Dog Day Democrats

Dog Day Democrats

Johnson County Dems July monthly meeting live at the library. Lets see if anything newsworthy develops.

Five campaigns appear to be in the room. Maybe six; I don't know the Dodd people on sight. There's 86 or so minutes on the agenda before they can talk. That's an "at least," as the budget discussion drags on.

Atul Nakhasi acknowledges that Student Health Initiative Taskforce was too good to be an accident.

Dennis Roseman speaking for the platform committee compared Joe Bolkcom's list of legislative accomplishments with the party platform: teacher salaries, school funding, and opposing escalation of the Iraq War.

Candidate questionnaires for non-partisan candidates -- should make for interesting reading.

Resolving time! Condemning the Scooter Libby pardon slash commutation. Well, that was unanimous.

95 minutes and finally the speakers.

Team Clinton up first with Mary Mascher leading the thank yous for Tuesday. Staffers chime in with the upcoming events. Committee meetings July 11 and 15 if one so wishes. Mascher praises and the staffers from all the other campaigns... "we in Johnson County are a tough sell, and we care deeply about this process." Interesting touch, one that the staffers seem to genuinely appreciate.

Holly Savage from Team Biden. Thanks the folks who showed up Monday. The Ped Mall stuff will be on CSPAN but you saw it here first.

Doug Dorando and Simeon Talley from Team Obama, wearing Mitch Gross for Coralville City Council shirts. Staff open houses in Solon and Amana. Mock Caucus 7/15 details TBA. Simeon touts the dollars and the number of donors.

Alex Ingham from Team Richardson. Parade horror stories. Team Richardson is in the same building as Obama and Clinton, "two fellow first tier candidates." Thanks everyone for attending the Richardson event, which was in this very room. Promises more soon.

Nancy Leeds from Team Edwards. Announces new staff hires. A Solon get together 7/10, a lot of that going around. Edwards due in Cedar Rapids 7/14, the locals are twisting arms to get him here. Namechecks the Elizabeth vs. Coulter fight. Also drops the names Redlawsk and Neuzil as county co-chairs. And they have goldfish in the HQ.

Dan Jennings is here from Team Dodd. Dodd was in Coralville last night at the community celebration. Staffer does a passable version of the Dodd stump speech. Dodd due back here in August, mentions the Paul Simon tour.

Now on to locals.

School Board incumbent Aletia Morgan gets some signatures.

Ed Fallon coming in, as accordion player, for Iowa City candidate Mike Wright on August 26. Hmmmm....

8/1 rally for Employee Free Choice Act. 4:30 Ped Mall.

That wraps it. Sorry for the lack of major news.