It's the first Thursday again and the elected official quotient is higher this month that in recent times: Bailey, Harney, Lensing, Bolkcom, Jacoby, Dvorsky, Sullivan, and candidates Rettig and Swisher.
The BBQ date is set for Saturday 10/24 in Hills. We'll have Neuzil pork so it's an official BBQ, in addition to other goodies.
Caucuses will be more or less clustered to about a dozen centers for the 57 precincts.
While we stuff a mailing, Joe Bolkcom is gonna talk health care. Meanwhile, Janelle Rettig is handing out invites to her kickoff event: Wed. 8/19 5-7 at the Legion.
Bolkcom says we've made good progress in Iowa on kids health care with HAWK-I. "Iowa is seen as a leader across the country in health reform. But the challenge is we have about 300,000 Iowans who don't have coverage. Most of them just can't afford it. 80% of them work one or more jobs. That's why it's so important to make progress at the federal level. We really need a public health insurance option."
"The principles of the president's plan : Lower cost, preserve choice, improve access, increase quality." Get out and show support because calls are running against. "We think Senator Grassley has stopped listening to Iowans. We hope to go to a lot of his town meetings."
Bolkcom doesn't think it's worth pursuing without public option. "The status quo is quite expensive. The public option is the fundamental change that is going to drive reform. I'd like to see single payer, but that really isn't in the debate now."
"Voters trust Democrats on this issue and we need to deliver by the end of this year." Bolkcom's got a meeting:
Joe invited you to "Iowa City Health Care Town Hall" on Tuesday, August 18 at
7:00pm.
Event: Iowa City Health Care Town Hall
What: Informational Meeting
Host: Joe Bolkcom
Start Time: Tuesday, August 18 at 7:00pm
End Time: Tuesday, August 18 at 8:00pm
Where: Iowa City Public Library, Room A
"I suspect mostly people who want constructive will be there," he says as an audience member mutters "tea party freaks."
"Are the blue dogs selling us down the river?" Joe: "This bill will go to conference committee and I'm hopeful that whoever's on the conference committee has the president's goals in mind and the outlier ideas fall away. Democrats have to have this bill. The moment is now to drive this thing home."
"I don't believe the president is in favor of taxing present employer provided benefits."
My Twitter is blocked here at the school district.
Team Loebsack will be having town halls as well; Iowa City is 8/22 at 10 AM at the library. Full schedule (will clean up spacing later):
August 15th
9:30 AM Cedar Rapids
343 Cedar Hall, Kirkwood Community College
6301 Kirkwood Blvd. SW
12:00 PM Mount Pleasant
Civic Center
307 East Monroe Street
2:00 PM Fort Madison
City Hall Council Chambers
811 Avenue E
3:30 PM Burlington
City Hall Council Chambers
400 Washington Street
August 22nd
10:00 AM Iowa City
Public Library
123 S. Linn St.
11:45 AM Tipton
Cedar County Extension
107 Cedar Street
2:00 PM Muscatine
City Hall Council Chambers
215 Sycamore Street
4:00 PM Columbus Junction
City Hall Council Chambers
232 2nd Street
August 29th
10:30 AM Washington
Public Library
120 East Main Street
1:00 PM Fairfield
Fairfield Public Library
104 W. Adams St.
2:30 PM Ottumwa
Ottumwa Public Library
102 W. Fourth
4:15 PM Bloomfield
Bloomfield- Davis County Hospital
509 N. Madison
September 12th
2:00 PM Keokuk
Public Library Round Room
210 North 5th Street
Robin Roseman will take over 2nd vice chair from the departed James Moody. It's a contested race at candidate development. While votes are counted, Ruth Spinks gets elected membership chair. Brad Selken wins candidate development and I'm pulled back in at data.
Mike Carberry announces I-RENEW Sustainabilty Expo Sept. 12-13 in Norway (Iowa not Scandinavia.)
Brad Selken talks Repower Iowa doorknock weekend of 8/28-30 and phone efforts.
Al Bohanan of West Branch promos the August 15th 2nd CD Dems workshop in West Liberty.
Rod Sullivan: "We can't let legitimate concerns be couched in the terms of racism. Stand up to it and speak out."
Ed Flaherty notes tomorrow's anniversary of the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, 45 years ago. "It was based on lies and pretense, we know that know," and draws analogy to October `02 Iraq vote.
Paul Deaton notes today is Hiroshima day. "As late as when I was in the service this was still a real issue being dealt with in the military."
Matt Beltrami is the new Organizing For America... organizer.
Bob Dvorsky among several others plugs Curt Hanson ("a solid guy'), Sotomayor, and notes that yesterday's Cedar Rapids health forum drew all of six teabaggers. And that's it from here.
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