DNC leader rallies campus

Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe told students on campus yesterday that they must assume a large burden in removing the man he dubbed "the worst president in modern history" from office.

"I need your help, I've got to win Pennsylvania," he said to more than 300 people at the Annenberg Center for Performing Arts. "I need each and every one of you out there actively working on this campaign. ... We need the youth vote across the country."

McAuliffe noted that he was known for his aggression, and his speech was indeed mostly devoted to criticism of President George Bush's domestic and foreign policies. Yet he said that the greatest contribution students could make was to actively encourage others to register and vote.

He commented that low turnout among 18- to 29-year-olds was crucial in 2000, when a mere handful of votes decided the victor in the state of Florida and, ultimately, the outcome of the election.

"Out of a pool of 40 million people, only 17 million people went to the polls in 2000 to help Al Gore win the White House. We did win it, folks, they stole it," he said.

McAuliffe took care to warn students of the perils of voting for Bush, though judging by the entire lobby's frequent loud applause and cheers, he was preaching to the converted. He focused particularly on national security and the economy.

In reference to the current budget deficit, McAuliffe said, "That is an $11 trillion shift in the economic situation of your country. Who's going to pay that off? It will be you." He continued along the typical themes of the Democratic Party, claiming that Bush had created no jobs, endangered the country, lied about the presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and may reintroduce the military draft.

McAuliffe did not confine his attack solely to Republican policies, often labeling their campaign tactics as "disgusting." He condemned the negativity of Vice President Dick Cheney's speech at the Republican Convention and rebutted the Swift Boat Veterans' claim that Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry possessed undeserved medals.

"You go to Kerry's office, you've got [a flag] from his swift boat hanging on the wall and it is riddled with bullets," McAuliffe said. He added that while Bush and Attorney General John Ashcroft were acting within their rights to avoid Vietnam, they had no right to smear Kerry's war record.

Melissa Fitzgerald -- a Penn graduate best known as Carol, C.J.'s assistant on the hit TV show, The West Wing -- was also present to give an opening speech. Fitzgerald works with a group called Environment2004, and her talk heavily criticized the administration's policies on the issue.

"He has taken the "conserve' out of "conservative,'" Fitzgerald said, noting that, in her view, an educated public is the most dangerous threat to the administration and would inevitably lead to Bush's downfall.

"This administration works for us. We're their boss," she said. "After the election on Nov. 2, I want to be able to say, "George Bush, you're fired!'"

Democrats reacted very positively to the event, and organizers were particularly pleased with the turnout.

"It's probably about double what we expected," said College senior Rich Eisenberg, chairman of the College Democrats. While he acknowledged that the party probably had not converted any new people to its cause yesterday, he said the event demonstrated the intensity of the campaign, and could help voter registration efforts.

"McAuliffe is a terrific speaker ... he's able to influence someone who's undecided," College freshman Max Schapiro said in agreement with Eisenberg. "He talked about the specific things Kerry can do to turn things around."

While few Republicans stayed for the speech, some turned up beforehand in large flip-flop costumes and greeted McAuliffe with cries of "four more years." They had a quite different view on McAuliffe's appearance on campus.

"These guys are scared," said Dave Copley, chairman of the Pennsylvania College Republicans. He pointed to a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll which showed that support for Bush among the 18- to 29-year-old age group had increased from 28 points five weeks ago to 46 percent today.

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