Obama. Iowa City. Sunday 4/22.
When: Earth Day, Sunday, April 22 – Doors open at 11:45 AM, Program begins at 12:45 PM
Where: University of Iowa, The Pentacrest, Intersection of Clinton and Iowa, Iowa City, IA
The worst.
Showing posts with label Obama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Obama. Show all posts
Friday, April 13, 2007
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Rod Sullivan on Obama
Rod Sullivan on Obama
After the Hillary and Edwards blog-a-thon yesterday, a brief word from the Obama camp courtesy of Johnson County Supervisor Rod Sullivan:
Right now I want to vote for everybody and do it tomorrow. And even the second tier: if we woke up tomorrow and Chris Dodd, Bill Richardson or Joe Biden were president, the world would be a much better place. Can all six of them be president for 48 years? All right, so that would make Joe Biden 114 by the end of his second term...
After the Hillary and Edwards blog-a-thon yesterday, a brief word from the Obama camp courtesy of Johnson County Supervisor Rod Sullivan:
I have recently decided to endorse Illinois Senator Barack Obama in the 2008 Iowa Caucuses. I am extremely excited about this opportunity, and I want to share my enthusiasm.
I decided to support Senator Obama for several reasons. To name a few:Obama has walked the walk, serving as a community organizer in Chicago in some of the poorest neighborhoods in America. He actually gets it! Obama led the fight to stop putting prisoners to death in Illinois. Obama has a lifetime AFL-CIO voting record of better than 95%.
Most importantly, Obama had the MORAL COURAGE and COMMON SENSE to oppose the Iraq war BEFORE it started. That is real leadership!
Right now I want to vote for everybody and do it tomorrow. And even the second tier: if we woke up tomorrow and Chris Dodd, Bill Richardson or Joe Biden were president, the world would be a much better place. Can all six of them be president for 48 years? All right, so that would make Joe Biden 114 by the end of his second term...
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Durbin in for Obama 3/31
Durbin in for Obama 3/31
Obama campaign announces its guest speaker for the March 31 Johnson County Dems event: Obama's senior Illinois colleague Dick Durbin (#2 on the senate cloutometer below).
Obama campaign announces its guest speaker for the March 31 Johnson County Dems event: Obama's senior Illinois colleague Dick Durbin (#2 on the senate cloutometer below).
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Obama Wins The Norris Primary
Obama Wins The Norris Primary
Friday, February 23, Jerome Armstrong: "Whoever lands John Norris will be the winner from Vilsack dropping out."
Today:
We could infer John's on board too.
I see a couple names here I recall from the Kerry caucus period: Steve Chasse, Marygrace Galston...
Friday, February 23, Jerome Armstrong: "Whoever lands John Norris will be the winner from Vilsack dropping out."
Today:
Jackie Norris of Des Moines led the list of top Iowa staffers unveiled by Illinois Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign today.
Norris, Iowa political director for former Vice President Al Gore’s 2000 caucus campaign, joins an state organization led by Gore’s caucus campaign director, Paul Tewes.
Norris, who was Gov. Tom Vilsack’s campaign finance director in 1998, will serve as a senior adviser to the Obama campaign. Norris, is married to longtime Democratic campaign organizer and former congressional candidate John Norris.
We could infer John's on board too.
I see a couple names here I recall from the Kerry caucus period: Steve Chasse, Marygrace Galston...
Obama Palestine pile-on continues
Obama Palestine pile-on continues
The Lobby continues to bash Barack for implying the Palestinians have it kinda tough:
Which is not what Obama said, but let's continue:
Those with long memories will note that Lipsman was co-chair of former Democrat Joe Lieberman's Iowa campaign in 2003-04. She's also top staffer at the Iowa House Democratic Caucus; one may also recall that House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy was a Liebermaniac in `03. The firepower here adds to my suspicion that this is being pushed by other camps.
Non-disclaimer: I'm still firmly undecided. These last couple rants are an issue thing, not an Obama thing.
I'll grant that the Palestinians are often their own worst enemy. Had there been a Gandhi in their midst in 1947, they'd have their country by now. But hey have a right to choose their own lousy government. In fact that gives them a lot in common with Americans. And the "destroy Israel" rhetoric is for domestic consumption. The Palestinians have rocks; the Israelis have freakin' nukes.
Speaking of things being pushed by other camps, The Overrated One gets what's lurking behind the Matt McCoy indictment:
"There will always be those who wonder." I love those little "objective" disclaimers like "some say." Some might say that's a... song cue!
I still have to finish that long-delayed list of Most Blatant Beatle Ripoffs By Oasis. But I can't choose whether Number One should be Liam Gallagher naming his son Lennon, or the band hiring Zak Starkey as the drummer.
The Lobby continues to bash Barack for implying the Palestinians have it kinda tough:
Des Moines Democrat Paulee Lipsman said she was concerned by the idea of relaxing restrictions while the Palestinian government was controlled by a group considered terrorists by the U.S. government.
Which is not what Obama said, but let's continue:
'I think there's a great deal of empathy for the Palestinian people, but they need to change their government,' said Lipsman, who is Jewish and a former Democratic National Committee member. 'And the only way the U.S. and other countries have to make that clear is to withhold funding.'
Those with long memories will note that Lipsman was co-chair of former Democrat Joe Lieberman's Iowa campaign in 2003-04. She's also top staffer at the Iowa House Democratic Caucus; one may also recall that House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy was a Liebermaniac in `03. The firepower here adds to my suspicion that this is being pushed by other camps.
Non-disclaimer: I'm still firmly undecided. These last couple rants are an issue thing, not an Obama thing.
I'll grant that the Palestinians are often their own worst enemy. Had there been a Gandhi in their midst in 1947, they'd have their country by now. But hey have a right to choose their own lousy government. In fact that gives them a lot in common with Americans. And the "destroy Israel" rhetoric is for domestic consumption. The Palestinians have rocks; the Israelis have freakin' nukes.
Speaking of things being pushed by other camps, The Overrated One gets what's lurking behind the Matt McCoy indictment:
We now have the specter of a politically ambitious, evangelical Republican with ties to the religious right going after a gay Democrat.
Does this seem fair? Even if Whitaker has the goods on a south-side political kingpin like McCoy, there will always be those who wonder whether his actions are driven more by his desire to ferret out public corruption, his own political ambition or a dislike for McCoy's sexual orientation.
"There will always be those who wonder." I love those little "objective" disclaimers like "some say." Some might say that's a... song cue!
I still have to finish that long-delayed list of Most Blatant Beatle Ripoffs By Oasis. But I can't choose whether Number One should be Liam Gallagher naming his son Lennon, or the band hiring Zak Starkey as the drummer.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Obama Fails To Say Palestinians Eat Kittens For Breakfast
Obama Fails To Say Palestinians Eat Kittens For Breakfast
Barack Obama, or as he is know in Mayor Daley's precincts Barack O'Bama, is taking a minor dust up over the Palestine-Israel question:
By "strong relationship" we mean "nuke Iraq." It's been a sad spectacle this week, watching the presidentials and congressional leadership travel cap in hand to AIPAC's conference, watching opposition to the next war scuttle into oblivion. Now, even a mild statement of sympathy toward the Palestinian people is treated as if it were Kristallknacht.
This almost feels like a zinger with its source in another campaign...
The FEC reports he gave Vilsack $250 on November 21, which doesn't do much good now.
Even the Iowa blogosphere's most blatant Israel apologist James Eaves-Johnson saw no problems with Obama's AIPAC remarks last week. The only Democrat who'll challenge AIPAC's premises is the safely retired for 25 years Jimmy Carter. I hate to have to quote from the right, but here's a relatively long but key bit from a must-read at The American Conservative:
Back to Obama, his camp is doing its explaining:
Sigh...
Now, I don't expect any presidential candidate to support my preferred solution to Palestine-slash-Israel: the same one person one vote one state solution we asked and got in that other apartheid state, South Africa. And even my second choice solution: two states with the UN's 1947 (not 1967) borders is considered beyond the pale. But if we can't even acknowledge the pain of the Palestinian people without slapping their faces for their choice of leadership, we will continue to have zero credibility in that part of the world, and that can't be good for America's security.
Barack Obama, or as he is know in Mayor Daley's precincts Barack O'Bama, is taking a minor dust up over the Palestine-Israel question:
Obama, speaking Sunday to a small group of Democratic activists in Muscatine, was quoted in the Des Moines Register as saying 'nobody is suffering more than the Palestinian people.'
