31 Aralık 2007 Pazartesi

One Blogger's Year: 2007 In Review

One Blogger's Year: 2007 In Review

Since the caucus countdown is now being measured in hours, my year in review is going to be much less comprehensive than last year's annual blogiversary review. Still, I had some big highlights, personally, politically and professionally.

January

  • I bopped around downtown Des Moines with my daughter at the Culver inaugural.
  • The first of my many wrong calls of the year: I really, really thought Tom Tancredo was going to be the break out of nowhere GOP candidate.
  • John Edwards makes the first of several large-size Iowa City stops, and John Kerry bows out.

    February

  • Bears lose Super Bowl.
  • SILO passes in Johnson and Linn.
  • Edwards hires then fires Bloggers as Amanda Marcotte gets Dooced.
  • Obama throws his hat in and hits Cedar Rapids the same day.
  • The Vilsack campaign -- remember the Vilsack campaign? -- dies. Assets later picked up at a fire sale by Team Hillary.
  • Dave Loebsack makes the first of two Iraq trips.

    March

  • JCDems have mini-cattle call at off year caucus with Dodd, Durbin, Fallon and Beau Biden.
  • The Edwards family gets hit with the bad news that Elizabeth's cancer is back; they quickly announce John's in the race to stay.
  • The neo-prohibitionists get busy on the 21 bar referendum.
  • I buy johndeeth.com and become obsessed with Motorhead
  • Legislature passes same-day registration.
  • Zogby Iowa poll shows Edwards 27, Clinton 25 and Obama 23, which isn't all that different than what we see nine months later.

    April


  • I turn pro as Iowa Independent launches (my number two personal life story of the year). As part of that, I run a little poll about blogging hats, which turns out to be a bigger deal than I thought.
  • My traffic takes off for the stratosphere on a Hillary-Edwards double liveblog day.
  • I meet Jimmy Carter for two seconds when he talks Palestine in Iowa City.
  • Every Democrat in Iowa east of I-35 attend the Obama Earth Day rally.
  • UI Republicans schedule then cancel 'Catch an Illegal Immigrant' day.
  • Stephanie Herseth breaks my heart.
  • Legislature wraps up and finally, after much fighting, passes the human rights bill.
  • The first of 639 Democratic debates introduces the world to Grumpy Grandpa Gravel.

    May


  • I get to my first Republican event in about 15 years and see John McCain.
  • Thanks to a secret shortcut, Sally Stutsman's SUV wins the bike-bus-car race.
  • Team Hillary leaks and then disowns a Screw Iowa memo, and I try to make the case for Hüsker Dü.
  • Obama launches the health care plan in Iowa City, and Edwards hangs out on the Ped Mall for the first, not last, time.

    June

  • Five of top six Dems (sans Obama) at Hall of Fame dinner in Cedar Rapids, as the Obama "keep the stage to himself" strategy starts to emerge.
  • I invent the term "couch potato liveblog" and Chris Dodd launches the debate timeclock.
  • My first encounters with the Mitt and Bill Richardson and my only Brownback and Newt moments.
  • Ron Paul gets lots of mileage out of not getting invited to a forum, as people start to notice.
  • Caucus Date Leapfrog begins in earnest as Florida jumps to Jan. 29 and Michigan starts making noise.
  • We first hear the phrase "Student Health Initiative Taskforce."
  • I crush on a bellydancer at Pride Fest.
  • The cool record store hates Celine Dion, but the Sopranos parody is pretty cool.

    July

  • The Raspberry Beret makes its debut at Hill & Bill, and lands me on the front page.
  • A long day hanging out in Cedar Rapids watching the peace folks get arrested.
  • I bid farewell to the Bohemian Paradise of Gaslight Village with a double rummage sale and move to West Benton (personal highlight #3).
  • The harmonic convergence of movie 5 and the final book means Harry Potter rules the planet.
  • The state is Republican-saturated. I meet some asterisk guy named Huckabee and we chat about Zep and CCR. Tom Tancredo worries about the unborn illegal immingrants. (Missed opportunity: the slogan "Deport them, don't abort them.")
  • First of the two big GOP sex scandals: Vitter-gate.
  • My best headline of the year -- "McCain not dead, but neither was Terry Schaivo" -- turns out wrong.
  • My "Rudy Asked About HIV, Answers with 9/11" story gets Digged in a big way.

    August


  • Mom and Dad have a 50th Anniversary on Ames Straw Poll weekend. Wisconsin folks say "gee, Tommy Thompson didn't do so good," and he quits the next day.
  • Brownback also gets burned though he struggles on for a couple months. Looking back, this is the big break for Huckabee.
  • The scandal of the year breaks in an airport bathroom. In happier news on the gay front, one couple gets married in a 24 hour window of opportunity in Polk County. Everyone predicts this will be a huuuuuge caucus issue.
  • On the Dem side, a debate in Des Moines and a five candidate labor cattle call in Cedar Rapids. I glimpse Elizabeth Kucinich, and for the first time I'm asked, "Hey, where's the raspberry beret?" Edwards outdraws Biden at the Hamburg Inn, and Dodd gets the firefighters.
  • Caucus Date Leapfrog goes nuclear. South Carolina and Michigan jump, and Saturday Jan. 5 for Iowa is the buzz. Dems pledge not to campaign in early states.

    September

  • Personal Highlight Number One: On September 14 Koni and I surprise everyone and get married. Our honeymoon is the Harkin Steak Fry.
  • The Democratic candidate events start to get too numerous to note in a summary like this, while the Republicans start to spend time elsewhere. Rudy looks strong on the GOP side, as the religious right threatens to walk if he's nominated.

    October

  • The Johnson County Fairgrounds becomes the center of the Democratic universe for the five candidate barbecue (Obama appears solo earlier that week). I'm a small sidebar as I blow my objectivity and win Johnson County Democrat of the Year (personal highlight #4).
  • Edwards picks up big SEIU endorsements in Iowa City, as labor chief rattle off the names of states faster than Howard Dean.
  • My liveblogging of candidate's stage music at Rudy Giuliani gets me an interview with Rolling Stone which I think is way cool (but they just use me as background).
  • Caucus Date Leapfrog reaches a manic peak and four Dems pull their name off the Michigan ballot. Iowa GOP settles on Jan. 3, and Dems follow suit.
  • Students slam the satellite voting sites for the city elections.
  • I break out the telescope and show the boys their first comet.


    November


  • My front yard goes four for four as the students kill the 21 bar referendum. Matt Hayek waltzes to victory, Mike Wright wins, and Mitch Gross does what's unknown in recent memory and knocks off a Coralville incumbent.
  • Last major cattle call at Jefferson-Jackson. See John Edwards three times in 24 hours and nearly memorize the speech, and get the vague sense that Joe Trippi recognizes me (must be the hat).
  • I meet the Ron Paul REVOLution at the tailgates, and Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne at City High.
  • The little stacks of donkeys, dead elephants, and Chuck Norrises make their debut.
  • Leapfrog makes its abrupt conclusion and the calendar locks in.
  • I start saying things like "Awww, I just saw Bill Clinton LAST week, can you cover it for me?"

