Americans Can't Identify Obama's Religion

42 percent of Americans can't say what religion Barack Obama is, according to a new nationwide poll by the University of Iowa. 42%? Is that really possible? Is it all those internet-fueled emails people spread to friends, family and co-workers with the allegation Obama is a Muslim? Is this video having an effect?

The poll also found McCain could be in big trouble unless his latest message of "I'm a fighter" works really, really well. About four in five people surveyed think Obama will win the election. McCain sure needs some kind of fight these final three weeks.

Lovable Losers

This Wednesday, central Iowa will be the place for "almosts", "could have beens", "runners up" and "bridesmaids". John Kerry comes here to campaign for Barack Obama. Kerry, of course, lost to George W Bush in 2004. Bob Dole comes to Des Moines at night for the World Food Prize. Bill Clinton beat him in 1996. George McGovern will be here for that event, too. Richard Nixon beat him in 1972.

For good measure, let's remember Al Gore headlined the Iowa Democratic Party's annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner a few weeks ago. Bush 43 beat him, too. All we need now is to invite Ernie Banks from the Chicago Cubs and Jim Kelly from the Buffalo Bills. We can have the first annual second place convention.

Joe Six Pack

Sarah Palin has mentioned, "It's time that normal Joe Six-pack American is finally represented in the position of vice presidency." Who is this Joe Six-pack (and does he get a hyphen?) Well, here he is... (at least when you "google" it).




Joe is a beer reporter in Pennsylvania. Of course, he is. Here's his website.

Cheers! And three cheers for my St. Louis Rams, who finally won a ball game. They should have fired their head coach long ago...look at the results!

Mac's Back; McCain coming to Iowa

(Photo courtesy: Associated Press)

John McCain will make his third trip to Iowa in a little more than a month. The campaign just sent out an email to supporters confirming a trip to Davenport Saturday morning.

Here's the invite:

Join John McCain and Your Iowa Ticket for a "Road to Victory" Rally

Saturday, October 11th

Doors Open at 8:30 am

Program Begins at 10:30 am

River Center 136 E. 3rd Street

Davenport, IA 52801

The campaign also made another push to get Iowans to vote early. Here's another email to supporters:

Iowa Voter Registration Deadline is October 24th Click here to register to vote. Our right to vote is one of the most important responsibilities we have as citizens of this great country. While many people might take this right for granted, much has been sacrificed for our democracy and it's up to us to exercise the right to vote. The first step is to make sure you're registered to vote. Please visit this page right now and mail in your application before October 24th. If you're not going to be home on Election Day, please don't forget to request an absentee ballot by visiting this page. It's easy: Visit this page and print out your application.
Mail it to the address listed on the website before October 24th. Vote on November 4th. If you're not going to be home on November 4th, request an absentee ballot here.

Homer Simpson for Obama

Yes, I know this has no news value. But sometimes, the news has no news value. It's good for a laugh.

Don't Vote Video

I suppose this is a bit of reverse psychology. Some Hollywood actors made a video to urge you NOT to vote. Well, actually they want you to vote. This will clear things up when you watch it. Or maybe not. Not sure. What do you think? Will this get people to vote?

McCain Will Attack Obama's Character

So I'm reading that team McPalin will attack Barack Obama's character in the campaign's final month. Do you McCainiacs think that's a winning strategy? Is that what it takes to win over the undecided Independents? I guess we'll know 30 days from now.

I just got off the phone with an elderly woman who actually called to complain that the NFL football game is going late tonight. She really wanted to see WHO-TV 13's Sports SoundOff, because she wanted to see Keith Murphy cry in his beer. She's convinced he is a big Cubs fan. She likes Andy Fales, because he is a big Cardinals fan. He is actually. She told me I'm a big Democrat and I should be ashamed of myself for being so biased on the air. Last night, I received an email from a viewer who was convinced I'm a big Republican. Boy, I must have had one big flip flop transformation overnight.

Al Gore in Des Moines

Tonight, Al Gore plays headliner for the Iowa Democratic Party's annual Jefferson Jackson Dinner. Let's see if it runs a little closer to schedule than last year. Six prez candidates got their chance to show off their oratory skills then. If memory serves me, it wasn't the smoothest night. It started late. There weren't nearly enough concession stands/workers for people in the cheap seats to get some eats. And Obama took the microphone too late to make many of the print reporters' deadlines to make the Sunday papers, plus he was too late to make much of an appearance on the late television newscasts. I did get to hang out with Tim Russsert though. That made the whole night worth it. I sure miss him.

It's just Al Gore this year, along with state democrats trying to get a little face time before the election. I'll be curious what kind of crowd it draws.

I doubt we'll get this kind of excitement though:)

Biden Palin Debate

Did you hear Palin ask Biden, "Can I call you Joe?" Is that a trap? I wonder if Biden has been told NOT to call her Sarah or Sarah Palin. Will he just keep calling her Governor Palin to remind people she is a politician, not a total outsider.

Why does Biden keep smiling like that from ear to ear when Palin is ripping on him?

Palin looked nervous to me when the debate began. Although, that seemed to disappear. She rarely engages Biden. Biden talks to the moderator. Palin talks to the camera. Perhaps, her time as a tv reporter pays off in this situation.

Palin is now praising Biden and his family (his son is serving in the National Guard) but she isn't even looking at him. She keeps looking ahead into the camera.

Palin is borrowing a George W Bush line: nuc-u-lar. She said it that way at least three times.

Biden will not say Sarah Palin. Well, he said it once and then right away corrected himself and said Governor Palin.

Biden seems to be holding back. This isn't the guy I remember covering so often before the caucus. He's stumbled a handful of times and almost sounds like he's whispering at times. Will he show the passion his supporters love?

Palin said she would disagree with McCain on ANWAR. In fact, she said it while winking at the camera. Biden said he would agree on every major plan of Obama. He didn't name any disagreement he would have.

Second Palin wink. This one was for her dad in the audience, she said, right after she broke out her first "doggoneit".

Palin had made the audience laugh at least twice so far, none for Biden that I remember. Does it matter? It might at least show Palin is feeling comfortable on stage.

Palin completely misunderstood the question on what her "achilles heel" would be, unless she is intentionally not answering it by giving her strengths instead. The moderator didn't call her out on it.

Biden started to choke up talking about how he knows what it's like to be a single dad.

He is now finally getting fired up a bit saying McCain voted with Bush 4 out of 5 times on the budget and skyrocketed the deficit.

My English teachers would have gone crazy to hear Palin say "have got" so many times.

O.K., that's it. It's over. Speaking of my English teachers, get out your red Sharpie pens and grade the candidates. What do you grade them for their performance tonight?

Biden Palin Debate

I have no problem saying it...I'm excited about this V.P. debate tonight. How will this play out tonight? Will Sarah Palin come after Joe Biden to see if she can get him to come hard against her? Will Biden choose to ignore Palin and come after John McCain and George Bush instead?

Will Palin stick to the talking points and the lines like she uses on the campaign trail in that folksy style? Will she avoid getting stumped like it seems she did numerous times by Katie Couric's interview? How will Biden strike the balance of the fiery guy his supporters love and the guy who can go on too long and get too fired up for his on good, especially on tv.

