Friday, March 7, 2003

GENERAL: Two Dem candidates return to Iowa today. Several Iowa locations this morning reporting slick roads, light snow, sleet and/or freezing rain. Most roads – except I-29 along western border – are wet to slushy.  Drive safely. …Dems cluttering IA with faxes, actualities, emails – and, appropriately, smoke signals – overnight to generate activist support and media coverage after GWB news conference. Smoke signals were most effective since they also created political smokescreens.  Dean’s low-budget campaign probably saved money by issuing his standard anti-war, anti-Bush, pro-liberal statement for the 29^th time since becoming an announced candidate…Caucus camp followers all shook up this morning by release of Quinnipiac University poll indicating an “unnamed Democratic party candidate” would have lead over GWB. In a question that asked whether respondents would vote for Bush or a Democrat nominee, the generic Dem won 48-44. The problem, however, with “unnamed” Dem candidate is that he or she looks better on paper – and doesn’t have the faults, liabilities and liberal records of Hillary or the current nine wannabes. The President ran better – at least nine points ahead – in individual head-to-head matchups against actual candidates. (More on the Quinnipiac poll below.)…All Senate Dem candidates and possible wannabes – Biden, Hillary, Edwards, Kerry, Lieberman – voted the party line yesterday in opposing cloture motion to cut off filibuster on the judicial nomination of Miguel Estrada. That’s not surprising, but Iowa Pres Watch wanted to get it on the record. (Only one senator missed the vote – Dem candidate Graham, who’s recovering from surgery.) Four Democrats joined GOP senators in support of the motion; Iowa senators split along party affiliation lines.

BUSH REACTION:  GWB news conference dominates morning news coverage, headlines. Morning headlines -- Des Moines Register front page: “Bush recalls Sept. 11 in case for war…The president insists Iraq must be disarmed to protect Americans.”…Omaha World-Herald online top story: “Bush: Only days are left”…Quad-City Times online top headline: “Bush: Our mission is to disarm”…Sioux City Journal online top story: “Bush says he won’t leave Americans at ‘mercy of Iraqi dictator’…Chicago Tribune online top story: “Bush Ratchets Up Rhetoric Against Saddam” Second headline on Trib site: “Inspectors to Report Saddam Not Complying”

CANDIDATES/CAUCUS: Dean to be in Des Moines area today, including taping of Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press.” He will be in eastern Iowa tomorrow…Today, Kucinich to meet with Des Moines Register editors, participate in public sessions in Perry and at Wesley Acres retirement home in Des Moines, and attend a peace rally tonight at Drake University. Scheduled to attend two Iowa City events and speak to Cornell College Democrats in Mount Vernon tomorrow… Kerry has DSM events and Drake speech tomorrow…Gephardt on western Iowa swing Sunday – Sioux City, Onawa, Harlan and Council Bluffs…Bad news for the Dem aspirants if Hillary runs. The Quinnipiac poll says she would get 37% in the Democrat field with Gephardt a distant second 13%, Lieberman 12% and Kerry at 8%. Without Hillary, Lieberman gets 21%, Gephardt 17%, Kerry 12%, Edwards 8%. Moseley (No Hyphen) Braun 7%, Graham 6%, Sharpton 5%, Dean 4% and Kucinich 2%…Iowa Pres Watch put the Dems on the record – and on notice -- for their Estrada filibuster votes above, but there was another interesting Senate roll call vote this week – a resolution expressing support for the Pledge of Allegiance. It passed 94-0 (with Graham absent due to medical recovery), but among the other five “not voting” were two Dem presidential wannabes – Edwards and Kerry…Missing the Senate vote on the Pledge of Allegiance resolution may be the least of Kerry’s problems, especially among Irish voters as he sorts out his own ancestry. Despite Kerry’s insistence (after it was reported he had a Jewish grandfather) he never claimed to have Irish ancestors, the Boston Globe reported yesterday the Congressional Record – 3/18/86 – quoted Kerry as telling his Senate colleagues, “For those of us who are fortunate to share an Irish ancestory, we take great pride in the contributions that Irish-Americans…have made to building a strong and vibrant nation.”

