The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa • Page 15

The Des Moines Register GC Monday, January 19, 2004 Page 15A Caucus-oers ave Bush Small number of Iowans altered course of history if i wit 'vCi By KEN QUINN Struggling through the cold and over snow-covered roads to get to the Register's Democratic candidates debate in Johnston on Jan. 4, 1 thought back to the 1980 Iowa caucuses. On an Iowa View press account said he had shaken more than 10,000 hands in Iowa during the campaign. This "retail politics" approach gave Bush a significant lift, especially after Reagan chose to not participate in the Register's Republican candidate forum. That decision caused a precipitous drop in the polls for Reagan and ultimately cost John Sears, his campaign manager, his job.

In the last two weeks before the Jan. 21 caucus, Bush's energy and organization combined to press for a large turnout. In 1976, only about 650 people had participated statewide in the Republican straw poll at the caucuses, according to stories in the Register. Four years later, more than 100,000 turned out to vote their preferences. On the evening of Jan.

21, he went from one Des Moines caucus to the next asking for support. I recall the great surprise when he ran onto the stage at Merrill Middle School asking residents of our neighborhood to support his candidacy. All this work paid off in a dramatic fashioa In a stunning upset, Bush finished first with 31.5 percent of the vote, barely edging out Reagan. About 1,400 votes gave Bush his margin of victory. Bush's "Big Mo" propelled him to being Reagan's chief rival for the nomination.

Reagan defeated Bush in the New Hampshire primary and several other races, but offered him the vice-presidential slot to unite the party in the November election. Just consider the likely implications if those 1,400 Iowa voters had stayed home on caucus night. If Bush had not finished first here, it's much less likely he REGISTER FILE PHOTOS with Iowa Gov. Robert Ray, right, as Bush toured precinct caucuses in the 1980 campaign. George H.W.

Bush shakes hands would have had the vice-presidential nomination. And without eight years as vice president, it is reasonable to assume that Bush would not have been the Republican candidate for president in 1988 and elected to our highest office for one term. And without those 12 years when Bush was vice president that handful of Iowa voters who bundled up and went out to vote for George Herbert Walker Bush on Jan. 21, 1980. While they did not realize it then, that small number of Iowans could and did alter the course of history.

KEN QUINN is executive director of the World Food Prize Foundation, Des Moines. secure the Republican presidential nomination in 2000 if he were not serving as Texas governor. Whether you are a supporter or a critic of President George W. Bush, the world of 2004 would be quite different if he were not president. It is intriguing to contemplate the linkage between where America is in the world today and for mysterious caucus ritual even more frigid night slightly more than 1,000 caucus-goers set in motion events that continue to have a profound impact the world in 2004.

The 1980 caucuses had contested races in both parties. On the Democratic side, President Jimmy Carter was challenged by Senator Ted Kennedy and California Gov. Jerry Brown. On the Republican side, conventional wisdom and polls had former California Gov. Ronald Reagan seemingly far out in front, but with other prominent party leaders in pursuit.

In this group were Senators Bob Dole and Howard Baker; former Texas Gov. and Secretary of the Treasury John Connally; Illinois Congressmen Phil Crane and John Anderson and former CIA director and U.N. Ambassador George H.W. Bush. Endorsements by Iowa political figures were split.

As memory serves me, only Congressman Jim Leach was backing Bush, who had not stood out from the pack nor garnered much press attention when he first arrived in Iowa in 1979. But he was indefatigable constantly knocking on doors and meeting with small groups in living rooms all over the state. In our neighborhood on Des Moines' west side, he was at events on our street on three occasions. One Iowans By DAVE BARRY 1 nd so we have gathered ft here, on the frozen JrH cornfields of Iowa, to answer the question that, every four years, grips the nation and yes the world: What do corn i farmers do all winter? -ff They're definitely not growing corn. -r I tl 4.

1 fcj for anything to grow, unless you count journalists' thighs, which are expanding at an alarming rate from engaging in campaign coverage, which involves a lot of eating while not moving. Service is By ALVIN WILLIAMS In preparing to attend a birthday celebration, it is tough to decide on the perfect gift for the celebrant. The giver wonders if the gift chosen will pay proper tribute to the recipient, and does it reflect an expressed desire ot the recipient. Today, the nation celebrates the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King as we observe the holiday named in his honor.

What gift can we give as a nation to pay tribute to this prolific American hero? Unlike the quandary when shopping for a friend or loved one, there is one gift that is a fitting tribute to King's legacy that everyone can give on his birthday and beyond the gift of service. The commitment to serving others was one of the most prominent characteristics of King, the great servant-leader. He dedicated his life to the service of others, sacrificing personal gain in pursuit of a larger dream of 1 171 doesn't say why. Maybe it has to do with "The Happy Pants Dance." In addition to Dean and Gephardt, the major Democratic contenders are John Kerry, John Edwards, Wesley Clark, Joseph Lieberman, Al Sharpton, Walter Mondale, Rudolph Giuliani, the late Hubert Humphrey and of course Dennis Kucinich. (Carol Moseley Braun just dropped out and urged her Iowa supporters to vote for Dean.

Her Iowa supporters, Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Minkwater of Oskaloosa, said they would "think about I will track down as many candidates as I humanly can without leaving my rental car, and objectively reporting the facts and president, it may not be unreasonable to ask whether his son, George W. Bush, would have been well enough positioned politically to be elected governor of Texas. And with all deference and respect to our current president's very considerable political skills, it might have been much more difficult for George W.

