"While country radio has remained cool to the group in the wake of a 2003 boycott following comments group member Natalie Maines made about President Bush, 'Taking the Long Way' also nabs the No. 1 spot on the Country Albums chart..."
"If you open the door even a crack, the cheaters come running through," said Dopf...
The fact that African Americans vote nearly 9 to 1 Democratic, as well as simple justice, ought to make repeal and liberalization of felon disenfranchisement laws a priority for progressives. Felony convictions account for two-thirds of the "under registration" of African American males, who are also about one-third of all citizens disenfranchised because of criminal records.
Polk County Auditor Michael Mauro, unopposed for the Democratic nomination, points to his role in boosting voter turnout in the state's largest county, and takes pride with expanding the absentee ballot effort by making request forms available online.
Republicans Chuck Allison and Bob Dopf say they are worried about ballot security and argue that the dramatic expansion in the use of absentee balloting should be slowed or stopped.
There is no logical reason for human beings to deliberately expose themselves to Mr. Boone's new wash-off tattoo, Harley fixation, and deadpan milktoast delivery as he, his cookie-cutter female background chorus, and underachieving big band samba their way to Deep Purple's 'Smoke on the Water,' and jive to Guns N' Roses' 'Paradise City,' and swing through the most ludicrous read imaginable of Metallica's 'Enter Sandman.'
The right thing for Johnson County now is this sales tax, and this sales tax is for kids," said Sarah Swisher, who has a daughter at South East Junior High.
But others were unconvinced. Rod Sullivan, a Johnson County supervisor who said that he was speaking as a father of three rather than as a county official, said that with the number of children from low-income families, "I'm of the opinion the sales tax puts kids last, not first.
Dow Voss of Iowa City said he'd like to see the district look at other sources for additional revenue, such as expanding the amount the district collects from an income tax surcharge.
Mohamed, who has raised $6,000 for his campaign, spent an entire day at the corner of Grand Avenue and Riverside Drive on Monday talking to passersby and waving to motorists.
'This is the most effective way to get direct contact with the people. ... Politicians don't have to raise a lot of money to get into office,' said Mohamed, who held a 3-by-5-foot sign, a small American flag and an umbrella in case it rained.
Sal Mohamed, Democratic candidate for Governor of Iowa, is in Iowa City this morning, Monday May 22, 2006. I saw him at the corner of Riverside Drive and Burlington Street with his large banner.
IF YOU SEE MR. MOHAMED TODAY, PLEASE BEEP YOUR HORN OR WAVE AT HIM TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE HARD WORK HE HAS PUT IN ON BEHALF OF THE STATE OF IOWA.
Why? Because Sal Mohamed is the 4th candidate in the Democrtic primary, and appears to be running a one person statewide campaign. He has criss-crossed Iowa, campaigning as if he does not know he's a very distant 4th. He's got a message, and he's making sure everyone hears it. I do not know a single person who's supporting him publicly. I'm not. I'm voting for Ed Fallon in the primary. But I have great respect for Mr. Mohamed, his hard work, and his message.
Even if he only gets 1% of the vote, as many experts are predicting, Sal Mohamed is the American dream hard at work. Even as a distant 4th, he is a constant reminder that every voice is critical to the future of our state, our counties, and our neighborhoods!
Have a good day, and beep for Sal Mohamed and others like him.
The Lieberman crowd was beaten, even with 65 percent of the vote. A curiosity in January, the Lamont campaign has become a growing army that could overthrow the incumbent in the Aug. 8 primary. For 90 minutes, party loyalists who have known Joe Lieberman for decades rose and turned their backs on him in favor of an engaging stranger.
Dave Loebsack issued a statement Thursday responding to Iowa Congressman Jim Leach's recent vote in favor of the Republican sponsored 2007 budget resolution.
"Leach has proved he is now a champion of big deficits, big debts, and a great tax burden on our children and the future of America. Not only has
Leach shown his disregard for responsible budgets and spending, but has also succumbed to bully pulpit pressure from the Republican Party,"
Loebsack said.
In a recent news story published in The Hill, Alexander Bolton reported House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) made a thinly concealed threat
to GOP incumbents warning of possibly losing choice committee appointments if they failed to vote for the resolution. Leach was included on a list of
Boehner's GOP members who could hinder the Republican leadership's goals, however, in the end Leach fell in line with the House Republican majority.
"The vote for the budget resolution, and a clear lack of leadership in failing to stand up to the Majority leader, reaffirm it is time for a
change in Iowa's second district."
If we train the aliens we capture entering our country illegally, to guard our borders from the other side, well, you get the idea. We can pay them minimum wage which is probably more than what Tyson pays them for chopping off chicken heads. We could hire even more to build the WALL that everybody seems to want. The average bricklayer in Mexico now makes 150 dollars a week and has six kids. We can afford that for security, for sure...
