Minimally edited after the fact to clean up just the very worst typos, and to ID some of the local officials. Seems I got a link from Edwards' site and I'm getting some far-away traffic.
And it's jam packed here.
Exciting, fun, caucuses alive and well! 2008 campaign underway! says poli sci prof and key Dem Dave Redlawsk...
Man, this is gonna be sloppy, I'll clean up later.
My neighbor Sean says... Dems need a candidate w/ balls, Edwards has balls size of the Old Capitol Dome!
Music is bluegrassy, a little too North Carolina for my taste but hey.
Schedule is supposedly tight, 5 events in 5 counties in 1 day
We got maybe 150 people already.
Every candidate I can think of, except the legislators who are still with the League. (League of Women Voters legislative forum, schedule conflict)
A lot of young folks here for a political event. Edwards is still a rock star. pardon the ee cummings style.
Thoughts: hope he runs again says a future supporter. Message on.
Need to find a blogging friendly seat. Settling in at the side. TV lights are blinding but I can't type without looking at the keyboard anyway
I think it’s time, Loebsack (Dave Loebsack, 2nd CD congressional candidate)is here... and the event ringleaders too.
Introductions begin with Redlawsk. Thanking the sponsors. I'd say 200 bodies now. Intro-ing electeds: Pulkrabek (sheriff), Harney, Neuzil (county supervisors), Moody (North Liberty council) Putman (Soil/Water), Joel Miller (Robins mayor). Candidates: Maybanks, Lyness (county attorney), Meyers (county supervisor) , Nolte, Miller (both State House 89), and hey, Mike Mauro (Polk Co. auditor running for Sec. of State)! Also Kriz (county treasurer).
Now intro-ing Loebsack. I see 4 or 5 cameras, can't tell if it's big stills or small TV. Not up on the technology, he said liveblogging.
The band backs up, nice Gibson bass...
Culture of corruption, nice and alliterative. Here's Loebsack.
11:24. Praising Johnson County, always nice. Any 2nd CD campaign has to begin with Johnson. The energy is out there in the district. I'm getting $ from Republicans who want change. Govt. has helped me in my life, I'm an example of American dream. Calls Leach (the incumbent opponent) an "enabler" of the right wing. Pulling up Tom Harkin's ladder of opportunity.
GOP being mean spirited, taking away benefits from kids. Only way to fight the DC right wing, need to take back Congress.
Loebsack's sounding more impassioned that he has before. He's gettin' into this here campaign.
We need to call out leach where he's enabling the GOP. Nov 2004: "it's going to be a great night for our party," said Leach. Not "our nation," "our party." Cites key Leach votes with GOP: January `05 ethics rule vote. Party line including Leach. 3/17/05 = 2 vote GOP margin for Medicaid cuts. “That's when I decided to run.”
Legislators arriving.
Loebsack: We have self-doubt. Admits to voting for Leach once, to friendly boos. We all need to face up to the reality of Leach, as I have. We can only win this if we do more than be the "anti." Restoring hope and opportunity.
Here come the bullet points: I will lead when it matters, not when it's safe. Do what's right, not what's easy. (Loebsack as Dumbledore.) We'll redefine "integrity" (long time Leach slogan) Will never let the powerful turn me away from the hardworking folks of the district.
Now we have Springsteen as warm up music. But The Boss gets cut off for Redlawsk (who also originated in Jersey.)
Redlawsk: too many Dems vote for Leach. He casts SOME good votes but one really BAD vote: for control.
More elected: Slockett (county auditor, my boss), Foege (state rep). Always gotta intro the electeds.
Sounds like the man is a little late.
Here's Patty Judge (sec. of agriculture, was running for governor, dropped out in a deal to become Sec of State Chet Culver's running mate). They're giving props to the event committee. Also Chet's spouse is here. More Springsteen.
Ro Foege stops by: looking forward to seeing Edwards again (was 1st legislator in state to support in `03)
Mark Nolte stops by, says Great Job Loebsack.
