McCain Has No Solution to the Energy Crisis

A few weeks ago, I wrote about Barack Obama's long term solution to the energy crisis by investing in mass transit and alternative modes of transportation.

While Obama's plan is forward thinking, John McCain's plan goes backwards when it comes to investing in mass transit.

Then there's John McCain. Well, Sen. McCain doesn't have too much to say when it comes to national transit objectives (we suppose it's a case of 'if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all'). But if there's one thing that we do know, it's that McCain hates Amtrak - at least in its current state. The Arizona Senator has been attempting for years to dissolve Amtrak and create small, privately owned rail companies. In fact, McCain has sworn that if elected, the shuttering of Amtrak would be a "a non-negotiable issue."

Change vs More of the Same

Death of the SUV

I send my condolences...

Dearly beloved. We gather here today to mourn the demise of the sport utility vehicle, or "SUV" as its friends liked to call it.

The gas-guzzler lived a full life, driving in the fast lane from the 1990s to the mid-2000s. Alas, it fell ill a few years ago and never recovered. And really, we can't say the death came as a surprise. For years, folks complained about the environmental impact of low-mileage vehicles. Over time, those voices grew louder, but still the SUV fought on, proudly taking up two parking spaces and scaring hybrids from its lane.

But then, gas prices soared and the SUV's vital signs plummeted. As much as people love large cars, the costs to keep fuel in the tank proved too much to take. As the New York Times reported, it now costs $100k to own and keep a similarly inefficient full size pickup running for five years. And so people pulled the plug on their trucks and SUVs, taking the beleaguered vehicles off life support and into the museum of dead car fads.

Lack of Posts

I am sorry for the lack of posts the past few days. Sometimes blogging can wear on you.



I will be back posting a lot more tomorrow.

Obama: DNC Will Not Take Money from Lobbyists or PAC's

Obama at a campaign event in Virginia today...

I've sent a strong signal in this campaign by refusing the contributions of registered federal lobbyists and PACs, and today, I'm announcing that going forward, the Democratic National Committee will uphold the same standard and won't take another dime from Washington lobbyists or special interest PACs. They do not fund my campaign. They will not fund our party. And they will not drown out the voices of the American people when I'm President of the United States.

Obama at the SEIU Convention

I just don't see how working class voters will vote for McCain over Obama. Obama spoke at the SEIU convention yesterday and had some great remarks about working people.

Politics didn't lead me to working folks - working folks led me to politics. - Barack Obama 6/4/08

The Races I am Watching Tonight

Tonight will decide the winner of a lot of primary races. John Deeth wrote a great run down of the contested Democratic and Republican primaries at Iowa Independent.

Here are the top 5 races that I will be keeping an eye on (with Deeth's great analysis)....

5. House District 19

Republican Chuck Gipp is retiring and four Democrats are seeking the open seat nomination. Three Decorah Democrats see an opportunity here: 2006 candidate (41%) Tom Hansen, 2004 Senate candidate (45%) John Beard, and John Franzen. The fourth Democrat is Allamakee County Supervisor Lennie Burke, of Dorchester. The winner will face Republican Decorah City Council member Randy Schissel.

4. Senate District 42

Davenport alderman Shawn Hamerlinck is favored for the GOP nomination. Republicans have touted Hamerlinck as one of the strongest challengers. His opponent, Lowe's manager and autism advocate Thomas Black, is running on an anti-smoking ban platform and refusing campaign donations. The winner will challenge Democratic incumbent Frank Wood in a competitive seat.

3. Iowa House District 69

Party loyalty is an issue in this big-spending race. Al Lorenzen of Granger, a former Hawkeye hoops player, says he was recruited to both the race and the Republican Party by former Governor Bob Ray. He's being bashed for his past Democratic affiliation by Erik Helland of Grimes, who has the requisite Iowa Right to Life and Iowans for Tax Relief backing. Unless a Democratic candidate emerges in this district, the winner will take over from retiring GOP incumbent Walt Tomenga.

2. Iowa House District 42

Teamsters leader Matt Ballard is challenging incumbent Rep. Geri Huser in the Altoona-based district. In a left-right fight, Ballard is emphasizing health care and labor-backed "fair share" legislation, while Huser is focused on economic delevopment.

