Thursday, February 27, 2003

GENERAL: No current candidate sightings, but former Presidents surfacing. Former President Bush at Coe College (Cedar Rapids) today and Bill Clinton scheduled at the University of Iowa on March 26…Cost of caucus campaigns goes up. Morning newscasts indicate price of gas went up 7 cents to 12 cents per gallon over the past 24 hours, up 40 cents over past two months. Don’t get a big campaign headquarters either because natural gas rates going up, too.

CANDIDATES/CAUCUSES: Headline on Thomas Beaumont report, “Kucinich changes position on abortion” (See earlier reports on Watch website for more details.) …The Missouri primary is tentatively set for 2/3/04, but reports indicate most Wabbits will pass due to Gephardt’s “favorite son” status. Michigan still considering possibility of moving schedule up to compete with Iowa and New Hampshire, despite the prospect their national convention delegates will be challenged if they disrupt the established caucus-primary schedule.

IOWA POLITICS: Morning broadcast reports and DMR report that the state’s new collective bargaining agreement with AFSCME includes controversial provision extending health benefits to domestic partners. WHO Radio morning newscasts say there will “probably be a lot of grumbling at the Statehouse today” over the provisions.

MORNING SUMMARY: Top story on QCTimes.com: “NASA engineers foresaw disaster”…Top front page story on DMR: “Bush envisions free Iraq”…DMR has extensive coverage of the hometown send-offs for Iowa Guard units across state.

WAR/TERRORISM: DMR Religion Editor Shirley Ragsdale writes that Iowans responding “Rice for Peace: campaign, sending little bags of rice to the White House to discourage military action in Iraq.

FEDERAL ISSUES: Citing reports that one-fourth of 28 million children enrolled in low-income school lunch programs might be ineligible, WHO Radio talk show host Jan Mickelson said of those getting the undeserved lunches, “that’s stealing” and noted that a fourth of the $6.8 billion spent on the USDA program amounted to $1.7 billion. On yesterday morning’s program, Mickelson also pointed out that the current school lunch program amounts to “an indirect subsidy” for both the families of enrolled children and agribusiness.

STATE ISSUES: State legislation introduced to raise cigarette taxes a buck a pack. Proposal last year to increase cigarette tax by 50 cents a pack was rejected…Stella Shaffer of Radio Iowa reports that Vision Iowa chair Michael Gartner – for non-Iowans, he’s a DSM native who is a former editor of the DMR and a former president of NBC News – says state legislators struggling with budget problems don’t have to forgo efforts to promote economic development…Senate Human Resources Committee will debate legislation prohibiting gays and lesbians from adopting will be debated at a later date. Republican Sen. Neil Schuerer of Amana said he believes its best for children to be raised in a “marriage-based, two-parent family,” according to an O. Kay Henderson report on Radio Iowa.

OPINION: DMR editorial: “First priority: First responders…Put more anti-terrorism money into bolstering police, paramedics, health workers”…Yepsen reacts to state proposals to release prisoners early and/or reductions in sentencing to relieve prison overcrowding, “Let inmates out early? Just ask their victims”

SPORTS: Drake men won last night 70-63 over Illinois State and UNI men beat Indiana State 59-39 (that’s right, 59-39), but ISU women lost 79-71 to Colorado…He’s probably not the richest Iowan yet, but St. Louis Rams QB Kurt Warner is picking up a $6 million roster bonus. Warner played high school football in Cedar Rapids, went to Northern Iowa, stocked shelves for HyVee and quarterbacked the AFL (Arena Football League) Iowa Barnstormers…Basketball tonight, all women’s games: Iowa vs. Michigan State in Iowa City, Illinois State at Drake, Northern Iowa at Evansville.

WEATHER: 5 a.m. DSM: 12 degrees and calm…High today 32, Low tonight 18, High tomorrow 32, chance of snow early next week… Still colder than it should be – average highs 40s and lows in the 20s for this time of year…WHO-TV’s Ed Wilson reports: “Kind of boring weather news the next few days…all the action will be to the South and East.”…Ice expected today from Kentucky to Virginia and then major snowstorm expected to hit D. C., East again.

IOWAISMS: More than 150 participants attended a meeting yesterday in Algona on increasing wind-energy production, especially in north central Iowa. Iowa currently ranks third in nation in wind turbine installation, but speakers indicated the area has even greater potential – noting that northern sections can develop more wind farms and farmers can receive $2,000 to $2,500 income annually per windmill…Radio Iowa’s Matt Kelley reports the March issue of Food and Wine magazine ranks Joensy’s restaurant in Solon – northeast of Iowa City -- as 32nd on list of nation’s 75 best food buys in the category of food under $10. Customers have included Hawkeye football coach Hayden Fry, TV newsman Charles Kuralt and astronaut-senator John Glenn.

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