Tom T.

"God Bless the U.S.A." is bringing in Congress Tom Tancredo. Former Congressional Candidate Bill Salier just introduced him...

Tancredo's started talking, but a lot of people in the audience are, too. Perhaps, it's just the commotion of Romney's people moving around. (Supporters get to stand in the "mosh pit" in front of their candidate while he's speaking. They then move out when their candidate finishes, so the next group can move in."

Here are some of his words:

Tancredo lamented how people complain about people who think like he does about evicting illegal immigrants. "They call us xenophobes, racists."

Man, he talks fast.

"Political correctness can cost us our lives."

"The only rule of engagement I will have in the Tancredo administration will be, we win. You lose."

He just supported the Fair Tax.

"We will deport people who are here illegally, because it's the law." (his biggest ovation so far)

Favorite movie he said: Saving Private Ryan.

First Ronald Reagan story. I don't remember Romney saying one, although he often does.

Cue Lee Greenwood....

Too hot for a suit?

The eight republicans have just taken the stage. It's that group photo we've been waiting to see. Romney and Brownback skipped the suit. Romney went with a black pullover, short-sleeved shift. Brownback chose a red, plaid, button down. Tancredo went halfway. He's wearing a sportscoat, but he skipped the tie. O.K., enough fashion talk.

Romney's taken the stage. His supporters have really filled the room. He, by far, had the loudest and largest ovation when he was announced.

Here are some highlights:

"Strengthen our military and strengthen our families."

"100,000 new military members."

Romney said everyone's been criticizing the President. But he said the Prez "has kept us safe these last six years." (big ovation)

Romney ripped on Clinton, Edwards and Obama for wanting to raise taxes. He went a step further on Edwards. He says Edwards wants to match up to 250 dollars for savings accounts fro the working poor. But Romney says those kinds of numbers "won't even buy (Edwards) a haircut". (big laughter and ovation) BTW, in case you care, I think Edwards' figure is actually $500, not $250, but who's counting?

Romney's voice is getting hoarse. I didn't notice that last night when we talked to him during his rally on Main Street in Ames.

"A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action" by Toby Keith blared as he left the stage.

Are you from Iowa?

The sizzlin' Iowa Republican Straw Poll is underway here in Ames. No, that's not an editorial. It's all about the weather, baby. I think the temp has gone up 10 degrees since I got here around 7am.

I don't know how this will affect the voting tonight, but Ron Paul's people are everywhere. Although, I still haven't met anyone here who's actually from Iowa. I'm sure they're here somewhere. I just haven't met them. Of course, only Iowans can vote.

"I want to welcome you to Iowa's edition of America Idol". Those were the words of Laura Ingraham, the Master of Ceremonies. Remember how much flak Jim Nussle got when he said something similar on WHO-TV one morning a few months back?

It's Still Hot at the Fair

Sam Brownback stopped by our booth here at the Iowa State Fair. He spoke about 15 minutes on our stage. About 20 people or so stopped to hear what he had to say. I couldn't believe he talked so long. It's miserably hot out here.

The Senator is just back on the trail. He took Tuesday off to celebrate his 25th wedding anniversary. He seemed a little extra happy about it. He said it's about impossible to surprise his wife. Apparently, this year he did. Convertibles are nice.

Sweatin' with the Kernels

It's day one of the "Cast Your Kernel" corn poll here at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines. It's "only" about 90 degrees. It feels like about 190!

Duncan Hunter was our first v.i.p. guest here. He showed up in a suit. Yes, a suit. My obvious question to him...why a suit? He said he needs to get people to pay attention to him as he walked around. Wearing a suit, he said, would do that. The medics may need to pay attention, as well.

Hunter brought a handful of family members with him...his brother, sister-in-law and two nephews. His son, Sam, also came along. I'm pretty sure both Sam and his dad wore the same clothes yesterday.

I asked Hunter what food he most wanted to eat while he was here. "Corn." That's all he said.

2008 Caucuses in 2007?

O.K. this is crazy. There's a report out that the 2008 Iowa Caucuses could take place December 17th of 2007...are you kidding?! Blame South Carolina. And Florida. And New Hampshire.

Surely, this won't happen (and don't call me, Shirley). Surely, they can't hold the Caucuses in 2007, can they? Is all this moving around stuff going to mean the end of the Iowa Caucuses the way we know them? Will this mean we'll see regional primaries in 2012. Or 2011.

I was watching the 10pm news tonight. Mitt Romney ran an ad. Then Bill Richardson aired one. Then Barack Obama. Then Ron Paul. Then, if that wasn't enough, the Club for Growth ran an anti-Mike Huckabee ad. That doesn't even count the Duncan Hunter ad that aired earlier. It's August 8th. Wow. Our sales people must be smiling.

The Link to Victory?

From Vilsack to Victory? Jeff Link's now helping out with the Edwards campaign. He's undoubtedly hoping for a longer run than he got with Tom Vilsack's short-lived candidacy. Here's the release from the Edwards campaign:

JEFF LINK ENDORSES EDWARDS, JOINS CAMPAIGN TO CHANGE AMERICA

Veteran Strategist Has Proven Record of Success in Iowa

Des Moines, Iowa – The John Edwards for President Campaign announced today the addition of Jeff Link as an adviser on message and strategy. Link, a Burlington native, is widely respected as one of the top Democratic operatives in Iowa.

“I’m honored to have Jeff Link joining our campaign,” Senator Edwards said. “He shares my view that we need real change in this country, and that change begins in Iowa. His skills and experience will help us to engage Iowans in an important cause: ending the war in Iraq, guaranteeing health care to all, and expanding opportunities for every American.”

“Not only does John Edwards have the boldest agenda of change and taking on special interests, but he is the strongest candidate to carry our party to victory next November,” Link said. “He is the only candidate who has won in a solidly red state and in poll after poll he is the best Democratic candidate against whomever the Republicans nominate. I’m honored to be a part of his team.”

Jeff Link has nearly two decades of Iowa political experience and is widely respected as one of the state’s top political strategists. Link's work in campaigns has dovetailed with his experience in government. After successfully managing Sen. Tom Harkin's 1996 reelection campaign, Link served in Washington, D.C. as Sen. Harkin's Chief of Staff from 1997 until 1999. In 1999 Link returned to Iowa to obtain his law degree from Drake University.

During law school, Link founded LinkStrategies, ran the Gore-Lieberman 2000 campaign in Iowa and began managing Senator Harkin's 2002 reelection campaign. Senator Harkin was reelected to his fourth term in November 2002 and Link's work in the campaign was recognized by the American Association of Political Consultants with a Pollie Award for combining technology with grassroots organizing. Most recently, Link served as Senior Communications Strategist for former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack’s presidential campaign.

BBQ Battle

As if the Brownback/Romney battle isn't heating up enough on its own, now this...a battle over BBQ. Brownback will have Famous Dave's cater his straw poll tent in Ames next month.

Romney is using Hickory Park. Bring your wet wipes.

We are the Champions!

For the last few years we've been playing a just-for-fun softball tournament with co-workers from my station at WHO-TV against KCCI and WOI. This morning, we resumed our tradition. What a beautiful day, too. Sunny...temps in the high 70s or so.

First up....KCCI. We won 20-16. I don't want to say it was bad pitching and bad fielding. We'll just say it was a lot of good hitting.

And in the championship...WOI. Yep, we won that, too, 14-10. (I won't go into detail about how my legs are already sore, how I have a blister on my right hand and how I scraped up the palm of my right hand and right forearm. It'll make me feel too old).

But who cares? We won! As one of our sports guy, Shawn Terrell, put it best...We are "Central Iowa's Softball Leader." We'll work on a better slogan...maybe next year.

Wrapping Up

Obama finished by bringing the crowd to its feet (I think the third time he did it during his speech before several hundred AFSCME members here at the Holiday Inn in Des Moines).

He stuck around nearly a half hour shaking hands and posing for pictures. He's headed home. So am I.

