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.

Call the Doctor

O.K. Maybe I'm being a "jerk" as John McCain would say...but, does this ad sound a little strange to you? Perhaps, a bit ironic? McCain's talking about health care, but, to me, he sounds like he needs a little health care himself. You sound sick to me, Senator...

The Raid

So what do you make of the worst kept secret in eastern Iowa...what turned out to be the raid of the AgriProcessors, Inc. in Postville. 300 arrests, at least, we're hearing. This seems to be quite the event...dozens, if not hundreds, of federal agents rounding up and then busing out possible illegal immigrants. The feds have a big "staging" area set up in Waterloo.

We had a tip another city would be targeted, as well. So we hit the road this afternoon to that city. Nothing. At least, not yet. We're back in Des Moines for now.

These are among the first few emails we've received after the 5pm news coverage of the raid:

"Watch a replay of the ICE raid today. Tell me why your reporter, who was at the site, is blatantly sympathetic to the people arrested? They are felons if they forged documents.
Your station has never fully reported on burden these illegals have placed on the people of Iowa. I don't feel any sympathy for criminals."

"Sorry, I do not have all the sympathy some seem to have for anyone that is breaking the law. If the people came into this country legally, I would have no problems with them having those jobs. I cannot see why we should let people from other countries come in here and tell us how to treat them. If we went to another country, we would have to abide by their laws, or else."

Here are a few VIP responses...

From Congressman Bruce Braley:

“My immediate thoughts are with the families impacted by today’s events. In Postville there are hundreds of children whose lives have been changed because of this raid, and in the wake of the December 2006 Swift Company raid, I want to make sure their well-being is a priority.

If people have broken the law, there should be consequences. There’s a legal system in place to determine those consequences, and justice should be fairly imposed with due process.

I’ll be interested to see if federal authorities will be bringing any charges against the employer. We know that the Swift Company never faced any charges after the raid in Marshalltown, and the enforcement of immigration violations against corporations has plummeted during the Bush administration. Until we enforce our immigration laws equally against both employers and employees who break the law, we will continue to have a problem with immigration.”

From Governor Chet Culver:

"My office was informed last week there would be an impending federal exercise in the Waterloo area. I was briefed via telephone this morning at about 10:15 am by the U.S. Attorney for Northern District, as the exercise was happening.

The state’s role in today’s exercise has been limited. The Department of Public Safety is providing traffic support on the scene, and if additional criminal activity is discovered through the course of the exercise, the DCI is prepared to investigate at the state level.

I believe it is important that we crack down on illegal immigration. Illegal means illegal. Not just those who cross the border, but also those who are responsible for helping make it happen -- traffickers, identity thieves, those who knowingly hire illegal immigrants, and anyone who has taken advantage of employees or turned a blind eye. At the same time we must take care to protect due process, and consider the impact on a small community and the people involved.

My Administration has made clear to the federal government the importance of ensuring the humanitarian side of this exercise is addressed in the community, and I have received assurances from the federal government that they are doing so.

I have also directed relevant state agencies to convene a working group under the Lt. Governor’s direction to ensure that state agencies are assisting the community in dealing with this event. This group will include representatives from Iowa Workforce Development, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Human Rights, the Department of Education, the Department of Public Health, and the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. Working group members have met this afternoon with the Lt. Governor to get briefed on this and begin working through their agencies to assist the community.

While this is a federal exercise, my office will continue to keep the public and press informed of any additional state involvement."

The Meat

Did you see any of that "Ballot Bowl" on CNN this weekend? They listen in on speeches by the candidates. Raw, as we call it in the biz. Any way, Hillary Clinton sure seemed to offer up a lot more meat than Barack Obama. A lot more specific ideas. No question Obama can give an inspirational speech. But once he starts going head to head with John McCain, won't he have to put some meat in his speeches, too, and not just dressing?

Apparently, Klayton Korver left a pink t-shirt that says "Korver's Girlfriends" for my wife. Should I be worried? Do I need cooler hair to compete?

Our softball team (it's kind of a station team, since we all either work at the station or used to work here) didn't get blown away, but we did walk away with an "L" today. It was our first game of the 14-game season at the Des Moines Parks and Rec league. The wind was crazy. Not good for me to try to pitch. Oh, well. We got down early but came back at the end to at least make it respectable, 11-9. Better luck next week. At least I didn't give up any home runs.

Curious About George

Repubs have apparently found their George to take them to that de-lux apartment in the sk-y-y...I mean to Washington.

Seems like the Repub establishment has focused on George Eichhorn to take on Democrat Tom Harkin for the U.S. Senate. George Eichhorn's campaign sent out a list of (by my count) 33 Republicans endorsing his bid for the June primary. The top three names on the list include Sen. Minority Leader Ron Wieck, former Senate Prez Jeff Lamberti and former GOP Chair Mike Mahaffey. You won't find current House Minority Leader Christopher Rants on that list. I recall watching a very heated exchange between Rants and Eichhorn several years ago in the House chamber (that was before rookie Democratic politican McKinley Bailey took away the seat in the fall).

Tom Harkin's campaign has taken notice. It just sent out a fundraising appeal noting Eichhorn's entrance into the race.

Dear Dave:

Tom Harkin launched his re-election campaign in March to serve Iowa as our United States Senator and continue the fight for progressive change for our state and our country.

The Harkin campaign is busy preparing for November, building the organization, raising the funds, and working hard every day to make sure Tom can continue to fight for us in the Senate.
Click here to help our campaign by making a donation today.

So far this year two Republicans are actively campaigning to challenge Tom in November, Steve Rathje and Chistopher Reed.

Earlier this week a third Republican announced his candidacy for the Senate. George Eichhorn appears to have the institutional Republican support that could make him competitive in the June 3 Republican primary and beyond.

Show your support for Tom Harkin by clicking here to make a donation of $25, $50, or $100 today.

According to the Associated Press, "Eichhorn released a list of 33 prominent Republicans who are endorsing his effort. Supporters include state Senate Minority Leader Ron Wieck and former Senate President Jeff Lamberti."

We have long known that the Republicans are not going to go out without a fight. In all of Tom's previous elections, well-funded conservatives have waged hard and dirty campaigns, laden with distortions of Tom's tremendous record of accomplishment. We expect this campaign to be no different.

Tom is unafraid of Republican attacks and has repeatedly stood up for us by taking on the Bush Administration. In fact, last year Tom was literally the strongest congressional critic of the Bush status quo, as he won the distinction of being "the most vetoed Senator" by the Administration.

Iowans want positive change, and that's why Tom is taking nothing for granted and is hard at work to build a blue Iowa in 2008.

Please show your support for real change in Washington by clicking here to make a donation to our campaign today.

Thank you for your support.


Jeff Link
Campaign Manager
Citizens for Harkin

Still Waiting on Hill

With the chatter getting louder about Hillary Clinton finally bailing out of the race for President, I figured I would hit up the Iowa v.i.p.'s to see if they wanted to add to the volume. Nope. Far from it.

Jerry Crawford, a top Iowa advisor, thinks she oughta keep going. Tom Vilsack takes it a step further. First of all, he says NBC's Tim Russert has something against Clinton. He has made that obvious with his coverage, Vilsack claims. (Russert, after Obama's big North Carolina win and narrow Indiana loss, said the race is over). Vilsack thinks Clinton can still win. BTW, he also thinks she had a "good" night Tuesday. For the record, I didn't hear that from anyone else I talked with the entire day. Vilsack said Clinton needs to win the upcoming states and win over the unpledged superdelegates. He also said Clinton needs to get superdelegates already pledged to Obama to switch to her. I can't find a case of that happening so far.

Third District Congressman Leonard Boswell, another Clinton backer, is still backing. Here are his words from his staff.

