and John Kennedy, whom he said helped win civil rights legislation. "This campaign is not based on the politics of cynicism. It is based on the politics of hope, of what's possible," he said.

Kerry sounded a similar theme. "When you go to the caucuses, carry with you the history of a party that offers hope and leadership. We ask that you go to that caucus holding in mind Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman and John Kennedy," he said.

For his part, Dean said more Americans need health care, reminding his audience that Truman made that a key point in winning the 1948 campaign.

The former Vermont governor, the longshot-turned-frontrunner, sought to cement his claim as the non-Washington candidate willing to stand up to Bush. Exhorting supporters in Council Bluffs to turn out on Monday, he said: "We need your help. Don't complain about George Bush if you don't go to caucus to support Howard Dean at 6:30 on Monday."

Gephardt's stops were designed to maximize the turnout of union members and supporters who form the backbone of his campaign. "What we're trying to do is get the message out about jobs worth fighting for," he said in Cedar Rapids, the first stop of the day.