Richardson Calls out Competitors

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


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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Which brings us to Iraq …

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We need to bring them all home.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nussle's New Gig

(Current deficit)

Associated Press just reported this...

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

Thompson Shows Power by Adding Iowa County

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

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

Thompson Out...In

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

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

The Thompsons, F and T

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

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

Hometown Pride and More Bill TV

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

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

Wanna see it?

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

More Straw

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

Minus 2 Straws

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

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

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

Oops...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What about the speeches...

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

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

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

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

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

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

So Maybe She Is Running Here...

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

It Ain't Rudy McRomney, But the Crowd

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

Obama's campaign released this statement:

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

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

In other news...

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

Universal Health Care? Obama says Maybe Not at First

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

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

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

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

John Edwards folks had this to say...

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

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

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

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

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

I Was Wrong: Apparently No Smack from Brownback

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



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

USA TODAY’S ON POLITICS


By: Mark Memmott and Jill Lawrence


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


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

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

Here's my original post....

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

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

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

A New Candidate, a New Issue & Some Awesome Women

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

O.K. back to politics...

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



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



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



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


Brownback Alarmed by Tenure Denial in Iowa

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


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


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


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


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

Thompson vs. McCain, Round 1

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



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

Brownback Brings the Smack

The debate's finished, but apparently the smack talk isn't. Apparently Sam Brownback couldn't get these in while the debate was still going on. I got this release from Brownback's campaign...


Rudy is Wrong"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happines... life comes first.

"Dear Friend,Like you, I am proud that the Republican Party has long stood for protecting innocent human life in our party's platform.Unfortunately one of the current front-runners for the Republican presidential nomination, Rudy Giuliani, is a vocal and unapologetic supporter of the "right" to abortion.

He made this clear once again in the South Carolina debate last night."It's best for us to respect each other's differences and allow for choice," said Giuliani, in an interview with Fox News this past Sunday."If we don't find a way of uniting around broad proniples that will appeal to a large segment of this country, if we can't figure that out, we are going to lose this election," Giuliani said in a Houston speech last week.My friend, Rudy is wrong.

Like you and me, Senator Brownback is a true believer that there is no "choice" involved in life-or-death matters - we must always stand up for protecting innocent human life.Senator Brownback believes that the next Republican nominee for President must be pro-life in order to win - we must stand by our principles and bedrock foundation as a party.Giuliani's comments have been praised by Planned Parenthood Action Fund President Cecile Richards."It's encouraging to see that the frontrunner for the Republican nomination for president supports the right to make personal private health care decisions free from government intrusion," said Richards."

Giuliani is pro-choice and at the front of the pack - the days of the anti-choice strangle-hold on the Republican Party are numbered," Richards adds. It is a sad statement when the President of Planned Parenthood-the largest abortion provider in America-is praising the leading Republican candidate. This is NOT the direction our party needs to take.

What Rudy doesn't seem to understand is that among the hallowed rights of the Declaration of Independence-"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"- life comes first.The pro-life movement has grown by leaps and bounds over the last few years. Public opinion is turning to our side, the Supreme Court recently upheld a national ban on an abortion procedure, and the Republican Party has grown increasingly pro-life, as have the candidates it nominates for public office. This is NOT the time to turn back in our efforts to make America a country that respects life.

As Republicans, we should not compromise or apologize for that.Please visit our campaign website to signup for Team Brownback. Together, we will keep our Republican Party proudly pro-life."

Sincerely, David Barron South Carolina Chairman Brownback for President

Name That Tune

The Clinton camp wants you to help name her campaign tune. Although, it sounds like it might be a fight for the right (random, Beastie Boys reference). Here's the release below...

IN YOUTUBE VIDEO, CLINTON ASKS SUPPORTERS TO VOTE FOR OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN THEME SONG

Hillary Will Announce Winner After Internet Voting on Website

Hillary Clinton is getting the 2008 voting started early, posting a YouTube video on her website this afternoon in which she urges supporters to cast their vote for her official campaign theme song.
Coming on the heels of her text messaging effort launched earlier this week, Clinton continues to engage with Americans and encourage them to get involved in her campaign.

“I hope people from across the country will go to my website and vote for the song they feel best represents our message of change and their hopes for a better America,” Clinton said. “And I promise to leave the singing to the professionals.”

Clinton’s video will be featured on YouTube’s “You Choose ’08 Spotlight” over the next week.

Hillary’s list of potential campaign songs includes:
City of Blinding Lights - U2
Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall
I'm a Believer - Smash Mouth
Get Ready - The Temptations
Ready to Run - Dixie Chicks
Rock This Country! - Shania Twain
Beautiful Day - U2
Right Here, Right Now - Jesus Jones
I'll Take You There - The Staple Singers
Write-in Candidates

Perhaps, it's tough to pick an original tune. Obama just used "City of Blinding Lights" for his opener in Indianola last week. And is there any candidate who doesn't use "Beautiful Day"?

Please Pass the Pie, Pork, Chips and Cookies

Sugar, ham, tons of cheese and cookies...not a bad week, huh? No wonder I felt like I was carrying around a small child during my runs this weekend. Ah, life on the road. How do these presidential candidates do it? I'm going to guess that's why I don't see these folks on the cover of my Men's Health every month (BTW, in case you missed it, each day last week, we let viewers vote for the candidate we should follow the next day during their stops in Iowa.)

