Coming Soon to Iowa City

Coming Soon to Iowa City: Obama, Biden, not Edwards

Two Democratic candidates are coming to Iowa City soon, and a third is a near miss:

Barack Obama returns to Iowa City Tuesday, May 29, reports the Press-Citizen in what's sure to be a very different atmosphere than the massive April 22 Earth Day rally on the Pentacrest (attendance estimates ranged from 10,000 to "everyone in Iowa east of I-35"). Next week's University Hospital stop (details TBA) focuses on health care. The article prominently quotes SEIU's Sarah Swisher on the union's Iowa for Health Care initiative. That SEIU endorsement, whoever gets it and if there is one, is big...

Joe Biden, after postponing last week, will have a town hall meeting and meet and greet at 3:30 PM Sunday, May 27th at Shelter 2 in City Park. It's Biden's first Iowa City stop this cycle and he's the fifth Democrat to visit; Bill Richardson is the leading holdout. "The Senator will mingle for 20 minutes, speak for 20 minutes and then mingle again," say the Johnson County Democrats; will Biden be challenged by that 20 minute time frame or will he be as concise as that "Yes" debate answer?

John Edwards, coming off that lead in the Register poll, will be in eastern Iowa this weekend. With the schedule ending Friday night in Washington, Iowa and starting Saturday morning in Marengo, an evening, low key Iowa City event seemed a natural, but local Edwards supporters say there's not. The trip is focused on smaller towns with no place larger than Ft. Madison on the tour. Initially miffed, the locals now seem content with pledges of a visit in the near future. Edwards last stopped in Iowa City in January when he drew over 800 to the Iowa Memorial Union. (Reports from that event: Blogger interview, speech and questions.)