Although Nancy Quellhorst, president of the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, who drove, reached the Old Capitol Town Center first, she was unable to find a parking space before Iowa City Mayor Ross Wilburn crossed the finish line on his bike.
A new Drinking Liberally chapter will convene for our first weekly meeting in Iowa City on May 18th. Drinking Liberally is an informal, progressive drinking club with 144 chapters across the country and one in Dublin, Ireland.
Come raise your spirits as you raise a pint. Drinking Liberally is an informal gathering of left-leaners and progressives. Share you ideas while you share a pitcher. Everyone is welcome; you don't need to be a seasoned activist to join us in enjoying a stiff mix of socializing with a dash of politics.
America was born in the taverns... and now we're returning to promote democracy one pint a time.
The Revolution begins at 7pm.
IOWA CITY DRINKING LIBERALLY
May 18th at 7:00 pm
The Mill Restaurant (in the front room) 120 E Burlington St.
http://drinkingliberally.org/
Hosted by Nicholas Bergin
Questions? iowacityATdrinkingliberally.org or call (712)-899-0605
p.s. To subscribe to the e-mail list visit
http://drinkingliberally.org/subscribe.html
"You cannot raise money for Family Resource Centers and believe they will make up for the damage done by a sales tax. Governmental agencies cannot improve their budget situations on the backs of the poor. Parents and kids at Twain, Wood, and Hills will put more of their income toward this than parents and kids at Wickham, Lincoln and Shimek. That doesn't make any sense."
Podcast with General Wesley Clark and Iowans
Brewed Awakenings
1217 1st Ave, SE
Cedar Rapids, IA
4:00PM
Saturday, May 13, 2006 5:30 pm
"Workers for a Better Iowa"
FREE BEER—HOG ROAST
MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT
SILENT AUCTION
At the Teamsters Hall, 5000 J Street SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
FEATURING General Wesley Clark
Meet the Labor Endorsed Candidate for Governor of Iowa Mike Blouin
And Labor Endorsed Candidate for U.S. Congress David Loebsack
Tickets are $25.00 and are available through the Hawkeye Labor Council
1211 Wiley Blvd SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
(319) 396-8461
at the Teamsters Hall or through local union offices
Some on the right are troubled by his Mormon faith. One conservative here said privately that some evangelicals believe "it's a cult" and that people would have trouble supporting Romney as a result. Others don't seem troubled because the church's socially conservative teachings on many issues dovetail nicely with their own beliefs.
Steve Scheffler, head of the alliance, said following the meeting that Romney "did well and is hitting all the right notes. He was pretty candid. To most people in our movement, (his faith) is not a problem. There shouldn't be a religious test, like Jack Kennedy said. I don't think it will be a big issue" for Romney.
But privately others in the group said it might be a deal-breaker for some...
Iowa City School Board members said Tuesday they hope to get a lot of comments about a proposed one-cent sales tax at an upcoming public forum...
The forum, scheduled for 7 p.m. May 22 in the first floor conference room of Mercy Hospital, will cover the different options the district would have with the proposed school infrastructure tax...
6/6/06 isn't a date that comes around very often (once per century, to be exact), and while plenty of stupid horror movies and terrible albums will be released for the hype value of the day that bears 'the number of the beast', we here at NDoS decided that this would be a perfect day for Hessians across the country to come together and engage in something upon which we can all agree - listening to Slayer! Also, do you really want those evangelical Neo-Cons to have all the fun with their 'National Day of Prayer'?"
Official Statement on ParticipationListen to Slayer at full blast in your car. Listen to Slayer at full blast in your home. Listen to Slayer at full blast at your place of employment. Listen to Slayer at full blast in any public place you prefer.
DO NOT use headphones! The objective of this day is for everyone within earshot to understand that it is the National Day of Slayer. National holidays in America aren't just about celebrating; they're about forcing it upon non-participants.
'I do feel like a red speck in a blue sea, and I am sure you feel like that a bit in Iowa, as well,' he said to a group of UI students at a luncheon in the Pappajohn Business Building.
"His trip illustrates he's got a few things to learn about presidential campaigning in Iowa. We do small-state, retail politics here, not the big-city stuff. His five-SUV caravan, security guards and staged media events for his national press entourage bring to mind other big-state politicians — like then-California Gov. Pete Wilson — who misfired in Iowa because they didn't understand the need to do one-on-one, grassroots work.
Out here on the prairie, campaigns are more than money and media. They're about key people. George Pataki and Mitt Romney get it. Giuliani doesn't. When we see Hizzoner meeting with a couple of dozen Republicans at a house party in Brooklyn — Iowa — we'll know he's for real."
One of the ads is almost silent, using captioning instead of sound of Fallon saying, "I'm running for governor because special interests and paid lobbyists have taken away your voice."
Another ad makes light of the "big-name" endorsements that other candidates have trumpeted...