It's on...

McPalin/OBiden Organization

I wonder what Joe Biden and Sarah Palin thought as they woke up this morning (separately, I mean). Were they nervous? excited? confident? cocky? It could be the biggest two hours of their lives at that debate tonight.

I'm not sure if this is a sign of organization or what...but I was checking through my emails this morning. Both prez campaigns sent out notices they'll be holding "debate watch" parties tonight. McCain's campaign holds two, one in Urbandale, one in Council Bluffs. Obama's is holding about 36, if my count is correct.

McCain in Iowa; Angry Secret Service Agent

His public comments were quick. I'd love to know what he talked about in private. John McCain flew into Des Moines around 3pm. He shook a few hands at the airport, including those of former Iowa Gov. Bob Ray and former First Lady Billie. We were the pool television camera for the event. This helps with the crush of media that would normally cover a VIP visit such as this. As the tv pool camera, we shoot the event, without any other tv cameras around. Then, when it's finished, we share it with whatever station that wanted it. This day was far from routine.

Sunday night, McCain's advance team had scoped out WHO-TV's newsroom. The campaign wanted to do satellite interviews with other local tv stations across the country from our station. They had to check it all to make sure it worked for what they want. They showed up around 7pm and wanted answers now. Normally, we get far more advance of a request. Not this time.

Back to today...after McCain shook hands and smiled for a few minutes at the airport, they hurried him to his waiting entourage of vehicles. We were ushed to the press van (number 4, I believe). We were no longer headed to our station for those satellite interviews. I could tell as we turned right out of the airport parking lot, instead of the left turn that would have brought me back to my work. I learned we were off to West Des Moines. McCain was doing a "statement" there at his hotel to address the collapse of the bailout deal. I wondered what he would say.

After all, he had suspended his campaign last week and threatened to cancel his debate appearance if Congress didn't reach agreement. Now the deal had fallen through after leaders predicted it would pass. Inside the Marriott's Concourse B, McCain walked out to a room full of reporters and cameras. He didn't greet anyone. He just went to the podium. He used words like "crisis" and "grave". He blamed Obama and his democratic allies. Then he said we shouldn't "fix the blame". Three minutes and four seconds later, he was finished. He walked off. No answers for reporters.

The campaign rushed him off to WHO-TV for those satellite interviews. It's my understand the campaign canceled the interviews earlier in the day and then re-scheduled them. Chaos inside my station. We headed back to press van #4 in the parking lot of McCain's hotel. Press van #3 was no longer in the procession back my station as the secret service agent sitting in the van with us had not so politely pointed out to van's driver, Larry, a volunteer from West Des Moines who gave up two days for the campaign. The agent yelled at Larry to follow the van ahead of us. Our van wouldn't move. The agent yelled louder and longer. Our van still wouldn't move, despite Larry's best efforts. The agent yelled again. Larry implored her that it was the parking brake that was stuck. The van wouldn't move. We emptied out into another van. The agent yelled at Larry to hurry up and catch the procession. She yelled again as he slowed for the red light that would have stopped us outside the hotel. He kept going. The agent angrily asked if anyone knew how to get us to the station, since we had lost the procession. I reminded her I worked there. So I knew how to get there. She stopped yelling. Larry got us there safely (and quickly, I might add. No need for following the speed limit with a secret service agent yelling at you in the passenger seat beside you). I wonder if Larry will be back in the van Tuesday. I wonder if he even wants to be back. Good thing he really likes John McCain.

McCain Obama Debate

Did you watch last night? There's a pretty good chance someone in your family did. Nielsen estimates about 57 million people tuned in. That is nearly one in every 5 Americans. Clearly, people are interested in this race. And this was a Friday night debate! Think of all the high school football games going on, movies, dinner dates, etc. and still 57 million watched. Of the country's largest cities, Nielsen claims more people in St. Louis watched the debate than anywhere else. 1 in every 2 people in that city watched. Incredible. Here's the full list.

A few random observations... did you notice how quickly McCain seemed to pull away from Obama at the beginning of the debate after they shook hands? Obama is quite a bit taller than McCain. I wonder if McCain's folks didn't want that visual of Obama towering over their man. During the debate, I don't know if McCain ever looked at Obama. What's that all about? And did you notice how many times Obama said "John is right" or "Senator McCain is right"? I wonder how quickly we'll see and hear those in a campaign commercial.

If 57 million watched, can you imagine how many will watch the V.P. debate next Thursday?

O.K., grab your red sharpie and tell us who won...Obama or McCain? Give them each a grade...A,B,C,D or F.

McCain's Suspended Campaign?

John McCain "suspended his campaign" according to him and to his campaign. What exactly did you think "suspended" means? He isn't holding rallies as he went to Washington to help solve the money crisis. However, he is still running commercials. I saw one during the 6pm news tonight (I think it was this ad). Does a suspended campaign keep running attack ads? I also received an email from McCain's Iowa press office. Is that what a suspended campaign does? Here's the release:

To Interested Parties:

To address our current financial crisis, John McCain suspended his campaign and returned to Washington, D.C., today to help build a bipartisan consensus for a proposal that would protect the American taxpayer.

Despite today's news reports, there never existed a "deal," but merely a proposal offered by a small, select group of Members of Congress. As of right now, there exists only a series of principles, including greater oversight and measures to address CEO pay. However, these principles do not enjoy a consensus in Congress.

At today's cabinet meeting, John McCain did not attack any proposal or endorse any plan. John McCain simply urged that for any proposal to enjoy the confidence of the American people, stressing that all sides would have to cooperate and build a bipartisan consensus for a solution that protects taxpayers.

However, the Democrats allowed Senator Obama to run their side of the meeting. That did not work as the meeting quickly devolved into a contentious shouting match that did not seek to craft a bipartisan solution.

At this moment, the plan that has been put forth by the Administration does not enjoy the confidence of the American people as it will not protect the taxpayers and will sacrifice Main Street in favor of Wall Street.

The bottom line is that as of tonight, there are not enough Republican or Democrat votes for the current plan. However, we are still optimistic that a bipartisan solution will be found. Republicans and Democrats want a deal that will protect the taxpayers.

Tomorrow, John McCain will return to Capitol Hill where he will work with all sides to build a bipartisan solution that protects taxpayers and keeps Americans in their homes.

Bill Clinton taught us to know what the definition of IS is. So what is the definition of SUSPEND? Dictionary.com gave me 14 choices. McCain's critics questioning what his motives may be to suspend may chuckle at definition 3.

1. to hang by attachment to something above: to suspend a chandelier from the ceiling.
2. to attach so as to allow free movement: to suspend a door on a hinge.
3. to keep from falling, sinking, forming a deposit, etc., as if by hanging: to suspend solid particles in a liquid.
4. to hold or keep undetermined; refrain from forming or concluding definitely: to suspend one's judgment.
5. to defer or postpone: to suspend sentence on a convicted person.
6. to cause to cease or bring to a stop or stay, usually for a time: to suspend payment.
7. to cause to cease for a time from operation or effect, as a law, rule, privilege, service, or the like: to suspend ferry service.
8. to debar, usually for a limited time, from the exercise of an office or function or the enjoyment of a privilege: The student was suspended from school.
9. to keep in a mood or feeling of expectation or incompleteness; keep waiting in suspense: Finish the story; don't suspend us in midair.
10. Music. to prolong (a note or tone) into the next chord. –verb (used without object)
11. to come to a stop, usually temporarily; cease from operation for a time.
12. to stop payment; be unable to meet financial obligations.
13. to hang or be suspended, as from another object: The chandelier suspends from the ceiling. 14. to be suspended, as in a liquid, gas, etc.

