JJ: Some Folks Weren't Invited

JJ: Some Folks Weren't Invited

Outside the Jefferson-Jackson dinner, a couple of small clusters were almost lost in the sign war representing candidates who weren't invited.

Ron Paul, of course, wasn't invited because he's a Republican.  But the Ron Paul rEVOLution is confident it can win over even the most partisan Democrats.  "I had an Edwards county chair come over to me and say, 'if your candidate wins, I'll quit the Democrats and support him,'" said Paul supporter Brian Horsfield of Fairfield, leading a group of three Paul supporters (I saw more heading his direction after we spoke).

So why are ostensible Republicans at a Democratic event?  "Because of the censorship of free speech, of keeping Kucinich and Gravel, the only anti-war candidates, out," says Horsfield.

Kucinich has a contingent of two just up the street.  How did they feel about Dennis getting excluded?  "I'm appalled and incredulized," says David Danneman of Iowa City through a bullhorn, even though I'm standing two feet away.  (He was kind enough to turn the volume down.)  "Is 'incredulized' a word?" he wonders aloud.

The IDP says Kucinich and Gravel weren't invited because they aren't actively campaigning in Iowa, but Dannemann is having none of it.  "He's got people here from 2004, he'd deeply rooted, and he's campaigning on the internet."