Surprise Developments

Surprise, Surpise, Surprise... Hello, Gomer Pyle!



What's your biggest surprising development of the night?

Eastern Iowa Senate Candidate/former longtime tv anchor Liz Mathis' butt-kicking over Republican challenger/Cedar Rapids businesswoman Cindy Golding in the special election, 56-44%. Looks like former Lt. Governor Patty Judge's prediction on Channel 13's "Insiders" a few weeks ago about a "landslide" in the election was dead on.

Joe Paterno announcing his retirement after a legendary career as the head football coach at Penn State. What we don't know as I write this, is whether I should say he announced his "retirement". Joe Pa may have been about to get canned for failing to do more to get the authorities involved in that horrific case (allegedly) of his former defensive coordinator showering with and sexually molesting boys he was supposedly "mentoring". The entire story, if true, is revolting. If it's true the administration tried to cover this up and make sure it didn't go public and didn't go to authorities...well, I just don't see how those responsible have a soul. They're children for crying out loud. Sickening. And sad.

Iowa Governor Terry Branstad just tanked his plans to push for raising the state's gas tax. The Gov put together a Iowa Department of Transportation commission to look at the matter and yesterday that group recommended adding a dime to the gas tax. But the gov has now backed off after Iowa Tea Party Chairman Ryan Rhodes asked him to pull back for a year to give leaders time to find some other solution to pay for the improvements the state's roads and bridges need so badly.

The Hermanator...Herman Cain/his campaign denied the story, blamed the media, blamed Democrats, blamed Rick Perry's and blamed the son of one of the accusers (this latest claim the accuser's son works at Politico, the organization that broke details of the first 2 sexual harassment allegations, proved to be untrue.) I believe the list of women is now 5, who claim Cain harassed them in one form or the other. This doesn't count Iowa conservative talker, Steve Deace, who said he witnessed Cain's inappropriate behavior in front of two of Deace's female co-workers. Cain has now all but challenged the media to find proof he attacked/groped/assaulted/whatever the right term would be one of his accusers, Sharon Bialek, of Chicago. Cain maintains not did he not do what the woman claims (she also said they went to dinner, he upgraded her hotel room and he tried to reach under her skirt and grab her in the car and force her head into his lap after she asked for help in getting her job back at the National Restaurant Association.) There is now another report that Bialek and Cain saw each other far more recently than 14 years ago.

Then, there's our snowfall last night. Some parts received nearly 7 inches. It was November 8th. Way too early.

My pick...

I thought the senate race was supposed to be more competitive. I figured Paterno might have to go. I didn't think the gov would punt on the gas tax so soon. I definitely didn't expect so much snow. But my vote for biggest surprise is the Cain story. If Cain didn't do any of these things, he is really getting screwed every which way by quite a cadre of conspirators. The national media sense blood in the water on this. And his challenge for reporters to find proof will only embolden them to try to do it. Just ask Gary Hart.