Loebsack Endorses Obama

Rep. Dave Loebsack endorsed Barack Obama today.

Loebsack, in his first term, said in the release that Obama is the strongest candidate in a field of strong candidates. “What impresses me about Barack is his commitment to changing the way business is done in Washington. He understands that to pass universal health care, make energy independence a reality, and meet the other challenges we face, we need leadership that can bring all Americans to-gether around a shared purpose,” Loebsack’s said in the statement.

Loebsack's endorsement means Iowa's 3 Democratic Representatives have endorsed different candidates (Boswell endorsed Clinton, Braley endorsed Edwards).

Harkin Steak Fry: Congressional Delegation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Loebsack's First Bill Tackles Education

Rep. Dave Loebsack has introduced his first bill in Congress called The Reducing Barriers to Learning Act. The bill has 28 co-sponsors.

From the Des Moines Register...

The longtime professor's bill aims to expand non- academic services ranging from counseling and social work to speech pathology and physical therapy that are offered in schools.

The effort is one sign of the growing responsibilities schools have, and the public's expectation that they offer more than reading, writing and math lessons. Many support services entered schools around 1975, with the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Loebsack said he believes that boosting the nonacademic services is necessary to help students overcome personal roadblocks and succeed in the classroom.

"There are a lot of students who come to school every day and they're really not ready to learn, not prepared emotionally, or sometimes physically, to do their best at school," Loebsack said in an interview. "This is all about reducing barriers to learning."

I have worked in rural school districts and in a larger district in Iowa and have seen this issue come up in both districts. It is good to see Rep. Loebsack taking this issue on to improve the education opportunities for children in Iowa.

Loebsack Expresses Concern About No Child Left Behind

The Iowa City Press Citizen has a story about Rep. Loebsack and No Child Left Behind that is set to expire in September.

"I have serious concerns about No Child Left Behind," said Loebsack, a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, which is working on reauthorizing the law.

"The intent of it is noble, but it has some serious flaws," he said.

Loebsack said Congress is likely to reform the law to give states more flexibility to measure student academic growth, especially those students with special needs.

"We don't want a one-size-fits-all approach, which really NCLB does under its current form," he said. "In a perfect world, we would not have it for Iowa in the first place, but we are going to reauthorize it."

It is still unknown if No Child Left Behind is going to changed or repealed and a new program put in its place. There is support from both sides of the aisle to just do away with the law.

Read the rest of the article for more information on these bills.

Loebsack Visits Renewable Energy Facilities

The House of Representatives will be debating energy policy when they return to Washington next week, which includes many bills that pertain to renewable energy. On his week back in Iowa's 2nd District Rep. Dave Loebsack embarked on a renewable energy tour of his district.

From the Muscatine Journal...

Loebsack launched his 10-day renewable energy tour with stops in Cedar Rapids and West Branch before visiting Grain Processing Corp. The Muscatine facility processes ethanol primarily for food and personal care products, but a small percentage is also used in fuel....

Loebsack also visited Clipper Wind Energy Turbine and with members of the Iowa Renewable Energy Association Monday before touring Riksch Biofuels in Crawfordsville Tuesday. He will visit AmerenUE Hydroelectric in Keokuk Thursday.

Loebsack released a press release where he said...

“Our state is the leader in renewable energy development. Iowans must be commended for their ingenious work and foresight in this increasingly important industry,” said Congressman Loebsack. “I have every intention of helping Iowa advance the science and production of renewable energy, and look forward to working together with renewable energy producers to create more jobs in Iowa and increase our nation’s energy independence.”

Is Loebsack Vulnerable in 2008?

Political analyst Larry Sabato released a list of 15 Freshman Congressman that are vulnerable in 2008.

Sabato writes...

The strong anti-GOP waves we witnessed in 2006 may be somewhat tempered by the time of the next slate of elections. So it follows that several freshman Democrats in districts that are essentially toss-ups--or even normally favor Republicans--could be in grave danger if political winds shift.

One of the 15 Congressman named is Iowa's 2nd District Representive, Dave Loebsack. Here is what Sabato says about Loebsack...

IOWA's 2nd DISTRICT: Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Burlington

• Representative: Dave Loebsack (D)
• Outlook: Leans Democratic

Rep. Dave Loebsack, an ex-Political Science professor (quite a noble profession we must note), defeated ex-Rep. Jim Leach in 2006, taking advantage of the Democratic wave that even swept away Leach who voted against the Iraq use of force resolution. Leach was primarily a victim of party ID in a district that favored each of the past two Democratic presidential nominees by double digit margins. Earlier this year, Loebsack actually wrote a bill that would name a building after Leach, perhaps trying to smooth over some feathers he ruffled by accepting PAC donations, something Leach shunned during his time in office. Loebsack is definitely trying to endear himself to the district, but he doesn't seem to have the same fit with the district that Leach managed in his 30 years as its congressman. The rumor mill has been quiet about possible challengers, but don't expect Loebsack to escape uncontested.

