John Kerry Speaks about the Need for High Speed Rail

John Kerry speaks about the need for high speed rail at a townhall meeting in Cambridge...

Video from Kerry event in Marshalltown

I hurried out of school today at lunch to go see John Kerry at the Iowa Veterans Home. Kerry was in Iowa today campaigning for Barack Obama. He made stops in Waterloo, Marshalltown, Ames, Waukee, and Des Moines.

The event was scheduled to start at 11;30, but I couldn't leave school until 11:40. Knowing there was a good chance that the event would start a few minutes behind schedule, I thought I'd get to see a good portion of it. However, the event must have started on time because I only caught the last few questions.

Kerry was asked by a veteran about the possibility of another economic stimulus check. The person said many residents of the Iowa Veterans Home were not eligible for a stimulus check and if they give out another one if something could be done. Kerry said that the government needs to focus on creating jobs and not on writing more checks.



Kerry was then asked by a man, who is supporting Obama and is Catholic, about the abortion issue.



As I was walking out, there were veterans registering to vote and filling out requests for absentee ballots. I didn't get a head count of how many people were there, but you could feel the excitement for the upcoming election in the room.

John Kerry Campaigning in Iowa on Wednesday

John Kerry is scheduled to be campaigning in Iowa on Wednesday.

I don't have all the details except that Kerry will start the day in Waterloo, then will be in Marshalltown at 11:15, Ames at 12:45, before going to Waukee.

The Obama campaign is calling these events early voting rally, as Kerry will be making a push for people to vote early and to volunteer for the final weeks before the election.

Predicting Biden

Barack Obama is supposed to announce his VP candidate this evening or tomorrow morning by text message to supporters. There will be an event in Springfield, Illinois tomorrow afternoon with Obama and the Vice President candidate.

I am predicting that the choice will be Joe Biden. Biden is known to talk a lot and, except for a comment midweek that he's not the guy, he has been pretty quiet the past couple weeks. Biden is coming off a trip to Georgia where he talked to leaders in the region about the conflict with Russia. Biden best quality in my opinion is that he isn't afraid to throw elbows and go on the attack.

Bayh and Kaine's names have been put out there before Obama made campaign stops in their respective states and the buzz wasn't always positive. I think that was basically a test run and the campaign has decided against those two. Another reason that going against Kaine is that Obama just spent two days campaigning in Virginia, a key battleground state, so it wouldn't make sense to announce your naming the Governor of Virginia VP at an event in another state.

I wouldn't be surprised if Hillary Clinton gets the nod. This diary at Open Left makes the case that Obama will name Hillary Clinton that makes a lot of sense.

If, in June, Clinton told you she should be your VP and you were seriously considering it, what would you do? You would probably tell her that the only way it could happen is if you wholeheartedly endorse me, make it clear you have gotten over the joint ticket idea, have those under your influence (such as the "Vote Both" folks) drop all of their efforts on HRC's behalf. You'd say, I can't look weak by picking you, like I was forced by circumstance. It must look like a choice I made that I didn't have to make but I did because I'm such a big person and I care about the country and I care about victory.

There are three candidates that I would most like to see be named vice president. I would love for Obama to name Kathleen Sebelius, who was campaigning in Iowa yesterday, is still a choice, but there hasn't been much buzz about her lately. And Tom Harkin is pushing for Chris Dodd, which I think would be a great choice. Finally, I have been a little surprised that Bill Richardson hasn't been mentioned as much. I think he would bring a lot to the table.

Then it could be a complete dark horse candidate like Tom Daschle, John Kerry, Mark Warner, or Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer (one of the battleground states Obama is visiting after the announcement is Montana).

Now it's just time to sit back with my cell phone in hand and wait for the announcement.

Obama Beats McCain in the Hispanic Vote

During the Democratic Primary, the media talked about Obama's troubles with Hispanic voters.

However, this NBC/Wall St. Journal poll released yesterday shows Barack Obama beating John McCain among Hispanic voters 62% to 28%. According to exit polls from 2004, John Kerry won the Hispanic vote 53% to 44%.

That increase in support could swing some states in the Southwest to Obama...

"That does not bode well for Republicans" in the Southwest, the Republican pollster added, in swing states such as Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado, where Hispanic voters are numerous enough to tip the result. Sen. McCain, who comes from a state with a large Hispanic population and has favored liberalizing policies toward illegal immigrants, has hopes of matching Mr. Bush's record of winning more than 40% of Hispanic voters.

Kerry Endorses Obama

John Kerry will be endorsing Barack Obama today. There will be a news conference in South Carolina today.

