Culver Skips Breakfast Club

There's a group of influential business/philanthropic types who meet on Tuesday mornings at Biaggi's, a West Des Moines restaurant. If you want to know who attends, just think of the most well-known last names in the area. Chances are, they're in it. The group has about 65 to 70 regular members. Last Tuesday, the group invited Terry Branstad, a Republican candidate for governor. He spoke to the group. This past Tuesday, the group invited Governor Chet Culver. He didn't speak to the group. Two members told me he never showed up and the group had no idea he would be a no show.

This is the second time in four days Culver didn't come to a planned event. Saturday, he angered Jasper County Democrats by canceling a scheduled appearance at Uncle Nancy's Coffee Shop in Newton. The shop had agreed to stay open late for the governor's appearance. One of the organizers told me Culver's campaign didn't give a reason for the cancellation. The campaign later told me the governor attended several other events that day in eastern Iowa.

As I write this at 11am, the campaign has not given me a reason as to why Culver failed to show up for The Breakfast Club meeting Tuesday.