IowaPolitics.com BlogWatch

... 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 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

U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin is giving $7,000 each to two Oskaloosa Democrats
for their re-election campaigns -- State Sen. Tom Rielly and State
Rep. Eric Palmer. Winners were chosen by a vote on Harkin's Web site
as a part of his "Building Blue" campaign to increase Democratic
majorities in the Iowa Legislature. More than 6,000 Harkin supporters
voted.

Labels: Tom_Harkin

Saying "the worst may not be behind us" with severe weather, U.S. Sen.
Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, today said an emergency federal appropriation may
be in order to assist the state with the effects of devastating storms
and flooding. "This is a disaster and our federal government should
respond," Harkin said. In a conference call this morning Harkin said
he would seek to work with the Bush Administration on any necessary
federal designations and funding for Iowa in the wake of tornadoes and
flooding that have reminded Iowans of 1993. His office has been in
regular contact with FEMA and other officials, Harkin said.

Labels: Tom_Harkin

One day after the race for the Democratic presidential nomination
effectively ended, U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa threw his long-awaited
endorsement to the winner, Barack Obama. Harkin told reporters,
according to several news accounts, that his sensitivity to the
passion displayed by backers of Hillary Clinton, including his wife
Ruth Harkin, prompted him to withhold judgment until judgment was
dressed in its jammies and in bed. Other analysts, a.k.a. me, say
Harkin actually supported Clinton all along but was too afraid to say
so after Obama won a historic caucus victory. What would the fired up
kids say if Tommy H joined that square Tommy V on the magic bus back
to the 90s?

Labels: Barack_Obama, Tom_Harkin

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

I'm surprised that absolutely nobody has picked up the story of Tom
Harkin's $10 million-plus electric bus program for Cedar Rapids, Iowa,
which was recently scrapped and sold at auction for a grand total of
$30,000. Here's the original story from the Cedar Rapids Gazette. And
here's the GovDeals.com web page showing that all nine buses sold for
$30,000. The nine buses had, combined, less than 200,000 miles on
them. Yep, that's right. All had less than 25,000 miles. Three had
less than 10,000 miles of service. ... But who was able to come up with
the money for the buses and the program?

Labels: Tom_Harkin

With relatively few worries about re-election for the first time,
Senator Tom Harkin is turning his efforts to helping state legislative
candidates. A campaign email Monday steered Harkin supporters to a
"Building Blue" page, where readers can enter their email address
(thus building Harkin's list) and vote on which legislative candidates
should receive up to $7,000 from Harkin. But a look in the drop-down
boxes shows that incumbents with primaries are listed, but their
challengers aren't. A Harkin spokesperson said the list was provided
by the House Democratic Caucus and did not constitute endorsement, but
the House Democratic campaign director says otherwise.

Labels: Tom_Harkin

"I'm too old to be vice president," Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley told
Capitol Hill newspaper The Hill. Grassley is 74; Republican
presidential candidate John McCain is 71. "But I am young enough to be
reelected to the Senate," said Grassley, hinting at a run for a sixth
Senate term in 2010. The Hill asked all 97 senators who aren't running
for president for their thoughts on the vice presidency and published
the verbatim responses. Iowa Democrat Tom Harkin demurred on the vice
presidency himself, saying his choice is Daily Show host John Stewart.
Other responses from senators Iowans may know well...

Labels: Charles_Grassley, Tom_Harkin

U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, joined Lilly Ledbetter Wednesday in
calling for an end to the pay discrimination American women endure
with every paycheck. The Supreme Court ruled last year that Ledbetter,
a supervisor at the Goodyear Tire plant, could not sue for pay
discrimination because she did not file her claim within 180 days of
her pay being set. Her visit to Capitol Hill came as the Senate plans
to take up the Fair Pay Restoration Act, a legislative fix for the
ruling that narrowed an employee's right to sue over employment
discrimination. Harkin is an original co-sponsor of the bill.

Labels: Tom_Harkin

A few days ago, Des Moines Register reporter Jane Norman wrote a story
about earmarks Iowa's members of Congress obtained for projects in
2007. The article was based on the 2008 "Congressional Pig Book,"
published by Citizens against Government Waste. The Register notes:
"Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonprofit, nonpartisan group
that takes aim at waste and fraud in government. To qualify as pork,
projects must meet one of seven criteria: a request by just one member
of Congress"... Norman noted that since Democrats took control of
Congress in he 2006 elections, Senator Tom Harkin now chairs a "key
appropriations subcommittee."