Early Voting

We don't normally see people lining up in Iowa to vote early. This time around, Barack Obama's crew is holding "early voting" rallies Thursday morning, the first day Iowans can vote at their county auditor offices. I don't remember this happening in 2004. I haven't seen any indications John McCain's camp is planning on doing anything similar.

Today Iowa Sec of State Michael Mauro told us absentee ballot requests are down so far (nothing concrete really. Just anecdotal from talking with county auditors). But registered dems have requested more than three times as many absentee ballots as repubs.

Mauro is pushing for more Iowans to vote early. He predicts a crush of voters at the polls this November...perhaps, in light of heavy January caucus turnout, highly publicized presidential race, no incumbent prez/vice prez, unpopular current prez, war, bad economy, "change election" year. So Mauro wants to push early voting. He thinks absentees are already picking up quite a bit this month and will likely keep picking up. Satellite voting seems to have expanded. Wapello County Auditor Phyllis Dean told me she's setting up four satellite voting stations. She's never had any before. The Iowa Democratic Party petitioned for the satellites from her. From what I understand, you just need a petition of 100 people in a county to request a satellite voting station from an auditor (the time for this to happen has already passed).

After talking to auditors, it seems to me like the Dems/Obama campaign have asked for more of these than the Repubs/McCain. Perhaps, there's more of a targeted effort this year to go after voters, rather than a mass effort to blanket absentee potentials. At least that's what it feels like to me.

McCain Suspends Campaign

Will Obama blink first on this? John McCain is "suspending" his campaign to go to Washington to focus on the mess on Wall Street. He wants to delay the first presidential debate schedule for this Friday. Will Obama go for that? Obama seems to be beating McCain in most of the polls I see when it comes to the economy by a decent amount, so why would he agree to delay the debate?

Perry School T-Shirt Audit

A Perry school employee may have been caught with her hand in the cookie jar or at least the t-shirt drawer.

Here's the Iowa State Auditor's report:

Governor Culver's New Communications Director

Let's see what Governor Chet Culver's new Communications Director Phil Roeder can do for timely communications out of the office (he starts his new job October 3rd). Culver has been searching for months to replace Brad Anderson, who left, in part, to help lead Barack Obama's communications efforts in Iowa.

For as long as I've worked in Des Moines (since 2001), I would normally get an email from the governor's office (it started with Tom Vilsack) on Friday that would lay out the governor's public appearances for the coming week. Culver's office doesn't do that, especially this year. Most times, we will only get notice the day before, if not, that same day. That makes planning news coverage especially difficult. Let's hope Phil brings some form to this process, which will help us all...the media, and the viewers, listeners and readers who depend on information about their government and their government's leaders.

IowaPolitics.com has Phil's background.

Troy Price (no relation) has been doing it all in the office for the past few months. He now settles in as Culver's Press Secretary.

Marion County Murder

How much information is too much information? Better yet, how much information would hurt an investigation? Yesterday, Marion County Sheriff Ron Goematt announced he's arrested a Columbia man, Steven McGinnis, for killing another man, Robert Ohl, of Knoxville, at the r.v. where McGinnis lived. The sheriff won't tell us why. He won't say where it happened, even though we could see a chair in the "front yard" is covered in blood. He won't say who called 9-1-1 to tell authorities about the shooting death Sunday night. He won't say how the two men knew each other.

Since McGinnis has now been charged with murder in this case, what would it hurt to answer those other questions? Would those answers really damage the prosecution of this man? I don't understand it.

Saturday Night Live and the Deaths

A murder in Des Moines. A murder in Fort Dodge. A stabbing in Ames. A police officer runs over a man with a knife in Nevada. A murder in Marion County. Wow. What the heck is going on? And that was just this weekend.

I need to get back to the calm, serene world of politics. I missed Saturday Night Live over the weekend. But friends at work showed me this link. It's a pretty funny take on the "civil discourse" we were supposed to see this election cycle with Obama and McCain. Enjoy.

Bailing out Washington

President Bush wants 700 billion of your dollars to help fix the housing/financial market mess across our country. Supporters think if the feds don't do something, we could head toward a second Great Depression. Critics say we taxpayers are rewarding terrible decisions by some business leaders who greedily looked at making money rather than making good decisions. So what's the right thing to do here?

Iowa Election Poll: Obama beating McCain

For all the McPalin supporters pushing us to believe their team has found the big "mo"...well, our new poll doesn't seem to back that up. JoBama has opened up a double digit lead in Iowa. It's our station's first poll, so I don't have any comparisons to offer about who has the momentum right now. But the numbers favor Obama.

43% McCain (R)
54% Obama (D)
2% Other
2% Undecided

More specifics...Among women, Obama leads by 20 points; among men, Obama and McCain tie.

Among voters younger than Barack Obama, Obama leads by 15. Among voters older than John McCain, Obama leads by 9.

Among voters who are in-between the two candidates' ages, Obama leads by 7.

Among white voters -- 95% of Iowa's likely voters -- Obama leads by 8 points.

11% of Republicans cross over to vote for Obama; 8% of Democrats cross over to vote for McCain; Independents break for Obama by 9 points.

John McCain leads among Republicans, conservatives, those who attend church regularly, pro-life voters, those focused on terrorism, among the 16% of likely voters who say they may yet change their mind, and in Southwest Iowa.

Obama is slightly ahead in Northwest Iowa and leads by double digits in the northeast and southeast portions of the state.

Filtering: SurveyUSA interviewed 900 Iowa adults 09/17/08 through 09/18/08. Interviews were conducted during a time of exceptional financial turbulence, coinciding with the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, the federal rescue of AIG insurance company, and immediately following the federal takeover of Fannie Mae. Of the registered voters, 840 were registered to vote. Of the registered voters, 702 were determined by SurveyUSA to be likely voters in the 11/04/08 general election. Iowa has 7 Electoral College votes. George Bush carried Iowa by two-thirds of a point in 2004; Al Gore carried Iowa by one-third of a point in 2000.

Scared in Springville

Anything to prove a point or crossing the line? The Iowa Dept of Public Health is at it again trying to scare Iowans away from lighting up. It's posted a new video on YouTube. Think Blair Witch Project. Does it make you think "don't smoke"?

Carly Coming Later?