He's Taken The Mic

Obama just started, about five minutes early. That hasn't happened much lately. I don't mean with him. I mean with most any candidate it seems.

Here are some of his words...

"Who is going to stand up for me?" (He was talking about union members)

Obama talked about sanitation workers in the South who earned little money and little respect in the 1960s. These are the people he says who have worked to lay the foundation for jobs that these union workers now enjoy.

"You believe in organization without intimidation."

The guy in the Oval House doesn't care about workers (I missed a word, I think, but this is almost his direct quote)

“You fight for the right to organize, but the business lobby fights back by getting their friends in Congress and the White house to block card check, and stack the labor relations board with their friends and allies. Well it’s not the Department of Management, it’s the Department of Labor, and it’s time we won that fight too.”

Obama says the White House is the most anti-union administration in generations.

He said the only way a person can make changes that will help union workers is for the country to elect a person who can bring people together. He said he is the person who can do that.

"I will sign a universal health care plan by the end of my administration." (Can he still do that if voters give him a Republican Congress? We'll have to hold onto this quote for later.)

Obama reminds the room that he spoke out against the War in Iraq before it started. He's been doing this at most every recent stop I can remember. Just a subtle reminder, without actually saying the words, that Edwards and Clinton voted for the war.

He's Early...

Barack Obama was scheduled to speak here tonight at the AFSCME convention in Des Moines at 7pm. I think he got here at 6 and he was ready to go. The room wasn't yet.

I just ran into Dick Myers, the former State Rep. from Iowa City. He's supporting Obama. Why, I asked.

"He challenged the status quo."

"I like his sense of community" (Myers read his books)

"If we try to win elections by putting the fellows down, we're gonna lose." Myers said Obama doesn't do that and won't do that."

Don't Sing With Your Mouth Full

I think the country band here at the AFSCME convention in Des Moines is called Crossfire. The lead singer just asked the audience to sing. Too bad the audience is eating right now. This might get messy.

Hillary Clinton just took the stage to the sounds of Celine Dion (Americans really voted for that song?). Crossfire must not have known any Celine. Celine came from a recording.

Some of her words tonight...

"Let's end this outsourcing of America." Clinton said she wants to cut 500,000 federally-contracted employees.

"The government is not against you. Your government understands the important role you (unions) pay in society."

"I think we need more middle class tax cuts."

I just spotted a few more leaders...Ako Abdul Samaad, the DSM State Rep., Bruce Hunter, who's also a DSM State Rep. Dan Albritton is also here. He's the former CIETC consultant who was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of trying to cover up the pay scandal there.

O.K., back to the Clinton comments...

"Women are good at cleaning."

I think there are actually birds flying over our heads inside the hotel here. Those are actually my words, not hers.

Clinton just finished.

Hello, Brothers and Sisters, Part II

No, that's not ice cream. It's butter! Butter? It's on each table here at the AFSCME convention at the Holiday Inn near the DSM Airport. Who needs that much butter?

It's a noticeably different feel here tonight for Hillary Clinton than it was around lunchtime when Bill Richardson took the stage. No box lunches for dinner. Tonight there's a nice spread of pork chops, potatoes, beans, salad, carrot cake and who knows what else...

Security's much different, too. I don't remember any security for Richardson. But there's the usual entourage of maybe a dozen or so secret service, police, etc. for Clinton.

Des Moines Senator Dick Deardon and Des Moines Representative Janet Peterson are among the crowd. So is Secretary of State Michael Mauro.

And, man, is it hot in here. I hope it doesn't melt the butter.

Hello, Brothers and Sisters

I'm sitting inside the Holiday Inn just across from the DSM Airport. Bill Richardson just took the podium before about 150 AFSCME members from Iowa. Why is this appearance important for him? Perhaps, his own words explain... Richardson said, "An AFSCME endorsement is, perhaps, the ultimate prize."

Other candidates must agree this is a pretty big weekend. John Edwards spoke yesterday. Hillary Clinton's flying in tonight just for this event. Chris Dodd stops by tomorrow evening, so will Barack Obama, who is also flying in just for this.

A few more words from Richardson...

"I don't have their rock star status, but I'm working on it?"

"Have you seen my ads? Do you like 'em?"

"There are no free riders in my state." He was talking about legislators' attempts in Iowa to pass what they called "Fair Share", so that non-union employees don't get free services from the unions. New Mexico has this. Here in Iowa, despite a democratic governor, a democrat-controlled house and democratic-controlled senate, it went no where last session.

"I know last time the (AFSCME) endorsement went a little off-key." ("off-key"...get it? AFSCME endorsed Howard Dean last time around)

Did He Lie to Me?

I was about to head to the gym this morning, when someone called me about a story in the L.A. Times. Here's a recap... Tom Vilsack ran for President. Vilsack went into debt. He dropped out. Vilsack endorsed Hillary Clinton. That same day, the Clinton campaign said it would help Vilsack pay off his bills. Two days later, Vilsack told me that wasn't the case. (You can watch the story here)



He would pay back his own bills, he said. About four months later, the L.A. Times figured out Clinton backers have also been giving money to Vilsack's now-defunct, but still-in-debt campaign. Hmmm...

It reminds me of a day in 2004. John Kerry won the caucuses in January. Christie Vilsack had endorsed him. Her husband hadn't. After the caucuses, I was in the Governor's office with several other reporters. We asked Vilsack if he would endorse Kerry. He told me "no". The next day, the Des Moines Register reported Vilsack would endorse Kerry. I later found out that Vilsack already knew at the time he was endorsing. He said his staff said it would be o.k. to release his decision to the newspaper. I wonder why he just didn't tell that to me and the other reporters standing with me? I wonder why he told me he'd pay off his own bills? I wonder...

Another One Bites the Dust

Jim Gilmore has just dropped out of the republican race for Prez. The news for many of you in this may be that this means Jim Gilmore had actually been running for President in the first place.

Here's what he sent out to his supporters, or his family, whichever the case may be...


Dear Friend:


I am today withdrawing my candidacy for the Republican nomination for President. It has been a positive and rewarding experience for me, for my family, and for my supporters.


It has become apparent to me that the combination of my late start, and the front loaded nature of the primary schedule, have made it impractical to continue to pursue this path towards further public service.



I am proud of the fact that my campaign focused on the issues, worked hard to block amnesty for illegal immigrants, brought attention to the need to protect private property rights, and called for a new path in Iraq that would provide our valiant military men and women with a more clearly defined and achievable mission.



However, I have come to believe that it takes more than a positive vision for our nation's future to successfully compete for the Presidency. I believe that it takes years of preparation to put in place both the political and financial infrastructure to contest what now amounts to a one-day national primary in February.



In the coming weeks and months, I intend to remain active in the Republican Party and in the public debate. I will be forming a state political action committee to assist Republican candidates in the General Assembly. Additionally, I will be actively looking for other opportunities to continue in public service in the Commonwealth of Virginia.


Thank you for your interest and support of my candidacy. I look forward to finding opportunities to continue working with you in the future so that together we can make America an even better place to live, work and raise a family.


Sincerely,

James S. Gilmore

Ohhh, the haircut

John Edwards usually seems to bring up that infamous $400 haircut during the Iowa stops I've covered these last few months. But tonight in Ft. Dodge is the first time I remember someone in the crowd bringing it up...and it wasn't all that pretty.

A woman first asked him if he would consider living on the "food stamp diet' a few members of Congress are trying. He told her he hadn't heard about it, but if he could make it work on the Presidential campaign trail, he would think about it. Then she brought up the haircut. She told him her family lives for weeks on what he paid for that one haircut. The comment brought a collective "ohhhh" from the crowd and silence for a bit from Edwards.

Waiting for J.E.

Tomorrow Begins Today...that's printed on the big banner hanging across the Ft. Dodge Public Library tonight. We're hoping this event begins tonight and not tomorrow. John Edwards is already nearly 30 minutes late flying into town. We already have a bit of what he'll say tonight.

Here's part of the release that'll come out...