David Adelman on Tuesday wrote a letter to Obama calling the comment 'deeply troubling' and asking Obama to clarify his comments. Adelman is a member of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which lobbies in support of a strong relationship between the United States and Israel...
By "strong relationship" we mean "nuke Iraq." It's been a sad spectacle this week, watching the presidentials and congressional leadership travel cap in hand to AIPAC's conference, watching opposition to the next war scuttle into oblivion. Now, even a mild statement of sympathy toward the Palestinian people is treated as if it were Kristallknacht.
This almost feels like a zinger with its source in another campaign...
Adelman, a Des Moines attorney, is a politically active Democrat and works as a lobbyist, but he said he has not yet made a choice on whom he will support in 2008.
The FEC reports he gave Vilsack $250 on November 21, which doesn't do much good now.
Even the Iowa blogosphere's most blatant Israel apologist James Eaves-Johnson saw no problems with Obama's AIPAC remarks last week. The only Democrat who'll challenge AIPAC's premises is the safely retired for 25 years Jimmy Carter. I hate to have to quote from the right, but here's a relatively long but key bit from a must-read at The American Conservative:
Pressed by Huffington to explain why he was sure Bush would attack Iran, Clark answered, “You just have to read what’s in the Israeli press. The Jewish community is divided but there is so much pressure being channeled from the New York money people to the office seekers.”
This was an awkward way to put it; the euphemism surely sounded more contentious than anything Clark might have said straightforwardly. And of course some people chose to ignore Clark’s correct assertion that the Jewish community was very divided on the Iran issue. Within days, the general was in caught in a familiar crossfire, smeared as an instigator of anti-Semitism by some Republican Jewish organizations, his remarks headlined as “Protocols of the New York Money People” by a Wall Street Journal columnist.
In early February, Glenn Greenwald, a New York attorney who recently published a book on the Patriot Act, wrote a blog entry that focused on the New York AIPAC gathering attended by both John Edwards and Hillary Clinton. Greenwald quoted an article from the New York Sun—there is no more unimpeachably right-wing Zionist source—that featured Democratic political consultant Hank Sheinkopf’s claim that “New York is the ATM for American politicians. Large amounts of money come from the Jewish community. If … you want dollars from that group, you need to show that you’re interested in the issue that matters most to them.” The issue that matters most, the article went on to say, is Israel, and what this group most wants to hear with regard to Israel is commitment to bellicosity toward Iran.
Greenwald went on to point out that these articles made exactly the same point that Clark made, adding, “It is simply true that there are large and extremely influential Jewish donor groups which are agitating for a U.S. war against Iran, and that is the case because those groups are devoted to promoting Israel’s interests and they perceive it to be in Israel’s interests for the U.S. to militarily confront Iran.”
Matthew Yglesias, a young writer with a blog and similar political orientation, also addressed the Clark issue, noting that while Jewish opinion was divided on Iran, “Everything Clark said, in short, is true. What’s more, everyone knows it’s true.” Yglesias pointed out that it is seemingly permissible to refer to the financial clout Jews wield in the Democratic Party if one is being supportive of America’s self-proclaimed “pro-Israel” forces, but if you’re critical of this influence, you’re denounced as an anti-Semite.
Back to Obama, his camp is doing its explaining:
"Sen. Obama has always said that the security of Israel should be America's starting point in the Middle East," Vietor said. "As he stated in his speech (at AIPAC) and again in Iowa, he also believes that in the end, the Palestinian people are suffering from the Hamas-led government's refusal to renounce terrorism and join as a real partner in the peace process."
Sigh...
Now, I don't expect any presidential candidate to support my preferred solution to Palestine-slash-Israel: the same one person one vote one state solution we asked and got in that other apartheid state, South Africa. And even my second choice solution: two states with the UN's 1947 (not 1967) borders is considered beyond the pale. But if we can't even acknowledge the pain of the Palestinian people without slapping their faces for their choice of leadership, we will continue to have zero credibility in that part of the world, and that can't be good for America's security.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Organizing Obama
Organizing Obama
Hi from the Holiday Inn in North Coralville. It's odd to blog an organizational meeting for a campaign but there's old media here so I think the idea is to rally the forces rather than reveal the Secret Plan.
They're showing part of the Obamannouncement (the name is so fun to play with ) and folks are still trickling in. Was 50 or so when the lights went down. A lot of folks signing the commitment cards, and some folks just having a look-see. (I'm officially uncimmitted, folks). Paul Tewes, state director, is here. A couple electeds in addition to Iowa City Mayor Ross Wilburn (who is committed).
Tewes starts as TV arrives. My cell phone just landed on my keyboard. I hope I don't ever need my F9 key because it's toast.
8888888 test
Tewes contrasts this campaign to his work on Gore campaign. Says Harkin steak fry was a big part of Obama's decision. "Obama brings out the best in people." More like 75 folks now. "Through his message and background, Obama can transcend the negativity."
The three words:
Respect
Empowerment
Inclusion
We won't tell the locals what to do, there aren't bad ideas (I like hearing that; hope things stay that way next January...) "we have to change how we capaign: less authoritarian, more inclusion."
"The way we campaign is a reflection on the man we're campaigning for." People want to be on this side of history with Obama. Tewes is a low key speaker and ends with a casual "how'd I do?"
F9 key fixed. Simeon Talley the local staff dude is intro-ing Wilburn and the other electeds. So I'll name the names: Larry Meyers, Sullivan, Slockett. That's Larry Myers, not Dick Myers, but Dick Myers is reportedly on board.
Wilburn takes the opportunity to announce his own re-elect bid for this fall.
Ross leads with education and teach to the test rather than learning. Brings up the Walter Reed scandal. The faces here are partly familiar, partly new.
"We are at risk for losing the US as a source of inspiration, and we too as Americans need that source of inspiration." Nice transition there, Ross (the old speech geek in me comes out.)
Wilburn notes that his Illinois relatives speak highly of Obama's work in state legislature. I didn't note it before but it was said in the introduction and the out of towners may not know that Wilburn is African American; Iowa City's first black mayor. Ross does not mention this subtext in his talk. He's also a bike-riding kind of guy and was early early for Dean in `03 and he doesn't mention those either.
"We can disagree about who we are supporting, but don't be disagreeable." He's talking and thinking waaay ahead to that realignment moment.
Hallie Schneider, regional field director, is making the pitch to sign folks up and talking constituency groups and (as Tewes joins in and gradually takes the lead) caucus logistics. The old media is packing up; the mayor must be the lead. Tewes asks "who's never been to a caucus" and a third of the hands go up. Some Caucus 101 talk. The "how to persuade people" discussion is best summed up as Put It In Your Own Words.
TV extracts the mayor for a standup. Fellow blogger Nick Johnson is here but no laptop so I'm scoopin' him. But he mentions blogs so here's the love. He's sounding like a supporter (he was Kucinich last time).
Blogger is being goofy. One person really really hates the "rock star" label; thinks it detracts from Obama's substance. Tewes finesses this well; I think rock stars can have a lot of substance.
Question on whether Wayne Ford and Ako have endorsed; "they have not publicly endorsed."
March 27, 6 PM, they're meeting again. Folks are headed out. The diehards are still talking as of 8:13. I'll sign off for now, update if the schmoozing proves interesting.
Hi from the Holiday Inn in North Coralville. It's odd to blog an organizational meeting for a campaign but there's old media here so I think the idea is to rally the forces rather than reveal the Secret Plan.
They're showing part of the Obamannouncement (the name is so fun to play with ) and folks are still trickling in. Was 50 or so when the lights went down. A lot of folks signing the commitment cards, and some folks just having a look-see. (I'm officially uncimmitted, folks). Paul Tewes, state director, is here. A couple electeds in addition to Iowa City Mayor Ross Wilburn (who is committed).
Tewes starts as TV arrives. My cell phone just landed on my keyboard. I hope I don't ever need my F9 key because it's toast.
8888888 test
Tewes contrasts this campaign to his work on Gore campaign. Says Harkin steak fry was a big part of Obama's decision. "Obama brings out the best in people." More like 75 folks now. "Through his message and background, Obama can transcend the negativity."
The three words:
We won't tell the locals what to do, there aren't bad ideas (I like hearing that; hope things stay that way next January...) "we have to change how we capaign: less authoritarian, more inclusion."
