On a normal day, in a normal place, two presidential candidates at one event would be a banner event. But this is not a normal place -- it's Iowa 26 days before the caucuses. And even by Iowa standards, Saturday was not a normal day.
"I invited all the presidential candidates to come to this," said Dave Loebsack, but he was happy enough to get two contenders for his "birthday" fundraiser Saturday in Cedar Rapids. Joe Biden and John Edwards addressed an ebbing and flowing crowd that averaged 200 to 250.
"I haven't decided whether I'm going to endorse anyone or not," Loebsack told Iowa Independent. "I don't know if I'm going to or not, but if I do I'll certainly think about it long and hard. I've been getting a lot of calls from a lot of people, as I'm sure you might imagine." Loebsack, long active in caucus politics before his 2006 election to Congress, supported Bill Bradley in 2000 and Howard Dean in 2004.
Loebsack greets John Edwards.
Biden and Edwards didn't cross paths, as Edwards' arrival was delayed while his plane circled the icy Cedar Rapids airport. (The weather also kept away one expected guest, Loebsack's colleague Bruce Braley.) By the time Edwards arrived to the party, a few Obama supporters had snuck out to attend the big Oprahbama event.
Only the congressman and the presidential candidates spoke. But, in another indication of how intense the campaigning is getting, other campaigns sent in A-list surrogates -- not to speak but simply to work the crowd.
Sen. Barbara Mikulski shakes hands with an Edwards supporter.
Hillary Clinton sent Senator Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., who was there about long enough to do a quick standup with local TV. Biden was accompanied by his son Hunter. Edwards had his campaign chair, former House Democratic whip David Bonior, meeting and greeting the crowd long before his own arrival.
Ned Lamont with Joe Biden.
The Chris Dodd campaign sent netroots hero and 2006 Senate candidate Ned Lamont. "You're working for the most qualified candidate in the race other than me," Biden kidded Lamont, as he worked the crowd and offered as many hugs as handshakes. Biden also spoke effusively about Mikulski from the stage, alternately praising and teasing her. Biden was casual in dress and demeanor, leaning elbows on the podium and stepping down from the stage to get, as is his style, literally in the faces of the front row.
Biden offered no criticism of his Democratic rivals, saying "I am running with people I respect." He did, however, offer a line (to great applause) that got some attention as the header on a campaign email last week: "I will eat Rudy alive in the debates."
"Iowa is the last place where you have a chance without tens of millions of dollars," Biden said in praise of the caucuses. "You deserve to be the first in the nation because you take it seriously." One official, supporting another candidate, said Biden is doing very well in the Dubuque area.
Biden as usual, devoted most of his speech to foreign policy. "I know I talk a lot about Iraq. But Iraq is like a big boulder sitting in the middle of the road" that must be dealt with before any of the other international problems can be solved, he said. "No one is prepared to work with us until we settle that problem."
"We had the world in the palm of our hand after 9/11," said Biden, "and this president stiff-armed the rest of the world." Biden said if he had been president on 9/11 he would have done two things. He would have called a global anti-terrorism conference for October 1st -- "who would have said no to us?" -- and sent an energy independence bill to Congress. Biden said he would have told the American people that the energy plan would have required real sacrifices, "and I expect you to make those sacrifices."
The one new twist in The Edwards Speech, which slanted slightly more labor than usual in part due to the Teamster's hall location, was a brief mention of his brother. "My younger and only brother wouldn't have had health care if it weren't for his union." I've heard a few folks wonder aloud if Edwards had any siblings, and perhaps Team Edwards took note of that dynamic and recommended the brief mention.
Edwards also scaled back the by-name criticism of his Democratic opponents. The closest he came was a remark made while noting that Iowans have the in person chance to examine candidates character. "Judge us up or down, do you trust us or not," Edwards said.
Edwards supporter Joel Miller, the Linn County auditor, said the Edwards campaign in in good shape and "he'll peak at just the right time this time."
After his speech, Edwards met with SEIU members who'd traveled from California to campaign for him. "It was too hot at home, so I came here to cool off," said Jim Clifford of San Diego. "You've got a lot of good union folks here in Iowa, and they're teaching us a lot about the democratic process. I hope Iowa stays first forever."
The birthday boy (the actual date is Dec. 23 but Loebsack offered the too-close-to-Christmas lament of all us December babies) focused his own speech on thank yous and Congressional accomplishments. He offered one bipartisan note to the partisan crowd, on the SCHIP issue. "We've got a real ally in Senator Grassley on this." Loebsack also emphasized the need for a Democratic president to make those accomplishments real -- but stopped short of saying just who that Democratic president should be.
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