(Photo courtesy: Washington Times)

One of John McCain's top advisers was scheduled to come to Ames; the campaigns says she's needed elsewhere. Carly Fiorina is taking a rain check to check the mess on Wall Street. Here's the release from Iowa State:

Carly Fiorina appearance at Iowa State postponed

AMES, Iowa -- Carly Fiorina's Iowa State University appearance as the Fall 2008 Mary Louise Smith Chair in Women and Politics -- originally scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 16 -- has been postponed. Fiorina's lecture will be rescheduled for a later date (to be announced).Fiorina is the Republican National Committee's Victory '08 chairman, senior economic advisor to Republican presidential candidate John McCain, and former Hewlett-Packard CEO. Schedulers for Fiorina said she'd been asked to stay in Washington, D.C., with other McCain advisors as a result of serious economic developments on Wall Street over the weekend."We are pleased that Ms. Fiorina still plans to come to Iowa State, most likely after the election, to accept the Mary Louise Smith Chair honor and speak about women and leadership," said Dianne Bystrom, director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics, which hosts the Smith Chair event.Fiorina is the 18th prominent woman leader to visit Iowa State under sponsorship of the Mary Louise Smith Chair in Women and Politics, which was established in 1995 to honor the Iowa native and longtime political leader. Smith was the only woman to chair the Republican National Party (1974-1977).

Congrats to my Mizzouri Tigers....ranked 5th this week in the Associated Press Top 25!

Cold Steak

(Remember when this photo from Tom Harkin's steak fry stirred up all the Obama-haters last year because Obama didn't have his hand on his heart for the pledge of allegiance?)

The crowd that did show up in Indianola today must have thought it was caucus time again. Temperatures in the 50s and a wind that didn't want to quit. It was hardly the crowd I remember seeing the past half dozen years for Iowa Senator Tom Harkin's annual steak fry. Last year's crowd approached 15,000. Of course, last year some of the biggest names of the party showed up, too....Edwards, Biden, Clinton, Richardson, Obama, Dodd.

Saturday, a Harkinite told me to expect about 2,000 supporters. A crowd probably less than half that showed up. No doubt the weather kept some away. But you wonder why ticket sales were so small. Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer headlined the event this tie. The Gov earned himself some accolades for his speech in Denver at the convention. But apparently, the bolo doesn't tie in the crowds that it used to.

Anyone notice how late the notice went out about Schweitzer coming? It went out September 6th, just eight days before the steak fry. Was Schweitzer really that hard to pin down? Or was Harkin trying to go for a better-known name to help him raise cash for his race against a still largely unknown Republican challenger, Chris Reed?

Obama Is Coming or Maybe It's Biden

Apparently, at least half the O'Biden or Jobama ticket is getting ready for a trip to Iowa. The campaign sent out an email to supporters saying one of the two men is coming to Iowa in the next two weeks. It didn't say which one. Although, Biden just came to Des Moines on Monday. Should we assume we get Obama this time? The top five volunteers who agree to call the most undecided Iowans get to meet which Jobama man comes here.

Meanwhile, Sarah Palin will make her Iowa debut. She and John McCain will hold a rally at the Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids next Thursday at 10am. You do need tickets to attend.

But neither O'Biden or McPalin is the most important news of the day. This is... The Tampa Bay Rays just called up David Price. He and I are practically the same person. Except that he's lefthanded, black, 6'5" and, now, very rich. Other than that, we could be separated at birth.

The Day

Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden, both here in one day. Sure, it doesn't sound like it should be tough for a reporter, right? Pelosi's "tour" of the Birdland area was first scheduled to take place at noon. Then, we received a press release to say it had been moved up to 11:45am. Problem was, Biden's event was scheduled to start at 3:15 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Big deal, right? "Pre-set" for us was between 11:30 and noon. "Pre-set" is what we call it when we have to drop off our gear (camera, tripod, tapes, batteries, lights, cases,etc.) so the secret service can check them all out.

Obviously, I couldn't be at two places at once. So two photographers brought all our stuff to the fairgrounds, while a third photographer and I headed to North High School to cover Pelosi. So much for the early start time. It started 13 minutes late, not exactly what I needed on a busy day. One thing I noticed...this was hardly a bi-partisan tour. Pelosi sat along with Iowa's Democratic Governor Chet Culver and the state's 3 Democratic members of Congress. Obviously, all 3 don't represent the Birdland area. Only Leonard Boswell does. But they were all there.

BTW, to my knowledge Pelosi never did take the tour of Birdland.

Big Bucks for Biden

Looks like Governor Culver is taking a break from flood recovery to try to help bring in a flood of dough for his party. Better bring your checkbooks. Of course, a little earlier on Monday you can hear Biden for free at the Knapp Animal Learning Center at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines at 3:15pm.

The First

Either way, our country will make history in two months. We've never had an African American president. We've never had a female vice president. Something has to give here one way or the other. Electing Barack Obama makes history. Electing Sarah Palin makes history. But does history matter to you?

How much does "the first factor" have on your vote? Would you vote for Obama just because he's black. Would you vote for Palin just because she's a woman? What is it that earns your vote?

Palin Brings Heat; Biden Coming

So what did you think of Sarah Palin? Safe to say, she didn't hold back. Teleprompter...no problem for her. She's clearly a lot more at ease than John McCain in that setting. But what about the humor and sarcasm she pulled out against Obama time after time? The Republican crowd hungrily ate up plate after plate of that red meat dish. But what about the undecideds, independents, "soft" Republicans and soft Democrats? Will the sarcasm will them over or turn them away?

No word on a Palin to Iowa trip yet. But Obama's camp says Joe Biden is coming to Des Moines next Monday. No details on the trip yet.

No Private Palin Time

Iowa's Republican delegates at the convention in the Twin Cities got plenty of attention today. Sure, McCain Iowa Chair Dave Roederer could have been spinning me, I suppose. But he says he "had a good feeling" about the long list of familiar faces who stopped by to chat with Iowa's group. It's a good sign, he told me, that the campaign will come to play in this state before the election.

Below is the list he gave me...(btw, no private face to face time with Sarah Palin. Roederer told me he's working hard with Palin's peeps to get her to Iowa soon. No specifics on a visit yet though).

Roberta McCain (the nominee's 95 year old mom, of course)
John Kyle, Arizona Senator
Colonel Bud Day, McCain's POW cell mate(btw, he has his own web site. Who knew? )
Jon Bolton, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
Charlie Black, McCain advisor
Michael Steele, Maryland Lt. Gov/GOPAC Chairman
Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee Rep.

Tune in to Palin TV

In case you didn't know, John McCain's number 2 used to be in the tv biz. She did sports for KTUU, the NBC station in Anchorage in the late 1980s. Big hair and shoulder pads...enjoy!

Palin/McCain's problem?

Sarah Palin's soon-to-be son-in-law, Levi Johnston
Courtesy: Associated Press

Hurricane Gustav may have threatened to knock the Republicans right off the news this week, but it was nothing that a pregnant 17 year old daughter can't shove aside. So Sarah Palin's daughter, Bristol, is pregnant. It sounds like the internet poop-disturbers circled some rumors that pushed this news out. The rumors claimed Bristol had already given birth to a different child, the five month old boy with Down's Syndrome named Trig, but Sarah pretended SHE is the one who gave birth to the child (I'm pretty sure I may have already seen this on an episode of Desperate Housewives. My wife makes we watch. No, really she does).

Something doesn't add up here. The big problem to me would that Bristol is now five months pregnant. I don't quite know how she could have given birth to a different child five months ago. That's some fuzzy math.