"The way we campaign is a reflection on the man we're campaigning for." People want to be on this side of history with Obama. Tewes is a low key speaker and ends with a casual "how'd I do?"
F9 key fixed. Simeon Talley the local staff dude is intro-ing Wilburn and the other electeds. So I'll name the names: Larry Meyers, Sullivan, Slockett. That's Larry Myers, not Dick Myers, but Dick Myers is reportedly on board.
Wilburn takes the opportunity to announce his own re-elect bid for this fall.
Ross leads with education and teach to the test rather than learning. Brings up the Walter Reed scandal. The faces here are partly familiar, partly new.
"We are at risk for losing the US as a source of inspiration, and we too as Americans need that source of inspiration." Nice transition there, Ross (the old speech geek in me comes out.)
Wilburn notes that his Illinois relatives speak highly of Obama's work in state legislature. I didn't note it before but it was said in the introduction and the out of towners may not know that Wilburn is African American; Iowa City's first black mayor. Ross does not mention this subtext in his talk. He's also a bike-riding kind of guy and was early early for Dean in `03 and he doesn't mention those either.
"We can disagree about who we are supporting, but don't be disagreeable." He's talking and thinking waaay ahead to that realignment moment.
Hallie Schneider, regional field director, is making the pitch to sign folks up and talking constituency groups and (as Tewes joins in and gradually takes the lead) caucus logistics. The old media is packing up; the mayor must be the lead. Tewes asks "who's never been to a caucus" and a third of the hands go up. Some Caucus 101 talk. The "how to persuade people" discussion is best summed up as Put It In Your Own Words.
TV extracts the mayor for a standup. Fellow blogger Nick Johnson is here but no laptop so I'm scoopin' him. But he mentions blogs so here's the love. He's sounding like a supporter (he was Kucinich last time).
Blogger is being goofy. One person really really hates the "rock star" label; thinks it detracts from Obama's substance. Tewes finesses this well; I think rock stars can have a lot of substance.
Question on whether Wayne Ford and Ako have endorsed; "they have not publicly endorsed."
March 27, 6 PM, they're meeting again. Folks are headed out. The diehards are still talking as of 8:13. I'll sign off for now, update if the schmoozing proves interesting.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Iowa City Mayor Ross Wilburn Backing Obama
Iowa City Mayor Ross Wilburn Backing Obama
From the in box:
This is a confirmed Obama endorsement:
Ross was an early Howard Dean supporter; I remember him from meetings as early as April `03.
From the in box:
Johnson County for Obama Kickoff Meeting
When: Tuesday, March 6, 6:30pm
Where: Holiday Inn Conference Center
1220 1st Ave, Coralville
rsvp link
Iowa City Mayor Ross Wilburn is going to be our keynote speaker and we'll also have live music, and of course, food.
This is a confirmed Obama endorsement:
“I support Senator Obama because of his views on education, healthcare and his ability to discuss faith in an inclusive way. I'm impressed by his state and national experience in reaching across the aisle to bring divergent views into consensus action” said Wilburn.
Ross was an early Howard Dean supporter; I remember him from meetings as early as April `03.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Obama Organizing In Johnson
Obama Organizing In Johnson
From the in box:
I'm not committed yet and I'll pass this sort of thing along as I hear about stuff.
From the in box:
I'm writing to invite you to attend the kickoff meeting of our group, "Johnson County for Obama"... Tuesday, March 6 at 6:30pm. Even if you're not sure if you're going to vote for Senator Obama, you're invited to learn more. We're still looking for a location...
I'm not committed yet and I'll pass this sort of thing along as I hear about stuff.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Tom Miller, Mike Fitzgerald... Barack Obama
Tom Miller, Mike Fitzgerald... Barack Obama
From the inbox:
No wonder they weren't on that Vilsack list yesterday... that's a big zing to the former guv: the two longest serving statewide elected officials, so popular they ran unopposed last year.
I'm remembering Tom Miller was a Lieberman guy in `03. I considered that myself since my caucus support is the kiss of death (Hart, Jackson, Harkin, Bradley, Dean... my only caucus for a nominee was the `96 Clinton re-elect) and I wanted to be sure Joementum would lose. But luckily he didn't need my help.
Hey, Drew, do you have the inside dish here?
Tangent: As an Iowan I hate to say it, but some of the second-tier folks would be best advised to adopt a Screw Iowa strategy rather than try to break through the Three Rock Stars and the Home Town Boy. The true second tier, Vilsack included, each has a needle that could in theory be threaded:
Bill Richardson needs to spend every free moment in Vegas (he may already be doing that)
New Hampshire is a short hop for Chris Dodd
Wes Clark, if he gets in, should focus on vet-heavy South Carolina.
At this point it should be noted that the Screw Iowa Strategy (Gore 88, McCain 00) has never worked.
The articulate Joe Biden has no viable options, so from this day on I include him in the third tier with Dennis Kookcinich, Sal Mohamed and Mike Gravel (it's pronounced graVEL and not like rocks).
From the inbox:
U.S. Senator Barack Obama's campaign today announced that Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller and Iowa State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald have endorsed Barack Obama for President...
No wonder they weren't on that Vilsack list yesterday... that's a big zing to the former guv: the two longest serving statewide elected officials, so popular they ran unopposed last year.
I'm remembering Tom Miller was a Lieberman guy in `03. I considered that myself since my caucus support is the kiss of death (Hart, Jackson, Harkin, Bradley, Dean... my only caucus for a nominee was the `96 Clinton re-elect) and I wanted to be sure Joementum would lose. But luckily he didn't need my help.
Hey, Drew, do you have the inside dish here?
Tangent: As an Iowan I hate to say it, but some of the second-tier folks would be best advised to adopt a Screw Iowa strategy rather than try to break through the Three Rock Stars and the Home Town Boy. The true second tier, Vilsack included, each has a needle that could in theory be threaded:
At this point it should be noted that the Screw Iowa Strategy (Gore 88, McCain 00) has never worked.
The articulate Joe Biden has no viable options, so from this day on I include him in the third tier with Dennis Kookcinich, Sal Mohamed and Mike Gravel (it's pronounced graVEL and not like rocks).
Endorsement Hoopla, Obama Roundup
Endorsement Hoopla, Obama Roundup
A couple sources this morning discussing Iowa's congressional delegation and presidential endorsements.
Hotline jumps on Dave Loebsack's appearance at the Obama rally and asks "is it an endorsement." And while my new congressman did say some nice things about that guy from the next state over, I didn't hear a commitment. Here's what I did hear, as fast as I could type:
"Choose the best person", not "Barack Obama is the best person."
And as Iowa Progress and Jane Norman note, Leonard Boswell will share a stage with anyone, anywhere, anytime:
Some other reports on Obama in CR yesterday:
Chris Dorsey, Iowa Politics
Gazette
Mike Hlas, also Gazette
Associated Press (where were you, Mike Glover?)
Register has the civilian, from the hall story. But Yepsen, being Yepsen, of course, gets the exclusive on the bus (was it ethanol-fueled?) from CR to Waterloo.
A couple sources this morning discussing Iowa's congressional delegation and presidential endorsements.
Hotline jumps on Dave Loebsack's appearance at the Obama rally and asks "is it an endorsement." And while my new congressman did say some nice things about that guy from the next state over, I didn't hear a commitment. Here's what I did hear, as fast as I could type:
Iowa takes its job seriously. The caucus process is the most democratic - small d - way to do this, we have the opportunity to talk about the issues and ask the hard questions, and a lot of us have been doing that for a lot of years.”
Let’s do our job and choose the best person for the Democratic nomination and let’s begin here in Iowa.
"Choose the best person", not "Barack Obama is the best person."
And as Iowa Progress and Jane Norman note, Leonard Boswell will share a stage with anyone, anywhere, anytime:
The no-endorsement policy at the moment extends to former Gov. Tom Vilsack, and Boswell even said he is not sure he will ever endorse anyone.
"This is nothing new," he says. "We have an awesome responsibility having the first caucus. ... I want people to come to Iowa, and I'll offer up what I can do."
"I reserve the right to decide, but in the past I have not."
Some other reports on Obama in CR yesterday:
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Obama: Cedar Rapids 2/10/07
Obama: Cedar Rapids 2/10/07
There was a rumor of wifi but it appears to have been only a rumor. So this is live written, delayed posted (with overdubs, even KISS Alive! had overdubs.)
