Hola from Bob's Your Uncle on North Dodge Street in Iowa City, where Senate candidate Roxanne Conlin will be meeting and greeting and speaking soon.
5:14 and the candidate has just arrived. Some other honorables on hand: Senator Bob DVorsky, Regenia Bailey (the only city council member I'm not PO'd at) and Supervisor Sally Stutsman. The UDems are first in line for proprieter Randy Larson's finest pizza.
Conlin with Caitlin Ross of the UDems.
5:27 and Conlin is working the room; I've been worked and the medium of liveblogging is praised. She's been working the netroots herself, citing Daily Kos and Crooks and Liars. I get a laugh when I note that the laptop is Microsoft-free, but that ends our chat.
Conlin specifically seeks out the UDems and chats with them about best possible scheduling for an event before finals.
Other assorted knots of conversation are looking at legislative races (this event, and Johnson County Central Committee to follow, will delay my daily update).
Sue Dvorsky chats with a couple folks about the Iowa-Mississippi club; we drop some names of some of Iowa's almost coulda shoulda women winners. Sue was one of the earliest Obama backers and notes that he wasn't supposed to be able to win Iowa either.
5;45 and we're rolling. Sue handles the intros with her usual and looks forward to "the most exciting campaign in the last... two years."
Conlin's on and referencing herself as a "progressive, Democratic, feminist candidate."
"I want to go to Washington DC and represent the interest of the people of Iowa." Biographical stories about her impoverished youth. "There are people today in Iowa with no money and no insurance. That is immoral, it is not right to deny people health care because they don't have money."
"I will not be cold or hungry again, but as long as there are cold and hungry people in the US then I have a responsibility to speak up and do something about it. I have spent my life as an attorney speaking up for people who don't have a voice."
Microsoft suit "60 million dollars goes to K-12 to close the digital divide." ("Every now and then I hear that MS GAVE $60 million. Not really."
References the 1982 loss as "I was first runner up."
"Before I though about running, I tried to stop foreclosures in Iowa." Calls banks "tone deaf and arrogant" for the bonuses. "I got your money back from Microsoft, I'll get your money back from Wall Street."
Moves on to Grassley with a mock-gentle retirement nudge: "thank him for his 50 years of service and let him rest." Notes Chuck's approval under 50% for first time. "He's got corporations, but I've got all of you."
"Iowans need and deserve a US Senator who will put Main Street in front of Wall Street." (Tom Fiegen's populist rhetoric has been assimilated?) "If you help me, when I'm elected you will be proud."
That wraps the remarks, on to ???s at 6 straight up. Jobs are question one; she talks small investments and infrastructure. "Weatherization cannot be outsourced."
The 99 county tour has drawn "good and enthusiastic crowds, I have absolutely loved it." 2/3 done. "It has made me a better candidate and person."
Holly Hart asks nuke power: "I'm not too crazy about that" says Conlin to applause. Talks green energy: "we in Iowa are in such a great place for that."
Regenia Bailey, Roxanne Conlin, Sue Dvorsky
"Speaking of creation of energy," says Sue Dvorsky, who makes the volunteer pitch. Audience member references the date and says we will "March forth." Which reminds me of Jedi Day: May the 4th be with you.
Our crowd count is "in excess of 50" says Regenia Bailey. The little basket is full of envelopes, but this is only incidentally a fundraiser.
"Who are some of these new people?" wonders ex-chair Brian Flaherty, who goes to meet them. (Current Chair Dennis Roseman is also in the house.) 6:22 and Roxanne is still in the rolling conversation. Looks like she's getting ready to wrap, though; she says goodbye to her oldest grandson who's a UI senior. So I'll call it a wrap; tune in later tonight for central committee.
(And I didn't get any pizza till I got home.)
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