    December

  • Oprahmania!
  • Down the road at Dave Loebsack's party, candidates send A-list surrogates not to speak, but just to schmooze. Later in the month, Dave makes his choice: Obama, and campaigns with him in Washington, IA.
  • Hillary overflows the hall and I catch the Fred for the first time. But I fail to complete the set of candidates, as Tancredo tanks before I catch him.
  • The new laptop arrives just in time for the schedule to get even more insane.
  • Arguments over whether or not students should caucus. Obama says yes, others, especially Hillary, aren't so sure. The dorms are open. Oops, they're not.
  • Huckabee's stock rises dramatically, Rudy sinks, McCain comes back from the dead, while Ron Paul robocalls the Dems.
  • Jodie Foster breaks my heart.
  • Looking ahead to next year, looks like Ed Fallon's challenging Leonard Boswell.
  • John Edwards wins the stage music of the year competition with "Salt Of The Earth" by the Stones, while Tim Robbins chain-smokes.
  • 30 Aralık 2007 Pazar

    Iowa Bloggers Get WashPo Shoutout

    Iowa Bloggers Get WashPo Shoutout

    We bad, we nationwide: Several Iowa Bloggers get a mention in this Washington Post piece from this AM.

    Congrats to my Iowa Indy colleagues, Bleeding Heartland, Century of the Common Iowan, and Iowa True Blue on the left, and The Real Sporer and Cyclones Conservatives on the right. Quite a few others deserve a mention, but I'm not going to compound things by naming more names and thus omitting even more. Instead, let's all turn up the ZZ Top in celebration.



    Here's the kind of push an uncommitted caucus goer gets five days before the caucuses. My contacts yesterday:

  • Saw in person: Edwards, Richardson

  • Mail: Biden (two cards, one each for me and Koni), Clinton, Dodd, Edwards, Obama (three mailers: two for past residents of my address and one for me)

  • Phone: Edwards (robo and human), Dodd, Clinton (both human)
  • Obama, McCain Lead Newspaper Endorsements

    Obama, McCain Lead Iowa Newspaper Endorsements



    Barack Obama holds the lead in endorsements from Iowa newspapers with a total of nine.  But measured by total readership, Hillary Clinton has the advantage with the backing of the state's largest paper, the Des Moines Register.



    On the Republican side, John McCain leads both in numbers and in total circulation.  Fred Thompson gains his first endorsement, from the Ottumwa Courier.

    DemTotalDailyWeeklyReadership
    Obama963247132
    Clinton431464370
    Biden30323190
    Edwards22036636
    Dodd000 
    Richardson000 
    total18117 

     

    PaperScheduleDem

    Readership

    Jefferson HeraldweeklyBiden4866
    Sheldon N'West Iowa ReviewweeklyBiden12024
    Storm Lake TimesweeklyBiden6300
    Burlington Hawk EyeDailyClinton41764
    Davenport Quad-City TimesDailyClinton114614
    Des Moines RegisterDailyClinton302896
    Vinton EagleweeklyClinton5096
    Council Bluffs Daily NonpareilDailyEdwards32458
    Shenandoah Valley News TodayDailyEdwards4178
    Ames Iowa State DailyDailyObama27800
    Des Moines El LatinoweeklyObama5000
    Iowa City Daily IowanDailyObama32930
    Iowa City Press-CitizenDailyObama35498
    Logan Herald-ObserverweeklyObama2854
    Marshalltown Times RepublicanDailyObama22160
    Ottumwa CourierDailyObama28914
    Sioux City JournalDailyObama89690
    Woodbine TwinerweeklyObama2286

     

    GOPTotalDailyWeeklyReadership
    McCain642483380
    Huckabee52362064
    Romney330144308
    Thompson11028914
    Giuliani000 
    Hunter000 
    Keyes000 
    Paul000 
    total15105 

     

    PaperScheduleGOP

    Readership

    Albia Union-RepublicanweeklyHuckabee4794
    Chariton LeaderweeklyHuckabee5570
    Iowa City Press-CitizenDailyHuckabee35498
    Sheldon N'West Iowa ReviewweeklyHuckabee12024
    Shenandoah Valley News TodayDailyHuckabee4178
    Ames Iowa State DailyDailyMcCain27800
    Davenport Quad-City TimesDailyMcCain114614
    Des Moines RegisterDailyMcCain302896
    Iowa City Daily IowanDailyMcCain32930
    Logan Herald-ObserverweeklyMcCain2854
    Woodbine TwinerweeklyMcCain2286
    Council Bluffs Daily NonpareilDailyRomney32458
    Marshalltown Times RepublicanDailyRomney22160
    Sioux City JournalDailyRomney89690
    Ottumwa CourierDailyThompson28914
     

    Rural Counties: Less Caucus Goers Per Delegate

    Rural Counties: Less Caucus Goers Per Delegate

    Since the Iowa Democratic caucuses are a representative democracy, not a straight one person one vote, not every caucus goer carries equal weight.  Presidential candidates are spending a lot of time in small courthouse towns, because the way the results are counted, the small counties weigh in disproportionately.

    An analysis of 2004 caucus attendance shows that, on average statewide, it took just under 41 caucus goers to elect a state delegate equivalent.  The easiest county to elect a delegate was Fremont County, where 22.3 caucus goers translated into a state delegate.

    The hardest places to elect delegates, in contrast, were college counties, with Johnson County far ahead of the rest.  In Johnson County, it took 79.2 people to elect a delegate, nearly twice the state average and almost four times the level of Fremont County.

    Poweshiek County, home of Grinnell, and Story County, site of Iowa State, ranked second and fourth hardest.  Squeezed in at third was Jefferson County, where the meditator community centered around Maharishi International University  led Dennis Kucinich to a near-win, his strongest showing in the nation.  Luther College's Winneshiek County was also in the top ten.

    Those statistics are likely to shift in 2008 with the caucuses occurring over collegiate breaks.  But even the calendar shift doesn't change the underlying fact: some counties are full of go-to-meeting activists while others have more rank and file voters.

    The caucuses take place in a mythical, projected version of a general election voting population, because caucus apportionment is based on votes for the top of the ticket.  In 2004 the counts were based on votes for Al Gore in 2000 and Tom Vilsack in 2002; likewise this year's counts are based on John Kerry and Chet Culver.  In all four of those contests, Johnson County had the top Democratic percentages in the state.  While those Johnson County voters are the most likely to vote Democratic, they're also the most likely to spend two or three hours at a meeting.

    Another factor that skews caucus representation toward rural counties is the state's shifting population.  Joining the college counties in the top ten list of hardest counties to elect delegates are high-growth areas in central Iowa -- Dallas, Madison, Polk and Warren counties, four of the six fastest growing counties in the state from July 2000 to July 2003 (the Census estimates closest to caucus dates).  Dallas County grew 13.2% in those three years.  But a voter who moved to Dallas County three years before the caucuses won't count in the county's presidential vote totals used to calculate delegates, because they voted somewhere else.  A voter who moved in after the gubernatorial election wouldn't count at all toward the delegate count.

    The other high growth counties hurt in caucus apportionment are Johnson County again, plus Benton County.  But Benton's exurban commuters to  Cedar Rapids and Waterloo were less likely to caucus, as the county ranked 63rd in attendees per delegate.

