Dean says he backs Indian sovereignty

ALBUQUERQUE -- Democratic front-runner Howard B. Dean said yesterday that he supports tribal sovereignty for American Indians as he followed several of his rivals in appealing to a key political constituency. Indian tribes gave at least $7 million in political donations in the 2002 election cycle. Several of the presidential candidates traveled to Albuquerque for the weeklong 60th annual conference of the National Congress of American Indians. Dean told the group that too many Native American communities are falling behind, and faulted the Bush administration for not following through on promised services. (AP)

New Hampshire

Clark makes room for debate in Dec.

CONCORD -- Wesley K. Clark has rescheduled a fund-raiser to participate in a Democratic presidential debate in New Hampshire next month. Clark said last week that he could not change his schedule and would attend the fund-raiser in New York, where he is expected to raise $1.5 million. But the fund-raiser has been switched to Dec. 10, the day after the debate in Manchester, N.H. Clark's earlier decision to skip the debate drew criticism from his rivals. (AP)

Washington, D.C.

Commission clears Rich on donations

Election officials have dismissed a complaint accusing Democratic fund-raiser Denise Rich of donating campaign money and furniture to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in exchange for President Clinton's pardon of Rich's former husband. The Federal Election Commission made the decision last month and disclosed it yesterday. The government watchdog group Judicial Watch accused Denise Rich of making excessive donations to Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2000 campaign, totaling at least $70,000, and of giving her furniture worth $7,375 in return for the president's pardon. (AP)

Third top official leaves Kerry staff

A spokeswoman for John F. Kerry has decided to leave the campaign due to personal reasons, a Kerry adviser said yesterday. Kelley Benander is the third top official to quit since Kerry fired campaign manager Jim Jordan nine days ago. All three departing officials were close to Jordan; the two others left last week to protest Jordan's firing, but Benander said at the time that she had no plans to resign and that she was "not wallowing" in Jordan's departure. She was facing new bosses, however -- campaign manager Mary Beth Cahill and senior adviser Stephanie Cutter. The Kerry adviser said Benander plans to move to San Francisco and "take a break from the business." (Globe staff)