Loebsack’s 21st Century Green High Performing Public Schools legislation Passes

I heard Rep. Dave Loebsack speak in March and talked about trying to get a bill passed that would provide money for school modernization and green schools. He argued the bill would create jobs, create better learning environments for students, and save money in the long run. 

Last week, the bill finally passed.

Congressman Loebsack’s 21st Century Green High Performing Public Schools Act Will Provide $6.4 Billion in Funds to Repair and Modernize Schools

Green High Performing Public Schools Act Will Create and Save Jobs While Creating Long Term Cost Savings for our Schools

WASHINGTON DC – Today, the House Education and Labor Committee approved Congressman Dave Loebsack’s legislation to provide districts across the country with $6.4 billion for next year for school modernization and repair, increasing academic performance, cutting costs for our schools, and creating good paying jobs. Congressman Loebsack’s 21st Century Green High Performing Public Schools legislation provides $6.4 billion to improve and repair our schools, making them more energy efficient and cost effective. This legislation will help make America’s public school facilities more safe, healthy, energy-efficient and technologically advanced, while creating thousands of new jobs in construction and green industries. Modernizing school facilities have also proven to increase academic performance and will give our children hands-on learning in new and emerging energy industries.

“By modernizing our schools to make them more energy efficient we increase academic performance, student health, teacher retention, and cost savings for our schools. This legislation also comes at a critical time for our construction industries, which are losing jobs at an alarming rate,” said Congressman Loebsack. “Greening our schools creates and saves good paying jobs while improving student performance. I have been an advocate for Green Schools since I have been a Member of Congress, and I am pleased that my green provisions were included in this bill, giving us the tools we need to provide our children with a world class education in a safe, environmentally friendly learning environment.”

Because all students deserve to learn in safe, healthy, and up-to-date school facilities, Congressman Loebsack has been a champion of Green Schools since he was elected to Congress. Congressman Loebsack worked last Congress to pass this legislation with a bipartisan approval of 250-164. In re-introducing this legislation, the Congressman hopes the bill will once again be approved by the House and that it will also be approved by the Senate so that it can be signed into law.

“The quality of our classrooms has an immense impact on the quality of education our children receive,” noted Congressman Loebsack. “According to the Government Accountability Office, 79% of Iowa schools need to repair or upgrade their buildings and facilities. Our students deserve more from us. I will continue to work on behalf of Iowa’s children and I look forward to working with my colleagues to get this legislation signed into law so that we can provide improved learning environments for our students, create new jobs, spur local investment, and create long term cost savings for schools.”

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.

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

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.

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

Live Blogging PIN Conference: Loebsack, Bolkcom, Fallon, O'Brien

I am at the Progressive Iowa Network/DFIA conference in Iowa City. There are probably 50 people in attendence, mostly from Iowa City/Cedar Rapids and the Quad Cities. There are representives from the Obama, Richardson, Biden, and Kucinich campaigns.

State Senator Joe Bolkcom (D-Iowa City) is introduced and as soon as he got to the podium Rep. Dave Loebsack came in and bumped Sen. Bolkcom. Bolkcom graciously gives up the podium and Loebsack promises this will be the only time this happens.

Loebsack thanks the people in attendance and says he knows a lot of the people here. Thanks Joyce Shulte, who ran against Steve King in 2006.

I know some of you aren't happy with everything the Congress has been doing. If I was elected in a district where 60% of the people voted for Bush, it would be a lot harder to do what I have been doing. I don't have extraordinary political courage.

Loebsack will be speaking at the ceremony of the departure of troops in Ottumwa. He says the war must come to an end and he is doing everything he can to end it. Bush is not treating properly. Democrats are trying to do that in House and Senate.

Bolkcom is back at the podium. He is speaking about the accomplishments that were made in the last legislative session. He says the progress began in previous sessions and we finally started to see them happen. He says we were disapointed on some of the issues. It is easy for him to support every Progressive issue because his district votes 60-70% Democratic, but reality is most districts are 50-50%. It is vitally important that the fiscal house is in order and manage the resources we have.

Bolkcom is talking about starting the session in the Iowa Senate by passing a resolution against the troop escalation in Iraq. He says it wasn't picked up by the House, but it sent a message. Bolkcom sister chimes in that Joe won an award and you can see it on YouTube (Blog for Iowa has the video here.). Bolkcom goes through the progressive accomplishments that were made and reads off the tabacco tax, expanding civil rights, teacher's pay, anti-bullying in schools, cracking down on predatory lending, greenhouse gas registry and advisory council, and expanded the earned income tax credit.