EDWARDS CALLS FOR INVESTMENT IN RURAL AMERICA Also Highlights Plan for Universal Health Care During Town Hall in Fort DodgeFort Dodge, Iowa – During a town hall meeting in Fort Dodge today, Senator John Edwards called for a major new federal effort to reinvest in rural America and highlighted his plan to guarantee health care to all Americans. “I grew up in a rural community, and I saw what happened to people just like my dad when the mill closed down,” Edwards said. “For too long, the needs of rural Americans and their communities have been neglected in Washington – and the result has been a steady exodus of jobs and opportunity. As president, I’ll make it a major priority to bring those jobs back through investments in renewable energy and main street small businesses.”Edwards' Rural Recovery Plan would:

Restore economic fairness to rural America by helping small businesses thrive and grow. Edwards will create the Rural Economic Advancement Challenge (REACH) Fund to bring capital and management expertise to small town America.

Create a new energy economy in rural America by establishing the New Energy Economy Fund to jumpstart renewable energies. Edwards will create new markets for ethanol, invest in renewable energy research, support locally owned biorefineries and require 25 percent of electricity to be generated from renewable sources by 2025.

Strengthen rural schools by improving pay for teachers in rural and other hard-to-staff schools to help attract quality new and experienced teachers, and by creating digital learning opportunities.

Improve health care in rural America by rewriting the unfair Medicare and Medicaid funding formulas that punish rural states and communities, and supporting investments in telemedicine. Additionally, Edwards' plan for universal health care will cover the 9 million rural Americans that lack insurance and establish a nationwide network of safety net clinics and public hospitals.

Rid rural America of methamphetamines by investing in the enforcement of drug laws in rural areas, help states make meth ingredients more difficult to get and expand programs that successfully treat addicts.

Edwards also highlighted his plan to guarantee quality, affordable health care for every American – the only specific plan offered by any candidate in either party for truly universal health coverage. His plan is based on the principle of shared responsibility: businesses, families, and governments must each do their part to achieve universal health coverage and a better health care system for all of us. The Edwards Plan achieves universal coverage by:
Requiring businesses and other employers to either cover their employees or help finance their health insurance.

Making insurance affordable by creating new tax credits, expanding Medicaid and SCHIP, reforming insurance laws, and taking innovative steps to contain health care costs.

Creating regional "Health Care Markets" to let every American share the bargaining power to purchase an affordable, high-quality health plan, increase choices among insurance plans – including the option of a public plan - and cut costs for businesses offering insurance.

Once these steps have been taken, requiring all American residents to get insurance.

Can You Answer the Question?

I need a little help.


I'm looking for some republicans, democrats and independents. Here's why: We asked the presidential candidates (19 in all, I believe) some questions I think are pretty important. But did they actually answer them? That's where I need your help. We're going to bring in some folks to look over the candidates' answers to see two things...1. Do the answers make sense? 2. Did the candidates actually answer the question?


Wanna help? Check this out

The 10am Showdown...or so

Hillary Clinton...Barack Obama...same time, same city...our first showdown (yeah, I know we still have six months til the Caucuses)

10am--the showdown begins. Or not. 10:15 for Clinton, I'm told. 10:13 for Obama. That's where I am this morning. Clinton is releasing her plan on how to end the war. (I'll copy it below)

Obama seems to be a little extra fired up here at Des Moines Area Community College (we're just a few blocks away from the Clinton event downtown). Is he trying to compete with Clinton? Is it because it's 1000 degrees inside this garage? Or is he just "on" today?

Obama received the longest ovation that I remember recently here on the campaign trail. (Bill and Hillary Clinton received a big one, too, last week at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines.)

He told the crowd of about 500 there are no "do-over's" when it comes to issues like Iraq (take that, Hillary). He repeated his phrase that the war should have never been authorized (take that, too). Big applause. (I'll copy some of his remarks and post them under Clinton's comments).

We get a little 1 on 1 time with him afterwards. More on that later. The campaign's been giving us more access to him lately. Not the case with HRC.

Here are the releases from Obama and Clinton campaigns about this morning...


Hillary Clinton’s Plan to End the War in Iraq as President

Today in Iowa, Hillary Clinton announced her plan to end the war in Iraq and urged President Bush to act immediately.

“Our message to the President is clear. It is time to begin ending this war – not next year, not next month – but today.“We have heard for years now that as the Iraqis stand up, our troops will stand down. Every year, we hear about how next year they may start coming home. Now we are hearing a new version of that yet again from the President as he has more troops in Iraq than ever and the Iraqi government is more fractured and ineffective than ever.“Well, the right strategy before the surge and post-escalation is the same: start bringing home America’s troops now.”

If President Bush does not end the war, when Hillary Clinton is President, she will. Her three-step plan would bring our troops home, work to bring stability to the region, and replace military force with a new diplomatic initiative to engage countries around the world in securing Iraq’s future. Hillary has been fighting every day in the Senate to force the President to change course. And today she described how she would bring the war to an end.

Starting Phased Redeployment within Hillary’s First Days in Office: The most important part of Hillary’s plan is the first: to end our military engagement in Iraq’s civil war and immediately start bringing our troops home. As President, one of Hillary’s first official actions would be to convene the Joint Chiefs of Staff, her Secretary of Defense, and her National Security Council. She would direct them to draw up a clear, viable plan to bring our troops home starting with the first 60 days of her Administration. She would also direct the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to prepare a comprehensive plan to provide the highest quality health care and benefits to every service member – including every member of the National Guard and Reserves – and their families.

Securing Stability in Iraq as we Bring our Troops Home. As President, Hillary would focus American aid efforts during our redeployment on stabilizing Iraq, not propping up the Iraqi government. She would direct aid to the entities – whether governmental or non-governmental – most likely to get it into the hands of the Iraqi people. She would also support the appointment of a high level U.N. representative – similar to those appointed in Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Kosovo – to help broker peace among the parties in Iraq.

A New Intensive Diplomatic Initiative in the Region. In her first days in office, Hillary would convene a regional stabilization group composed of key allies, other global powers, and all of the states bordering Iraq. The- mission of this group would be to develop and implement a strategy to create a stable Iraq. It would have three specific goals:

*Non-interference. Working with the U.N. representative, the group would work to convince Iraq’s neighbors to refrain from getting involved in the civil war.

*Mediation. The group would attempt to mediate among the different sectarian groups in Iraq with the goal of attaining compromises on fundamental points of disputes.

*Reconstruction funding. The members of the group would hold themselves and other countries to their past pledges to provide funding to Iraq and will encourage additional contributions to meet Iraq’s extensive needs.

As our forces redeploy out of Iraq, Hillary would also organize a multi-billion dollar international effort – funded by a wide range of donor states – under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to address the needs of Iraqi refugees. And as we replace military force with diplomacy and global leadership, Hillary will not lose sight of our very real strategic interests in the region. She would devote the resources we need to fight terrorism and will order specialized units to engage in narrow and targeted operations against al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations in the region.


Obama Discusses Economic Impact of Iraq War at Des Moines Town Hall

Iowa families squeezed by war in Iraq which costs American taxpayers $275 million each day

DES MOINES –At a town hall meeting with Iowans today, Democratic candidate for President Barack Obama discussed the ways in which Iowa families are affected by the demands of an increasingly competitive global economy and rising health care and energy costs. Obama also discussed how spending more than $275 million each day on the war in Iraq has hurt America’s ability to help working families who are feeling squeezed.

“It will be enormously difficult to invest in jobs and opportunity until we stop spending $275 million a day on this war in Iraq,” Senator Barack Obama said. “When I opposed this war before it began in 2002, I was about to run for the United States Senate and I knew it wasn’t the politically popular position. But I believed then and still do that being a leader means that you’d better do what’s right and leave the politics aside, because there are no do-overs on an issue as important as war.”

