Breaking News: Agriprocessors CEO Out
It's only been the illegal immigrants prosecuted by the feds so far, but it looks like there will be some punishment at Agriprocessors in Postville following that big raid. The owner's son is apparently out of his job (Sholom Rubashkin is the owner's son). Here's the release:
Agriprocessors Announces Leadership Change
POSTVILLE, IA (May 23, 2008) – Aaron Rubashkin, the owner of Agriprocessors, Inc., announced today that the company will hire a new chief executive officer.
“The best course of action for the company, its employees, the local community and our customers is to bring new leadership to Agriprocessors,” Rubashkin said. “The company has begun the search for a new permanent chief executive officer. We have engaged a team of industry experts to help us identify and secure a new leader who can help us meet the needs of Agriprocessors today and in the future. We will make more information on the search process available by the end of next week.” Agriprocessors has long been committed to its workers and the local community, and to providing innovative and quality products.
The company is conducting an independent investigation of the circumstances which led to the recent worksite enforcement action, and is fully cooperating with the government. The company can not respond to specific allegations due to pending legal issues.
No Time to Debate
Leonard Boswell is still apparently too busy to debate Ed Fallon before the Democratic primary in the 3rd Congressional District. A bunch of lefty groups are putting together
a forum next Wednesday. Fallon will be there. Boswell won't. An empty chair will take his place. Here's the latest press release to demonstrate the Congressman's busy-ness:
Congressman Boswell’s District Schedule
May 24 – May 28
Saturday, May 24 Des Moines Event
2:30 p.m. Boswell will speak at an event honoring former Congressman Neal Smith and dedicating the newly renamed Neal Smith Federal Building.
Neal Smith Federal Building
210 Walnut Street
Des Moines
Monday, May 28 Des Moines Event
7:15 a.m. Boswell will attend the S.O.S. (Stuff on a Shingle) authentic military breakfast, and appear on the Van and Bonnie Morning Show.
Camp Dodge
7105 NW 70th Ave.
Des Moines
9:00 a.m. Des Moines Event
Boswell will attend a World War I memorial service.
E 6th Street & University
Des Moines
10:00 a.m. Des Moines Event
Boswell will attend an event honoring veterans of the Korean & Vietnam Wars.
Korean & Vietnam War Memorials
State Capitol grounds
Des Moines
11:00 a.m. Des Moines Event
Boswell will attend a veterans’ memorial service.
Vets Auditorium, south Gaskell Room on the balcony level
833 5th Ave.
Des Moines
Tuesday May 27 Des Moines Event
2:00 p.m. Boswell will speak at the RaySociety event honoring World War II veterans.
Drake University
Harmon Fine Arts Center
25th & Carpenter
Des Moines
Wednesday May 28 Des Moines Event
10:00 a.m. Boswell will attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Corporate Headquarters Building.
Grand Ave. & 14th Street, SW corner
Des Moines
Fuel Fuming
"Soaring Toward Insanity". I wish I would have come up with it. It's the lead headline in the
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, talking about gas prices. Seriously. This is out of control. It seems like we're doing what we're supposed to. We're carpooling. We're combining trips. We're buying more fuel-efficient cars. This is a joke. How can prices keep going up like this? Will those hearings in Washington, D.C. actually accomplish something? What can we consumers do? Better yet, what can elected officials do?
My family had some really lean years (that's saying this euphemistically) during the recession in the late 70s. I remember how tough it was for my mom and dad putting food on the table, paying the heating bill, finding a car that would run, etc. I really don't honestly see how lower-income people can do it right now. Food prices are good up a bunch. Gas prices are ridiculous. I just don't see how they do it.
I did a story yesterday on the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority.
The Rideshare program seems like a no brainer. DART gives you a van, if you want to be the driver. You get free transportation and free gas, plus you get 200 personal miles a month. I interviewed a human relations guy from Principal yesterday. He figures he saves about 4 grand a year plus. And it only "costs" him about 15 minutes extra time in the a.m. picking up the other passengers. Seems like quite a deal. And his passengers pay monthly fee to DART. It works out to be roughly about a quarter as much as they'd spend if they drove themselves to work solo every day.
Two for the Price of 1
What do you make of this? Is this Hillary Clinton's graceful exit. I just received this from an "Iowa Democratic Heavyweight".
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 22, 2008
IOWA DEMOCRATIC HEAVYWEIGHT ENDORSES DREAM TICKET CAMPAIGN
Veteran Presidential Campaign Strategist Jerry Crawford
Calls for Unity Ticket, Praises VoteBoth.com
DES MOINES, IA--Veteran Democratic Party leader Jerry Crawford today endorsed a “dream ticket” with both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, saying it is time for the Party to unite regardless of who wins the nomination. “This election is more important than Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton,” Crawford said. “For the sake of our Party and our country, Barack and Hillary need to take a hard look at running together.”
