Politico: Bruce Braley a member to watch

The Politico has named Iowa's Bruce Braley as a Representitive to watch in an article about future leaders of the Democratic caucus in the US. House

In numbers alone, the 2006 and 2008 classes — which gave Democrats the huge majority — now represent nearly a third of the caucus.

Lawmakers such as Iowa Rep. Bruce Braley and the two Murphys — Christopher of Connecticut and Patrick J. of Pennsylvania — are the members to watch, aides and lobbyists suggest. All three beat tough Republican incumbents to win their House seats. And now each is dispensing wisdom to the class right below them about how to do the same.

Braley is now a vice chairman of the DCCC, responsible for recruitment, fundraising and making sure members are doing everything necessary to retain their seats.

Rail is a High Priority in Obama's Budget

A story heard on the campaign last fall was how Joe Biden took Amtrak home to Delaware from Washington DC each night. That commitment to passenger rail has made it into the budget proposals.

From the Washington Post...

High-speed rail has emerged as the cornerstone of Obama's ambitious attempt to remake the nation's transportation agenda, which for half a century has focused primarily on building highways and roads. Nearly half of the $48 billion in stimulus money for transportation projects will go toward rail, buses and other non-highway projects, including $1.3 billion for Amtrak and its successful rapid rail service, Acela. The Transportation Department also would receive $2 billion more under Obama's proposed 2010 budget, most of it for rail and aviation improvements.

Projects to build a nationwide passenger rail network are being discussed in North Carolina, Virginia, Minnesota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Nevada, California, and even in Iowa.

I have to give props to Congressman Braley and Boswell for working to get passenger rail in Iowa. Braley has worked to get Amtrack to Davenport and Dubuque, while Boswell wants Amtrack to continue through the state through Iowa City, Des Moines, and to Omaha.

Bruce Braley, Netroots Hero

Braley participated in an online chat with the blog Crooks and Liars this morning who called Braley a netroots hero. I knew Bruce Braley has been a great Representitive, but didn't know he became a netroots hero already!

The entire chat is worth the read. Here's a taste. Braley was asked about how grassroot Democrats can get involved...

...we are always looking for dynamic candidates who are electable in their districts. Grassroots Democrats can help us by sharing information and ideas about candidates who have the background and experience to be successful in 2010. So, grassroots Democrats can play a role from the beginning, and I hope to continue to reach out to you and the netroots as the 2010 cycle gets underway. I can also assure you that I welcome your ideas and inspiration, and not just your checks.

We are lucky to have Braley representing Iowa.

Poll Shows Close Race Between Grassley and Vilsack

Research 2000 released a poll commissioned by Daily Kos yesterday that showed Sen. Charles Grassley leading former Gov. Tom Vilsack 48% to 44%.

Research 2000 for Daily Kos. 12/8-10. Likely voters. MoE 4% (No trend lines)

Grassley (R) 48 
Vilsack (D) 44 

Woah, what? Sen. Chuck Grassley is vulnerable? Granted, it's against the state's top Democrat -- former Gov. Tom Vilsack, and there's currently no indication that Vilsack is planning on running. But the CW is that Grassley serves at will, and can hold the seat for life if he so desires. That belief is challenged by these numbers. Against the right Democrat, Grassley would face a tough fight.

Grassley 
Approve 57 
Disapprove 36

Vilsack 
Approve 55 
Disapprove 36

Their approval numbers are essentially even, and in the crosstabs, they both enjoy equal approval from independents. This would certainly be a battle of titans, pitting two popular politicians against each other. Expect incoming DSCC chief Bob Menendez to put Vilsack in his speed dial.

I still think Grassley will retire.  He will be 77 on election day in 2010 and being part of the minority party isn't as fun as being a committee chair.  A tough reelection battle might encourage Grassley to retire as well.

If Grassley retires, I see either Rep. Tom Latham, Rep. Steve King, or Chuck Larson run on the Republican side and either Vilsack or Rep. Bruce Braley running on the Democratic side.

Braley to Start a Populist Caucus in the US House

Bruce Braley is once again showing leadership in Congress.

Braley sent a letter to colleagues in the U.S. House about becoming a founding member of a populist caucus to help the middle class and working families.

The letter outlines six goals...

1. Fighting for working families and the middle class through the establishment of an equitable tax structure, fair wages, proper benefits, a level playing field at the negotiating table, and secure, solvent retirement plans.
2. Providing affordable, accessible, quality health care to all Americans.
3. Ensuring accessible, quality primary education for all American children, and affordable college education for all who want it.
4. Protecting consumers, so that Americans can once again have faith in the safety and effectiveness of the products they purchase.
5. Defending American competitiveness by fighting for fair trade principles.
6. Creating and retaining good-paying jobs in America.