One theme Sen. Bolkcom has is that it takes time for issues to develop. He says every issue that was passed has been in the works for a few years. He says the issues need to be discussed around Iowa and not just the progressive community. Fair share, clean elections, and health care reform are issues that would fit into this category.

Rep. Art Staed is now up. He is talking about the makeup of his district that means he must more of moderate voice in the House. He says we must bring the progressive issues need to br brought up at candidate appearences, both Democratic and Republican events. He says he is glad education and civil rights issues aren't part of the workshop events later because strong advances were made this year. He hopes more can be done on the environment and local control, health care, taxes, and highways and transporation. These issues need to be addressed in the next legislative session. Staed brings up the VOICE legislation and he thought it would be voted on in the House, but there were some problems in the funding aspect.

It is Ed Fallon's turn. Ed says the best thing about not being in office is that he can wear whatever he wants to events like these. Ed has shorts and a Buy Fresh, Buy Local T-shirt on. Some issues that need to be addressed in Iowa are CAFO's. We can't be spending more time in task forces, we need to take action on this issue and if not it might be a very, very short tenure for Democrats in the legislature.

Voluntary public financing is the key. If that is passed, we can see progress on many other issues because it cuts out the moneyed interests. Gronstal even voted for campaign finance reform 3 times back in the early 90's. Fallon thanks Rep. Pam Jocham (D-Dubuque) for her work on this issue. He says the VOICE bill has a chance to be the best law in the nation because it takes into account and fixes problems similar bills have had in Maine and Arizona.

Denise O'Brien is speaking now. She says she loves to come to Iowa City and thanks the people here for their support. She says she was disapointed with the outcome of the election, but has recovered. She mentions the nasty attacks that were made at the end of the campaign. She had been an activist for many years, but decided to make the change and run for office and she hasn't ruled out running again. That comment got large applause from the audience. She is disucssing the bill that gets local foods used in our schools. Agriculture is the environment issue in Iowa. This was a theme of her campaign and could have been a reason she lost. She stood up to the interests that are against family farming and the environment and other people can too. She goes off on aside and asks what can we do about Sioux County. She says her opponent had 10,000 more votes there. We must think about local economies, local food, and local businesses. These are our roots and where are values and families are and they must be strong for small towns to survive. She moves on to CAFO's. The only people in Iowa that are for large hog confinements are the big money. It is not agriculture, it is agribusiness. If North Carolina, which isn't a very progressive state, can have a moritoriam on CAFO's, why can't Iowa. These agribusinesses have bought their influence and clean elections would help limit their influence.

That is all of the elected officials and former candidates that are set to speak. Lunch is coming up and then we will be breaking up into workshop on the issues of VOICE, CAFO's, Fair Share, health care, and media. My battery is running low, so I need to go charge up.

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

Better Know Phil Hare (IL - 17) and the Out of Iraq Caucus

I just saw Rep. Phil Hare (IL-17) from the Quad Cities on the Colbert Report and then I saw this post from Prairie State Blue about what Phil Hare has been up to since getting elected. I have to say that I am pretty impressed.

Update: The interview can be found here. I can't embed it because Comedy Central is owned by Viacom and they are, like Robert Novak, a total douchebag.

Freshman Illinois Representitive Phil Hare (IL-17) has once again defied fellow Illinois Rep. and Chair of the Democratic Caucus Rahm Emanuel (IL-5).

First, he joined the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and while that wasn't strictly defying Emanuel, I'm sure Rahm is more comfortable around the Blue Dogs. Next thing you know, Phil Hare is in the Out of Iraq caucus. Those two things on their own had to have Rahm wondering why he didn't look harder for a primary challenger, but now Phil Hare has gone and stuck his finger right in Rahm's eye.

You see on the same day that Rahm Emanuel gave a big wag of the finger to Stephen Colbert, Phil Hare is going to have his district better known.

"I don't know what I'm going to look like tomorrow - foolish, I bet," Hare said. "But that's OK, I don't take myself too seriously." ... All joking aside, however, Hare valued the experience as one in which he could publicize the district and reach a segment of his constituency, unlike other representatives in Washington, D.C., who have told Hare they would be petrified to go on the show.

"There's a lot of people here who won't go on the show, no matter what," Hare said. "I think it's a great way to communicate with young people... My kids are totally addicted to it."