“Right now, our Party is brother against brother, literally—my brother is for Barack and I support Hillary. Soon we are all going to have to do what VoteBoth is doing--take a deep breath and have a serious conversation about how Democrats win in November.”
Crawford, a Des Moines native, is widely renowned as one of the Party’s savviest strategists and fundraisers. He has chaired the Iowa campaigns of the previous five Democratic nominees: John Kerry, Al Gore, Bill Clinton (twice), and Michael Dukakis. Crawford initially backed Tom Vilsack’s unsuccessful White House bid and last year endorsed Clinton, who named him her Midwest Co-Chair.
Since Crawford chaired the Dukakis campaign’s Iowa bid in 1988, the Democratic nominee has won the Hawkeye State every four years except in 2004, when George W. Bush edged out John Kerry by a razor-thin 49.9%-49.23% margin. Iowa is a must-win state for Democrats in November.
Crawford joins the growing ranks of prominent Democrats supporting a unity ticket with both Obama and Clinton. Representatives David Scott (GA) and Stephanie Tubbs Jones (OH), both outspoken advocates for Obama and Clinton, respectively, argued Monday that a unity ticket was essential for victory in November. Other unity ticket backers include Governor Ed Rendell (PA), former Governor Mario M. Cuomo (NY), Senator Charles E. Schumer (NY), and DLC chairman and former Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. (TN).
Does Size Matter?
Go ahead. Insert your Viagra/Cialis joke here. Does size matter? I mean, when it comes to crowds. Barack Obama drew about 7,500 last night in downtown Des Moines for his first post-caucus visit. John McCain's return run brought in about 250. By my math, that means Obama brought 30 times as many peeps. What does it mean? Obama's people say it proves Obama has all the mojo. Senator Chuck Grassley, on behalf of McCain, told us polls matter more than rally size (I'll be curious what he says about polls later on in the campaign).
Majority Rules
It's 8:20pm. Barack Obama just sent out an email to supporters saying that he has now claimed enough delegates to give him the majority. Here's the email:
Dave --
The polls are closed in Kentucky and votes are being counted in Oregon, and it's clear that tonight we have reached a major milestone on this journey. We have won an absolute majority of all the delegates chosen by the people in this Democratic primary process.
From the beginning, this journey wasn't about me or the other candidates. It was about a simple choice -- will we continue down the same road with the same leadership that has failed us for so long, or will we take a different path?
Too many of us have been disappointed by politics and politicians more times than you can count. We've seen promises broken and good ideas drowned in a sea of influence, point-scoring, and petty bickering that has consumed Washington. Yet, in spite of all the doubt and disappointment -- or perhaps because of it -- people have stood for change.
Unfortunately, our opponents in the other party continue to embrace yesterday's policies and they will continue to employ yesterday's tactics -- they will try to change the subject, and they will play on fears and divisions to distract us from what matters to you and your future.
But those tactics will not work in this election.
They won't work because you won't let them. Not this time. Not this year.
We still have work to do to in the remaining states, where we will compete for every delegate available. But tonight, I want to thank you for everything you have done to take us this far -- farther than anyone predicted, expected, or even believed possible. And I want to remind you that you will make all the difference in the epic challenge ahead.
Thank you,
Barack Obama
He's on His Way
I'm told Barack Obama just landed at the Des Moines International Airport. Meantime, the Faculty Lounge, a local band here made up of area teachers, has been entertaining the crowd here in the East Village area of downtowno Des Moines. That crowd just keeps coming. The campaign expected 10-11,000. We'll see how the numbers come in. You know how the camps try to low ball their estimates. The line shows a lot of people still haven't made it inside.
It's actually getting a little chilly out here. Not cold. But chilly, now that the sun is going down. I doubt these packed in peeps will feel much of the chill though. I'm sitting way too close to Shane's Rib Shacks. That's not fair. I'm trying to watch the diet now that I'm less than two weeks away from running Dam to Dam. Damn barbecue.
Waiting for Obama
It's nearly 8pm here in downtown Des Moines. It's already been a long day. These waiting-for-the-Presidential-candidate events definitely aren't quick. The afternoon started with a little excitement, almost too much excitement. We have to drop off our equipment, so the secret service can check through it all before events like this one for Barack Obama tonight.
We were told we could pick up our equipment and get into our place on the media riser at 4:30. 4:30 came and went and so did many media's patience. Many of us needed to be in place for our 5pm live shots on the news. It was close. Producers back at the station kept calling wondering if we were going to make it. At about 4:45pm, the secret service started letting us come through the security line. We made it onto the media riser by 4:52pm. Crisis averted.
I'm hearing there may be 10-11,000 here tonight. It's a far cry from the 75,000 who came out to hear Obama in Portland, Oregon. But let's not forget those Oregonians don't get much of a chance to see these v.i.p.'s like we do in Iowa.
