No Secretary Dopf

Doesn't look like a two-way race for the republican nod for Sec. of State anymore.
Here's a quote...

"I’ve received support from a number of Iowans who would like me to run this fall. I appreciate that support very much, but I believe Iowans need to unite behind Paul Pate," Dopf said. "Paul Pate knows what it takes to run the Secretary of State’s Office efficiently and effectively because that is what he did during his four years there."

State dems had already sent out a release earlier today. Did they know something?

This is a quote from IDP Exec. Director Mike Milligan:

"Paul Pate has continually made missteps when it comes to the truth and integrity," said Milligan. "His legacy as Iowa's Secretary of State is marred by mistruths, shameless self-promotion and broken promises."

The Doctor Is (Not) In

Before I ever got the chance to use the line..."Mauro's ready to go toe-to-toe with Allison for Secretary of State"...the republicans stub their toe (yeah, I know).

Allison says he's dropping out for "personal reasons." Now repubs have to find a new candidate.


Bob Dopf--Allison beat him in the primary. He's interested. His website still works.
www.voteiowa06.com.






Paul Pate--He had the job already. He said he'll think it over this weekend.





For those of you who don't believe Fallon is NOT a candidate for governor this fall, you might want to check out the email I just received from his peeps. It's his elex day schedule...well, it's his sked for the June elex. Hop into your flux capacitor and go seem him (again).


MEDIA ADVISORY For more information, contact:

June 5, 2006


ED FALLON’S ELECTION DAY SCHEDULE

7-7:30 am: Waveland Café, 4708 University Ave, Des Moines
7:45-8:15 am: Dahl’s, 3425 Ingersoll Ave, Des Moines
8:30-9 am: Zanzibar’s, 2723 Ingersoll Ave, Des Moines
9-9:45 am: Pat’s Corner Café, 2716 Ingersoll Ave, Des Moines
10 am: Vote, John R. Grubb Community YMCA, 1611 11th St, Des Moines
10:15-10:45 am: Java Joe’s, 214 4th St, Des Moines
11:30 am - 12 pm: Central Senior Center, 1914 Carpenter Ave, Des Moines
12:15-1 pm: Nollen Plaza
1:15-2:00 pm: Gray’s Lake Park
2-3 pm: Bike with the Candidate, meet at Gray’s Lake Park
4:00-4:45 pm: Farmer’s Market, 3200 Delaware Ave, Des Moines
5:15-6 pm: Farmer’s Market, Corner of NW 62nd and Merle Hay, Johnston
6:15-7 pm: Evelyn Davis Park, 16th and Forest, Des Moines

Hold on, Lance! Someone Else is Coming.

Don't count out the dems just yet. I just got an email that Ed Fallon's also taking a seat at RAGBRAI. I understand he's riding into Waukee tonight.

Welcome...

An introduction to Dave Price's video blog...

Wait for Me, Lance!

Another politician's hopping on the RAGBRAI bandwagon. Jeff Lamberti, the 3rd district congressional republican candidate, is doing a leg on Thursday to Marengo. He'll likely do a little shoulder-rubbing with Cycling King Lance Armstrong Wednesday night in Newton, too.
Gub and Lt Gub candidates Nussle and Vander P are also RAGBRAI-ing. No seats for the dems yet.

Ready to Ride?

Pretty cool Newton gets to host the most famous cyclist of all time. That town deserves something good. The town's planning a big to-do Wednesday night in the downtown square. Lance Armstrong will speak to the throng. He's doing RAGBRAI, in case you haven't heard. The First Lady will be there, too. The Gov? Nope. He'll be riding in California.

The republican wannabees are riding in on the RAGBRAI parade, too. Jim and Karen Nussle will carry water for cyclists Sunday in Sergeant Bluff (there's probably some kind of "carrying water" smart aleck comment, but I'm striking out right now) The VanderPlaats' will ride from Coralville to Muscatine to wrap it all up.

I'm surpised the prez wannabees aren't riding. Maybe they're saving their strength for the state fair. Fried twinkie, anyone?