Here's a lowdown on the candidate, city and food served...

Hillary Clinton--Red Oak--pie

John McCain--Ft. Dodge--ham sandwich, chips, cookie

Tommy Thompson--Anamosa, then West Des Moines--pizza buffet, then just pizza

Barack Obama--Indianola--not a dang thing

John Cox--his West Des Moines campaign headquarters--Jay's Potato Chips

I wonder what I'll think the next time I hear one of these people talk about tackling the obesity problem?


When we weren't eating, we were looking around at the faces in the crowds. It seemed like they looked a lot like the candidate speaking to them.

Hillary Clinton--Red Oak--a lot of women, probably more than half the crowd, a few non-whites

John McCain--Ft. Dodge--nearly all senior citizens, many of them veterans, nearly everyone, if not all, white

Tommy Thompson--Anamosa, then West Des Moines--folks over 50, few, if any, minorities

Barack Obama--Indianola--(this was at Simpson College) far younger than the others, far more diverse

John Cox--WDM campaign HQ--one middle-aged white woman

Just a few random observations...gotta go work out (again).

Richardson Goes for funny TV

Bill Richardson's hoping some laughs will get him some attention. He's started running a new series of ads across Iowa. Check them out...funny or not funny?

http://www.richardsonforpresident.com/page/content/jobinterview/

Barack on Clinton Avenue

7:22pm. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say this won't start on time. Barack Obama was scheduled to start his "Meet and Greet" here at Simpson College in Indianola at 7:15pm.

Wouldn't you know it...as soon as I start writing this, the event has now started. I'm guessing about 250 people are here, although two different times before the crowd got here, staffers took away chairs...probably several dozen in all. Not sure why the crowd isn't as high as the original setup would allow.

I guess this is now an official political event. Two women just held out their babies so he Obama kiss them. I don't recognize the song that's playing. Sounds like U2. Hold on...

Yep, it's U2. I had to go and ask the audio guy. He actually played it from a staffer's iPod. It's called "City of Blinding Lights", he tells me.

Sure wish we would have eaten dinner before we came.

I met a woman who runs a business out of Kansas City selling political buttons. There's a whole table of them out front. She said Obama and Clinton run neck-and-neck on-line. But Obama sells better at the actual event. Who's the best seller for Republicans? Fred Thompson, she told. He sells more than all other Republicans combined. Gee, I wonder if he'll run.

One last random bit of trivia...the street Obama had to use before he pulled into the gymnasium here....West Clinton Avenue. Hmmm....

Pizza, Easy Rider, but no Shake

Fueled by some pizza (o.k., more than some pizza, but whatever) we're back on the road. I've never blogged in the car (no, Mom, I'm not driving. She actually won't really talk to me while I'm on my cellphone in the car. She'd pass out if I told her I was blogging. Actually, I'm not so sure Mom understands his blogging stuff anyway. So maybe she wouldn't care).

As we stuck around to eat at the Pizza Ranch in Anamosa, we overheard a pretty interesting conversation. About 4 or 5 people were talking about Tommy Thompson's visit there earlier. No one in the bunch thought Thompson could win. One woman wants Obama to be Prez. But another man was dead sure Obama wouldn't win. He did say Hillary Clinton would pick him as her runningmate and that they would win the nomination. He was sure of it.

BTW, before pizza we did follow around Thompson in the National Motorcycle Museum. Thompson's a big motorcycle buff. He likes to tell the story how he's in the Hall of Fame in Sturgis. In case you hadn't heard, he's a Harley rider.

We're passing through Iowa City now. It just doesn't seem right not to stop at the Steak 'N Shake. Those are big back home in St. Louis. I usually stop at the one here in Iowa City, but not today. Stupid pizza.

In the Land of Cheese

So I'm sitting outside the ladies' room with my laptop and my digital camera... Yes, officer, that's the truth.

The crowd's a little too big for this gathering here at the Pizza Ranch in downtown Anamosa. Tommy Thompson's staff has been scurrying around trying to get more chairs in the room set aside for his noontime town hall gathering.

Thompson started by giving props to our station. He told the group how his supporters flooded our on-line poll last night, overmatching the efforts of the Romney and Biden folks. We had something like 19,000 votes for this contest to see which candidate we would follow today. I never imagined this idea would get so much attention. No wonder I don't do predictions.

The food here smells awesome. For those of you who haven't tasted the spread at this chain...it's a mix of all kinds of types of pizza, fried chicken, salad, fruit, dessert, etc. Really healthy, I'm sure. I gave up my seat in the Thompson room, because it was so packed. Well, and because the older lady spoke really kindly of us being here today. So I can hardly even hear what Thompson is saying. Man, this pizza smells good.

Calling the Hulkster

They played Hulk Hogan's song. I'm pretty sure that's a first for me on this Prez campaign trail this cycle. In true Republican form, they played a lot of country here (no, I'm not complaining. I'm actually a big country fan). But they added a twist...I have no idea if the Hulkster's song actually has a name. And, no, John McCain didn't rip off his shirt (actually the song played before McCain arrived). But thanks to the always in-tune ear of my photographer and Carroll native, Dave Olson, I'm pretty sure it was Hogan's song.

