Bob's Your Uncle, Dave's Your Congressman

Bob's Your Uncle, Dave's Your Congressman

Randy Larson makes the best Democratic pizza in Iowa City (that, however is the only race the Republicans win around here; Armond Pagliai is as unbeatable as we once though Jim Leach was.) And so the tired Johnson County Dems gathered at Bob's Your Uncle for what I believe was officially the victory party for county attorney-elect Janet Lyness - it's still a victory even if you're unopposed - but became a joint victory party with Dave Loebsack.

Everyone else still seemed to be in pinching themselves shock but Loebsack is taking it all in stride. The voice mail is full, he's off to Washington on Sunday for congressional orientation.

Loebsack: That's your taxpayer dollars paying for my trip.
Deeth: It's money well spent.

The political scientist in Dave wanted to talk numbers, and we chatted about the margin at different times and which counties were reporting. The campaigner notes that today is the start of a new campaign financial cycle and that his contribution page remains active.

This was a local operation from the get-go, a total contrast from the last "serious" attempt by DC and Des Moines at this seat, Julie Thomas in `02. That race was almost consulted and DCCC'd to death, and simply assumed that getting out the Democrats to vote would do and partisan voting index would do the rest. Which succeeded in getting out a lot of votes... for Leach.

Dave Loebsack realized that Leach was a unique situation and he needed to persuade the Democrats to come home - which they did yesterday.

Other than the national wave, a few other subjects popped up in various talks:

Leach was gracious in defeat. But few bought into my U of I President theory.

Staffers can get really deep in the bubble - I met one so preoccupied with GOTV that the dead cows story was news.

Jim Nussle has been in college, law school, and elective office his entire adult life. What the hell is he going to do next?

I looked at the numbers and I was wrong: Culver's Johnson County percentage was in fact 0.1% HIGHER than LBJ in 1964.

Last time Iowa Democrats held majority of US House delegation was 1970's - Harkin, Blouin, Smith, Bedell.

Upset of the Nation: In 1996 it was Loretta Sanchez knocking off B-1 Bob Dornan. Two years ago it was Melissa Bean taking out Phil Crane. Left unsaid was the 1990 Minnesota Senate race, won by an unknown political science professor from a small college...

Damn I'm tired.