Funeral Scheduled for Fallen Iowa Soldier

James Justice: The Iowa National Guard just released details on funeral services for Staff Sergeant James Justice of Grimes. Justice died trying to save the lives of other injured soldiers in Afghanistan. Pretty safe to call him a hero, don't you think?

Here's what we know from the guard:

Funeral services have been scheduled for Staff Sgt. James Justice, 32, of Grimes, Iowa. Justice was killed by enemy small arms fire during combat operations on Saturday, April 23, in Kapisa Province, Afghanistan at approximately 10 a.m., local Afghanistan time. Wounded in the attack was Spc. Zachary Durham, 21, of Des Moines, Iowa. Both Soldiers were assigned to Troop A, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry, Camp Dodge, Johnston, Iowa.

The attack happened during rescue operations of a U.S. Army OH-58 helicopter crew who were injured when their aircraft made a hard landing in Alah Say District, Kapisa Province,
Afghanistan. Justice and Durham responded to the scene as members of a Quick Reaction Force (“QRF”) and came under fire from enemy forces at the crash site. Justice died at the scene and Durham was evacuated to Craig Joint Theater Hospital, Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan for medical treatment and is currently receiving additional medical care at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C. The cause of the helicopter crash is unknown at this time and under investigation.

Funeral services are tentatively scheduled for Staff Sgt. Justice as follows:

Services will begin with a visitation from 4-8 p.m., Tuesday, May 2, at the IKM-Manning Middle School gymnasium, 755 Main St., Manilla. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. (doors open at 1 p.m. for visitation prior to funeral), Wednesday, May 3, IKM-Manning High School gymnasium, 209 10th St., Manning. Graveside service and burial will be conducted at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va. at a later date.

James A. Justice was born June 30, 1978 in Manning, grew up in Manilla, and graduated from
Irwin-Kirkman-Manilla High School in 1997. While in high school he participated in football,
baseball and track. Justice enlisted as an Infantryman in Company C, 1st Battalion, 168th
Infantry, Iowa Army National Guard in September 1998 at Denison, Iowa and completed Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training at Ft. Benning, Ga. in May 1999. He previously deployed to Operation Desert Spring (Kuwait) in 2001, the Multinational Force Observer peacekeeping mission (Sinai Peninsula, Egypt) in 2003-2004, and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005-2006.

Prior to his mobilization, he was employed full-time by the Iowa National Guard at Camp Dodge, Johnston, Iowa. He loved to spend time with his daughter and his dog, Kinnick. He could often be found tinkering around the house and cooking for his family. James was an avid Iowa Hawkeye and Minnesota Vikings football fan. In his spare time he liked to golf, hang-out with his friends, and work on tractors with his dad.

He is survived by his wife, Amanda, and daughter, Caydence, of Grimes; his father and mother, Larry and Lillian Justice, brother Kenny Justice, sisters Denise Christensen and Christy (Kevin) Lingle, nieces Stephanie (Justin) Ahrenholtz, Jessica (Alisa) Lingle, Katie Lingle and Rebecca Lingle, all of Manilla; nephew Doug (Sarah) Ridgley and their children, Emirsann and Elliette, all of Omaha, Neb.; parents-in-law Bill and Sue Sand, brother–in-law Bob Buckli, and grandparents-in-law Archie and Carol Sand, all of Eau Claire, Wis.; brother-in-law Tim (Kacee) Buckli of Omaha, Neb.; sisters-in-law Amy (Clyde) Buckli-Loew of Chetek, Wis. and Annie (Tony) Luer of Fall Creek, Wis.; his dog, Kinnick; and many other friends and family. Justice was preceded in death by his grandparents Kenneth and Katherine Justice, and Maynard and Nora Gunnlaugsson; brother-in-law Lyle Christensen; aunt and uncle Alta and Merlin Nulle; and his best buddy, his dog Kado.

The family of Staff Sgt. James A. Justice issued the following statement:

“James Alan Justice meant many things to every person he encountered. He was the funny best friend named "Juice" that could be counted on when needing to be cheered up; the uncle who always knew just what to say and when to hand out hugs; the son who was his parents’ pride and joy; the father who loved his little girl more than anything in the world and couldn't wait to have more children; and the husband who loved to put a smile on his wife's face. One thing James was to everyone was the ultimate soldier. He loved the military and he looked forward to every deployment. While we were stunned and extremely saddened to learn of his tragic death, we all take solace knowing that James died doing what he loved best: serving his country beside the men and women he revered and trusted.

Through his four tours of duty, James had many accomplishments but above all, he made life-long friendships. The outpouring of support and prayers during this time from friends, fellow Soldiers and strangers alike has been astonishing, but proved what we all knew: that James was a one-of-a-kind guy and deeply loved by all who had the opportunity to know him and serve with him. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Iowa National Guard for the opportunities they have provided to James over the past 13 years. Additionally, we would like to acknowledge all of his fellow Iowa National Guard Soldiers both at home and serving overseas. May God be with you always.

We are sure that you can understand and will honor our request for family privacy at this time, as we are focused on working with military officials to return James' body home for military service and burial. We thank you for your thoughts, prayers and kindness at this extremely difficult time.

We are deeply saddened by our loss, but extremely proud of the honorable way he served America as a leader in the U.S. Army. We will remember him, his strength, his infectious sense of humor, his faith in God, and his love for his family, friends and country with great pride.”

Justice was part of the approximately 2,800 members of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division deployed to Afhanistan. These Iowa Soldiers reported to their mobilization station at Camp Shelby, Miss. in July 2010 for additional training and preparation before departing for the Afghanistan theater of operations. The unit arrived in Afghanistan in November 2010, where the Soldiers provide full-spectrum operations in a combat theater, including lethal and non-lethal capabilities, support to Afghan National Army and Police units, and assistance to humanitarian relief initiatives.

Obama vs. Trump

2012 Preview?: The annual White House Correspondents' Dinner is always good for a few laughs. Sometimes the jokes are priceless. Sometimes, it's the video. We got a little bit of both as President Barack Obama stood behind the microphone with Donald Trump out in the crowd. Of course, timing was everything in this. And I don't just mean the president's timing with his jokes. We had the whole birther debate this week seemingly debunked (for good?) as the president released the long-form version of his birth certificate showing once again he was born in Hawaii. Trump said he was "proud" that he was the one to force the president to release it.

Here's the video of the dinner with the prez behind the mic. Watch the Donald's reactions and tell me if you think he was having fun. I didn't see many smiles.

Dancing Kid at Urbandale Park

All the Moves: One of our photographers shot this awesome video of a kid showing off his moves at Walker Johnson Park in Urbandale. Here's the problem: we need to know more about him!

Do you know who he is?

Strawn on Huckabee, Huckabee Denies Decision Not to Run

Stuck on Huck: 2008 Iowa Caucus winner Mike Huckabee's fans started their "Stuck on Huck" movement. But Huck has been a no show in Iowa. He apparently has been a no-talk, too. Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Matt Strawn is a guest this weekend on C-Span's "Newsmakers" series. Stawn said he hasn't talked to Huckabee at all this year. And some of Huck's top Iowa strategists from 08 have moved to other candidates this year. Strawn believes Huckabee can't wait too much longer to get into the race, if he's even planning on getting in the race. Strawn also admits this presidential campaign has started more slowly than the past. But he doesn't believe because there is no front-runner, if means Republicans are less than enthused with their choices so far.

Here's the full interview.

Update: Huckabee is denying reports that he's already bailed on another presidential run. However, the article points out strong skepticism from Fox News that Huckabee will run.

Tornadoes, Charlie Sheen Meets Cardinals

Silent Sequel: It's day 2 of my near-silent voice. It really stinks not being able to talk. This had better change soon! I'm just captivated, in a horribly sad way, of this tornado coverage from the south. I used to live in Alabama for about 1 1/2 years when I worked at a tv station in Montgomery. So I'm fairly familiar with some of the areas that were devastated by the tornadoes. To think more than 200 people have died in the region is mind-boggling. I remember covering a path of tornadoes in November, 1998, when I worked in Columbia, Missouri. We loaded up with our satellite truck and headed west following a big storm (it seemed like a big story, but pales in comparison to what hit the southeast). We started in Columbia. Then we re-traced the tornadoes' paths going backwards from Columbia to Kansas to Oklahoma City. It was about three days of some of the worst damage I have ever seen. I vividly remember standing in a destroyed neighborhood in Oklahoma City and looking out. There were nothing but piles of splintered homes and trees and shattered lives. It was overpowering. And sad.