We're here in Ft. Dodge at the Opera House. There are probably about 150 people here, mostly seniors, it appears, and quite a few veterans. McCain got here about 20 minutes late after a stop in Council Bluffs this morning. McCain's usually on-time. I actually don't recall him being late.

He told the crowd he likes these town hall settings. He starts with some jokes, then his thoughts on where Republicans went wrong and what should happen in Iraq. No surprises so far. He thinks Republicans got smacked around in November because they spent too much...like a drunken sailor, he says. Although, he said he received a letter from a drunken sailor, who says he's offended by the joke. I think he was kidding. He also, to no real surprise, continues to stand behind the surge in Iraq, which he says still needs time to work.

McCain called Medicare the "elephant in the room". He wants to work with Dems on securing Medicare. I don't think he offered anything specific about what he'd do to fix things. I think Ronald Reagan is the biggest elephant in this room though. McCain's used his name twice already during this speech.

Peach or Strawberry-Rhubarb?

The pies were store bought, but no one seemed to complain. "The Pie Lady" at the end of the table said Hillary Clinton's too big a draw for the local ladies here in Red Oak, so they used Hy-Vee to come up with the 25 apple, strawberry-rhubarb, cherry and peach pies they would need for the night.


They got ready for the "Conversation". That's the Clinton-campaign version of the town hall meetings other candidates are holding across the state. A woman told me the Montgomery County Historical Society's new building holds about 125 or so. But there were nearly three times that many people here. They even had to push away some people into an overflow room.


A nice older woman named Peggy handled bathroom duties. Men and women had to share the same room. So she made sure I didn't sneak in while a lady did her business inside. When all was clear, she did let two men at a time go in. I thought it was always women who went to the restrooms in pairs???






BTW, Clinton's opening song for the night..."Right here, right now." I remembered somebody Jones used to sing that. Turns out it was Jesus Jones. Also turns out, they still sing it. Who knew?

All Global Politics is Local

(Courtesy: theEcoEnquirer)

Global warming, climate change, environmental awareness...the name really doesn't matter to him. Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie told me he just wants to get people involved in thinking about their environment. Walk or ride your bike where you can, carpool, don't drink bottled water, turn up/down the thermostat, plant grass on your roof, do as little or as much as you want. He just wants Iowans to do something.

Global warming is probably not heating up business at Cownie Furs. But Cownie says his efforts at awareness have nothing to do with his business. He thinks each person can make a difference in this fight. And he plans on finding out just how much that's true.

Cownie believes this whole discussion has moved from just the far left folks to the mainstream. He proudly points out he's been able to unite the Sierra Club with some faith-based groups (btw, his work's been profiled with some big city mayors in a Newsweek article. He's also a prominent part of http://www.coolmayors.org/).

Cownie's also figured out that as the mayor right in the middle of Iowa, he might be able to attract a little national attention. So he's putting together a summit, of sorts, on warming/change/awareness/whatever you want to call it. He'll invite the Presidential candidates from both parties to come in for it sometime after the State Fair (that's in mid-August, for all you non-fried-everything-on-a-stick-eaters, who don't know). He's still working on a format, but don't look for one of those all-day long panels (It's not likely the Presidentials will go for it. They're busy, you know).

The Great 8 Debate

So did you watch? Eight dems tonight kicked off the debate season on MSNBC live from South Carolina. As I'm watching in our newsroom, my co-workers keep stopping by to see how it's going. Mike Gravel seems to have received the most "oohs" and "aahhs". You can probably predict their question, though..."who IS that guy?"

What's coming out of this?

Bill Richardson said he'd end the war on his first day in office.

Dennis Kucinich several times called out his fellow Congress members. Apologizing for their war vote isn't enough and this latest bill the dems approved to bring troops out of Iraq (which the Prez seems sure to veto) also isn't enough. They need to just cut off the money, he believes.

Barack Obama wants the confederate flag locked in a museum.

Hillary Clinton says she's made too many mistakes to count (she mentioned her first attempt at universal health care when her husband was Prez) and....Wal-Mart's a mixed blessing for the American people.

John Edwards initially said he couldn't identify his moral leader, then he cited his Lord, his wife and his father.

Joe Biden defended Hillary Clinton to her republican critics.

Mike Gravel said only thing worse than soldiers dying in vain is more soldiers dying in vain.

Chris Dodd paused before raising his hand to say he has had a gun in his home.

No candidate agreed to along with Kucinich to impeach VP Cheney.

I'm sure the campaigns found far more news.

What did you think of this? Who won? Who lost? Who cares?

(btw, I hope you'll check out a new addition to http://www.iowavotes2008.com/ Click on "Guest Plog" to hear some others' thoughts on how the candidates did)

Please Come

John McCain comes to Des Moines Friday to announce he wants to be President. Who knew? The campaign just sent out an email to supporters asking them to show up for the announcement during "these challenging times."

Here's what the email said:

This week Senator John McCain is coming to Iowa to officially kick off his campaign for President of the United States, and we would like to invite you to join us. In these challenging times we need the principled leadership that Senator McCain will provide, and we would like to invite you to bring your family and friends to help show the broad base of support of our campaign enjoys.