For those living in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes Des Moines, the cost of the war in Iraq will be $756.6 million through 2007. This total is equivalent to providing health care for 238,693 adults and 339,808 children; equipping 851,323 homes with renewable electricity; hiring 17,489 elementary school teachers; offering 134,819 scholarships for university students; creating 113,832 Head Start places for children; building 89 new elementary schools; recruiting 18,745 public safety officers; and hiring 12,676 port container inspectors. [National Priorities Project]

Obama said neglecting these important domestic priorities has a significant impact on workers and their families who are working harder, but falling further behind:

“You’ve seen the factories close their doors and move overseas, leaving too many cities and mill towns without their biggest source of employment,” said Obama. “I saw it when I first arrived in Chicago in the early 80s, where I took a job helping to rebuild neighborhoods that had been devastated by steel plant closings. I saw it in Galesburg, Illinois and in Newton with Maytag plants shedding jobs and moving overseas.”

Iowa families continue to feel the economic crunch brought on by soaring health care and energy costs. Iowans spend over $15 billion per year on health care, which accounts for nearly 14% of the state economy. Health insurance premiums in Iowa are increasing at an unacceptable pace – almost 4 times faster than wages over the past 6 years. In May, Senator Obama introduced a health care plan that would save the average American family up to $2500 in health care costs per year through money saving measures such as requiring competition in the insurance industry to reduce administrative costs and lower premiums, investing in Health IT and more. Click here for more information on Senator Obama’s detailed health care plan: Fact Sheet.

“We are about to receive yet another report telling us that Iraq’s political leaders have not met a single goal they set for themselves to demonstrate any kind of progress towards stability,” Obama said. “Not one goal. Well they have had their chances and George Bush has had his – we cannot keep our troops in the middle of a civil war that Iraq’s leaders refuse to end. It’s time to bring them home.”

Senator Obama also has a plan to bring the war in Iraq to a responsible end. In January, Obama introduced legislation that would have all our combat troops home from Iraq by March 31, 2008.

Tougher to Be Black or Female?

Nothing scientific here, but I had an interesting talk in a Pella front lawn on the 4th of July. I sat down with three women. They were all 55 plus. They were all white. One was a republican (who is curious about Obama). The other two are democrats, who are still making up their minds on their choices. I asked whether it will be more difficult for an African-American or a woman to be elected President. All three said running as a woman will be more difficult. Interesting. I need to do more on this...

From Billary to B.O.

I know it was only about 90 or so in Pella. But, man, did it feel like 110! Iowans will tell you, "it's the humidity." We were all drenched by the time Barack Obama arrived for our media avail. Best I could tell, he wasn't sweating.

A couple observations...despite the heat, the several hundred people who gathered in the front yard of the host's house to hear the Senator stuck around until he finished (including the curious neighbors who didn't come over, but did set up lawn chairs in the front yards to peak in on the activities). That's unlike what we saw Monday night at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. It was a much larger crowd. I'd guess somewhere between 3 and 4,000 (The campaign claimed 7,000 both to the media and in a followup email to supporters. I polled the national media folks, as well as a few locals I trust for their "guesstimating" skills, and no one seemed to think the crowd was anywhere near 7,000.)

Hillary Clinton spoke after her husband handed over the microphone. I counted dozens, if not hundreds of people who left early. Were they more interested in her husband? Were they just tired? (The Clintons did start the event an hour late) Were they just trying to beat the traffic? I didn't get to talk to them as they made their escape. I wish I could have. But I had to listen to the rest of Senator Clinton.

Bubba's late; Mac is cutting back

"Life is a Highway" is playing...again...for the fourth time. Not sure what the delay is, but Bill and Hillary Clinton have yet to come out for his much-heralded return to Iowa here at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. They're already 47 minutes late by my watch. Apparently, he's not much more punctual as the spouse of a candidate than he was as the candidate (in other words, yes, he's ALWAYS late).

While I'm waiting, let's move to another candidate, John McCain. The word I'm hearing is that the campaign has gutted its Iowa operations. The Iowa campaign spokesman won't say how many of the 23 paid Iowa people (that includes 3 paid consultants) will be let go, but he says there have been "significant cuts." I remember a few months ago, McCain telling us he would do better raising money than he did during the first quarter. That didn't happen. Other campaigns are whispering in our ears about how this is more than the beginning of the end for McCain's campaign. But his Iowa spokesman says an Iowa visit is still planned for mid-July and that the all of these budget cuts actually mean the Senator will now be in Iowa more, not less.

Romney Loves His Dog

Mitt Romney has been criticized for strapping the family dog on top of his vehicle during a family trip. Saturday night in Des Moines, he was asked to explain. Here's his response...

Romney said, "Sometimes when the stories come out in the media, they don't quite get it accurate. The kennel that my family pet used to ride in is enclosed. It's not an open-air kennel. It's enclosed. And there are air vents, of course, in the back. My family pet used to climb up there and lay down on his own. We love our family pets, have always loved our family pets, have nothing by honor and pride in taking care of our great dogs."

Empty Your Pockets, Sir

Hillary Clinton is the former First Lady and also a U.S. Senator from New York. Barack Obama has received death threats. Neither was inside Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines Saturday afternoon. But the security sure was something for the six republicans who were there (7 if you count Ron Paul, who set up his own event next door).

We had to walk through metal detectors to get inside the forum room, which I don't recall doing for any political event so far this year. They took my bottled water. They even took my banana. Have the terrorists resorted to fruit these days? They apparently didn't notice my granola bar. I did get that inside. Hmm, granola at the republican event. There some kind of joke about irony here, but I'm just not coming up with it right now.

Romney's a democrat

Mitt Romney's republicans critics love to complain he's not really a republican. I doubt this line he uttered during the Presidential Candidates Forum in Des Moines will help his cause much...

"Then I became a democrat of a state, excuse me, I became Governor that's the most democratic state in America." Mitt Romney--Saturday, June 30, 2007

The Candidates...

Since it doesn't look like I'm road-tripping to Iowa City (see earlier post--Iowa Firefighters canceled the prez forum for Tuesday because of the upcoming activity in the U.S. Senate) I have some time to catch up on some baseball. Tony LaRussa just pulled the Cards' new starter, Mike Maroth, in the 8th. Not sure why. Maroth was great in his Cards debut. Sometimes, I think Tony just wants some exercise walking to the mound. Oh, well.

I don't see how this will be their year anyway. Maybe that's why I think I just did something I've never done: I just filled out my ballot for the All-Star Game and it didn't include any Cardinals' starters. What's happened to me? I used to vote with my heart, not my head. Damn, old age...

National League

First Base: Fielder, P., MIL

Second Base: Utley, C., PHI

Third Base: Cabrera, M., FLA

Shortstop: Renteria, E., ATL

Catcher: Martin, R., LAD

Outfielder: Griffey Jr., K., CIN

Outfielder: Holliday, M., COL

Outfielder: Lee, C., HOU

American League

First Base: Morneau, J., MIN

Second Base: Polanco, P., DET

Third Base: Rodriguez, A., NYY

Shortstop: Jeter, D., NYY

Catcher: Mauer, J., MIN

Outfielder: Crawford, C., TB

Outfielder: Guerrero, V., LAA

Outfielder: Suzuki, I., SEA

Richardson Says He's Up; Obama Goes Up

As Bill Richardson walked away from us at Drake University Friday afternoon, he told us to pay attention to the next poll that was about to come out. As it turns out, it's his campaign's poll. But if it's accurate, it seems to offer signs that his "mo" is continuing to grow. (His rise in the polls seems to have coincided with those tv ads that try to add some humor to the race)

Here's what Richardson's camp had to say:

SANTA FE, NM -- New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson has jumped to 13% in a new survey of likely Iowa caucus-goers, a 10-point gain since March. He is the only Democrat to make any significant gains over the past three months. Among the likeliest caucus-goers (representing just over 40% of the sample - voters who attended the 2004 caucuses, voted in the 2006 primary, and say they are definite to attend next year's caucus) Governor Richardson has actually overtaken Senator Barack Obama and moved into third place at 18%.

