Saturday, March 1, 2003

GENERAL: Slow period for Dem Wabbits, but presidential aspirations always grow best in Iowa where even the politically impossible seems possible – at least when the next election is still 20 months away.  A Libertarian Party presidential candidate stops by. (See item below.)…It’s a Saturday morning and time for the Wabbit Quote of the Week: Speaking at a New Hampshire Democratic fundraising event on Thursday evening, Lieberman said, “No Democrat will be elected if they do not convince the American people they will keep them safe.”

CANDIDATES/CAUCUS: The Iowa Electronic Market (IEM) is open for business – with a goal of predicting the eventual Democratic presidential nominee. The 2004 US Democratic National Convention Market, operated by the University of Iowa Henry B. Tippie College of Business in Iowa City, is described as “a real-money futures market where contract payoffs will be determined by the outcome of the 2004 Democratic National Convention.” The market – www.biz.uiowa.edu/iem/markets/DConv04.html - has a history of being a fairly reliable predictor of the eventual winners in the presidential derby and is open to traders worldwide. Interesting note: Hillary Clinton is among the candidates listed. The IEM also runs the 2004 US Presidential Vote Share Market…Not all presidential candidates are Republicans or Wabbits – which explains why Gary Nolan, one of the Libertarian Party presidential candidates, surfaced on Jan Mickelson’s talk show on WHO Radio (Des Moines) yesterday. Nolan, a former talk show host himself, said he believes the military’s main priority should be to defend the U. S., not engage in foreign offensive initiatives. He said he would “bring the troops home” to defend U. S. borders. He also said Israel might be “much better off if we just get out of there altogether.”…. More forums? Just what the Wabbits need. Congressional Black Caucus, according to several media reports, wants Wabbits to participate in four debates starting this spring. Tentative locations: Detroit, L. A., Jackson (Miss.) and Baltimore or Philadelphia.

IOWA POLITICS: Iowa pro-lifers were encouraged yesterday to push Grassley and Harkin to support the cloning ban adopted in the House – on a 241-155 vote – Thursday. On Bill Salier’s radio talk show (KWKY, Des Moines, 11:05 a.m. weekdays), anti-abortion advocates hailed the House vote, but expressed disappointment that two Iowa representatives – Democrat Boswell and Republican Leach – voted against the legislation that outlaws cloning. GOP congressmen King, Latham and Nussle voted for the ban. Salier listeners also were asked to contact Harkin to urge his for support of the Estrada judicial nomination…Former Congressman (and unsuccessful U. S. Senate candidate) Ganske -- guest on Mickelson talk show on WHO Radio yesterday morning – says he’s returned to his private medical practice and has “no plans at this point” to seek return to elective political office. Ganske said he gives “a lot of credit to President Bush for moving the [Iraq] process along,” noting there weren’t even inspections for several years until GWB pressed the issue.

MORNING SUMMARY: Top headlines this morning -- On QCTimes.com (Quad-City Times) “Iraq to destroy missiles today”…From Omaha.com (Omaha World-Herald) “High court expected to tackle pledge ruling”…From TheIowaChannel.com (KCCI-TV) “North Korea Balks at Aid Offer” …Corps of Engineers report says barge traffic on Mississippi River during 2002 reached a three-year high. (For more info on the Mississippi River transportation and environmental issues, see the “rivers” section in The Iowa Scene.)

WAR/TERRORISM: According to a report by Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson, two former U. S. ambassadors now living in Iowa say “war with Iraq seems inevitable.” The ex-ambassadors are John Menzies, now president of Graceland College in Lamoni, and Kenneth Quinn, president of the DSM-based World Food Prize Foundation. 