And apparently, Jim Gilmore is announcing that he's running for Prez Thursday at noon at the Republican Party of Iowa headquarters in a live webcast. I would have thought the campaign would send something to us so we would know this. Getting coverage tends to be tough when we don't know about it.

Lamberti Thinks Mac, Obama Thinks Iowa

Jeff Lamberti's no longer going to sit the next one out. He's now in John McCain's camp. He's endorsed McCain for prez and will serve as McCain's Iowa co-chair.

BTW, the dem who beat Lamberti is planning on staying neutral, at least for a while. Des Moines area Congressman Leonard Boswell says he reserves the right to endorse, but doesn't plan on doing it anytime soon. Sounds like he'll wait around for the safe choice...after a nominee's already been chosen. For now, he'll take advantage of his out-of-town guests. Hillary Clinton headlined a fundraiser for him last weekend in Des Moines.

How important is Iowa? (like we don't all know by now...)

I got this today from Obama's peeps...

Obama Campaign Announces New Iowa Website

DES MOINES – U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today announced that he has introduced an Iowa-specific campaign website to help Iowans stay informed and get involved in his campaign.

Obama’s Iowa website can be viewed at www.barackobama.com/iowa.

Candidate Overload?

There were far too many chairs and cookies inside the McAnich garage in Des Moines Saturday afternoon. Hillary Clinton headlined a fundraiser for Des Moines area Congressman Leonard Boswell. More than 200 people showed up. But the campaign was clearly hoping for more. There were nearly as many empty chairs early on as their were full ones (volunteers took away the empties during the event.)

Was it a fluke or is it a sign there are only so many interested Iowans to go around on a day when Edwards, Obama and Clinton all came to the area? Or was it that it was a Saturday afternoon...a sunny one, at that, with a high temperature that hit 80 degrees?

From Microsoft to D.C.?

I knew Bill Gates was cutting back his work at Microsoft. I hadn't heard he's apparently landed a new job helping with the war effort...

Here's a release from Barack Obama's campaign in response to "William" Gates' comments on the war debate...

Senator Barack Obama’s response to Secretary of Defense William Gates' Statement on Iraq

Chicago, IL- Senator Barack Obama today released the following statement in response to Secretary of Defense William Gates' statement on the Congressional debate on the Iraq War.

"After the President has repeatedly ignored the will of Congress and the American people, his own Secretary of Defense now recognizes that the only way to pressure the Iraqi government toward a political settlement is to make clear that American troops will not be in Iraq forever. President Bush has had a long history of ignoring the advice of his commanders on the ground, but let’s hope that he follows the advice of his Defense Secretary so that we can finally begin the process of ending the war in Iraq in a responsible way."

According to the Washington Post, Gates said today while traveling in the Middle East, "The debate in Congress . . . has been helpful in demonstrating to the Iraqis that American patience is limited. The strong feelings expressed in the Congress about the timetable probably has had a positive impact . . . in terms of communicating to the Iraqis that this is not an open-ended commitment."

State Dems Cashing in on Candidates

Looking for a van?

Wanna make some big money fast? Buy a disk. Put 80,000 email addresses on it. Sell it to any democrat who wants to become President.

The Iowa Democratic Party has now sold 8 copies of its Voter Activation Network (VAN). VAN identifies state democrats who have caucused in the last few elections. It helps campaigns figure out who to target for support and makes it pretty easy to actually get a hold of these people.

Who bought the list?

Joe Biden

Hillary Clinton

Chris Dodd

John Edwards

Barack Obama

Bill Richardson

Tom Vilsack

Mark Warner

This VAN doesn't come cheap. It's $100,000 (I'm told Warner had actually only paid half the bill when he dropped out). So the total take for the Iowa Democratic Party is $750,000 so far.

Howard Dean, John Edwards, Dick Gephardt, Bob Graham and John Kerry bought a copy last time around.

More Gov TV

If it worked for Romney...

On Monday, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson becomes the first "D" to "go up." Richardson's campaign has bought airtime in Iowa's biggest tv markets. The buy is a mix of 30 and 60 second ads featuring biographical information and his plan for Iraq, the biggest issue of the election, a campaign staffer told me. I'm told one of the ads has him sitting at a desk going through his accomplishments and credentials.

The ad buys will come after Richardson leaves town this weekend. Richardson is one of the three candidates to speak at the Polk County Democrats' Spring Dinner with Congressman Leonard Boswell in Des Moines Friday night(Hillary Clinton's headlining a fundraiser for Boswell on Saturday in Des Moines).

Mitt Romney was the first republican (and the first candidate overall, outside of a few spots from Duncan Hunter's PAC that ran the end of last year) to air tv ads in the state. His poll numbers have gone up since he started advertising. Hmmm....

Some leftovers from the Jimmy Carter visit in Iowa City...

During his speech Carter didn't exactly diss Iowa, the state that catapulted him from obscurity to a Caucus victory (o.k., technically, "uncommitted" received the most votes, but apparently he dropped out), but he did say he favors a four-part regional primary system to replace Iowa's first-in-the-nation current process. But Iowa wouldn't even be part of the region that goes first. The east coast goes, then the west coast. He didn't say whether Iowa would be part of the region that goes third or the one that goes fourth. But either way, it would be spring, not January, when the Iowa Caucuses would commence.

