Culver on campaign

Chet Culver talked to us. It's just like when that cute girl, Dawn, talked to me in my 7th grade science class. O.K., it's not anywhere near that exciting. But I was surprised the governor didn't talk with reporters after a bill-signing Monday at the Iowa Statehouse. The news had already officially come out that his campaign manager, Abby Curran, was quitting. Curran made the fourth key manager who quit in recent months. (The Des Moines Register's Tom Beaumont catches us up with the names and dates). I first heard talk Curran was leaving a few weeks ago. I called her and asked whether it was true. She told me, no, she wasn't leaving.

Monday was so surprising because Culver almost always talks to us after a public appearance. In fact, I can't think of a single time he hasn't since he became governor. Maybe I'm forgetting some instance. But nothing comes to mind. Tuesday, he talked. Here is part of what he had to say to defend all the changes in his campaign. He said, “That happens. That happens in life...in campaigns. It happens in every professional office and we're moving on and we're excited and we're ready to win this race."

Culver continued, “I think (former Iowa governor) Tom Vilsack is a good model. He had three campaign managers. It all worked out perfectly."

Vilsack wasn’t the incumbent in that race as Culver is now. Vilsack was a little-known state senator from the small southeastern Iowa town of Mt. Pleasant, who had been down nearly 30 points in the polls before turning around his campaign and winning.

Last Friday, after MSNBC's First Read said Culver was the most endangered incumbent governor in the country, he responded with this..."I think Iowans love underdogs".



Tom Vilsack used the underdog theme in his failed presidential bid.

ETC...

Apparently, golfers like to endulge their sweet tooth after winning the Master's tournament. A viewer posted this on CNN catching Phil Mickelson in the drive-through at Krispy Kreme. Is this big news? No. But it is kind of funny that it looks like Mickelson is still wearing his green jacket!

And how 'bout my Cardinals? Albert Pujols is absolutely locked in. What a stud! I still have many questions about the right-handed relief in the bullpen though. I hope Ryan Franklin wasn't a one-year wonder as a closer. He has looked shaky. I really hope Motte and Boggs can offer some steady hands in the back-end of games. I would still like to see Kyle McClellan get a shot a starting. But it looks like he, again, may have to wait until next year.