The real question on my end of things is how they're going to pull it all together. You see Phil Hare was already better known at the Kennedy School of Government 2006 Luncheon For Incoming New Members. Well no matter. I'm sure that everyone will join me to see Phil Hare eneagled latter tonight.

Hare did a pretty good job on the Colbert Report. It was funny and Hare didn't get taken, like some others have (example 1 and example 2).

I am impressed with the groups that Hare has joined since getting elected. He is speaking about progressive issues and associating himself with groups that stand for those issues. He is taking stands on the issues that he believes in. He isn't getting pushed by Washington insiders and the so-called Centrists like Rahm Emanuel. Hare is espousing views because he believes in them and because the people in his district believe in them.

After reading that Hare is a member of the Out of Iraq Caucus and the Congressional Progressive Caucus, I wonder why Iowa's two new Congressman, Bruce Braley and Dave Loebsack haven't joined the Out of Iraq Caucus. (I will give Loebsack credit for being a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.) Both Braley and Loebsack ran on getting out of Iraq and have spoken out about the need to bring our troops home then why not join the 73 other members of the House in the Out of Iraq Caucus?

What Iowa's Congressman Think (or Doesn't Think) About Escalation

Here is how Iowa's Congressman support Bush's plan to escalate the war in Iraq. From Think Progress...

Boswell, Leonard

D

House

IA-3

Lean Oppose

Link

Braley, Bruce

D

House

IA-1

Oppose

Link

King, Steve

R

House

IA-5

Support

Link

Latham, Tom

R

House

IA-4

Refused to Answer

Link

Loebsack, David

D

House

IA-2

Oppose

Link

Grassley, Chuck

R

Senate

IA

Support

Link

Harkin, Tom

D

Senate

IA

Oppose

Link

It is interesting that Tom Latham is one of 38 of 535 members of Congress that refused to answer. Latham issued this statement...

“‘The situation, as it is, is unacceptable,’ said Latham. ‘We’ve got to find resolution in Iraq … we’ve got to have the Iraqi government actually get control of the country. I am skeptical about what the best course of action is to take, I honestly am.’”

Latham basically is saying that with Democrats winning in the 1st and 2nd districts that his district will be more of a target for Democrats. Latham put his finger to the wind and knows that 70% of Americans oppose Bush's plan of escalation. That or Latham is still waiting for his call from Tom DeLay to tell him how to vote. In the end, Latham will try to play both sides and then will roll over like he always does and vote with Bush.

Loebsack, Braley Promote Fair Trade Policies

David Sirota wrote today about 39 freshman members of the US House speaking out about so-called Free Trade policies, including Iowa's Bruce Braley and Dave Loebsack, and Phil Hare of the Illinois side of the Quad Cities.

The 39 Congressman sent a letter to Charlie Rangel, Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee stating Democrats won the majority because a lot of candidates ran againt Free Trade. The letter says...

“As you may know, in each of our campaigns the issue of trade and the impact of the Administration’s trade policy on working families, the environment, independent farmers and businesses in our districts were critically important. Vital to our electoral successes was our ability to take a vocal stand against the Administration’s misguided trade agenda, and offer our voters real, meaningful alternatives to the job-killing agreements, such as CAFTA, that the majority of our opponents supported.”

Americans are tired of hearing about more and more American jobs being shipped overseas. They are tired of having their calls routed through India when they need help fixing their computer. They are tired of hearing about family members and friends getting laid off. Americans made their voices heard in the November election.

Braley and Loebsack made trade a big part of their campaigns. Braley's campaign site says...

Bruce believes that irresponsible economic policies in Washington have cost our state good-paying jobs. Unfair trade agreements like NAFTA and CAFTA are hurting our economy. In Congress, Bruce will fight for fair trade laws that are good for American workers.

While Loebsack has this statement on his campaign site...

...it is time for fair trade agreements that help open markets abroad and guarantee labor and environmental protections in other countries. The second district of Iowa has suffered dramatically over the years as a result of Republican policies. We know that globalization has led to companies abandoning many communities in this part of the state. Republicans, including the incumbent, have championed free trade pacts that have only made this problem worse. It is time to take stock of the effects of previous free trade agreements and place a moratorium on more such pacts that do not include the necessary labor and environmental provisions.

It is great to see 2 newly elected Iowans standing up on this important issue. I look forward to hearing more from them on this issue.

Braley and Loebsack Pick Up Committee Assignments

Bruce Braley and Dave Loebsack have recently picked another committee assignment. Loebsack has been named to the House Armed Services Committee, as well as being on the Education and Labor Committee. These two committee seem to match perfectly with the themes Loebsack ran on during his campaign.