"This event is blog-tastic!" -- Josh Murphy
Now we get Mellencamp.
Sue Dvorsky (key local activist and also spouse of legislator) blows by stickering for Blouin (Mike Blouin, gubernatorial candidate; it's well known locally that I oppose him strongly). I pass, we share a laugh.
Neighbor overheard the phone call: "10 minutes at least" as of 11:49. Now we get U2 Beautiful Day. It's every cliché campaign warm-up song. We need some Pistols or Husker Du.
The he's here buzz is going around... and the staffer types are moving faster. Now I hear a He's Here...
just said a quick hello to Mauro. More elected intros, the legislators.
I'm eight feet from Edwards. Neighbor got a handshake. County chair is intro-ing.
11:56. I missed out on every small setting Edwards event in '03-04. So this is my first shot - though we're at at least 250 now.
Jim Larew, key Edwards mover/shaker, speaking.
Quick high five with Bolkcom. (Joe Bolkcom, my state senator)
"You blogging?"
"Yeah."
"Sweet."
Larew quoting VP debate, dissin' Cheney.
12:04 HE'S ON. Sends Elizabeth's love and she gets almost as big a round of applause. tells a cute Jack story. I had to plug in.
Throws in the Dubai port issue, oil tax breaks, prescriptions, gets a 'who is the president' cadence going
Calls W "worst president of my life."
Dems = fight for what we believe in, show guts. yeah! this is the party tat gives voice to people who have no voice. working families, social justice, civil liberties, that's the Dem party! Wanna see some fire in our party. Huge void in moral leadership in our country right now.
12:11 - Poverty is the great moral cause in America today. Katrina... People in poverty live on the edge of a razor every day. Geez he has some great lines...
The face of poverty is in many ways, not always, but in many ways a face of color. Talks of his tour of flood refugee center... the stereotype of lazy poverty is a LIE. Working poor love our country and deserve a CHANCE. (yay)
There is a hunger in America to be inspired and proud, a sense of natl. community. We help people not for THEM but for US, it says what we care about and who we are.
But did we make mistakes in war on poverty? Sure. But we cut poverty in half. Quotes Michael Harrington(!). WE (DEMS) used to be the party of big ideas and causes, we need to again. (BIG applause line.)
The poor of this era have never had a champion. WE need to be their voice. "There's a remote possibility some of you remember I'm the son of a mill worker" (ha ha ha). But I could never have gotten here by myself. "Heroic public schoolteachers." Great state universities, student loans. "What we do together matters."
End the embarrassment of our minimum wage. do we believe in an America of equal worth? And if we believe that, when will we start living that? Here's a Halliburton bash... how about a WPA kind of program! (Huge applause, he was more eloquent, I was wrestling with a cord)
Economic segregation is unhealthy.
Can't see from where I'm at but he SOUNDS great.
We need to look at absence of America's moral leadership around the world. World was watching Katrina. Talks about trips to UK, India, speaks of Indian poverty: "where is America?" Darfur... He's getting very big picture but coming back to where is American leadership. Democrats need to fill this void. The world has seen our power, they need to see our caring.
12:30. Notes large number of young people... young should lead, not wait for someone to tell them what to do. Young can change America again. Winding up..;. "the leaders we've been waiting for are us."
And we're done. Stay tuned.
Larew giving John a book for Elizabeth. I get a laugh from the AP’s Mike Glover (Mike remembers my journalist days, I was a public radio reporter about 15 years ago, and I said “I’ve given up objective journalism for blogging.”). My neighbor says “he's got balls”. Post-speech schmoozing with and all around me.
Edwards appears to be in the middle of the media and glad-handing scrum. Now it's Bittersweet Symphony which is also on the list of six politically screened songs.
12:45 and the scrum is thinning... can I get Edwards to post?
I cashed in some chips and we'll try... stay tuned.
Down to about 50 folks now.
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