    In contrast, Fremont County, the easiest place to win a delegate, lost 2.3% of its population over the same period.  Yet voters who were no longer in the county still helped its delegate count.  Sac County, the fasted shrinking county in 2000-2003 (-5.1%), ranked number 83 on the caucus goers per delegate list.


    This helps explain dynamics like three Democrats showing up within 20 hours in Carroll.  It also means candidates can't run up the score with big wins in big counties.  But paradoxically, it also mutes the impact of the holiday break in college towns -- whether 30 students or 300 show up in Iowa City Precinct 5 (all dorms and frat houses), the same six delegates are at stake.  It also helps a candidate with isolated hotspots of support (like Kucinich in 2004) and hurts candidates with low but evenly spread backing.

    Ultimately, the apportionment rules mean candidates have to carefully allocate their resources and fight on all fronts at once, and part of that allocation is making the effort where the most bang for the buck is available -- the small towns.

    RankCountyAttendance (2004)State Delegate Equivalent (2004)Attendees per delegate (2004)
    1Johnson1116914179.21
    2Poweshiek13962069.80
    3Jefferson8901368.46
    4Story56748665.98
    5Decatur437854.63
    6Warren24534752.19
    7Polk2182143050.75
    8Winneshiek9922049.60
    9Dallas21114349.09
    10Madison6811545.40
    11Cedar7661842.56
    12Jasper18684442.45
    13Marshall16964042.40
    14Davis330841.25
    15Mahaska6481640.50
    16Woodbury32558140.19
    17Muscatine14043540.11
    18Boone12403140.00
    18Marion11202840.00
    20Buchanan9082339.48
    21Iowa5921539.47
    22Greene4731239.42
    23Wapello16154139.39
    24Clay5901539.33
    25Adair351939.00
    26Bremer8892338.65
    27Palo Alto4241138.55
    28Linn871622838.23
    29Wayne228638.00
    30Monroe303837.88
    31Hardin7151937.63
    32Webster15314137.34
    33Hamilton6341737.29
    34Louisa3711037.10
    35Washington7011936.89
    36Des Moines18795136.84
    37Buena Vista5891636.81
    38Appanoose4781336.77
    39Sioux3981136.18
    40Union4641335.69
    41Dubuque373910535.61
    42Adams177535.40
    43Kossuth6982034.90
    44Scott556616134.57
    45Harrison4141234.50
    45Monona3451034.50
    47Keokuk3441034.40
    48Pottawattamie23316834.28
    49Jackson7182134.19
    50Mills3331033.30
    51Tama6321933.26
    52Clayton6632033.15
    53Ringgold197632.83
    54Black Hawk445013632.72
    55Guthrie3921232.67
    56Plymouth5521732.47
    57Van Buren194632.33
    58Fayette7082232.18
    59Shelby289932.11
    60Ida224732.00
    61Henry6051931.84
    62Cass3811231.75
    63Benton8572731.74
    64Chickasaw5041631.50
    65Page3061030.60
    66Carroll6352130.24
    67Audubon241830.13
    68Howard3301130.00
    69Franklin3281129.82
    70Grundy2981029.80
    71Wright3861329.69
    72Crawford3551229.58
    73Floyd5251829.17
    74Cerro Gordo15865528.84
    75Lucas256928.44
    76O'Brien2811028.10
    77Jones6172228.05
    78Clarke3081128.00
    79Allamakee3601327.69
    80Butler3541327.23
    81Delaware4891827.17
    82Winnebago3231226.92
    83Sac2681026.80
    84Lee11934526.51
    85Dickinson4771826.50
    85Humboldt2651026.50
    85Pocahontas212826.50
    88Lyon158626.33
    89Calhoun2871126.09
    90Osceola103425.75
    91Montgomery203825.38
    92Taylor149624.83
    93Worth2481024.80
    94Mitchell2781223.17
    95Hancock2541123.09
    96Emmet2301023.00
    97Cherokee2951322.69
    98Clinton13265922.47
    99Fremont156722.29
    Statewide122193300040.73

    29 Aralık 2007 Cumartesi

    Edwards Likens Message to Roosevelts, Truman

    Edwards Likens Message to Roosevelts, Truman



    Photo: Koni Steele

    In a town named for the first president, John Edwards likened his populist efforts to three other presidents.  In the newest riff in the Edwards speech, focusing as usual on his attacks on corporate power and lobbyists, Edwards likened his message to the two Roosevelts and Harry Truman.  "We have had great presidents who have had the guts and determination to take these people on," he said.

    "FDR was vilified by corporate America," Edwards told an overflowing crowd at the Washington Public Library.  "(Roosevelt) said he welcomed their hatred, because it meant he didn't make deals with those people."  He also cited Teddy Roosevelt's trust busting and Harry Truman's buck-stops-here attitude.  The Truman reference sunk in for at least one member of the crowd, who shouted, "Give `em hell, John" at Edwards as he boarded the campaign bus.

    The standard Edwards speech skewed a little more toward economic issues and away from the Iraq war topic heard in larger cities.  "No corporate lobbyist or anyone who has lobbied for a foreign country will work in my White House," Edwards pledged to the crowd.  A national-dominated press corps zoomed in on this remark at a brief media availability post-speech, at which Edwards defined "lobbyist" as corporate lobbyist and left open the possibility that people who had lobbied for caused he supports would be welcome in an Edwards Administration.

    Edwards also told the press that organizers had expected 75 people and got 275.  It appeared one of the basic rules of the campaign trail - book a room one size too small so it looks full - had been taken too far, as the room was about two sizes too small.  Edwards delayed the start of the speech to handshake his way up the stairs, greeting 100 or so who couldn't get in.

    "I don't know what in the world is wrong with going back to a paper ballot," Edwards told a questioner concerned with election integrity.

    Doreen Dewey of Davenport identified herself as "a registered Republican looking for someone to support" and asked Edwards about immigration.  "We need to help kill the reason people are coming to begin with," Edwards said, by creating a sustainable Mexican economy. "I am not in favor of a fence across the whole border, I think that's nutty," he said, but fencing should be considered in certain specific locations.  "I am not for amnesty but I am for a path to earned citizenship" that would include fines and a requirement to learn English.  After the speech Dewey seemed satisfied, but she's still trying to choose between Edwards and Mitt Romney.  "They both have solid values," she said.  "I'm having a tough time."

    Richardson Takes English, Spanish Questions

    Richardson Takes English, Spanish Questions in West Liberty



    Bill Richardson took questions in both English and Spanish during a stop in heavily Hispanic West Liberty Saturday.

    “I’m the only Hispanic candidate,” Richardson told the crowd of about 50 at El Torito Restaurant, “but I gotta tell people because of the name Richardson.” He offered only a couple lines of the main speech in Spanish (such as “Sign a pledge card, por favor. We need you”), but answered one whole question in Spanish.

    “What I’m saying in Spanish I already said in English,” he advised the mixed-language audience, before restating positions on the Iraq war that he’d discussed in the main speech. (Or so I was told; with my extremely limited knowledge I picked up “la Guerra” and “billions of dollars.”) In a handshake-length “interview,” Richardson told me Spanish questions are uncommon on the Iowa campaign trail.