Braley is now on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, as well as the Transportation Committee. The Quad City Times today has a story about Braley's new position on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

For Braley, it appears that an area of focus could be the Iraq War.

The Waterloo lawyer is on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which is responsible for monitoring war spending.

During the campaign, Braley, a critic of the war, called for more accountability. Now, he may get the chance to exercise it.

Braley's experience as a lawyer will be a great asset to this committee. You can tell from the campaign that Iraq is an important issue to Braley.

I hope Braley looks into the $9 billion of reconstruction money that is unaccounted for in Iraq.

Democrats Work to Cut Interest Rates on Student Loans

The Des Moines Register has a story about Democrats in Congress plan on cutting interest rates on student loans.

Democrats plan to propose legislation this week cutting interest rates in half on subsidized Stafford undergraduate loans, from a fixed rate of 6.8 percent to 3.4 percent by 2011.

The proposal - one of a handful of issues Democrats have vowed to raise in their first 100 hours in session - would affect more than 50,000 Iowa undergraduates who took out subsidized loans in 2004-05 and about 5.5 million students nationwide, according to the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.

All three of Iowa's Representives support this legislation. Rep. Boswell and Rep. Braley are co-sponsoring the legislation. It will be interesting to see what Tom Latham does considering Iowa State University is in his district. Rep. Loebsack had this to say...

"It clearly makes college more accessible," said U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack, a Democrat from Mount Vernon.

Financial barriers will prevent at least 4.4 million high school graduates from attending a four-year public college over the next decade, and prevent another 2 million high school graduates from attending any college at all, Loebsack said, citing the Congressional Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance.

State 29 disagrees with this legislation and basically says that if people take out students loans then they are too stupid to realize they need to save for college. State 29 completely ignores the fact that tuition has doubled over the past 5 or 6 years while income for middle class families have been stagnant. These families could have been saving for college, but when tuition increases so fast over such a short period of time, the only thing that can be done is to take out loans. This legislation helps ease the burden of the loans.

This legislation is just a bandaid attempt to solve the issue of student loan debt. The real issue is the dramatic increase in college tuition and decrease in state funding for higher education. This will continue to be a problem until we make the decision that it is important to have affordable college education and invest in our future.

I was lucky to make it through college with very little student loan debt. However, I know a couple people that have said they are basically paying two mortgage payments, one for their home and one for their loans. Consider, how they could be growing the economy with that money if it wasn't going towards student loan debt.

Iowa Delegation Speaks Out On Immigration Raid

Here is what each member of the Iowa Delegation had to say about the immigration raids this week.

Most of the statements are pretty much what you would expect from a politician, except for Steve King's statement, which is pretty much what you would expect from Steve King. King makes it sound like all immigrants are here illegally. Then there is this line...

Children have been left behind when one or both parents were detained, and King said it’s possible some of those children are American citizens and should be cared for as citizens.

So King is basically saying if they are citizens then great, if not then we can treat them like cattle.

Harkin takes the civil rights angle. Latham and Grassley attempt to sound compassionate, while stressing the importance of enforcing our laws. Loebsack speaks about the complexity of the problem and the need for a multifaceted solution.

Braley and Boswell discuss placing consequences on the companies that employ illegal immigrants. Boswell's statement that he is interested in finding out why Swift employed so many illegals. I sure hope he does look into that. Braley nails it with this statement...

"Until employers realize that they will be held accountable for hiring undocumented workers, we will continue to have a problem with illegal immigration in the United States," Braley said.

What the Iowa Delegation thinks of the Iraq Study Group Report

The Des Moines Register has statements from the Iowa Representitives and Senators about the Iraq Study Group report released yesterday. I find it interesting, but not surprising, that Steve King is playing the liberal media card. I am not sure what Boswell is thinking, the ISG report fails to plan how to bring troops home. I most agree with Dave Loebsack's statement that the report is a start, but more could be done. Here's what members of the Iowa congressional delegation had to say Wednesday about the report:

Sen. Charles Grassley, Republican: "The Iraq Study Group report is yet another source of information on what to do about Iraq. Over the last few weeks, we've seen the president and the Defense Department already put in motion an attitude that there needs to be a change of direction."

Sen. Tom Harkin, Democrat: "It is my sincere hope that this is the end of failed stay-the-course rhetoric and the beginning of a real solution to bringing our troops home ... The findings are an indictment of the president's failed policies in the Middle East ... The president owes it to the brave members of the military to find a way out of the mess he's made."

