New Iowa Democrat leader already taking shots at President

The new chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party says the 2004 presidential race in Iowa is “wide open.”Iowa Democratic Party chairman Gordon Fischer of Des Moines says there’s no obvious frontrunner in Iowa, and he could make a case for any of the potential candidates winning the Iowa Caucuses..Fischer was surprised Al Gore decided not to seek the nomination. He says it was probably good for the Democratic Party to have a wide open race.Fischer says even though the Iowa Caucuses are just about a year away, the candidates are starting their push now. Fischer will remain neutral and will not endorse any candidate before the Caucuses. The list of potential candidates includes Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, North Carolina Senator John Edwards, Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman. South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle, Vermont Governor Howard Dean and Missouri Representative Richard Gephardt.Fischer says of all the candidates, though, Howard Dean has spent the most time campaigning here.Fischer jokes that Dean has spent so much time in the state he qualifies for in-state tuition at one of the state’s public universities, although it’d have to be post-graduate work since Dean is a physician. Fischer made his comments on the Iowa Public T.V. program Iowa Press, which airs tonight.