    Richardson also repeated his goal of finishing in the top three in Iowa. “We’re going to pull off an upset here,” he said. “Right now we are viable in most every precinct. I’ve been to 99 counties, I’ve been to counties whose name I can’t even pronounce.” He also raised the bar on himself from a top three finish in the first three states to “top two” in Nevada.
    d
    The campaign, Richardson said, “shouldn’t be about who’s got the most money, or is part of a dynasty, he most glamorous, or a rock star,” naming no names. “I’m the rock star candidate.”

    “I’m glad the people of Iowa are deciding this, not the national press,” he said, teasing Sarah Ames, the ABC reporter embedded with his campaign. Later Ames said the ribbing is part of every Richardson speech.

    Richardson gave English answers to the two other Spanish questions, telling a questioner who asked about discrimination against legal immigrants, “I wouldn’t tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, gender (applause) or sexual orientation. There’s just no room for that in this country.”

    The bulk of Richardson’s prepared remarks focused on his foreign policy credentials. “I’m the only candidate who took a strong position” on Pakistan in the wake of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, he said, repeating his call for President Musharraf to step down.

    “We need to stand with the Pakistani people and not with a dictator,” he said. “The rest of the candidates said wait and see. They were on the side of the dictator, they were on the side of the Bush administration”

    Other audience questions focused on choice (“I will appoint justices who believe Roe vs. Wade is settled law”), NAFTA (he called for renegotiation of side agreements on environment, job safety, and wage parity), and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (“I’d be a pres that would personally engage to be an honest broker between Israel and Palestine” in a two state solution, he said, but he would not cut off funding to Israel.)

    Adalberto Solis, the owner of El Torito, said the Richardson campaign contacted him to set up the event after Solis signed a pledge card. He’s an enthusiastic Richardson supporter, but most of his campaigning has been one on one outside of work. “I don’t mix my business with politics,” said Solis. Perhaps hoping El Torito could become West Liberty’s version of the Hamburg Inn, he said he’d welcome any candidate.

    “I was talking with the Latino people here, and nobody likes Bush,” he said. “Latino people, we come to work but didn’t care much who was the president, and I’m explaining to them why it’s important to vote.”

    Solis came to the U.S. in 1986 and became a permanent resident in 1988 and a citizen in 2003. This is his first active caucus cycle. “The first time I participated, I didn’t know as much. I voted but didn’t caucus. This time I got more information about the candidates.”

    Solis also likes Hillary Clinton, but said, “I think Richardson is better for the country and for Latinos.” “I asked how many votes they need to win here in West Liberty,” he added, “and they said 30,”

    Unlike many Hispanic communities in Iowa dominated by recent arrivals, West Liberty’s Spanish-speaking community goes back several generations, though it’s grown in recent years. Gustavo Garcia has lived in West Liberty since 1966. Richardson is near the top of his list. “He’s got the credentials, he’s got it all.” Garcia is also considering Barack Obama, but worries that his war plan is not specific enough.

    Helen Van Hoozer of Muscatine, a county Richardson leader, isn’t sure how her candidate’s heritage will help in Hispanic parts of the county, but thinks "it would be a model for Hispanic children to have him as president.” She said if Richardson were not viable in her precinct, she would go uncommitted, in the hope that she could help Richardson later in the nomination process.

    Dave Bradley of West Liberty says Richardson is his second choice behind John Edwards. “We have an embarrassment of riches,” said Bradley. “I think (Richardson’s) going to do really well here.”

    Boswell "Ready" But Hopes Fallon Primary Doesn't Happen

    Boswell "Ready" But Hopes Fallon Primary Doesn't Happen

    Congressman Leonard Boswell told Iowa Independent Friday that he hopes former gubernatorial candidate Ed Fallon doesn't challenge him in next year's 3rd District congressional primary, but he'll be ready if it happens.

    Last week Iowa Independent reported exclusively that the domain names FallonForCongress.com, FallonForCongress.net, and FallonForCongress.org were registered to an organization called "Fallon for Congress." Since that story, Iowa Independent has also learned that nomination petitions for Fallon have been sent to county Democratic chairs in the 3rd District for placement in caucus packets.


    Boswell chats with Hamburg Inn owner Dave Panther.

    "I hope he does not run," Boswell told Iowa Independnet during a campaign stop for Hillary Clinton at the Hamburg Inn in Iowa City. "It's time for Democrats to move forward." Boswell was visiting the famous political stop with Clinton's campaign chair, former Democratic National Committee chair Terry McAuliffe. "I don't know that it's going to happen, but people have a right to run," said Boswell, "and if it happens we'll be ready for it."

    Fallon, who represented a Des Moines state house district from 1992 to 2006, finished an unexpectedly strong third in the 2006 gubernatorial primary with 26 percent. He led the field in the 3rd Congressional District. Fallon was seen as one of the most liberal members of the Iowa House, and if there was a 99 to 1 or 97 to 2 roll calls, Fallon was usually on the short end.

    Boswell, on the other hand, is one of the more conservative Democrats in Congress. Rankings at Progressive Punch show Boswell as the 214th most liberal of 233 Democrats in Congress, and actually had him behind Republican Jim Leach for 2006. Boswell's Progressive Punch score moves up to 170th when only this year's votes are included. He recently voted with fellow Iowa Democrats Bruce Braley and Dave Loebsack in a failed effort to block $70 billion in funds for the Iraq war, in contract to earlier votes for war funding.

    "To get something done you can't be too far over here, too far over there," Boswell told Iowa Independent, gesturing to the left and right. "You've got to go to the middle."

    28 Aralık 2007 Cuma

    Clinton Retakes Legislative Endorsement Lead

    Clinton Retakes Legislative Endorsement Lead


    With holiday endorsements from Sen. Jack Hatch and Rep. Mark Davitt, Hillary Clinton has retaken the lead in legislative endorsements from Barack Obama, 21 to 20.

    John Edwards also picked up an endorsement Friday from Senator Brian Schoenjohn of Arlington, raising his total to 11.

