Johnson County Dems BBQ on Tape Delay

Johnson County Dems BBQ on Tape Delay

The liveblogging didn't quite work out at the barbecue - too much multitasking, and spending time having a personal life. So I figured later and better was preferable to live, and I spiced it up with pictures to make it worth the wait.



My stuffed donkey, Hotie (Donkey Hotie.. ha ha ha) worked the greeting table. He brought a date, too...



Stars of the show: Dave Loebsack, Chris Dodd, Chet Culver and Tom Vilsack.

A few hundred folks showed up - all the regulars plus old friends we see about once a year. The early evening was dominated by the Hawks' dramatic if lengthy victory; Mike Mauro made a brief hello and said some really good things about voting rights, but no one seemed to hear (he was the de facto guinea pig for the sound system). The food was the usual high quality - the first caveman to roast a wild boar over a fire must have been a Neuzil.

Overtime had one merciful outcome: they dropped the speeches from the unopposed candidates. Larry Meyers gets the prize for shortest speech: "The Republicans want a seat in the Board room, and they can have one - in the audience." That's not a line, that's a transcript. A few other folks - most notably Denise O'Brien - were there but had to cut out before speaking.



Our opening act was the live debut of the Nussle Hustlers, with MC Jim Larew rockin' the mic. The dancing was bad enough that the bags were justified, but rumor was they only had one rehearsal. And the dancer on the far end...



the dancer on the far end missed even that. He looks a little familiar.

While this was going on we were silent-auctioning some miscellaneous political chum - Janet Lyness successfully bid on a Nick Maybanks t-shirt.

A few awards:

Outstanding central committee members - Paul Deaton, who quietly does lots of car pools and event arranging, and Janet Lyness who's helping all the other candidates.

The outstanding newcomer is second vice chair Alicia Trimble who jumped right in only about four months ago and is already indispensable

Special awards to Gary Sanders for Stop Wal-Mart, and to Ellen Ballas and Trish Nelson for the Rapid Response Network.

The elected official award goes to Ro Foege

The Pioneer Award – for long time activists – Gina and Mae Schatteman.

And the Chair’s award – went to the whole exec board so I had to go up to the front of the room.

Dave Loebsack followed the awards. Here's my live notes:

People think my opponent is a “good Republican” but his first vote will be for the GOP leadership – I will vote for Dem leadership and real alternatives. (He’s phrasing this is a call and response question format) Throwing in Rumsfeld, minimum wage, health care. I throw in a solo applause for “keep this short and Dave picks on my blogging, I’m getting a reputation here. He’s getting the biography paragraph out – family history – Democrats gave me hope and opportunity

Chris Dodd was next (here he is in the media scrum after the show's over). The Hartford Courant
and what looked like some national print press were along for the trip.

My notes:

Makes a couple jokes about being able to have a Senate caucus out here in Iowa, joshing around the edges of the presidential race.

Now he’s going over his credentials, mention Senate Children’s Caucus, FMLA, etc. Discussing “the notion of the common good, coming together as a community” and Bush destroying that with an attitude of “you’re on your own." That sounds like the overarching theme.

Talking about poverty and health care issues as matters of priorities, we need to keep people in need first in our minds. Also applies to foreign policy.

Talks about Peace Corps background. “I want to see a generation that reaches out to the rest of the world in a positive way – and not just lashing out on our own.”

Tells story about DeGaulle in Cuban missile crisis. US Intelligence is setting up a big visual presentation to prove the missiles are there and DeGaulle stops him and says “the word of the American President is proof enough for me.” Talks about how far from that we are now and how we can get back to that.

The old governor fared better in his speech than with his dancing. The Press-Citizen zoomed in on the conclusion:

"'Please, please do everything you can do, donate every penny you can,' he said in remarks that ended with his dropping the microphone as he left the stage. 'You can change a nation. If that isn't enough to fire you up, then you can go home.'"

He did seem to have some extra oomph in his Wheaties at the end - but for the most part the speech was mostly similar to last
week's, though with a lot more mention of Chet Culver. Talked up The Nussle Hustle and added "I’ll take a plan over platitudes any day" while reiterating the talking points and the trifecta.



Dick Myers introduced Chet Culver. Here's the new stuff I picked up:

The race boils down to one question. Continue our progress, or turn the clock back and hand the state over to a Bush clone.

Name checks George Washington Carver, Norman Borlaug, and Henry Wallace – "Iowa fed the world, now we can fuel the world." Good line. Wants a state director of renewable energy and tax credit on hybrids

Not just about issues, about values – Iowa roots and experience vs. DC values. (That’s an interesting spin for the senator's son... taking a perceived weakness and aiming it at his opponent.)

Describes GOP: “Deficits, debt, cronyism and corruption”



Fearless Leader Jen Hemmingsen, Chet, first vice chair James Moody. One last note:



Seems like EVERYONE is crossing over this year.