I like Ashton kutcher alot now...
http://www.dailyiowan.com/media/sto...e200609291210&sourcedomain=www.dailyiowan.com
A fresh group of celebrity stumpers hit the UI campus Tuesday to promote Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry, with actor Ashton Kutcher regaling the crowd with tales of his middle-class family's financial troubles.
Actor Ron Livingston, Kutcher, and musician Max Weinberg joined Kerry's stepsons, Chris and Andre Heinz, in a rally to encourage an estimated 1,500 people to vote for the Massachusetts Democrat.
The new Hollywood crop were more vocal about the issues than previous stars who have campaigned for the candidate on campus, with Kutcher spotlighting the reasons to vote for Kerry.
"I'm here to encourage you to vote for a guy who is going to lower your taxes and raise mine," Kutcher told the audience, which was sprinkled with trucker caps and Kerry-Edwards pins. "I am willing to give up my taxes so some parents can feed their kids and send their kids to college."
He highlighted his middle-class experiences dealing with food stamps and government-subsidized school lunch, with each family story followed by heartfelt "aw"s from the female attendees.
"I was the kid who was made fun of in the lunch line because his lunch ticket was a different color," Kutcher said.
The Cedar Rapids native also evoked emotional responses when he spoke of his sister, a single mother who lost her teaching job last year because of educational cutbacks.
"When George Bush said he was going to leave no child behind, I guess he forgot about my niece," Kutcher said.
He attacked Bush's actions at home and abroad, accusing the president of making "false promises" and a "mess out of Iraq." The crowd followed every damning statement with a loud, "True dat!"
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I voted for George Bush in 2000, but I got punk'd," Kutcher said. "I voted because I thought he was like me, a good ol' boy. There's one fundamental difference between us - I know how to admit when I'm wrong."
Kutcher said his celebrity status should not sway people to vote for Kerry. They should vote for Kerry, he said, because he had a chance to sit down with the Massachusetts senator and his running mate, Sen. John Edwards, to talk about the issues important to his family.
UI political-science Associate Professor Timothy Hagle said whether celebrity stumping attracts new votes is unclear, but it helps to have endorsers who know the issues.
Livingston, known for his roles in "Sex and the City" and Office Space, said Hollywood endorsements "attract attention" and are "one of the ways we can help out."
Early Tuesday, the University Democrats hosted a small forum at the Cottage Bakery with Livingston and approximately 30 students chatting about the election's major issues.
"I think John Kerry understands that to have a solid economy, we need a strong middle class," Livingston said. "America is not served by having a few wealthy individuals and millions of poor people who serve them coffee."
He touted the tax credits Kerry has proposed for college tuition and the candidate's stance on closing the loopholes to prevent outsourcing for cheaper labor.
The other speakers at the evening event mostly worked to enthuse the audience to vote and bring a friend to the polls.
Weinberg, the band leader on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and drummer for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, ended the night by playing such covers as "Johnny B. Goode" with rock band Atomic Bride.
I might be nonplussed if HE hit the late-night circuit preaching the 2nd Amendment! 