Both John Edwards and Mike Huckabee were described as being populists during their presidential runs and that helped them do well in the Iowa Caucuses. This shows the issues outlined have some support on both sides of the aisle.

Matt Stoller has more at Open Left how this populist caucus compares to the Progressive Caucus and the more conservative Blue Dog Democrats. Stoller points out how, historically, Populists have been more rural-based and the Blue Dogs tend to represent more rural areas.

Des Moines Register's 2008 Endorsements

Over the past week, the Des Moines Register has released their endorsements for the upcoming election.

I was eager to see who they'd endorse in the 4th District and their "endorsement" of Leonard Boswell is about as mild of an endorsement as you can give.

1st District... Bruce Braley

When it comes to endorsements, it doesn't get much easier than penning one for Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley. In less than two years, the attorney from Waterloo has made Iowa proud. He deserves to be sent to Washington again.

Indeed, this ambitious and energetic congressman sets the standard for what Iowans should expect from their representatives.

During a recent meeting with Register editors and writers, it was clear how seriously Braley takes his job.

He brought along with him a copy of the economic-bailout legislation, riddled with his notes and highlighted sections He also had a page of scribbled pros and cons he weighed as he sorted through whether to vote for the legislation.

2nd District... Dave Loebsack

Loebsack has proven to be a smart, thoughtful and engaged congressman. A former political-science professor from Mount Vernon, he sees the bigger picture when it comes to politics and the world. He tries to work across the aisle and fully understand the complexities of foreign policy.

Loebsack has earned re-election.

3rd District... Leonard Boswell

After 12 years of light accomplishment and wrongheaded votes, Democratic Rep. Leonard Boswell doesn’t deserve to return to Congress.

But his Republican challenger, Kim Schmett of Clive, also fails to make a compelling case that he deserves a congressional seat.

Iowans deserve better.

However, the Register’s editorial board subscribes to the philosophy that if voters must decide, so must we. So the Register gives a weak nod to Boswell, with a list of expectations:

The Register then says that Boswell should announce early in his term that he does not plan to run for reelection in 2010.

4th District... Becky Greenwald

This is the one district that I wasn't sure which way the endorsement was going to go.

Iowa's 4th District has a chance to make history. This state has never sent a woman to Congress, but should do so this election.

Becky Greenwald, a Democrat from Perry, has not made that point the main emphasis of her campaign. She calls herself a candidate who "happens to be female." But she also happens to be a woman with potential to be a leader in Washington.

Iowa should give her that chance.

Greenwald faces 14-year incumbent Tom Latham, a Republican from Ames, who has done some good things in Congress but hasn't developed the kind of in-depth expertise on issues or demonstrated the national leadership Iowans should expect from their investment in his seniority.

5th District... Rob Hubler

When the Register editorial board met recently with Rep. Steve King, the Kiron Republican talked about renewable energy, securing transportation dollars for Highway 20, and the growing budget problems with entitlement programs.

This was the savvy, well-informed King the board endorsed in 2002 and 2004. We had hoped he would blossom as a member of Congress. Unfortunately, any blossoming has been overshadowed by his divisive, fear-mongering commentary.

Fifth District voters should not send him back to Washington. Fortunately, they have a promising alternative: Electing Democrat Rob Hubler, a retired minister from Council Bluffs who has brought himself up to speed and staked out reasonable positions on issues Iowans care about, including the Iraq war, energy and health care.

There isn't enough space in this editorial to list all the times King has embarrassed Iowa.

US Senate...Tom Harkin

Iowans should without hesitation cast their ballots to return Democrat Tom Harkin for his fifth term in the U.S. Senate. With that investment in seniority, however, comes heightened expectations for him to lead in shaping landmark legislation that will benefit Iowans and the nation for decades to come.

Harkin, 68, of Cumming already ranks in the top fifth of senators in seniority. He chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee, a powerful role that he's used to nurture Iowa's biofuels industry. And he ranks third in seniority on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, putting him in position to mold a new president's proposals to reform health care and education policy.

Here are the Register's endorsements from 2006.

Eyeing Grassley's Seat in 2010

This morning I wrote about the Democrat's chances in the US Senate in 2010. That got me thinking about Sen. Grassley, who is up for reelection in 2010. However, he will be 77 at that time and there's a good chance he migh retire.

Iowa Democrats have some very good options to run for his seat in Tom Vilsack and Bruce Braley. Depending on how the State legislature fares over the next 2 years, Mike Gronstal and Pat Murphy could emerge as good candidates for Senate as well.