Watch Out, Vaudt!

Looks like the dems have found a target to deflect some of that CIETC criticism. They're ganging up on the State Auditor David Vaudt.

Dubuque Senator Mike Connolly got it going Wednesday during hearings of the Legislative Oversight Committee. He started by saying to Vaudt who was testifying before Oversight, "I'm not trying to badger you."

He then lobbied question after question, and, often times, opinionated comment after comment, at Vaudt. He, like some of the other dems, is trying to stick Vaudt with a little blame for what happened. Why did Vaudt allow his employee, Deb Bargman, to moonlight at CIETC? Shouldn't he have asked her who her outside clients (she was allowed to do consulting work on the side, according to Vaudt's testimony) were when he hired her?

Thursday, the state party got in on the action. Here's the release:

Milligan: Dave Vaudt, Stop Dragging Your Feet. Democrats and Republicans Call for Vaudt to Finally Take Action on Employee Linked to CIETC.

DES MOINES – Today, Iowa Democratic Party Executive Director Mike Milligan echoed calls from both Democratic and Republican legislators for Auditor Dave Vaudt to finally take action on a high-level employee, Deb Dessert, who failed to alert the Auditor of her husband’s excessive salaries as an employee of the Central Iowa Employment and Training Consortium (CIETC).
"Dave Vaudt can’t drag his feet any longer. It is time for him to take action on any employees linked to the CIETC scandal. Deb Dessert works for the state’s top watchdog group, and she failed to alert anyone about her husband’s excessive salary. Auditor Vaudt should take the advice of the legislators and fire Dessert," said Iowa Democratic Party Executive Director Mike Milligan.

Wednesday, democratic State Senator Thomas Courtney (Burlington) and republican State Rep. Clel Baudler (Greenfield) both called for Vaudt to can Dessert. Vaudt hasn't ruled out action against her, but he says he's still investigating.

Governor Proclaims, "It's hot."

For those of you complaining Governor Vilsack isn't concerned about Iowa as he travels the country running for president, read this. His office just sent this out...

Governor Vilsack reminds Iowans to take precautions during hot summer months

DES MOINES – With triple digit heat indexes predicted for today and high temperatures predicted for Thursday, Governor Vilsack reminded Iowans today to continue taking measures to avoid serious health problems associated with summer heat.

"Iowans need to brace for another day of dangerous heat indexes
that are covering most of our state today," said Vilsack. "Local officials are working in communities to supply resources, but neighbors can also help by checking on the elderly or those with chronic health conditions, especially if they lack air conditioning."

Heat exhaustion occurs when sweating, the body's cooling system, fails to eliminate heat fast enough. The signs of heat exhaustion are faintness, rapid pulse, and flushing or reddening of the skin, which is often accompanied by stomachache or headache. When heat exhaustion symptoms occur, Iowans should stop all activity and drink liquids such as water or re-hydrating fluids (Gatorade, Powerade, or Pedialyte for children). They should not drink alcohol, coffee, or caffeinated soft drinks. Those affected should also take a cool shower. Health complications from heat include exhaustion, stroke and dehydration. Heat stroke, a more serious and
potentially deadly condition, is commonly associated with confusion on the part of the affected person, who may also stop sweating. Iowans in this situation should seek medical help immediately. While waiting for help, the person needs to be cooled, or if possible, taken to a cooler environment. Dehydration occurs as a contributing factor and comes when fluid and sodium lost by sweating are not replaced quickly enough. A person should continually drink fluids and not wait until thirsty because thirst is a sign of dehydration. It is important to maintain fluids by drinking two to four glasses of cool water or fluids an hour. State health officials encourage Iowans to do the following to avoid health problems associated with heat:

•Take breaks and drink plenty of fluids when participating in outdoor activities like construction, yard work or recreation.
•Limit outdoor activities in the heat of the day.
•Do outside work before noon or in the evening.
•Parents should ensure children are well hydrated.
•Never leave children, elderly or pets in a parked car, even for a few moments. Leaving a window partially open may not be enough to protect those inside from rapidly rising temperatures.