The cable talking heads are wondering whether John McCain's peeps vetted Palin enough. Did McCain know about the pregnancy when he picked her? McCain's campaign says he did. The bigger question to me is this...does this even matter? Should Palin's daughter be this much of a news story? A 17 year old daughter. Does this mean Palin is less of a Christian (she's apparently a big supporter of abstinence education) or a failure as a Christian just because her unwed teen got pregnant by a teen hockey player? Are candidates' children and the lives and choice they make important to you--should they be a factor when you decide whether to vote for their parent?

Gustav for dinner

O.K., I realize this isn't p.c. to say...but will Hurricane Gustav actually help the Republicans politically? I know it's probably not even right to bring this up. But here's what I mean. Republicans avoid the uncomfortable conversations about the unpopular president and v.p., who are both now skipping the convention (yes, I know both men remain very popular with a certain sect of the Republican party--but polls show they're clearly not very well-liked by the rest of the country). Even die hard Repubs with whom I've talked don't really expect John McCain to nail a speech like Barack Obama typically does (although they were hoping for a good showing from his v.p. choice, Sarah Palin).

But because of the hurrican, McCain now gets the chance to show he's on top of leading the country as he responds/plans for Gustav. Outside of McCain and Palin (maybe Palin more so), how many Repubs had highly anticipated convention speeches planned, compared to the buildup of Hillary and Bill? This way, it would seem, Repubs can now focus on getting ready for Gustav, and heaven forbid, if the Gulf Coast hits hard, they can focus on rescue and recovery. Just some thoughts...again, probably not very p.c.







A subject much less deep (can you tell I haven't eaten dinner yet?) , who knew Gustav is a good place to go eat? A restaurant chain of the same name has a group of places on the West Coast. Who knew?


Speaking of eating...well, not really, let the fat lady sing. My Cardinals, after their three-day, weekend-long butt-whoopin' by the annoying Astros essentially end this overachieving season. It hurts. A lot.

Sarah Palin?

Why didn't I go with my gut? Wuss. I really felt John McCain might want to try to pit history vs. history. Barack Obama is working to become the first african-american prez. McCain could find a woman running mate and go for something similar. But repubs just don't seem to really have a lot of well-known female executive-types...like a governor.

I searched through female republican governors. There were only a few. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's name stood out. At 44, she's quite young (at 38 now, that makes me feel good to write that 44 is quite young:) She is VERY little known across the country. Had you ever heard of her? She's a first term governor, a former mayor, a mother of five. McCain has definitely found a way to infuse a little intrigue and excitement into the race. I wonder when he made this choice. Did he see the video of teary-eyed Obama supporters and a jam-packed football stadium in Denver at the Democratic National Convention? Did that make him feel like he had to do something to regain some mojo.

What's also interesting to me is that the McCain camp had been ripping on Obama's pick of Joe Biden. Supporters said it shows that Obama knows he's weak on experience and foreign policy and that's why he picked Biden. How can McCain now not get grilled for picking someone to help his possible "weaknesses"? McCain turns 72 today. He's been in Washington longer than many of Obama's supporters have been alive. Will he convince voters that Palin, who is now only a heartbeat away from the Oval Office, is ready? Social conservatives haven't been all that hot on McCain. Palin, once social cons get to know her, would seem to make them pretty happy.

I just emailed former Governor Tom Vilsack. I told him last week Palin was my dark-horse pick for McCain. I wanted to make myself feel better, I guess. I should have gone with my gut and picked Palin yesterday. Wuss.

BTW, I just tried (it's 10:09am) to google Palin. Her website in the Alaska governor's office seems overloaded right now. I can't get it to open. I bet a lot of people right now are "searching" her right now to see who she is.

McCain's V.P.

Tomorrow by this time we should know who John McCain thinks can help him get to the White House. No tech-savvy text message in the middle of the night for this one, it doesn't sound like. So who will it be? I lucked out by picking Joe Biden as Barack Obama's number two. We'll see if lightning can strike twice.

Mitt Romney--pretty well-known. very successful businessman. But this would give the ticket two really rich dudes. Would Mac go for that after the "I don't know how many homes I own" debacle?

Charlie Crist--well-tanned. popular Florida Gov--big state. But this would be the two white-haired dudes ticket. Would that really help McCain will voters who think he's too old to be Prez--an elderly white-haired man with a middle-aged white-haired man?

a woman--this would seem to offer the chance to steal some of the "history" that Obama can bring. Maybe a woman governor. I really only find one that realistically fits: Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. She might be too young. She's only 42. She's not well-known at all. And with all the corruption cases involving Republican leaders in Alaska, would it be a good idea to pick a running mate from that state? There's Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. She's probably better known. But would Texas be a problem? Maybe this is a stretch, but with the other Texan's horrible approval ratings right now, would Mac really want someone from Texas?

Tim Pawlenty--younger than Mac. obviously. As gov of Minnesota, could he help deliver that state and then give Mac a shot in neighboring Iowa, too?

This history part of a woman pick would seem to offer quite a bit. But for what it's worth (nothing, I assure you), my pick is Pawlenty.

BTW, I left out Joe Lieberman. An Iowa democratic legislator told me this week McCain and Lieberman talked a lot during Mac's Iowa campaigning and the two are genuinely very close. I wonder if McCain would really like to choose Lieberman. The unity thing, you know. But I'm still going with Pawlenty. We'll see if lightning can strike twice.

An Interesting 24 Hours

I awakened at about 2:40 this morning to hear someone sitting in a cab in front of my neighbor's house yelling on the phone about how the taxi driver was "tripping" and that he wasn't going to pay the fare. He said he wanted the police to come and give the driver a drug test. This ridiculous, and apparently drunken, commotion went on for about 15 minutes. Then, I couldn't go back to sleep for nearly an hour. It's time to meet the new neighbors.

My wife had an early flight to go see family in Tampa, so we were up (again) at 5am. At 10:30, I had a tooth drilled (a cavity near the gum line. Not a good place for it.) It's 1:30pm now and I still don't really have much feeling in my right side of the mouth, part of my tongue and about half of my lip. Lunch this afternoon my be called dinner this evening.

Looks like Shawn Johnson gets a little more post-Olympic spotlight. She should get to lead the Democratic National Convention in Denver in the pledge around 4pm. My colleague, Keith Murphy tells me, this isn't any kind of political statement. And according to Shawn's agent, she would also be willing to head the Republican Convention in the Twin Cities next week. I'm sure by this point, Shawn wouldn't have the energy for politics. That girl must be exhausted by now. She deserves a nice long vacation...while her agent hopefully makes her and her family rich for life.

BAM-BAM

(skip ahead to 1:14 into this clip)

Governor Chet Culver just received his five minutes of non-prime-time fame at the Democratic National Convention. He thanked the country, ripped on McCain and screwed up Obama's name (he called him--phonetically-oh-BAM-ah, instead of, of course, oh-BAHM-ah). Oops.

