[CBRVFR]

DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX MON NOV 24, 2003 11:02:52 ET XXXXX

HIGH-LEVEL KERRY STAFFERS OVERHEARD PLOTTING IN IOWA HOTEL BAR: SENATOR TO RIDE MORE MOTORCYCLES, CULTIVATE 'PROTESTER' CREDENTIALS; DEAN CASH 'COMING FROM REPUBLICANS'

On the eve of a Tom-Brokaw moderated Democratic Presidential Debate, Senior Kerry advisers recklessly strategized over refreshments at the Hotel Fort Des Moines -- believing they were out of earshot to anyone who would care!

The campaign advisers spoke frankly at the hotel's bar on Sunday night about the state of the White House race and their frustrations of living in the shadow of Howard Dean.

All of Dean's money is coming from Republicans, one member of Kerry's kitchen cabinet told the group. Another adviser asked if that had been researched. No one had an answer.

The staff said Kerry should -- and will -- use a motorcycle for campaigning more often.

The advisers discussed how Kerry should stop trying to defend his Iraq vote and develop how Kerry's the real anti-war protester, not Dean.

The staffers talked about doing an ad where they would contrast Kerry's anti-war activism with Dean as a draft-dodging ski bum. The ad would feature vault clips of Kerry speaking at anti-war rallies and testifying on Capitol Hill vs. Dean statements on how he could have served in the military, but decided not to.

The Kerry staffers talked about the possibility of doing a documentary on the campaign, like the one Spike Jonze did with Gore. One frustrated operative said it would help with Kerry's "aloof" image problem.

The advisers carelessly talked about how thick Kerry's accent used to be. Kerry did the thick accent when cameras were around to sound like JFK, laughed one senior staffer.