“I will support the eventual nominee for president. At this time, there are still millions of voters out there that have a right to vote in their primary. We need to be patient and let the process work. I am confident the situation will be settled before the Democratic National Convention.”

So what about those undecided, overly coveted superdelegates??? Democratic Party Chair Scott Brennan is still staying neutral. Come on, Scott, give us some news! But Brennan doesn't sound like he thinks Clinton has much of a shot to win the nomination. Our other undecided super Senator Tom Harkin (who seemed pretty cozy with Obama at the Steak Fry. Yes, it was the Steak Fry of '06, but I'm saying...) Anyway, if you are waiting to hear Harkin say, get out, HRC, well, you will keep waiting.

“This nominating contest has given more Americans the opportunity to see the candidates up close and has energized our party with new voters. That is a good thing. I believe that every Democrat should have the opportunity to vote in their state's primary or caucus and let their voice be heard.”

ETC...

But the biggest news of all....Def Leppard is coming to the Iowa State Fair August 16th (the day after my birthday). Wanna guess what I want for a present this year? I wonder if I can get my 80s hair back by then... No, I better not. A mullet would stand out too much at the fair...

Spinning...

A big loss in North Carolina. A narrow win in Indiana. Plus, she had to dig into her own bank account (again) to help pay the bills--$6.4 mil this time, $5 mil last time. But Hillary Clinton doesn't look like she's giving up. I'm trying to get a hold of her top supporters in Iowa. Should she punt or hope for the Hail Mary pass here? The numbers don't seem to work out in any reasonable scenario for her to win the nomination. Is she just hoping for another Reverend Wright story times 100? Or maybe Barack Obama will just spontaneously combust?

ETC...

I don't want to rip on our print brothers and sisters (television has its own economic woes and challenges these days). But have you seen the newest, new version of the Des Moines Register?

The paper is thinner. No doubt. But it sure looks whiter, too.

A paper from last week is on top (before the changes); one from today is underneath. Notice any extra white in the margins?

Barry Clinton or St. Louis Rockies

Such a tough choice tonight. Clinton vs. Obama on the cable news outlets. My St. Louis Cardinals against Colorado on FOX sports. What to do...what to do. Too bad this tv doesn't have picture in picture. Oh, well.


I predicted earlier in the day it would be a split tonight, in the political game, I mean. I figured Obama had to take North Carolina. And I thought (sort of confidently) that Clinton could take Indiana. But as I write this, Obama's making a charge. Indiana looks to be pretty close.


If that holds up, Clinton sure is going to have a tough time selling herself to the remaining undecided superdelegates. I mean, what is her argument? She's been talking about all this momentum. But the big mo is m.i.a. tonight. I don't see how a butt-kicking in Carolina and, at best, a squeaker in Indy looks like the big mo. But the Clintons are masters at spin. That's why she pays her spinners all those millions, right? They'll earn their money tomorrow.

Debate over Debates

Leonard Boswell's campaign says he's too busy to debate, with the Farm Bill and all. Ed Fallon's not buying it. He thinks, surely, Boswell can find one day somewhere to debate him. After all, Fallon says the candidates have received at least 10 requests to go head-to-head.

Boswell did debate Republican Jeff Lamberti back in 2006. He didn't debate Republican Stan Thompson in 2002.

Mac's Back

John McCain makes his return to Iowa later today. I get five minutes with him after his health care town hall meeting at the Polk Co. Convention Complex. Those five minute interviews are always kind of tough. Not much time to really get into very much. While we're hearing early on, Iowa will again be a battleground state for the Presidentials this fall, you wonder exactly what that means. Barack Obama clearly did much better in this state. So does that mean he'll hit it a lot harder if he's the nominee than Hillary Clinton, who didn't do as well. Plus, she hasn't exactly talked up this state or the caucus process since she left town.

The following is a joke forwarded to me. You right-leaners will like it a lot more than the lefties. Indies, I don't know what you'll think of it. I'll try to post these from time to time just so you can see what's being passed along to in boxes these days.

Read it all the way thru-- You will smile and shake your head yes. You will love it

Robin Williams, wearing a shirt that says 'I love New York ' in Arabic. You gotta love Robin Williams.... Even if he's nuts! Leave it to Robin Williams to come up with the perfect plan. What we need now is for our UN Ambassador to stand up and repeat this message. Robin Williams' plan...(Hard to argue with his logic!) 'I see a lot of people yelling for peace but I have not heard of a plan for peace. So, here's one plan.'

1) The US will apologize to the world for our 'interference' in their affairs, past and present. You know, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Tojo, Noriega, Milosevic, Hussein, and the rest of those 'good ole boys'. We will never 'interfere' again.

2) We will withdraw our troops from all over the world, starting with Germany , South Korea , the Middle East, and the Philippines . They don't want us there. We would station troops at our borders. No one allowed sneaking through holes in the fence.

3) All illegal aliens have 90 days to get their affairs together and leave. We'll give them a free trip home. After 90 days the remainder will be gathered up and deported immediately, regardless of whom or where they are. They're illegal!!! France will welcome them.

4) All future visitors will be thoroughly checked and limited to 90 days unless given a special permit!!!! No one from a terrorist nation will be allowed in. If you don't like it there, change it yourself and don't hide here. Asylum would never be available to anyone. We don't need any more cab drivers or 7-11 cashiers.

5) No foreign 'students' over age 21. The older ones are the bombers. If they don't attend classes, they get a 'D' and it's back home, baby.

6) The US will make a strong effort to become self-sufficient energy wise. This will include developing nonpolluting sources of energy but will require a temporary drilling of oil in the Alaskan wilderness. The caribou will have to cope for a while.

7) Offer Saudi Arabia and other oil producing countries $10 a barrel for their oil. If they don't like it, we go someplace else. They can go somewhere else to sell their production. (About a week of the wells filling up the storage sites would be enough.)

8) If there is a famine or other natural catastrophe in the world, we will not 'interfere.' They can pray to Allah or whomever, for seeds, rain, cement or whatever they need. Besides most of what we give them is stolen or given to the army. The people who need it most get very little, if anything.

9) Ship the UN Headquarters to an isolated island someplace. We don't need the spies and fair weather friends here. Besides, the building would make a good homeless shelter or lockup for illegal aliens.

10) All Americans must go to charm and beauty school. That way, no one can call us, 'Ugly Americans' any longer. The Language we speak is ENGLISH...learn it...or LEAVE...Now, isn't that a winner of a plan? 'The Statue of Liberty is no longer saying 'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses.' She's got a baseball bat and she's yelling, 'you want a piece of me?' ' If you agree with the above forward it to friends...If not, and I would be amazed, DELETE it!!

Regency Headed to Bankruptcy?

A lot of tears in West Des Moines right now. Regency Homes is laying off employees as a result of the housing crisis. I'm told it's 103 employees. That's on top of the 26 the company let go in January. A letter handed out at the company warned of "deep layoffs". It didn't mention bankruptcy. It said, "our (Regency's) debt outweighs our current obligations."

No comment from Regency yet.

One More

It's 3:35pm. The jury is ready to give its verdict. Defendants Jane Barto and Karen Tesdell have arrived from their hotel. We're still waiting on the other defendant, Dan Albritton.

This is the Day

The jurors WILL reach a verdict today in the CIETC salary scandal trial in Davenport. Guarantee it. No, just kidding. Just wishful thinking. Gone are the back-to-back days of beautiful, sunny days with temps in the 70s. It still might be close to 70, but it's crummy outside today. Dark and rainy. Appropriate for our mood as the jury drags into its third full day of deliberations.