Here's the text of his speech:

The long journey to this historic convention began on a cold winter's night in the great State of Iowa! So, I'm honored to join you – more than seven months and seven hundred miles from the site of that first contest, as we unite to make Barack Obama the next President of the United States. This summer, in Iowa, we saw the motivating power of hope and determination when our state was hit with one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history. Despite three tornados and 500 year flood levels, countless Americans rallied to help us. So, on behalf of every Iowan, I want to say "thank you" for assisting us in our time of need. We will get through this difficult challenge! We know the Iowa values of faith, hard work and common sense will guide us and strengthen us, as we rebuild an even better, safer, and stronger state. Today I stand proudly with Barack Obama and Joe Biden – no strangers to Iowa who share our heartland values!
When they are in the White House, our country will once again rise to meet the great challenges of our time. And, on the top of that list of challenges is securing our energy future!
For the last eight years, the big oil companies and their Washington lobbyists have literally written our national energy policies. They have made billions, while the rest of us are paying the bill. Now the oil companies are placing their bets on John McCain – bankrolling his campaign and gambling with our future. McCain has voted against tax credits for renewable energy eleven times, and his only idea to solve our energy crisis is to keep doing what we're doing as we watch prices go up and up and up. Barack Obama understands our need for change. Only Barack Obama has a detailed plan to give us the change we need - lower energy prices and more "green-collar jobs!" If anyone still doubts whether renewable energy can lower prices and create jobs, look no further than Iowa. We have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in renewable energy, created more than 100,000 good-paying jobs, and provided clean alternatives to overpriced, foreign oil. Iowa is fast becoming the renewable energy capital of the United States – and other states, like Colorado, are doing the same. All around the country, entrepreneurs and innovators are joining state and local governments on exciting, cutting-edge projects. Just think how we'll do when we have a president who shares our vision. Barack Obama's clean energy plan will create 5 million new jobs. He will crack down on the special interests who intentionally bid up energy prices for their own profit. And, he will set a national goal of producing 25 percent of our electricity from renewable sources by 2025. In just more than two months, Americans will decide the most important election in a generation. Our choice is to stick with the status quo or move our country forward. On energy, the stakes couldn't be higher. So, my fellow Democrats, let's lock arms and work together. Lets ensure that the journey that began in Iowa will continue on from Denver to Washington, DC. Let's put Barack Obama and Joe Biden in the White House and put our country on a path towards energy independence!

Thank you and God Bless America!

Drama

TNT may say it's the place for drama. But I'll be watching the drama elsewhere tonight. And I don't just mean Governor Culver's afternoon speech at the Democratic National Convention.

What will Hillary Clinton say tonight? How will she do? Will it be passionate? Convincing? Will it look like she's really trying to get her supporters to, once and for all, commit to Obama? Or will skeptics suggest a half-hearted attempt because she really wants to try again in four years? Must See TV tonight, no doubt.

Of course, I'll be torn, because my Cardinals play the Brewers tonight at 7pm. It's nearly a must-win sweep for the Cards. Nearly. Mediacom had better not be blacking this one out.

And what is this crap from the Brewers? They have this annoying habit of untucking their jerseys after they win a game (they did it four times during their sweep at Busch Stadium earlier this summer). It's so cocky. SOOO annoying. Now, they even have a song to go with it. And it's even more annoying!

You'll need your speakers up to hear it.

Sad news

Donna Courtney, the wife of Burlington Senator Tom Courtney, has died. She and her husband married exactly four years to the day before I was born. She was born on Christmas Day. The following comes from Lunning Chapel in Burlington:

Donna Jeanne Courtney, 59, of Burlington died Sunday, August 24, 2008 at her residence.
Born December 25, 1948 in Burlington, she was the daughter of Darrell and Jeanne Schneider Strawhacker. On August 15, 1966 she married Thomas G. Courtney in Muscatine, Iowa.
Mrs. Courtney was a graduate of Wapello High School. She worked in food service for the Burlington Community School District for over thirty years and also was a clerk in the Iowa Senate for six years.
She was a member of Legislative Ladies of the Iowa Senate. She enjoyed crafting, scrap booking, gardening, her coffee group and spending time with her grandchildren. She was an Iowa Hawkeye Fan, Girl Scout leader, and a little league coach.
Survivors include, her husband Senator Thomas G. Courtney of Burlington; two daughters, Dawn (Matt) Schulte and Shawna (the late Steve) Casady both of Burlington; one son, Brian Courtney of Englewood, Colorado; four grandchildren, Rachel and Samuel Schulte and Courtney and Brynn Casady; six sisters, Joyce Albin, Ruth Brown, Shirley Hall, Myrtle Heater, Mary McDonald, and Jolene Strawhacker; and one brother, Mark Strawhacker.
Her parents preceded her in death.
The memorial service for Mrs. Courtney will be held 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, August 27th in Lunning Chapel. The Senators Dave Moulder and Gene Fraise will officiate. Visitation will begin after 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 26th in Lunning Chapel where the family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. According to her wishes, the body of Mrs. Courtney has been cremated.
A memorial has been established for Great River Hospice.

The Weekend

I'm going to call it 1 for 2. I picked it right that Obama would go for Biden. But, man, did I get the timing all wrong. My text came at 2:41am Saturday, two days later than I "predicted". Maybe that's why I'm so hesitant to make predictions.

Here's Biden's first video message to supporters:

Here are the highlights:

Catholic, Foreign Relations, middle class, change, change, 50 states, change (yeah, I know).

I know it's way too early to think about this, but... Biden is 65 years old. Let's say Obama wins this fall and then wins again. Biden would be 73 when Obama leaves office, seemingly too old to run for president. So we could again have one of these crazy, double open (no sitting prez or v.p. running for the White House). Yeah, I know. It's way too early to think about it.

Bachman's Ballboys are winners (btw, I didn't pick out that name). Our softball team put a whippin' on our opponent today in our last game of the year. It means we get a 7-6 record. We can be winners all winter long now. Andy Fales wasn't there. Maybe that's why we won. My shoulder hurts. My back hurts. My right leg hurts. I'll have plenty of time to heal.

Deep Throat

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Obama's V.P.

People keep asking me who I think Barack Obama will choose as his running mate and when it will happen. I'm not paid to give opinions, nor are my opinions likely worth much. But from a purely reporting standpoint, here are my hunches (thanks largely to the national reporting done on this topic).

Here's what we know:

Delaware Senator Joe Biden (and former Prez candidate), Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, Indiana Senator Evan Bayh and Virginia Governor Tim Kaine seem to be the four most-mentioned possibilities.

We know Obama is planning a big rally Saturday in Springfield, Illinois, the city where he announced his prez campaign. He is supposed to appear with his V.P. choice.

We know Obama will notify supporters via text message of his choice beforehand.

We know Obama has a two day travel trip in Virginia with supporters including Kaine.

Would Obama send out the text message before he concluded his Virginia trip? Doubtful.

Would Obama pick Kaine after already spending time with him on tour in Virginia and then campaign with him again Saturday? Doubtful.

Would Obama really pick Bayh--would he really think Bayh will deliver the Republican state of Indiana just by appearing on the ballot with him? Seems doubtful.

Would Obama really pick Sebelius on the day she is campaigning for him in Iowa? Seems doubtful.