"Blouin took a shot at Culver’s support for reinstating a limited death penalty, saying, ‘‘I would never allow capital punishment to come back. It’s racist to its core, and it’sirreversible.’’"
Put on the spot by one student during a quick question-and-answer session, Kerry said his biggest regret of recent years was voting in favor of the use of force in Iraq.
"Because of the experience we had in Vietnam and (former Secretary of State) Colin Powell, whom I trusted, I trusted the administration on that, and it was an enormous error"
Motorists hate cyclists because they're secretly scared of hurting them on the roads, according to new research.
Cardiff University academic Ben Fincham has formulated the theory to explain why people on bikes frequently attract rage from other road users.
"Cycling is seen as something that's done by people who are slightly unhinged, or willfully negligent anyway. The idea that they probably break the rules of the road is going to upset people and if that is at the forefront of your mind, it will influence your experience of them."
There tend to be clear lines of demarcation between where car users and non-car users are able to go, but cyclists operate between those lines.
"What confuses a lot of bikers is that if you cut someone up, you will probably have abuse and threats hurled at you, but if a driver actually injured you, they'd be distraught."
"Keen cyclist Louise Jones, from Port Talbot, said she found Mr Fincham's theory "a very strange sort of argument". Asked if she had experienced hostility from motorists, she said, "It tends to be just from youths in souped-up cars who think it's only them who are allowed on the roads."
The controversial 2002 prosecution of former University of Iowa basketball star Pierre Pierce has surfaced in this year’s Johnson County attorney race, with candidate Nick Maybanks calling for a review of what he called its ‘‘extremely unusual’’ handling.
Maybanks, a Linn County prosecutor seeking the Democratic nomination for the post held by J. Patrick White the last 24 years, said Pierce should not have been allowed to plead his third degree sex abuse charge down to a lesser assault charge...
The 2002 Pierce case is one of a number of issues Maybanks said he hoped would distinguish him from the six-term White and Maybanks’ competitor, Assistant Johnson County Attorney Janet Lyness. Maybanks and Lyness are seeking the Democratic Party nomination in the June 6 primary. White has endorsed Lyness...
Lyness said an investigation into how White handled the 2002 case is not necessary. ‘‘I feel pretty confident in that Pat is not somebody who takes things lightly. He’s not somebody who makes snap judgments,’’ she said.
Lyness said White’s decision to allow Pierce to plea to a lesser charge in 2002 caused disagreement in the County Attorney’s Office, with some in the office wondering why Pierce got the deal.
Last-minute legislation in the Iowa Legislature will end proposals for the schools and cities in Linn and Johnson counties to join forces to pass a local-option sales tax.
Instead, the legislation (House File 2792) could pit the schools and cities in the two counties against one another in a race to see who can get a tax on the ballot first.
The governor and the Legislature have overwhelmingly rejected the arguments of the spenders and the class warriors in Iowa by agreeing to cut state income taxes on pensions and Social Security.
Over time, this agreement will make the state just a bit more attractive for retirees.
Rick Taylor was the second Johnson County resident to vote in this year's congressional election.
He wasn't sure he'd be around to see the result.
"I thought I might die," said Taylor, a volunteer with the Johnson County Democrats who had been hospitalized for chronic health problems relating to his diabetes.
"I found out later that I have to be alive through Nov. 8 for the vote to count," he said with a chuckle, sitting among a swarm of red, white, and blue fliers and posters supporting Democratic candidates.
"Rick was a proud member of Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 125 of Cedar Rapids for 27 years - working for various union plumbing companies. He was a strong believer in the strength of organized labor and was the major factor in the successful SEIU campaign to organize P & S staff at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. He was also proud to be a Democrat. Despite many health problems, he always found the time and energy to do whatever was necessary for Democratic candidates to win."
Bruce Braley on Tuesday launched the first television ad among Democratic candidates vying in the hotly contested June 6 primary for the 1st District nomination for the U.S. House.
Even while you use your other software, PawSense constantly monitors keyboard activity. PawSense analyzes keypress timings and combinations to distinguish cat typing from human typing. PawSense normally recognizes a cat on the keyboard within one or two pawsteps. If a cat gets on the keyboard, PawSense makes a sound that annoys cats. Once a cat has been recognized, PawSense blocks the cat's keyboard input.
The dreaded resolution from the district platform chair (the one
requiring that county platforms submitted to the district be under 3000
words) was brought up and passed after a vocal debate. The election of
delegates to the state platform committee was also a very painful affair.
Governor Vilsack gave a very nice speech. He hung around to talk to
people, and I think he shook everybody's hand. He assured everyone that
whoever ends up being the gubernatorial nominee will have a substantial
check waiting for them.
There were microphones for delegates to speak at which nobody could make work, which hampered everyone's ability to speak for or against the amendments, and had the overall effect of squelching participation. Sometimes it seems that the party is in a time-warp, stuck in the past, and not just technologically. We hung in there all day and hopefully made at least a little bit of a difference...