There's just not a lot to write about. We think the jury is getting lunch again at the Starting Line bar down the street again. We ate there Tuesday. They ran out of chicken and iced tea. Good thing I didn't want either of them. I did order chicken wings. Apparently, wings were in ample supply. No luck if you are more of a breast guy.

We had good Italian yesterday for lunch. I had the all-you-can-eat spaghetti. Although, much to the disappointment of my table mates, I only had one plate. Not sure what today brings. We like to wait until the jury orders, so we know it's safe to leave the building.

Yes. There's not much happening yet. But when it does, we want our bellies full.

A CIETC Diversion

Day 2 has been far from titillating so far here at the federal courthouse in Davenport. Sure would be nice to be a fly on the wall in the jury room, wouldn't it? Just what are those 12 people talking about?

Meantime, how 'bout that Presidential race? It ain't over just yet. Hillary Clinton had to win Pennsylvania. No doubt about it. Some of the pundits figured she really needed a double digit win to win over undecided superdelegates or at least convince them not to go for Barack Obama yet. Obama has to be disappointed. Sure, his people will say he closed a 25 point deficit or so. But it does seem like early on, the campaign downplayed how hard it would play in Penn. Based on the money and time he spent there though, it's hard to say the campaign didn't try to win. It just didn't happen. Question is now (at least one of the questions is) can Clinton raise enough cash just to keep going? Will she dig into the Clinton bank account again and lend herself some dough? Can't her hubby just go give another high dollar speech someplace? If you have relatives in North Carolina and Indiana (who both hold their primaries May 6th), you can bet they'll be getting some extra attention in the next few weeks.

Here's what the two candidates are sending out to supporters...

Dear Dave,

Thanks to you, we won a critically important victory tonight in Pennsylvania. It's a giant step forward that will transform the landscape of the presidential race. And it couldn't have happened without you. There will be much more to do beginning tomorrow. But tonight, let's just celebrate the fact that you and I are part of a remarkable community of people tough enough, passionate enough, and determined enough to win big when everything is on the line.

Thanks so much for all you do.

Sincerely, Hillary Rodham Clinton


Dave --

Votes are still being counted in Pennsylvania, but one thing is already clear. In a state where we trailed by more than 25 points just a couple weeks ago, you helped close the gap to a slimmer margin than most thought possible. Thanks to your support, with just 9 contests remaining, we've won more delegates, more votes, and twice as many contests. We hold a commanding position, but there are two crucial contests coming up -- voters will head to the polls in North Carolina and Indiana in exactly two weeks. And we're already building our organization in the other remaining states.

But it's clear the attacks are going to continue, and we're going to continue fighting a two-front battle against John McCain and Hillary Clinton.

I need your support right now. Please make a donation of $25:
https://donate.barackobama.com/whatthismeans

Thank you for all that you're doing to change our country.
Barack

Waiting...

Why exactly did we hurry here to the federal courthouse in Davenport this morning? I suppose it's paranoia. I didn't want to be lolly gagging at the hotel while the jury came back with a verdict in the CIETC salary scandal. No worries. Definitely, no worries.

If it weren't for the company of fellow reporters, the federal marshals, that mocha espresso, and, of course, the sheer bitterness of looking out through the window at this postcard-perfect sunny day, there wouldn't be much to keep us awake.

Unlike when I was here last time, there are no people in the "waiting room" outside the courtroom. No one's waiting to testify. No supportive family members help pass the time. It's empty. Of course, at this point, there's no reason to be here.

The jurors have been going at it since 8:30 this morning. The only activity so far is a request from them to again look at a c.d. that had audio recordings of an old CIETC board meeting. It's after 4pm now. You wonder if they'll quit for the night soon and try again tomorrow.

No sign of any of the defendants or their attorneys. They are all just a phone call away though when the jury reaches a decision. Whenever that is.

Price Likes Obama: David Endorses Barack

You know, they say we reporters need to stay neutral. We need to stay unbiased. Don't let who we like get in the way of our job. But it's time for David Price to tell the world who he likes. David Price believes Barack Obama is the best choice out there to become President of the United States.

No, not this David Price.

THIS David Price.

This Price is a former poli sci prof at Duke and current N Carolina Congressman. He's also an all-important superdelegate. Perhaps, a lot more important than that other David Price.

Sing Us a Song

(This was my view at Billy Joel. Yeah, I know the camera phone pic stinks. I'm looking for a new phone).

Billy Joel was the entertainer last night at the "Well" in downtown Des Moines. It wasn't a sellout. But he did still pack 'em in. A couple of interesting moments... During the second or third song, all of a sudden, he just stopped singing. He said he "swallowed a bug" or something. I was a bit skeptical. He had been coughing quite a bit (away from the microphone) earlier and continued to do so throughout the concert. He even made mention of some type of throat spray he was using to help. He said Madonna also uses it, so maybe he would start dressing better. ???

He also brought up the obvious...his appearance. He introduced himself as "Billy Joel's dad". He definitely has aged since I remember him. Of course, he's lived a pretty hard life. Maybe that has something to do with it.

The biggest ovation probably didn't come for him. But rather, it came for a "roadie" as Joel called him. He said this guy had been following the band for years and tried out for American Idol but wasn't "telegenic" enough (I think he was kidding). He said the band was going to give this guy a chance to sing and it would be some type of religious or spiritual song. He added maybe it would resonate with us as we were heading home after the concert. We soon found out why. It was hardly spiritual. It was "Highway to Hell" by AC/DC. And it was great! The guy was awesome...this middle-aged guy, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt that maybe fit him 20 pounds ago. He brought the place to its feet and then some. BTW, the Piano Man was good, too.

Smokers, Go Outside

Today, Governor Chet Culver signed the smoking bill in the Statehouse rotunda before I'd guess 300-400 people who gathered on two floors to watch. In case you weren't sure, that's his picture above. He's the one with the nameplate put in front of the temporary table set up for the event.

Lots of handshaking and smiles. Not a lot of time for us media folk. We assumed the Gov would want to talk about "this historic day" after the bill signing and what it means for Iowans' health. We assumed he'd have time for us. Was he worried at all about talk of a class action lawsuit from bar owners who are ticked off that casinos got a pass on the ban? Was he concerned the ban would be tough to enforce?

Trips to Disney World, the Master's in Augusta, Georgia, Kosovo and campaigning for Barack Obama in Pennsylvania have kept him away from the state he governs in recent weeks. Since he's back in Iowa now, we thought we'd be able to catch up with him. We were wrong.

BTW, I'm told the legislative session should end next week.

Attention, Herb Lovers

I don't even know how many emails our station has received from people who are "interested" in the University of Iowa researchers looking for people willing to help out with a pot study (they may also get 600 bucks to do it). Quit emailing us acting like you are just "curious". Here's how to get a hold of the guy:

By the way, what do you think of legalizing marijuana? It's not exactly a hot topic at the Iowa Statehouse, but just wondering what you think of the idea.

ETC...

Congrats to me (well, and Carroll's Dave Olson, Charles City's Brian Fiser and Council Bluffs' Matt Baker). We just won the league bowling championship last night at Plaza Lanes in Des Moines. Not that I'm bragging about our group of B-Rollers:)

More importantly, we want to send our best wishes to Ed Bangs. Ed manages Plaza Lanes. He had a heart attack at work Thursday night. He is set to undergo a double bypass today in Des Moines. Ed is a guy who's always willing to give you a tip (for free) and patient enough to wait around until you get it right. He's also a former New York city cop who doesn't put up with any crap in his bowling alley. Good luck, Ed. We can't wait to see you back at work soon.

The Soggy End

Richard Running took the stand too uncomfortably close to the end of the day for us. We were pushing to get our stories ready for the 5pm news. Running didn't walk into the courtroom until going on 4:30. Not all that much excitement, at least from what I could tell. He did offer a juicy headline. He said CIETC was "the problem child" for similar agencies in the state because of its history of money problems.