I disagree with Sabato that Leach was a better fit for the district than Loebsack. IA-02 is one of the heaviest leaning Democratic districts in the country. Leach was a Republican, Loebsack is a Democrat, it is that simple.

So it seems that Sabato thinks Loebsack has a good shot of being challenged in 2008 in a Democratic Primary. This isn't that surprising since there might have been some people thinking about running, but never thought Leach could be beat. Now that Loebsack has taken down Leach, they might think it is their shot.

Anyone in the Iowa City heard these whispers about possible challengers to Loebsack?

Dave Loebsack on Iraq from DFA training

Dave Loebsack spoke over lunch at the DFA training in Cedar Rapids today. Loebsack was very well recieved and thanked the group of activists that helped him get elected in the 2nd district. Loebsack talked a lot about the Iraq War and the funding bill that was passed yesterday in the US House and took questions from the audience.

Loebsack said that he is proud of being a member of the House that passed this bill and that it was an accomplishment. The bill puts in more funding for the military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, so that the troops are equipped. Loebsack said the bill isn't exactly what he wanted, but it is a good accomplishment. Loebsack campaigned for withdrawing troops in 12 months. This bill does that in 18 months.

Loebsack quoted a recent blog post by David Sirota that quoted Saul Alinsky. Loebsack said, "start from where the world is, as it is, not as I would like it to be.”

This bill reaches the goal of bringing our troops out of harms way. It might not be as fast as we would like, but the goal is accomplished. Loebsack then stressed that we keep the pressure on because the bill still has to go through the Senate and since Bush has said he is going to veto the bill.

Loebsack said he is pleased with the things that he has been able to accomplish in the House so far such as raising the minimum wage, lower college loan rates, promoting stem cell research, implementing the 9/11 commission, and address government ethics.

Loebsack finished with a couple stories about being a Congressman. He said the lifestyle of a Congressman isn't quite as glamorous as people said it would be.

From Dave's Desk

Communication with the people in his district has been a strong theme of Rep. Dave Loebsack's term so far. After he was elected he held constiuent meetings around the district before he went to Washington. Since being sworn in, Rep. Loebsack has come back to Iowa almost every weekend to meet with constiuents.

To keep with this theme Rep. Loebsack has begun writing a weekly column called From Dave's Desk. Here is the first edition...

From Dave's Desk

Friday, March 16, 2007

On March 12th, in 1933, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt began his renowned fireside chats. In his fireside chats, FDR shared his hopes, plans and dreams for the nation. He initiated a conversation with the American people and asked each American to "tell me your troubles." Today, our nation is, thankfully, not facing a Great Depression. What we are facing is a prolonged war, rising college tuition, a mounting federal deficit, and soaring healthcare costs, among other concerns. In this weekly column, I hope to maintain open communication between Iowa's second district and Washington, D.C. in order to provide realistic solutions to the challenges ahead and work to improve our communities, our state, and this great nation.

I want to begin by telling a little about myself, my desire to serve, and what I have done so far while representing the second district. While campaigning for Congress I traveled across Iowa's Second Congressional District, sometimes even biking and walking. I visited our largest cities and our smallest towns. While the landscape varied, one thing remained the same. People were working hard but struggling to make ends meet. I listened to your concerns about being able to fill up your gas tanks, put food on your table and provide your children with a quality education. With growing uncertainty and little or no confidence in government, people felt they had nowhere to turn for help. This is why I ran for Congress. I wanted to restore the lines of communication, fight for Iowa's families and show that government could once again be a positive force in people's lives. In short, I wanted to restore hope and opportunity to my neighbors.

During the first months of this new Congress we have made great strides to improve people's lives. I am proud to serve the people of Iowa in this Congress. I supported legislation to increase the minimum wage to help lift people out of poverty, reform Medicare Part D to reduce the high cost of prescription drugs, cut student loan interest rates in half and increase Federal Pell Grants to make college more affordable and accessible. We increased federal investment in renewable energy to produce a cleaner environment and more jobs in Iowa. This was accomplished under our new, more stringent, ethics and spending rules.

Everyday I step onto floor of the United States House of Representatives I am driven to fight for my constituents. Your needs are my primary interest. I return to the district at every opportunity so I can listen to the concerns of every Iowan because your priorities are my priorities. In the coming months I hope to build on our accomplishments, to provide even more relief, support and security to everyone in Iowa's Second Congressional District.