Our sister station in Huntsville is streaming live coverage of Wednesday's damage, rescue efforts and recovery. You can watch it here.

More Disaster Coverage: Charlie Sheen is his own disaster. Forgive me if sharing this post between all the destruction and Sheen seems a bit insensitive. I don't intend it to be. Some of the St. Louis Cardinals got to meet Sheen during their current road trip to Houston. Apparently, Sheen took his road show there. Who cares.

NBC The Voice, Ron Paul Iowa, Tony LaRussa Daughter

All Quiet: NBC has high hopes for its new show, "The Voice". I have high hopes my voice will return. Tough to be on tv with no voice. So I'm sitting in silence today on the couch at home. Not fun.

The Revolution Returns: Texas Liber-publican Congressman Ron Paul used Des Moines as his backdrop to announce he had filed the papers with the Federal Elections Commission to form a presidential exploratory committee. And it was a quick stop. I timed it at 15 minutes for his event at the Holiday Inn across the street from the Des Moines International Airport. And much of that time included speeches from Paul's 3 Iowans who will head his Iowa efforts. Paul said he had no opening statements, took 3 questions from reporters, 2 from supporters and then said he had to leave. I'll be curious how this campaign will function in Iowa. There's no question his supporters are some of the most passionate you will see. Having said that, it was a major challenge trying to cover Paul's appearances in Iowa 4 years ago for one basic reason: the campaign would fail to let the media know about the events. When we are covering a dozen possible candidates, there just isn't time to call around all over the place trying to find out where he might be. Yeah, that may sound a little whiny. But it's reality. So here's hoping that if Paul wants to get covered this time around, his campaign does a better job of giving advance notice of his events.

Tony's Daughter: Tony LaRussa, the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, is hardly a guy you would describe as "all smiles". I wonder sometimes if his face will physically crack if he even attempts to crack a smile. But his daughter is all smiles these days. She just got named to be one of the new cheerleaders for the Oakland Raiders, well, providing the NFL actually has a season this fall.

Barack Obama Birth Certificate

Surprise, Surprise: O.K., birthers, now what are you thinking? I'm not sure who can claim they saw this coming, but this morning, President Barack Obama released the long-form version of his birth certificate. Until now, he had only released a shorter-form, certificate of live birth. The birthers, who kept claiming the president was born in Kenya or Indonesia or Mars or wherever else they were claiming, kept bringing this topic up and alleging the president was trying to cover something up. Donald Trump had recently become one of the most vocal skeptics of the president's birthplace. Although, now that this form has gone public, Trump is now taking credit for getting this out in the open. How does that sit with you? Did the Donald do some serious damage to his credibility with his previous doubts about the president's birthplace?

Why did the president wait so long to do this? NBC reported today he had to ask Hawaii for a waiver to get this long-form released, since the short-form is the legal certificate that is used for legal purposes. It still seems like he could have done this sooner, though, doesn't it? If he thought the whole issue was ridiculous, then that's one matter. By why not then stick to your guns and say this isn't an issue? Why finally give in now? The president said this was becoming too much of a distraction. Ask the millions of unemployed and underemployed Americans if they wanted us to be discussing this whole topic for one more second. I suspect you would hear a deafening, "NO!"

Here's what I have never understood with this whole debate: if there really would have been serious question about where Barack Hussein Obama was born, why didn't federal investigators figure it out sooner? When Obama ran for president, Republican George W Bush

controlled the White House. Wouldn't his people have looked into this, you know, especially since a person HAS TO BE BORN in the United States to serve as President of the United States? Seems to me that would have happened already. Sorry, birthers, time for the next conspiracy theory.

Birthers, turn away, but this is the long-form birth certificate released today by the White House.

And this link can continue to give you hope...

Iowans for Tax Relief

More to the Story: Yesterday, word got out that Ed Failor, Junior, had resigned from his position as President of the Iowans for Tax Relief. I'm hearing from 3 Republican sources today that Failor's departure wasn't exactly voluntary. Founder David Stanley is cleaning house. Eric Branstad, the governor's son, is also gone, too. He served as the development director. So is Katie Koberg, who lobbied for the group. She served as vice-president and the go-between with the media. Radio Iowa's O. Kay Henderson has a great background piece on ITR.

ITR had been especially critical of Governor Terry Branstad, particularly his plans to raise casino taxes. Here's a link to the group's radio ad complaining about the governor's plan. Failor was also critical of the governor when I had him on WHO radio last month.

The last few months must have been especially difficult for the governor's son as ITR kept ripping on his dad, don't you think?

Barbour Not Running for President, Ron Paul Announcement, Ed Failor Junior Quitting Job

Who's In, Who's Out?--This has been quite a day of announcements of comings and goings.

Here we go:

Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour won't run for president. I can't say this one surprises me after talking to him when he came to Des Moines in March. Sure, he met with Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, a must-stop for potential Republican presidential candidates. And he's been traveling to other early-voting states like South Carolina and Nevada. But it's this statement in Branstad's office back then that had me wondering ever since. Barbour said, "I’m 63 years old and this is a 10-year commitment if you run and get elected, you’re committing yourself for re-election and so you’ve got to be prepared for a 10-year commitment and that’s the majority of the rest of my productive life.” (Thanks to the New York Times' Jeff Zeleny for the quote in his article on the visit). The quote struck me as odd for a person who would really decide to run for president. Barbour hadn't really assembled much of an Iowa team either. Matt Gronewald worked for Barbour's Political Action Committee the past 2 weeks, but he was the only Iowan on board. Must be quite a suprise for him, since, according to the Politico's Jonathan Martin, Barbour had already planned an announcement tour, which included a trip to Iowa. Things that make you go hmmm....

Ron Paul Revolution: Paul's fanatics used to yell, "Ron Paul. Revolution!", when he ran 4 years ago. Now it sounds like the revolution returns. Paul is coming to Des Moines Tuesday afternoon to "make an important announcement". Sounds like it's time for the presidential exploratory committee. This would also mean Paul's son, Rand, the freshman U.S. Senator from Kentucky, won't run. The junior Paul told me last month during his visit to Iowa he wouldn't run if his dad did.

Ed Failor, Junior: For Iowans who follow politics, it's Failor's announcement that may have surprised the most people. Failor headed the Iowans for Tax Relief for 16 years, following in the footsteps of his dad, Ed, Senior. Let the speculation begin as to which presidential campaign Failor will now serve.

Fort Dodge Bridge Collapses

Bridge Down: Two construction workers were injured when a bridge collapsed in Fort Dodge. The injuries don't sound serious. But it must have been terrifying for the workers who were on the deck of the bridge when it collapsed, according to the fire chief. Workers were knocking down the bridge on Highway 169, a bit of irony, perhaps, when it crumbled, sending the workers to the ground. The two men are from Minnesota and were sent to the hospital for treatment. Here's what the bridge looks like now, thanks to video from WHO-HD Videographer Roger Riley:

Ad Targets Younger Iowans, Grimes Man Killed, Des Moines Soldier Injured

Iowan's Sacrifice: Late Sunday night, the Iowa National Guard confirmed another Iowan has lost his life in the fight against terror in Afghanistan. Staff Sergeant James Justice, of Grimes, died when insurgents attacked his unit. Justice leaves behind a wife and a 3-year-old daughter. Another Iowan, Specialist Zachary Durham of Des Moines was also injured. We don't know much about his family yet. Here's the briefing from the guard on what happened.