Running seemed to stick up for Janet Barto, his former Deputy Director at Iowa Workforce Development, a few times. He said she did the job of two people during her time there. He did testify he didn't know about the financial questions about CIETC until a month before the State Auditor's office released its report in April of 2006. He and Barto, of course, were supposed to know, since they headed IWD, which was supposed to oversee the dough at CIETC.

It seems like it's rained the entire time during my two plus days here in Davenport.

And look at the toll it took on my notebook. The wind picked it up...and dropped it...right in the middle of a puddle.

Time to clear out. Loretta Lynn's about to play across the street. Who knew she still performed? I thought I passed Lyle Lovett in the bathroom. I'm not kidding.

Day 2, Part 4

Richard Running is waiting his turn. He's the former Director of Iowa Workforce Development, the state organization that was supposed to watch over the dough given to CIETC. Then-Governor Tom Vilsack canned him for apparently not doing that.

Running has been standing and looking out the window here at the federal courthouse in Davenport. Occasionally, he looks down at some notes laid out on the window sill in front of him. I wonder what's going through his head as he waits to say what he knows about this salary scandal? After all, his former IWD Deputy Director Jane Barto is one of the three fighting to stay out of the state pen right now. I wonder if they've seen each other or talked since they both got fired.

Yesterday, I mentioned we had some awesome, rosemary potatoes at the Urban Grill for our breakfast (we went back there today and I ordered the exact same thing). A smarty-pants person over at the Statehouse sent me her recipe:

Red potatoes, cut them in halves or quarters and put on a greased baking sheet.
lots of olive oil over top

sprinkle w/ kosher salt and rosemary flakes

350 degrees 30 mins? (i usually just eyeball it)

could add garlic too, if that's your thing.

For the record, I already have a similar recipe. But the ones we had here are better:)

Day 2, Part 3

Jack Cline, we know now, also became Ramona Cunningham's gambling partner back in the day. Klein, a former supervisor at CIETC, said he went gambling in Altoona, Council Bluffs and Osceola. He figures Cunningham told staffers they were going gambling "several times a week."

I forgot to mention this from yesterday...Sam Fucolara, "Ramona's b*$%!" as we've now heard that he was called by co-workers, worked on Dan Albritton's garden while he was supposed to be working for CIETC. He said Cunningham asked him to do it. She was there, too. He didn't say she helped...with the garden.

O.K., maybe I'm just a loopy after my Mountain Dew at lunch, which followed by a.m. mocha latte, but do you find this scenario a little funny?-The U.S. Asst. Attorney asks each Polk County Supervisor on the witness stand: "Are you familiar with CIETC?" They respond, "Yes." Hell, my Mom and Dad know what CIETC is. And they live in Illinois!

BTW, the Sups gave $750 grand over 3 years (from 2003-2005) to CIETC. They each testified they thought the money went for job training. They say they knew nothing that the money would go for bonuses.

Day 2, Part 2

We have a quick break, so I need to catch up. Another former CIETC'er, Pamela Jones, said at one point she asked Ramona Cunningham if she had something going on with Dan Albritton. Cunningham, she said, no, because Albritton was "gay". Doesn't quite jive with what others have already said.

I just passed the Gang of 4 in the hallway. They're "on deck". Polk CO Supervisors EJ Giovannetti, Bob Brownell, Angela Connolly, and Tom Hockensmith. The other Sup isn't on the witness list, John Maura. You'd have to figure that's a guy Republicans would love to have seen get wrapped up in this whole mess.

Former Sup, Nathan Brooks is also waiting his turn to talk. He also used to work at CIETC.

My Day 2

Sex, lies and rubber stamps. How can today compare with that? David Stanley is on the stand right now. He's another former CIETC'er. The f-bombs are have found their way back into the federal courtroom here in Davenport.

Yesterday, another former CIETC'er, Sam Fucalaro, started the f-bomb train. Apparently, other workers at CIETC used to refer to him as "Ramona's b*!$&". He said he did very little work at CIETC. Sometimes he would go drinking with Ramona Cunningham. Sometimes he would also go with Jane Barto, the former number two at Iowa Workforce Development. One time he said he went to Las Vegas with Cunningham to represent CIETC at a convention. But he said he couldn't tell anything about the convention, because they had no plans to go. The purpose he said was for him to be the distraction. Cunningham didn't want people to know she took the trip so she could have a little private time with her man, and former CIETC board member, Dan Albritton. They were in love, Fucalaro testified. Back to the f-bombs.

Fucalaro said one time Albritton and Cunningham "faked" a big argument at CIETC, just so people wouldn't think they were together. He said they even called him the night before, so he wouldn't "loose his cool" when he saw them fighting. He has quite a temper, he admitted.

Albritton cussed him out and threatened him, Fucalaro said (that's where all the f-bombs come into play here) if he exposed the goings on.

O.K., back to today. David Stanley testified he also saw this "fight" between Cunnnigham and Albritton. Not nearly as juicy as the way Fucalaro described it. But Stanley did say he heard Albritton yelling at Cunningham as he left, "You, f-ing b*$#!". Stanley did ask the judge beforehand if could swear like that.

Mary Zimmerman, another former CIETC'er, said Ramona Cunningham told her to find some work for a woman named Diane Smith. Smith at the time worked part-time for Albritton. Zimmerman testified that Cunningham told her Albritton asked if CIETC could hire Smith because he didn't have full-time work for her.

The sun just came out. It's about time. I got drenched last night trying to tape a piece for tv for 10pm. My clothes still don't feel dry.

CIETC, part 4

Sex, a rubber stamp and now we have gambling on company time...and your dime. Chuck Brooks, who is Archie Brooks' big brother, said he, Victor Scaglione and Ramona Cunningham would gamble as much as 100 to 125 times over a three-year period while they were on the clock (if there was such a thing at CIETC). Brooks said he was the driver to get the trio to Prairie Meadows (they also went to the former Lakeside Casino in Osceola and Meskwaki in Tama). Normally, Brooks testified they'd gambling on Mondays, Thursdays and sometimes Fridays. They'd usually leave about 10am, he said, and return before 1. That is, unless they went to Lakeside and Meskwaki; then, it was essentially an all-day thing.

Brooks just said Ramona Cunningham wanted him to forge a signature one time, his brother's. She told him, he testified, that he should practice it first. He said Cunningham said it was a "routine document" and that Archie was busy in a meeting. Brooks said he refused to do it.

CIETC, part 3

The rain might be playing a bigger role here in Davenport. This is at least the second time Archie Brooks has asked for a question to be repeated. Each time the rain picks up upside, it gets louder pounding on the roof above us here in the federal courthouse.

Brooks just finished up and left the courtroom.

Dave Reed, the current Boone Co. Supervisor and former CIETC board member just took the stand. He's having problems with the rain, too. He has at least twice asked to have the question repeated to him, one time specifically saying he was having problems with the sound of the rain "going on".

More problems with the sound of the rain. Is this now the sixth time or so this a.m.?

Reed said he didn't know back during the CIETC days, even though he was vice-chair of the board, who got bonuses or how much execs received. He did say he didn't think Karen Tesdell's salary was "excessive".

CIETC, part 2

The man who didn't want to talk to Brooks doesn't seem all that interested in what Brooks is saying on the stand. Well, unless he fully concentrates with his eyes closed and head bobbing. I wish I knew who he was. BTW, he's one of about only four others in this room, who aren't jurors, lawyers, judges, security, defendants or reporters (or our sketch artist Katie, who's really nice and unfortunately battling a little carpal tunnel in her "sketching arm").