My priority is to provide the best representation and constituent service possible. I wish to re-open a regular dialogue between Iowans and our U.S. Congress. To that end, if you have questions, concerns or comments please contact my district offices at 1 (866) 914 - IOWA (4692) and visit my website at www.loebsack.house.gov where you can get helpful information and contact me electronically.

Vilsack, Loebsack, Spencer to Speak at DFA Training

On Saturday, March 24th Governor Tom Vilsack, Rep. Dave Loebsack, and Selden Spencer will be speaking at the Democracy for America (DFA) training in Cedar Rapids. Spencer is scheduled to speak at breakfast starting at 8:30. Rep. Loebsack will be the speaker at lunch beginning at 12:30. Gov. Vilsack will speak that night at 7:00.

The training takes place from 9-6 on Saturday, March 24th and 9-6 on Sunday, March 25th.

Here is more information on the training...

Have you thought about running for office and wondered what was involved?

Would you like to be more helpful in supporting your favorite candidate for office?

Do you wonder about how elections are run and why campaigns do what they do?

If any of the above applies to you, please think about attending the Democracy for America Training Academy to be held March 24-25 from 9AM-6PM at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids. National and local experts have been recruited to conduct sessions, and progressive political activists from around Iowa and the Midwest will be in attendance.

A contribution of $70 the day of training or $60 in advance is requested, but low income individuals and students may pay $30. A limited number of scholarships are available. Lunch will be provided. Visit the Democracy for America website for more information or to register.

DNC to Model 2008 Campaigns on Loebsack's Victory

From Kos...

New DCCC chief Chris Van Hollen outlines his 2008 strategy. Amongst the requirement for DCCC support is this encouraging one:

The support of net-roots organizations was key to Democrats success in 2006. Frontline members will be required to build an aggressive online operation with the goal of acquiring 30,000 e-mail addresses by November 2008.

DCCC support for candidates will also be conditional on building a strong local grassroots/netroots presence. In the past, money was the deciding factor. Now, after seeing cash-poor Demcorats like Loebsack and Carol Shea-Porter win, and others like Larry Kissel come up painfully short, the party has finally realized that people-power can act as a significant substitute for big money.

I read somewhere that of all the Democrats that won in November, Dave Loebsack raised the least amount of money. He didn't have money to run ads. Heck, he didn't even have that much support from the national Netroots. Loebsack won by focusing on the grassroots. You know the people on the ground, the ones who actually go out and vote.

Loebsack Keeps His Word On Troop Redeployment

Earlier this month, a couple Iowa blogs were disappointed with Dave Loebsack and his support for the redeploying our troops from Iraq and funding for the war. Popular Progressive and Diary of a Political Madman said that Loebsack's stance on withdrawling troops from Iraq had changed after he was elected. Political Madman wrote...

Loebsack's opinions on the war seem to have taken a pretty drastic shift since he was elected two months and a day ago. To say that's concerning is a massive understatement. If I were a Loebsack voter or donor, I'd be pissed right now.

Loebsack stated before the election that he supported John Murtha's proposal to redeploy troops from Iraq. Chris at Political Forecast wrote...

From Loebsack’s campaign explanation of his position, he said he supports ending the way and Congressman Jack Murtha’s House Joint Resolution 73, calling for practicable redeployment. He never advocated removing the funding for the war, but advocated an end to the disaster through oversight and Congressional action.

Last week, John Murtha reintroduced his resolution in Congress. Keeping with campaign promise, Representitive Loebsack signed on as a co-sponsor to redeploy US forces from Iraq. The joint resolution states...

To redeploy U.S. forces from Iraq.

Whereas Congress and the American people have not been shown clear, measurable progress toward establishment of stable and improving security in Iraq or of a stable and improving economy in Iraq, both of which are essential to `promote the emergence of a democratic government';

Whereas additional stabilization in Iraq by U.S. military forces cannot be achieved without the deployment of hundreds of thousands of additional U.S. troops, which in turn cannot be achieved without a military draft;

Whereas more than $471 billion has been appropriated by the United States Congress to prosecute U.S. military action in Iraq and Afghanistan;

Whereas, as of the drafting of this resolution, 3,026 U.S. troops have been killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom;

Whereas U.S. forces have become the target of the insurgency;

Whereas, according to recent polls, over 91 percent of Sunni Iraqis and 74 percent of Shiite Iraqis want the U.S. forces out of Iraq;

Whereas polls also indicate that 61 percent of the Iraqi people feel that the attacks on U.S. forces are justified; and

Whereas, due to the foregoing, Congress finds it evident that continuing U.S. military action in Iraq is not in the best interests of the United States of America, the people of Iraq, or the Persian Gulf Region, which were cited in Public Law 107-243 as justification for undertaking such action: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That:

Section 1. The deployment of United States forces in Iraq, by direction of Congress, is hereby terminated and the forces involved are to be redeployed at the earliest practicable date.