Wouldn't Kerry's endorsement been more helpful to Obama if it came before New Hampshire, rather than after? Kerry is from nearby Massachusetts, won New Hampshire in 2004, and lost South Carolina.

Thoughts on Libby's Get out of Jail Free Card

I have read a lot of the reactions about Bush commuting Scooter Libby and saving Scooter from jail. iPol has posted the statements from the Democratic candidates for president. Here is the condensed version of what each candidate said (plus a couple others)...

Dodd hits the nail on the head...

The only ones paying the price for this Administration's actions are the American people.

Edwards has perhaps the best one line that I have read so far...

Only a president clinically incapable of understanding that mistakes have consequences could take the action he did today.

Clinton shows how this another example of Republican cronyism...

This commutation sends the clear signal that in this Administration, cronyism and ideology trump competence and justice.

Obama ties this into his campaign theme...

This is exactly the kind of politics we must change so we can begin restoring the American people's faith in a government that puts the country's progress ahead of the bitter partisanship of recent years

Biden calls for Americans to take action...

It is time for the American people to be heard.

I call for all Americans to flood the White House with phone calls tomorrow expressing their outrage over this blatant disregard for the rule of law.

Richardson ties this in with all of the other scandals and shows this is a pattern...

This administration clearly believes its officials are above the law, from ignoring FISA laws when eavesdropping on US citizens, to the abuse of classified material, to ignoring the Geneva Conventions and international law with secret prisons and torturing prisoners.

Even though he is not a candidate I thought this was a great statement by John Kerry...

President Bush's eleventh hour commutation of Scooter Libby’s sentence makes a mockery of the justice system and betrays the idea that all Americans are expected to be held accountable for their actions, even close friends of Vice President Cheney.

It's a tragedy that with young Americans paying the ultimate price in Iraq for this administration's mistakes, this White House continues to avoid accountability and reward deceit for their friends and supporters.

And Paul Begala gives some historical perspective...

Tough enough to execute Karla Fay Tucker -- and then laugh about it. Tough enough to sign a death warrant for a man whose lawyer slept through the trial -- and then snicker when asked about it in a debate. Even tough enough to execute a great-grandmother who murdered her husband -- after he abused her. A friend of mine at the time asked Bush to commute her sentence, telling him, "Betty Lou ain't a threat to no one she ain't married to." No dice.

Mr. Bush is tough enough to invade a country that was no risk to America, causing tens of thousands of civilian deaths and shedding precious American blood in the process. Tough enough to sanction torture. Tough enough to order an American citizen arrested and held without trial.

But if you're rich and right-wing and Republican, George is a real softie. As George W. Bush demonstrated in giving Scooter Libby a Get Out of Jail Free Card, he is only compassionate to conservatives.

What does it say about America in the age of Bush when Judith Miller spends more time in jail over the Valerie Plame smear than Scooter Libby?

What Could Have Been

If the Kerry-Feingold Amendment had passed and signed into the law, our troops would be redeployed from Iraq and out of harms way now.

We began an important fight because together we know the time has come for a Congress that shares responsibility for getting us into Iraq to take responsibility for helping to get us out. We know it is not enough to argue with details or logistics, with the manner of the conflict’s execution or the failures of competence, as great as they are. It is essential to fight to set a date to withdraw American forces.

That’s why this June with Russ Feingold, we fought for an up or down vote on the Kerry-Feingold amendment to withdraw US combat forces from Iraq by July 1, 2007. We made it clear that our soldiers have done their job. It is time for Iraqis to do their job – it’s time for Iraqis to stand up for Iraq. It’s time for Iraqis to want democracy for themselves as much as we want it for them. Click here to read our plan.

Hundreds of thousands of you in the johnkerry.com community have shown your support for our plan for Iraq. You signed our petition and urged your Senators to stand with us. With your help, we stood up to the Bush Administration’s aimless and failed course in Iraq.

On June 22, 2006 the Senate voted on the Kerry-Feingold amendment. Thirteen courageous Senators stood with us, and we want to thank them for their leadership:

Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI)
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), co-sponsor
Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA)
Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
Sen. James Jeffords (I-VT)
Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA)
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), co-sponsor
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR)

Moving Forward by Raising CAFE Standards

Yesterday, the Senate passed an Energy bill that would raise CAFE standards.

“This bill starts America on a path toward reducing our reliance on oil by increasing the nation’s use of renewable fuels,” said Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Senate majority leader.