Iowa Republicans gave Harkin a pass in 2008. With Culver running for reelection in 2010, as well, Iowa Republicans would need to find 2 solid candidates. Steve King, Christopher Rants, Bill Northey, and Chuck Larson are the leading names today.

It is looking like if Grassley retires in 2010 the seat would a great opportunity for Democrats to pick up.

Braley Wants to Know Cost of Immigration Raids

Good for Rep. Bruce Braley for asking how much the immigration raids cost taxpayers. It gives Americans a chance to see the big picture when it comes to immigration instead of just immigrants being hauled away in handcuffs.

Rep. Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, has asked officials at Immigration and Customs Enforcement to estimate the cost of the recent immigration raid at Agriprocessors Inc. in Postville.

“It is essential that there is as much transparency in this process as possible,” Braley wrote in a Tuesday letter to ICE Assistant Secretary Julie Myers.

Immigration authorities raided Agriprocessors on May 12 and detained 389 people. Of those, 306 have been charged, most with some sort of document fraud or identity theft.

Braley, the representative for the congressional district that covers northeast Iowa, wants to know how much the raid’s planning, execution, processing, detention and deportation will cost taxpayers.

Obama Gains Support from Another Iowa Super Delegate

Iowa Independent is reporting that Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) is going to endorse Barack Obama today. This is the 2nd Iowa Super Delegate to declare for Obama this week after DNC member Richard Machacek endorsed him yesterday.

Obama now has the support of 6 of Iowa's Super Delegates, while Clinton has 3. There are 2 that are still undecided.

Obama Supporters
DNC member Richard Machacek
U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack
U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley
Gov. Chet Culver
Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald
deputy state party Chairwoman Sarah Swisher

Clinton Supporters
U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell,
Iowa Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal
DNC member Sandy Opstvedt

Undeclared Super delegates
U.S Senator Tom Harkin
state party Chairman Scott Brennan

Iowa Super Delegate Declares Support for Obama

Barack Obama gained the support from one of Iowa's super delegates. Richard Machacek announced today that he has decided to support Barack Obama. Machacek, from Buchanan County, is a member of the State Central Committee and Democratic National Committee.

"I think it needs to be over, and in good conscience, I can't fly in the face of my precinct, county and district," Machacek told The Des Moines Register in a telephone interview. "The raw numbers coming out of the district conventions really sat me down hard."

Obama leads the Iowa super delegate count with 5, while Clinton has 3, and 3 remain undeclared.

Obama Supporters
Richard Machacek
U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack
Gov. Chet Culver
Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald
deputy state party Chairwoman Sarah Swisher

Clinton Supporters
U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell,
Iowa Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal
DNC member Sandy Opstvedt

Undeclared Super delegates
U.S Senator Tom Harkin
U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley
state party Chairman Scott Brennan

Bin Buster

Rep. Bruce Braley introduces John Edwards at an event in Independence.

With a Possible Primary Opponent, Boswell Flips on Iraq Vote

Last Wednesday the House of Representatives approved another $70 billion for to continue the combat missions in Iraq. I was surprised to see all 3 of Iowa's Democratic Representatives vote against this bill. I expected Rep. Braley and Rep. Loebsack to vote against it because they have consistently been in favor of bringing our troops out of Iraq. However, this was the first time that I remember that Rep. Boswell voted in this manner.

I started doing some research on Boswell's Iraq votes yesterday afternoon and was going to write a post this morning about how rumors of Ed Fallon running against Boswell in a primary next year affected Boswell's vote on Iraq.

However, Chris Bowers at Open Left beat me to it and posted an article this morning. Bowers quoted this article posted at Iowa Independent about a possible run for Congress by Fallon. Bowers had this to say about the effect Fallon had on Boswell's vote...

It is something of an open secret that Fallon, a former state legislator and a very strong progressive, is considering a run against Boswell. While Fallon narrowly lost the 2006 gubernatorial primary to Chet Culver, he actually pulled in the most votes the IA-03. Given that Boswell's neo-conservative voting record on Iraq and civil liberties could easily come back to haunt him in a lean Democratic district like IA-03, especially against a strong campaigner like Fallon, it is also an open secret that Boswell's first good vote on Iraq is a response to the threat that Fallon poses.

Given that the only two Bush Dogs to flip on Iraq are either facing a serious primary challenge, or facing the possibility of a serious primary challenge, I have to agree with kos. Primary challenges are just about the only power we have to change Democratic congressional behavior.