2:30ish and Settling in at the press platform…
Operation looks major league but perhaps a touch over efficient. Maybe it’s an excess of volunteers; a lot of Fresh Faced Young People were tasked with keeping the press in the press area. I made the mistake of trading my civilian tix for a press pass.
Had a nice brief chat with Joel Miller, Linn County Auditor candidate who was not missing the chance to shake a few thousand hands before Tuesday’s special election. I let him get on with talking to folks who can actually vote for him and wandered down the line. But I’m hoping today’s obsession with press corralling is a brief bump in the road and not a sign of things to come
The Overrated One has been sighted though he did have a nice summary today. Chris Dorsey of Iowa Politics is here as is rfdblog.com. And loads and loads and loads of national press. I’m squeezed in between a couple cameras. While I was wandering the folks in line looked young, young, young.
3:42. Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s colors are green and gold and I wonder how a certain Bears fan will like that. The hubbub is overpowering the music but it’s four or five songs on a loop. One hip hop, one country, Sly Stone’s Everyday People, the Rascal Flatts version of “Life Is A Highway” (I guess Tom Cochrane’s origninal is too Canadian) and John Mellencamp’s ubiquitous “This Is My Country”…
Congressman Loebsack – I still love saying that - gets a nice cheer. Linn activist DJ Arnold says Obama had a short get together with a few of his ilk just now and some of them are trickling into the seats saved next to him. Mayor Kay Halloran is here (despite the Vilsack endorsement mentioned this morning).
4:07 now and underway. Joel Miller is getting a moment at the platform. The party line is “he’s the only qualified person in the race.” (repeated by every Linn County Dem I talked to)
Congressman Dave Loebsack
Dave Loebsack is up and thanking all of us for his big surprise win last fall. Says he recognizes a lot of national press - not from his race but from past caucuses as a party activist.
“Iowa takes its job seriously. The caucus process is the most democratic - small d - way to do this, we have the opportunity to talk about the issues and ask the hard questions, and a lot of us have been doing that for a lot of years.”
“In America, we do have hope and opportunity, and those of us in Congress are doing all we can to restore that.” He announces for re-election – but we knew that so we chuckle.
“The Democrats have Congress, we’re halfway there. We can try to negotiate with the president. But let’s do our job and choose the best person for the Democratic nomination and let’s begin here in Iowa.”
A brief lull. Dave had a good meeting with labor folks in Iowa City just before this. The Kennedy kids are starting an O-BA-MA! Chant but it dies out.
4:16 and the Congressman asks the folks in the bleachers to scoot closer together so we can get more folks in. In a nice professorial voice of a guy who’s done a lot of caucus events before.
4:20 and a Kennedy High senior intros Obama. He makes the entrance to loud cheers, though I remember basketball games being louder. No entrance music – apparently that’s the drill for Obama as that was what he did at the DNC last week. Crowd is standing so my once good vantage point is shot. Now the noise approaches hoops level…
The family is with him, he has the tie on today and not the usual Obama no tie uniform. Steve Sovern is handling the re-intro. I guess introducing Obama is a dual duty.
Sovern: “This is a hugely different way to start the campaign – but this is a hugely different candidate.” The idea here is this is a conversation, not a speech. Obama is introing the electeds: Loebsack and Joel Miller get more love. His Illinois cohort Dick Durbin is here, hanging back by the press mostly unobserved.
4:30 and on to the meat: leading with health care; energy as national and environmental security. Education and global competitiveness. Internationally people recognize the terrorist threat is real. But can’t solve it till “we bring this ill conceived are in Iraq to a close.” (first big applause.
We have faced similar challenges in the past: we faced it with slavery, name checks Lincoln, we overcame great depression and fascism – here’s that big historic arc he likes to draw. “We’ve been able to meet every challenge; there’s no reason we can’t meet today’s challenges.”
I don’t just want to win, I want to transform this country. Only way I can do it is if you make this a vehicle for your hopes and dreams. No matter how able the individual, ultimately the country changes in when the people speak out for change. What I hope will happen is through meetings like that is we see reengagement and excitement from ordinary citizens – because they can accomplish extraordinary change.
Rolling applause.
Sovern says he gets a few more questions, then it’ll open to the crowd. He was watching C-Span calls – JFK comparisons. people saying Obama leads people back to Dems because of HOPE. How do you deal with responsibility?
Obama: “I hope all the questionss are like that. (ha ha ha) JFK comparison is premature… town hall meetings will let people “kick the tires and see what this guy’s about.” Hope people say “this guy’s agenda makes sense.” Our politics feels like an insider’s game with ordinary voters left out (applause) Special interest have an extraordinary influence – hard to get any energy bill through, drug bill, due to lobby influence. Recently passed ethics reforms. The aggregate over time of influence gives some people access others not and that excludes people. Kennedy era gave people sense everyone could be involved. The call to action has been missing, replaced by corrosive cynicism\m. When asked “who’s your biggest rival” I say “cynicism.”
Sovern: How do you maintain integrity while raising millions?
Obama “It’s hard” Makes no PAC pledge and gets applause. But we must raise $ to compete. Town halls are great but if I don’t get on TV, I’m a wonderful footnote in campaign history. Internet has put power back into people’s hands. $5, 10, 20 from millions of people lets us raise as much $ with more stake holders. It’s a pain in the neck raising money all the time, takes time away from finding solutions. Only 1% makes contributions, disproportionately wealthy. Not quid pro quo, but you spend time with them “and they’re not struggling.” High dollar donors can have progressive ideals, but they don’t feel daily struggles the same way.
Sovern: Ethnicity and “what is he”? What are you, Senator?
Obama: Uses the Alabama and Yo Mama joke he used last fall, does the mini-biography. Dad from Kenya, mom from Kansas, grew up in Hawaii: “Typical for an Illinois politician.” (ha ha) Went to Chicago to be a community organizer starting at $13,000 a year. “Best education I ever had – realizing that Washington has the power to influence the way locals cannot – and that ordinary people can do extraordinary things if given a chance.” One of my strengths as a leader – there are a lot of different pieces of American in me. As a teen that caused me some problems, I felt pulled in a million different but as I got older I learned that it was an enormous benefit because people are people. With similar hopes and dreams and common values – and that’s a foundation around which we can build a better politics.”
Sovern laying down ground rules for questions: “make it quick and make it a question.” (People mostly follow that, except maybe the teacher at the end but the crowd was on her side.)
Kyle from Naperville asks: How do we get troops out of Iraq?
“I opposed this war from the start” gets biggest applause since entrance. Whether you were for or against we must face facts; will not be a military solution, the problems are political. Shia, Sunni, Kurds have not come together on a host of issues to resolve peacefully. Our troops cannot maintain order in a civil war. So candidates have obligation to offer a specific plan. So I would begin phased redeployment – troops out by 3/31/08. Binding legislation. (interrupting applause) If at any point Iraq meets benchmarks we can reassess. Commanders have flexibility and Iraqis have incentives. Not putting troops (praise praise) in a situation where they can’t succeed. This parallels what Iraq Study Group recommended. The notion that this approach is irresponsible flies in face of military experts. We have genuine national security interest and responsibilities. “We should be as careful getting out as we were careless getting in.”
Linda of CR: North Korea.
Obama: In many ways North Korea a greater danger than Iraq was pre-invasion. Nukes nukes nukes… We should have built on some of Clinton administration’s work: exchange inspections for assistance. “They cheated, nevertheless it kept a lid on.” Bush cut it all off. So North Korea just broke the deal. So we have to rebuild a constructive process. North Korea wants bilateral talks with US. I thiNorth Korea we should talk to North Korea (applause). They are a rogue state we must be tough, but the US doesn’t punish anyone by not talking. As a consequence we have no leverage. UN Sec General says “the simple act of the US acknowledging NORTH KOREA” would help.
John McCauskely (that's how I typed it and now I can't recall the pronunciation) of Sensible Priorities. He’s a Chicago native. Obama: “White Sox or Cubbies?” John is a Cub guy; Obama is a Sox fan. John backpedals saying his folks were a Cubs-Sox mixed marriage. Getting serious, he asks about cuts in Pentagon budget.
Obama: getting out of Iraq will save billions… yet in terms of overall military budget we have problems with immediate cuts because this war has depleted our military. My ADD is kicking in, a reporter is doing his standup loudly and I get distracted. Obama says career military are opting out, can’t take third rotations. We need to build up size of active regular forces and replace equipment lost in war, probably a bump in initial Obama Administration (he sayss it, picture me as a president) military spending just to catch up. Then we go through budget to see which programs and weapons systems are effective, which are outmoded. We are not fighting the wars our parents fought. Potentially over time we could see some savings but we still need to address threats. (In sum: Get out of Iraq but I’m not a Disarm Now kinda guy)
Krista from UIowa asks about college costs.