On TV: The College Republican National Committee is out with a new ad targeting President Barack Obama, specifically the country's nearly $15 trillion debt. It features one former Iowan, Meghan Swella. Swella is a former student at Central College in Pella, who later became Dave Funk's spokesperson during his failed bid to win the party's nomination in the 3rd Congressional District. Here's the ad:



It seems like using the word, "winning", can be something your critics can use against you. This ad does it against the president and do we even need to bring up how Charlie Sheen's tirades have damaged "winning" for the foreseeable future?

Grimes Man Killed Serving in Afghanistan

Breaking News: The Department of Defense has confirmed a Grimes man died after getting attacked by insurgents in Afghanistan. The Iowa National Guard hasn't released details yet but plans to during a briefing tonight at 9pm. We will have coverage on Channel 13 tonight at 10.
Here are a few details from the DOD:

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Staff Sgt. James, A. Justice, 32, of Grimes, Iowa died April 23 at Kapisa province, Afghanistan of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire. He was assigned to 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, Le Mars, Iowa.

Christie Vilsack for Congress

Breaking News: Former Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack and her husband, Tom, are making the move to Ames. The word comes from Matt Paul, a spokesman for the Vilsack family. Vilsack is a native of Mt. Pleasant in the 2nd District, where she and her husband used to own a home. The Vilsacks currently rent a condo in Des Moines in the 3rd District. But fellow Democrats complicate her options of running in either of those districts. The new district boundaries, signed into law by Governor Terry Branstad today, meant current 2nd District Congressman Dave Loebsack's residence no longer fell in the new 2nd District. But Loebsack has already announced he would move to a new residence so he could run for re-election. Congressman Leonard Boswell already represents the 3rd District. So instead of causing party complications, Vilsack is moving into the 4th District. Paul will not confirm Vilsack is about to announce her intentions to run in the 4th District. But running in the 4th would put her up against Republican Congressman Steve King. King represents the 5th District. But redistricting eliminates that district and puts King's residence in the new 4th District.

This will be Vilsack's first run for elected office. She considered running for U.S. Senate against longtime Republican incumbent Chuck Grassley in 2010. But she gave way to former Democratic candidate for governor, Roxanne Conlin, who later failed to make the contest close.

Here's the story I did earlier in the day where Iowa Governor Terry Branstad said Vilsack would be a "fish out of water" if she moved to the 4th District. The story also shows Vilsack's husband, Tom's, reaction when we tried to get him to talk about his wife's plans.

Stolen Guns

Where's My Gun?: Janie gotta gun or so Aerosmith tell us. But Iowans in two counties seem to have lost theirs. We just received this news release from Ringgold County. Looks like someone has been busy stealin:

Date/Time: 04-17-11 Crime/Incident: Burglary and Theft Investigative Dept. /Officer: Chief Deputy Rob Haley Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office. Sgt. Dan McNeil with Union County Sheriff’s Office.

What Happened: The Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office and the Union County Sheriff’s Office has had approx. 50 guns stolen from rural residences in their counties. Ringgold County has had approx. 20 guns stolen in the last 5 days and Union County has had approx. 30 guns stolen in the last 3 weeks. We believe most of thefts are occurring during the day time hours. Person or persons involved are believed to be taking firearms only. We are asking that if anyone has seen anything suspicious or different vehicles in their area to contact the Ringgold County and Union County Sheriff’s Offices.

The Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office can be contacted at 641-464-3921 and the Union County Sheriff’s Office can be contacted at 1-800-252-3520.

Federal Deficit, Redbirds' Collision on Baseball Field

Twice the Pain: There are two very painful things to watch this weekend...one is the mounting federal deficit and the other is the video of the two Triple A baseball players from the Memphis Redbirds (the top affiliate of my St. Louis Cardinals) crashing into each other during the Iowa Cubs home opener in Des Moines Saturday night. The debt could hit $15 trillion sometime soon. So what will it take to get rid of it? I don't mean what will it take so that we don't increase the debt as fast. I mean what will it take to actually pay it off. Seems like it would take dramatic changes. Is it really feasible to cut spending by that much? $15 trillion worth? Or will we have to give up something...benefits? services? What about some of our "Bush tax cuts"? Should only the rich pay more? Should the middle class and the rich? Should everyone, regardless of income? We'll find out what Iowans think tonight for the news at 10. Let me know what you think. Now, here's that video our photographer Brandon McCauley shot last night at the I-Cubs. It's the only video that I know of that shows the two Redbirds' players crashing into each other. Both guys suffered concussions, which is no surprise once you see the video.

Federal Government Shutdown

Shutdown Showdown: It's Friday morning and there is still no agreement on the federal budget. Remember, we're not talking about NEXT year's budget; we are talking about THIS year's budget. This current year began October 1st of last year. I would hope Congress is embarrassed that is has reached this point. And, depending on how much money they end up cutting from the budget, this shutdown could actually COST the country money. How about that one for a real kick in the teeth? But here's the biggest one in my mind...Iowa national guard members...you know the ones who have left their families behind to that they could go overseas to fight for their country...well, they wouldn't get paid during the shutdown. They could get killed protecting America's interests. But they wouldn't get their paychecks on time. Seriously? You talk about anti-American. But this is almost worse...Congress, the reason we are in this mess to begin with...Congress would still get paid because that provision is apparently guaranteed through some law. If that's the case, then Congress should change that law today. Yeah, it probably doesn't work like that. But how is it even possible the president and Congress keep drawing a paycheck and the families of Iowans fighting for us wouldn't get a penny? Raise your hand if you think that's fair.

Bail Bonds: Speaking of things that are unfair...why is Barry Bonds not in prison? Perhaps, he's on his way there. The guy is an obvious cheater. Is there anyone at all who doesn't think he lied about taking steroids? Everything about his body and performance changed all of a sudden during his baseball playing days. His head was like a basketball ball. Why didn't he take the stand in his trial to proclaim his innocence? Perhaps, he didn't want to have to lie again.

Uncle Ron: Maybe I'm just feeling a little angry this morning. My Uncle Ron, Ron Harszy, my mom's only sibling, just unexpectedly died. (here's a little more about him) He and my aunt were in the living room when he said he was going to go take a shower. He collapsed outside the bathroom and died. My uncle was a character in every sense of the word. He taught junior high school for three decades. I can't imagine how many lives he affected over those years. But his story-telling was probably his best asset. Sure, we knew he used to "embellish" the facts a little. We could always tell when Aunt Pris gave us "that look" when he did it. But we would always listen...waiting for every next word.

Uncle Ron shared our family's passion for the St. Louis Cardinals. But he was known in southern Illinois for his collectibles. He has the most amazing assortment of beer merchandise...signs, cans, trays...you name it, he has it. He could outfit all of Des Moines' Court Avenue bars and restaurants and then some. But I think my favorite memories of Uncle Ron were when we would be out somewhere and a little kid would be close by. Uncle Ron was a big guy and over the years, his red beard turned snow white. So it wasn't hard to convince kids he could be Santa Claus. And as a former teacher, he knew how to talk to the kids that was both nice, but also firm. He would always tell them to be good or Santa wouldn't come to their house that year. The kids would just stare at him wide-eyed with their mouths hanging open. They had just talked to Santa! And they knew they had to behave. I'll miss Uncle Ron. And I know Santa will always be watching.

Pawlenty Staffer Gets Gun Pointed at Him

What is News?: One of former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty's first hires in Iowa isn't making the kind of headlines his boss would like to see. Ben Foster is a young guy, 24 years old. According to the police report (read it here in the Des Moines Register), he had a night of drinking and driving (he admitted to driving according to the report and then changed his story). The police report said Foster tried to get into an Ankeny family's house, terrifying the family's 15-year-old daughter. Foster may have been the lucky one here, since the father grabbed his gun and pointed it at Foster after listening to the daughter's screams. Here's WHO HD's story talking to the family about what happened:

Let's be honest, is there any doubt drinking and driving is stupid and dangerous? My dad's best friend died because of a drunk driver. So, no, I don't think there is any doubt. Foster gets his day in court, of course. Although, he has already been suspended without pay for 2 weeks from Pawlenty's presidential efforts.

