DEAN TRIES TO ATTRACT YOUNGER VOTERS AT UW

MADISON (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean tried to
attract younger voters Sunday with a rally and speech on the University of
Wisconsin-Madison campus.

The former Vermont governor told a mostly college-aged crowd, which
organizers estimated at 5,000, that the 2004 election would be about a
transfer of power to their generation.

"You are not the foot soldiers of our campaign, you are the drivers of our
campaign," he said.

Dean, one of 10 Democrats vying for the presidential nomination, is the
primary's leading fund-raiser. An arm of his campaign called Generation
Dean has enrolled college and high school students and young professionals
in 650 chapters across the nation.

Dean spent most of his speech attacking President Bush, saying he
mishandled the economy, gave tax cuts to the rich and lied about the threat
posed by Iraq.

Dean also took swipes at his Democratic primary opponents. He criticized
those candidates who serve in Congress for voting for the resolution that
allowed Bush to use force in Iraq and for not expanding health care to more
Americans.

People at the rally outside of the university's Kohl Center hoisted Dean
campaign signs and listened to a rock band.

At one point, Dean tore off a microphone taped to the podium and held it
closer to his mouth because people in the crowd could not hear him.

He also diverged from his speech when someone in the crowd interrupted him
with a question about his position on medical marijuana. He said, if
elected president, he would have the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
study the issue for a year and would follow its recommendation.

"He came out here right away and paid attention to us," said 18-year-old
Brian Stepp, a UW-Madison student. "It seemed like the other candidates
were very slow in getting organized."

About a dozen Bush supporters also attended the speech and held Bush/Cheney
signs.

Earlier in the day, a handful of Democratic candidate John Kerry supporters
gathered near the Capitol building at a closed diner, which is serving as
Kerry's campaign headquarters in Wisconsin.

Campaign volunteers decorated the windows with Kerry campaign signs and a
hand-drawn poster that read, "Howard's House of Waffles."

Inside, volunteers served toaster waffles as a way to point out what they
call, "Dean's waffling on the issues."

George Twigg, Kerry's Wisconsin campaign director, said Dean has changed
his stance on raising the social security age, Medicare and free trade.

"It's a humorous way to highlight Howard Dean's waffling on the issues,"
Twigg said. "John Kerry has been consistent on these issues."

Members of Dean's campaign gathered nonperishable items at the rally for
the 470 Tyson workers who went on strike in February to protest the
Arkansas-based company's contract offer.

Dean has declined to comment on the dispute at the Jefferson plant but said
he supported the United Food and Commercial Workers union.

Dean's seven-city "Raise the Roots," tour started Friday at Howard
University in Washington and will end Monday at the University of New
Hampshire.