Obama: I have a self-interest in college costs with two young kids (no one laughs at the joke surprisingly). Half of student loans go directly to students, works well. Other half, because of banking industry clout, goes thru banks and takes out $2 billion in profits. Not enough influence from students – students don’t vote enough. I’d make all programs run efficiently. Let the banks make money on my mortgage, my credit card, but don’t let them impede kids ability go to college.
Mix of loans to grants has changed. My era (which was roughly this blogger’s era): was 70% grants to 30% loans, and the debt burden was less and people could be teachers or social workers. With $100,000 in debt, those options are hard (applause). We should give incentives for kids to go into teaching (applause) and give them a huge break on their education.
Sovern: one more question.
Jean an Iowa City Teacher: No Child Left Behind (the Kennedy kids cheer) and vouchers (which she doesn’t like).
Obama: Left the $ behind. Applause But things were good: 1) high standards – we have to compete 2) Did ID a problem of schools doing well as a whole but some tee not result groups left behind, so we need to identify that. America is not a guarantee, but everyone should have a shot. But No child did not provide the $. Chicago is 3000 teachers short. Assessments penalize good schools because some schools have hard time meeting standards – more poor kids, etc. We should look for a trajectory of improvement instead. Most important ingredient is the quality of teachers. Need to make up for baby boomer retirements. We need to pay teachers more (applause) The most important job in the country, barely making enough $ to support.
But there should be more accountability. Can’t be test performance only – but that s/b part of the mix. The teachers can tell you who the good teachers are. (The voucher part of the question, which had been partially drowned by applause anyway, does not get taken up.)
Closing remarks: First of many visits to CR (yaaaaaaaaaaay they say) The novelty will wear off ("Do I want to see Obama AGAIN? Naah, the ball game's on") so we can meet in smaller groups so people can ask more questions. Making change in this country will depend on your decision that problems are SO important (a bit of Obama Oratory here…) If you feel that sense of urgency, don’t just wait for me. I’ve gotta have YOU get involved. He’s making the pitch for the pledge cards, nicely distributed on every seat (along with the Joel Miller flyers)… We can completely change how we do business in this country.
5:26. The crush of bodies is waiting for the moment with the man, perhaps to touch the hem of his garment. It may take a while to get out and get posted.
The bit of Oratorical Obama at the end really got folks going but that wasn’t the event intent. They’re playing Mellencamp AGAIN. Makes we want to buy a truck. Durbin is to my left doing an interview. One of his staffers picks my brain a little. An Iowa City guy has a pro-Palestinian sign, good for the national cameras to see.
Follow-up: State Rep. Tyler Olson is present, says his first session is going well. As I leave the press area Yepsen is approaching Loebsack: “Congressman! Haven’t seen you since the election…” I hope he dined on a full plate of crow… A camera guy based out of Springfield says 18,000 were at the announcement event.
On the way out Obama folks are signing folks up and handing out buttons and stickers, no abandoned signs were noted on the floor. Dem volunteers are handing out flyers for Joel Miller, and one of the independent candidates is seen as well. Odd, since the Democratic Senator who is a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination was nice enough to endorse Democrat Joel Miller from the platform. I share this oddity with DJ Arnold, who is both a very loyal Democrat and a rather big guy, and as I leave he’s going over to discuss the matter with the independent candidate.
I’ll put up pics later if they turn out.
There was a rumor of wifi but it appears to have been only a rumor. So this is live written, delayed posted (with overdubs, even KISS Alive! had overdubs.)
2:30ish and Settling in at the press platform…
Operation looks major league but perhaps a touch over efficient. Maybe it’s an excess of volunteers; a lot of Fresh Faced Young People were tasked with keeping the press in the press area. I made the mistake of trading my civilian tix for a press pass.
Had a nice brief chat with Joel Miller, Linn County Auditor candidate who was not missing the chance to shake a few thousand hands before Tuesday’s special election. I let him get on with talking to folks who can actually vote for him and wandered down the line. But I’m hoping today’s obsession with press corralling is a brief bump in the road and not a sign of things to come
The Overrated One has been sighted though he did have a nice summary today. Chris Dorsey of Iowa Politics is here as is rfdblog.com. And loads and loads and loads of national press. I’m squeezed in between a couple cameras. While I was wandering the folks in line looked young, young, young.
3:42. Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s colors are green and gold and I wonder how a certain Bears fan will like that. The hubbub is overpowering the music but it’s four or five songs on a loop. One hip hop, one country, Sly Stone’s Everyday People, the Rascal Flatts version of “Life Is A Highway” (I guess Tom Cochrane’s origninal is too Canadian) and John Mellencamp’s ubiquitous “This Is My Country”…
Congressman Loebsack – I still love saying that - gets a nice cheer. Linn activist DJ Arnold says Obama had a short get together with a few of his ilk just now and some of them are trickling into the seats saved next to him. Mayor Kay Halloran is here (despite the Vilsack endorsement mentioned this morning).
4:07 now and underway. Joel Miller is getting a moment at the platform. The party line is “he’s the only qualified person in the race.” (repeated by every Linn County Dem I talked to)
Congressman Dave Loebsack
Dave Loebsack is up and thanking all of us for his big surprise win last fall. Says he recognizes a lot of national press - not from his race but from past caucuses as a party activist.
“Iowa takes its job seriously. The caucus process is the most democratic - small d - way to do this, we have the opportunity to talk about the issues and ask the hard questions, and a lot of us have been doing that for a lot of years.”
“In America, we do have hope and opportunity, and those of us in Congress are doing all we can to restore that.” He announces for re-election – but we knew that so we chuckle.
“The Democrats have Congress, we’re halfway there. We can try to negotiate with the president. But let’s do our job and choose the best person for the Democratic nomination and let’s begin here in Iowa.”
A brief lull. Dave had a good meeting with labor folks in Iowa City just before this. The Kennedy kids are starting an O-BA-MA! Chant but it dies out.
4:16 and the Congressman asks the folks in the bleachers to scoot closer together so we can get more folks in. In a nice professorial voice of a guy who’s done a lot of caucus events before.
4:20 and a Kennedy High senior intros Obama. He makes the entrance to loud cheers, though I remember basketball games being louder. No entrance music – apparently that’s the drill for Obama as that was what he did at the DNC last week. Crowd is standing so my once good vantage point is shot. Now the noise approaches hoops level…
The family is with him, he has the tie on today and not the usual Obama no tie uniform. Steve Sovern is handling the re-intro. I guess introducing Obama is a dual duty.
Sovern: “This is a hugely different way to start the campaign – but this is a hugely different candidate.” The idea here is this is a conversation, not a speech. Obama is introing the electeds: Loebsack and Joel Miller get more love. His Illinois cohort Dick Durbin is here, hanging back by the press mostly unobserved.
4:30 and on to the meat: leading with health care; energy as national and environmental security. Education and global competitiveness. Internationally people recognize the terrorist threat is real. But can’t solve it till “we bring this ill conceived are in Iraq to a close.” (first big applause.
We have faced similar challenges in the past: we faced it with slavery, name checks Lincoln, we overcame great depression and fascism – here’s that big historic arc he likes to draw. “We’ve been able to meet every challenge; there’s no reason we can’t meet today’s challenges.”
I don’t just want to win, I want to transform this country. Only way I can do it is if you make this a vehicle for your hopes and dreams. No matter how able the individual, ultimately the country changes in when the people speak out for change. What I hope will happen is through meetings like that is we see reengagement and excitement from ordinary citizens – because they can accomplish extraordinary change.
Rolling applause.
Sovern says he gets a few more questions, then it’ll open to the crowd. He was watching C-Span calls – JFK comparisons. people saying Obama leads people back to Dems because of HOPE. How do you deal with responsibility?
Obama: “I hope all the questionss are like that. (ha ha ha) JFK comparison is premature… town hall meetings will let people “kick the tires and see what this guy’s about.” Hope people say “this guy’s agenda makes sense.” Our politics feels like an insider’s game with ordinary voters left out (applause) Special interest have an extraordinary influence – hard to get any energy bill through, drug bill, due to lobby influence. Recently passed ethics reforms. The aggregate over time of influence gives some people access others not and that excludes people. Kennedy era gave people sense everyone could be involved. The call to action has been missing, replaced by corrosive cynicism\m. When asked “who’s your biggest rival” I say “cynicism.”