The story with Foster's incident also gets juicier as he said he was trying to find Representative Erik Helland's home (Helland lives in Johnston. Police picked up Foster in Ankeny. Missed the house by 10 miles. Oops. The Register story said Foster lives with Helland). Helland, of course, had his own headlining-making problem with a drunk driving arrest.

I included Foster's arrest in the story I did for the 6pm news last night on WHO HD. My story was primarily about one man's efforts to make sure Iowans stay "Stuck with Huck" and don't give up on Mike Huckabee running for president. Here's my story:

Perhaps, a long-winded way to my point...but here it is: when a temporary Iowan gets arrested in an embarrassing and potentially dangerous incident while he is working for a guy who wants to be president, how much of a news story is it? And should it affect Iowans' opinion of the candidate, Tim Pawlenty? I would argue it is a news story. Sure, some of this is the nature of it with the Pawlenty connection. And you have someone who police say got hammered and then went looking for the house of a lawmaker, who already had an alcohol incident. But I think, all of that aside, a report that says a drunken man trying to get into a family's home, because he is so drunk he doesn't know whose house it is, terrorizing the family and then the dad points a gun at him? Yes, I think that's news. I will say I don't see how this incident should hurt Pawlenty's image with Iowans. Perhaps, if Pawlenty ignored what happened, then it would be different But he suspended Foster for two weeks without pay. Pawlenty's actions may have actually scored him a few points with some people in an incident that, otherwise, provides very little positive aspects.

Culver's New Job

Culver Career: We hadn't heard much about what former Iowa Governor Chet Culver would be doing for his next job. Culver had said he wanted to work in renewable energy. His name was also listed as a remote possibility to lead the Democratic National Committee. Neither one of those apparently materialized and Culver has now started his own consulting business. It's called "Chet Culver Group". So what is the Chet Culver Group? Here's a bit from the website:

With his deep experience in fields such as renewable energy and infrastructure, Culver formed The Chet Culver Group to work with individuals and public and private sector entities to provide strategic consulting, cut through red tape and promote cutting-edge ideas that will move the country forward.

Speaking Of...: Culver's running mate made it as one of the three finalists for the executive director position for the (I think we are required to insert the word, "embattled", "troubled" or "scandal-ridden") Iowa Association of School Boards. But she didn't get the job. Judge, like Culver, has started her own consulting business. It's called PJJ solutions. What is this one about? From the website:

Remember that, PJJ solutions knows that it is possible to acheive real, positive change through careful planning and implementation. Our pledge to our clients is respect and hard work until, together, we accomplish a positive outcome.

Both sites are new. Both might need a little more editing (much like my blog usually does:). Here's a line from Culver's site:

While balancing three budgets, he increased the minimum wage, brought teacher salaries and expanded health care for uninsured Iowa children.

I assume it is trying to say something about that he "brought teacher salaries to the national average" or something close to that. And you may have noticed the line above I used from Judge's site doesn't spell "achieve" correctly. But you will also find something apparently missing from the left column on her wbiste. It lists the links you can use to navigate your way through the site. One is called "blank page". When you click it, yes, you get to a blank page.

Branstad Monday Morning News Conference

Monday Morning: Iowa Governor Terry Branstad holds a briefing with reporters on Mondays at 9am, unlike his predecessor, Chet Culver. Branstad covers a bunch of things. Here are some quick highlights before I head off to the nuclear power subcommittee in the senate this morning: The governor didn't answer the question whether he will be dove hunting now that leaders have legalized it. He did say his son, Marcus, was "excited" about the possibility. He added he worked on a committee pushing for dove hunting back in 1973. He expects the house to pass his remake of the Iowa Department of Economic Development to the new private-public partnership called the Iowa Partnership for Economic Progress. He said his staff also helped to redo 19 pages of amendments into 4 lines. The governor said he heard Caterpillar is looking at leaving Illinois because of high taxes there. He said he already sent the company a letter (along with about 700 other Illinois-based companies) talking up Iowa's lower tax structure to try to lure companies here. Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds also came over to me after the news conference to say she talked with a pharmaceutical company from Illinois that told her about receiving another one of the governor's letters to move to Iowa. She didn't identify the company. Reynolds also declined with a little laughter to say which possible 2012 presidential candidate she thought was the best at Iowa Congressman Steve King's Conservative Principles Conference in Des Moines (Barbour, Gingrich, Bolton, Cain and Bachmann). Reynolds spoke at the conference. Branstad say he was out of state at a wedding. Off to my nuclear meeting. (Not sure why...but I can't seem to put in spaces between each different subject. Technical issue. Sorry about the eye strain:)

Steve King Won't Run for President

No King for Prez: Western Iowa Congressman Steve King told me last year, a few times, he was thinking about running for president in 2012. But this weekend, he told me it doesn't look like that will happen. King said two things were missing for his presidential run: "a calling and a groundswell", he told me. Instead, he said he will be looking at the other possible Republican presidential candidates. He said he won't endorse until at least after the Republican Party of Iowa's straw poll in August. Isn't it a given King will endorse his neighbor to the north, Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann? King told me, no. He said, "She's a great friend. On the issues, we go across the board. We are instinctively together. But (former Colorado Congressman) Tom Tancredo has that same type of relationship. History will show I didn't endorse Tom Tancredo when he ran for president." Tancredo ran in 2008. King (who I thought looks like Tancredo) instead endorsed Fred Thompson. That one didn't turn out so well. By the way, I was trying to figure out exactly how many presidential candidates there were at King's first-ever Conservative Principles Conference Saturday in downtown Des Moines. Tom Beaumont wrote a preview story for the Des Moines Register saying there would be 4 (this will be one of his last stories for the paper as he leaves for the Associated Press). His later story counted 5 possible candidates (he added former UN Ambassador John Bolton). I had gone with 5, but wasn't sure what to do with South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint, who King's event considered the headliner of the evening event. I asked King whether to call DeMint a "possible candidate". King said DeMint made it "pretty clear he's not coming as a candidate." So, I'm sticking with 5 possible candidates for the day. That was plenty to try to fit into one tv story.

Donald Trump Won't Be Coming to Steve King's Dinner

No The Donald: Iowa's Republican 5th District Congressman Steve King holds his Conservative Principles Conference in Des Moines this weekend. He had invited Donald Trump to attend. But Trump's spokesman, Michael Cohen, told me Trump would not be coming this weekend. He did say Trump would come to Iowa "very soon". Cohen didn't specify when that would be. Trump does have to figure out how to handle his continuing role on NBC's show, "The Apprentice". He told me last month he would have to finish his duties with the show, which ends in June, before he could get into the presidential race.

Pawlenty Forming Exploratory Committee

Pawlenty for President: Nothing, it seems, gets done all at once in presidential politics any more. So this afternoon, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty is announcing a presidential exploratory committee. He can announce his presidential run later, so that he can get more media coverage (sorry, is that too cynical?) For now, Pawlenty is making his announcement on Facebook. If you go there now (as I write this at 11:20am), you can see the countdown clock until the exploratory committee announcement. Last month, Eric Woolson, the architect behind Mike Huckabee's improbable 2008 Iowa Caucus win, reluctantly said he would work for Pawlenty if asked. I say "reluctantly" not for a lack of desire to work for TPAW. But it sounds like the Washington Post's Chris Cillizza scooped everyone on it before some people close to TPAW really were ready for the news to come out.

4:30pm update: O.K., it's happened. Pawlenty made his announcement. He has formed the exploratory committee. I just talked with him. He told me "Iowa is going to be a very important place in our strategy. Of course, we value and respect Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucus state. It's also next door to Minnesota. So when you drive from southern Minnesota to Iowa, unless you look at the road signs, you can't tell you changed states. Many of the issues...the economy, the culture, the background are very similar. It's very comfortable there for me."

Sounds like he plans on playing up the neighbor angle, eh? So as Iowa's neighbor and as a little-known candidate nationally, "the expectations game"...fairly or unfairly...will dictate a strong finish, won't it? He told me, "history would show you gotta do reasonably well in Iowa and New Hampshire. Otherwise, you don't get to move on. So, yeah, we expect to do well. I wouldn't put an exact number on it. But we need to do well in Iowa."