Environmental groups, though disappointed by the setbacks on renewable fuels, nevertheless hailed the vote on higher mileage requirements as a long-sought victory that could eventually reduce American gasoline consumption by more than 1 million gallons of gasoline a day.

If the Senate bill becomes law, car manufacturers would have to increase the average mileage of new cars and light trucks to 35 miles per gallon by 2020, compared with roughly 25 miles per gallon today.

John Kerry puts the new Energy bill into perspective...

A year ago I was battling to stop drilling in ANWR. Last night - finally -- after years of battling and five years after we introduced the Kerry-McCain legislation to raise fuel efficiency standards -- we've accomplished something in the Senate on fuel efficiency standards.

This is something that never would've happened with Bill Frist as the Majority Leader, but with Harry Reid leading the Senate we were able to finally pass the first significant rise in CAFE standards in over a generation.

The past few years Democrats were on defense, trying to stop bills. Now finally, Democrats are able to get legislation passed that they have wanted to do for years.

Latest Des Moines Register Iowa Poll: A Look at the Democrats

The Des Moines Register has a new poll out that shows how well candidates are doing in Iowa. John Edwards continues to lead in Iowa, Obama and Clinton are basically tied for 2nd. The big news is Bill Richardson's jump to 10% in the poll. Richardson has been running TV ads for awhile now and they are playing well. I hope this Richardson motivation to make a greater effort in Iowa. The people I talk to are interested in Richardson, but want more information on on him. Chris Dodd is not catching on, which is a shame. He has taken some strong progressive positions, including supporting the Feingold-Reid bill last week. He is getting out polled by Kucinich and Gravel who haven't even campaigned here.

Here are the results...

John Edwards 29%
Barack Obama 23%
Hillary Clinton 21%
Bill Richardson 10%
Joe Biden 3%
Dennis Kucinich 2%
Mike Gravel 1%
Chris Dodd less than 1%
Undecided 11%

The poll also asks who caucus goers would like to see in the race. 44% said they would like to see Al Gore running, 23% want John Kerry to run again, and 20% wish Wesley Clark would enter the race. This is not the amount of support these non-candidates have, just how many people would like them in the race.

The Des Moines Register's polls were fairly accurate in the 2006 Governor's race and I think the poll results are pretty comparable to the feeling that I get on the ground here.

New Poll in New Hampshire

There is a new poll out in New Hampshire. From Political Wire...

In a New Hampshire presidential primary, a new Research 2000 poll shows that Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) leads the pack of potential 2008 candidates in the Democratic race with 22%. However, she's closely followed by Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) at 21%, John Edwards (D) at 16% and Al Gore at 10%.

Again, I am surprised about how well Barack Obama is doing and have to ask if he is just treading on hype. Clinton isn't running away with the nomination as the media wanted you to believe she would. Edwards is polling well. New Hampshire is believed to his weakest state out of Iowa, South Carolina, and Nevada. No Kerry or Biden or Dodd, all Northeasterner's that would need to do well in New Hampshire to get off the ground.

I think most surprising, though, is Al Gore at 10%. Gore hasn't made any of the moves the other candidates have and is polling well in both New Hampshire and Iowa. It would really shake things up if Gore got into the race.

Will Hillary Skip Iowa? Will Anyone else come?

Political Wire again has a story about Hillary skipping Iowa...

On Fox News last night, the chairman of Iowa's Democratic party said that Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) is not laying the adequate groundwork for a presidenial campaign in the first caucus state and that many are starting to speculate she may not run if Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) enters the race.

Said Iowa Democratic Chair Rob Tully: "She's been quiet and, you know, there's a question that we all hear is that she may not get in this if Barack Obama gets in. I have never seen a reaction other than Bill Clinton in terms of the excitement that people have to meet Barack Obama. Some people just wanted to touch him."

One other possible reason: According to the Quad City Times, former Democratic state party chairman Dave Nagle said he is concerned candidates might eventually choose not to come to Iowa with Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack (D) in the race.

I think other candidates will come if they see the Iowa Caucuses as a level playing field. That is why the new State Democratic Party Chair is so important. If there is any hint of any advantage towards Vilsack the other candidates will be heading to New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada.

Here is story that maybe John Kerry should be more concerned about running for Senate in 2008 and forget about another run for the White House. Amen to that.

Press Citizen Coverage of Kerry Tailgating

Here is the Iowa City Press Citizen story about the fundraiser John Kerry did for Dave Loebsack yesterday in Iowa City. The event took place at a home in the middle of the tailgating for the Iowa-Iowa State football game.

I would love to know if Kerry actually did that beer bong, but he did have this to say about the game.