    TotalSenateHouse
    Clinton211110
    Obama20713
    Biden16214
    Edwards1138
    Dodd321
    Richardson101
    Kucinich000
    Gravel000
    Uncommitted1156
    Total833053



     



    NameDistrictHome CountyEndorsement2004 Endorsement
    Sen. Herman C. QuirmbachSenate District 23StoryBidennone
    Sen. Dr. Joe M. SengSenate District 43ScottBidennone
    Rep. McKinley BaileyHouse District 9HamiltonBidennew
    Rep. Doris KelleyHouse District 20Black HawkBidennew
    Rep. Roger ThomasHouse District 24ClaytonBidenKerry
    Rep. Polly BuktaHouse District 26ClintonBidenDean
    Rep. Dick TaylorHouse District 33LinnBidenKerry
    Rep. Lisa HeddensHouse District 46StoryBidenKerry
    Rep. Bruce HunterHouse District 62PolkBidenDean
    Rep. Kevin McCarthyHouse District 67PolkBidenLieberman
    Rep. Jim LykamHouse District 85ScottBidennone
    Rep. Mary GaskillHouse District 93WapelloBidenKerry
    Rep. John WhitakerHouse District 90Van BurenBidenGephardt
    Rep. Mike ReasonerHouse District 95UnionBidenLieberman
    Rep. Eric PalmerHouse District 75MahaskaBidennew
    Rep. Dennis CohoonHouse District 88Des MoinesBidenEdwards
    Sen. William A. Dotzler, Jr.Senate District 11Black HawkClintonGephardt
    Sen. Roger StewartSenate District 13JacksonClintonKerry
    Sen. Michael ConnollySenate District 14DubuqueClintonKerry
    Sen. Wally E. HornSenate District 17LinnClintonnone
    Sen. Rob HoggSenate District 19LinnClintonnone
    Sen. Dennis H. BlackSenate District 21JasperClintonKerry
    Sen. Jack HatchSenate District 33PolkClintonKerry
    Sen. Dick L. DeardenSenate District 34PolkClintonGephardt
    Sen. Staci AppelSenate District 37WarrenClintonnew
    Sen. Becky SchmitzSenate District 45JeffersonClintonnew
    Sen. Gene FraiseSenate District 46LeeClintonnone
    Rep. Roger WendtHouse District 2WoodburyClintonKerry
    Rep. Mark KuhnHouse District 14FloydClintonGephardt
    Rep. Todd TaylorHouse District 34LinnClintonnone
    Rep. Swati DandekarHouse District 36LinnClintonKerry
    Rep. Paul BellHouse District 41JasperClintonKerry
    Rep. Beth Wessel-KroeschellHouse District 45StoryClintonnew
    Rep. Mark DavittHouse District 74WarrenClintonKerry
    Rep. Mary MascherHouse District 77JohnsonClintonKerry
    Rep. Vicki LensingHouse District 78JohnsonClintonnone
    Rep. Cindy WincklerHouse District 86ScottClintonDean
    Sen. Jeff DanielsonSenate District 10Black HawkDoddnew
    Sen. Tom HancockSenate District 16DubuqueDoddnew
    Rep. Ray ZirkelbachHouse District 31JonesDoddnew
    Sen. Brian SchoenjahnSenate District 12FayetteEdwardsnew
    Sen. Daryl BeallSenate District 25WebsterEdwardsDean
    Sen. Keith A. KreimanSenate District 47DavisEdwardsEdwards
    Rep. Wes WhiteadHouse District 1WoodburyEdwardsGephardt
    Rep. Andrew WentheHouse District 18FayetteEdwardsnew
    Rep. Bob KressigHouse District 19Black HawkEdwardsnew
    Rep. Ro FoegeHouse District 29LinnEdwardsEdwards
    Rep. Art StaedHouse District 37LinnEdwardsnew
    Rep. Geri HuserHouse District 42PolkEdwardsEdwards
    Rep. Nathan ReichertHouse District 80MuscatineEdwardsnew
    Rep. Kurt SwaimHouse District 94DavisEdwardsEdwards
    Sen. Steve WarnstadtSenate District 1WoodburyObamaKerry
    Sen. Rich OliveSenate District 5StoryObamanew
    Sen. Bill HeckrothSenate District 9BremerObamanew
    Sen. Robert E. DvorskySenate District 15JohnsonObamaGephardt
    Sen. Tom RiellySenate District 38MahaskaObamanew
    Sen. Joe BolkcomSenate District 39JohnsonObamaDean
    Sen. Frank WoodSenate District 42ScottObamanew
    Rep. Brian QuirkHouse District 15ChickasawObamaKerry
    Rep. Deborah BerryHouse District 22Black HawkObamaKerry
    Rep. Pam JochumHouse District 27DubuqueObamaKerry
    Rep. David JacobyHouse District 30JohnsonObamaKerry
    Rep. Tyler OlsonHouse District 38LinnObamanew
    Rep. Mark SmithHouse District 43MarshallObamaKerry
    Rep. Donovan OlsonHouse District 48BooneObamaKerry
    Rep. Helen MillerHouse District 49WebsterObamaGephardt
    Rep. Janet PetersenHouse District 64PolkObamaKerry
    Rep. Ako Abdul-SamadHouse District 66PolkObamanew
    Rep. Elesha GaymanHouse District 84ScottObamanew
    Rep. Wayne FordHouse District 65PolkObamaEdwards
    Rep. Paul ShomshorHouse District 100PottawattamieObamaLieberman
    Rep. Marcella FrevertHouse District 7Palo AltoRichardsonDean
    Sen. John P. "Jack" KibbieSenate District 4Palo Alto Kerry
    Sen. Amanda RaganSenate District 7Cerro Gordo none
    Sen. Matt McCoySenate District 31Polk Kerry
    Sen. Thomas G. CourtneySenate District 44Des Moines Gephardt
    Sen. Michael E. GronstalSenate District 50Pottawattamie none
    Rep. Dolores MertzHouse District 8Kossuth none
    Rep. Tom SchuellerHouse District 25Jackson new
    Rep. Pat MurphyHouse District 28Dubuque none
    Rep. Jo OldsonHouse District 61Polk Kerry
    Rep. Rick OlsonHouse District 68Polk new
    Rep. Philip L. WiseHouse District 92Lee Lieberman

    Thompson Adds Three Legislative Endorsements

    Thompson Adds Three Legislative Endorsements


    Fred Thompson has picked up endorsements from three state representatives - Kraig Paulsen of Cedar Rapids, Jeff Kaufmann of Wilton and Jamie Van Fossen of Davenport -- bringing his total to six.

    Mitt Romney still has a prohibitive lead with 16, followed by John McCain with eight.

    TotalHouseSenate
    Romney16124
    McCain853
    Thompson660
    Giuliani303
    Huckabee321
    Cox000
    Hunter000
    Keyes000
    Paul000
    Tancredo000
    Uncommitted (so far)30219
    Total664720


     