History demands a candidate do well. No candidate has gone on to win the presidency without at least placing in the top 3 in the caucuses.

So what does Pawlenty offer the others don't? He said it's his ability to bring together all factions of his party. He said, "I think the thing I bring to the table is I can unite the conservative movement in the party in a way most other candidates can't. If you look at the conservative movement, it consists of economic conservatives, social conservatives, kind of liberatarian or tea party conservatives...national security conservatives. There's candidates who appeal primarily to one of those categories, but I have the ability to compete and get support from all of them. I think I can be the unifying candidate in the race."

Pawlenty plans to add to his Iowa caucus staff later this week and plans a return visit April 1st and 2nd.

Here's my conversation with him today:

Save a Life Saturday

Saving a Life: Today, my wife and I sat in on the American Red Cross' "Save a Life Saturday" training. The Red Cross held the free training across the country in light of what happened with Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in January. Bystanders helped provide aid after police say Jared Loughner started gunning people down.

We took part in the training at the Clive YMCA this morning. I must say I was surprised with how little I knew.

Learning lesson #1: When you are giving compressions on a victim's chest to get his heart re-started, you may break the person's ribs. I had no idea. But it may actually make doing it easier. Gruesome, a little, I admit. But it sounds like it's a necessary evil for the chance to save a person's life.

Lesson #2: You try to give 100 compressions per minute to keep the blood moving. Try it. It's tougher than it may sound. It can get pretty physical. Hopefully, the adrenaline keeps you going.

Lesson #3: I didn't know this either. You can either sing out loud or just in your head. The beat of the Bee Gees' song, "Stayin' Alive", hits the speed of your goal for your compression rhythm. Pretty fitting song, I'd say.

Sing along with me...

Tim Pawlenty's Changing Dialect

Southern TPaw: I wasn't the only one who noticed MinnesOOta's former governor Tim Pawlenty seemed to "southern" it up during the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition's event last week. Here's his full speech from that event in Waukee. Minnesota Public Radio took it a step further. A reporter pulled words from a Pawlenty address in Minnesota last year and compared them to him saying the same words at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition event in Iowa. It's a fascinating idea, although I wish it included more than just one or two words at a time. In a perfect world, a sentence or two would make it a little easier to compare. But it's interesting, nonetheless. Check it out. What do you think?

Branstad Friend, Richard Schwarm, Forms Group

A Little Help: Richard Schwarm has known Iowa Governor Terry Branstad a long time. They used to be law partners. Schwarm used to be Republican Party of Iowa Chairman. Schwarm just formed a new group called the Iowans for Growth and Development. But first, a little Joe Cocker...

(Joe Cocker has nothing to do with this, by the way. The song just came to mind).

I asked Schwarm whether his new group's purpose is to push his friend's agenda of cutting taxes (well, mostly, except for raising taxes on casinos), revamping the Iowa Department of Economic Development and creating 200,000 jobs in the next 5 years. Schwarm acknowledged, "We have known each other a long time...and Terry and I share values." He stopped short of saying, yes, this is a group to push TB's ideas. In the group's articles of incorporation paperwork with the Iowa Secretary of State, here's how Schwarm describes the objectives:

"(1) developing and advocating for legislation, regulations, and government programs to improve and stimulate the economy and (2) conducting research and publicizing the positions of elected officials concerning these issues, thereby bringing about civic betterments and social improvements for the common good and general welfare of the people of Iowa."

Schwarm said we can expect to hear radio commercials pushing his group's ideas. He joked radio is cheaper than tv. He couldn't say when ads would start airing, although he did say fundraising is underway. It's "very early" became his response to several of my questions. He said it's "very early" when I asked whether the group will push for Branstad's casino tax increase (I haven't heard much support at the Iowa Statehouse for hiking casino taxes). So no answer on that yet.

Who pays for this group? We will likely never know. Schwarm has organized this group as one of those 501(c)(4) corporations. That means it isn't for profit but it also isn't for public knowledge about which people write the checks. That seems to be the way groups are doing things these days. Our two analysts this weekend on Channel 13's "The Insiders" didn't sound too thrilled with these types of groups. You can hear what they think Sunday on Channel at 9:30am.

Home School Parents Could Teach Kids to Drive

(Where are your car keys, dad?)

10 and 2: I sat in on the debate in the Iowa house on whether home school parents should be able to teach their kids to drive, instead of having training drivers education instructors do it. Kim Pearson, the freshman house Republican from Pleasant Hill, lead the house debate. She has been a home school educator herself, which actually set up a pretty interesting discussion with one of the Democrats, Curt Hanson, of Fairfield. He taught drivers' education for 43 years.

As you might predict here, Pearson believes home school parents should be well-qualified to teach their kids to drive, while Hanson thinks people trained for the job, like himself, would be better teachers. He brought up the point that methods and rules change, and parents don't always keep up with them. I must say as a new parent (one who is now nearly 14 years from beginning the process of teaching Hayden how to drive--GULP!), I was surprised by something Hanson said. To prove his case, he said instructors used to say to keep your hands at "10 and 2" on the wheel (picture it like the hands on a clock at 10 and 2 o'clock). But he said they haven't taught that for years. Really? I asked around in the newsroom and people here were as surprised as I was. Apparently, according to Hanson, young drivers learn to hold their hands at "8 and 4" now. Here's why: Hanson said it's all because of the invention of airbags. He said at 10 and 2, when the airbags activate during a crash, your hands might fly back and hit you in the face. But at 8 and 4, your hands would fly back lower than your head. Hmmm...never thought of that.

As far as the debate goes, the house passed it easily. Now it goes to the senate. But senators had already talked about a similar measure earlier this session and shot it down. So it's not likely to have much of a chance the second time around. 8 and 4, everyone.

The Pepsi Challenge: Coke is the country's top selling soft drink. But Diet Coke just passed Pepsi for number 2. An Associated Press story says 4 of the top 10 soft drinks on the list are diets. How are we still so fat then? Or is this a sign of progress?

For the record, I'm a Coke Zero guy, which didn't make the list. Of course, finding restaurants or convenience stores that sell it, is a tall order.

Same-Sex Marriage Rallies

Return Rally: This same-sex marriage fight won't end...almost certainly not this legislative session at the Iowa Statehouse. We had dueling rallies, although, really there was just one rally and one event. Here are some random observations:

By the numbers: Nearly 500 people opposing same-sex marriage. Several dozen supporting it.

Attire: Anti-same-sex'ers mostly wore red. Pro-same-sex'ers didn't dress the same. They did wear stickers showing support for their cause.

Age: A lot more gray in the crowd from the same-sex marriage opponents. Many retired people. Not all, but many. Same-sex marriage supporters seemed to be more 20 and 30-somethings. Does that reflect changing opinions in the state? Or is it just a coincidence?

Here Comes the Judge: Former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore spoke in opposition to same-sex marriage. I actually covered Moore's election 10 years ago in Gadsen, Alabama, when he became chief justice. He was later removed from the bench for refusing to take down the Ten Commandments in the supreme court building. I left the state for Iowa before that happened. I do remember watching the Bush-Gore presidential race with him on tv back then though. I also remember trying to figure out what the heck Dan Rather was saying sometimes.

More By the Numbers: Times Bob Vander Plaats ran and lost in the race for governor: 2. Times Roy Moore ran and lost in the race for governor: 2.

BVP VP: This was the first time I saw Vander Plaats signing autographs. He did it before event began. He spoke at the rally but apparently left before it finished. I couldn't find him afterwards for an interview. Moore signed autographs, too, in case you were wondering.

Iowa, Onionized: Coincidentally, this week Iowa's same-sex marriage debate made the satire-publication, "The Onion".

Gingrich, the Giver: The Washington Post reports likely 2012 presidential candidate Newt Gingrich helped give a bunch of cash to oust the 3 Iowa supreme court justices. Will the $150k help get Gingrich some love next year for the caucuses?