1. Iowa House District 10

Three Democrats want to challenge first-term Rep. Dave Deyoe of Nevada, who beat Democrat Susan Radke by about 700 votes in 2006. Radke is running again; she'll see a primary against Josh Eaton, an IBEW member, and 20 year old Roland mayor Sam Juhl, who got national attention when he was elected mayor of Roland at age 18 in 2005.

The Secretary of State will have election results posted at their website.

**Update**
WHO has by far the best election returns.

IA-03: Turnout High in Des Moines

Dave Price at WHO is reporting that turnout is much higher than expected in Polk Co. and in Des Moines, where 70% of the excepted vote will come from.

Looks like the 3rd District is stirred up a bit about this Leonard Boswell-Ed Fallon race. Polk Co Auditor Jamie Fitzgerald says turnout may approach 2006's level. Big deal, you might say? Well, it kind of is. In 2006 you'll remember we had the 3-way Democratic primary between Fallon, Chet Culver and Mike Blouin.

Fallon won that primary in Polk Co. against 2 well funded candidates that had the support from party insiders.

Price says that where turnout is high at will tell which candidate is helped out. However, I don't think people turnout in high numbers to support an incumbent with a big lead in the polls. People turnout in high numbers to vote for change and to vote against something, something like a congress with a crappy approval rating.

Obama Officially Clinches Nomination

From MyDD, via the AP...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Barack Obama effectively clinched the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday, based on an Associated Press tally of convention delegates, becoming the first black candidate ever to lead his party into a fall campaign for the White House.

Campaigning on an insistent call for change, Obama outlasted former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton in a historic race that sparked record turnout in primary after primary, yet exposed deep racial divisions within the party.

The AP tally was based on public commitments from delegates as well as more than a dozen private commitments. It also included a minimum number of delegates Obama was guaranteed even if he lost the final two primaries in South Dakota and Montana later in the day.

It's about time. Now we can focus on McCain.

Vilsack: Obama is Going to be the Nominee

From Political Wire...

"It does appear to be pretty clear that Senator Obama is going to be the nominee. After Tuesday's contests, she needs to acknowledge that he's going to be the nominee and quickly get behind him."

-- Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, a national co-chairman of Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign, quoted by the Associated Press.

Fallon Stood Up Against Iraq Invasion, Boswell Did Not

If you want to boil the Democratic primary race in the 3rd District down to one issue, it would be the Iraq War.

Ed Fallon has opposed the Iraq invasion from the start and has strongly opposed the war at every chance. When serving in the Iowa House, Rep. Fallon co-sponsored HR 17, along with 20 other Democrats, which called the President to not make a preemptive, unilateral attack against Iraq. Fallon had the judgement to know that invading Iraq would destablize the Middle East, hamper our efforts of bringing Osama bin Laden to justice, and would cost trillions of dollars and cause further federal budget deficits. Fallon has since signed on to the Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq.

Leonard Boswell, on the other hand, voted in favor of the war in Iraq and was a strong supporter of the Bush administration's failed policy up until he learned that Fallon was going to run against him. Boswell began to support an end to the war in Iraq in December, after it was becoming clear that Fallon was preparing to challenge him.

In an interview with the Des Moines Register, Boswell still uses Bush's untruthful arguments for going to war in Iraq.


On Tuesday, Democrats in Iowa's 3rd District have a choice. They can vote for someone to represent them who has the judgement to make the tough decisions and wants to bring new energy to Congress or they can vote for someone who clings to the past and only changes when they are forced to do so.

Thank your Children for your Economic Stimulus Check

Make sure to thank your children for your economic stimulus check because they will be the ones that will be paying it back.

Whichever way you look at it, both the U.S. and U.K. governments are handing their citizens cash that was borrowed—and the citizens themselves are liable for the debt. If my bank manager arranged a surprise loan in my name and handed me the cash, I might feel pampered or put-upon, depending on whether I was planning to take out the loan myself anyway. Either way, doubt I would feel any richer. ...

Who will be the fall guy? We don't know for sure because we can't say whom a future government will tax. But an obvious candidate would be today's teenagers, very few of whom pay income tax today but most of whom will pay income tax in the next few years. Their best hope is that their grandparents add the tax windfall to their bequests rather than blowing the money on a weekend in the sun.