Labels: Tom_Harkin, U.S. House, U.S. Senate

Former State Representative George Eichhorn has announced, according to a story in the Des Moines Register, that he will be running to be the Republican nominee to take on Democrat Tom Harkin. Eichhorn joins Cedar Rapids businessmen Steve Rathje and Christopher Reed in their quest to be the GOP standard bearer against Harkin. Eichhorn starts the race, like Reed and Rathje, as relative unknowns statewide. Undoubtedly, Rathje and Reed are better known where their natural bases are: Eastern Iowa. Eichhorn, who is from Central Iowa, will have higher name identification there. Eichhorn lost his 2006 re-election bid to liberal freshman State Representative McKinley Bailey.

Labels: Tom_Harkin

A week or so ago I got another fundraising e-mail from Senator Harkin's campaign. Don't take this the wrong way, because I strongly support and admire Harkin, but the $35 I spent on my ticket to the steak fry in September was the last money he'll see from me for a while. When you start the election year with $3.4 million in the bank, and your only declared opponent has $58.07 in the bank, I think my political donations will be more helpful to other Democrats.

Labels: Tom_Harkin

Senator Tom Harkin talked with Iowa reporters by phone this morning. Here's the roughly two-and-a-half minute mp3/audio file of his commentary on the Clinton campaign. Here Harkin is transcribed: "Well, I agree with our chairman Howard Dean. I sure hope this gets settled before we go to convention. That'd be very late. That'd be at the end of August. We've never had anything that late before we've had a candidate. So I don't know, I think, you know, looking at Super Tuesday, things came out pretty even. Now, again, I'm not a real expert in this but just listening to the pundits and sort of reading what I can on it it looks as though the calendar for this month favors Obama."

Labels: Hillary_Clinton, Tom_Harkin

... are heeding their calls. As Simon Stevenson noted here last week,
the Iowa Republican Party's fundraising lags well behind what Iowa
Democrats have raised for the upcoming elections. Now the Des Moines
Register reports that Tom Harkin has $3.4 million in the bank going
into his re-election campaign. Prominent Republicans are taking a pass
on this race, and Harkin's only declared opponent 'is Steve Rathje, a
Cedar Rapids businessman. Rathje as of Sept. 30 had raised about
$49,000 for his campaign and had $259 cash on hand.' Finally, Harkin
gets to take it easy. He had to fight hard against Greg Ganske in
2002, although he ended up winning by a comfortable margin.

Labels: RPI, Tom_Harkin

First it was Bill Scherle, the then incumbent Republican Congressman
who Tom Harkin dispatched back in 1974. Then it was Tom Tauke, who as
a sitting GOP Representative lost in his bid to challenge by then
Senator Harkin in 1990. In 1996 it was Jim Ross Lightfoot's turn to
play the role of the sitting GOP Congressman to lose to Harkin, and in
2002 it was time for Republican Rep. Greg Gansketo to lose to Harkin.
In fact, it's as if a run against Harkin is where sitting Republican
members of Congress from Iowa go to end their careers.

Labels: Steve King, Tom_Harkin

Labels: Barack_Obama, Bill_Richardson, Chet_Culver, Chris_Dodd, Hillary_Clinton, IDP, Joe_Biden, John_Edwards, Tom_Harkin

In the last few weeks I've traveled to over 26 cities and towns all
over Iowa to meet face to face with residents and listen to their
hopes, their concerns, and their feedback on the 2007 farm bill, which
will strengthen investment and economic opportunities for our rural
communities and farmers, conserve our environment while decreasing our
dependence on foreign sources of oil and improve the quality and
safety of our food and nutritional options for our children. What
struck me most during these personal meetings was how our uniquely
American entrepreneurial spirit is stronger than ever. I have always
believed that one of the cardinal responsibilities of government is to
provide the basic infrastructure for Americans with innovative ideas
to be able to readily carry them out -- and in Washington, Anamosa,
Lake City, and other cities and rural communities across Iowa -- I was
able to witness this entrepreneurial spirit first hand.

Labels: agriculture, Tom_Harkin

(Sen. Harkin gives us the low-down from the Capitol. Leave your
comments and his campaign will try to get to them as soon as
possible--if you haven't noticed, they're a bit busy up there. -
promoted by Chris Woods) Earlier tonight, I stood on the floor of the
Senate to show my support for our men and women in uniform by trying
to bring them home. As you know, the Senate held a rare all-night
session because Republicans are filibustering our efforts to get an up
or down vote on re-deploying our troops out of Iraq. It's that simple.
In an extraordinary display of fealty to President Bush and his failed
Iraq policy, Republicans are literally refusing to allow a vote on an
amendment to bring home our soldiers and reduce the U.S. involvement
in Iraq. The American people deserve to know where every Senator
stands on the most important issue facing Congress. We must not allow
Republicans to block an up or down vote with procedural semantics. I
wanted to make sure my colleagues knew where Iowans stand on the
issue. So earlier tonight, while on the floor, I read some letters
that I have received from Iowans, including Iowa soldiers and their
families.

