tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194661012008-05-09T10:39:29.461-05:00IowaPolitics.com BlogWatchAdministratornoreply@blogger.comBlogger1830125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19466101.post-91012846172619234302008-05-09T10:38:00.000-05:002008-05-09T10:39:12.779-05:00Battleground Iowa: EndorsementsExcerpted from this post at Battleground Iowa
Well it seems like yesterday was endorsement day for Republicans who
have primaries on June 3rd. The first one to grace my inbox was from
the Miller-Meeks campaign, who received the endorsement from State
Representative Jeff Kaufmann. "Mariannette represents the best that
the Republican Party has to offer for service to this state. Her
unique Andy Szalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231075093580470496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19466101.post-70762958796456142452008-05-09T10:37:00.001-05:002008-05-09T10:39:29.912-05:00Iowa Independent: Stephanopoulos: 'The race is over' and Iowa will remain firstExcerpted from this post at Iowa Independent
The audience in King's Chapel on the campus of Cornell College in
Mount Vernon seemed to hold its collective breath Thursday night as
George Stephanopoulos gave voice to words about the Democratic
presidential nomination process that most in the nation have been
impatiently waiting to hear: "The race is over." The same quiet
audience emitted whoops ofAndy Szalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231075093580470496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19466101.post-4171720350983579382008-05-09T10:36:00.001-05:002008-05-09T10:36:53.340-05:00Politically Speaking: Dykstra disputes gas tax holidayExcerpted from this post at Politically Speaking
Some issues don't break down on party lines. A release by Joel
Dykstra, a Canton Republican who wants to join the U.S. Senate in
January 2009, serves as a good reminder. Dykstra lays out his
opposition to the idea of a federal gas tax holiday from Memorial Day
to Labor Day, an idea floated by Republican presumptive presidential
nominee John McCainAndy Szalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231075093580470496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19466101.post-7749528959950082012008-05-08T10:35:00.000-05:002008-05-08T10:38:53.008-05:00Battleground Iowa: 2nd CD primary heats upExcerpted from this post at Battleground Iowa
With the June 3rd primary less than a month away, it has been
relatively quiet. The there candidates running for the Republican
nomination for the U.S. Senate don't have the funds or ability to run
TV ads, and I doubt they will be running radio spots. But for all you
campaign junkies who like to watch a heated primary battle you just
need to tune Andy Szalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231075093580470496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19466101.post-27255636372543854192008-05-08T10:34:00.002-05:002008-05-08T10:35:37.428-05:00Krusty Konservative: Konservatives will have to "get local" to find victories in 2008Excerpted from this post at Krusty Konservative
Being inkognito has it advantages. During my extended time away from
the blog I was able to travel the state and get a better grasp of what
is on the hearts and mind of Iowa's konservative activists. I wish I
kould kome back here and tell you how fired up they were about the '08
elections but I kan't. Now that doesn't mean that we are hopeless whenAndy Szalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231075093580470496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19466101.post-15414579508468164342008-05-08T10:34:00.001-05:002008-05-08T10:34:41.891-05:00Radio Iowa: Grassley likely to "run again"Excerpted from this post at Radio Iowa
As noted last week, I have a friend in DC who ran in the Capital
Challenge and saw Senator Charles Grassley cross the finish line.
Yesterday, at the conclusion of Grassley's weekly conference call with
Iowa radio reporters, I asked him about the race and Grassley
expressed some discomfort with not improving his time. "You know,
after nine years of doing (Andy Szalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231075093580470496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19466101.post-46475133813118928112008-05-07T10:42:00.001-05:002008-05-07T10:42:32.431-05:00State 29: Not optional anymoreExcerpted from this post at State 29
From the Des Moines Register: "Iowa will hike its sales tax by 1 cent
per dollar, replacing local-option sales taxes that each of Iowa's 99
counties collect for school infrastructure, under a bill signed into
law today by Gov. Chet Culver. For most Iowans, there will be no
out-of-pocket difference because one tax is simply replacing another
that they pay Andy Szalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231075093580470496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19466101.post-16878683456818748572008-05-07T10:40:00.002-05:002008-05-07T10:41:48.588-05:00Popular Progressive: Is it over or full speed ahead?Excerpted from this post at Popular Progressive
Barack Obama won a decisive victory in North Carolina by slightly less
than 230,000 votes last night and Hillary Clinton has won in Indiana
by slightly more than 22,000 votes, so where does it leave things? If
the statements of the candidates count for anything, it looks like
more of the same all the way to the convention. The sad thing is that
Andy Szalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231075093580470496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19466101.post-2575943692620861452008-05-07T10:40:00.001-05:002008-05-07T10:40:28.972-05:00Essential Estrogen: Organization with conservative ties gives Iowa universities lower rankingExcerpted from this post at Essential Estrogen
High school students still debating which college or university to
attend in the fall have some new information at their fingertips.