"These positive numbers are exciting but not surprising- Iowans are getting to know Bill Richardson and he's winning them over," said David Contarino, Governor Richardson's campaign manager. "In advertising and in person, the Governor has begun to get his message out to Iowans and they are responding. The Governor is spending a lot of time campaigning across Iowa, shaking hands, attending community events, and wearing out the shoe leather listening to people. People are responding to the Governor's plan to get the US out of Iraq with no residual troops and his "man on the moon' vision for building America's energy independence and creating a new, renewable energy economy. Furthermore, Iowans know we need a President who is ready- on day one -- to reverse the damage of the Bush administration. Bill Richardson's record of accomplishment has convinced many Iowans he can be that President."

The poll of 500 likely Iowa caucus-goers was conducted for the Richardson campaign by Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin and Associates June 18-20 and has a margin of error of + 4.4%.
Governor Richardson is now solidly in double-digits in both Iowa and New Hampshire. A CNN-WMUR TV poll following the June 3 debate had the Governor at 10%, as did last month's poll published in the Des Moines Register.

Here are the results to the question "If the caucuses were held today, who would you support?" (likely caucus-goers)

John Edwards
34%

Hillary Clinton
24%

Barack Obama
17%

Bill Richardson
13%

Joe Biden
2%

Dennis Kucinich
2%

Chris Dodd
0%

Other
1%

Don't Know/NA
8%

Here are the results to the same question, broken out among "likeliest" caucus-goers (representing just over 40% of the sample - voters who attended the 2004 caucuses, voted in the 2006 primary, and say they are definite to attend next year's caucus):

John Edwards
31%

Hillary Clinton
23%

Bill Richardson
18%

Barack Obama
16%

Joe Biden
3%

Dennis Kucinich
2%

Chris Dodd
0%

Other
1%

Don't Know/NA
8%

Now, the man Richardson says he has passed, is now hitting the tubes himself. Our sales department just got a late, albeit, relatively small, ad buy from the Obama campaign. I'm told the ads will air statewide. Wanna see them? www.iowa.barackobama.com/tvads

Standup, Pushups and Cookies

Bill Richardson had 'em rolling at Drake University Friday. Richardson asked the room whether people liked his "job interview" tv commercials he's been airing. The overwhelming answer was "yes." Humor has been a big part of them and it was a big part of his Drake appearance. He tried about a half dozen one-liners. BTW, Richardson's poll numbers have reached double digits since the ads began after not being much above zero when they started.

Richardson also made a push for a national mandate for physical education for kids. "Find ways to invest in healthy breakfast for every child and mandatory physical education, " he said. I wondered how he instituted p.e. for all in his home state. According to New Mexico's Dept. of Education, he hasn't. High schoolers need just one year of p.e. over their four years there. K-8'ers have no statewide mandate at all. It's up to their school district.

So, no sweats, how 'bout some sweets? The event at Drake was called a "Cookies and Conversation". Organizers asked Richardson's campaign to submit his favorite cookie recipe for the event. The campaign sent in this recipe for shortbreads...

Here's to the Celebs, Mrs. Robinson

(Courtesy: http://www.time.com/)

Chris Dodd seems to have started the Celebrity Train that will roll through town... (well, unless you count "Bubba")

PAUL SIMON TO CAMPAIGN WITH CHRIS DODD IN IOWA DURING FOURTH OF JULY TOUR

Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Paul Simon will join presidential candidate Chris Dodd and his family for part of Dodd’s “River to River” bus tour of Iowa during the week of the Fourth of July. Simon will campaign with Dodd on July 6th and 7th, appearing with him on those days’ tour stops and adding informal performances to Dodd’s events.

“I am thrilled that Paul will be joining Jackie, our daughters, and me in Iowa,” said Senator Dodd. “Paul is a long-time friend and one of the most important voices in American music, and he has been tireless in his service to the greater good of people throughout our country and the world.

“His music and his commitment to bettering our world reflect the leadership and optimism that my campaign is all about.”

Simon will join the Dodd family at stops in Mason City, Fort Dodge, Sioux City, Carroll, and Council Bluffs.

Giuliani Leaves Health Advocates Feeling Sick

Some health advocates (most with the Partnership for Better Health, I believe) say they got the brush off from Rudy Giuliani during his campaign stop in Des Moines (his first visit to the state since his campaign announced he would not take part in the Iowa Republican Straw Poll). They weren't pleased from the start since the event began more than a half hour late.

Giuliani took no questions from the crowd, and according to the health care'ers, he walked past them as they tried to talk with him about his commitment to improving health care for people with chronic disease.

One woman did tell me she didn't completely get ignored. As she tried to hand the Mayor a packet of health care packet, he instead reached out and grabbed her "12 Commitments" handout from his campaign. Then, he signed it and gave it back to her.

I could also mention the post-speech debacle in an adjacent room where we reporters were permitted to speak with Rudy G. Unfortunately, there was no podium for our several dozen microphones. We were told the campaign also didn't want lights illuminating the event (at least according to one of the equipment workers).

So instead, we were forced to half-circle around the Mayor, reaching and stretching however we could to make sure our microphones could get within a decent distance from his lips so our people back home could hear what he had to say. I could also mention how it forced one reporter, who happens to be 9 months pregnant, to have to kneel on the floor in front of him for the duration of the news conference. But I'm late for dinner, so I won't mention those things...

Richardson Calls out Competitors

Monday in Newton, Barack Obama said the Iraq War never should have been authorized (take that John Edwards and Hillary Clinton). But Obama stopped short of calling out his counterparts by name. Today, Bill Richardson did do a little name-dropping. Here's the transcript....


Remarks by Governor Bill Richardson
Take Back America 2007 National Conference
Washington D.C.
June 19, 2007
AS PREPARED


"I appreciate the opportunity to speak here today. I think this conference is one of the most important events that all of us, as candidates, will attend this year. And I’d like to tell you why it’s important to me personally.

I first got involved in public service after meeting Hubert Humphrey in 1971, while I was in graduate school. Despite his narrow defeat in the 1968 presidential election, he hadn’t lost his idealism. He challenged me and the other students I was with to try and make a difference with our lives – to look at the world around us and seek out the inequality that’s sometimes plain to see … and other times hidden from view … and to give our best effort to heal our nation.

This is a hauntingly similar time. Like 1968, we are a nation deep into an unwanted war, the president has lost the country, there is hurt and sorrow among our people, and there is a sense that no matter who is elected, we have a long road in front of us.

But there is great risk in taking only this view. When you listen to some who are running for president, you can hear it in their voices. There is weight to their words. But they are in danger of being weighed down by it all.

I am optimistic about our country. I am optimistic about the Democratic Party. We have the majority in Congress … the American people agree with us on the issues … we have the best field of candidates for president … and we’re going to put a Democrat into the White House.

Yes, there is too much that is wrong with America. But we can also celebrate what’s finally going right.

The first step was taking back the Congress. The next step is taking back the White House. That’s how we take back America.

I am going to focus my remarks today on repairing the damage from the two worst mistakes of the Bush administration – failing to address climate change and failing to change our policies in Iraq.

Some people poke fun at how I like to talk about what I’ve done as a Governor. But I’m proud of New Mexico … and I’m proud of making New Mexico the clean energy state. In fact, we’re doing more to clean up the environment and fight global warming than any other state in the country.

Mark Twain said “Everybody complains about the weather but nobody ever does anything about it.” Well, we’re doing something about global warming in New Mexico.

We’re requiring utility companies to produce energy from renewable sources … we’ve invested directly in energy efficiency … we’re promoting renewable energy with tax credits for using wind, solar, and biofuels … we’ve eliminated taxes on hybrid cars … and I set tough standards to reduce greenhouse emissions.

Maybe the country and President Bush don’t follow the Kyoto treaty, but my state does.

Of course, in his typical fashion, after six and a half years of refusing to admit that global warming exists, President Bush has started lecturing developing nations and telling them to clean up their act.

I’m not sure what’s more insulting to the rest of the world. Telling them they’re wrong for six and a half years. Or changing your mind and telling them they’re still wrong.