This rain overhead is really annoying. It's having the same effect as a faucet running, if you know what I mean. Or maybe it was that espresso I gulped down before I came in here. Although it was worth it. Great breakfast this a.m, btw. We found a cool little place called the Urban Grind just a few blocks away. I had an omelet with grated cheese and mushrooms. But the best part of the meal were the potatoes. Rosemary apparently is the secret ingredient. I checked with the owner, Bill, just to make sure. I need to figure out how to make them. I wish I would have had more than seven minutes to eat them all though.

Back to the testimony... The attorney for Jane Barto (the former head of Iowa Workforce Development) repeatedly made the point with Brooks that he didn't "conspire" with Barto, only that he did with Ramona Cunningham (CIETC's former CEO and Brooks' former lover, according to his testimony).

Man, the rain is really coming down outside. It's pretty loud. The judge just asked an attorney to repeat his comment.

Brooks just let out a big sign on the stand. It's time for a break again.

CIETC

I have CIETC duty today. It's my first day covering this now in its fourth day here in Davenport. It's a miserable-looking today outside. Chilly and rainy. We're constantly reminded here inside. There's the constant, annoying patter of the rain on the roof. Judge Robert Pratt judge told the jurors to let him know if the sound of the rain drowns out what they're trying to hear here in the courtroom.

Archie Brooks has been on the stand this morning. So far, he has been saying he approved those huge bonuses for CIETC execs under the guidance of then-CEO Ramona Cunningham.

The judge just let everyone take a break for a few minutes. Brooks walked around the hallway. He then tried to sit down next to a man seated at the end of the row next to me. The man told Brooks to get away. I don't know who the man is. Now, Brooks paced around in the courtroom, stopping to look up at the roof as the sound of the rain continued.

We're back in action. Brooks is denying that he is the one who signed a handful of CIETC documents. I seem to remember him telling me when the story "was breaking" that he did sign documents. I questioned why the signatures looked so different in appearance. Brooks said he had had a stroke. Apparently, his memory has changed now that he is on the stand.

He testified that he did sign SOME documents giving the raise. He said on two occasions he signed two of them after he had "sexual contact" with Ramona Cunningham. He didn't elaborate. Neither did the attorney.

Light Em Up

It's 11:37am here at the Iowa Statehouse. The smoking debate has just started (again) in the house. A few minutes ago, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy stopped by to say he had no idea how this vote would turn out. He said he thought as of earlier this a.m., it may have 50 or 51 votes. Of course, if everyone's here and everybody votes, this needs 51 to make it through. So this could be an interesting vote. The smoking stoop outside may be a crowded one.

Last night, the Conference Committee agreed to ban smoking almost everywhere in public except for on casino gaming floors (if you needed a reminder of just how powerful the casinos are in this state) and in the Iowa Veterans' Home in Marshalltown.

1205pm...The votes are in...finally. 54 yes and 45 no. Republican Linda Upmeyer of Garner said her voting machine didn't work correctly and her vote didn't register. During the voting, for a time, this bill actually failed. At one point, there were 50 no's which would have killed it. But then a few no's disappeared.

By my eye, Helen Miller of Ft. Dodge waited and waited to decide. She finally went with a yes vote. That gave the 51 necessary votes. Then a few others changed their votes from no to yes. Democrats Paul Bell of Newton and Kurt Swaim of Bloomfield both switched to the yes side. A few others must have switched, as well, but I couldn't see who they were.

Wanna Spend Your Money

Hillary Clinton and her husband raked in $109 million in the past eight years. But she needs money. Barack Obama is schooling her on how to raise dollars in this presidential campaign (he took in $40 mil last month, twice her take). So the Clintons are resorting to good old-fashioned begging...but begging with a twist. Hillary, Bill and Chelsea (or so the emails say) sent out messages to supporters asking for cash. Chelsea even sent out one saying if you donated, you get registered to win a night with the Clintons at a private concert in New York with "The Rocket Man" Elton John or "Sharon" as the internet tells me Rod Stewart nicknamed him.

If Sir Elton doesn't sound like your type, how about a shot playing the conductor? Send your money to help Clinton in Pennsylvania, and you get to decide how the campaign spends your dough. Here's the email she sent to supporters:

We need yard signs to show our campaign's strength. We need vans to get Pennsylvania voters to the polls on April 22. We need ads on the air and online to compete against the Obama campaign. And starting today, you can decide just how your contributions will help us win Pennsylvania. MyPA, our new online effort dedicated to winning the Pennsylvania primary on April 22, allows you to designate exactly where you want your money to go.This campaign is your campaign. Every single day I think about how much I owe to your generosity and hard work. I wouldn't be where I am now without your support. So, I want to make sure you have a say in how your money is spent. We face an opponent who is outspending us by as much as 4 to 1 -- I need your help now.

Click here to visit MyPA, make a contribution, and tell us where to put your dollars in our campaign to win Pennsylvania! I need your help to win in Pennsylvania and the races beyond. Your commitment and your investment are absolutely critical. I cannot win without your help. I hope you'll show your support now and tell us exactly where you want your money spent in our Pennsylvania campaign. I appreciate all your input, all your support, and all the hard work you do. Sincerely, Hillary Rodham Clinton

If you're up late tonight, tip back a cold one. At a minute past midnight 75 years ago, prohibition ended and beer drinkers could celebrate once again.

7 Years

I really can't believe it. 7 years. Today is my seven year anniversary at WHO-TV. Amazing. I mean, it's Des Moines. It's Iowa. Boring, nothing-to-do here Iowa. Or so that's how it may seem to anyone who hasn't been here. Boy, were they wrong. Boy, was I wrong. Why didn't I come here sooner?

My Lucky 7

7 days I worked a week in the weeks/months before the Iowa Caucuses. No regrets.
6 th day of October will always now be extra special.
5 places I've lived since I moved here (Including the week I stayed at the Heartland Inn)
4 B-Rollers on our bowling team at Plaza Lanes. Two weeks til the championship.
3 Mizzou friends who convinced me to join them at WHO. Thanks.
2 Dam to Dams I've run. Number three is eight weeks away.
1 amazing wife. I went to Mizzou the same time Emily did. It took moving to Des Moines for me to meet her. Sunday is our 6 month anniversary. So glad I came here.

Thanks, Iowa

McCain's Scary, Birthing a Porcupine and Chill, Bill

Iowa Senator Tom Harkin is giving us a few things to talk about. He rips on McCain, defends Hillary's choice to stay in, tells Bill to chill and refuses to discuss private talk with his wife.

This is from his conference call with Iowa reporters Thursday morning. It's rather long. I picked out the highlights. The number at the beginning of each of the following lines shows you where to slide the bar so you can get right to the comment.

Listen here:

3:30 won’t say recession because of the psychological effects of the word

6:27 when will Harkin (who is an undecided Iowa superdelegate) decide? he hopes he won’t have to. he thinks the dems race will be decided before the convention. and then at the convention, he wants dems to eliminate the superdelegate system.

6:55 Hillary should not end her campaign

11:30 Bill needs to "chill out"

12:20 Hillary and Barack have received instructions of no personal attacks. Stick to the issues.

13:00 He won’t say whether his wife, Ruth (who is a prominent Hillary supporter and used to work for Bill) is pushing him to endorse Hillary.

13:50 Trying to come up with a new farm bill is like “giving birth to a porcupine”

26:10 talks about John McCain’s temper…"it can be scary”

The Repub of Party of Iowa isn't too thrilled with the "scary" comment. Here's the release:

(DES MOINES) – Republican Party of Iowa Communications Director Tim Albrecht issued the following statement today in response to Sen. Tom Harkin’s comments during a conference call he held today:

“Tom Harkin’s remarks are shameful. Sen. McCain has honorably served his country, and deserves admiration and respect. Perhaps Sen. Harkin should focus on his own party’s presidential race, where there is plenty of mud to go around. Unfortunately, Tom Harkin’s liberal record mirrors that of his would-be nominee, and he goes to excruciating lengths to distance himself from it every 6 years, when his own name is on the ballot.