Braley to Endorse Edwards

John Edwards wins the endorsement of Rep. Bruce Braley from Iowa's First District. Braley was elected to Congress in 2006. He supported Edwards in 2004.

Representative Bruce Braley, who represents Iowa’s First Congressional District in the eastern portion of the state, is scheduled to announce that he is supporting the presidential candidacy of Mr. Edwards, a former senator from North Carolina. The development was confirmed to The Caucus by two Democratic officials familiar with the endorsement....

He is the first of Iowa’s three Democratic members of Congress to announce his endorsement. The value of any endorsement is always an open question, but as Mr. Edwards seeks to compete for attention and support with Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama, this rollout signals the beginning of an intense final month of the Iowa caucus campaign.

The announcement will take place Monday in Waterloo at Hawkeye Community College at noon.

**Update**
MyDD notes that endorsements don't mean a huge deal, but this is big news for Edwards because it will be news and remind the media that it is a 3 person race.

As a lot of folks have noted before, endorsements don't necessarily make a terribly large impression on voters decisions directly. However, the Braley endorsement does do at least a couple of important things for Edwards. First off, this could be the big piece of news in the statewide media Tuesday, and perhaps more importantly it could prompt the national media to remember Edwards, who they have been perhaps too quick to forget given their focus on the scuffles between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. What's more, a Braley endorsement could bring some of the organizational support and expertise that helped put Braley in Congress last fall.

Braley Owes MoveOn $87,000

Bruce Braley voted to condemn MoveOn.org for the Petraeus/Betray Us ad that ran in the New York Times. MoveOn.org helped raise over $87,000 to help get Braley elected in 2006.

Matt Stoller from Open Left wrote...

Since they voted to condemn Moveon's ad, they have neutralized Moveon's ability to help them.

Since Braley considers MoveOn so bad, should he consider returning the $87,000 then?

Or does Braley consider, now that he is elected, that he doesn't need help from groups like MoveOn?

Or does Braley think newspaper ads do more harm than continue a failed policy in Iraq?

Harkin Steak Fry: Congressional Delegation

I am blogging from the Harkin Steak Fry. The Iowa Congressional Delegation just finished up speaking. I missed Selden Spencer and Leonard Boswell's speeches, but heard Rep. Loebsack and Rep. Braley speak.

Rep. Loebsack spoke about labor and education issues and discussed a bill the President signed into low to lower the cost of college. Loebsack also stressed the importance of grassroots organizing and thanked everyone for the help getting him elected last year.

Rep. Braley got the crowd going with a great speech. He said in 2006 we cleaned out the US House and in 2008 we need to clean out the White House. He stressed how important it is to reelect Sen. Harkin. If we get the race locked up early then it will only help Democrats in Iowa. Braley talked a lot about Iraq and Bush's broken promises. He mentioned Rep. Boswell's Suicide Prevention Bill to prevent suicide in the military that passed in the House, but is on hold in the Senate because Senator Coburn (R-Oklahoma) must think preventing suicide is bad thing.

I am hearing there are over 12,000 people here. Hillary has the most signs out, but I think Obama seems to have the most supporters because they were passing out a ton of t-shits. Edwards and Biden also seem to have sizable group of supporters. One interesting note is Biden has about 20 volunteers down in front of the stage, while Clinton has just as many paid staffers down there.

The presidential candidates just have been introduced, as well as Sen. Harkin. I will be back in a bit with more info.

**Update**
I asked some people about Selden Spencer's speech and people said he did well, but it wasn't quite last year's speech. Spencer's best line was about people that come up to him and say...

So Dr. Spencer, you are a Neruologist, what's really wrong with George W. Bush.

Braley Joins Call to Impeach Attorney General Gonzales

Rep. Braley issued a press release calling for an investigation into the impeachment of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

Today, Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) joined Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Washington) and a group of former prosecutors who currently serve in the House of Representatives as a co-sponsor to a resolution that would direct the House Judiciary Committee to investigate whether Attorney General Alberto Gonzales should be impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors.

The resolution calls for a formal investigation of whether Attorney General Gonzales should be impeached; it does not include articles of impeachment.

“We need to determine if the Attorney General—a man appointed to uphold the Constitution—is following the laws he swore to protect,” Braley said. “While I have healthy reservations for taking such an action, as an attorney who practiced in Iowa for 23 years I am deeply concerned with the state of the US Department of Justice.

“Judging from Attorney General Gonzales’ public comments and sworn testimony before Congress, it appears as if he was involved in the decisions to fire some US Attorneys for not pursuing public corruption cases based on partisan political factors.