Mr. President, we don’t need half-hearted half-way measures like the European agreement that just came out of the G-8 Summit. The Kyoto Treaty has been sitting on your desk for six and a half years. You might as well sign it now, because in a year and a half, if you haven’t, I will.

I’m proud to have the most aggressive plan of anyone running for president. Within twelve years, my plan would reduce global warming pollution by 20 percent, lower demand for oil by fifty percent, and push fuel economy standards to 50 miles per gallon.

By the year 2040, my plan would require that 50 percent of our electricity be generated from renewable sources and would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent.

You can read the plan for yourself at my campaign website or you can listen to the League of Conservation Voters. They rated it the most aggressive plan with the highest goals of any other candidate. These aren’t pie in the sky proposals, but they are ambitious.

If we can spend billions waging war in a country that never had weapons of mass destruction … then we can certainly find the will to stop the mass destruction of our planet.

It’s time that we as a nation chose the collective good over the desire to collect goods. And frankly, buying carbon offsets isn’t enough. Just like paying somebody else to go to church doesn’t make you religious … paying somebody else to conserve doesn’t make you a conservationist.

My wife Barbara and I use both a hybrid and a flex-fuel vehicle, and we’ve made the New Mexico Governor’s Mansion a lot more energy efficient, including compact fluorescent lighting, low water-use irrigation, and ceiling fans to cut down on air conditioning – and lemme tell you, on a 95 degree day in New Mexico, that’s a sacrifice!

But I know we can do more, and I’ll bet that a lot of you could, too. We all have to sacrifice for the common good … and we have to end our dependence on Middle Eastern oil.

Which brings us to Iraq …

Some will tell you that we only have two options: either stay in Iraq and try to referee a civil war … or leave and watch the Middle East collapse into a regional war. When a president decides that he or she only has two bad options, guess what happens? Something bad.

I have a different view … a more optimistic view grounded in what I call a New Realism for foreign policy.

I applaud my fellow Democratic candidates for taking on President Bush in the Congress.
But there is a fundamental difference in this campaign – and that’s how many troops each of us would leave behind.

Other than the customary marine contingent at the embassy, I would leave zero troops. Not a single one. And if the embassy and our embassy personnel aren’t safe, then they’re all coming home too.

No airbases. No troops in the Green Zone. No embedded soldiers training Iraqi forces, because we all know what that means. It means our troops would still be out on patrol with targets on their backs.

A regional crisis is worthy of military intervention. A true threat to our country’s security is worthy of war.

But a struggle between a country’s warring factions, where both sides hate the United States, is not worthy of one more lost American life.

With all due respect to my Democratic colleagues … Senators Clinton, Obama, Dodd, and Biden all voted for timeline legislation that had deliberate loopholes. Those loopholes allow this president, or any president, to leave an undetermined number of troops in Iraq indefinitely.

And this is the same legislation that former Senator Edwards says we should send back to President Bush over and over again until he signs it.

The language in the legislation was clear. It would allow the president to leave American troops behind for quote “training and equipping members of the Iraqi Security Forces” … and to protect, among other things, quote “other U.S. forces.”

Troops protecting troops … potentially thousands of troops, year after year. I don’t know about the other folks running, but troops protecting troops training other troops doesn’t sound any different to me.

Clearly, my Democratic colleagues in this campaign think it’s responsible to have an ongoing military role in Iraq. They voted not once but twice to leave troops behind.

Senator Clinton has told her military advisor that if she were elected, there might still be troops in Iraq at end of her second term.

Senator Obama’s written plan calls for leaving non-combat troops in Iraq. And Senator Edwards says he’s for withdrawing all troops except those at the embassy. But that’s not what the bill says that he wants to pass again and again.

The responsible thing to do is to look at the problem from another perspective. At the rate we’re losing American lives, over one thousand American troops will be killed this year alone. The surge has led to nothing but a surge in Americans dying.

Over 70 percent of Iraqis want us out of their country. Over 60 percent think it’s okay to kill Americans.

Think about that for a second. Over 60 percent were willing to tell a pollster they’d never met before that it’s okay to kill Americans … which means that percentage is probably even higher. That’s not the case in Japan, Germany, South Korea or anywhere else American troops are stationed.

I have great respect for my fellow Democratic candidates, but for those who think we should leave a residual force, how long does that force need to be in place before we can leave? One year? Two years? Five? Ten?

There is not a single sign that Iraq is improving. To the contrary, every indication is that it’s getting worse, and a smaller force will do nothing to change that.

How many more Americans must die before we leave an Iraq that will be no better off than it is today? And in a war where American troops are the number one target, who are the poor souls you’re going to leave behind?

We need to bring them all home.

You can sign our petition at No Troops Left Behind dot com.

The way we help heal Iraq is to bring all of our troops home within six months. Only then can the hard diplomatic work really begin. That’s how we avoid a regional war.

I would leave troops in neighboring countries that want us, like Kuwait, to help keep the peace. But we need to hand over security of Iraq to an all Muslim peacekeeping force.

We would then have a moral responsibility to do everything we can to bring the different factions together in a national reconciliation conference.

We also have a strategic interest in organizing a regional conference with all of Iraq’s neighbors, including Syria and Iran, to help stabilize Iraq. No one in the region, including Iran, wants an Iraqi civil war … and no one in the region, especially Iran, wants Iraqi refugees.

Some will tell you that once we leave Iraq, the country will become a hotbed of Al Qaeda activity. That’s just not the case. There is an old Arab proverb – “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Up until now, Al Qaeda was tolerated in Iraq because they were killing Americans.

Once we’re gone, the Iraqis will have no further use for Al Qaeda and they will drive them out. We’re seeing the beginnings of this already in Sunni attacks on Al Qaeda, but the process will accelerate once we’re gone. Too many Iraqis have died at the hands of Al Qaeda and retaliation will be at hand.

Two months ago in North Korea, I was proud to help show how talking to your enemies can produce results, like reducing the North Korean nuclear threat and bringing home the remains of six American servicemen. The situation is similar in the Middle East. This president broke Iraq. The next president has to know how to use diplomacy to fix it.

I will tell you this -- my world view is different from my colleagues. In my career, I’ve been able to get results, not with harsh words, but hard work. You talk to your adversaries. You listen. You get to know them well if you want them to hear what you’re saying. And with understanding comes resolve. And with clarity comes cooperation.

It’s how I’ve approached foreign affairs. It’s how I’ve approached governing. And it’s how I’ll serve as president of this great country.

More than anything else, we have a moral obligation to those American soldiers and citizens who’ve laid down their lives overseas.

Some say we cannot let their sacrifice be in vain. But you will never convince me that those slain patriots would have wanted a single additional life to be lost … just to validate their own sacrifice.

Instead, the moral obligation is to honor their service by bringing their mission to a close. By ending the bloodshed … and finally letting the Iraqi people and the American people to set a new course.

Those would be the principles of my presidency. And those would be the ideals I’d seek.

Thank you, God bless you, God bless our troops, God bless the Democratic Party, and God bless New Mexico. "

Nussle's New Gig

(Current deficit)

Associated Press just reported this...

White House budget director Rob Portman is resigning and will be replaced by former Iowa congressman Jim Nussle, Bush administration officials said Tuesday.

Thompson Shows Power by Adding Iowa County

Tommy Thompson gave us a glimpse into how he plans to finish first or second in the upcoming Iowa Republican Straw Poll in Ames this summer. He said about his travel plans, "I've visited 51 counties and intend to visit 49 more."

According to my state map, Iowa has 99 counties. I'll try to find out where Wisconsin's former Governor located my state's 100th county.

Thompson Out...In

Tommy Thompson to Make Major Announcement about the Future of Presidential Campaign

That was the headline at the top of the email I received from Tommy Thompson's campaign. Did it mean he was dropping out like a rival campaign had been floating all this week? Nope. Thompson later announced he was taking part in the Iowa Straw Poll. He did give one of the most candid candidate comments about the event. He said if he doesn't finish first or second, he would have to think about the future of his presidential campaign. Thompson didn't raise much money in the first fundraising quarter, but he said a first or second place finish in the Straw Poll would do a lot in helping to bring in money.