FEDERAL ISSUES:  According to the Sioux City Journal online edition this morning, freshman Congressman Steve King has introduced a bill to make English the official language of the U. S. government. It’s a familiar issue for King since, as a state senator, he championed legislation to make English the official language in Iowa government. Staff Writer Bret Hayworth writes that this is the second bill King’s sponsored – the first was a proposal providing tax relief for small ethanol producers…DMR reports the U. S. Justice Dept. is siding with Iowa against state’s racetrack casino operators in a $112 million tax case that’s pending before the Supreme Court...DMR also reports Des Moines officials seeking $17 million more in fed funds for expansion of Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway west of the central business district

STATE ISSUES: …Newscasts report Hawkeye Area Council of Boy Scouts is dropping affiliation with the Johnson County (Iowa City) United Way due to anti-discrimination policy. United Way has an anti-discrimination policy, but Boy Scouts do not allow gay Scout leaders…KCCI-TV, Des Moines, reports on Iowa Senate file 163 – a proposal to tighten laws on gun sales in state, requiring private transactions between two people must be conducted through a licensed gun dealer. Dem Sen. Jack Hatch of Des Moines made a purchase at a local gun show to emphasize need for legislation. Opponents say it violates Second Amendment and will not keep guns out of hands of criminals.

OPINION: DMR this morning carries syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer: “May we please go to war, Guinea?…Small, powerless country doesn’t make a difference except at the Alice-in-Wonderland United Nations.”

SPORTS: Tough TV-viewing decisions ahead tonight for Iowa sports fans with men’s college basketball games and high school wrestling tournament. Hawkeyes lead off with a 6 p.m. game at Indiana on ESPN, statewide TV coverage of wrestling championships starts at 6:30 p.m. and the Cyclones at Nebraska for a 7 p.m. start…Other men’s basketball: Drake vs. Northern Iowa tip-off at noon in Cedar Falls…Women’s games today: ISU vs. Nebraska in Ames, Indiana State at Drake in Des Moines, UNI at Southern Illinois…Wrestling tournament a bonanza for Des Moines area. Emmetsburg-Armstrong-Ringsted, which qualified 10 wrestlers for the tournament, says it cost about $5,000 for the team, coaches, cheerleaders, chaperons to attend tourney. Some of tab picked up by booster clubs…University of Iowa to boost prices for football and basketball tickets to offset tuition increases. Biggest hike ever – football season tickets go to $246, up $50 from $196 last year. Athletic department will pay more than $6 million next year for scholarships.

WEATHER: Forecasters warn Alberta Clipper diving toward Iowa…Radar this morning shows some snow south of a Fort Dodge-Waterloo line, moving east into Illinois…DSM 5 a.m. 28, light snow, fog, mist. Wind chill 23…High today 38, Low tonight 10, High tomorrow only 15…Colder weather ahead early next week – Highs in the 30s and low Sunday night 5 degrees with possibility of snow and flurries on Monday and Tuesday.

IOWAISMS: Two titles on line in Waukee during preliminary round to determine the next Miss Iowa. Eleven contestants vying to be Miss Capital City or Miss Golden Circle in competition that begins at 7:30 p.m. at Waukee High School. Stephanie Moore of Okoboji – who was last year’s Miss Golden Circle – is current Miss Iowa…Despite news – and eyewitness – reports about a black panther or mountain lion in the Bondurant area NE of Des Moines, Radio Iowa’s Darwin Danielson reports state DNR officials say it was a “false alarm.” DNR spokesman Mick Klemesrud says officials aren’t sure what the animal was, but it could have been anything from a large dog to a house cat …DMR to begin new obit policy starting 3/11. Will offer free obituaries up to eight lines in all editions of DMR throughout Iowa, a fee will be charged for longer obits.

BEST HEADLINE OF MORNING: From the DMR: “Robbery suspect says police stole cocaine” In Cedar Rapids, Anthony Flowers – who’s accused of robbing the same Cedar Rapids bank twice -- told a federal magistrate this week FBI agents took 5 grams of cocaine from him when he was arrested in 2001, but turned in only 2 grams as evidence. He says they “ripped me off.” Flowers, who is already serving a life sentence in South Dakota for kidnapping a newspaper editor after escaping in Sioux Falls, is acting as his own attorney in the bank robbery case.

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