      
    NameDistrictHome CountyEndorsement
    Sen. E. Thurman GaskillSenate District 6HancockGiuliani
    Sen. Mary LundbySenate District 18LinnGiuliani
    Sen. Jeff AngeloSenate District 48UnionGiuliani
    Sen. David HartsuchSenate District 41ScottHuckabee
    Rep. Dwayne AlonsHouse District 4SiouxHuckabee
    Rep. Carmine BoalHouse District 70PolkHuckabee
    Sen. John PutneySenate District 20TamaMcCain
    Sen. Larry McKibbenSenate District 22MarshallMcCain
    Sen. Pat WardSenate District 30PolkMcCain
    Rep. Mike MayHouse District 6DickinsonMcCain
    Rep. Bill SchickelHouse District 13Cerro GordoMcCain
    Rep. Steven LukanHouse District 32DubuqueMcCain
    Rep. Rod RobertsHouse District 51CarrollMcCain
    Rep. Walt TomengaHouse District 69PolkMcCain
    Sen. Dave MulderSenate District 2SiouxRomney
    Sen. David JohnsonSenate District 3OsceolaRomney
    Sen. Brad ZaunSenate District 32PolkRomney
    Sen. James F. HahnSenate District 40MuscatineRomney
    Rep. Dave DeyoeHouse District 10StoryRomney
    Rep. Tami WiencekHouse District 21Black HawkRomney
    Rep. Chuck SoderbergHouse District 3PlymouthRomney
    Rep. Ralph WattsHouse District 47DallasRomney
    Rep. Dave TjepkesHouse District 50WebsterRomney
    Rep. Christopher RantsHouse District 54WoodburyRomney
    Rep. Jodi TymesonHouse District 73MadisonRomney
    Rep. Linda MillerHouse District 82ScottRomney
    Rep. Steven OlsonHouse District 83ClintonRomney
    Rep. Rich AndersonHouse District 97PageRomney
    Rep. Greg ForristallHouse District 98PottawattamieRomney
    Rep. Doug StruykHouse District 99PottawattamieRomney
    Rep. Royd ChambersHouse District 5O'BrienThompson
    Rep. Kraig PaulsenHouse District 35LinnThompson
    Rep. Clel BaudlerHouse District 58AdairThompson
    Rep. Jeff KaufmannHouse District 79CedarThompson
    Rep. Jamie Van FossenHouse District 81ScottThompson
    Rep. Sandy GreinerHouse District 89WashingtonThompson
    Sen. Mark ZiemanSenate District 8Allamakee(ex-Brownback)
    Sen. Jerry BehnSenate District 24Boone 
    Sen. Steve KetteriinSenate District 26Sac 
    Sen. Ron WieckSenate District 27Woodbury 
    Sen. James A. SeymourSenate District 28Harrison 
    Sen. Nancy J. BoettgerSenate District 29Shelby(ex-Brownback)
    Sen. Larry NobleSenate District 35Polk 
    Sen. Paul McKinleySenate District 36Lucas 
    Sen. Hubert HouserSenate District 49Pottawattamie 
    Rep. Henry RayhonsHouse District 11Hancock 
    Rep. Linda UpmeyerHouse District 12Hancock 
    Rep. Chuck GippHouse District 16Winneshiek 
    Rep. Pat GrassleyHouse District 17Butler 
    Rep. Dan RasmussenHouse District 23Buchanan 
    Rep. Dawn PettengillHouse District 39Benton 
    Rep. Lance HorbachHouse District 40Tama 
    Rep. Polly GranzowHouse District 44Hardin 
    Rep. Gary WorthanHouse District 52Buena Vista 
    Rep. Dan HusemanHouse District 53Cherokee 
    Rep. Clarence HoffmanHouse District 55Crawford 
    Rep. Matt WindschitlHouse District 56Harrison 
    Rep. Jack DrakeHouse District 57Pottawattamie 
    Rep. Dan CluteHouse District 59Polk 
    Rep. Libby JacobsHouse District 60Polk 
    Rep. J. Scott RaeckerHouse District 63Polk 
    Rep. Jim Van EngelenhovenHouse District 71Marion 
    Rep. Rich ArnoldHouse District 72Lucas 
    Rep. Betty De BoefHouse District 76Keokuk 
    Rep. Tom SandsHouse District 87Louisa 
    Rep. Dave HeatonHouse District 91Henry 
    Rep. Cecil DolecheckHouse District 96Ringgold 

    27 Aralık 2007 Perşembe

    Caucuses Are Representative Democracy, Not Undemocratic

    Caucuses Are Representative Democracy , Not Undemocratic

    In a recent New York Times piece, several veteran Iowa journalists label the Iowa Democratic Party's nomination process "The Undemocratic Caucuses" and argue that the press should press the Democratic Party vigorously for the release of the first round vote totals.

    In our quadrennial Iowa civics lesson, we're reminded that the Democrats report delegate totals, not vote counts. That's not good enough for Gilbert Cranberg, former editor of the editorial page of The Des Moines Register, Herb Strentz, former executive secretary of Iowa's Freedom of Information Council (and a former editorial mentor at Iowa Independent), and Glenn Roberts, former director of research for The Register.

    "As nongovernmental organizations, political parties are free to adopt whatever rules they favor," they write. "But the press does not have to be a party's silent partners. The news media need to quit tolerating the practice of denying the public access to factual information about how much support each Democratic candidate actually has on caucus night."

    That information would certainly be interesting, but labeling the process itself "undemocratic" is unfair. The caucuses are as democratic as it gets. But they aren't a direct democracy -- they're a representative democracy. A complicated, multi-level representative democracy, but still a democracy.

    Those delegates that the national press views as mere number complicators are living, breathing people, neighborhood level leaders elected to represent the Democrats of their precinct at a county convention. This convention chooses the district and state convention delegates that choose the national convention delegates. And it's the national convention delegates, not the raw vote count, that determines the nomination.

    The county convention also has some statutory authority. If there's a vacancy in a courthouse office and a special election is needed, there's no primary. The county convention chooses the nominee, and in a county dominated by one party, that can be decisive. In my county, conventions have nominated three county candidates in the last dozen years. Conventions can also choose nominees if a primary is indecisive and no candidate wins over 35 percent. After a four-way split in the 2002 primary, the 5th District Republican convention essentially elected Steve King to Congress.

    In any representative democracy, there are variations in turnout. Birds of a feather tend to flock together, so any districted election system tends to lump similar types of people together. Look, for example, at the U.S. House. Within a state, districts have the same census population, and each district gets one representative. In California, 2006 congressional district turnout ranged from 61,000 to 276,000 in 53 districts with the same on-paper population.

    In more homogeneous Iowa, voter turnout in 2006 varied from 180,399 in the 5th District to 223,082 in the 3rd. Reporting the raw vote totals gives us a Republican lead -- 522,388 to 492,937 -- but obscures the more important fact that while Steve King ran up the score, the Democrats won the close ones and earned three seats to the GOP's two.

    Who would you say won that contest? Would you consider a "Republicans win" headline misleading?

    Cranberg, Strenz and Roberts, in demanding the raw vote count, in effect want to write that headline. They prefer the simpler totals the GOP provides. But the Republican vote count is not directly connected to the nomination process. After the presidential vote, which the GOP openly calls a "straw poll," county convention delegates are elected without presidential preference. By that time, any untold number of people have gone home.

    Sports fans, look at it this way, what would you rather read: the team's won-loss record, or points for and against? I remember a couple years back, at midseason my beloved Green Bay Packers had a 2-7 record while outscoring their opponents. We had a fluke 49-3 win, and lost all the close ones. (This year things are much happier, despite that loss to the %$#%! BEARS Sunday.)

    In an earlier story, I compared two Johnson County precincts with the same number of delegates. Iowa City Precinct 18 is an activist hotbed, and 534 people attended the 2004 caucuses. North Liberty Precinct 1 is full of new voters, and only 171 attended. But based on voting behavior in 2000 and 2002, each had ten delegates. Those ten delegates represent the Democratic voters of the precinct -- ALL the Democratic voters, both the activists and the once every four years people. You could argue that in this sense, the caucus numbers are more representative than the raw vote count, because they are inclusive of the weak general election voters that the Democrats depend on in November.