“This resolution requests only a formal investigation of the Attorney General’s conduct so Congress can determine whether articles of impeachment are appropriate; it does not include articles of impeachment. I believe requiring this formal investigation is necessary to determine how exactly the Attorney General was involved in the US Attorney firings and to protect the creditability of the Department of Justice.

At a press conference, Braley had this to say...

“He has forgotten why he became a lawyer, he has forgotten why he took that oath to support and defend the constitution,” he said. “It’s time that the American people had a leader in charge of the Department of Justice who reflected the values and beliefs of this country and what an independent judiciary means to everyone.”

2nd Quarter Fundraising Numbers

Jane Norman of the Register has a summary of the 2nd quarter fundraising numbers. Here they are...

1st District
Bruce Braley - D $115,000 raised and $220,000 cash on hand

2nd District
Dave Loebsack - D $154,000 raised and $251,000 cash on hand

3rd District
Leonard Boswell - D $242,000 raised and $525,00 cash on hand

4th District
Tom Latham - R $181,000 raised and $364,000 cash on hand
Selden Spencer -D $88,000 raised and $108,000 cash on hand

5th District
Steve King - R $94,000 raised and $71,000 cash on hand
Ron Hubler - D $ 7,000 raised and $17,800 cash on hand

Washington Post: Rural Support for the Iraq War Declines

The Washington Post has a story about the decline of support in rural areas of the Iraq War. The story looks at Tipton, Iowa that has had 2 soldiers die in combat in Iraq and has quotes from Rep. Bruce Braley.

It is "the intensity and passion" of the desire for an end to the war that strike Braley as new.

"There's more unity in the opposition now," said Braley, whose district adjoins Tipton. "It was always easier to find optimists about the chances of success in Iraq two years ago. You don't now find people talking that way, even the most ardent supporters of the president's policy."

Braley, Hare Oppose Free Trade Deal

I am a teacher, my wife is a nurse, so you might think education or health care would be the top issue. However, I think our nation's trade policies are the most important issue at national level currently.

It was good to see this story in the Quad Cities Times today...

The two congressmen who represent the Quad-City region said Wednesday they will oppose a proposed free trade deal with South Korea, a pact backers say is the most far-reaching since the NAFTA deal of 1993.

Reps. Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, and Phil Hare, D-Ill., as well as two other congressmen said at a news conference in Washington, D.C., that the agreement would exacerbate the U.S. trade deficit with South Korea.

“I just want our work force to be able to compete,” said Hare, who has emerged as a visible critic of the Bush administration’s trade policies.

Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act

From my inbox...

National legislation to protect the accuracy of our elections is a step closer to becoming law. HR 811, a bill requiring voter-verified paper records, random hand count audits to check electronic tallies, and independent testing of voting systems will soon get a vote in the House of Representatives.

We need your help to keep the momentum going. Contact your Congressman and call on him to support HR 811, the Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act.

Call the House switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected to your Representative's office. Or click any of the Representative's names below for other contact information.

Congressmen Bruce Braley, Leonard Boswell, and Dave Loebsack are cosponsors. Thank them for their support and tell them to keep the pressure on. If you live in Tom Latham's or Steve King's districts, tell them to join Republicans Frank Wolf of Virginia, Darrell Issa of California, and Greg Walden of Oregon and get on board!


BACKGROUND

On Tuesday May 8, HR 811 was reported out of committee. Here are some of the things HR 811 will do to protect federal elections:

• Require a durable, voter-verified paper ballot for all voting machines.
  

• Require hand audits of federal elections in randomly chosen precincts.

• Allocate $10 million for Iowa to purchase paper ballot voting systems! The bill allocates $1 billion for new equipment, and each state gets at least 1% of that amount. Last month the Iowa General Assembly passed Senate File 369, which requires counties to gradually replace all direct-recording touch screens with paper ballots and optical scanners, as the touch screens wear out. The total cost of all counties switching to optical scan systems now? At least $9 million. $10 million in federal money would allow Iowa's counties to convert to paper ballots and optical scan by 2008!

• Ban connection of any election system to the Internet.

• Eliminate the terrible testing system in which voting machine companies choose and pay the testing laboratories that sign off on the security of their products. The present system has failed to detect a litany of security flaws in voting equipment. For people who follow this issue closely, the testing process has been one of the most disturbing aspects of the story of American elections in the electronic age.

There will be more work to do before 811 becomes law. The fight in the Senate has not begun yet. But with your help, election integrity will soon win a major victory. Thank you for your support in this fight, and for everything you do for our democracy.

Best regards,
Sean Flaherty
Co-Chair, Iowans for Voting Integrity
www.IowansForVotingIntegrity.org