Rep. Leonard Boswell, Democrat: "A plan (to bring troops home) is long overdue. In light of the sectarian violence and the tremendous increase in casualties, we need to engage leaders in the region and begin the redeployment of troops from the area."

Rep. Steve King, Republican: "The commanders in the field know that the most treacherous terrain in their battle is American public opinion. Every day the mainstream media seeks to shift American public opinion against this war, and since the leaks of their apparent sympathizers within the Iraq Study Group were published last week, they have seized upon the findings of this unelected, unaccountable and autonomous committee to usher in a full-scale retreat from Iraq and from the front lines of the war on terror."

Rep.-elect Dave Loebsack, Democrat: "It's a good start for the conversation. It doesn't go far enough ... I remain adamant about beginning immediately to disengage. I hope we can all work together to take up a real solution to this."

**Update**
Here is what Bruce Braley thought of the Iraq Study Group report. From the Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier...

Rep.-elect Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, praised the study's conclusion that conditions in Iraq are "grave and deteriorating."

He also praised the recommendation that the administration engage Iran and Syria in talks to seek a solution.

The report, which was released Wednesday but leaked in parts in recent days, recommended that Iraq should take greater responsibility for its own security and said U.S. combat troops could be out of the country by early 2008.
This spring, Braley also suggested Congress might use its power of the purse to force the administration to change policy. Although he didn't repeat that threat Wednesday, he expressed clear doubts the president was willing to change.

"The president has consistently refused to accept the possibility that the troops could be redeployed during his presidency," he said.

Looking at the Key Counties in Each District

Here are the counties that I will keeping a close eye on in each district. I didn't include the 3rd because I expect Chris, at Political Forecast, will have those results.

1st District
As I mentioned in a previous post, Dubuque is a key in the district. I will also be looking at Scott Co to see how Whalen does on his home turf.

**Update at 10:30**
Braley won Scott Co. 53%-45% with a margin of over 4,000 votes.
**Update at 10:42**
The Quad City Times is calling it for Braley
**Update at 12:36**
Braley won Dubuque Co. 59% to 40% wiht a margin of over 6,000 votes.

2nd District
Loebsack needs big margins in Linn Co.and Johnson Co.

**Update at 10:44**
Loebsack is doing very well in Des Moines and Lee Counties getting 57% and 58% respectively.
**Update 11:04**
Chris Woods is hearing that KCCI is about to call the race in the 2nd District for Loebsack. CNN has Loesback up 51%-49% with 71% of the precincts in.
**Update 11:50**
This one is going down to the wire. Loebsack is up by just under 1000 votes with 94% in. I was totally off on my analysis of Linn Co. Loebsack won Linn by about 275 votes. Still some of Johnson Co that needs to report.
**Updatee 1:06**
100% of Johnson County has reported and Loebsack won 60%-40% with over a 6,000 vote margin. Loebsack had an overall victory margin of less than 6,000 votes.

4th District
Spencer should do well in Story County, his home county. Spencer will need to win Cerro Gordo, Marshall, Warren, and Webster, and not get blown out in Dallas.

**Update 12:37**
Spencer won Story Co, but lost all of the other important counties. His closest was Cerro Gordo where he pulled 48%.

5th District
I will be watching Sioux County to see how big of margin Steve King actually has out there. Sioux Co. went a larger margin for Bush in 04 than Bush won the entire state of Iowa by. As John Deeth said...

Put it this way: if Sioux County were sawn off the rest of the state and annexed to South Dakota, John Kerry would have won Iowa. The Sioux County Bush margin was more than the STATEWIDE margin.

**Update 11:55**
King won Sioux County by about 8,400 votes with 82%.

Election 2006 Posts

I thought I would go through the posts that I have written on the candidates and put them in one post to make it easier for people to find.