By process of elimination, to me, that leaves Biden, who hasn't been out campaigning for Obama this week. Of course, I could be wrong. Of course, Obama could also pick someone other than the four most often-mentioned people.

Microsoft to West Des Moines

Let's be honest. It's all about the bragging rights. In the media biz, we try to "break" stories and then crow about who broke it to you first. A handful of sources confirmed to me that tomorrow morning Governor Chet Culver would announce Microsoft was building its half a billion dollar (or so) data farm in West Des Moines. I was pretty sure I knew exactly where the project would go, but I wanted to drive out there to check it out, just to be sure.

Man, that took a little more searching that I thought. Sources told me (don't you love how these "sources" don't let us use their names just yet?) it will go on the McKinney farm land on Xavier and Booneville Road south of Jordan Creek Mall. If my directions are correct (and, believe me, that is not my strong suit. Just ask my wife), I believe it's south of the MidAmerican Energy substation and east of Michael's Landing (Regency's ill-fated housing development). When you stand on the land, you almost think you're in the middle of the "country". But Michael's Landing is just a minute or so away. So is DMACC West's campus. Beach Girls strip club isn't far away either...from what I am told.

So this means West Des Moines beat out Urbandale for the project. Some Urbandale backers were telling me the West Des Moines would be too prone to flooding, something the West Des Moines backers deny. By my eye-balling, it also looks like West Des Moines' location is closer to the all-important energy substation that the Urbandale spot would be. West Des Moines also has Maffitt Lake Reservoir very close. I'm told the data farm needs a "lot" of power and water, so West Des Moines goes two for two on this. Or so the sources say.

One thing I didn't count on were all trucks. Dozens of trucks fly down the gravel road near the "development". My photographer and I were covered with dust. Not a good day to wear my new suit and tie. Good thing my shoes weren't new. Not they are just dusty.

Microsoft is Coming. Finally

The announcement will come out later today, but Microsoft will finally announce where it's building the $500 million plus data farm. As I told you here a while back, the company has been looking at West Des Moines and Urbandale sites. The announcement later today will actually only announce that there will be an announcement tomorrow at the Iowa Statehouse of the actual location. It'll happen at 10:30am. I'll try to announce what will be announced at the announcement tomorrow later today.

Obama Beating Mac

A new University of Iowa poll has Barack Obama "comfortably" beating John McCain by a half dozen. One interesting note... about two thirds of Obama's "voters" say they strongly support him. Only about a third of McCain's "voters" say they do. Sounds like McCain has some convincing to do.

Here's the poll:

Who's Obama going to pick as his V.P. Wednesday (if the reports are correct)? Joe Biden told reporters he's not the guy today. Is he telling the truth? Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius is coming to Des Moines on Thursday on behalf of Obama. Can we safely assume she's not on the V.P. short list?

Eat Your Wheaties, Shawn

The New York Post says even though Iowa's golden girl hasn't proven gold yet, she could still get a sweet spot on your breakfast table. The paper writes that Shawn Johnson may share the limelight on a new Wheaties' box.

No More Corn

They came. They cast. We counted. Drum roll, please. Wait, hold those drumsticks for a second. I don't know if this matters, but we had about a third more people vote at our Cast Your Kernel this year at the Iowa State Fair than last. Sure, it might just be that people have now heard about what we are trying to do. But is it also a sign of just how much Iowans care about who their next president is? Cue the drummer...

Barack Obama 24,880
John McCain 23,980

This was back and forth early on, then Obama moved ahead, McCain made a surge, then Obama closed strong to win by 900. A couple quick, and probably not shocking observations from my many days at our booth... Obama seemed to do better among the under 45 crowd and with minorities. McCain seemed to do better with the gray hairs.

I dug up our previous results from last year.

A total of 35,448 kernels were cast in the poll.


Democrats

Hillary Clinton 33%
John Edwards 28%
Barack Obama 22%
Bill Richardson 13%
Joe Biden 2%
Chris Doddd 1%
Dennis Kucinich 1%
Mike Gravel 0%

Republicans

Romney 36%
Huckabee 17%
Giuliani 14%
Fred Thompson 13%
Tancredo 5%
Brownback 4%
Paul 4%
McCain 3%

Olympics...

Random thoughts while I watch the Olympics...

Are there really any people who are actually disappointed that Shawn Johnson has now won three silver medals and no golds? Are you being just a bit greedy?

Why are some of the Chinese athletes are getting scores that seem way too high? Let's not even mention the fact those athletes may not even be old enough to compete.

That Jamaican guy, Usain Bolt, who won the 100 meter dash is way too annoying. And his arrogant showboating cost him a better finish. Of course, he still set a record. But he's still annoying.

I think this IS the year for the Chicago Cubs. They'll probably still choke away the World Series. But I think they'll at least get there. As a St. Louis Cardinals' fan, that really stings. I'm quickly losing confidence the Cards will even make the playoffs. Not that I had a ton of confidence to start.

I never tried that fried pineapple on a stick at the Iowa State Fair. I wanted to, I think. I just didn't think eating a whole one by myself would leave me feeling all that good. Oh, well.

We were tempted to go check out Def Leppard at the fair. Paying 100 bucks for our tickets in seats that didn't seem to offer much of a view....well, that just bites.

How many times does our competitor call itself "Iowa's News Leader" in a day's time. Don't people get sick of that?

Looks like a huge day for the Iowa Speedway on Tuesday. Remember those reports that this project would never get built in the first place. Newton deserves this. Now can the city pull this off? Here's part of the release after the cat's already been let out of the bag (where the hell did that saying ever come from anyway? Who put the cat IN the bag?)

Iowa Speedway will hold a news conference at 10:00am Tuesday, August 19, 2008, in the Newton Club. Topic: An announcement regarding the 2009 racing season at Iowa Speedway.

My wife and I had a rare day off together Saturday, so we tried the Greater Des Moines Restaurant Week. 33 restaurants offered lunch for 2 for $20.08 or one dinner for $20.08. If you save your receipt, you could win a trip to Puerto Rico. Actually, you had to save four receipts. Quite a busy week of eating I'd say. One reminder...some, if not all, of the restaurants, limit your choices. In fact, you may have just one menu choice to get the $20.08 price. It still may be good. Ours at Torocco! Italian Grill in Urbandale was. I wish we could have had a few more options, though.

All this talk about food makes me hungry. Time for a late-night snack.

Edwards' Morality

I just found this on John Edwards' presidential website.

John Edwards' remarks in New Orleans, 1/30:I began my presidential campaign here to remind the country that we, as citizens and as a government, have a moral responsibility to each other, and what we do together matters. We must do better, if we want to live up to the great promise of this country that we all love so much.

One word jumps out to me in the third line...MORAL...in the line "have a moral responsibility to each other". Are mistresses included in that obligation?

Edwards Screwing Around Too Late for HRC

So Hillary Clinton campaign's higher up says she would have won the Iowa Caucuses had news that John Edwards is an adulterer broke sooner. There seems to be some obvious irony about infidelity here (uh, Bill), but I'll let it pass. Clinton's former Communications Director Howard Wolfson claims Edwards' supporters would have gone to Clinton. That doesn't quite jive with the hundreds of interviews I did with Iowans before the caucuses. It seemed to me, for the most part, either they liked Clinton or they were deciding between Edwards and Obama. And I didn't seem to meet too many people who had Edwards as their first choice and Clinton as their second.