Unfortunately, the information, provided by an organization with
conservative ties, doesn't shine a favorable light on most Iowa
institutions of higher education. Richard Vedder, director of the
Washington, D.C.-basedAndy Szalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231075093580470496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19466101.post-36569714683131312842008-05-07T10:37:00.000-05:002008-05-07T10:39:56.108-05:0024-Hour Dorman: Awkward momentExcerpted from this post at 24-Hour Dorman
Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal and House Speaker Pat Murphy
stopped at The Gazette today to tout their legislative
accomplishments. But before we dug into the meaty details of health
care, the leaders shared dead pigeon anecdotes. Apparently, the
Statehouse's resident nesting Peregrine Falcon catches and eats
resident pigeons. As Murphy described Andy Szalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231075093580470496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19466101.post-31119955094949013512008-05-06T10:37:00.001-05:002008-05-06T10:39:03.597-05:00The Iowa Conservative: Dave Vaudt once again looking out for IowaExcerpted from this post at The Iowa Conservative
State Auditor Dave Vaudt released a report today revealing yet another
way that Iowa Taxpayers have gotten the shaft from our state
government. Our esteemed leaders have paid A.T. Kearney, a consulting
firm roughly $4.5 million dollars over the past two years. Their task
was to find cost savings in the state budget. The justification for
this Andy Szalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231075093580470496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19466101.post-21606866303241039572008-05-06T10:36:00.001-05:002008-05-06T10:37:12.832-05:00Iowa True Blue: Let us now praise finite mathExcerpted from this post at Iowa True Blue
With a whopping 46 contests behind us, Senator Obama is now a mere 276
delegates away from securing the Democratic nomination. Tonight, as
the polls close, we will hear candidates, campaign staff, surrogates,
newspeople, pundits, and so on, ask (and answer) all sorts of
questions. There is, however, only one serious question today: Can
HRC make serious Andy Szalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231075093580470496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19466101.post-80281271390238872612008-05-06T10:35:00.000-05:002008-05-06T10:36:25.461-05:00John Deeth Blog: Harkin backs federal Election Day registrationExcerpted from this post at John Deeth Blog
Senator Tom Harkin has joined other senators from states with election
day voter registration is backing a bill that would extend same-day
registration to all states. But the delegation from Iowa, the newest
same-day registration state, is not united, with Rep. Steve King
voicing his opposition. Harkin is cosponsoring Senate bill 2959, first
offered byAndy Szalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231075093580470496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19466101.post-86670797746922484402008-05-05T12:12:00.000-05:002008-05-05T12:13:00.278-05:00John Deeth Blog: Iowa Dem chair Brennan remains committed to being uncommittedExcerpted from this post at John Deeth Blog
"I honestly haven't decided when I'll say something," Iowa Democratic
Party chair Scott Brennan told party activists in Iowa City Sunday. As
party chair, Brennan is also a national convention superdelegate, and
he and Senator Tom Harkin are the only two Iowa superdelegates who are
still uncommitted. "I'm a Pollyanna but I still have some hope that
Andy Szalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231075093580470496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19466101.post-36842337083575426402008-05-05T12:11:00.000-05:002008-05-05T12:12:06.492-05:00Iowa Progress: What will Ed Fallon run for next?Excerpted from this post at Iowa Progress
It is increasingly unlikely that Ed Fallon will win the Third District
Primary as his campaign is both broke and languishing far behind
Leonard Boswell in the polls. The question now arises what will
professional candidate Ed Fallon run for next? Fallon is a
professional candidate at this point (and, thanks to the still open
Fallon Loophole, can still Andy Szalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231075093580470496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19466101.post-34467565279897570812008-05-05T12:08:00.001-05:002008-05-05T12:08:35.839-05:00The Demo Memo: Attention Obamicans: Stop acting like childrenExcerpted from this post at The Demo Memo
I'm sitting here blogging from my favorite Des Moines, Iowa
breakfast/free wi fi place, The Gateway Market. I ran into a couple of
good friends of mine, Ross and Amy Daniels, who are Obama supporters.