“The only thing that is ‘scary’ to Tom Harkin is Sen. McCain’s strength as the Republican nominee.”

Jack's Story

A little boy named Jack is trying to have a big impact on a fight he doesn't deserve. Jack Hoeger, is from the Cedar Rapids area. He suffers from an incredibly rare brain cancer. Jack is only eight. But to let you know how strong he is, he is dedicating his fight to a family friend who has already lost his fight with cancer.

Jack's story is now featured on Lance Armstrong Foundation Livestrong web site.

"Get to Know Jack's" YouTube video

The Key to the Keystone...a Hawkeye?

The man who helped Barack Obama cruise to victory in Iowa will now try to find a better path for Obama in Pennsylvania. Paul Tewes, Obama's Iowa State Director, who also headed Al Gore's efforts in Iowa, now takes over the campaign in Pennsylvania.

Here are the details from NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan...

Paul Tewes, Obama's state director in Iowa, will head to the Keystone State tomorrow to take over the campaign's GOTV operation. "Now that the voter registration deadline has passed, we have entered the GOTV phase of the campaign in Pennslyvania," Deputy Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer said. "Tewes has joined the Pennsylvania campaign on the ground here to lead this effort." Pfeiffer added that Jim DeMay, who had been the state director up until this point will "continue to play an advisory role our campaign." DeMay was Gore's Pennsylvania state director in 2000. Added Pfieffer, "While we remain the underdog, we are working as hard as we can to get as many votes as possible." Tewes has a strong track record. Under his leadership, the Obama campaign conducted an extensive grassroots effort in Iowa that helped the campaign win by 8 points.

It's Been Too Long

I've gone blog-less for too long now. Sorry, sniper fire has kept me hiding low. BTW, how exactly, does a person think she took a trip once and came under sniper fire? And it turns out, she didn't. Does that mean she confused this particular visit with another one where she did come under sniper fire? Interesting.

ETC.
Stray cats are trying to take over the word, but a local group just received some national props for helping.

I just started physical therapy on my shoulder. Both shoulders actually. It turns out I'm having pain for more than 5 years (or at least this is a theory) in my left shoulder from holding my cell phone. Pitiful. A message for everyone with whom I've ever spoken...I'm suing you!

And I may be having leftover pain in my right shoulder from our last softball game last year. Last year! It sucks getting old. But Nancy at Mercy West told me she's been physical therapy-ing for more than 30 years. So I think I'm in good hands. I hope so. I'm falling apart.

The 10

10 Iowa legislators will try to do what 150 could not: agree on a smoking ban for the state. The ten will start work Thursday as members of a conference committee, charged with coming up with a compromise. The debate would seem not to be on a smoking ban, but rather what exemptions should the ban have. Senate Democratic Leader Mike Gronstal has already said the senate won't go for exemptions for bars and restaurants. And since this conference committee is only to consider previous exemptions, that would seem to leave casinos as the center of argument. Gambling only on casino floors seems to be the best bet now.

One guy to watch in all of this is Cedar Rapids Democratic Representative Tyler Olson. He has been the face of the anti-smoking efforts on the house floor. But he has something else to think about. His wife was due to deliver the couple's first child last Saturday in Cedar Rapids. And she still hasn't. So needless to say, he's looking for quick compromise...on the smoking ban, I mean.

Here are the ten legislators involved in the talks for now. Click on their names to email them what you want them to do on this.


Senate

Bill Dotzler (D) His mom owns a bar. Do you think he'll keep fighting to keep an exemption for his mom's place?
Joe Bolkcom (D)
Staci Appel (D) Lead the floor debate to pass the senate's full smoking ban.
Mark Zieman (R)
Ron Wieck (R)

House

Tyler Olson (D) Wants complete ban. But make room for baby.
Janet Peterson (D) Wants complete ban.
Mike Reasoner (D)
Cecil Dolecheck (R) Argued on floor against the ban.
Chuck Soderburg (R)

Bottle Bill

Governor Chet Culver still hasn't given up yet on his idea to expand the state's 30 year old bottle bill deposit law. He no longer wants to make you pay more. He had pitched the idea of doubling the deposit to a dime, but only giving you eight cents back. That didn't go over well with Iowans or their legislators. Now, he wants to keep the deposit at a nickel. But he's adamant that lawmakers still expand the bill to include most every drink sold in a plastic container.

Lt Governor Patty Judge today threw out the idea that redemption centers get two cents from distributors instead of one. Redemption centers say they have survived on just a penny for the last 30 years and it's time they got a little more. Distributors, of course, don't like this. They say this would be a $19 million tax increase and they would pass the costs on to consumers. They would prefer the state scrap the deposits altogether and use curbside recycling for everyone. Of course, some towns say they can't afford curbside recycling. That's why they don't do it now. And they say the extra money they would get from the scrap aluminum and plastic from the containers still won't be enough to make this worth.

No matter which idea you prefer, it seems there is at least one group somewhere that says, in the end, any bottle bill expansion will have you paying more. You will either pay more as a taxpayer or as a consumer.

So what makes sense (and cents) here?

Want to send your thoughts to your local legislator? This link will even help you figure out who your local lawmaker is.

ETC.

I need your help to get "Murphy" to the national championship. No, not Iowa Speaker of the House Patrick Murphy.

Help make him a winner!

Fallon Gets STAR Treatment

Ed Fallon's campaign had let us know about a "major announcement" on his behalf in Des Moines Wednesday. The release didn't say what that was.

I think this will help us figure it out thanks to the Iowa Peace List:

Sunday evening STAR*PAC endorsed Ed Fallon for his candidacy to be Iowa's 3rd District Congressman. STAR-PAC will announce our endorsement at Ed Fallon's Press Conference at 8:30 AM this Wednesday morning March 19th at Chet's Fire Station. It is exciting to know that we will have an opportunity to elect a congressman in the mold of Tom Harkin, Bruce Braley and Dave Loebsack.

Please make arrangements to show your support of Ed Fallon by bringing
2 or 3 of your friends to Ed's Wednesday morning Press Conference
Spread this announcement widely to your email contacts – take time to call 3 or 4 and urge their attendance.

Randoms

Looks like the Iowa house will take up (again) that smoking debate Wednesday. Will the members just punt and send this over to a house-senate conference committee for a compromise or will the house take up yet another version of the ban? Maybe just pass the senate version, so everyone can finally move on to something else? BTW, can anyone name anything of significance legislators have done this session? If they don't pass a bottle bill or a smoking ban, what exactly will they accomplish that the general public will actually remember?





As we keep seeing this pictures of Eliot "The Sheriff of the Wall Streetwalkers", I can't help but wonder about his wife. What makes her "stand by him" in public? He's up there talking about how he screwed around on her, humiliated his three daughters and may have broken federal laws to boot, and she just stands next to him. Am I missing something? Why doesn't she just let him have the sleaze stage by himself? Why should she have to do this? Surely, I must be missing something here. Is this how it works in politics?


One other thing...a few female friends have said, they think it might actually be easier to take if their husband cheated on them with a prostitute. A hooker is only a sexual thing they say. An affair with someone else may signal some type of emotional thing. Again, I'm a guy, so maybe I just don't understand this. But does it really matter. I would think if your husband beds down with someone else, it wouldn't matter whether he paid to do it.