Carter did recall some fond memories of the Caucus. He said he felt lucky if he could get just five people to show up at one of his early events. And he said since he had no money for motels, he and his family had to rely on generous Iowa families to put them up for the night. Campaign staffers who wanted lodging had to find a couch someplace or pay for a motel room.

Carter said he did invite all the generous families who helped lodge his family during the campaign to the White House after he got elected for a thank you celebration. 765 families, in all, I believe he said.

Popcorn (No Peanuts) and the President

I guess we should have eaten something before we got here in Iowa City (although we did stop at that great Chinese buffet place in downtown Newton). My Carver-Hawkeye feast: $7.75. This popcorn better be good. Shouldn't they serve peanuts here tonight? Oh, well, maybe my extra cash will help them find a new president here.

I'm told they expect 9,000 people to hear former President Jimmy Carter here tonight. And people thought Obama's throng of 6,000 was a lot in Ames.

I haven't actually seen the former Prez yet. We expected to shoot some video of him signing autographed copies of his latest book earlier this afternoon. But we were not allowed in.

Mr. Carter ended up quitting about 30 minutes early. But some of the people who had been waiting for him said they could trade the books they brought with them for an autographed copy that he apparently signed ahead of time. They all seemed o.k. with it. Well, except the protester outside who disagreed with the Prez' use of the word "apartheid" in his book. She apparently was not interested in an autographed copy.

First on the Shootings

If you wondered who would send out paper first (or email, in this modern age) about the Virginia Tech shootings, wonder no more... It's prez candidate Bill Richardson, who's also putting together one of those politically famous "task forces" to make sure it won't happen there.

Governor Bill Richardson Issues Statement on VA Tech Shootings

SANTA FE – Governor Bill Richardson today issued the following statement in response to the tragedy at Virginia Tech:

“On behalf of all New Mexicans, Barbara and I extend our condolences to the families of the victims whose lives were cut short by this horrific tragedy,” Governor Bill Richardson said. “This is a sad day and our hearts go out to the Virginia Tech community as it grieves this loss.”

As a result of the tragedy, Governor Richardson instructed New Mexico Higher Education Secretary Beverlee McClure to immediately begin working with institutions in state to ensure adequate safety measures are in place. These measures may include having a safety plan in place and a disaster response plan. The state will also be looking into the security personnel on each campus and the level of training those personnel have in an effort to determine how to better prepare campus police and security officials to respond to such incidents.

A Safety Task Force will be formed to make recommendations to the Governor for improving the safety of our students, faculty, and staff on our campuses in the state. The Governor is committed to creating a safe learning and working environment for all New Mexicans.

#30#

Va Tech Grad Culver Talks about Shootings

Just got this from the Gov's office...


STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR CULVER ON
VIRGINIA TECH SHOOTINGS

(Des Moines) Below is a statement from Governor Chet Culver on today’s shootings on the Virginia Tech campus, his alma mater. Governor Culver graduated in 1988 with a degree in political science.

STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR CHET CULVER :

“I am deeply saddened by today’s shootings on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. My prayers go out to the students, faculty and staff whose lives will forever be changed by today’s events. It is a sobering realization that this could be the deadliest campus shooting in history. It casts a mournful pall over the splendid campus as those who knew the victims, and those who did not, try to make sense of what has happened.

“On a personal note, I am distraught that the peace and joy I enjoyed during my time as student has been shattered for the thousands of students who live and study there. My heart goes out to every family member and friend of those individuals who died today. This nation is holding its collective breath, praying for those people whose futures are uncertain.

“We, as Iowans, feel a sense of empathy and compassion because a similar event 16 years ago, stole the innocence from the University of Iowa. A lone gunman claimed the lives of five people and himself in a senseless shooting. There will be a period of mourning, and the nation mourns with you. I pledge to Governor Tim Kaine, the state of Virginia and the Virginia Tech family, my prayers, support and any assistance I may provide during this difficult time.”

"W" Proves Obama Not Man for the Job?

Prez candidate Christopher Dodd took a subtle jab at one of his opponents (who also happens to have way more support in the polls right now). He hinted (o.k., more than "hinted") the past proves a newbie isn't the right guy for the country's future.

Dodd was talking before about 100 or so folks at the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy in downtown Des Moines. He said restoring the country's international standing will take a lot more than promises of hope (Obama's catch phrase word during his campaign stops here).

Dodd said, "Sometimes we fail to understand that this also takes experience. We sometimes belittle experience when it comes to doing these things. I don't think after six years of George Bush on the job training....that we need new leadership in this country that doesn't bring experience to the table that knows how to do these things from the beginning."

Dodd may have introduced a phrase we may hear him use again..."We don't need a surge of troops in Iraq - we need a surge of diplomacy."

Here's the campaign release about his speech...

Saying that his Presidency would strengthen America and begin an era of "bold engagement," Senator and Presidential Candidate Chris Dodd announced his foreign policy vision in a major address tonight at the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy in Des Moines.