Sovern: How do you maintain integrity while raising millions?
Obama “It’s hard” Makes no PAC pledge and gets applause. But we must raise $ to compete. Town halls are great but if I don’t get on TV, I’m a wonderful footnote in campaign history. Internet has put power back into people’s hands. $5, 10, 20 from millions of people lets us raise as much $ with more stake holders. It’s a pain in the neck raising money all the time, takes time away from finding solutions. Only 1% makes contributions, disproportionately wealthy. Not quid pro quo, but you spend time with them “and they’re not struggling.” High dollar donors can have progressive ideals, but they don’t feel daily struggles the same way.
Sovern: Ethnicity and “what is he”? What are you, Senator?
Obama: Uses the Alabama and Yo Mama joke he used last fall, does the mini-biography. Dad from Kenya, mom from Kansas, grew up in Hawaii: “Typical for an Illinois politician.” (ha ha) Went to Chicago to be a community organizer starting at $13,000 a year. “Best education I ever had – realizing that Washington has the power to influence the way locals cannot – and that ordinary people can do extraordinary things if given a chance.” One of my strengths as a leader – there are a lot of different pieces of American in me. As a teen that caused me some problems, I felt pulled in a million different but as I got older I learned that it was an enormous benefit because people are people. With similar hopes and dreams and common values – and that’s a foundation around which we can build a better politics.”
Sovern laying down ground rules for questions: “make it quick and make it a question.” (People mostly follow that, except maybe the teacher at the end but the crowd was on her side.)
Kyle from Naperville asks: How do we get troops out of Iraq?
“I opposed this war from the start” gets biggest applause since entrance. Whether you were for or against we must face facts; will not be a military solution, the problems are political. Shia, Sunni, Kurds have not come together on a host of issues to resolve peacefully. Our troops cannot maintain order in a civil war. So candidates have obligation to offer a specific plan. So I would begin phased redeployment – troops out by 3/31/08. Binding legislation. (interrupting applause) If at any point Iraq meets benchmarks we can reassess. Commanders have flexibility and Iraqis have incentives. Not putting troops (praise praise) in a situation where they can’t succeed. This parallels what Iraq Study Group recommended. The notion that this approach is irresponsible flies in face of military experts. We have genuine national security interest and responsibilities. “We should be as careful getting out as we were careless getting in.”
Linda of CR: North Korea.
Obama: In many ways North Korea a greater danger than Iraq was pre-invasion. Nukes nukes nukes… We should have built on some of Clinton administration’s work: exchange inspections for assistance. “They cheated, nevertheless it kept a lid on.” Bush cut it all off. So North Korea just broke the deal. So we have to rebuild a constructive process. North Korea wants bilateral talks with US. I thiNorth Korea we should talk to North Korea (applause). They are a rogue state we must be tough, but the US doesn’t punish anyone by not talking. As a consequence we have no leverage. UN Sec General says “the simple act of the US acknowledging NORTH KOREA” would help.
John McCauskely (that's how I typed it and now I can't recall the pronunciation) of Sensible Priorities. He’s a Chicago native. Obama: “White Sox or Cubbies?” John is a Cub guy; Obama is a Sox fan. John backpedals saying his folks were a Cubs-Sox mixed marriage. Getting serious, he asks about cuts in Pentagon budget.
Obama: getting out of Iraq will save billions… yet in terms of overall military budget we have problems with immediate cuts because this war has depleted our military. My ADD is kicking in, a reporter is doing his standup loudly and I get distracted. Obama says career military are opting out, can’t take third rotations. We need to build up size of active regular forces and replace equipment lost in war, probably a bump in initial Obama Administration (he sayss it, picture me as a president) military spending just to catch up. Then we go through budget to see which programs and weapons systems are effective, which are outmoded. We are not fighting the wars our parents fought. Potentially over time we could see some savings but we still need to address threats. (In sum: Get out of Iraq but I’m not a Disarm Now kinda guy)
Krista from UIowa asks about college costs.
Obama: I have a self-interest in college costs with two young kids (no one laughs at the joke surprisingly). Half of student loans go directly to students, works well. Other half, because of banking industry clout, goes thru banks and takes out $2 billion in profits. Not enough influence from students – students don’t vote enough. I’d make all programs run efficiently. Let the banks make money on my mortgage, my credit card, but don’t let them impede kids ability go to college.
Mix of loans to grants has changed. My era (which was roughly this blogger’s era): was 70% grants to 30% loans, and the debt burden was less and people could be teachers or social workers. With $100,000 in debt, those options are hard (applause). We should give incentives for kids to go into teaching (applause) and give them a huge break on their education.
Sovern: one more question.
Jean an Iowa City Teacher: No Child Left Behind (the Kennedy kids cheer) and vouchers (which she doesn’t like).
Obama: Left the $ behind. Applause But things were good: 1) high standards – we have to compete 2) Did ID a problem of schools doing well as a whole but some tee not result groups left behind, so we need to identify that. America is not a guarantee, but everyone should have a shot. But No child did not provide the $. Chicago is 3000 teachers short. Assessments penalize good schools because some schools have hard time meeting standards – more poor kids, etc. We should look for a trajectory of improvement instead. Most important ingredient is the quality of teachers. Need to make up for baby boomer retirements. We need to pay teachers more (applause) The most important job in the country, barely making enough $ to support.
But there should be more accountability. Can’t be test performance only – but that s/b part of the mix. The teachers can tell you who the good teachers are. (The voucher part of the question, which had been partially drowned by applause anyway, does not get taken up.)
Closing remarks: First of many visits to CR (yaaaaaaaaaaay they say) The novelty will wear off ("Do I want to see Obama AGAIN? Naah, the ball game's on") so we can meet in smaller groups so people can ask more questions. Making change in this country will depend on your decision that problems are SO important (a bit of Obama Oratory here…) If you feel that sense of urgency, don’t just wait for me. I’ve gotta have YOU get involved. He’s making the pitch for the pledge cards, nicely distributed on every seat (along with the Joel Miller flyers)… We can completely change how we do business in this country.
5:26. The crush of bodies is waiting for the moment with the man, perhaps to touch the hem of his garment. It may take a while to get out and get posted.
The bit of Oratorical Obama at the end really got folks going but that wasn’t the event intent. They’re playing Mellencamp AGAIN. Makes we want to buy a truck. Durbin is to my left doing an interview. One of his staffers picks my brain a little. An Iowa City guy has a pro-Palestinian sign, good for the national cameras to see.
Follow-up: State Rep. Tyler Olson is present, says his first session is going well. As I leave the press area Yepsen is approaching Loebsack: “Congressman! Haven’t seen you since the election…” I hope he dined on a full plate of crow… A camera guy based out of Springfield says 18,000 were at the announcement event.
On the way out Obama folks are signing folks up and handing out buttons and stickers, no abandoned signs were noted on the floor. Dem volunteers are handing out flyers for Joel Miller, and one of the independent candidates is seen as well. Odd, since the Democratic Senator who is a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination was nice enough to endorse Democrat Joel Miller from the platform. I share this oddity with DJ Arnold, who is both a very loyal Democrat and a rather big guy, and as I leave he’s going over to discuss the matter with the independent candidate.
I’ll put up pics later if they turn out.
Vilsack Has A List, Obama Has A Rally
Vilsack Has A List
An interesting tactic: Vilsack publishes a list of 1159 Iowa committments. The list geek in me loves it but I don't have time to dig into the whole thing; it's Obama Day (hence the timing, Tom?) and it's what we in Johnson County call Hy-Vee Saturday. Six early voting sites for Tuesday's SILO election.
But I had time for a quick look. The gems of the list are the Harkins of Cumming; Secretary of State Mike Mauro is listed too, as is one of his predecessors, Elaine Baxter. The name Culver is absent... no Tom Miler... no Fitzgeralds... no Blouins... Look, here's Gordon... seeing a lot of Mount Pleasant here... Cacciatore... Gene Fraise...
Here's the eastern Iowa names I'm recognizing:
Cedar Rapids Mayor Kay Halloran
Former state senator Jean Lloyd-Jones of Iowa City (1992 US Senate nominee)
Former Linn County Supervisor Ken Perry
Anyway, if someone doesn't beat me to it (oops, looks like Iowa Progress already has) I'll do a deeper analysis later. Maybe after Tuesday...