From where I'm sitting, I can see the line stretching on the ends of two different blocks. This place will be packed. I can't imagine many of these people will even get to see a glimpse of Obama. You would hope they can at least hear him.
The Obama folks say this won't be a victory speech here tonight. But I bet it will come close. I'm sure Obama won't dog on Hillary Clinton. Expect a little praise for her, no praise for John McCain and a lot of praise for Iowans. It all started here, remember. And I doubt Obama will let any of these people here tonight forget it.
Nor will he let people across the country forget. Make that people across the world. There are about 300 media members here, someone from the Obama campaign just told me. I've already seen Japan and German crews. I'm sure there are many more.
You wonder if Iowans are tired of this yet. Or maybe January to May was enough of a break. I guess we'll know once we see how many people come here.
Welcome Back, Barry
(Photo Courtesy: AFP)
I wonder what Hillary Clinton thought when she saw pictures like these from Oregon. 75,000 people (or so it's estimated) came to see hear Barack Obama in Portland. It doesn't look like Obama will officially have the nomination secured when he comes to downtown Des Moines Tuesday night. But he might be able to say by then he has a majority of delegates.
What kind of crowd will greet him in Des Moines? It's scheduled as an outdoor rally. Will it sound like a victory party?
ETC.
We got our butts kicked in softball again Sunday. We're 0-2 so far. Man, I felt old. We played a bunch of guys who clearly shouldn't have been playing in our league. High school/college age, mostly. Young punks.
Random Questions
Just a few questions to end the night...
What changed for John Edwards? Why is he now good with Barack Obama for President?
Does Hillary Clinton really think she can still win? Is she just campaigning to raise money to pay off her debt?
Will the unions hold a grudge against Governor Chet Culver for vetoing that collective bargaining bill? Does the Gov care? Or was he thinking ahead to the elections, both in 08 and his in 2010?
Who finally convinced Culver he was wrong to take that 9% pay raise at a time the news is full of layoffs, foreclosures and higher gas and food prices?
How painful will it be to see Jimmy Edmonds in a Cubs uniform when his new team returns to Busch Stadium in St. Louis July 4th?
Will it possibly hurt as much as seeing Jason Isringhausen's next appearance for the Cards? Ouch. It hurts already.
Catching Up
My whirlwind week is wrapping up. I'm glad I wasn't paying the gas for our cross-state commute to Waterloo. The detention site, camp, holding area...I don't know what the correct term would be is a bit surreal. It's the old National Cattle Congress grounds. They have dairy shows there. I think Cedar Falls High just held its prom there last weekend.
It almost doesn't look like our country. I'm not used to seeing prisoner camps like this. I've never seen so many federal agents in one place. Hundreds? The detainees, as you might guess, looked freaked out. At least many of them did. Some constantly shook their legs as they waited in the makeshift federal courtroom inside the Electric Park Ballroom. (A photographer at our station remembers making the drive there numerous times for dances back in the day). Other detainees showed no expression at all. It was hard to say what they were thinking or feeling. I wonder how many of them seriously thought this could happen.
Late Thursday afternoon, the U.S. Attorney's office in Cedar Rapids revised its detainee number. Not sure what happened. But it dropped from 390 to 389. I wonder how much this whole process cost? All the agents, the hotel rooms, the meals, the transportation, all the materials they brought to the cattle grounds...it has to be millions. All the detainees are gone now. But the feds rented the place through May 25th. Is there a second raid in the works? The U.S. Attorney's office did acknowledge there were 697 complaints of fraud, identity theft, etc. at the Agriprocessors Plant in Postville. Yet the feds only nabbed 390 people. Oh, yeah, make that 389. Have all the others fled the area. Fled the state? Fled the country?
What about the bosses in all of this? Swift management and owners seemed to escape unscathed. How will the Agriprocessors higher ups fare?...they had no idea any of this was going on? Even though there seems to be almost as many complaints about undocumented workers as there are total workers at the plant? This story doesn't seem to be over just yet.
Welcome to Waterloo
We just arrived in Waterloo. Quite a scene as we sit across the street from the National Cattle Congress. This place went up in 1912 to host a dairy convention. Apparently, Des Moines tried to swipe it. But local businessmen put up the money for prizes to keep the shows here. They've been here ever since from what I gather.
This place is crawling with federal agents. They are everywhere. Dozens, if not hundreds, are here. Emergency vehicles and SUV's are constantly coming and going inside of the one gate that I can see is open at this hour (it's about 11:30am, btw). Men in black keep a close eye. No sign of Wil Smith yet. It seems like almost every vehicle has darkened windows. Aren't those illegal?
Homeland Security Federal Protective Services Police cars have also been going in an out. I've never seen them before. But I think we've seen at least seven of them in the last five minutes. A couple of men in dark suits are now walking around. They look important. I'm wearing a dark suit. Maybe someone will think I'm important, too. No, probably not.