Labels: Iraq, Tom_Harkin

(Please welcome Senator Tom Harkin to Bleeding Heartland. Leave him
some comments and let him know that you'll help him out. - promoted by
Chris Woods). As many in the progressive blogosphere are already
aware, the Senate has been debating the National Defense Authorization
Act, which will set military policy for the coming fiscal year. My
Democratic colleagues and I -- as well as a few but growing number of
Republicans -- are determined to take this opportunity to demand
fairer treatment of our troops and force President Bush to listen to
the will of the American people and change course in the war in Iraq.
Yesterday, the first amendment to the defense bill was authored by
Senator Jim Webb of Virginia. Senator Webb's troop-protection
amendment would have required that active-duty troops receive as much
time at home - recuperating and retraining - as they spend in combat,
while giving the president the authority to waive these requirements
if additional troops are needed in an emergency. I was proud to
co-sponsor Senator Webb's legislation because I felt that it was time
to bring the systematic abuse of our re-deploying troops to an end.

Labels: Iraq, Tom_Harkin

In an email to supporters, Sen. Tom Harkin announced his wife Ruth plans to formally endorse Democratic candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton. In the email, Harkin explains that he and Ruth are no strangers to passionate political involvement and that his wife did not take this decision lightly. "Ruth took many things into account before deciding on this endorsement," Harkin wrote. "When Ruth was elected to the position of Story County Attorney in 1972, she was honored to be the first woman to hold the position of county attorney in our state's history -- and one of the first female county-wide prosecutors in the country. It was an exciting and challenging time for her, but it taught her that groundbreaking accomplishments just don't happen. They are not just made -- they happen over time and with hard work, determination and focus." Ruth Harkin served as county attorney in Story County until 1979. She was the county's lead criminal prosecutor and also served as its corporate attorney.

Labels: Hillary_Clinton, Tom_Harkin

It has been over 6 months since I posted my novella on the upcoming
2008 United States Senate races. The post was so long, I thought I
would never finish it, but alas I did. I decided it was time to update
the outlook on the Senate races since we have a little more clarity as
to where the races are headed in terms of challengers and incumbents…
Iowa: Tom Harkin. Oh, I wish we could send Tom and Ruth off into the
sunset of the Bahamas (where their residence is). But alas, we have
yet to recruit a top notch candidate. I've written a few posts about
this race in the past so check out the archives. We know we're going
to see Steve Rathje and Bob McDowell in a Republican primary for sure.
Businessman Bruce Rastetter and former Vander Plaats campaign manager
Troy Cook have been floated. Congressman King has no doubt looked at
the race and Democrats seem convinced that Tom Latham is going to run
after Jane Norman of the Register wrote a story about Tom moving to
Ames but we all know that is old news and Norman is just a year behind
in the times.

Labels: Tom_Harkin, U.S. Senate

Rumors are flying that Iowa Falls native Bruce Rastetter may run against Tom Harkin in '08. Rastetter is CEO of Hawkeye Renewables and has the money to personally finance a top-notch campaign. He also has an acute knowledge of Iowa's new goldmine, ethanol & renewable fuels. While Rastetter would be a great conservative candidate, I don't think he will run. He has been around GOP politics long enough to know the uphill battle of running against Harkin, but more than that, he is the CEO of a fairly new company that is really just getting started in the ethanol movement. While Rastetter has not formally said he will not run, I'm interested to know who you think should be the GOP candidate against Harkin in '08? ... The fact that Rastetter's name has come to such prominence should tell us something about the type of candidate the GOP should run against Harkin. We need a candidate that doesn't fit the traditional mold of a current office holder running for a higher office.

Labels: Bruce_Rastetter, Tom_Harkin, U.S. Senate

Rumors are now circulating hot and heavy here in the Capitol City that Des Moines businessman and former VanderPlaats campaign manager Troy Cook is contemplating a run for the U.S Senate seat now held by Bahama Tommy Harkin. Troy certainly showed his ability to maximize the benefit of minimal resources in the 2002 gubernatorial primary. Troy would be a very articulate and aggressive young candidate if he were to run.