Of course, the Gov won't be in Iowa much. So here's his personal forecast...

St. Louis.....................Washington, D.C.

It's Lamberti

"I've been looking forward to the trip and standing by the next congressman of the 3rd District, Senator Jeff Lamberti." The Veep's intro looks good on paper. Trouble is, looks can be deceiving.


Dick Cheney kept saying, LAM-berti, not Lam-BER-ti.
Oh, well, Lam-BER-ti still took in 150 grand thanks to the veep.

Time for History

Here we are...waiting.

The a.m. started off with a news conference with the Gov. He had an event at 8:30 this a.m. in the Riverbend neighborhood in Des Moines (Ed Fallon's district?)

He said again how the legislators don't have the legal power to override his veto during special session. He said they're not doing this the right way. I asked him why he was doing the event now...just an hour or so away from when lawmakers were set to begin the override process.


He said he needed to show the implications of their action, if they override him. When are they supposed to see this? We don't have a 9am newscast. By the time they watch, this event should be long finished at the Statehouse. Or so we hope.



Boths sides caucused. Repubs were quick (No surprise. Not much drama in what they're about to do.) Dems first met with the Gov. (Last minute plea?) Now they're caucusing. Too bad they don't let us in those things. I'd like to be a fly on the wall. I heard Culver's talking to them, too. I wonder how long this will take.

Help's a Phone Call Away

Help at the Hill...How many guys does it take to run the Gov's office? Does he need help with all his major new policies for the last few months of his lame duck governance while he travels the country? The Gov just brought back Matt Paul for the third time. He left once to go work for Howard Dean. Oops. He left again to go work for Mike Blouin. Oops. Now he's back with Vilsack.

Sorry, Gov
The Gov did offer up a way to avoid the humiliation of the first legislative override since, well, since before I was born (it's been 43 years, I'm told). He wants leaders to go for his less restrictive eminent domain bill. Repubs say, "no way." (no surprise). But even dems told me privately that this override is a done deal, despite late afternoon calls from the gov's office. It looks like the dems just want this vote to be done with, so they can get back to trying to take back the senate, and, possibly, the house in November.

R-R-R-I-N-G
Speaking of campaigning, Virginia's ex-gov Mark Warner did a quick presser with Gov hopeful Chet Culver. While he was talking, a cell phone rang. It was Mike Glover from the Associated Press. His phone always seems to ring during news conferences. Warner told the room not to worry about silencing their phones. Every time he hears that ring, he says, he thinks "cha-ching!" You'll remember in Warner's pre-gub days he made a zillion bucks when he helped found Nextel.

And it's only 2006

I spent part of the day in Nevada. The city, not the state. Mike Huckabee talked about his giant-weight loss to a group of hospital peeps at the Story Co. Medical Center.

I figured it would be no problem to get an interview with him afterwards. He is, after all, spreading his words about how he shrunk his waist to any Iowans who can listen. Or so I thought.



We started the interview. And stopped. And started. And stopped. Turns out some radio station had him booked for a live phone interview. One of his handlers kept breaking in our interview to let him know he needed to get on the radio. Oh, well. Somehow, I think, he'll be back. Hope that radio interview went well.




It's good to be the Gov... First, Governor Vilsack got to watch his beloved Steelers win the Super Bowl in Detroit. Now, he landed tix to the Home Run Hitting Contest before the Major League All-Star Game in Pittsburgh (his hometown). I wonder if he'll be back in time for the real show at the Statehouse on Friday.

He's running

Gov V just got some props for his run (no, not his presidential run). A national story did point out how he walks the walk when he talks the talk.

Here's the deal.... Kentucky's Gov Ernie Fletcher is trying to get his chubbier citizens to get up and move around a little. So you'd think he'd be willing to lead by example and walk home from work every night. Did I mention he lives 500 feet from his office?

It turns out, a limo takes him home every night. 500 feet! How much is gas again?

Here's the story that's picked up in the Kentucky Post...

