IowaPolitics.com BlogWatch

"Little is riskier to the national interest than more of the same" ...
True to form, former congressman Jim Leach, R-Iowa, delivered a speech
to the Democratic party's 2008 convention that was part endorsement,
part treatise on American government Monday night. "In troubled times,
it was understood that country comes before party," Leach said after
listing several examples of bipartisanship in U.S. history. "As a
Republican, I stand before you with deep respect for the history and
traditions of my political party," Leach said at the beginning of his
speech. "But it is clear to all Americans that something is akilter
in our great republic. In less than a decade, America's political and
economic standings in the world have been diminished."

Labels: Jim_Leach

This morning's liveblog subject may be hard to top from the confines
of my living room, but at least I don't have the Secret Service rifle
squad sitting behind me. I'm sure even my most loyal readers will go
to other sources for the big speakers (but was it hard not to feel a
lump in the throat for Ted Kennedy.) Here's Candy Schmeider from Iowa
County as one of the Real People (working mom, precinct volunteer
etc.) slotted in between the big speakers. I can't pull a quote out
but the gist is "Obama inspired me." Have to flip over to CSPAN to
catch it; MSNBC was talking to Chris Dodd about Kennedy. Tom Harkin is
doing double duty: He's signing and letting the interpreter speak, and
he's introducing Jim Leach. Never thought I'd say that. "We Iowans
never genuflect to ideology," he says (now with his own voice) by way
of introduction.

Labels: IDP, Jim_Leach, Tom_Harkin

Jim Leach is taking his Barack Obama endorsement on the cable news
circuit, appearing Tuesday night on Chris Matthews' "Hardball" on
MSNBC in a "Republicans for Obama" segment. "Do we want a new
direction rooted in historical American values, or one that might be
described as aberrational, that is unusual, in which we attack
countries that haven't attacked us, in which we lay plans for long
term occupation of a land where America and the West are deeply
resented," Leach asked. "It's time for a change and that change needs
to come quickly." Leach declined to state who Abraham Lincoln would
support in this election -- yes, Matthews actually asked. "It's always
presumptuous to think of anyone in a historical setting," Leach said ...

Labels: Barack_Obama, Jim_Leach

In yesterday's conference call endorsing Barack Obama, Jim Leach
suggested a fellow Republican, Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, as Obama's
running mate. Jim, you were always a modest guy. If Obama's going to
go with a Republican, how about you? Lord, two years ago I never
thought I'd say that. The most partisan Democrats might scream at the
notion of a Republican on the ticket. But Leach, at age 66 on Election
Day 2008, would be an unlikely prospect for the White House in 2012 or
2016. And talk about the symbolism. In his pre-Congress diplomatic
career, Leach literally worked side by side with Dick Cheney and
Donald Rumsfeld. Leach is a far better fit on the issues than Hagel.

Labels: Barack_Obama, Jim_Leach

The talk of the Iowa political universe today is that former U.S. Rep.
Jim Leach (allegedly a Republican) has endorsed Barack Obama for
president. I'm disgusted by this. While many of us have our reasons
for not being thrilled with McCain, an actual endorsement of Obama
crosses the line. Obama's attempt to appeal to evangelicals by talking
some of the talk of Christianity, all the while making a mockery of
every ideal Christians should hold dear (i.e. life, marriage, family)
is just evil. The sad thing is, he's fooled many Christians in the
process. And he's fooled Jim Leach too, particularly in the area of
foreign policy.

Labels: Barack_Obama, Jim_Leach

The Associated Press reports today that former 2nd District
Congressman Jim Leach has endorsed Barack Obama for president. I was a
supporter of Jim Leach for as long as he was my congressman. I often
found myself defending him to conservative friends. Yes, I disagreed
with him on abortion, campaign finance and to a lesser degree the war.
But he was a Republican and helped us maintain a majority in the US
House. Personally, I know Leach to be an honest man and a gentleman.
He nominated my daughter for the Congressional Page program. During
her tenure in Washington, she had nothing but praise for the
Congressman and his interaction with the pages and staff. RINO
(Rebublican In Name Only) is not a phrase I use very often. I am not a
part of Steve Deace's Operation Extinction - to rid the party of
RINO's.