Sen. John Kerry had his assessment of the Iowa-Iowa State rivalry ready as he met with media and football fans at a tailgate party Saturday morning.

"I know Iowa is ahead in the rivalry," he said before Iowa defeated Iowa State 27-17 at nearby Kinnick Stadium. "It's a big rivalry, second only to congressional Republicans against prosecutors."

John Kerry to tailgate at Iowa-Iowa State Football Game

John Kerry will be in Iowa City on Saturday, September 16th at 9:30 to hold a fundraiser for Dave Loebsack. The event will take place at the home of Doug and Amy Moore, 77 Olive Court, Iowa City. The suggested donation at the door will be $25.00. Olive Court is a prime tailgating location and Saturday is day of the Iowa - Iowa St. football game. I wonder if Kerry will be wearing black and gold striped overalls and playing tippy cup.

Feingold and Kerry (and Boxer) call for Troop Redeployment

I got an email from Feingold's Progressive Patriots Fund saying that Feingold, Kerry, and Boxer will be introducing an ammendment in the Senate about redeploying our troops from Iraq. Here is the blurb from the Progressive Patriot Fund site...

Senators Feingold, Kerry, and Boxer will offer an Amendment to the Defense Authorization bill that calls for a redeployment of American troops out of Iraq. Please sign our petition to support this amendment.

I also heard that Kerry was on Imus this morning (Crooks and Liars has the video of the interview) responding to Republicans that say Democrats want to "cut and run."

"My plan is not 'cut and run,'" he said. "Their plan is 'lie and die.' And that's what they are doing. They lie to America, what's happening on the ground. They lie about why we're there. They lie about what's happening. And our plan is very simple. It's redeploy to win the war on terror. Change to succeed."

It is good to see Kerry start to fight back.

Feingold discusses this topic in a piece on the Huffington Post a couple weeks ago.

The first step in creating a strong national security policy is recognizing that our massive presence in Iraq weakens our national security. Our Iraq-centric policies are diverting resources and attention from other places around the world where terrorist networks that threaten the U.S. are operating. We need to redeploy troops from Iraq so that we can focus resources on global terrorist networks and the conditions throughout the world that allow them to take root and thrive.

If you wonder why Harkin is not a co-sponsor of this bill, maybe Nicolai's post today is on to something.

**Update**
Salon has an article discussing the Feingold/Kerry ammendment about troop redeployment. Here is a quote that about how troop redeployment isn't exactly an oppinion of the fringe, but within the mainstream.

Back home, a new CNN poll shows that a majority of Americans also want a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq, and 47 percent of the public wants to see a deadline of a year or less -- suddenly making that "extreme" Kerry-Feingold-Boxer measure, which calls for the withdrawal by July 1, 2007, of all troops not involved in training, seem pretty darned mainstream.

Kerry speech at Grinnell College today

John Kerry spoke at Grinnell College today. I did not attend, but after reading the transcript I wish I did. He had some really good stuff to say about dissent, speaking the truth, patriotism, and activism. Now, I am not one who thinks Kerry was he best Presidential Candidate ever, but I think he is a great Senator. Here is some of what he said...

So we need you to speak out. Speak out if you want an America that is finally and forever independent of Mideast oil – an America that relies on its ingenuity and innovation – not the Saudi royal family.

Speak out so that instead of making a mockery of the words No Child Left Behind when China and India are graduating tens of thousands more engineers and PhDs than we are, we build an America where college education is affordable and accessible for every student willing to work for it.

Speak out so that instead of letting a few ideologues get in the way of progress that can cure Parkinson’s, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and AIDS, we build an America where the biology students here today will do the groundbreaking stem cell research tomorrow.

Speak out if you want to restore a politics of big ideas, not small-minded attacks.

Speak out if you’re tired of seeing America divided into red states and blue states, because you know we can be one America — red, white, and blue.

Dissent from this unacceptable status quo because you know the job of leadership is to prepare for your future - not ignore it. The people who run Washington today give in to special interests and rob future generations. Real leadership stands up to special interests and sets the course for future generations. You must demand leadership that works to solve problems - not create them.

Our challenge today is to speak out so loudly that Washington has no choice but to make choices worthy of the sacrifice of our neighbors here at home and our troops all around the world.

When we protested the war in Vietnam some would weigh in against us saying: “My country right or wrong.” Our response was simple: “Yes, my country right or wrong. When right, keep it right and when wrong, make it right.” That’s our mission – to get off our rear ends – go out – and make it right today.

I bet Iowa Progress will post more about his speech.