"Across the country, several governors who live near state Capitols routinely walk to work. In Iowa, Gov. Tom Vilsack sometimes jogs the three miles from the Capitol to his home at the end of the work day. Like Fletcher, Gov. Chris Gregoire in Washington state, Gov. Rick Perry in Texas and Gov. Haley Barbour in Mississippi routinely ride to work from their homes next door."

O.K., it's not a great quote, but any national press is good press. Right, Gov?

Let us in...

Interesting sidenote at day 912 (o.k., not really) of CIETC hearings at the Statehouse. The Govt Oversight Committee adjourned (or at least republican Senator Ron Wieck announced the meeting adjourned). Then they kicked us out (media and spectators...o.k., there weren't really many spectators). They told us they were meeting with their legal counsel.

You'll recall there are three different legal counsels helping with the CIETC stuff. Tim Higgins from the Des Moines Register (and a fellow Mizzou alum, I might add...M-I-Z-Z-O-U) and I protested. We didn't see why the meeting needed to be closed. Sen. Wieck said, technically, it wasn't a meeting, since the committee adjourned. So we asked, "then why should you close it, if it's not a meeting?"

He called in the legislature's legal expert. He told us the legislature's not bound by Open Meetings laws (Senator Wieck was actually incredibly polite about all of this and seemed very willing to find an amicable solution to it all). Legal dude cited "attorney-client privilege". We got booted.

Afterwards, I'm still not sure whether we should have gotten kicked out or what real "legal" advice legislators received after we got shown the door. Truth be told, I'm not sure who's right in this situation. But it's important to make public servants accountable to laws and openness in government (I hope my old journalism prof's read this:)

I just got this release from Senate dems...


Oversight Co-Chair: Secret meetings are wrong approach to cleaning up CIETC scandal
Statement by State Senator Tom Courtney, Democratic Co-Chair of the Senate Oversight Committee

"I'm concerned that the effort to investigate the CIETC scandal and to prevent further abuses of the public trust may be in danger of collapsing. My concerns come from statements made by Republican Senators in today's unnecessary and secret session of the Oversight Committee."
"Republicans kept the public and the news media out of the room for more than an hour while we discussed the future of our investigation. I opposed the secret session because the public deserves to know how we intend to proceed with this investigation, how much it will cost, and how we intend to achieve our top goals: holding the wrongdoers accountable and passing additional protections to ensure that it never happens again."
"I strongly believe that relying on secrecy and lack of public disclosure is the wrong way to investigate a scandal created by secrecy and lack of public disclosure."

Open the door.

CEETEKK

Naw, just kidding, they did spell that one right...CIETC. They just couldn't get much else right.
Here's what the Legislative Fiscal Services' list of testifiers (is that a word?) looked like for the Govt Oversight Committee hearing on Monday:

Jack Cline, CEO, CIETC
Tammy Higar, Payroll Clerk, CIETC
Diane Bolden, Executive Secretary, CIETC and CIETC Board

Tammy Higar even joked about the list during her testimony. She said she thought she had a different job until she showed up at the statehouse.

Here's how the list should have read:

Jack's really a program manager.
Tammy's really an assistant accountant.
Dianne's really an administrative assistant.

But who cares about titles anyway.

Dave Price
General Manager
WHO-TV

A-O.K. at IWD?

IWD says getting rid of its H.R. department is not CIETC-related. I'm struggling to find many people who believe this. IWD spokesperson Kerry Koonce says it's a way to "streamline" and save about 200 grand. So it's just a coincidence that two of the soon-to-be-laid off workers appear prominently in the state report analyzing the CIETC salary mess?

Jackie Mallory headed H.R. IWD employees tell me she should have known what was going on with all those bogus bonuses to the CIETC gang (Although, I can't find anything in the department's report that says that). Laurie Rieck was only trying to clean out old files when she came in around 4 a.m. the day after her two bosses got canned last April, at least that's what one of her friends just emailed me. Friend, even you must admit, at the very least, the timing of that decision just ain't that best, eh?