Governor
Quad City Times Endorses Culver
Watch out Chet, the Boogeyman is Catching Up! - recommended
Report from the Johnson County Democratic BBQ -recommended
Lamberti Attacks Nussle's budget record
Nussle Scams Teachers, Children, and Future with NCLB
Iowa Teachers Endorse Culver

1st District
Braley Endorsed by the Dubuque Telegraph Herald
Meet the Real Bruce Braley
Braley Profiled on FireDogLake

2nd District
New Poll in 2nd District...Leach 50%, Loebsack 48%
Comments on Leach and Loebsack Debate - recommended
My Meeting With Dave Loebsack - recommended
Report from the Johnson County Democratic BBQ - recommended
Centrism is for Suckers (or the Sierra Club and NEA get swindled) - recommended
Leach Votes to Give Rich Another Tax Break and Hurt Working Iowans
2nd District Convention Report -recommended

4th District
Message from Selden Spencer
Spencer Endorsed by the Mason City Globe Gazette
Wes Clark Raising Money for Selden Spencer - recommended
Spencer's TV Ad Up and Ready To Go
Notes from Spencer's Campaign Stop -recommended
Latham Criticized for Negative Attack
Not Very Many People Like Tom Latham
Spencer's Speech at the Harkin Steak Fry - recommended
Selden Spencer Media Day
Selden Spencer Blogging from Afghanistan - recommended
Spencer Gets Props on MyDD - recommended
Latham Better Watch Out
Spencer Barnstorming the 4th District
4th District Convention Report

Sec. of Agriculture
Meeting Denise O'Brien - recommended
Met Denise O'Brien Over the Weekend

New Polls from the Des Moines Register

The Des Moines Register has a bunch of new polls out. Here's a quick rundown...

Governor: Culver 52% - Nussle 43%
1st District: Braley 56% - Whalen 35%
Sec. of Ag: Northey 43% - O'Brien 42%
Sec. of State: Mauro 43% - Hanusa 33%

The only race that I am surprised about is for Sec of Agriculture. 2 weeks ago in the same poll, O'Brien was up 40% to 26%. So over the last 2 weeks her opponet gained 17% while O'Brien went up just 2%. It looks like the race will be real close.

This is the 2nd straight poll that has Culver over 50%. It seems Nussle can't get more than in the low 40's. Here is where the candidates are getting their support from...

Culver runs stronger than Nussle in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd congressional districts, which cover most of eastern Iowa. They run nearly neck-and-neck in the 4th District.

Nussle has the advantage in western Iowa's 5th District, a vote-rich area for Republicans that could give him a big boost if he's able to turn out the vote in that part of the state.

In the 2nd District, I wonder if Loebsack can follow Culver's coatails to pick up a couple % points.

Des Moines Register Comes Out With Their Endorsements

The Des Moines Register has come out with their endorsements for the upcoming election and mostly favored Democrats over Republicans. Here they are...

Governor...Chet Culver

Culver has taken his working knowledge about state government and molded it into proposals on education, economic development and renewable energy. He correctly identifies renewable energy as a historic opportunity for Iowa to remake its economy, and he has presented reasonably detailed ideas for helping it happen.

Congress
1st District...Bruce Braley

But what really sold us on Braley was his respect for the U.S. Constitution, which he called "one of the greatest documents written in the history of mankind." He recognizes the responsibility of Congress to uphold the Constitution and exercise oversight of the executive branch - a perspective sorely lacking in today's Washington. Braley is young, but polished. He is optimistic, but realistic. And he is the better choice to represent the interests of Iowans.

2nd District...Jim Leach

Jim Leach was the only member of the Iowa delegation to vote against the war in Iraq. That alone is reason enough to re-elect him.

A Republican, Leach has a reputation for integrity and independence of mind. That's demonstrated by his voting record, one of the most independent of any member of Congress.

3rd District...Leonard Boswell

On most issues, Boswell is right, from supporting a woman's right to choose to calling for fiscal responsibility. He has fought to oppose private accounts in Social Security and opposes tax cuts for the "richest 1 percent."

His experience and personal connections with people all over the world make him the better choice for representing Iowa and the country.

4th District...Selden Spencer

It would be great to have more representatives in Washington who know about health care, an issue the current Congress has ignored. Iowa should send to Congress Dr. Selden Spencer, a neurologist from Huxley.

Spencer, a Democrat, has been not only a faculty member at the University of Iowa but also a community physician for 22 years. He knows about the real-world health-care crisis facing this country. He also favors embryonic stem-cell research, a pursuit "near and dear to my heart" that has great potential for advancing medicine.

5th District...Joyce Shulte

King has been an embarrassment to Iowa, making the news for everything from referring to the Abu Ghraib prison abuses as "hazing" to calling for "cultural continuity" in America to describing disgraced U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy as a hero to pushing to build a 700-mile wall on the nation's southern border. This space won't allow listing all his outrageous remarks and positions.

and about Shulte...

Schulte would bring a breadth of experience to Washington, having worked in the mental-health field, small business and education. She's now director of the Student Support Services program at Southwestern Community College in Creston. So she knows firsthand how government policies impact the lives of students, the mentally ill and average Iowa families. And Iowa is long overdue in sending a woman to Washington.

