CEDAR FALLS - As the Iowa caucuses near, the Howard Dean campaign used a couple of Hollywood heavyweights to rally voters during a visit to the University of Northern Iowa campus Wednesday.

Veteran actor Martin Sheen joined with Director Rob Reiner in stumping for Dean, the governor of Vermont and one of several Democratic presidential hopefuls. Sheen currently plays President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet in the hit television series "West Wing." Reiner has directed several acclaimed movies including "Stand by Me," "When Harry Met Sally," " A Few Good Men," "The American President" and "Ghosts of Mississippi."

Both believe Dean is the best candidate to go toe-to-toe with President Bush, saying Dean opposed the war in Iraq from the beginning.

Sheen reminded the crowd, gathered in UNI's Maucker Union, that Monday's caucuses fall on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

"Where would Martin Luther King Jr. stand on the issues today?" Sheen asked. "Some of us that lived through the '60s know he would be against the war in Iraq. He would be against poverty, and he would be against ignorance. He would remind us that one man with courage is a majority. We have one man like that from Vermont. That man is Howard Dean."

Reiner went on the attack.

"Bush said he was a uniter, not a divider. He lied," Reiner said. "He told us no child would be left behind. He lied. I'm sick and tired of being lied to by this administration."

He also touched on the Bush administration's policy of cutting taxes for the wealthy.

"Martin and I, we have money; we don't need a tax cut," Reiner told the crowd. "What we need is health insurance for every American, an education system that gives everyone a chance and jobs. Howard Dean is the only one that has separated himself from George Bush on all these issues."

Combined, the two spoke for only 15 minutes but hung around for more than a half hour shaking hands, signing Dean placards and chatting with fans and Dean supporters.

Sheen said he took the time to visit Iowa, because of the importance of the state's leadoff position in the primaries.

"Iowa has always been the primo primary in the country," he said. "It all starts here and for many candidates it starts and ends here. If you don't come out of Iowa leading the pack, you're going home real soon. That's the bottom line. Gov. Dean asked us to be here, and I'm delighted to do this for him."

Dan Quigley, a UNI junior from Toledo, said he is trying to become as informed as possible before making a decision on which candidate to support.

"I think they were really effective," Quigley said Sheen and Reiner's remarks. "They're very passionate in their support for Dean. I think a lot of people here understood that and not just because they're celebrities."

Quigley was able to squeeze through to get a handshake with Sheen.

"I'm a big 'West Wing' fan, so it's something I'll never forget," he said.

JoAnn Schmitt, a UNI junior from Farley, is also undecided on who she will vote for, but she attended the rally, coming away with a Martin Sheen autograph and several images of the actor on her digital camera card.

"I watch 'West Wing' every Wednesday," she said. "I've seen just about every show."

She did listen to their political message as well.

"I think their point of view on the war in Iraq is true," Schmitt said. "I agree with them."

Reiner played down the duo's celebrity status as a factor is swaying voters.

"Certainly, our opinion is no more important than anyone else's," he said. "Our job is to energize the Dean supporters. If we keep focused on that, I think we can play a role."