The Howard Dean campaign has said goodbye to the elegant DC-9 jet that ferried the candidate and his media entourage across Wisconsin over the past week.
The plane, outfitted in leather trim with first-class-style seating and a special room for Dean and his immediate staff, replaced two smaller British-made planes, one of which had been used by the rock band Pearl Jam.
The DC-9 was formerly owned by country singer Kenny Rogers and was instantly dubbed Gambler I after Rogers’ best-known song, “The Gambler.” Dean, whose campaign has gone from the days of a high-flying favorite to an also-ran, wasn’t too familiar with the song or its lyrics.
After hearing the most politically relevant phrase–“You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em”–Dean made it clear: “I’m holding them.”
–Rick Pearson
LOGGING IN THE AIR MILES
If presidential candidates could collect frequent flier miles from their chartered campaign planes, Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina likely would be at the head of the pack.
In the days leading up to Tuesday’s Wisconsin primary, as Edwards vowed to fight for every vote, he spent more time in the air than at campaign rallies.
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On Thursday, after finishing a speech in Racine, he flew to Los Angeles for a fundraiser and a campaign event. Overnight, he flew back to Wisconsin, for a morning stop at a Milwaukee union hall. Then, he flew back to California, for another fundraiser and to appear on “The Tonight Show.”
By Saturday afternoon, he had returned to Wisconsin for an afternoon rally in Madison. But on his way to Milwaukee, where he appeared with his rivals at a Democratic dinner, he took a detour through Chicago, where he held two fundraisers, one at Spoon in Old Town and another at a private home.
The grueling travel schedule underscores the cold reality of the nomination race. To pay for the television commercials in Wisconsin, for example, candidates often have to raise money in California.
–Jeff Zeleny