Big crowd expected for Kerry today in Tacoma,Washington

[bigtree]

Fred Matamoros | THE News Tribune
http://www.tribnet.com/news/local/story/5479114p-5417304c.html

SUSAN GORDON; The News Tribune

Tacoma officials were preparing for as many as 20,000 people to attend John Kerry's Democratic presidential campaign rally today.

Tacoma's Fabulous Wailers, attending a music festival at the Dome this weekend, said they will come out and perform their hit song "Louie Louie."

At the Kerry rally, writer and "Prairie Home Companion" radio talk show host Garrison Keillor will emcee. Also scheduled to appear are former Gen. Wesley Clark and Jim Rassmann, the former Army Special Forces lieutenant who credits Kerry with saving his life in the Vietnam War.

Party organizers declined to speculate publicly about the likely turnout. But Dome managers are prepared for between 10,000 and 20,000 people, depending on the weather, said Beth Sylves, Dome marketing manager.

[bigtree]

1. Kerry Brings Campaign To Western Washington

The Associated Press
http://q13.trb.com/news/kcpq-082704-kerry.story

August 27, 2004, 9:14 PM PDT

SEATTLE -- Democrat John Kerry, back in Washington state to court undecided swing voters in a battleground state, is leading in the polls here but his campaign fully expects President Bush to contest the region until the bitter end.

"They will try to take us by surprise" with an under-the-radar ground game of registering and motivating conservatives and by negative campaigning, said Sam Rodriguez, Kerry's state director.

The Kerry camp is hitting back with an aggressive campaign of its own, combining old-fashioned shoe-leather canvassing with sophisticated computer-assisted targeting of potential Kerry voters, the campaign said.

"We've been registering voters since April," Rodriguez said. Kerry has solidified his Democratic base and is now reaching out to undecided voters and Republicans and independents, Rodriguez said.