Graham seeking votes and dollars with songs and CD

The Bob Graham Charisma Tour 2004, dedicated to promoting the upstart White House bid of Florida's senior U.S. senator and occasional amateur a cappella performer, is due out within days.

A crowd of about 300 cheering Iowans fell to a momentary stunned silence Sunday when Graham informed them that he was about to sing.

Capping an otherwise-cerebral speech about the Iraq war, weapons of mass destruction and education, Graham told the audience that there was one final but critical reason they should consider voting for him: ``We've got a song.''

'You've -- got -- a friend in Bob Gra-ham -- that's what everybody's say-in-- . . . All across the good ol' USA.''

At first, from the crowd, awkward silence. Then a few claps. Then all-out laughter, hooting and hollering.

Undeterred and unfazed, the 66-year-old grandfather chanted on: ``From the Atlantic to the Pacific, we all say -- he's terrific. That's why -- America needs Bob Gra-ham -- to-day.''