Labels: Tom_Harkin, Troy_Cook

... after several Senate Lines in which we listed the ten most competitive race alphabetically, this week's installment kicks off our attempt to rank them based on their likelihood of switching party control next November. ... 10. Iowa: Sen. Tom Harkin (D) presents something of an electoral conundrum. On one hand, he has held his Iowa Senate seat since 1984. On the other, his reelection percentages suggest vulnerability -- 54 percent in 2002, 52 percent in 1996, 54 percent in 1990. Unfortunately for Republicans, close doesn't count in politics, and they have yet to figure out the formula to beat Harkin. The national party seems committed to trying again in 2008. Rep. Tom Latham (R) is their preferred candidate, but Rep. Steve King (R) and former Rep. Jim Nussle, who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2006, are also mentioned. We fully expect Republicans to find a serious candidate and for that candidate to make a strong race against Harkin. But beat the incumbent? That's another story.

Labels: Jim Nussle, Steve King, Tom Latham, Tom_Harkin

Everything that Cillizza writes is correct, however I don't think there is anyway that Latham or King give up their safe seats in congress to run against Tom Harkin. I also don't think that Republican activists in Iowa are excited Jim Nussle running against Harkin. The only way that I can see Nussle running against Harkin is if Rudy Giuliani is the Republican nominee for President. ... Since I'm a kind and generous person, I thought I'd throw out a few names that should be konsidered. Ron Corbett – Former Speaker of the Iowa House, Former Cedar Rapids Chamber President. ... Bob Vander Plaats – Bob is a perennial kandidate, he has spent the last six years running for Governor or Lt. Governor. Part of me thinks that some people might have grown tired of Vander Plaats, he does has a following of social konservatives that can not be ignored. ... Bill Salier – Bill gave Kongressman Ganske a tough primary fight in 2002 even though he was probably outspent 1000 to 1. Salier is another champion of grassroots konservatives and is now reengaged in Iowa politics, after agreeing to chair Kongressman Tom Tancredo's presidential kampaign here in Iowa.

Labels: Bill Salier, Bob Vander Plaats, Ron Corbett, Steve King, Tom Latham, Tom_Harkin

Via the Fort Dodge Messenger: "When members of Congress set aside federal money for projects in their districts or states, they call it earmarking. Others may call it pork-barrel spending or worse. And while the practice can be controversial, U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin believes it's both necessary and protected by the Constitution." Harkin's reasoning is not sound. 1. Just because Congress has the "power of the purse" doesn't mean they can spend with impunity. Does not the President have the "power to wage war," yet Harkin wouldn't say Bush can do whatever he wants with that power. 2. Harkin states that earmarks are necessary because bureaucrats wouldn't otherwise be able to find the "worthwhile local efforts." ... The real point is that if earmarks were "worthwhile" they wouldn't need to be earmarked. They could be voted on in their own bill. Besides, no one complains about earmarking of "worthwhile" efforts.

Labels: Tom_Harkin

... That just shows how utterly incompetent the Republican Party of Iowa is at fielding viable candidates for a Senate seat that should be easy pickings. ... Don't use old jokes against Tom Harkin. Hit the MFer below the belt. That's the only way to get anybody's attention. Harkin has money and will play dirty, so constantly kick him in the nuts. Show up at a press conference wearing a T-shirt with Ramona Cunningham and Tom Harkin on it. Accuse his wife of being a tool and employee of big oil while Harkin rants about "windfall profits" of oil companies. ... Harkin's beatable, but only if you have some brass balls and don't mind playing down and dirty. Otherwise, Republicans like Rathje (pronounced ain't-gonna-win-evah) might as well quit wasting their time.

Labels: Steve Rathje, Tom_Harkin

Steve Rathje's U.S. Senate campaign website is up and running. Steve is an interesting guy and the website is well worth the visit. Steve is also the only Republican in the field against the archtype of liberalism gone bad. This is no endorsement, 'cause I don't think SCC types shold endorse in most primaries, and we might have a primary, but history seems to indicate that we won't beat Harkin running a status quo campaign. Don't you all think we need to start bleeding Harkin a little right now? Why wait until Bahama Tommy is twenty points up in October of '08 to expose the Real Harkin-a uniquely disingenuous and destructive socialist.

Labels: Steve Rathje, Tom_Harkin, U.S. Senate

I guess there are some rumors that Harkin might not be running for re-election in 2008. Vilsack's departure from the Presidential race today would put him in prime position to run for Senate. ... I would much rather have Tom Vilsack as a Senator than as President. I would much rather have Tom Harkin as my Senator than Tom Vilsack though. If Harkin does retire, Vilsack would be hard to beat and it is important Democrats keep the seat. If Harkin does run, Grassley is up for re-eclection in 2010. I have heard rumors that Grassley might not run again. If Vilsack ran, Democrats would have a great chance at holding both Iowa Senate seats.

Labels: Charles Grassley, Tom_Harkin, Tom_Vilsack