Register Poll Shows Culver Might be Vulnerable

A new Des Moines Register poll conducted by Selzer and Co. shows that Chet Culver might be vulnerable against a strong Republican opponent in his reelection campaign.

Iowa Gov. Chet Culver's approval slipped to 55 percent, down from 60 percent in the Register's September and January polls. [...]

The poll also revealed some reservations by Iowans about Culver, as the Democrat looks toward mounting a 2010 campaign for a second term.

Just 35 percent said they would definitely vote to re-elect Culver, while 28 percent said they would consider an alternative and 18 percent said they would definitely vote for someone else.

On the bright side Culver's approval is above the 50% mark. However, it has dropped 5% in the past few months and only 35% would definitely vote for him for reelection in 2010.

The question, however, is if Republicans have a strong opponent out there. Would Steve King or Tom Latham give up their seats in the US House? Does Bill Northey have what it takes to win in Eastern Iowa? Will anyone take Bob Vander Plaats serious? Do people actually know who Dave Vaudt and Rod Roberts are? I would have liked to see some head-to-head numbers of these people against Culver.

The next month is important for Culver, as the legislative session ends. Culver has bumped heads with leaders in his own party over key labor issues and an increase in the gas tax among others. Now there is a potential of disagreement over the Supreme Court's decision on gay marriage.

Of the 35% that say they would definitely support Culver for reelection, I would assume most all are Democrats and very few are Republicans. Culver needs to shore up his Democratic support. The Republicans will do what they can to ostracize independent voters as the party continues to move to the far right.

Steve King Likes Pay Raises for Himself

Rekha Basu at the Des Moines Register wrote about Steve King voting against spending that would help struggling Americans, yet voted to give himself a pay raise.

Congressman Steve King doesn't like the government to spend money. Or so he says.

He voted against the economic recovery plan, calling it "a monstrosity" and "more wasteful special-interest spending." He voted against the auto-industry bailout and against extending health insurance to 4 million children.

He opposed loan guarantees to help homeowners struggling to ward off foreclosure, and legislation to lessen America's dependence on foreign oil and promote renewable-energy sources.

He voted against disaster relief for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The list goes on.

In many of these votes, King has been alone among the Iowa congressional delegation, Republican or Democrat. "Our economy will not recover because people spend more," he has said. "It will recover because people produce more."

Yet there is one area of government savings King did not support: a freeze on his own pay.

Last week, he broke ranks with other Iowans in Congress and all but 23 members of the U.S. House of Representatives to vote against freezing their own 2010 salaries. The pay-freeze amendment, part of a bill to allow a vote on the omnibus appropriations measure, passed 398 to 24.

I would like to know what Rep. King has against middle class Americans and hurricane victims?

King Considering Run for Governor

Steve King will be appearing on Iowa Press this week. The show was taped yesterday and King was asked by David Yepsen if he will be running for Governor.

Yepsen: "Is it safe to say you're thinking about it or keeping your options open? How should we couch that?"

King: "Well, I think we can say that it would be foolish to foreclose options and I think it'd be constructive for me, at this point, to say that our most important job right now is to bring together and reunify the Republican Party in this state and I think with the leadership in the Iowa House and Senate along with the new chairman in the party, we have the tools to do that and I want to continue to support that before we start competing against each other."

King knows he represents a safe district, so he won't run unless he truly thinks he has a shot. If he does I would think Christpher Rants would jumping at the chance to run for Congress.

Jon Stewart Roasts Steve King over Guatanamo Comments

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Guantanamo Baywatch - The Final Season

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Important Things With Demetri Martin

Funny Political News
Joke of the Day

US Attorney Whitaker to be Looking for a New Job

The AP reported earlier this week that US Attorney Matt Whitaker said he expects to be replaced by the Obama administration in the coming months.

Whitaker, who overlooked the immigration raids in Marshalltown in December 2006, also responded to criticism of the raids.

U.S. Attorney Matthew Whitaker says he doesn't think he'll keep his job with the new presidential administration, but says he and his office acted correctly during the 2006 immigration raids at the Swift & Co. meatpacking plant. [..]

Whitaker says he expects to be replaced within four to six months.

It is common for US Attorney's to be replaced when a new president takes over. So the obvious question is what will Whitaker do after he is replaced?

Whitaker always could go into private practice, but I don't think he will. Whitaker will be a candidate for something in 2010. First, Whitaker ran for statewide office in 2002 challenging Michael Fitzgerald for State Treasurer. Second, the immigration raids garnered Whitaker cred with the Republican base.

Not many people are talking about Whitaker as a possible Republican candidates in 2010 though. We hear names thrown around like King, Latham, Larson, and Rants as possible candidates. However, Whitaker is in a strong position to challenge Leonard Boswell in Iowa's 3rd District or even run for Governor.