Sec. 2. A quick-reaction U.S. force and an over-the-horizon presence of U.S. Marines shall be deployed in the region.

Sec. 3. The United States of America shall pursue security and stability in Iraq through diplomacy.

Loebsack Speaks About Goals During First 100 Days

Here's video of Rep. Loebsack discussing his goals for the first 100 days in Congress while talking with KCRG TV.



Also, Loebsack and Bruce Braley will be the guests on Talk of Iowa, Wednesday from 10-11 am on WSUI AM 910.

Mr. Loebsack's Ready to Go to Washington

Congressional Quarterly has a nice story on how Dave Loebsack won and what he has been up to since the election. Loebsack is definitely not sitting back and taking it easy.

Since winning on Nov. 7, Loebsack has met with chambers of commerce across the 2nd District and has held meetings with local residents from Ottumwa in the southern part of the district to Cedar Rapids in the north.

“I don’t want this to be a period when I’m somehow out of touch with people in the district,” Loebsack said. “After all, I’m going to Congress to represent them.”

Local observers say Loebsack’s series of constituent events is a smart way to raise his profile during the “honeymoon” period between his election and the start of the 110th Congress. As an academic from the northern part of the 2nd — which also includes strongly Democratic-leaning Iowa City, home to the University of Iowa — Loebsack needs to build his ties with the more rural and conservative voters, including some Democrats, in the southern part of the district.

Loebsack’s background may help him build a connection in less-affluent areas. He often relates that he grew up poor in a single-parent household in Iowa City with a mother who suffered from mental illness, but that he went on to receive a Ph.D in political science from the University of California at Davis.

“I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am had it not been for that hope and opportunity offered predominantly by the Democrats,” said Loebsack, who says he worked as a janitor to pay for college. “[Illinois Democratic Sen.] Barack Obama was here the Sunday before the election, talking about the ‘audacity of hope.’ But that’s what I had been talking about for the entire campaign.”

The last line of the story is a very good one for Democrats in the 2nd District...

“In terms of personalities, it’s not going to be a huge shift from Leach to Loebsack,” Squire said. “I think he just has to get people comfortable with the idea that after a very long period, we’ll have a Democrat representing this district.”

Loebsack Holding Press Conference on Thursday

Dave Loebsack will be holding a press conference tomorrow at the Iowa City Public Library at 3:00.

Loebsack plans on talking about the priorities of the new Democratic controlled Congress which include making college more affordable by cutting student-loan interest rates in half, lowering the cost of prescription drugs by directing Medicare Part D officials to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies for better prices, repealing tax breaks and other multi-billion dollar subsidies for Big Oil and invest in alternative sources of energy, and raising the federal minimum wage to $7.25 an hour.

Here is the information on the press conference...

TELL CONGRESS TO CHANGE AMERICA NOW!
www.cancampaign.org/cangram

If you live in the Second Congressional District, please use this opportunity to thank your newly elected representative, Dave Loebsack, for pledging his support to the Change America Now agenda. On Thursday December 21, Rep.-elect Loebsack will join ICAN, AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees), and other Iowa groups involved in Change America Now at a press conference to launch the campaign. The press conference will be held at the Iowa City Public Library, and will begin at 3 pm.

A final thought: isn’t it nice to be fighting for something that’s really positive and rooted in our values – and that can actually get passed in the Congress – instead of just saying “No” to the latest atrocious policy to come out of the Bush administration?

If you would like more information on the Change America Now campaign, or want to know how you can help, please contact ICAN.

In solidarity,

The ICAN staff

*****

Iowa Citizen Action Network (ICAN)

3520 Beaver Avenue

Des Moines , IA 50310

515.277.5077

ICAN@iowacan.org

Loebsack Appears on the Colbert Report

A couple weeks ago there was an event for the incoming Congressman at the Harvard Kennedy School of Governement.

Stephen Colbert was there and had the chance to meet and get to "better know" some of the incoming Congressman, including Iowa's Dave Loebsack.

Check it out.

How Jim Leach Lost

Here is a letter to the editor of the Washington Post that gives the real reason why Jim Leach lost.

What's with the Eastern Establishment? Don't you trust us hayseeds to vote correctly for our representative in Congress?