I was surprised that the Register endorsed Selden Spencer in the 4th District, but Tom Latham has a long record of toeing the party line. As the Register says about Latham...

Spencer was right during a recent meeting with the Register when he noted that the current Republican leadership in Washingtoin has failed the country. And Latham has been part of the problem.

Unfortanately in the 2nd District, the Register doesn't understand that a vote for Leach is also a vote for Bush, Cheney, Rumsfield, and Hastert. In the 2nd district, the bluest district in Iowa, they should elect a Democrat that would vote for Democratic leadership in Washington. By voting for Leach, you are voting to continue the failed leadership in Washington. If Bush was truly a uniter and not a divider, like he campaigned as, then a person like Leach would have a place in Congress.

Dave Loebsack is the Democrat in the race and holds Democratic values like the majority of people in the 2nd District. He is against the war in Iraq, for health care for everyone, for increasing the minimum wage, for energy independence, and most importantly for change in Washington.

Centrism is for Suckers (or the Sierra Club and NEA get swindled)

I didn't say it, NY Times columnist Paul Krugman did in his column yesterday. The article takes a different look at centrism than the David Sirota piece I wrote about in June, but it still provides an important conclusion.

The fact is that in 1994, the year when radical Republicans took control both of Congress and of their own party, things fell apart, and the center did not hold. Now we’re living in an age of one-letter politics, in which a politician’s partisan affiliation is almost always far more important than his or her personal beliefs. And those who refuse to recognize this reality end up being useful idiots for those, like President Bush, who have been consistently ruthless in their partisanship.

Here in Iowa we don't have to look far for an example. In the 2nd District, the Sierra Club and the NEA has endorsed Republican Jim Leach (Yes, I am a member of both groups). It is true that Leach probably does have a decent record on the environment and education. However, if Leach wins, he helps keep a Republican majority in the House, keeps Dennis Hastert as Speaker, and the rightwing of the Republican Party will continue to dismantle our environmental laws and leave all are children behind.

Dave Loebsack has come out with strong positions on the environment and education and to think that he wouldn't do just as good of job protecting the environment and improving education as Leach is ridiculous. Loebsack is an educator for pete's sake (it might be more fitting to change the saying to "for Hastert's sake" in this case).

The Sierra Club and NEA have become, as Krugman says, useful idiots by backing the Leach/Hastert ticket in this race.

2nd District Convention Report

I asked some friends over at DU if they would writeup a recap of the 2nd District Convention. Cornfield agreed and was very speedy in getting it to me. So here it is. Thanks Cornfield!

2nd District Democratic Convention – April 29, 2006

The fire alarm at Mount Pleasant High School went off, proving to everyone in attendance that the Second District Democrats were on fire.

The Second District seated 287 regular delegates (out of 337) at their convention on Saturday, April 29. On the whole, the day ran smoothly and without incident.

One of the first speakers was gubernatorial candidate Mike Blouin. Those in the audience were again instructed to repeat after him: “Jim Nussle will not be governor of Iowa.” (This seems to have become the Blouin mantra – and one the Democrats stomach very well.) He spoke at length about keeping young people in Iowa and bringing back those who had left. One of his ideas for doing this was for Iowa to offer “real jobs” that “pay real money.” He also hit hard on the state’s educational system, stating fears of economic hardship should not be limiting educational opportunities. He closed by telling the audience he wanted to build on the Vilsack legacy.

Blouin is typically a very strong speaker and Saturday proved no different. He currently holds strong support in the Second District and received at least four standing ovations (in addition to the typical coming and going).

In probably the most embarrassing event of the convention, Elaine Baxter took the stage to introduce Mary Culver (wife of gubernatorial candidate Chet Culver). Her introduction was very good. She received good crowd response. Unfortunately, when the call was made for Mary to take the stage, no one came. The few moments which followed were awkward and did not shine favorably on the Culver campaign.

Secretary of Agriculture candidates were the next to speak. Dusky Terry was represented by his wife while Denise O’Brien was represented by her daughter. Iowa is fortunate to have two very qualified candidates who have a vision for this position and for the state. Both stressed the need for our state to value rural Iowa, clean up our waterways and continue Iowa’s leadership in the world’s agricultural endeavors.