Speaking of lists and SILO, they ran a several-hundred name list of supporters on a full page of the Press-Citizen yesterday... and on the left Joe Bolkcom's name is on it plus a mention in his newsletter.
Ans speaking of Obama, his site's got live video of the announcement. I'm not sure if my coverage is live or pseudo-live yet. Gazette has a teaser:
An interesting tactic: Vilsack publishes a list of 1159 Iowa committments. The list geek in me loves it but I don't have time to dig into the whole thing; it's Obama Day (hence the timing, Tom?) and it's what we in Johnson County call Hy-Vee Saturday. Six early voting sites for Tuesday's SILO election.
But I had time for a quick look. The gems of the list are the Harkins of Cumming; Secretary of State Mike Mauro is listed too, as is one of his predecessors, Elaine Baxter. The name Culver is absent... no Tom Miler... no Fitzgeralds... no Blouins... Look, here's Gordon... seeing a lot of Mount Pleasant here... Cacciatore... Gene Fraise...
Here's the eastern Iowa names I'm recognizing:
Anyway, if someone doesn't beat me to it (oops, looks like Iowa Progress already has) I'll do a deeper analysis later. Maybe after Tuesday...
Speaking of lists and SILO, they ran a several-hundred name list of supporters on a full page of the Press-Citizen yesterday... and on the left Joe Bolkcom's name is on it plus a mention in his newsletter.
Ans speaking of Obama, his site's got live video of the announcement. I'm not sure if my coverage is live or pseudo-live yet. Gazette has a teaser:
"The Obama campaign would like to do a living room campaign", said Steve Sovern of North Liberty, who will introduce Obama. (Deeth notes: Sovern=prominent area attorney, former congressional candidate) "They know it'll just have to be a larger living room."
Monday, September 18, 2006
John Deeth Blog: Not Really All Obama, All The Time
John Deeth Blog: Not Really All Obama, All The Time
Just seems like it today. Tomorrow is Mark Warner day; Warner is at a fundraiser for the Johnson County legislators and I will be live or close to live at noon. Evan Bayh on October 1st depends on family matters; that's my daughter's birthday.
Thanks to all for the link love on yesterday which shot me to my highest traffic day in almost four years of blogging. The links at barackobama.com and of course tomharkin.com were especially nice.
Before caucus season starts in earnest I need to take some of my election overtime and invest in an actual camera. For now I'll just link to Chris Woods' Flickr set.
Another write up, which catches one really key point that I missed, is from Lynn Heuss, guesting at Political Madman.
Even the normally just the facts maam Politics1 (Run Gunzburger is my true blogfather and he's been doing this since 1998) gets in on the act; also Dan Conley writes at Political Wire. He doesn't gush as much as me:
OK so I'm a hick blogger, too cheap for a camera and a url. Guess I'll go milk the pigs now. That was a line I used to use on urban ubersophisticates - if they laughed I knew they were OK but if they took me seriously we were definitely in trouble. Legendary perhaps apochryphal story about the East Coast staffer - HAD to be Dukakis since I heard the story pre-Kerry - getting their first ride through a harvest time Iowa field:
Just seems like it today. Tomorrow is Mark Warner day; Warner is at a fundraiser for the Johnson County legislators and I will be live or close to live at noon. Evan Bayh on October 1st depends on family matters; that's my daughter's birthday.
Thanks to all for the link love on yesterday which shot me to my highest traffic day in almost four years of blogging. The links at barackobama.com and of course tomharkin.com were especially nice.
Before caucus season starts in earnest I need to take some of my election overtime and invest in an actual camera. For now I'll just link to Chris Woods' Flickr set.
Another write up, which catches one really key point that I missed, is from Lynn Heuss, guesting at Political Madman.
Even the normally just the facts maam Politics1 (Run Gunzburger is my true blogfather and he's been doing this since 1998) gets in on the act; also Dan Conley writes at Political Wire. He doesn't gush as much as me:
Perhaps the best was Obama saying that the war on terror has become a war fought between September and November in even numbered years. But like other rhetorical high points, Obama fouled the line off and only seemed comfortable with his oldest material.
To the Iowa faithful, though, a B+ Obama sure beats anything else they have to listen to on a beautiful fall day.
OK so I'm a hick blogger, too cheap for a camera and a url. Guess I'll go milk the pigs now. That was a line I used to use on urban ubersophisticates - if they laughed I knew they were OK but if they took me seriously we were definitely in trouble. Legendary perhaps apochryphal story about the East Coast staffer - HAD to be Dukakis since I heard the story pre-Kerry - getting their first ride through a harvest time Iowa field:
Is that a CORN field?
Uh-huh.
How come the corn in that field is so short?
That's soybeans.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Obama at Harkin Steak Fry, Part 3: The Main Event
Obama at Harkin Steak Fry, Part 3: The Main Event
Folks passing an Obama 2008 petition got some TV attention.
Harkin acknowledges Obama IS The Main Event with avuncular humor about “giving the kid next door a chance” after he couldn’t get Bono to headline. My notes say I noticed Obama glancing at notes earlier but I’m guessing that was just to be sure to get the local names right because I never though of it again till looking at MY notes.
During the obligatory props to everyone his first memorable line is that too many politicians “represent Washington to their constituents, instead of representing their constituents in Washington.” He notes how easy it is to get comfortable in ones position and let things go to your head (in praising Harkin for not doing so). For all I know this may be part of the boilerplate Barack Obama speech but it still resonates.
The extraneous chatter is absolutely dead – the only sounds are occasional airplanes, a little wind on the mic, and Obama’s voice. He talks about his first state senate race and how he was faced with two questions: “where’d you get that funny name” (he pulls off a Yo Mama joke about his name) and “why does a nice guy like you want to get into a dirty nasty thing like politics?”
Obama acknowledges that all of us, even the activists at this event, feel a cynicism about politics. He then introduces the woman who will structure this speech – a 105-year-old black woman born in Louisiana who he met the night before his general election win (and the Alan Keyes reference gets a good chuckle). He filters 20th Century American history and experience – flight, two world wars, the New Deal, the labor movement, immigration, civil rights – through this woman’s lifespan, showing how she kept the faith in “this idea called America” and kept the faith that “at some point it’s going to be my turn.”
“We don’t SETTLE in America,” Obama says, giving us a statement and a challenge all at once. The whole speech, really, is challenging and is ABOUT challenging – challenging us to live up to our ideals.
I may be too much of a speech-style person, as an ex-teacher and old college speech circuit hack. But I like oratory and consider it a lost art. And Obama’s style is special. Quiet, yet commanding. Fiery yet not over the top. Conversational and at the same time challenging. You can tell in the phrasing, the pronunciation, that this is a guy who fully absorbed Harvard Law while keeping the ability to connect to South Side Chicago.
Obama looks at the challenge and goes on the attack, making his case against Bush (who gets a chuckle) and the Republican congress who gets booed. I found those reactions interesting: Bush is a joke; the GOP majority is an enemy? In any case Obama says the Republican America is “a little bit meaner, a little bit poorer” and gets it all down to:
“They’ve got a different idea of America. They believe in different things. They believe government is the problem. They believe you’re on your own.” Obama says this is a tempting idea – since is doesn’t require anything from us. But he rejects that in Biblical terms in asserting “I AM my brother’s keeper… we understand that in our churches, synagogues and mosques, on our blocks… but we need to understand that in our government too.”
Like I said, this may be the boilerplate Barack Obama speech. But like the 2004 convention speech it’s a concise and moving statement of vision, of why one is or could be a Democrat.
From there Obama moved into the litany of issues, noting Newt Gingrich suggested that Democrats would do best campaigning on two words: “Had Enough?” (A phrase I saw on lots of Dave Loebsack yardsigns on the way… speaking of which I saw a lot more recorder, supervisor and state rep signs in rural Iowa than Nussle or Culver signs.)
Obama’s issue list was better than anyone else’s, was excellent, but wasn’t as stratospheric as his take on the Big Picture. The single biggest applause seemed to be for attacking the GOP on using terrorism as a wedge issue.
Concluding with the call to action that’s as obligatory as the props to the fellow politicos, he reached to the Big Picture again, back to the device of stating our values and challenging us to meet them: “the strongest thing we have as Americans is our ideals and our values.” After 32 minutes we were back at the biggest Victory Tableau of all and playing, you guessed it, more Mellencamp and that other 80s chestnut “Born In The USA.”