The Thompsons, F and T

I'm hearing Tommy Thompson will take part in the Iowa Straw Poll. Probably not a huge surprise. Thompson had told me he planned to go all out. He hoped to bring, perhaps, thousands of motorcyclists to Ames (he's a big Harley rider, as you likely know). Thompson will officially announce his plans this afternoon at 2 in a telephone conference call with the Iowa media.

Did you watch the other Thompson on Leno last night? Is there anyone in America who DOESN'T believe Fred is running for Prez?

Hometown Pride and More Bill TV

Belated congrats to my hometown neighbor, Jay Haas. O.K., we weren't exactly neighbors. But we both called Belleville, Illinois home (although I see on his bio, it says "St. Louis, Missouri".) Where's the love, Jay? Haas won the Principal Charity Classic in West Des Moines over the weekend. And unlike Rob Lowe, he didn't kill any birdies.

Bill Richardson's bringing back the laughs to tv, or, so is the hope. Today, Richardson began airing the third in his series of "job interview" campaign ads.

Wanna see it?

Also on the tube, Fred TV. Fred Thompson is one of the guests on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno Tuesday night. Think he'll make any news?

More Straw

So we can count two fewer candidates for the Iowa Straw Poll after Giuliani and McCain said "no, thanks." But the State Republican Party told me it could still be a full day. Executive Director Chuck Laudner said every announced Republican candidate plans to take part. (that's like 42 candidates. Almost) And supporters for Fred Thompson and Newt Gingrich expect their candidates to be there, too. And how about this one...Condi Rice. Her supporters are pushing for a place in Ames.
History lesson.... no one has ever skipped the Straw Poll and won the Iowa Caucuses. Both Giuliani and McCain say still plan Iowa victories.

Minus 2 Straws

Wow, what a day. And I don't mean just because Rob Lowe came to town a hit a birdie (killed one, actually. He hit a goldfinch, the state bird, on the 4th hole during play Wednesday at the Principal Charity Classic Pro-Am at Glen Oaks Country Club in West Des Moines.)

And to think I didn't really have a good story I was planning for the day. Then Rudy Giuliani's campaign said he would not compete in the Iowa Straw Poll August 11th in Ames. Most of the people with whom I talk regularly weren't all that surprised. Rudy G's pro-abortion rights, pro-gay rights and anti-gun rights stances may not have made some of the conservatives want to party at Hilton this summer. But the subsequent announcement that John McCain would bail out, too, surprised some and didn't surprise others. Critics say McCain isn't the same sexy maverick he was when he ran the first time (although McCain maintains he's still on the "Straight Talk Express").

The Republican Party of Iowa didn't hold back criticizing either one of the candidates following the announcements. Executive Director Chuck Laudner (who hadn't yet heard of McCain's decision when I called) said he knows why both campaigns are pulling out: they weren't going to win the Straw Poll. And says he says they know they can't win the Iowa Caucuses either. Ouch!

Oops...

My father-in-law-to-be is colorblind. Maybe we drank from the same glass or something. Is it contagious? Yesterday, I said Chris Dodd's supporters were dressed in green at the Iowa Democratic Party's Hall of Fame Dinner in Cedar Rapids. Actually, they all wore blue. But they did still put way too many signs up in the guy's bathroom:) Those were blue, too.

Sign, Sign, Everywhere There's (sic) Signs

Man, that was crazy... I've been trying to think of a way to describe the frenzied sign wars that took place before the Iowa Democratic Party's Hall of Fame Dinner... A prison riot? Well, maybe not. How about...do you remember those high school pep rallies where one class tries to out scream the others? That's at least close to what I saw.

When we got to the Crowne Plaza Five Seasons Hotel in Cedar Rapids, we noticed the crowds right away. Chris Dodd's folks were set up diagonally across the street. They were dressed in green (have you noticed Dodd seems to frequently wear a green tie?) And they decorated a bus with Dodd's name on it.

John Edwards people set up next to them. I could hear a band from a Dubuque high school warming up behind them (the band followed Edwards into the hotel...yes, it was loud).

Clearly, Hillary Clinton's camp wanted to make an impression... Her supporters easily outnumbered the others as they stood outside the hotel (next to a flatbed truck they brought in).

Inside the hotel hallway, outside the ballroom where the speeches would take place, it was nuts. Clinton's people were screaming as they stood next to Edwards' people. It was loud. It was hot. It was sweaty. It wasn't pretty, especially for the guests as they tried to walk through the crowd on the way to the ballroom to get their dinner.

Now, you may be wondering "what about the other candidates?" I didn't see any Biden or Richardson signs outside the hotel. In the hallway, I didn't see anyone with a Richardson sign. I did see two guys holding Biden signs. I wonder what they thought as they nearly got steamrolled with the Clinton and Edwards mobs passing through.

BTW, was it really necessary to see the Clinton and Dodd signs hanging on the walls in the restroom?

There were a few Obama signs, even though he didn't come. His camp cited a scheduling conflict. Other campaigns took great pleasure in noting that this dinner was announced two weeks before Obama announced he was running.

Other random notes...just how much money and staff does Clinton have that the press received a leaflet with Hall of Fame Dinner Press Games. The games included a crossword puzzle and whatever you call that game where you find hidden words in a grid of letters. If I wasn't so busy running around with the candidates, perhaps, I could have played. But thanks for the thought.

What about the speeches...

Clinton--wasted no time in making sure she said from the start she's working to win the Iowa Caucuses.

Edwards--seemed to call out Clinton (without calling out her name) that this is no time to be "calculating".

Richardson--several times told Congress to de-authorize the war resolution.

Dodd--repeated his pitch that Iowans don't want to be told how to vote by the national pundits.

Biden--drew the biggest ovation from the crowd as he directly (through the tv cameras) addressed President Bush and said the war was his mistake.

One final worthless, meaningless note. I think I counted 13 times Joe Biden said "ladies and gentlemen" during his speech. What does it mean? Probably nothing. I told you it was just a final worthless, meaningless note.

So Maybe She Is Running Here...

Later today, the Clinton camp here gets a little bigger. Activist Jerry Crawford's signing up as a Midwest Co-Chair (Bonnie Campbell is, too). Crawford's been tight with the Clintons in the past. He got behind Tom Vilsack's brief attempt to be Prez. Vilsack quit the race and signed on with Clinton. Now Crawford is doing the same.

It Ain't Rudy McRomney, But the Crowd

"Hillarycare, Obamacare" Mitt Romney's coined his own phrase (at least I haven't heard anyone else use it yet) during his luncheon with the Greater Des Moines Partnership. Romney pushed through his "universal health care plan" while he was Gov in Massachusetts. But he says he won't try to push it nationwide. While he says he's not opposed to other states doing what he did, he wants states to have the flexibility to change what they think is best to cover the uninsured.

Obama's campaign released this statement:

“What Mitt Romney doesn’t get is that the skyrocketing cost of health care is a national crisis in need of a bold solution, which is why Senator Obama has introduced a plan that would cut costs for every family by up to $2,500 and cover every single American. But, make no mistake, his plan would allow state-based efforts to continue.”

Romney can apparently draw a crowd. The Partnership originally booked the luncheon at the Embassy Club downtown. But too many RSVP's forced a change to a bigger room inside the downtown Des Moines Marriott. I'd say 125 or so showed up.

In other news...

It's time to give up on my Cardinals. Yadier Molina's now out with a fractured left wrist. What else can go wrong?

Universal Health Care? Obama says Maybe Not at First

Illinois Senator Barack Obama, a democratic candidate for President, chose the University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City to unveil his plan to make sure all Americans have health care. Pledging universal health care has been one of the most-spoken promises from some of the democrats during their stops in Iowa. During his speech, Obama said, "I will sign a universal health care plan into law by the end of my first term in office." But after his speech today, Obama told me his plan may not be really "universal. " He said it's "virtually universal". What's the difference?