Labels: Barack_Obama, Jim_Leach

According to a source in the Obama campaign, former Iowa Congressman
Jim Leach -- a Republican -- will be endorsing Democratic presidential
candidate Barack Obama this morning. Leach, as you may recall, lost
his bid for re-election in 2006 after three decades representing
portions of eastern Iowa in congress. Leach was considered a
"moderate" Republican and was a backer of campaign finance reform.
Leach did not accept campaign contributions from political action
committees. Leach became a professor at his alma mater -- Princeton --
and then was asked to be the interim director of Harvard University's
Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government when its
director left to run for the U.S. Senate. The institute's new director
is to start September 1, 2008. Leach's wife has contributed the
maximum amount allowed to Obama's campaign.

Labels: Barack_Obama, Jim_Leach

Elisabeth Leach, wife of former Iowa Republican Congressman Jim Leach,
donated $1,000 to Democrat Barack Obama's presidential campaign on
June 30, the quarterly reporting deadline. Elisabeth Leach listed her
occupation as art historian and author on the Federal Election
Commission campaign finance report. Her works include Grant Wood: The
Artist in the Hayloft, published in 2004. The June donation was
Elisabeth Leach's second donation of at least $250 to Obama. She also
donated $250 on March 24. Jim Leach was considered the most moderate
Republican in Congress during much of his 30-year tenure. He lost his
seat to Democrat Dave Loebsack in one of 2006's biggest upsets.

Labels: Barack_Obama, Jim_Leach

Iowa's highest and mightiest gathered Saturday night in Coralville to
honor a groundbreaking physician and two political leaders who have
continued their public service despite their rejection by Iowa voters.
The annual Hoover-Wallace dinner raised over $57,000 for the
Borlaug-Ruan International Internship Program and honored former
congressman Jim Leach and former Senator John Culver for their public
service, and Dr. Ignacio Ponseti for his pioneering method of treating
children born with clubfoot, a congenital bone defect. The guest list
was a who's who of Iowa politics, including Governor Chet Culver, son
of the former senator.

Labels: Chet_Culver, Jim_Leach

The Washington Post is linking former Iowa congressman Jim Leach to
Unity 08, a bi-partisan group that's exploring running a centrist
third party bid for the Presidency in 2008. Speculation is that the
group will select New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg as its nominee,
both for his bipartisan appeal (as an Independent who has previously
been both a Democrat and a Republican) and for his multi-billion
dollar fortune. If Leach backs a Bloomberg candidacy, this would have
big repercussions in 2008 in Iowa. Leach, despite his defeat in 2006,
was well-liked even by most Democrats who voted against him.

Labels: Jim_Leach

Former Iowa Congressman Jim Leach says he is "extremely pessimistic"
about U.S. relations with Iran. "We've administered a policy analogous
to the same policy we've had towards Cuba, both attitudinally and in
effect, of not talking and of basically refusing to deal on a
respectful basis," the head of Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of
Government told Iowa Independent. "Isolating a potential foe is in
many circumstances counterproductive. Just as we should be having
more civil relations as much as we disagree with Castro, I think if we
had more civil relations with Iran we'd be in much better
circumstances to achieve a diplomatic outcome."

Labels: Jim_Leach

Former Iowa Congressman Jim Leach says the potential for war with Iran is not getting the attention it merits. In a phone interview Thursday, Leach said: "The largely unfollowed issue is whether there will be another war with Iran, and what is the role of Congress. The likelihood is there will not be a pre-emptive strike, but whether the possibility that there will be one is 5% or 45% ... those are not trivial." ... Leach declined comment on mention of his name for the World Bank presidency; we spoke just minutes before current head Paul Wolfowitz announced his resignation. Leach was also mentioned for the job while he was still in Congress at the time Wolfowitz was appointed. He seems happy with his new career: "My wife and I have enjoyed being in an academic community. We prefer living there rather than in a political community."

Labels: Jim_Leach