    Cranberg, Strenz and Roberts also raise the point:
    It is possible that a second or third-tier candidate could garner a surprising 10 percent or 12 percent of the popular vote statewide and get zero delegates. (That's because to be in the running for a delegate a candidate must have support from at least 15 percent of the people at a precinct caucus.) He or she may have done two or three times as well as expected among Iowa's Democratic voters and get no recognition for it.

    That's true. Is that fair? Maybe. Because what does a surprising 10 percent mean in terms of real progress to the nomination? Zero. Once upon a time, the caucuses were measured as a small first step, and the national media prominently kept track of delegate counts toward the nomination. Now, the early states are an end in themselves, but at the end of the day it's still that delegate count that really matters.

    It would be nice to see the two sets of numbers, raw vote and delegate count, side by side, treated equally. But does anyone really believe anyone would pay any attention to the the result that in the official sense matters, the delegate count? Cranberg, Strenz and Roberts openly acknowledge, "Little or no attention is paid to the Republican delegate count, which the press does not even bother to report."

    Of course, all this side steps the real reason the raw vote isn't reported: New Hampshire thinks that's too much like a primary, and the convoluted results are one of the prices we pay for being first.

    26 Aralık 2007 Çarşamba

    The Uncommitted Option

    The Uncommitted Option

    Most uncommitted supporters this late in the game are either the genuinely undecided or party leaders who want to maintain neutrality. But Ed Flaherty of Iowa City hopes the Uncommitted group reaches viability and helps take the nomination process to the national convention.

    "Having the Democratic convention truly decide the nominee takes away five months of sliming and smearing that the Republicans intend to focus on our nominee," said Flaherty, "and will make the process of selecting a Democratic nominee a truly national effort between March and August." With the Republican field in flux, Flaherty noted, "Who knows, maybe the Republican process may also have to go to convention."

    "It's somewhat oxymoronic to be passionate about being uncommitted, but I believe it's the right place for me, and should be a welcome spot for other fervent supporters of a single candidate who need a home when their group proves to be not viable and they don't have a clear number two in their heart," said Flaherty, a retired Iowa City banker and peace activist. He spoke at the Johnson County central committee meeting earlier this month and urged supporters of non-viable candidates to consider uncommitted if they could not in good conscience back any viable candidate.

    An uncommitted group can be formed at the second-choice or realignment stage even if there isn't one to begin with. Party rules specify that there can be only one uncommitted group in a precinct.

    Flaherty says he doesn't have a favorite candidate, "though I admit that I would like to see someone from the second tier of candidates rise." He says he hasn't made any major effort to campaign for uncommitted but has had a lot of one on one conversations with activists. "If uncommitted is not viable, folks should go with their best judgment, and be pragmatic as to where can they be elected as a delegate, if in fact they want to be."

    Uncommitted actually won the caucuses in 1976, though Jimmy Carter's strong second was the key milestone in his road to the White House. The last strong uncommitted showing was a 12 percent second place in 1992, the year Tom Harkin ran for president and won Iowa overwhelmingly. In 2004, only 0.1 percent of delegates statewide were uncommitted.

    Johnson County elected scattered uncommitted delegates in 1996 when Bill Clinton ran unopposed for re-election, though reports of this were delayed until after press deadlines. Johnson County also chose one uncommitted delegate in 2000 (a labor activist who did not support his union's endorsed candidate chose uncommitted as a lesser step than open opposition).

    With their straight one person, one vote system, there is little strategic imperative to vote uncommitted in the Republican caucuses. "No preference" was at 0.4 percent statewide in 1996.

    25 Aralık 2007 Salı

    Newspaper Endorsements Start Piling Up

    Newspaper Endorsements Start Piling Up


    The big one -- the Des Moines Register -- dropped last weekend.  But as editorial board meetings wind down, newspapers across Iowa are starting to line up behind the presidential candidates.  The Democratic side shows a Barack Obama lead, six to four over Hillary Clinton (though she got the Register endorsement).



    The Republican contest is closer between Mike Huckabee and, despite his relative lack of campaigning in the state, John McCain.



    DemTotalDailyWeekly
    Obama642
    Clinton431
    Biden202
    Edwards110
    Dodd000
    Richardson000
    total1486


     



    PaperScheduleDem
    Sheldon N'West Iowa ReviewweeklyBiden
    Storm Lake TimesweeklyBiden
    Burlington Hawk EyeDailyClinton
    Davenport Quad-City TimesDailyClinton
    Des Moines RegisterDailyClinton
    Vinton EagleweeklyClinton
    Shenandoah Valley News TodayDailyEdwards
    Ames Iowa State DailyDailyObama
    Des Moines El LatinoweeklyObama
    Iowa City Daily IowanDailyObama
    Iowa City Press-CitizenDailyObama
    Logan Herald-ObserverweeklyObama
    Sioux City JournalDailyObama

     

     

     


    GOPTotalDailyWeekly
    Huckabee624
    McCain541
    Romney110
    Giuliani000
    Hunter000
    Keyes000
    Paul000
    Thompson000
    total1275

     

     

    PaperScheduleGOP
    Adel Dallas Co. NewsweeklyHuckabee
    Albia Union-RepublicanweeklyHuckabee
    Chariton LeaderweeklyHuckabee
    Iowa City Press-CitizenDailyHuckabee
    Sheldon N'West Iowa ReviewweeklyHuckabee
    Shenandoah Valley News TodayDailyHuckabee
    Ames Iowa State DailyDailyMcCain
    Davenport Quad-City TimesDailyMcCain
    Des Moines RegisterDailyMcCain
    Iowa City Daily IowanDailyMcCain
    Logan Herald-ObserverweeklyMcCain
    Sioux City JournalDailyRomney

    24 Aralık 2007 Pazartesi

    Christmas Eve Links

    Christmas Eve Links

    A couple share-worthy items while we're in the calm hurricane eye:

  • An interesting argument on fuel economy from The Daily Score:

    We should stop trying to design a techno-magic "car for the future." It really won't end our oil addiction or save us from climate change. At least not until we've done the dull and unsexy work of boosting fuel economy at the bottom of the fleet, where it matters far, far, far more.

    You save more fuel switching from a 15 to 18 mpg car than switching from a 50 to 100 mpg car. So here's my new policy proposal. While CAFE standards (fleet averages) are groovy, what we really need to do is simply outlaw vehicles that get below, say, 15 or 18 mpg.


    He does the math. Assume 15,000 mils a year. Going from 15 mpg to 20 mpg saves 250 gallons (15,000/15=1000, 15,000/20=750). But going from 35 to 40 mpg only saves 54 gallons (15,000/35=429, 15,000/40=375).

    Of course, there's different kinds of 15 mpg cars: brand new armor-plated Hummers driven by rich people, and old beaters driven by poor people.

  • The video game industry doesn't like Hillary; is she to video games what Tipper Gore was to rock?
  • 23 Aralık 2007 Pazar

    Wayne Ford Endorsement Gives Obama Legislative Lead

    Wayne Ford Endorsement Gives Obama Legislative Lead


    With Sunday's endorsement from Rep. Wayne Ford of Des Moines, Barack Obama takes the lead in endorsements from Iowa Legislators with 20 to Hillary Clinton's 19.


    Clinton still leads the Iowa Senate with 10, while Joe Biden has the most House endorsements with 14.