A University of Iowa professor reports the complete opposite claim of Wolfson. He believes Obama would have done even better had bed-hopping Edwards got kicked out of the race. Pass me a glass for a sip of that sour grape juice.

2 Not so Obvious

Tuesday we re-created our quest at the Iowa State Fair...with one small alteration. Monday, we asked Barack Obama's supporters who should be his running mate. Hillary Clinton probably received the most responses. However, Clinton also received the most "no, not her" responses. Tuesday, we wanted to know from John McCain's supporters who he should pick. There was no Hillary Clinton equivalent. Huckabee, Rice and Romney were probably the most frequently mentioned names.

Obama picked up a cross-over supporter today, too. Former Iowa Congressman (and Republican) Jim Leach endorsed him. Leach is definitely considered a moderate, so, perhaps, this isn't considered a monstrous surprise. But it's hardly common for cross-over support like this. McCain's campaign didn't ignore the endorsement, far from it. They trashed McCain's former fellow member of Congress. Here's what the McCain campaign sent out:

"It’s rather ironic that someone like Jim Leach, a person who placed such a strong focus on campaign finance issues, would be endorsing the first presidential candidate since Watergate to skirt the public financing program in the general election. Despite Obama’s lofty speeches on change, Iowans know that real change comes from working across the aisle to get things done. A single endorsement does not hide the fact that Senator Obama has no record of achievement beyond the confines of his party. While John McCain has spent his career putting the country first - ahead of personal and party interests - Senator Obama's record is a lesson in partisanship.”

Wendy Riemann McCain Spokesperson, Iowa

Leach Co-Authored The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act Which Obama Blames For The Subprime Lending Crisis:Leach Was The Co-Author Of The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, Which Repealed The Glass-Steagall Act And Allowed Competition Between Commercial And Investment Banks And Insurance Companies. (S. 900, Signed 11/12/99)Obama Has Attacked The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act As A Lobbyist-Driven Deregulation That Led To The Subprime Lending Crisis. Obama: “By the time the Glass-Steagall Act was repealed in 1999, the $300 million lobbying effort that drove deregulation was more about facilitating mergers than creating an efficient regulatory framework. … The regulatory environment failed to keep pace. When subprime mortgage lending took a reckless and unsustainable turn, a patchwork of regulators were unable or unwilling to protect the American people.” (Cheyenne Hopkins, “Regulatory Revamp Newest Plank In Obama's Platform,” American Banker, 3/28/08)

Looking for Number 2

You'd have to figure Barack Obama will pick his running mate soon. Here's a scenario (for what it's worth, which probaby isn't much!)... Sunday night, Obama's campaign announced you could sign up to receive a text message that will announce Obama's choice for his number two. Maybe the campaign enjoys the free news coverage of that for a few days, plus gives people a chance to forward the email about the texting to friends and family (or so the campaign hopes). Maybe the veep announcement comes out next week, to give it a full week before the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Just a few maybes to thing about on a rainy morning in Des Moines.

BTW, we asked a bunch of Obama supporters at the Iowa State Fair who they wanted for Obama's running mate. Hillary Clinton was the popular name, but not always in a good way. She did get the most "votes" for V.P. But she also got mentioned most as the person who shouldn't be on the ticket.

Obama leads our "Cast Your Kernel" poll at the fair. It's been back and forth, but Obama has started to widen his lead as of Tuesday morning. Here are the latest numbers:

Does this John Edwards story get more tough to believe or what? And how many of his staffers knew about all of this? So Edwards lied to his wife, his family, his supporters, the American people and the media. The Washington Post has a story that shows the lies aren't finished. This story makes is appear Edwards continued his dishonesty long after he claimed he had finished his "mistake". I'm pretty sure if I ever did this, my wife wouldn't be calling this a "mistake". I'm also pretty sure I'd never sing anything but soprano again.

Almost V.P. Time?

Is Barack Obama about to announce his running mate? I assume he will do it before the Democratic National Convention in Denver August 25-28. But will it be even sooner? Obama's Campaign Manager David Plouffe just emailed this to supporters Sunday night. If you fill it out, you can be one of the first to know his number 2 (or so the email promises). Here's the email:

Dear Dave --

Barack Obama is about to make one of the most important decisions of this campaign -- choosing a running mate. You have helped build this movement from the bottom up, and Barack wants you to be the first to know his choice. Sign up today to be the first to know: http://my.barackobama.com/vp You will receive an email the moment Barack makes his decision, or you can text VP to 62262 to receive a text message on your mobile phone. Once you've signed up, please forward this email to your friends, family, and coworkers to let them know about this special opportunity. No other campaign has done this before. You can be part of this important moment. Be the first to know who Barack selects as his running mate.

Thanks,

David

David PlouffeCampaign ManagerObama for America

Bachman and Boesen

In case you are wondering (and I was), the Bachman family attacked by that madman in China is not related to WHO-TV 13's main anchor John Bachman. There are some coincidences between the families though. The man who died, Todd Bachman, lived in the Twin Cities. John Bachman used to live in the Twin Cities. Todd's wife, Barbara, was also injured in the attack. John's wife is also named Barbara. Todd served on the board of regents for Wartburg College in Waverly. John's father, also named John, served as President of Wartburg. Coincidences. Nothing more.

I'm still trying to figure out what to make of what we're hearing about former Des Moines businessman, Ed Boesen. I don't believe I ever met the man. Davenport police say Boesen committed suicide in Davenport last month. I don't think they've ever released autopsy reports to determine the final cause of death. On a previous blog post, some people who knew Boesen said he was one of the best guys you could ever meet. Generous and kind. Others are questioning if there's more to the story. Banks have now filed lawsuits against Boesen's estate for about $26 million for failure to repay loans. There are allegations of fraud...that Boesen misrepresented his assets in order to qualify for bank loans. No matter what's correct here. This is a sad story. Sad. Sadder still for his wife and four children.

Security?

I forgot to mention one of the more interesting incidents that happened during John McCain's fundraiser luncheon at Des Moines' Wakonda Club. A security problem. I was waiting at the entrance to the hallway where McCain was speaking. The Secret Service makes you empty your pockets, get checked out for weapons and metal, etc. before you are allowed to pass through. I had already gone through this once, but had to do it again because I had slipped out to find the restroom. Anyway, there were two men ahead of me in line. The Secret Service agent asked if they had an invitation. They did not. It turns out they were both members of a health care organization trying push some type of cause.

The agent turned them both away. Both walked away without any problems. However, the agent seemed a bit perplexed about how the two men walked into the Wakonda. Apparently, other agents were supposed to be watching the entrance. Apparently, that didn't happen. Oops. Pretty surprising since we had to have our camera gear checked out by the Secret Service by 9:45am, almost four full hours before our interview with McCain. The invited media were thoroughly checked out. Two uninvited men were not.

Cards/Cubs game 3 tonight. Big game. My Cardinals really need this one. It could be a heckuva pitching matchup with Carpenter and Dempster. Have I mentioned the Cards really need this one?