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.

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.

Hubler Brings Aboard Joe Trippi to end the Steve King's Circus

The Rob Hubler campaign has hired Joe Trippi to help end the Steve King circus in the 5th district.

Hubler and Trippi met in Washington, D.C., in recent days to iron out details of the agreement.

“The American people are hungry for change, but more of the same divisive rhetoric and embarrassing headlines by Washington politicians like Steve King is not the answer,” said Trippi. “If we want real change, we need grassroots candidates like Rob Hubler who will always put the people’s interests first. From creating new, good-paying jobs right here in Iowa to lowering gas prices, Rob Hubler is a new kind of leader who will deliver real solutions and real change for Iowa and America.”

Trippi should be able to help Hubler get his message out and help raise money online.

Hubler's campaign put together this video of Steve King's antics at a recent hearing on detainee interrogation.



That is just one of the many examples of Steve King's embarrassing behavior. Over at Daily Kos, 2laneIA did a great job keeping track of the other embarrassing statements King has made.

Steve King cannot let a week go by without saying something to which the appropriate response is: "He said what???" For more on that topic, go here and here. He was one of 11 Republicans to vote against relief for Katrina victims. He is expert on numerous subjects, from drilling our way to energy independence, to the similarities between Mexicans and livestock, to the marriages that result when soldiers get drunk in Bangkok, to the real story on that Niger yellowcake. Really, you can't make this stuff up.

Please consider helping out the Rob Hubler campaign by donating to the retire Steve King fund.

The Grinch Stole Christmas, Steve King Denies Children Health Care

Steve King thinks one his biggest accomplishment in Congress has been helping to block legislation that would expand health care insurance to children.

In an interview with the Sioux City Journal, Steve King cites his effort to block Democratic legislation in the last two years as one of his major accomplishments.

“That very well may be the best contribution that I have made in the 110th Congress, is slowing down, sometimes stopping Democratic-sponsored bills,” King said.

King specifically cites his efforts to derail the expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), known locally as the Healthy and Well Kids in Iowa (HAWK-I) program. King was the lone member of Iowa’s congressional delegation to stand with President Bush in opposition to this popular, bipartisan legislation.

“I do believe if you took me out of the equation, there would have been a different funding result,” King said.

At least King has saved Christmas by passing a bill saying that Christmas and Christians are important, the lone bill that King has sponsored that has been signed into law.

IA-05:Hubler on Telecom Immunity

Rob Hubler, who is running against Steve King in Iowa's 5th District posted this comment about telecom immunity on his blog...

This is wrong. No one should get a free pass for breaking the law. Iowans and all Americans have a right to live their lives without government intrusion on their privacy.

If elected, I would vigorously oppose this measure. I believe that the constitutional rights of everyday Americans are at issue here, and full accountability is needed. No President should ever have unchecked power. Americans in the U. S. with no connection to suspected terrorists should never have their privacy abridged by an overzealous, unchecked executive branch. As Americans, we can protect ourselves without destroying our Constitutional rights. We need to focus on the very real threats we face, and not waste our resources on spying on loyal Americans.

Steve King was one of 3 Iowans in the House (along with Republican Tom Latham and Democrat Leonard Boswell) that voted for FISA bill and the terrible telecom immunity that was included in it. Democrats Bruce Braley and Dave Loebsack voted against the bill.

Republican Candidates for Governor in 2010

Last month, I wrote that Steve King might have just kicked off his campaign for Governor after he spoke at the 2nd District Republican Convention.

Krusty Konservative runs down the top 12 Republicans that might run for Governor in 2010 against Chet Culver. The list includes a bunch of wealthy businessman, former politicians who are coming off loses in 2006, and a few current elected officials.

Here's the list (follow the link for a lot more information about each person)...

12. Don DeWaay
11. Jeff Ballenger
10. Former Senator Stewart Iverson
9. Former Representative Bill Dix
8. Mike Whalen
7. Former Senator Jeff Lamberti
6. Bob Vander Plaats
5. Bruce Rastetter
4. Former Senator Chuck Larson, Jr.
3. U.S. Attorney Matt Whitaker
2. State Representative Christopher Rants
1. Kongressman Steve King

Did Steve King Kick off his run for Governor over the weekend?

In cased you missed it, Rep. Steve King, who represents western Iowa, spoke at the 2nd District Convention in Iowa City on Saturday. This just might have been the kickoff to King's run for Governor in 2010.

Some were surprised that King decided against running for Senate against Tom Harkin, but I have heard rumors that King has his eyes sight on the Governor job. This trip to eastern Iowa might be the beginning of King attempting to get his name out there in the eastern part of the state.