His plan doesn't mandate coverage, except for children. Uninsured adults are encouraged to participate, so are small businesses. But no one is forced to participate. Obama says people will want to take part in this, though. He believes people will sign up for the plan, since coverage will be far cheaper. And businesses, he says, when it comes down to it, want to be able to offer health insurance. They just haven't been able to afford it in the past. So he admits not everyone may do this. He says if we get "3,4 or 5 years down the road.." and he finds 5% or so are still not covered, then he'll adjust to make sure everyone's covered. Mandates?

Obama told me rolling back President George W Bush's tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans will provide most of the money to make his plan work (people who make 250k plus). The rest of the savings will come from switching to electronic record-keeping (although, there are obvious start up costs for that), as well as reduced bills for emergency room visits, because people, in theory, would take better care of themselves since they have access to health care.

The feds would also pick up the cost of the most expensive illnesses and conditions. That will lower annual premiums overall for families, Obama said, by up to $2500.

John Edwards folks had this to say...

"John Edwards has a detailed plan to make health care coverage more affordable and truly universal. He believes that incremental measures are not enough. Any plan that does not cover all Americans is simply inadequate." - Mark Kornblau, spokesperson

Hillary Clinton's camp just weighed in, too...

Clinton Campaign Policy Director Neera Tanden today released the following statement:

"We commend Senator Obama for entering the healthcare debate and supporting incentives to make healthcare more affordable; Senator Clinton has long fought to expand healthcare coverage and initiated the State Children’s Health Insurance Program that now covers 6 million children and has led the fight in the Senate to pass health information technology.

"Senator Clinton believes that in addition to making healthcare more accessible, we have to achieve true universal healthcare so that every American has health care coverage."

I Was Wrong: Apparently No Smack from Brownback

A followup to an earlier blog post. Apparently, Sam Brownback didn't really come after Rudy G



Brownback: He didn't know about 'Rudy is wrong' e-mail, but nominee will be 'pro-life'

USA TODAY’S ON POLITICS


By: Mark Memmott and Jill Lawrence


Justin Miller at The Real Clear Politics Blog has followed up on the story about a statement from the presidential campaign of Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback that fellow Republican Rudy Giuliani "is wrong" about abortion (see our Thursday post about that).


Brownback tells Miller that he didn't know his staff was going to send out the "Rudy is wrong" statement. All the same, says the strongly "pro-life" senator, it doesn't reverse his earlier position that he could support a "pro-choice" Republican candidate if that person is conservative enough on other key issues.

"I do think it's important that the party be pro-life," Brownback says. But, "we need to be a big tent party." And he said it is important to embrace the pro-choice wing, Miller writes.
But Brownback also added, according to Miller, that he believes the eventual GOP nominee will be an abortion opponent.

Here's my original post....

The debate's finished, but apparently the smack talk isn't. Apparently Sam Brownback couldn't get these in while the debate was still going on. I got this release from Brownback's campaign... Rudy is Wrong"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness... life comes first. "Dear Friend,Like you, I am proud that the Republican Party has long stood for protecting innocent human life in our party's platform.Unfortunately one of the current front-runners for the Republican presidential nomination, Rudy Giuliani, is a vocal and unapologetic supporter of the "right" to abortion. He made this clear once again in the South Carolina debate last night."It's best for us to respect each other's differences and allow for choice," said Giuliani, in an interview with Fox News this past Sunday."If we don't find a way of uniting around broad principles that will appeal to a large segment of this country, if we can't figure that out, we are going to lose this election," Giuliani said in a Houston speech last week.My friend, Rudy is wrong. Like you and me, Senator Brownback is a true believer that there is no "choice" involved in life-or-death matters - we must always stand up for protecting innocent human life.Senator Brownback believes that the next Republican nominee for President must be pro-life in order to win - we must stand by our principles and bedrock foundation as a party.Giuliani's comments have been praised by Planned Parenthood Action Fund President Cecile Richards."It's encouraging to see that the front runner for the Republican nomination for president supports the right to make personal private health care decisions free from government intrusion," said Richards."

Giuliani is pro-choice and at the front of the pack - the days of the anti-choice strangle-hold on the Republican Party are numbered," Richards adds. It is a sad statement when the President of Planned Parenthood-the largest abortion provider in America-is praising the leading Republican candidate. This is NOT the direction our party needs to take. What Rudy doesn't seem to understand is that among the hallowed rights of the Declaration of Independence-"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"- life comes first.The pro-life movement has grown by leaps and bounds over the last few years. Public opinion is turning to our side, the Supreme Court recently upheld a national ban on an abortion procedure, and the Republican Party has grown increasingly pro-life, as have the candidates it nominates for public office. This is NOT the time to turn back in our efforts to make America a country that respects life.

As Republicans, we should not compromise or apologize for that.Please visit our campaign website to sign up for Team Brownback. Together, we will keep our Republican Party proudly pro-life." Sincerely, David Barron South Carolina Chairman Brownback for President

A New Candidate, a New Issue & Some Awesome Women

Congrats to the Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville Cougars Softball Team! The women at my alma mater just won the longest championship game in NCAA Division II history (12 innings)

O.K. back to politics...

Bill Richardson officially entered the race today. So that's why he's been airing those commercials here about running for President (too bad this computer doesn't have a font for sarcasm:)



BTW, no Iowa love from Richardson. Unlike many of the other candidates' announcement tours (or should we say "pre-announcement", "announcement" and "re-announcement" tours), Richardson has not put Iowa on his list of first stops. Although, he was here last week.



30 % for Mitt Romney in the Des Moines Register's latest poll. Looks like all those tv ads raised the bar for the rest of his campaign, huh?



Sam Brownback has decided to add his thoughts to an issue I'm not sure I've heard any other candidate address so far... I think the campaign release explains what's going on (and probably gives you an idea just how much he's working to get that conservative vote)


Brownback Alarmed by Tenure Denial in Iowa

"Such an assault on academic freedom does not bode well for the advancement of true science."


DES MOINES, Ia— U.S. Senator Sam Brownback, Republican candidate for President, today commented on the denial of tenure to Iowa State University Professor Guillermo Gonzales.
"When I was informed that Professor Guillermo Gonzalez was denied tenure, I was puzzled given his excellent academic record of achievement and faithful service. I understand that now two of Dr. Gonzalez's colleagues have indicated that Gonzalez's interest in intelligent design theory was, at least in part, responsible for this denial of tenure. This is rather alarming."


Dr. Guillermo Gonzalez is currently an Assistant Professor of Astronomy at Iowa State University and author of more than 65 scientific papers and journal articles. Dr. Gonzales also co-authored "The Privileged Planet: How Our Place in the Cosmos is Designed for Discovery", which provides scientific evidence for intelligent design theory and challenges neo-Darwinism's claim that the development of the universe is the result of an unpredictable and purposeless process.


Brownback continued, "Observation, testing, and the development of reasonable hypotheses have long been integral to good science. Scholars, such as Professor Guillermo Gonzales, ought not to be intimidated nor silenced by those in the academic community who would rather dismiss a well-reasoned hypothesis than debate it on its merits. Such an assault on academic freedom does not bode well for the advancement of true science."


Intelligent design theory explores recent discoveries in the fields of physics, cosmology, biochemistry, genetics, and paleontology that logically point to an intelligent cause in the development of life and the cosmos."

Thompson vs. McCain, Round 1

We had just finished interviewing Tommy Thompson inside a fitness center on the Des Moines University campus. The microphone was off. The camera was off. My photographer and I had turned our back...and THUD (o.k., I don't know how to spell the sound we heard). But there is Tommy Thompson ramming his right shoulder into one of those heavy bags boxers use. Each time hid did it, he'd yell "John McCain."



No, I'm not making this up. And, yes, I wish we would have had our camera rolling still! Thompson also told me he doesn't have time for the gym, so he starts his day with 60 push ups and 50 crunches. And then before he goes to bed, it's push ups and crunches, round 2.