Just Politics

Kerry's ad

The Associated Press reports on Sen. John Kerry’s latest move to keep himself in the running for President:

Former presidential hopeful Sen. John Kerry is funding a political advertisement in key Republican districts, a move aimed at rallying support for health care coverage for uninsured children.

The ad will begin airing Monday in the home districts of House Republican leader Tom DeLay of Texas and Senate Republican leader Bill Frist of Tennessee, as well the districts of GOP members of the House Commerce and Senate Finance committees. Those districts will be in Pennsylvania, Mississippi and Maine, but the specific media markets were not released.

Kerry spokeswoman Katharine Lister said it will be an aggressive media buy and the ad will run for a week, but she would not disclose the cost. It is being funded by Kerry's political action committee, Keeping America's Promise.

Kerry’s war records still MIA

Sen. John Kerry, despite saying that he would execute an order to release all of his military records, has still not done so. This has caused John O’Neill -- author of "Unfit for Command"-- to raise questions:

"We called for Kerry to execute a form which would permit anyone to examine his full and [unexpurgated] [sic] military records at the Navy Department and the National Personnel Records Center. Instead he executed a form permitting his hometown paper to obtain the records currently at the Navy Department. The Navy Department previously indicated its records did not include various materials. This is hardly what we called for.

"If he did execute a complete release of all records, we could then answer questions such as (1) Did he ever receive orders to Cambodia or file any report of such a mission (whether at Christmas or otherwise); (2) What was his discharge status between 1970 and 1978 (when he received a discharge) and was it affected by his meetings in 1970 and 1971 with the North Vietnamese? (3) Why did he receive much later citations for medals purportedly signed by [then-Navy Secretary John F.] Lehman who said he did not know of them; (4) Are there Hostile Fire and Personnel Injured by Hostile Fire Reports for Kerry's Dec. 1968 Purple Heart (when the officer in charge of the boat Admiral [William] Schacte, the treating Surgeon Louis Letson, and Kerry's Division Commander deny there was hostile fire causing a scratch) awarded three months later under unknown circumstances."

Huckabee

The Associated Press reports on Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas

Mike Huckabee, a Republican who took over as governor at the height of Clinton's Whitewater scandal and who lost more than 100 pounds while promoting health in an unhealthy state is being talked up for a presidential run after he leaves the Governor's Mansion in 2007 at age 51.

His new weight-loss book, "Quit Digging Your Grave With a Knife and Fork," reached as high No. 9 on Amazon.com, and he has gone on a New York-to-Los Angeles book tour that has boosted the former Baptist minister's national profile.

Iowa Democrat Gov Tom Vilsack ran a marathon in Arkansas with Gov. Huckabee and is considered to be weighing a run for President.

Others considered in the hunt for the Republican nomination include: Sen. Rick Santorum, Pennsylvania; Sen. Sam Brownback, Kansas. Sen. George Allen, Virginia; former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Georgia; former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani; Govs. Haley Barbour of Mississippi, Jeb Bush of Florida, George Pataki of New York and Mitt Romney of Massachusetts; Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee; and Sens. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and John McCain of Arizona.

Brownback

Julie Finley's nomination as ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has been put on hold by Sen. Sam Brownback. Brownback, who is a presidential hopeful, is concerned about Finley’s pro-abortion stances. Finley is a founding member of the WISH list, a political action committee that raises money for female Republican candidates who support abortion rights.

Edwards

Former Sen. John Edwards will be moving back to Raleigh, N.C. this week. The move follows Elizabeth Edwards’ completion of cancer treatments for breast cancer. The message from the Edwards camp is that Edwards’ wife is feeling great, and the doctors are incredibly positive and optimistic following the treatments.

On the Iowa Track...

John Ashcroft

Former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft will speak at a June 15 event for Polk County Republicans and on June 16^th in Davenport to benefit the Republican Party of Iowa.

"John Ashcroft is one of the most able, respected and dedicated public servants of our time," Republican Party Chairman Ray Hoffmann said. "Iowans have long been impressed with our Missouri neighbor and his 'show-me' attitude to public service. We couldn't be happier with his willingness to devote some of his valuable time to prepare our party for the crucial 2006 elections."

John Thune

Sen, John Thune, South Dakota, makes an appearance in Iowa today. Thune defeated then Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle last November in a red-hot senatorial race.

Tom Tancedro ?

Rep. Tom Tancredo from Colorado was reported in Roll Call as going to be coming to Iowa in July. Look for Rep. Steve King of Iowa to show up when he is here. Tancedro is a co-sponsor of King’s legislation to make English the official language.

Evan Bayh

Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh received an excellent review following his speech to the Greater Des Moines Partnership in Iowa Wednesday. Bayh will be back in Iowa in August. Expect the Senator to attend the Iowa State Fair.

The Des Moines Register quoted several individuals who liked Bayh’s speech and one that said that was definitely a running-for-president speech.