"Indeed, positive, bold engagement that restores America's reputation as a secure, reliable and responsible leader would form the bedrock of a national security doctrine in a Dodd Presidency - a national security policy rooted in a reenergized military, strengthened international alliances and policies that enhance America's security for the long-term," Dodd said in the speech.
In sharp contrast to Senator John McCain's address this morning at VMI, which argued for more of the same failed Bush administration Iraqi policy of troop escalation, Senator Dodd called for a new course in Iraq.

The troop escalation is "not only failing to make Iraq more secure. By sapping our military of its strength and America of its leadership in the world, the Bush/McCain policy has made America less secure," said Dodd. "We don't need a surge of troops in Iraq - we need a surge of diplomacy."

Dodd called on his fellow Presidential candidates to join him in support of the Feingold-Reid bill that stands up to this President's failed policy, re-deploys combat troops within one year, and brings an end to this war.

Dodd also addressed the need for proven leadership to address the challenges that will face the next President of the United States. "Like never before, we need a President who is ready to lead from day one. There will not be a single day, a single moment for on-the-job training. Not one."
Some excerpts from the speech, "Beyond Iraq and Into An Era of Bold Engagement":

Contrasting Dodd's position with that of Senator John McCain:
"Just today, my Republican colleague who also seeks the presidency spoke about our involvement there. I understand that while he acknowledged setbacks in our efforts in Iraq, he reiterated his support for the President's troop surge strategy, arguing that it is succeeding and that we cannot afford to redeploy our troops out of Iraq.

"No one questions Senator McCain's patriotism. He is a war hero and a friend. But like the President, he is wrong.
"According to a news report, the day after Senator McCain toured a Baghdad marketplace—a visit guarded by 100 American soldiers, three Blackhawk helicopters, and two Apache gunships—21 Shia workers from that same market were ambushed, bound and shot to death north of the capital.

"Senator McCain's market visit makes clear the point many of us have made for some time. We don't need a surge of troops in Iraq - we need a surge of diplomacy. The Bush/McCain Doctrine is not succeeding - it is failing."

Calling for decisive action to end the war in Iraq:
"I am calling on all the candidates in this race to join me in clearly standing up to the President once and for all by stating their support for the Feingold-Reid legislation that sets a firm timetable to end this war by March 31st, 2008. After more than 3,200 lives lost, tens of thousands wounded and $400 billion spent, it is time to bring an end to a war that at every turn has failed to make America safer. The hour is late. It is time to begin putting our country on a more secure path."
Recognizing the need for experienced leadership:
"Let me be clear - hope alone will not wipe away the damage to America's moral authority these last 6 years. Hope alone will not bring our allies back to our side. Hope alone will not restore America's leadership. Like never before, we need a President who is ready to lead from day one. There will not be a single day, a single moment for on-the-job training. Not one."

Holding America's strategic allies accountable for their actions:
"The fact is, our real challenges in all of these areas lie not alone with our enemies - we know who they are. Our challenges also lie with those we call our friends or strategic allies - nations like Saudi Arabia and Russia who continue to suppress freedom and democracy and permit conditions that allow our enemies to thrive.

"What America needs is a President who will insist the House of Saud stop sending money to terrorists to take up residence elsewhere and start using their resources and efforts to bring stability and peace to the Middle East.
"What America needs is a President who will look into Vladimir Putin's eyes not to get a sense of his soul - but to tell him America wants to work together with Russia, not against her, but cannot in the face of his blatant disregard for a free press and suppression of political dissent."

Using energy technology to free America and the world from foreign oil dependence:
"Energy policy is a critical component of bold engagement in the 21st Century. A Dodd presidency would insist upon sharing with our allies the same renewable energy technology that will allow America to achieve energy independence - rendering the oil bribes offered by Iran's Ahmadinejad and Venezuela's Chavez irrelevant, opening new markets for American goods and services, and creating conditions for democratic principles to take hold.

"It is time we help countries end their alliances of necessity with dictators simply because they are desperate for oil and aid. An America that leads on energy opens new doors in its relationship with nations from Latin America to Africa to Asia."

King Can't Stand (with) the Prez

Tom Tancredo look-alike, Iowa Congressman Steve King, (King admits even he can't always tell the two apart on tv) isn't so high on the Prez' new idea to let illegal immigrants pay to stay in the U.S.

The Prez says his idea isn't amnesty since he'd make undocumented workers pay for a temporary visa to stay and work here.

King told me the Prez' definition of "amnesty" is apparently different from the rest of Americans. King thinks the idea just rewards people for breaking the law. King wants illegal deported.

The Prez said deporting illegal immigrants isn't practical. King thinks it's not as hard as it sounds. He doesn't think law enforcement will be running around all over the place deporting people. He says once illegal immigrants find out the U.S. is coming after them, many of them will leave on their own.

BTW, I talked with King on his cell phone as he sat in his car in a Hy-Vee grocery store parking lot in Denison. He said he was paying his income taxes. He wasn't too high on the Internal Revenue Service either, he said.

Romney Has Dozen R's

R R R R R R R R R R R ROMNEY


Mitt Romney stopped by the Iowa Statehouse this a.m. to meet with the Republican Caucus, looking to win over a few more supporters. Today, he announced he's already nabbed an even dozen to his team (not to mention former Senator Majority Leader Stewart Iverson)

Here's the release...