If forced to choose based solely on the two representations today, I would choose O’Brien. Terry’s wife is both articulate and intelligent, but she doesn’t convey a sense of passion. O’Brien’s daughter, however, captivated the crowd with her memories of their family’s organic farm and their belief that all people should have access to safe and nutritious foods.

Rod Perdue spoke on behalf of gubernatorial candidate Ed Fallon. He was sincere as he complimented all of Iowa’s wonderful candidates. The most applause was garnered when he spoke of campaign finance reform – “based on need and not greed.” There are a fair number of Fallon supporters in the Second District. While it was obvious they were disappointed time constraints could not allow Fallon to address the group personally, they supported their candidate’s representative with several standing ovations.

Baxter returned to the stage and was finally successful in introducing Mary Culver. Mary spoke very briefly before turning the stage over to Culver’s Lt. Gov. pick, Patty Judge. It was difficult to recall the embarrassing moments earlier in the day once Judge began to speak. She hit on several hot button issues – women’s reproductive rights, education, healthcare, poverty, economic development, agriculture, minimum wage – and the ideas and viewpoints she expressed received wide-spread report. That is, those cheering and standing were not just the delegates with Culver stickers on their lapels. Several Blouin and Fallon supporters could be seen not only paying attention to her speech, but joining in the standing ovations. Perhaps the line which received the most unilateral support was “Iowa will not only feed the world – we’ll fuel the world.”

While someone might have walked on the convention floor and mistaken the focus for support, it is difficult to know whether applause will translate into votes during the primary. Judge has always been a passionate and effective speaker. Her energy today was high and it seemed to translate to those in attendance.

Sal Mohamed spoke later in the afternoon and, as always, spoke of how he planned to bring science back into government and how he wanted to place more money back in the pockets of our residents. Although I might be ripped to shreds for saying this, I feel it is important. Mohamed has a sound message. He speaks and his voice vibrates with his own passion for what he is saying. Unfortunately, his accent is difficult for many Iowans to understand (your author included). I believe out of all the gubernatorial candidate web sites, Mohamed’s has received the most visits. I listened as at least 50 separate people discussed their visit to his site and what they discovered there. People can tell he believes in what he is saying and they want to understand. In person, however – especially when there is a temperamental sound system in the mix – as he becomes excited about his plans for our state and his speech speeds up, it is difficult to understand him word-for-word.

When looking at the gubernatorial candidates, despite the early morning snafu, I believe the speaker who excited the crowd most was Patty Judge of the Culver campaign.

Not even Judge, however, came close to the thundering, roaring, screaming, clapping and stomping crowd which greeted Congressional candidate Dave Loebsack. As Tom Petty swooned how he wouldn’t back down, Loebsack made his way up the center aisle and onto the stage. He told the participants his campaign was about two things: Change and Leadership. He urged the audience not to confuse this with “change in leadership” because he didn’t give “the current occupant that much credit.”

Loebsack has never been a slouch in the speaking department. (I wish I had more professors at my university with his talent!) From discussing Leach’s vote for the birth tax to reminding those in attendance that “election year conversion does not equal leadership,” Loebsack simply stole the show. He closed with one of his signature lines: “I will lead when it matters, not when it is safe.”

There were also two non-candidate speakers who brought down the house: Gov. Tom and Christie Vilsack. When Mrs. Vilsack proclaimed, “It should not have taken our legislators so long to help our educators,” when discussing teacher pay increases, the audience erupted. Neither of the Vilsacks took a position in the current gubernatorial race, but Christie did state that "we have some great candidates and we need a competent governor.” To me, when compared with some of the recent attacks questioning Culver’s IQ, this almost appeared an indirect endorsement. Perhaps it wasn’t meant that way, but I know I’m not the only person in the audience who thought it was.

In one of the most genuine speeches I’ve ever heard him provide, Gov. Vilsack spoke about our state, our accomplishments, his recent trip overseas and the call to a fallen soldier’s family he will never forget. The man who died while following his orders was 42 years old, father and husband, a helicopter pilot. When Vilsack spoke with the widow, he said she could see his difficulty in speaking the traditional lines of service, honor and country. As it turns out, the man had a choice on the day that he died. He could have chosen to save himself, but instead he chose to place himself in mortal danger so that he could try to protect those soldiers traveling with him. When all was said and done, the man and his co-pilot died – 18 others lived. Once this was explained the wife told Gov. Vilack that those 18 soldiers needed her husband more in that minute than she did for the rest of their time together.

It was obvious Vilsack was having a difficult time holding onto his emotions as he thanked everyone for their support. He had to stop speaking several times in order to pull himself back together.