Other IWD'ers say the politicos just needed to make this whole thing go away. Getting rid of H.R. was a way to do that, they say. They tell me former IWD Deputy Director Jane Barto used H.R. to control who got hired under her and how many bonuses certain people got. So eliminating the department just makes sense.

You do feel sorry for all the good people at IWD, and CIETC, too, for that matter. It's gotta be rough dealing with all this crap. Hopefully, this will all go away soon. Well, at least until the grand jury comes back.



Outside the Dome...

Here's a post WHO-TV's web mistress Kelly just passed along to me... It's from News Copy New York's blog this a.m. Notice anything wrong, fellow "Buckeyes"?

Pataki's "Orgy of Patronage"
Iowa Governor, no, no, New York Governor George Pataki (R) has been busy racking up those frequent flyer miles to the Buckeye State while at the same time promoting his "political cronies, campaign contributors, longtime aides and their family members into often-lucrative state patronage jobs this week, putting them beyond the reach of the next governor for at least several years."

How many does it take?

So I heard this joke at the Statehouse. It goes something like this..."how many lawyers does it take to spell CIETC?" Oh, wait, it wasn't a joke.

And this is only the attorneys helping with the CIETC hearings at the statehouse.
Here's the breakdown:

House dems have one.
Senate dems have one.
House r's have one.
Senate r's have one.


4 lawyers? 4 lawyers? Oh, wait, here's the punch line. I asked one of the Legislative Oversight Committee members who will pay for this. Who will pay for all four of these lawyers advising your elected officials on the same subject? The answer is, of course...you. That doesn't count the Polk County criminal investigation. That doesn't count the DCI investigation. That doesn't count the FBI investigation.

Thanks, Ramona.
Thanks, John.
Thanks, Karen.

Travelin' Tom

Sorry, it's been so long. We had some technical problems... We want to keep this thing new, so we'll skip what's happened over the past week. Time to move on...
State republicans won't wait for Gov V to get back to town before they hammer him on another big company headed out of town. Rubbermaid in Centerville's the latest. Newton, Mt. Pleasant (the Gov's adopted hometown) and likely Webster City know how that town feels.
Repubs are saying it's Vilsack's fault. The GOP's lumping Chester C. with the Gov. The party says this shows what happens when they "keep fiddling a failed economic tune of trying to buy-off big business." Is that a slam on the Iowa Values Fund?...the same fund the republican statehouse majority passed?

Is the Gov winning over the folks in New Hampshire? Apparently, this guy says, no...at least, not yet...


Granite Status: Vilsack words do not match actions
By JOHN DISTASOSenior Political Reporter (Manchester Union-Leader)