    Rumors had abounded that Ford was planning to endorse Clinton immediately after the Dec. 1 Brown and Black Forum in Des Moines, but on Dec. 4 Ford issued a non-endorsement, saying, "In my opinion, none of the candidates aggressively dealt with the problems in the urban communities."  In Sunday's Obama press release, Ford said Obama will be "a President who can successfully expand economic opportunity and access to affordable housing for every American - including those who live in urban communities."

    The release also noted that Ford's endorsement gives Obama support from all four of Iowa's African-American legislators.

    In addition to Ford, Obama recently picked up support from Council Bluffs Rep. Paul Shomshor, while Biden added Reps. Eric Palmer of Grinnell and Dennis Cohoon of Burlington.

    Only 14 of the 83 Democratic legislators remain uncommitted, including House Speaker Pat Murphy and Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal (whose family members are backing Clinton.)

    TotalSenateHouse
    Obama20713
    Clinton19109
    Biden16214
    Edwards1028
    Dodd321
    Richardson101
    Kucinich000
    Gravel000
    Uncommitted1477
    Total833053


    <
    NameDistrictHome CountyEndorsement2004 Endorsement
    Sen. Herman C. QuirmbachSenate District 23StoryBidennone
    Sen. Dr. Joe M. SengSenate District 43ScottBidennone
    Rep. McKinley BaileyHouse District 9HamiltonBidennew
    Rep. Doris KelleyHouse District 20Black HawkBidennew
    Rep. Roger ThomasHouse District 24ClaytonBidenKerry
    Rep. Polly BuktaHouse District 26ClintonBidenDean
    Rep. Dick TaylorHouse District 33LinnBidenKerry
    Rep. Lisa HeddensHouse District 46StoryBidenKerry
    Rep. Bruce HunterHouse District 62PolkBidenDean
    Rep. Kevin McCarthyHouse District 67PolkBidenLieberman
    Rep. Jim LykamHouse District 85ScottBidennone
    Rep. Mary GaskillHouse District 93WapelloBidenKerry
    Rep. John WhitakerHouse District 90Van BurenBidenGephardt
    Rep. Mike ReasonerHouse District 95UnionBidenLieberman
    Rep. Eric PalmerHouse District 75MahaskaBidennew
    Rep. Dennis CohoonHouse District 88Des MoinesBidenEdwards
    Sen. William A. Dotzler, Jr.Senate District 11Black HawkClintonGephardt
    Sen. Roger StewartSenate District 13JacksonClintonKerry
    Sen. Michael ConnollySenate District 14DubuqueClintonKerry
    Sen. Wally E. HornSenate District 17LinnClintonnone
    Sen. Rob HoggSenate District 19LinnClintonnone
    Sen. Dennis H. BlackSenate District 21JasperClintonKerry
    Sen. Dick L. DeardenSenate District 34PolkClintonGephardt
    Sen. Staci AppelSenate District 37WarrenClintonnew
    Sen. Becky SchmitzSenate District 45JeffersonClintonnew
    Sen. Gene FraiseSenate District 46LeeClintonnone
    Rep. Roger WendtHouse District 2WoodburyClintonKerry
    Rep. Mark KuhnHouse District 14FloydClintonGephardt
    Rep. Todd TaylorHouse District 34LinnClintonnone
    Rep. Swati DandekarHouse District 36LinnClintonKerry
    Rep. Paul BellHouse District 41JasperClintonKerry
    Rep. Beth Wessel-KroeschellHouse District 45StoryClintonnew
    Rep. Mary MascherHouse District 77JohnsonClintonKerry
    Rep. Vicki LensingHouse District 78JohnsonClintonnone
    Rep. Cindy WincklerHouse District 86ScottClintonDean
    Sen. Jeff DanielsonSenate District 10Black HawkDoddnew
    Sen. Tom HancockSenate District 16DubuqueDoddnew
    Rep. Ray ZirkelbachHouse District 31JonesDoddnew
    Rep. Bob KressigHouse District 19Black HawkEdwardsnew
    Sen. Daryl BeallSenate District 25WebsterEdwardsDean
    Sen. Keith A. KreimanSenate District 47DavisEdwardsEdwards
    Rep. Wes WhiteadHouse District 1WoodburyEdwardsGephardt
    Rep. Andrew WentheHouse District 18FayetteEdwardsnew
    Rep. Ro FoegeHouse District 29LinnEdwardsEdwards
    Rep. Art StaedHouse District 37LinnEdwardsnew
    Rep. Geri HuserHouse District 42PolkEdwardsEdwards
    Rep. Nathan ReichertHouse District 80MuscatineEdwardsnew
    Rep. Kurt SwaimHouse District 94DavisEdwardsEdwards
    Sen. Steve WarnstadtSenate District 1WoodburyObamaKerry
    Sen. Rich OliveSenate District 5StoryObamanew
    Sen. Bill HeckrothSenate District 9BremerObamanew
    Sen. Robert E. DvorskySenate District 15JohnsonObamaGephardt
    Sen. Tom RiellySenate District 38MahaskaObamanew
    Sen. Joe BolkcomSenate District 39JohnsonObamaDean
    Sen. Frank WoodSenate District 42ScottObamanew
    Rep. Brian QuirkHouse District 15ChickasawObamaKerry
    Rep. Deborah BerryHouse District 22Black HawkObamaKerry
    Rep. Pam JochumHouse District 27DubuqueObamaKerry
    Rep. David JacobyHouse District 30JohnsonObamaKerry
    Rep. Tyler OlsonHouse District 38LinnObamanew
    Rep. Mark SmithHouse District 43MarshallObamaKerry
    Rep. Donovan OlsonHouse District 48BooneObamaKerry
    Rep. Helen MillerHouse District 49WebsterObamaGephardt
    Rep. Janet PetersenHouse District 64PolkObamaKerry
    Rep. Ako Abdul-SamadHouse District 66PolkObamanew
    Rep. Elesha GaymanHouse District 84ScottObamanew
    Rep. Wayne FordHouse District 65PolkObamaEdwards
    Rep. Paul ShomshorHouse District 100PottawattamieObamaLieberman
    Rep. Marcella FrevertHouse District 7Palo AltoRichardsonDean
    Sen. John P. "Jack" KibbieSenate District 4Palo Alto Kerry
    Sen. Amanda RaganSenate District 7Cerro Gordo none
    Sen. Brian SchoenjahnSenate District 12Fayette new
    Sen. Matt McCoySenate District 31Polk Kerry
    Sen. Jack HatchSenate District 33Polk Kerry
    Sen. Thomas G. CourtneySenate District 44Des Moines Gephardt
    Sen. Michael E. GronstalSenate District 50Pottawattamie none
    Rep. Dolores MertzHouse District 8Kossuth none
    Rep. Tom SchuellerHouse District 25Jackson new
    Rep. Pat MurphyHouse District 28Dubuque none
    Rep. Jo OldsonHouse District 61Polk Kerry
    Rep. Rick OlsonHouse District 68Polk new
    Rep. Mark DavittHouse District 74Warren Kerry
    Rep. Philip L. WiseHouse District 92Lee Lieberman