Friday Morning Roundup

Friday Morning Roundup

Looking ahead to the weekend, I'll be blogging John Edwards. Not live, because of the University of Iowa's obnoxious IT policy. You have to be affiliated with UI (faculty, staff, student) to connect to their wifi; apparently it's not good enough to be a mere Iowa taxpayer. The Edwards folks tried to help me out (thanks, Kevin) but no joy, so I'll be scooped by any student bloggers. Slight delay while I run upstairs to post.

Elizabeth Edwards will be there too and I've been told some bloggers will be meeting with her before John's speech.

DI gets Headline Of The Day: IMU & you are me & we are all together. Goo Goo g' joob.

Iowa City Council UNANIMOUSLY shows its priorities again, with their deep deep concern about young ADULTS getting PAULAs in Coralville and North Liberty. I pledge a legal maximum $100 campaign donation to the first Iowa City councilor who PUBLICLY says the 21 year old drinking age is unworkable and goes to Des Moines to lobby the legislature for an 18 year old drinking age.

Meanwhile in Des Moines the cig tax is still smoking:

Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, heads the tax-writing Senate Ways and Means Committee, and he said most legislative leaders have suggested an increase of between 40 and 60 cents per pack.

'It's been widely vetted around the state,' said Bolkcom. 'Gov. Culver campaigned on it and got elected on it. At the end of the day we will in fact raise the cigarette tax.'

A jump, not the dollar Culver and anti-smokers are asking.

Krazy King watch: A flurry of King For Senate 08 articles. Harkin might actually break 60% against Stevie. Oh, and he wants to amend the constitution to abolish the income tax.

A little late but Leonard Boswell says he was wrong about the war.

Next week the Women's Resource and Action Center is hosting a lecture by Dianne Bystrom of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics on "Unfinished Business: Electing a Woman to represent Iowa in the U.S. Congress." The name Sally Pederson has bounced around a bit.

Finally, a concise Kos deserves quoting in entirety:

You are Rep. Jim Nussle. You decide to vacate your seat to run for Governor of Iowa.

The Republican Governor's Association, headed by Mitt Romney, chips in $1.2 million.

Romney himself throws in $100K -- the largest contribution Nussle received the entire campaign.

How do you reward such largess?

You join the Giuliani campaign.

How much did Giuliani give to Nussle's gubernatorial effort?

Zero.