Bush to Iowa is in turmoil. Dick is here again, of course, but he is threatened by a newcomer named Howard Dean, who is from Vermont or possibly Rhode Island, neither of which is anywhere near Iowa. Yet Howard is making a strong showing, thanks in part to thousands of young campaign volunteers who have come to Iowa out of a sincere and idealistic desire to skip classes. They are highly organized: According to a Washington Post story, "The Dean field operatives have purchased mountains of bottled water and granola bars, and cell phones and flashlights by the dozen." Yes, flashlights. The Post Martin Luther King Jr.

with the Nobel Peace Prize he won. landscape through a wide range of political action. In the past, it was thought best to honor King's legacy by seeking the next great leader to single-handedly build on the foundation of change that he so painstakingly laid during his life. However, in lieu of continuously anointing would-be successors, we must realize that as individuals we can honor his legacy on a daily basis. Today let us seek ways to give the gift of service, the only gift befitting this special birthday celebration.

ALVIN WILLIAMS is president and CEO ol Black America's Political Action Committee. This was distributed by Knight RldderTrlbune Information Services. CAN c-I'M This goes way too far prepare This brings us to the other big question: Who will win the Iowa caucuses? For that matter, what ARE the Iowa caucuses? I've been covering these things since 1984, and I have never once heard a coherent explanation of how Iowans caucus. We know that they do it indoors, at night, and they form little groups, and eventually there are Jell-0 shots and something called "The Happy Pants Dance." Also the largest man present must smear his naked body with margarine and fight a boar. But beyond that, it's a mystery.

And yet, somehow, out of this process emerges a winner, as the voters of Iowa having carefully considered all the a gift fit liberating millions of blacks bearing the burden of segregation's oppressive weight. King's life and accomplishments embodied the quintessential essence of the notion that the most effective leaders are those with a distinct willingness to serve. King used his charisma, intelligence, vitality and perseverant nature to spark a movement that changed the social landscape of the nation. It is important that we incorporate King's commitment toward service into our daily lives. When pondering the magnitude of King's life and accomplishments, the awe that accompanies such reflection leads us to believe it would be impossible to do anything in our daily lives that can pay adequate tribute to the civil-rights icon.

However, if we commit to consistently serving others we pay a most fitting tribute to King and other civil-rights leaders who gave their lives so all Americans could realize the true meaning of the nation's creed. Service begins modestly in our homes with a commitment to the as I imagine them to be. This process, wacky as it seems, is how we choose our presidents. Which explains a lot. LATE-BREAKING IOWA STORY: According to a Jan.

14 front-page article in The Des Moines Register that I am not making up, a judge has ruled that "West Des Moines topless dancers who paint their nipples with skin-colored latex are within a city nudity law." Yes! Nipples in Iowa! We here in the news media will follow this story wherever it leads, unless it leads outdoors. Don't thank us: We are doing our jobs. DAVE BARRY writes lor the Miami Herald. occurred when a federal air marshal left his gun in the bathroom on a Washington, D.C.-to-Las Vegas flight. A passenger found it and, amazingly, did not shoot anyone.

But this regulation threatens to create more problems than it solves. I refer to bladder rage. How would such a no-queue rule be enforced? Like first grade, we could raise our hands for permission from a flight attendant, who would escort us there and back and probably spit on her hanky and wipe the chocolate smudge off our faces and say, "Didn't I tell you to go before you left home?" The airlines could rent out catheters like stereo headphones, four dollars a pop. For those who don't rent the catheter: Just use your seat cushion. It is, after all, a flotation device.

Or, if you're in such a hurry to get someplace, maybe you ought to get out of line, go stand over there and let us ask you a few questions. Yeah, you, pal the one with your legs crossed. PATT Morrison writes lor the Los Angeles Times. candidates and their views on the complex issues facing the nation vote for the person who looks and sounds the most like he comes from Iowa. Usually, this is Congressman Dick "Dick" Gephardt, five-time winner of the 'World's Whitest Man" competition.

Dick comes from Missouri (a state near Iowa) and has won the Iowa caucuses 14 times, although one year he was edged out by Senator Tom Harkin, who is actually FROM Iowa. In any event, when the caucuses are over, everybody moves on to New Hampshire, and nobody thinks about Iowa again for years. This time around, however, for King promotion of strong family values. Parents serve their children when they allow their own lives to be viewed as a tangible social and moral blueprint for their children to follow. Children serve their parents when they abide by this sound blueprint even when parents are not around to actively enforce it and when their example encourages their peers to follow.

The concept of service includes a commitment to civic responsibility and community development. We have each been allotted with talents that can benefit others. Whether it's mentoring a student, coaching a youth sports team, coordinating efforts to assist the less fortunate, tutoring children or participating in other civic endeavors, everyone can contribute to enhancing of their peers. Our soldiers give the gift of service on a daily basis as they risk their lives to preserve our nation's interests. At Black America's Political Committee, we provide an avenue by which concerned citizens can affect change in the political and social By PATT MORRISON til ow they're asking for real trouble.

Take away the knitting needles and the scissors. You don't run with scissors, you don't fly with scissors. Over at the Transportation Safety Administration, the joke was that TSA stands for "taking scissors away." But now the TSA is putting all of us in real peril. It's demanding that passengers on U.S.-bound flights not line up outside planes' bathrooms, waiting for a turn. Evidently they worry that among innocent passengers in need could be terrorists plotting in the queue.

You can get along without scissors on a transoceanic flight. But you cannot get along without as the British say spending a penny. Or several. This bodily function is so vital that when Charles Lindbergh met Britain's King George after his 33-hour trans-Atlantic flight, the first thing the king asked was, "How ever did you manage?" We know what he meant. So far as I know, the only threat from a lavatory patron.