ANOTHER INTEREST GROUP: For most Iowans, next week is Girls State Tournament week, but for caucus watchers it’s “Cover The Uninsured Week” – a multi-group effort to draw attention to millions of uninsured Americans. Media spots have already started to make sure Iowans are acquainted with the issue. Project sponsors range from the U. S. Chamber of Commerce to AFL-CIO, AFSCME and AARP to the AMA. Honorary co-chairs: Former Presidents Ford and Carter.

CANDIDATE OF WEEK: Dodd – for deciding not to become an Official Wabbit

NON-WABBIT CANDIDATE OF WEEK: Tyrone Aiken, who received a $1,000 contribution last year for his mayoral race in Lincolnville, S. C. (population 904), from Gephardt. Prospective Dem candidates pumped thousands of dollars into local and legislative campaigns, as well as party organizations, in early nominating states IA, NH, SC.

IOWA POLITICS: Headline on copyrighted story by Des Moines Register Farm Editor Jerry Perkins: “Cuba invites Vilsack for visit…The island’s government agency that buys all food imports is interested in Iowa products.” State Ag secretary visited Cuba last month.

MORNING SUMMARY: DSM Register top front page headline: “Superintendent asks for $6.9 million in cuts…Staff, teams are slashed in proposal” Des Moines schools would eliminate jobs – from teachers to custodians

WAR/TERRORISM: Des Moines Register headline: “Harkin: I was fooled on Bush Iraq plans” Washington Bureau’s Jane Norman quotes Harkin as saying he would now vote against resolution authorizing military action against Iraq. Harkin: “I’m not going to be fooled twice.” (Iowa Pres Watch Note: Some may argue over who’s really being fooled. Maybe it was Iowa voters last fall when Harkin cast a pre-election vote for the resolution, but he’s now starting another six-year term and free to change his mind – and vote.) … Harkin will have a say in federal spending for the nation’s anti-terrorism efforts. He has been named to the new Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security. Harkin says he will seek increased funding for initiatives against bio-terrorism, food supply protection, first responders and border security. (Iowa Pres Watch Note: While he often makes grand media announcements, Tom keeps forgetting he’s in the minority – and often wrong – but he won’t ever be “fooled twice.”)…Iowa native Colleen Rowley making headlines again, warning the FBI will not be able to handle the terrorism that would occur in the wake of a war with Iraq. Rowley, a Minneapolis FBI agent and New Hampton native, wrote a seven-page letter to FBI Director Mueller, saying “We should be deluding neither ourselves nor the American people that there is any way the FBI…will be able to stem the flood of terrorism that will likely head our way in the wake of an attack on Iraq.” …Voice of America (VOA) News reports six nations – Burma, China, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, and Sudan – have been designated a “countries of particular concern” by the State Department for severe violations of religious freedom as required by a 1998 act of Congress. The VOA report notes Saudi Arabia was not included on the list “even though that country came under heavy criticism in a preliminary report last October.” An independent advisory committee last fall criticized the State Department for not taking tougher actions against China and Sudan – and recommended that Saudi Arabia, India, Laos, Vietnam, Pakistan and Turkmenistan be added to the “countries of particular concern” list. A State official says the prospect some of these nations could be included in future updates will give the U. S. leverage to try to persuade them to improve human and religious rights.

FEDERAL ISSUES: WHO Radio talk show host Jan Mickelson opened yesterday’s episode with a question: “Did you every think there would be a time when the Pledge (of Allegiance) would be ruled unconstitutional?” He said the “original intent has been tossed” and “now we’re left with whatever tea leaves” the judges read. (Related item: Mickelson’s comments came a day after House Majority Leader DeLay said Congress could remove the jurisdiction of federal courts to rule on the Pledge of Allegiance if the Supreme Court doesn’t overturn a lower court decision prohibiting schoolchildren from reciting the Pledge. DeLay said: “…we could limit the jurisdiction of the judicial bench.”)…In what Omaha World-Herald staff writer Chris Clayton called a “precedent-setting case,” a former Iowa businessman who pleaded guilty to hiring undocumented workers agreed to pay a $300K in federal penalties, rather than face potential racketeering charges. The World-Herald account said the penalty assessed against John Glessner Jr., previously of Clarion, would be the largest ever in Iowa or Nebraska for an illegal immigration case. Glessner admitted this week that through his company, Iowa Ag LLC, he knowingly hired illegals to work at DeCoster Farms and Boomsma Farms egg plants in north central Iowa…WHO Radio farm broadcaster Gary Wergin says a North-South battle is shaping up over limits on payments under the new farm bill. He says Southern farmers will push for higher limits on cotton and rice crops, but that Northerners have the Congressional clout – specifically the two Iowans who control key positions: House Budget Committee Chair Nussle and Senate Finance Committee Chair Grassley. Wergin forecast an uphill battle for the South…Radio Iowa’s Darwin Danielson reports that Harkin says the Bush plan to alter Medicare does nothing for Iowa. Harkin says everyone should be treated the same under Medicare and any plan should provide uniform coverage. He added that the President’s plan “still leaves Iowa dead last” in Medicare reimbursement. (For more on the Medicare reimbursement issue, check the Senior Citizen Issues section of The Iowa Scene.)