Steve King's Craziest Comments

Douglas Burns, of Iowa Independent, has compiled a list of Steve King's craziest comments.

Burns says...

In six short years, U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, has cultivated a national reputation for attention-grabbling remarks that delight his conservative supporters and appall liberal critics. The latter find his rhetoric fanatical, nativist, and at times racist. But even constituents troubled by the Congressman's runaway mouth have to concede that King has become something of a voice for western Iowa in the instantaneous news world.

Surprise, Surprise, King has his facts wrong

Rep. Steve King is in the news again. As usual, it isn't for an important bill that he introduced or a legislation that he helped get passed, it is for recent comments King has made about Barack Obama.

And I will tell you that if he is elected president, then the radical islamists, the al Qaida and the radical Islamists and their supporters will be dancing in the streets in greater numbers than they did on September 11th.

Marc Amdinder responds and it shouldn't surprise anyone that King has his facts wrong.

King has his facts wrong. Obama doesn't want to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, first of all. Second of all, Al Qaeda, dancing in the streets? There are 400 of them, and they live in caves. Thirdly: wouldn't it more likely that Obama is viewed as an infidel? And Andrew Sullivan, in his December '07 Atlantic cover, starts with the same premise and comes to the opposite conclusion:

Consider this hypothetical. It’s November 2008. A young Pakistani Muslim is watching television and sees that this man—Barack Hussein Obama—is the new face of America. In one simple image, America’s soft power has been ratcheted up not a notch, but a logarithm. A brown-skinned man whose father was an African, who grew up in Indonesia and Hawaii, who attended a majority-Muslim school as a boy, is now the alleged enemy. If you wanted the crudest but most effective weapon against the demonization of America that fuels Islamist ideology, Obama’s face gets close. It proves them wrong about what America is in ways no words can.

Can We Please Just Get Rid of This Guy?

Can we please just get rid of Steve King? This stunt he pulled during the debate on SCHIP is just childish name-calling that is based on no facts whatsoever.

From Daily Kos...

But when you're reduced to having your staff make up large visual aides to assist explaining your insults, I think perhaps satire won't cut it anymore, and we have to devolve to out-and-out mockery.

So fine. Let's play the game, Republican style. Representative Steve King, of Iowa's 5th District: you support al Qaeda. I don't have to prove it. I don't have to back it up. I just have to say it, and it becomes true. And now the debate can be about why you support al Qaeda. Is it because you are "soft on terrorism?" Is it because you are living in a "pre-9/11 mindset?" Is it because you "hate America?" It is because you were beaten senseless by river otters during your own sixth birthday party, and now harbor a deep grudge against our native American fauna? I don't know. I don't have to know, because all of America is now ruled by the Fox News Schoolyard Taunt. Blah blah blah, flag pin. Blah fart blah, unpatriotic. Blah fart cough, Hillarycare.

The truth of it is, if the Republicans could tie healthcare for children to an external enemy in need of retribution, they'd be all over it -- but unfortunately for America's children, you can't bomb car accidents. If they could tie the needs of children and families with crippling unforeseen medical expenses to an al Qaeda plot to harm those children, they'd find a way to divert a token one or two percent of the half-trillion dollars of Iraq War funding towards covering them all. Perhaps. Yes, if we made caring for our children an act of patriotism, perhaps the Republican Party would show some interest.

But for some reason, caring for our children isn't considered patriotic, and so those children can go rot.

Steve King is in favor of border fences. Maybe we can put a fence between Iowa and Nebraska and send King to Ogallala, Nebraska on a long weekend.

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

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

Some more Crazy Comments from Congressman in Western Iowa

Over the weekend there were some more crazy comments from a Congressman in Western Iowa, but this time it wasn't Rep. Steve King saying them. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) was in Council Bluffs campaigning for President on Saturday. Tancredo's focus is on illegal immigration. Unfortanately, Tancredo fails to discuss the cause of the immigration problem, instead Tancredo, like King, focuses on hate-filled remarks.

Here are three examples from his stop in Iowa over the weekend...

"Illegal immigration has diluted the country's patriotism."

and referred to immigrants as a cult...

"We have a cult of multiculturalism. This is what permeates our society," he said. Immigrants who come to the United States but refuse to assimilate by learning the language and following the laws water down what it means to be an American.

and to top it off Tancredo had this to say...

"It's a cultural, political, linguistic tower of Babel."

Doesn't Tancredo realize that the vast majority of Americans are immigrants to this nation? Maybe he needs to read the story of the first Thanksgiving again.

If Tancredo gave up the divisive remarks and actually worked at finding common ground, we might be able to find a solution that will actually work.

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.