When a Win Isn't Yet a Win

Barack Obama may have received the most "votes" in the Iowa Caucus, of course, nothing is official yet. Delegates still have to work their way through the county (this Saturday), district and state conventions. Obama's media staff is still churning out info in the hopes to make sure delegates go Obama's way this weekend (let's remember, the Associated Press estimates John Edwards earned about 14 delegates on caucus night. Those people have to go somewhere. Well, actually, I guess they don't. But some of them will. Probably).

I just got this release:

As Iowans head to the county conventions this weekend, it’s instructive for caucus goers to remember what Senator Clinton has said about the Iowa caucuses since her disappointing finish this past January.

Asked A Few Days Before The Iowa Caucuses Whether They Were Unfair And Ought To Be Eliminated, Bill Clinton Said “No.” After The Vote, Hillary Clinton Said “Iowa Does Not Have The Best Track Record In Determining Who The Parties Nominate” And Added That Iowa “Disenfranchised” Voters Who Work At Night Or Were Out Of State. Still, the Clintons seemed to leave Iowa with a taste of bitterness. Asked a few days before the Iowa vote whether he agreed that the state's caucuses were unfair and ought to be eliminated, Bill Clinton said no. "Obviously, we don't feel that way about it," he said. But it looked a little different after the vote. "Iowa does not have the best track record in determining who the parties nominate," Hillary Clinton told reporters the day after the caucuses. She added that Iowa "disenfranchised" voters who work at night or were out of state because it does not allow absentee ballots in its caucuses. [Washington Post, 1/10/08]

Clinton-Backers Gephardt And Albright Questioned The Rules Of The Caucuses And Added “I Think There Are Issues About Iowa And The Caucus System.” Both Dick Gephardt and Madeline Albright questioned the rules of the caucuses, where victory is decided by the number of delegates the candidates win, rather than the number of votes they receive. Gephardt said: "It's still not clear how far apart they were. They were pretty tightly bunched. It wasn't a blowout victory for Obama. Obviously, you would rather win than lose, but I don't see it as a real loss." Albright questioned the Iowa result, saying: "I think there are issues about Iowa and the caucus system. We all want change but it's necessary to have the experience to make it happen." [Telegraph, 1/7/08]

Clinton Claimed That, In a Caucus, It’s Socially More Difficult For Women Voters And Said “They Would Rather Just Keep Their Vote To Themselves.” During an interview shown this morning on the Today Show, Hillary Clinton made an interesting claim about the peculiarities of the caucus system -- that it's socially more difficult for women voters. “They would rather just keep their vote to themselves,” Hillary said. NBC then followed this with Meredith Vieira's narration that Hillary's campaign had previously carried an air of inevitability -- perhaps a subtle commentary that Hillary is trying to massage expectations against a possible caucus loss. [Huffington Post, 1/2/08]

From TV to the Gov to the Senate? An interesting little political story has been developing the last few weeks. Iowa Governor Chet Culver's Press Secretary Courtney Greene has been said to be entertaining the thought of running for office herself. In full disclosure, Courtney worked here at WHO-TV 13 on several different occasions over the years.

But Courtney said she won't be putting in her paperwork with the Sec of State to file as a Democrat to run against Republican Pat Ward in West Des Moines' Senate District 30. She would have had to ditch the gig in the Gov's office to do it. Although I wouldn't count the run out just yet. If the Dems don't get anyone else, they could always nominate her in the state convention this summer. Stay tuned...

Patty Judge's Confession

Quite honestly, I didn't know there would be much news coming out of the noontime gathering at the Iowa Statehouse. I knew it was a group of new supporters for Barack Obama. They were going to push delegates to vote for Obama this weekend at the county conventions. BTW, four of the 17 there said they originally supported John Edwards.

Two "extras" came out of this. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (a former supporter of Joe Biden) said Iowans should root for Obama because Hillary Clinton won't keep the caucuses first. McCarthy believe Obama will. I haven't heard any Clinton supporter argue to me otherwise yet.

Also, Lt Gov Patty Judge made a confession. She said she and Governor Chet Culver had planned to stay neutral (and publicly silent) about supporting a Prez candidate before the caucus. But she said a few days before the caucus, she told the Gov she wanted to go back home to Albia and caucus for Obama (Culver is also an Obama fan). She went that night to the Monroe County Courthouse, the site of nearly every precinct for the Dems on caucus night. She said she signed in and then starting walking around chatting with her neighbors, friends, etc. By the time she went back to her precinct's site in the building, she was told by the precinct captain she was too late to caucus. The precinct captain was her son. Sorry, mom.

ETC.
St. Louis Cardinals update: the pitching stinks. too little planning, too many injuries, too many times going the cheap route. That's the background on this. There's a pitcher the Cards (mostly their fans) had talked about). Kyle Lohse is a 29 year old right-hander who has decent stuff, but is a loser. His record, that is. His agent apparently thought he was worth about $50 million bucks since the free agent market looked weak. My pitching-weak Cards just signed him to a deal. 1 year, $4.25 million. I wonder how Lohse's agent explained to him why he's now worth $46.75 million less. Must have been a bad winter.

Get Your T-Shirts

I just received this from Mike Huckabee miracle-worker, Eric Woolson. Eric was the campaign manager/communications director for Huckabee's Iowa efforts. Apparently, he's now cleaning house (btw, I don't believe the above graphic is actually on any of the t-shirts. But I found it on-line. Call it a little artistic license on my part).

"It comes as no surprise to most of you who know me: My office is a mess. The problem is, it's my company office, not a campaign headquarters, and that big stack of Huckabee for President T-shirts is one reason why. So, to make sure we find good homes for all those shirts in short order -- and my office space gets back to normal -- we're having a blowout sale this week only.

All Huckabee for President T-shirts in my office are now just $5 plus $1 for postage and handling. (You can't even buy two gallons of gasoline for that price -- and think how much longer this wonderful souvenir of Governor Huckabee's campaign will last.)

Members of the media: I have a SPECIAL OFFER for you! All shirts are just $35.00, $7.50 postage and handling. Just kidding! You receive the SAME GREAT DISCOUNT as everybody else. I know you can't wear one in public, no matter how good your heart is -- and I know you all have very, very good hearts. But you will want one of these high-quality, comfortable white 100-percent cotton T's with that familiar campaign logo you know and love as a cherished keepsake of your time covering the the campaign you loved best.

Check out this great review from a satisfied customer:

"My Huckabee T-shirt took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions. I laughed. I cried. It was better than 'Cats.'" -- Mr. C. Saltsman, Memphis

OK, I made that up. Order today because even though that stack of shirts seems big, quantities are LIMITED. And after this, they really will become collector's items and I will start charging $35 per shirt."

Breathing easier?

Iowa house leaders did an about face. Just a few weeks ago, they didn't think it was a good idea to let you keep smoking in bars, restaurants and casinos. Then, the senate passed a ban nearly everywhere. Now, house members apparently think businesses can't survive without smokers. Businesses, under the house plan passed today, have to ban smoking when anyone under 21 is there. But they can allow it other times (this is providing they also serve alcohol). Restaurants no longer have to offer non-smoking sections.

Here's the vote tally for the day as we wait to see what the senate will do with this.