Rally Day at Iowa State Capitol

Re-Rally Time: The Family Leader holds another rally to oppose same-sex marriage at the Iowa State Capitol today. One Iowa, the same-sex rights group, holds another rally at the Iowa State Capitol today to support same-sex marriage. Moveon.org holds another rally at the Iowa State Capitol today to support union rights. Do you notice a pattern here? I'm not sure how many rallies from each of these organizations we have covered in the past few months. But their messages are usually the same. And so far, the outcome seems the same. The Republican-dominated house passed a bill to let Iowans vote on a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriages. But the Democratic-controlled senate pledges to let the bill die. The Republican-dominated house also passed a bill that would take away some bargaining power from state employee unions. But the Democratic-controlled senate pledges to let that idea die, too. So what is the point of all these rallies when nothing changes? Waste of every one's time or is it worth it to let passionate people continue to show their passion in the hopes pressure can change other people's minds?

Potato Bars, Mitch Daniels for President

You Say Potato. I Say, What?: I must admit I haven't heard of this one before. But there were three churches in Newton, Iowa, this weekend that held potato bars. The Newton Daily News had some background on it. I've seen all-you-can-eat potato bar buffets at restaurants. But I didn't know churches did their own potato thing. Because I'm nosy, I called Pastor Tiare Mathison-Bowie from one of the potato bar hosts, First Presbyterian Church in Newton. She said the church has been doing the potato bars for a half-dozen years or so. And, in case you thought of this before I did, there is, indeed a St. Patrick's Day connection. The timing of the potato bar event is no coincidence. It's all because of the potato famine in Ireland in the 1840s. Pastor Mathison admits her church's event is really the opposite of the potato famine. It's more, "Thank God for the blessings of potatoes", she told me. And she said this weekend offers a natural connection, coming before St. Pat's Day, giving everyone an excuse to get together for fellowship and thanks. About 95 people potatoed at the church today. Sorry to bother you on a Sunday night, pastor:)

(Pastor Tiare Mathison-Bowie. Photo courtesy: First Presbyterian Church, Newton)

And, of course, no potato story is complete without this spud dud memory:

More Mitch?: Did you see Indiana's Governor Mitch Daniels on "Meet the Press" this morning? I must say he didn't ooze the "I want to run for president" vibe, did he?

Here are some highlights thanks to the Politico's Mike Allen:

MITCH DANIELS, to Chuck Todd, guest moderator of "Meet the Press," on whether he'll run for president: "I'm not sure. ... I've agreed to consider it." On his deadline: "I don't know." On whether he can wait all summer: "I have no idea. ... There are some REALLY good people running. I like 'em all. ... It could be any one of those folks."

2012: Gingrich and Bachmann

Their Words, Your Thoughts: Newt Gingrich said he screwed around on his wife because he loved his country. I'm curious if your spouse would take that as a legitimate excuse. Mine wouldn't. Gingrich made his comments to CBN's David Brody during an interview at the famous Machine Shed Restaurant in Urbandale, Iowa (my mother-in-law's favorite breakfast place when she comes to town). Gingrich said his passion for the country lead him to do things that were inappropriate. O.K., married people, how would this excuse go over at home?

History Problem: Michele Bachmann offered an historic gaffe during her stop in New Hampshire about the "shot heard 'round the world". The gaffe may not be historic. But the topic was. She apparently confused the Granite State's history with its neighbor, Massachusetts. Hopefully, for her sake, she ad libbed that speech. And she just had a mental mix up. Because if she prepped that line for the speech and then said it, that would really be an unfortunate "oops".
But, perhaps, even more embarrassing for Bachmann is this: that moment in history is intertwined with the genesis of today's tea partiers and Bachmann is a proud member of that tea party group. Oops.

By the way, don't think she's not serious about running. Indianola Senator Kent Sorenson is already working to push support for her (on a volunteer basis) in Iowa. More to come on this...

Bachmann will be interesting to follow if Mike Huckabee and Sarah Palin don't run. It sure doesn't seem like Huckabee is planning to run, at least not yet. Eric Woolson, Huckabee's campaign manger for his 2008 winning (Charlie Sheen has now ruined that word, "winning") Iowa Caucus campaign just had to announce his support for Tim Pawlenty, after word of the future support leaked out in the Washington Post. Palin has been scarce in this state as her poll numbers fall. I don't know of any elected official pushing Palin's cause so far. Conservative blogger, Shane Vander Hart, is a Palin backer and posts about her on his Caffeinated Thoughts blog. But that's about it, as far as I know.

Union Bill

Day Two: Perhaps, Iowa house lawmakers and their staff members aren't quite as bleary-eyed as some feared, but the coffee is still flowing fast. The house started debating the union bill at 2pm Wednesday. The new rules in the house would prohibit most voting after midnight, unless leaders decide to suspend the rules. So there didn't seem much point to try to discuss amendments past that time period. And lawmakers didn't. They adjourned last night at 10:37 and then re-started at 7:05am. Most other house business has been delayed today as the house continues to debate the union bill. We'll see how long it goes. Today? Tomorrow? Saturday?

What's the point of all of this? Democrats admitted privately to me they are not going to win this. Republicans have a 20-seat advantage in the house. Democrats know they can't overcome that deficit. But they can reinforce their commitment to unions and their supporters. Unions are such a devoted voting block and financial supporters of the Democratic party. Maybe they can also keep stalling the clock and convince Republicans to drop some provision in the bill? Democrats know cranking out amendments and talking and talking and talking are about their only weapons in this fight. There's not a person at the statehouse who believes Democratic Senate Leader Mike Gronstal wants to do anything to weaken labor. So the same question can be asked to house Republicans: why are they trying to push this through when it isn't likely to go anywhere whenever it gets through the house? Republicans can show to their business-friends they're working to weaken unions. They can say they are trying to help taxpayers save money by forcing state workers to pay health care premiums, like people in the private sector do. And this gives them one more piece of fundraising material they can use as they target Gronstal in next year's election as they try to take back the senate.

Ah, politics.

Union Bill Debate

Waiting to Debate: This one will be a doozy. AFSCME union workers have been rallying again outside the house chambers. I'm not going to speculate on how many were here. Wait for the ensuing controversy on the numbers later. Debate on this bill had been expected this morning. It never happened. Both parties went to caucus around 11:30. They are supposed to return to begin debate at 2pm. Here's a breakdown of what's up for debate in this Des Moines Register story.

By my count, there are 101 amendments. This could take a while. A legislator joked this could be two days. I hope he was kidding.

Iowa Faith and Freedom

Catching Up: I didn't get a chance to post yesterday. But we did put the speeches on-line of all 5 Republicans from the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition's event in Waukee Monday. Did you go? The group said attendance approached 2,000. That's more than I would have guessed. But organizers say there were a lot of people in the overflow rooms. I'm putting up a poll on this. If you had to pick from 1 of these 5 guys for president, which one would you pick?

Here are their speeches with a random observation or two on each.

Tim Pawlenty--He comes from Minnesoooota, yet he sounded like a southern preacher at times during his talk. Listen to it for yourself. Am I crazy?



Rick Santorum--Took a little jab at Pawlenty at the beginning. Pawlenty called The Iowa Faith and Freedom's leader Steve Scheffler, "Chuck" several times. Santorum made sure to call Scheffler, "Steve". Funny or petty? What do you think?




Buddy Roemer--Used to be a Democrat. He said Ronald Reagan encouraged him to become a Republican. Will that fly with the caucus crowd? He also said he won't take more than 100 bucks from individuals. Some may see that as admirable, but is it doable to actually finance a legitimate campaign? He also added that he opposes ethanol subsidies. Bold statement to make in Iowa. Seems to me two-time presidential candidate John McCain wasn't a fan of ethanol subsidies at one point and then he later joked about drinking a glass of ethanol with Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley every day. Does that taste better than eating crow?



Newt Gingrich--Didn't address his three marriages. Very curious how that issue will go over with the Republican caucus goers.



Herman Cain--Probably got the loudest ovation of the 5. Very comfortable in front of the microphone. Curious what kind of caucus campaign he would run.

Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition

Dinner Guests: 2011, meet 2012. Monday night, Iowa hosts its biggest gathering yet for 2012 possible presidential candidates. Five possibles headline the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition event at Point of Grace in Waukee. Five "formers", actually: Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, former Godfathers' Pizza CEO Herman Cain and former Louisiana Governor Buddy Roemer. It's not quite like when the Democrats brought out big names like Clinton, Obama and Edwards, at least not yet. But it should get a good bit of national attention.

Who's the best known? Gingrich, I would guess. This can be his first larger-scale event in Iowa to try to win over social conservatives who may not be too keen on his marital issues of the past...three wives. Pawlenty and Santorum have seemed to be the most serious about Iowa so far. Both have hired Iowa staff. Herman "the Hermanator" Cain's campaign sent me my first full travel schedule. So he seems interested. The Pottawattamie County Republican Chairman called me to tell me how popular Cain is in western Iowa. And then there's Roemer. I really didn't remember much about him before these past few weeks.

I did find an interesting piece of video on YouTube. Roemer campaigned with 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain in Waterloo. He said he came to Iowa a lot when he was a congressman. And one line seemed to offer a bit of a prediction.




We'll see who "the man" really is, I suppose, Monday night.

Tea Party Test

Tea Party Test: It looks like I need to learn more about the tea partiers. I just took an on-line test and only scored a 70%. Granted, that was better than I did in my first accounting class in college. Iowa's head tea partier (yeah, I just made that up) sat in on Iowa Public Television's "Iowa Press" this weekend. He said his group will target Democratic Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, according to Radio Iowa's O. Kay Henderson's account of the show. Anti-Gronstal-ers are talking a lot these days about knocking him out. But Gronstal has proven to be a force at the statehouse, starting there back in 1985.

First Word: I didn't fare much better in a little unofficial test at home either. Our 7-month-old said his first word. Here's a hint: it wasn't "dad". The last few days, Hayden has been saying "mamamamama" and "bahbahbahbah". So yesterday, "mom" came out...again and again. And to think I'm the one who got up with him at 3am. No respect for dad. No respect.

Today, on his mom's birthday, he did help get his bath ready though:)

Trump for president, the interview

The Interview: Here's the full interview I did with Donald Trump on WHO radio this afternoon. Yes, he sounds VERY serious about running for president. Either that, or he is a heckuva salesman. My previous post has some of the highlights of the interview. Since then, I now know, Mike Cohen, the man behind www.shouldtrumprun.com, will be flying into Des Moines on Monday (in one of Trump's planes). His official title is this: Executive Vice President and Special Counsel to Donald J. Trump. He plans on meeting with Republican Party of Iowa State Chairman Matt Strawn and some others. Sounds like the Trump people are starting to look into the organizational and ground game aspects of a possible run by talking with people in the know. If Trump confirms that he is coming to western Iowa Congress Steve King's event later this month with some other presidential possibles, perhaps, we'll see how serious Trump really is about 2012. This audio is courtesy: WHO radio.

Trump for president

The Donald--We've heard from Huckabee, Santorum, Gingrich, Barbour and even a little bit from Palin in Iowa. But we haven't heard anything from the Donald. We did today. Donald Trump joins me on WHO radio this afternoon at around 4:35pm (you can listen on-line at whoradio.com). We taped an interview with him from his office in Manhattan. Trump sounds serious about running. Really serious. He's also apparently not a big fan of President Obama. He said "nobody respects us". He said the president's actions have been "very disappointing and sad". And he told me it's the president's fault the world doesn't think more of us. He also doesn't think much of the possible presidential field, even on the Republican side. He said they are the reason he would have to get into the race. He doesn't want to, he said, but he has no choice. And he said he is more qualified to be president than someone with just a governor on his/her resume. Trump also has a way to immediately bring down the deficit. He said we have too many troops too many places around the world. And when we send them to help some country, that country should help pay the bill for the assistance.

Trump said if he runs, he will announce it after his show, "The Apprentice", on NBC wraps up for the season. That would be in June. By the way, the show begins its new season this Sunday night. Trump said he will come to Iowa a lot if he runs. And he said he has been invited to western Iowa Congressman Steve King's Conservative Principles Conference on March 26th, where other possibles including Minnesota Congressman Michele Bachmann, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton have already announced their intentions to come. Trump didn't say whether he will come to the conference.

Trump also has an interesting take on whether, during these crummy economic times, Americans would really want to elect a really rich guy to the White House.

What do you think of him running for president? Join us on WHO radio this afternoon from 4 to 7.

Santorum, Gingrich Suspended from Fox News

They Report, You Decide: Fox News has announced today it is suspending the paid on-air contributions of former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. So what about the more prominent faces/voices of former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and 2008 Iowa caucus winner Mike Huckabee? Those two are not included in the suspension, according to the story in Politico. The article quotes a Fox spokesperson as saying that Palin and Huckabee haven't been seriously looking at forming a presidential exploratory committee.

This announcement would seem to give further "proof" to those who have serious doubts about whether Palin and Huckabee would give up their lucrative lives for a shot at beating President Barack Obama. Palin and Huckabee keep saying they're looking at running. It would be nice to be a fly on the wall to hear how those two talk with the Fox big wigs on their intentions, wouldn't it?

Branstad Says Iowa Caucuses Will Be First

Calendar Countdown: Florida is threatening to move up its primary to January 31, 2012. That screws up the current calendar for the 2012 nominating process. Most importantly for Iowans, it would, at least temporarily, put Florida before the Iowa caucuses, currently scheduled for February 6th. CNN talked with Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, who is in D.C. for the National Governors' Association meetings. Branstad told CNN he will make sure Iowa comes first in the process. No real surprise there. But it does offer another reason for the out-of-towners coming for the caucuses to make sure their hotel rooms have refundable deposits, so they can move their stays a little earlier next year. Can they please still let us reporters enjoy our Christmas holiday break though with our families and not move everything up too much?!

Newt's Next Move: Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is sounding more and more like he's not just flirting with a run for president in 2012 (and trying to sell a bunch of books). The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports Gingrich will announce in 10 days he is forming a presidential exploratory committee. That allows him to start doing things like raising money for a possible run, etc. Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, former Pennsylvania Rick Santorum and Gingrich seem to be among the most serious in Iowa so far. Former candidates Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee have run here before, so you can't forget about them. And Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour also just took his first trip here that was solely focused on exploring a run.

Gay Republicans

Gay Republicans: Romney, Pawlenty, Santorum, Huckabee, Barbour, Gingrich...is there room for a gay Republican in the presidential race, too? Fred Karger, a gay rights activist in California, wants in. The Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition has its Spring Kickoff Event coming up March 7th in Waukee. Karger is filing a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission to try to help get him an invite to the event. In these times of same-sex marriage ballot fights, do Republicans want a prominent gay person in their race? Should they? What do you think?

By the way, I checked with Steve Scheffler, the head of the coalition. He said the guest list for next month includes: Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum (who headlined the event last year), Texas Congressman Ron Paul, Godfather's Pizza former president Herman Cain and former Louisiana Governor Buddy Roemer. Scheffler expects 500-700 people, up from around 450 last year. He adds 99% of the attendees are likely caucus voters. He said he might be hearing today that another possible presidential candidate could be rsvp-ing for the event. But he declined to say who that is. At this point, though, none of the assumed "big names"...Romney, Huckabee, Palin, Gingrich, are slated to attend.

DHS to Cut 230 Positions

Job Cuts: Iowa Governor Terry Branstad warned Iowans there would be layoffs. According to this email from Chuck Palmer, the new director of the Department of Human Services, those layoffs are on the way. Here's an email sent out to employees.

DHS Staff:


I am sharing important budget news with key legislators today and I want to give you the same information.

I’ll start with the most sobering news. Our latest projections show that our budget for fiscal year 2012 will support 4,777 positions. That’s 5 percent fewer than the 5,029 funded positions today. Nearly half of the shortfall will be managed by keeping funded positions vacant, including positions that we expect will be vacated in the coming months. The remaining positions will be laid off, for a total reduction of about 230 funded positions. Our current hiring freeze will continue indefinitely, with only the most critical positions being considered for filling.