Governor Mitt Romney Announces Iowa Legislative Leadership Team

Wednesday, Apr 04, 2007

DES MOINES, IA – At an Iowa Statehouse news conference on April 4, 2007, Governor Mitt Romney announced that 12 Republican state legislators have endorsed his candidacy for President of the United States.

The legislators will offer their insight and advice to Governor Romney on issues facing Iowa and the nation. Further legislative endorsements will be announced as Governor Romney expands his base of support at the Statehouse. "I am proud to have the support of these dedicated lawmakers whose hard work and conservative values help to make Iowa such a great place to live and raise a family," said Governor Romney. "I look forward to working with them as I travel across Iowa to share my optimistic vision for America's future."

Governor Romney's Iowa Legislative Leadership Team: - Sen. Jim Hahn, Muscatine - Sen. David Johnson, Ocheyeden - Sen. Dave Mulder, Orange City - Sen. Brad Zaun, Urbandale - Rep. Dave Deyoe, Nevada - Rep. Linda Miller, Bettendorf - Rep. Christopher Rants, Sioux City - Rep. Doug Struyk, Council Bluffs - Rep. Dave Tjepkes, Gowrie - Rep. Jodi Tymeson, Winterset - Rep. Ralph Watts, Adel - Rep. Tami Wiencek, Waterloo

Rudy G Skipping Ames?

Tuesday night, Rudy Giuliani wouldn't commit to taking part in the Iowa GOP's Presidential Straw Poll in Ames this summer (a huge fundraiser for the state party. Campaigns rent the space. And "voters" pay to take part in the poll).

This is only fueling the whispers that he'll run a scaled-down campaign in the state (mostly fueled by other campaigns). Jim Nussle, his top Iowa guy and former candidate for Iowa Gov last time around, didn't do anything to convince people otherwise Wednesday a.m. on our morning news. Nussle called the Straw Poll like "American Idol" and a "circus". (BTW, we'll get the whole exchange put on www.iowavotes2008.com later today.)

Giuliani did tell the crowd last night that he planned on running in the Iowa Caucuses and predicted victory. We'll see how the other campaigns jump on Rudy G's comments (and Nussle's).

I'm sitting here at Tommy Thompson's official announcement in Clive (is it a re-announcement by now?). I can see a sign across the room, which makes it pretty obvious Thompson plans on doing the Straw Poll.

Thompson told me he plans on the largest Harley rally Iowa's ever seen. He'll have hot air balloon rides, too. (Not sure how the balloons work into this whole thing)

Just some random observations from the Giuliani event last night... It started nearly 30 minutes late. It seemed like the crowd of 400 or so stuck around. But the enthusiasm hardly compares to some of the others (like an Obama rally). There were a couple futile, short-lived attempts at "Roo-dy, Roo-dy". Very short-lived.

Helen's Not Mad About Rudy

So apparently Helen Hunt's not a big fan of Rudy Giuliani...

Got the following release today... A group claims to have a petition from 100 Iowans who really, really don't want Rudy G to be prez. They say they won't even support him if he's the party's nominee. I only count 39 on the list, actually 37 since a Dr. and Mrs. Richard Bose are on the list twice (perhaps they really, really, really don't like Rudy G).

Why aren't there 100 names on this list I wondered? The group's spokesman says only these people agreed to have their names published; the rest requested anonymity. So I guess we would just have to take the group's word for it that there are really 100 people out of the state's 3 million citizens who are joining together.

BTW, Helen Hunt may have filmed "Twister" here in the state. But I don't believe she's the same person from Cedar Rapids who's signed this petition. I'll keep working on that....

Here's the release...

100 Iowa Conservatives Vow Not to Support Giuliani Even if he Receives GOP Nomination
Iowa Conservatives Unite in Opposition of Giuliani in Preparation for First Visit to State

For Immediate Release: 4-3-2007

Des Moines – Today, The Conservative Declaration of Independence received a flood of additional signatures from Iowa conservative Republicans who vow not to support Giuliani for President of the United States even if we wins the Republican nomination.

The Conservative Declaration of Independence was introduced on Friday March 16, 2007 in Macomb County, Michigan, to promote conservative values and highlight the need for the Republican Party to nominate a 2008 Presidential candidate who supports and upholds basic conservative principles. Support for the declaration comes from Conservatives in Iowa, New Hampshire, Michigan, and several other states across the country.

Tom McMillin, one of the authors and original co-signers of the declaration, sent out an e-mail yesterday notifying Republican voters of Rudy Giuliani’s upcoming trip to Iowa and asking for their support in defending conservative values.

The same day Jim Nussle, Giuliani’s Iowa consultant was quoted as saying "We have to decide, based on this first visit, what kind of response he gets. Up until now, the response has all been remote. It’s been a remote response based on what he’s been doing nationally."

"Make no mistake, the response from Iowa conservatives has been very anti-Giuliani in the leadup to his first trip to Iowa," said Tom McMillin, the former Field Director of the Michigan Christian Coalition. "As conservatives in Iowa learn that Giuliani supports government funded abortion, partial birth abortion, homosexual marriage, and gun registration they quickly agree that we need this Declaration of Independence."