IOWA GOV. TOM VILSACK was in New Hampshire yesterday checking the political landscape as he considers a Presidential run. He was also lauding the virtues of the Iowa-New Hampshire one-two tandem in helping to pick Presidential nominees.
Vilsack told a political breakfast forum in Bedford, “I sincerely hope that as the Democratic National Committee continues its deliberations about the (nominating calendar), it recognizes the unique responsibility New Hampshire and Iowa have had for so long and preserves the ability of Iowa and New Hampshire to do what they’ve done so well — start the process.”
Sounded good — but the trouble is, Vilsack’s people on key national Democratic panels have opposed retaining that one-two tandem. They’ve gone along with the majority in early key votes that would dilute the traditional impact of New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary by shoving it down the nominating calendar to third or fourth place.
In key votes in December and March, Vilsack’s Iowans voted with the majorities to place an additional caucus or two between the Iowa caucus and the primary.
The plan has yet to be made final by the rules committee and the full DNC, but New Hampshire Democrats widely viewed the Iowa votes as a clear break from the decades-long alliance between the two states to work together to protect their early positions.
New Hampshire Democratic Chair Kathy Sullivan, herself a member of the DNC rules committee, said:
“There are a number of New Hampshire Democrats who are disappointed that the Iowa commissioners and member of the rules committee have not voted with New Hampshire on these things.”
Vilsack said he has not talked to the Iowans on these panels about it. One of them was Des Moines attorney Jerry Crawford, a big contributor to Vilsack’s Heartland PAC. The rules committee member is Sally Pederson, Vilsack’s own lieutenant governor and chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party.
He said he knew that both states’ officials were concerned late last year that both could lose their early events, but the commission decided against such a drastic move.
“I can only assume the reasons the Iowans did what they did,” said Vilsack, “was to make sure the Iowa caucus was preserved in its number one capacity and the New Hampshire primary was preserved in its capacity because there was a real effort to completely blow that process up and start anew.”
Vilsack said it would be “unfair” to say the Iowans voted as they did because they agreed with the majorities that New Hampshire is not ethnically diverse enough to maintain its second spot in the caucus/primary lineup.
——
HIS OWN VIEW
Vilsack was asked if he believes the calendar should remain as is — with Iowa’s caucus first, followed eight days later by New Hampshire’s primary — or whether a caucus or two from more diverse states should be in between.
He didn’t follow the lead of potential Democratic hopefuls Evan Bayh, John Kerry and Tom Daschle, who clearly backed the status quo.
“My preference would be that we figure out a process that would be acceptable to New Hampshire and Iowa and acceptable to the secretaries of state of those states,” he said. “I don’t know how this ultimately is going to turn out.”
He said he does not want “a large state to dominate the process,” and promised, “We will fight hard to ensure that Iowa remains first as a caucus and New Hampshire remains first as a primary.”
That’s not quite the point, of course. The DNC plan would keep the first primary in New Hampshire, but would make it the third or fourth event overall.
“If the party makes the decision to insert something in between,” said Vilsack, “then I hope there is sufficient time that it doesn’t do what people here think it may do, which is to diminish the importance of New Hampshire.”
——
NO WORRIES
“I may be ‘Pollyanna-ish’ about this,” Vilsack said, but regardless of future DNC action, he doubts the primary’s role will be diminished because candidates will campaign in New Hampshire.
He doubts the DNC will place two states between Iowa and New Hampshire.
“The discussions I’ve heard have not been focused on two states, it’s been focused on one state,” he said. Besides, he said. “Don’t you have (potential candidates) coming here? You are going to continue to have people come here.”
What will the Iowans do in future important DNC calendar votes? The rules committee is expected to vote soon on whether to adopt the commission report fully. Its March vote was to accept it as a “framework.”
Vilsack promised that as a result of questions raised by the Granite Status, “I’m going to find out what the status is.”
——
WARNER ON BOARD?
Former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, who also has not clearly opposed a change in the delegate selection process, may be coming around.

It's almost time...

The cold ones are flowing here at Culver Campaign Central. Still an hour to go til the numbers come in. At least there are some people here now. It's been empty. A few signs fell down. Is THAT a sign?

There are some nervous people. I'm hearing republicans are switching parties at the polls. Wonder if that'll make a difference? Help Blouin? Help Fallon?

CC Campaign Manager Patrick Dillon found out he'll have to "fill time" with us, as we call it, if we don't have a winner by 10pm.

"You ain't seen nothin' yet" just started playing. BTO, I think. O.K., now some feedback. What is this now? I think it's Debbie Boone's "You Light Up My Life". Did they mean to play that?

Feelin' good

Patty Judge says the Culver Camp's "upbeat". I just ran into her at Culver for Gov HQuarters here at the Hotel Ft. DSM. Yep, that's a direct quote..."upbeat." They always say that at these things. I wonder if anyone says, "this stinks. We're getting our a*$'s beat!" Probably not. Of course, no one's saying that here.

But she's been through all of this before. Judge says she got a good night's sleep. She feels good. Good to sleep in her own bed. She told me she had to run her car through the carwash twice after the statewide tour. Lots o' bugs. Looks good now, she says. No sign of Chet C. No surprise. Probably won't see him for hours. Maybe not til the speech. Victory Speech?

It's getting close to 6. Gotta go back on tv... I hope dinner comes soon...getting hungry.