STATE ISSUES: Des Moines Register headline: “Gambling expansion bill moves forward…Fear of Nebraska competition influenced approval by panel.” Senate State Government Committee approves bill that would allow three more casinos in Iowa. In a related story, a report released yesterday indicated state’s casino industry had an economic impact of $795 million last year …Quad-City Times reporter writes that the controversial bill to ban gays and lesbians from adopting children will not receive further legislative consideration this year… KCCI-TV reports that Des Moines Public Schools, in an effort to cut nearly $7 million from next year’s budget, may have to eliminate more than 100 full-time positions. Meanwhile, the Teamsters Union local that represents 245 Polk County (Des Moines) sheriff’s office employees has agreed to a two-year wage freeze. Polk County is facing a $12 million budget shortfall next year. …In West Des Moines, dozens of high school students disciplined – including 18 one-day suspensions – after staging a walkout last week to protest budget cuts and teacher layoffs.

OPINION: Des Moines Register editorial: “Forget the picketing, doc…Malpractice premiums aren’t a main cause of soaring health-care costs.”…Columnist Rekha Basu: “Gagging workers is no way to fight AIDS”

IOWA POLITICAL/SPORTS STORY: Nobody’s sure whether this is a Pennsylvania political story or an Iowa sports story – so Iowa Pres Watch will combine them. The Arizona Republic reports Pennsylvania Republican National Committeewoman Christina Jack Toretti, 45, will marry former Iowa (and now Arizona) basketball coach Lute Olson on 4/12, after this year’s Final Four tournament. She’s CEO of S. W. Jack Drilling, an oil and gas firm, and he took the Hawkeyes to the Final Four two decades ago before going to Arizona. Olson’s wife of 47 years, Bobbi, died of cancer in 2001. News reports indicate Olson, 68, proposed after the Arizona’s 1/25 win at Kansas.

SPORTS:  Iowa women advance in Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis with a 70-58 win last night over Northwestern. Other winners in the opening round – Michigan upset Illinois, Indiana beat Wisconsin. Hawkeyes face Minnesota at 5 p.m. this afternoon…Women’s basketball: Northern Iowa drops Drake 53-50 to take over third place in the Missouri Valley Conference..A public memorial service planned Sunday for longtime ISU sports broadcaster Pete Taylor at Hilton Coliseum in Ames. Services will be Monday morning in Des Moines… Men’s basketball: Northern Iowa and Drake open play in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament – Bulldogs at 6 p.m. vs. Illinois State, UNI at 8:30 vs. Indiana State.

WEATHER: DSM 5 a.m. 30, wind chill 17, fog/mist…Temps from teens in western Iowa to 30s in east…High today 40. Low tonight 25. High Saturday 42…Snow possible Sunday night through Tuesday…WHO-TV’s Ed Wilson says cooler air comes back Sunday through Tuesday and then back to the 40s Wednesday and Thursday.

IOWAISMS: A year ago, then-Congressman Greg Ganske and Nora Springs farmer Bill Salier were battling for Iowa’s GOP Senate nomination. Since then, Ganske defeated Salier in the primary and Ganske lost to Harkin in the November’s general election. Salier now hosts a talk show on KWKY Radio, Des Moines, and Ganske has returned to private medical practice and is airing radio spots to promote his medical services. Yesterday, one of Ganske’s commercials surfaced on Salier’s radio program. When Salier came back on the air, he deadpanned, “I recognize that voice.”…Dallas County (Adel) authorities are looking for an ATM machine that was stolen from a Booneville – just west of DSM -- convenience store yesterday morning. Thieves rammed store with a truck that had been stolen two days earlier. Authorities know that because a license plate fell off.

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