Iowa’s top Democrat, Senator Tom Harkin, says he’s not going to endorse a candidate for president prior to the primary. Harkin had backed former Iowa Tom Vilsack before Vilsack dropped out of the race, but says he won’t shift that endorsement to someone else.
Harkin says he doesn’t see an scenario in which he would endorse a candidate. He says he has too many friends in this race. Harkin endorsed Howard Dean prior to the 2004 Iowa Caucuses, and was on stage when Dean made his famous scream speech. Harkin says that experience doesn’t impact his decision to endorse a candidate.
Harkin says no, and he still maintains a great friendship with Howard Dean. Harkin says Dean is doing a great job now as the leader of the Democratic party. "I’ve always said he got a bum rap on that sort of scream deal," Harkin says, "especially since all of the networks apologized to him for. Every single network, plus C-N-N I think, all issued a formal apology for what they did to him that following week." Harkin says the scream was not as bad as it was portrayed, and cites an A-B-C follow up on the scream.
Harkin says they had a camera in the back of the room and it looked and sounded a lot different than the hot mics. But, Harkin says "that’s history." Harkin says there’s a lot of time before the caucuses and a lot of things could happen.