IowaPolitics.com BlogWatch

... GOP U.S. Senate candidate Christopher Reed went on Steve Deace's show yesterday and unloaded on the Republican Party of Iowa for "not supporting" his campaign. The fireworks were hard to hear over the sound of the black helicopters. Let's look at some things. 1) The party has tens of thousands of absentee ballots in, as well as satellite voters that they recruited - all Republicans. 2) They have more field offices and staff in the state than they've ever had - all getting votes for Reed. 3) Reed says 35,000 voted for him in the primary, yet he can't even raise ONE DOLLAR for every vote he got - newsflash, YOU have to do that, the party never has. 4) If you use all your money to purchase suits for yourself, you're not going to have a very sympathetic audience. Sorry fella.

Labels: Christopher_Reed, RPI

... Just now on WHO with Steve Deace, Reed had a firm, strong, articulate voice. He is out hitting the road, going it on his own and you STAB HIM IN THE BACK! Reed sees the road America is on to Socialism. He gets it! My already high opinion of Christopher Reed has just been elevated even more because he brought out into the open what the Iowa Brigade has already been posting about. The GOP leadership is not working FOR him! Now Iowa voters - where is your outrage, where is your financial support? Not only is Christopher at war with Tom Harkin, now he must battle with the GOP! On WHO/Deace Christopher Reed said he was being treated like he was running for dog catcher, that the GOP is out putting holes in his bucket. Disgusting.

Labels: Christopher_Reed, Iowa GOP, Tom_Harkin

Something's missing on Iowa's political landscape this year: Tom
Harkin's perennial red-hot race. Yet despite the low to invisible
profile of Harkin's Republican opponent, Chris "Who?" Reed, a recent
Research 2000 poll showed the Marion businessman and first-time
candidate with 40 percent of the vote, to the four term incumbent's
54. The two week old Des Moines Register Iowa Poll shows Harkin with a
bit bigger lead, 53 percent to 34 percent. That might not sound like
much, but remember, John McCain only got 40 percent in that same
Register poll. So how the heck does Reed, who's raised almost no
money, has a campaign website that looks like a homemade nightmare
straight out of 1996, and has Republicans openly talking about writing
in one of the primary losers, even get to the mid-30s to low 40s in a
poll? Who IS this guy?

Labels: Christopher_Reed, Tom_Harkin

This blog correctly predicted that Ed Fallon was going to lose in his
attempt to wrestle the Democratic nomination away from Leonard
Boswell. Funny how you don't hear any Democrats waxing on about how
being against the war is a political advantage. After all, Fallon is
against all wars and Boswell voted for the war in Iraq. Now, it seems,
Fallon is begging other Democrats to bail him out of $35,000 worth of
campaign debt. I don't know why the Republican Party of Iowa doesn't
approach Fallon and promise to pay off his debt in exchange for
running as a hardcore, anti-war, left-wing independent candidate
against Democrat Tom Harkin in November. That might look a little
weird, seeing how the RPI has to throw money at yet another lousy
Senate candidate (some loser name Christopher Reed).

Labels: Christopher_Reed, Ed_Fallon, RPI

Are you going to call for a recount or not? Yesterday after the
kanvass Christopher Reed, had 24,916 votes, Eichhorn had 24,392 votes
and marathon kampaigner Steve Rathje of finished with 21,106 votes.
The question now is will Eichhorn call for a recount and prevent Reed
from using the State Convention this Saturday to rally support for his
campaign. Also of note I have received a handful of emails claiming
that Christopher Reed is not on the agenda to speak at the state
convention, I'm sure it's a typo, especially if Eichhorn doesn't ask
for a recount. While I respect that Eichhorn has every right to ask
for the recount the best outcome that he kould get would be for it to
go to konvention, another battle that he would lose.