Mark Shields [op-ed, Nov. 11] said we Iowans "inexplicably" defeated 15-term Rep. Jim Leach (R); then David S. Broder [op-ed, Nov. 30] put some of the blame on the Poker Players Alliance and the Christian Coalition -- both insidious forces -- for Mr. Leach's defeat. Hogwash!

Let's get a few facts straight: First, Mr. Leach showed how principled a moderate he was when, after the 2000 redistricting, he was given a chance to run in a Republican primary against right-wing conservative Rep. Jim Nussle. Instead, Mr. Leach moved to Iowa City to run in our district.

Second, yes, Mr. Leach voted against the Iraq war, but in the 2004 election he brought in one of the architects of the war, Vice President Cheney, to campaign for him.

Third, Mr. Leach has consistently voted to allow corporations to fire striking workers, and he favored tying a raise in the minimum wage to a cut in estate taxes.

I have been a political activist here for 27 years, and, believe me, it wasn't poker players or the Christian Coalition that finally beat Jim Leach. Nor was his loss inexplicable. The voters of this district decided we wanted a liberal activist Democrat, Dave Loebsack, to represent us in Congress, not a moderate who came through for the Republican Party when it counted.

GARY SANDERS

Iowa City

Loebsack Event in Des Moines on Saturday

Got this email this morning...

We invite you to meet and discuss some of your war and peace concerns with David Loebsack this Saturday, December 2nd from 1:30 to 2:30 at Chet's Fire Station. (This is located at 1041 8th Street one block west of Holiday Inn, 7th and Day Street).

Sorry for the short notice, but we just received confirmation yesterday from Dave's scheduler. This will be a great opportunity to share your ideas with Dave.

This is not a fundraiser, but I wanted you to know and hope you can fit this into your schedule. Dave is a former Cornell College Professor and for many years has been an articulate spokesman for peace and justice issues. He will be an outstanding legislator.

Hope to see you this Saturday.

Chuck Day,
STAR*PAC National Chair

Loebsack Pulls Off Biggest Surprise on Election Night

From Congressional Quarterly...

Biggest surprise: Democrat David Loebsack, a college professor, upset 15-term Republican Rep. Jim Leach in Iowa’s 2nd District and broke the GOP moderate’s hold on a constituency that overall is Iowa’s most Democratic-leaning.

I had written before about Loebsack’s candidacy, the partisan nature of the southeastern Iowa district, and Leach’s aversion to the breakneck fundraising and smash-mouth tactics that many incumbents employ to ward off political opponents. But I just didn’t think that Leach would lose in the end — which he did, by 51 percent to 49 percent.

Poker Players Send Leach Home?

The Des Moines Register ran a story yesterday about a national group of poker players that are taking credit for Jim Leach's defeat saying they targetted him after he sponsored a bill against internet gambling.

Among those who knew about the law, 15 percent said it influenced them to support Loebsack. Another 10 percent said that it influenced them to support Leach.

Online poker advocates contend that was enough to doom Leach in a race lost by just 5,711 votes.

"There's enough evidence here to suggest it didn't help him," said Thomas Riehle of RT Strategies, a partner in the firm that conducted the poll Sunday through Monday. It had a margin of error of 3 percentage points, Riehle said.

However, Greg Wierzynski, Leach's chief of staff, scoffed at the notion that the gaming ban was Leach's undoing. "As we all know, when poker players have weak hands, they bluff," he said.

Wierzynski said Leach's congressional office received "a bunch of angry phone calls" from opponents of the gambling bill, but couldn't tell whether any were from Iowans because the callers refused to identify themselves. The calls were "laced with four-letter words," added Wierzynski.

Loebsack Keeps People in Mind

I am still excited about Dave Loebsack's victory in the 2nd District. Yes, Jim Leach was a moderate, but Leach sold out working people recently when he voted for CAFTA, for the bankruptcy bill, and against a livable wage. As the title of this post says, Loebsack is going to Washington with the interests of the people first.

From MSNBC, via the Burlington Hawk Eye...

"I didn't do this for me," Loebsack said of his win over Leach. "I did this for all those people I met on the campaign trail, people who are hurting so much. I'm just going to do everything I can while I'm in D.C. to make their hopes and dreams a reality."

Loebsack campaigned on restoring the hope and opportunity that the Republicans and the Bush administration have taken from the people. Loebsack said his first priorities will be to work on health care and minimum wage legislation.

"One of the first things I want to do is sign onto the national health insurance, single-payer health system bill," Loebsack said, referring to HR 676.

Loebsack said there are currently 46 million Americans, of which 10 percent are Iowans, who are without health care insurance, which is one of the reasons why he supports a universal system.

Check out the rest of the article for more details on Loebsack's plans in Washington.