I reminded them that Obama people need to quit being so negative
against Sen. Hillary Clinton and start showing some respect. When I
"confronted" him, RossAndy Szalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231075093580470496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19466101.post-22568615624241655422008-05-05T12:02:00.000-05:002008-05-05T12:03:05.763-05:00Krusty Konservative: McVeepstakes: The Good, the Bad and the downright UglyExcerpted from this post at Krusty Konservative
Seldom these days is there an exchange of political banter at
Wellman's or under the golden dome where the veepstakes doesn't come
up. There are seemingly endless possibilities for Sen. McKain to
choose from, but before we get into that let's take a look at the
good, the bad and the downright ugly schools of thought when deciding
on a running mate.Andy Szalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231075093580470496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19466101.post-15038098757394711562008-05-02T10:43:00.002-05:002008-05-02T10:44:37.512-05:00Radio Iowa: McCain's May Day in Des MoinesExcerpted from this post at Radio Iowa
It's Thursday, May 1, 2008, and Republican presidential candidate John
McCain is due to speak here at the Polk County Convention Complex at 2
o'clock this afternoon. A sign on the ground floor advises "Eddie's
Shoe Shine" is set up on he second floor. I didn't see a McCain
campaign sign anywhere. It's 1:25 p.m. McCain Iowa chairman Dave
Roederer is quizzingAndy Szalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231075093580470496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19466101.post-52059932185782559612008-05-02T10:43:00.001-05:002008-05-02T10:43:46.700-05:00Iowa True Blue: McCain & Des MoinesExcerpted from this post at Iowa True Blue
Earmarks Helped Des Moines Law Enforcement... Senator McCain has railed
against earmarks, dismissing them as pork for the special interests.
But during his trip to Des Moines today, McCain will enjoy the
protection of local law enforcement agencies that protect the people
of Des Moines and Polk County every day, partially with the assistance
of Andy Szalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231075093580470496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19466101.post-83185172186665591462008-05-01T10:58:00.001-05:002008-05-01T10:58:53.309-05:00Battleground Iowa: A Lesson for the Legislature from the Voters of Polk Co.Excerpted from this post at Battleground Iowa
No New Courthouse for Polk Co. ... A ballot measure that would have
raised property taxes in Polk County to get the $132 million needed
for a new Polk County Courthouse (and renovations to the old one)
failed by a wide margin yesterday. In order to be approved, the
measure needed to pass with 60% of the vote. Instead, it failed, with
the "no" votes Andy Szalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231075093580470496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19466101.post-38194725248335614162008-05-01T10:56:00.000-05:002008-05-01T10:58:00.056-05:00Bleeding Heartland: Gore and Clark raising money for BoswellExcerpted from this post at Bleeding Heartland
An envelope from the Boswell campaign arrived in the mail today.
Inside was a letter from Al Gore asking me to donate $20.00 to
Boswell's campaign, symbolizing the 2000 election "when Leonard stood
by my side". The text was identical to a recent e-mail Gore sent out
on Boswell's behalf, which I reproduced at the end of this post.
Unlike Matt StollerAndy Szalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231075093580470496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19466101.post-1379065936082906012008-05-01T10:54:00.000-05:002008-05-01T10:55:11.449-05:00John Deeth Blog: Kucinich To The Rescue For Florida, MichiganExcerpted from this post at John Deeth Blog
Still wringing your hands over the dispute between the Democratic
National Committee, the early states who played by the rules, and
calendar leapfroggers Florida and Michigan? Have no fear. Dennis
Kucinich is going to solve all our problems. The Cleveland
congressman, whose own 2008 presidential campaign fizzled, has
proposed allocating the Michigan Andy Szalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231075093580470496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19466101.post-21264859551500391132008-04-29T10:39:00.001-05:002008-04-29T10:39:51.565-05:00Bleeding Heartland: 10 ways for smokers to stop whining about the smoking banExcerpted from this post at Bleeding Heartland
Over at Iowa Independent, Douglas Burns has put up another post
complaining about the tough bill on public smoking that the
legislature adopted earlier this month. Burns offers 10 ways to deal
with the smoking ban which, in his words, will introduce "a radical
cultural change in many shot-and-a-beer, small-town taverns that dot
the Iowa landscape." Andy Szalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231075093580470496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19466101.post-82228496398387159802008-04-29T10:35:00.001-05:002008-04-29T10:38:46.240-05:00Iowa Progress: Ed Fallon displays agricultural expertiseExcerpted from this post at Iowa Progress
Despite being a city slicker from Sherman Hill, Ed Fallon displayed
his agricultural expertise last week when he reaped what he sowed with
Al Gore's endorsement of Leonard Boswell. To paraphrase what Fallon
said about the former Vice President, Gore can't support Fallon, won't
support Fallon and thinks Democratic primary voters in the 3rd
District Andy Szalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231075093580470496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19466101.post-29077790656168156182008-04-28T12:02:00.001-05:002008-04-28T12:02:34.590-05:00Century of the Common Iowan: 4th District Democratic Convention: Obama Gains A National DelegateExcerpted from this post at Century of the Common Iowan
The big news out of the 4th District Democratic Convention was that
Barack Obama picked up a national delegate. The 4th District had 507
seats to fill. At first count 425 of the seats were filled with
delegates and the first count was Obama 231, Clinton 147, Edwards 42,
Uncommitted 5. The remaining seats were filled with alternates. I was
Andy Szalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231075093580470496noreply@blogger.com