Labels: Christopher_Reed, RPI

County canvasses on Monday and Tuesday changed few votes in two close
Republican contests from last week's primary. Christopher Reed held
both his lead in the U.S. Senate race over George Eichhhorn and, more
importantly, his percentage above the required 35 percent. Canvass
numbers had Reed at 24,916 votes, for 35.26 percent. Eichhorn had
24,392 votes, for 34.52 percent. Third place candidate Steve Rathje
won 21,106 votes, for 29.87 percent. The 249 write-ins keep those
percentages from adding to 100. News reports on election night had
Reed with 25,159 votes and 35.29 percent, with Eichhorn at 24,756 and
34.71 percent.

Labels: Christopher_Reed, Iowa GOP

U.S. Senate Candidate Christopher Reed was on Iowa Press this weekend
despite the threats of legal action against IPTV from George Eichhorn
who claims the race for the Republican nomination is still in
progress. Since I have yet to hear from the Eichhorn campaign, I guess
it's OK with them that I write this article. If you are looking for a
smooth polished politician, then you are probably disappointed in
Reed's performance. If you are looking for a sincere, thoughtful,
non-politician, then it's pretty clear you have your guy. What most
people need to understand is that you can't have it both ways. Reed
looked great with his ivory coat, white shirt and no tie. It screamed
youth, and anti-Washington.

Labels: Christopher_Reed

By tomorrow we'll likely know if the Iowa Republican Party state
convention will have some conflict or it will be a point-to-the-fall
lovefest. Still not settled is the U.S. Senate primary, in which three
candidates got at least 29.8 percent of the vote. Today and tomorrow
county boards of supervisors are canvassing votes, which will provide
the official vote totals, including absentee ballots that weren't
received by the June 3 primary. The voting had Christopher Reed of
Marion with 35.2 percent, George Eichhorn of Stratford with 34.65
percent and Steve Rathje of Cedar Rapids with 29.8 percent. If the
lower placers get a few more votes, they could bring Reed's percentage
below 35 percent, which would mean the nomination would be decided at
the state convention on June 14.

Labels: Christopher_Reed, Iowa GOP, U.S. Senate

Wonders never cease. It appears that the Iowa GOP might actually send
in a true conservative to take on liberal icon Tom Harkin for U.S.
Senate. Christopher Reed (apparently a conservative) squeaked into the
GOP nomination by about 400 votes over his nearest challenger. In the
last go-round six years ago, GOP primary voters narrowly chose
moderate Greg Ganske over conservative ex-Marine Bill Salier. Ganske
now serves as a rug in Harkin's Bahama beach home. Reed got my
attention by earning the endorsement of Gun Owners of America. Since
they don't endorse a candidate in every race, when they do it means
the candidate is a true Second Amendment leader.

Labels: Christopher_Reed, Iowa GOP

Congratulations are in order for Christopher Reed, who secured the GOP
Senate nomination, pending a possible recount at the request of George
Eichhorn. Many are complaining about this, but it is certainly within
Mr. Eichhorn's rights to do so according to Iowa election law should
he choose, due to the closeness of the race. Where do we go from here?
No matter what happens in regards to a recount, Reed needs to look
straight ahead and not give it a whole lot of thought. The guy has
some serious catch-up to do. Now between you and me and the wall, I
think we all know that Reed will never catch up to the dollar amount
in Harkin's war chest. That doesn't mean though that he shouldn't go
out there and at least act like he can.

Labels: Christopher_Reed, Tom_Harkin

Talk about tiny margins - Chris Reed finished last night with a 413
vote lead over George Eichhorn in the GOP Senate primary. Steve Rathje
is about 3800 votes behind the two leaders. Chris is sitting with
35.29% of the vote so a recount and challenges could very well send
this race to the GOP State Convention on June 14. Now that will be
wild. Given the current mood of the Republican rank and file it would
appear that Chris' outsider status will be popular in a state
delegation that is longing for party reform and regeneration. However,
George is well liked by almost everyone who knows him and is likely to
have dozens if not a hundred or more good friends in the delegation to
work the floor on his behalf.

Labels: Christopher_Reed, Tom_Harkin