The American Spectator

p> IOWA SURPRISE br> If Sen. John Kerry fails in his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, he always has a future in Hollywood, to judge by his performance over the weekend in Iowa. In that time Kerry belittled President Bush for his landing on an aircraft carrier while himself spending time flying about Iowa in a helicopter, taking control on occasion in front of reporters along for the ride and then feigning ignorance when asked if he wasn’t doing exactly what Bush had been doing. /p>

Then there is the mysterious case of his old Vietnam buddy Jim Rassmann, who flew into Iowa on Friday to greet Kerry warmly. Rassmann, you’ll recall, was in Vietnam with Kerry and was rescued by the future Massachusetts senator after coming under heavy enemy gunfire. The men had not seen each other since that fateful day.

Rassmann told reporters in Iowa that he had contacted the Kerry campaign days before and said he was looking to speak to his rescuer. The campaign, knowing a good story when it saw it, flew the vet back to Iowa. When Kerry saw Rassmann during a rally, he approached his old chum, who was conveniently standing with a group of cameramen and reporters. Kerry claimed utter surprise at seeing Rassmann standing there, and the men warmly embraced. Yet Kerry had been tipped off to Rassmann’s presence and arrival in Iowa a day before if not two days.

“It was a wonderful moving moment,” says a Kerry volunteer. “We were briefed on it before the event, and told to steer cameras to a certain area. Reporters knew about it in advance, and so did Senator Kerry. We don’t leave anything like this to chance.”

Yet throughout the day, as the two men campaigned together, Kerry continued to act as if he’d known nothing about the planned reunion.

p> FRIENDLY PERSUASION br> Former Vermont Gov. Howie Dean traveled to Georgia on Sunday thinking he was getting an endorsement from