We are making a couple of assumptions. One is that policymakers will not appropriate funds to cover the costs of negotiated salary increases. For our agency alone, the salary adjustment portion is about $8.9 million. In order to honor our contractual obligations without a funded salary adjustment, we will need to eliminate about 136 positions, or a little more than half of the expected 230 reduction in positions. The remaining reductions are due to provisions of the governor’s budget recommendations, which we assume will pass, and due to budget-cutting legislation approved by the Legislature last spring.

You may have read that there are efforts in the Iowa Legislature to appropriate amounts lower than the governor recommended for our agency. It will be up to me and our other leaders to explain the consequences of even sharper cuts, and you can be assured that we will do so.

It is quite clear that a budget impact of this size will have unavoidable consequences for the work we do. Of course we will continue to look for ways to be more efficient. And of course our priorities will be to protect the most vulnerable Iowans who depend on our care.

The most significant impact will be in our field operations. Of the total 236 positions that we need to reduce, about half – an estimated 135 – will come from field, including income maintenance workers and social workers. Of these, we estimate that about 56 field positions will remain unfilled and, depending on the vacancy level, another 79 will be laid off. Caseloads for IM workers could exceed 800 per worker, compared to just under 700 today. Caseloads for social work case managers will also rise.

There will also be staff reductions in general administration, the child support recovery unit, the juvenile facilities at Toledo and Eldora, and the resource centers at Glenwood and Woodward.

We are assuming that the governor’s proposed supplemental for this fiscal year will also pass, meaning we will be able to keep our commitment to avoid critical cuts at our mental health institutes that would otherwise occur almost immediately under budget-cutting legislation (SF2088) approved last year.

As we evaluate our core mission, we anticipate going forward into FY12 with two changes at the MHIs that will have an impact on number of employees. At Clarinda, the geropsychiatric unit will be reduced to 20 beds from the current 29, and the substance abuse treatment unit at Mount Pleasant will be reduced to 25 beds from the current 45. Our core mission at the MHIs is to provide acute psychiatric help for adults and children. Those capacities will remain approximately the same, with a slight increase at Clarinda.

Our service area managers, superintendents, and other supervisors have been briefed on the projected impact of this budget, and I’m relying on them to give you the specifics. We assume that the budget picture will be complete by April. Assuming our assumptions are verified, we will begin the layoff notification process in May for implementation in July.

As always, I will do the best I can to keep you up to date regarding budget developments.

Sincerely,

Chuck

Ethics Hearing on Clel Baudler, Albert Pujols Contract

Third Time's a Charm: For the third time, we await the state ethics hearing against Greenfield Republican State Rep. Clel Baudler. He admitted that he lied about having physical problems when he applied to get medical marijuana in California. Baudler said he got the prescription but never got it filled. And he only did this, he said, to show how easy it is to get medical pot. A local activist who wants to legalize medical marijuana filed the ethics complaint against Baudler for lying. The hearing takes place Wednesday. Well, we think it will. It's already been delayed two other times. The hearing is set for 12:30pm. We will be there. Unless it gets delayed.

Speaking of Waiting...: Albert Pujols is already one of the greatest players the St. Louis Cardinals have ever had. He is scheduled to be a free agent at the end of the upcoming baseball season. He and his agent gave the Cardinals until Wednesday at 11am to either get a new contract or shut down talks until after the season. If it's true Pujols is demanding an unheard of 10-year, $300 million contract and won't budge from that, then, Albert, it was good knowing you. There is NO way the Cards will pay that much, especially since that would make Pujols 41 years old when the contract ends. No sane fan thinks he will still be this good that far from now. Even the Yankees and Red Sox, two teams that seem to print money at will, can't think Pujols should get a 10-year contract, at least I don't think they will.

Having said all of this, the Cardinals sold fans that if they helped finance a new stadium for 2006 with millions of taxpayer dollars, then the Cards could be more financially competitive. Well, gentlemen, taxpayers gave you what you wanted and kept showing up 3-million-a-year strong in the seats. So now, it's your turn to make something happen with Pujols. And, Albert, how about being a little more reasonable? 7 years, $200 plus million? Would that really stop you from keeping food on the dinner table for your family? No, it won't. And, hopefully, your devoted fans, many of whom ARE struggling to keep food on the table, will keep paying too much money to see you play in the only the way you can.

Baudler Hearing Delayed Again

Still Waiting: We thought we would find out this past Thursday if a state ethics committee thought retired state trooper-turned State Rep. Clel Baudler could get into some trouble. Baudler doesn't hide the fact he lied about his health when he applied to try to get a prescription for medical marijuana in California (it's legal there). Baudler said he never actually tried to fill the prescription to help the hemorrhoids (which he says he doesn't really have). Mike Pesce, of Des Moines, a legalize marijuana activist, filed the complaint with the ethics committee saying Baudler should get punished for breaking California law by lying on his application.

Lawmakers ended up delaying the ethics hearing Thursday and rescheduled it for Valentine's Day Monday. Today, House Chief Clerk Charlie Smithson sent out this message letting us know the meeting won't address the Baudler complaint Monday either. Here's his message:

Due to scheduling logistics for some of the House Ethics Committee members:

1. The meeting on February 14 at noon for the House Ethics Committee will be a discussion on the proposed House Rules Governing Lobbyists ONLY.

2. There will be NO discussion on the Pesce v. Baudler Ethics Complaint. This issue will be the focal point of the next Ethics Committee meeting (not yet scheduled).

Thank you all.

Charlie Smithson

Chief Clerk of the House

Brother Kills Brother

Albia Murder: I'm wondering what could cause one brother to kill another. That is what authorities say happened in southern Iowa around the lunch hour. 73-year-old Richard Davis stands accused of shooting his younger brother, 60-year-old Gary Davis. Neighbors say the victim had just been standing in his driveway in the middle of the day when the older brother started shooting. Gary Davis had been a well-known doctor in Albia, a town of about 3,500 people, which is also the Monroe county seat. Authorities haven't said why they believe the elder Davis did it. But neighbors told us the brothers had been arguing for months. Here's the release from the Iowa Department of Public Safety:

The Albia Police Department and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department are
conducting a homicide investigation. On February 5, 2011, at 12:11 p.m., the Monroe County 911 Center received a 911 call reporting a shooting at 113 Linden Lane in Albia, Monroe County, Iowa. Responding authorities found a white male adult, later identified as Gary Davis, 60, of Albia, suffering from multiple injuries. Gary Davis was transported to the Monroe County Hospital where he was
pronounced dead. At 1:03 p.m., law enforcement arrested Richard J.
Davis, 73, of Albia, on the charge of Murder in the First Degree.
Richard Davis and Gary Davis were brothers. Richard Davis is currently in custody at the Monroe County Jail in Albia.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department is being assisted by the Clarke
County Sheriff’s Department, Department of Transportation, the Iowa State
Patrol and the Division of Criminal Investigation.
A criminal charge is merely a criminal charge and not an indication of guilty.

Iowan Zach Wahls on TV

Iowa on TV: Iowa's debate over changing the state's marriage laws is scheduled to go prime-time. Lawrence O'Donnell's "Last Word" on MSNBC is scheduled to discuss the topic on tonight's show at 7pm central. Zach Wahls, a student at the University of Iowa, offered a passionate speech during the public hearing Monday night in the Iowa house chamber. He has two lesbian mothers as parents. His speech has nearly 500,000 hits on YouTube as I write this. Tonight, he is scheduled to talk on O'Donnell's show.

Speaking about the topic...in my story earlier this week, I wrote that Republicans were working to provide a more "narrow definition" of marriage in Iowa. I didn't expect the word "narrow" to be charged. I heard from a pastor who said the choice of the word shows a bias. I didn't see it that way. In my mind, I chose the word because Republicans are trying to limit which people can get married, which they are. So doesn't that narrow the definition of marriage? What do you think?

By the way, I do appreciate the responses to how something is written. There are times we choose words that mean one thing to us and something else to others.