Over 100 conservative Iowa Republicans have signed the Conservative Declaration of Independence in the leadup to the Giuliani trip to Iowa. Interested individuals can sign the declaration of by e-mailing theconservativedeclaration@hotmail.com. The declaration with supporting documentation can be found at www.theconservativedeclaration.wordpress.com.
###

The Conservative Declaration of Independence
- March 15, 2007 -

When, in the course of political process, it might become necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, it becomes necessary to declare the causes which would impel the separation.

We, the undersigned of this digital document, hereby agree that we are Conservatives first and Republicans second, and that we would not support the candidacy of Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani if the Republican Party chooses to nominate him for President of the United States.

We hereby agree that Mr. Giuliani is an American hero for his performance in the aftermath of 9-11, however his liberal record as Mayor, appointment of liberal judges, and the conduct of his personal life make it impossible for us to support his candidacy under any circumstances.
We hereby urge conservatives across the country to join us in signing this Conservative Declaration of Independence by emailing theconservativedeclaration@hotmail.com .

In Agreement,

New Hampshire
Paul Nagy
Draft Buchanan ’92
Northeast Director, Buchanan ‘92
Northeast Director, Christian Coalition, 1994-99
Michigan
Mark Forton
Chairman, Michigan Conservative Union
State Chairman, Buchanan for President, 1996 & 2000
County Republican Chairman,
Macomb County Republican Party, 1994-1996
Tom McMillin
State Field Director, Christian Coalition of Michigan, 1994-1998
Issues Committee Chairman, Michigan Republican Party, 2005-2007
Board Member, American Family Association of Michigan, present

Iowa

Timothy Everts
Wellsburg, IA
Helen Hunter
Cedar Rapids, IA
Bryan and Aspen Allen
Granville, IA
Thomas Carmody
West Des Moines, Iowa
Judy A. Barrett
Dallas Center, IA
Nancy Wagner
Morning Sun, IA
Lori Smith
Iowa
John Hyde
Albia, Iowa
Nicole D. Baker
Clinton, IA
Elmer and Carolyn Veldhuizen
Iowa
Mr. and Mrs. Tim Westrum
Iowa
Jon Michael Bour
Iowa
Phil Roe
Eldora, Iowa
Julie Roe
Eldora, IA
Dr. Richard P. Bose
Iowa
Marilyn Bose
Iowa
Jaclyn Fleming
Iowa
Ray & Donna Seehusen
Pocahontas, IA
Don Herr
Cedar Rapids, IA
Lorie J. Wittmaack
Linn Grove, IA
William C. Schuster
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Rick Freeze
Des Moines, IA
James E. Hankes
Keokuk, IA
Dick and Dorothy Schlitter
Onawa, IA
Roger Sutton
Eldora, IA
Jim Littrel
Rhodes, IA
Doriano Rossi
Des Moines, IA
David Harwell
Des Moines, IA
Dr. Richard P Bose
Estherville, IA
Marilyn A Bose
Esterville, IA
Lee Bader
Jesup, IA
Todd Speck
Clive, IA
Alvin and Kay Greenwood
Dubuque, IA

Iowa's Mayors Sign Up Against America's Mayor

John McCain's not winning the money race so far (number three among the Repubs by my count). But it appears he's leading the pack when it comes to signing up Iowa's mayors (for whatever that's worth). Here's the release...

ARLINGTON, VA – U.S. Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign today unveiled their Iowa Mayors for McCain leadership team, which includes twenty-three mayors from throughout the Hawkeye State.

"John McCain is a strong leader who is best prepared to win the War on Terror and protect America’s interests in the world," Dyersville Mayor Jim Heavens said. "I am honored to join with my fellow mayors in endorsing a proven, pragmatic, pro-life conservative like John McCain."

The Mayors for McCain leadership team is comprised of mayors from both rural and urban communities and draws upon each of Iowa’s five congressional districts. The mayors will use their experience to help spread John McCain’s reform message in their communities and provide strategic guidance to the campaign on local issues.

Senator John McCain expressed his appreciation for the support of these Iowa mayors. "These individuals are influential leaders and committed public servants who have earned the respect of their constituents," said Senator McCain. "They will be invaluable advocates for our campaign as we continue to spread my common sense conservative message across Iowa."

###
Iowa Mayors Supporting JOHN McCain
George Andersen – Nora Springs
Rick Anderson – Asbury
Mike Blake – Clarence
William Christensen – Toledo
Ron Colling – Manning
Nelson Crabb – Clear Lake
Darrell Dobernecker - Pella
Darrell Downs – Marcus
Jeff Fiscus – Alden
Thomas Ginger – Sanborn
Sandra Hatfield – West Branch
Marvin Hearn – Dumont
Jim Heavens – Dyersville
Dennis Kunkle – Guthrie Center
Lon Larsen – Reinbeck
Ron Minten – Alton
Virgil Murray – Bellevue
John Nieland – Marion
Nels Nord – Huxley
Reynold Peterson – Spencer
Ruth Randleman – Carlisle
Steve Samuels – Humboldt
Lary Wyckoff – Bedford