On the question "Shall the bill pass?" (H.F. 2212)

The ayes were, 59:

Abdul-Samad Anderson Bailey Baudler
Bell Berry Bukta Clute
Cohoon Dandekar Davitt Dolecheck
Ford Frevert Gaskill Gayman
Gipp Heddens Jacobs Jacoby
Jochum Kelley Kressig Kuhn
Lensing Lykam Mascher May
McCarthy Mertz Miller, H. Miller, L.
Oldson Olson, D. Olson, T. Palmer
Petersen Quirk Reasoner Reichert
Schickel Schueller Shomshor Smith
Staed Taylor, D. Taylor, T. Thomas
Tomenga Van Fossen Wendt Wessel-Kroeschell
Whitaker Whitead Wiencek Winckler
Wise Zirkelbach Mr. Speaker
Murphy

The nays were, 40:

Alons Arnold Boal Chambers
De Boef Deyoe Drake Foege
Forristall Granzow Grassley Heaton
Hoffman Horbach Hunter Huseman
Huser Kaufmann Lukan Olson, R.
Olson, S. Paulsen Pettengill Raecker
Rants Rasmussen Rayhons Roberts
Sands Soderberg Struyk Swaim
Tjepkes Tymeson Upmeyer Van Engelenhoven
Watts Wenthe Windschitl Worthan


Absent or not voting, 1:

Greiner

Want to send your thoughts to your local legislator? This link will even help you figure out who your local leader is.

In Bed with Bubba

So which way do you take this... First, you might need to think back to that "3am commercial" Hillary Clinton ran against Barack Obama. You might also think back to Monica Lewinsky, Gennifer Jones and Marilyn Jo Jenkins. Here's the story...

A voter in Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania asked former Prez Bill Clinton, "I think you were probably one of the smartest Presidents we ever had. I would hope that you would be home the night that she (Hillary) receives a call at 3 in the morning."

Think about it for a second..which way do you take this?

Unemployment down...Good?

Iowa's unemployment rate has dropped by a tenth of a point from a year ago. That means another 16,000 Iowans are working now than in Feb 2007. But the Iowa Policy Project cautions not to count up the numbers just yet.

Here's part of the release:

The data set used previously showed that during 2007, nonfarm jobs grew at a pace of about 1,600 per month, slightly ahead of 2006. Newly revised data for 2007 shows only a 1,000 per month gain. “Not only did 2007 come in with a slower job growth, it was only about half of the 1800 per month gains in both 2004 and 2005,” said David Osterberg, Executive Director of the nonpartisan Iowa Policy Project, which tracks Iowa job trends. According to the Department of Workforce Development’s monthly release today, nonfarm employment in Iowa totaled 1,522,900 in January, reflecting a gain of 1,900 jobs from December. However, before a recent, annual statistical adjustment, the December nonfarm total had been estimated slightly higher at 1,527,800. “That means, even with an increase in jobs in January, total jobs are fewer than we had previously recorded,” said Beth Pearson, Research Associate at IPP.

ETC.
Congrats to a couple Forty under 40 tv friends. WHO-TV's early riser, Patrick Dix made the list. So did Tiffany Tauscheck, the wife of my work desk mate and master storyteller, Mark. The whole group of 40 gets a little public recognition at a shindig tonight. Here's the full forty.

No More Gambling for Grassley

Senator Charles Grassley thinks Iowa has enough gambling. He made it clear he wasn't talking as a U.S. Senator when he gave his opinion this afternoon. He only was talking, he says, as a private citizen. He said he is not "an advocate of taking money out of one pocket and putting it in another". He believes Iowa has enough gambling, so he's not hoping the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission decides to grant more licenses in the state. (He did say his grandson, Pat, who is a state legislator, may have more influence on this topic than he would).

Grassley also said he's fine with his party's nominee for Prez, Senator John McCain. Grassley said this year was the first time since 1980 (he thought it was 1980, he said) that he didn't endorse a candidate during the nominating process. He said he "should have made up his mind" earlier though. At the time, he said he "wanted so bad to beat" Senator Hillary Clinton. He added that he thinks it would be easier for McCain to beat Clinton than Obama.

He also plans to campaign on McCain's behalf and said a recent talk with McCain makes him think McCain believes Iowa will be an important state (again) down the stretch as the country picks a President. But he doesn't know for sure how hard McCain would work to keep Iowa's Caucuses first in 2012.

The Face Behind Those Ads

This is now the public face of those anti-Culver ads you've been seeing. Today, David Kochel came forward as the spokesman for the Iowa Future Fund (btw, he called the group's name a "coincidence." I couldn't tell whether he was serious. A few years ago, Senator Tom Harkin used that same name for his political action committee. Coincidence.")

Kochel said the group hasn't broken any laws by not filing paperwork with the state or the feds like the Iowa Democratic Party claims. He said the group is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization, so all it needs to do is file tax returns. The group's defense against the Dems' claims, he says, is it's not campaigning for any candidate. The group is about "education." He wouldn't tell me who contributes to this group. He would not say what Jim Nussle's former campaign manager, Nick Ryan, does for/with the group. He did say the group is made up "mostly of Iowans" and it plans to run more ads in the future.

The Iowa Democratic Party disagrees “If the Iowa Future Fund and David Kochel are truly concerned about substance and not subversion then they should release the names of their donors so Iowans can determine the true motives behind these ads,” said Scott Brennan, Iowa Democratic Party Chair. “I call on the Iowa Future Fund to begin filing disclosure reports in Iowa so that the people of this state know who is polluting their airwaves with lies about the Governor.”

ETC... They called Dmitri Young "Meat Hook" when he played outfield for the St. Louis Cardinals. It was supposedly because of his bad defense. Young had a nice rebound year for Washington last year. He now has health concerns after coming into spring training weighing 298 pounds. 298 pounds for a baseball player...wow! Incidentally, Young signed a $10million extension after that year, when he clearly didn't weigh 298 pounds.

Mr. Chairman

We have the showdown of the Chairmen today at the station. Iowa Democratic State Party Chair Scott Brennan and Republican State Chair Stew Iverson will come in to tape "Channel 13's Insiders" (shameless plug alert: seen Sunday mornings at 9:30) Ya think those anti-Culver ads will come up.

ETC...
O.K., there's no redeeming news value to this, but this Youtube video's worth checking out. A tv anchor totally goes off on the reporter out in the field. And, apparently, the reporter used to be the guy's boss. Juicy... John Bachman would never do that.

And, in honor of my beloved bride, Emily, here are all the celebrities who have a birthday today...

Emily Price, superstar of superstars
Andy Gibb, musician
Berkley Bedell, Iowa Congressman
Marsha Warfield, actress
Michael Irvin, football player
Niki Taylor, zillionaire model

Happy Birthday!

The Ads

It's been the topic of conversation for close to a week now. Who is behind those ads that rip on Governor Chet Culver? It's a group called the Iowa Future Fund.

Reporters quickly started "googling" the group on the Internet. It listed a couple of Democratic attorneys who head the group. Ooh, this sounds juicy. Could it be that Governor Culver has ticked off his fellow Democrats so much they're running attacks against him? Was it the bottle bill idea...keeping some of Iowans' deposits? Was it that combined reporting idea that Tom Vilsack could never get the legislature to pass when he held the office? Nope, not at all. It's no "D" vs. "D" fight, after all.

The Iowa Future Fund is, indeed, a Democratic organization. Or at least, it was. It was the name of Democratic U.S. Senator Tom Harkin's political action committee. But the PAC dissolved about two years ago.

It turns out someone else has brought the fund back to life. But who is it? The Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board couldn't seem to get us any updated information on the group. Paperwork from the group's advertising contracts with television stations shows the group claims an address on Beaver Avenue in Des Moines. We checked out that address. It's a UPS store. We checked out the phone number. It's the number of a law firm, the Holtzman Vogel law firm...in Virginia. Someone on the phone told me The Iowa Future Fund is a client. That person wouldn't tell me who gives money to this fund or who is involved with it.

But Republican sources in Iowa tell me. It's Nick Ryan, Jim Nussle's former campaign manager when Nussle tried and failed to beat Chet Culver for Governor two years ago. As I write this, Ryan hasn't responded to my phone calls.