A couple slightly hipper selections emerged while the Obama handshake line stretched to near football-field length. There were rumors of post-event media availability depending on time. It soon became obvious that time wasn’t going to happen. My brother called not long after I got home, having watched the whole thing on CSPAN. His big impression was at Obama’s genuineness working the reception line – which I noted from about a three-people away distance just in the facial expressions – and in the sheer number of people begging him to run for president which I was too far away to overhear.
So that was my day. I hope I didn’t gush here but Obama was really damn impressive. The challenge is if he can stay that adored when the time comes that he steps into a presidential contest and faces others of infinite ambition.
P.S. Here's to the volunteers who do the thankless jobs. Thanks, garbage volunteer (sung to the tune of "Bud Lite Real Men Of Genius"). I hope you got a moment with Senator Obama, too.
Folks passing an Obama 2008 petition got some TV attention.
Harkin acknowledges Obama IS The Main Event with avuncular humor about “giving the kid next door a chance” after he couldn’t get Bono to headline. My notes say I noticed Obama glancing at notes earlier but I’m guessing that was just to be sure to get the local names right because I never though of it again till looking at MY notes.
During the obligatory props to everyone his first memorable line is that too many politicians “represent Washington to their constituents, instead of representing their constituents in Washington.” He notes how easy it is to get comfortable in ones position and let things go to your head (in praising Harkin for not doing so). For all I know this may be part of the boilerplate Barack Obama speech but it still resonates.
The extraneous chatter is absolutely dead – the only sounds are occasional airplanes, a little wind on the mic, and Obama’s voice. He talks about his first state senate race and how he was faced with two questions: “where’d you get that funny name” (he pulls off a Yo Mama joke about his name) and “why does a nice guy like you want to get into a dirty nasty thing like politics?”
Obama acknowledges that all of us, even the activists at this event, feel a cynicism about politics. He then introduces the woman who will structure this speech – a 105-year-old black woman born in Louisiana who he met the night before his general election win (and the Alan Keyes reference gets a good chuckle). He filters 20th Century American history and experience – flight, two world wars, the New Deal, the labor movement, immigration, civil rights – through this woman’s lifespan, showing how she kept the faith in “this idea called America” and kept the faith that “at some point it’s going to be my turn.”
“We don’t SETTLE in America,” Obama says, giving us a statement and a challenge all at once. The whole speech, really, is challenging and is ABOUT challenging – challenging us to live up to our ideals.
I may be too much of a speech-style person, as an ex-teacher and old college speech circuit hack. But I like oratory and consider it a lost art. And Obama’s style is special. Quiet, yet commanding. Fiery yet not over the top. Conversational and at the same time challenging. You can tell in the phrasing, the pronunciation, that this is a guy who fully absorbed Harvard Law while keeping the ability to connect to South Side Chicago.
Obama looks at the challenge and goes on the attack, making his case against Bush (who gets a chuckle) and the Republican congress who gets booed. I found those reactions interesting: Bush is a joke; the GOP majority is an enemy? In any case Obama says the Republican America is “a little bit meaner, a little bit poorer” and gets it all down to:
“They’ve got a different idea of America. They believe in different things. They believe government is the problem. They believe you’re on your own.” Obama says this is a tempting idea – since is doesn’t require anything from us. But he rejects that in Biblical terms in asserting “I AM my brother’s keeper… we understand that in our churches, synagogues and mosques, on our blocks… but we need to understand that in our government too.”
Like I said, this may be the boilerplate Barack Obama speech. But like the 2004 convention speech it’s a concise and moving statement of vision, of why one is or could be a Democrat.
From there Obama moved into the litany of issues, noting Newt Gingrich suggested that Democrats would do best campaigning on two words: “Had Enough?” (A phrase I saw on lots of Dave Loebsack yardsigns on the way… speaking of which I saw a lot more recorder, supervisor and state rep signs in rural Iowa than Nussle or Culver signs.)
Obama’s issue list was better than anyone else’s, was excellent, but wasn’t as stratospheric as his take on the Big Picture. The single biggest applause seemed to be for attacking the GOP on using terrorism as a wedge issue.
Concluding with the call to action that’s as obligatory as the props to the fellow politicos, he reached to the Big Picture again, back to the device of stating our values and challenging us to meet them: “the strongest thing we have as Americans is our ideals and our values.” After 32 minutes we were back at the biggest Victory Tableau of all and playing, you guessed it, more Mellencamp and that other 80s chestnut “Born In The USA.”
A couple slightly hipper selections emerged while the Obama handshake line stretched to near football-field length. There were rumors of post-event media availability depending on time. It soon became obvious that time wasn’t going to happen. My brother called not long after I got home, having watched the whole thing on CSPAN. His big impression was at Obama’s genuineness working the reception line – which I noted from about a three-people away distance just in the facial expressions – and in the sheer number of people begging him to run for president which I was too far away to overhear.
So that was my day. I hope I didn’t gush here but Obama was really damn impressive. The challenge is if he can stay that adored when the time comes that he steps into a presidential contest and faces others of infinite ambition.
P.S. Here's to the volunteers who do the thankless jobs. Thanks, garbage volunteer (sung to the tune of "Bud Lite Real Men Of Genius"). I hope you got a moment with Senator Obama, too.
Obama at Steak Fry: Part 2
Obama at Steak Fry: Part 2
Back to the platform as Leonard Boswell introduces the down ballot folks one by one for their short speeches. I seem to have missed Dave Loebsack, who I have many an occasion to see, and Bruce Braley who I still haven’t seen. Met Chris of Political Forecast fame for the first time; he said uberblogger Jerome Armstrong wanted to meet us locals but I failed to make that happen.
Dave Loebsack with Linn County's Harvey Ross.
Denise O’Brien made one of the few specific mentions of winning votes from independents and Republicans. Mike Mauro, as I noted, seemed to hold audience attention and talking about how important it is for the Secretary of State to actually PROMOTE voting. He played the Ken Blackwell and Kathleen Harris cards to good effect for the partisan crowd.
Patty Judge seemed to hiave gotten bullet point duty:
Minimum wage
Stem cells
Education
Choice
Seemed like everyone mentioned stem cells. It must poll very, very well. Everybody also used the Nussle Hustle line (except Obama).
My photography skills and equipment stink but this is the basic view from the press box.
A couple noted random observations at this point: The stage d̩cor was hay bales, pumpkins and a Patton-sized flag. And I stumbled over a BETAMAX (!) tape labeled WGN, wonder what kind of equipment THAT goes in. The media scrum was in full effect РChicago stations, all of central Iowa (though no Eastern Iowa TV), CNN, etc.
Mark Warner was in town and got the same two minutes as everyone else. Just enough for a first impression: fiery, handsome, blatant name ID pitch (no, I’m not the Warner from Virginia who was married to Liz Taylor, but turns it around to praise JOHN Warner for coming out against administration). The short time seemed to focus him. He held attention better than Dodd did last week – of course, Dodd had a lot more time and was the main speaker. Hoping for a better look at Warner later in the week.
At this point they took an attention span break after a half hour of short speeches. The Obama scrum continued relentlessly; I made my first Culver sighting as well. Notice an abandoned Register on the press platform with a big write up on state senator Jack Hatch.
The speeching resumed with the national anthem. Just before that someone shouts “take your hats off.” I always feel awkward at rah-rah moments but I oblige; the network camera guys don’t. I eyeball the crowd and realize my crowd-estimating ability doesn’t go that high. The male speaker uniform appears to be khakis and identical blue shirts; amazingly no one else makes the joke and Obama gets to do it going last. Not even Harkin, on his home turf, is going to risk speaking after Obama.
The green and gold signs wave and I wonder how my Packers are doing (answer: badly.) Governors Old And New are announced with the oompah band plating the Iowa Corn Song; Harkin and Obama get Happy Days Are Here Again; my streak of waiting in vain for “New Day Rising” by Husker Du remains unbroken. It takes all of Happy Days and a whole Mellencamp song for Obama to push to the stage; I was beginning to think it would take the entire Scarecrow album.
Sally Pederson appears wearing more her party chair hat than her lt. Gov. hat. She brags up the Dems voter registration edge and I verbally scoff “it’s because we had a contested primary.” Then I realize that I just referred to the Dems as “we” on the press platform and I feel as good as I always do when I break a foolish rule.
The serious speeching begins with Vilsack. Each speaker has to eat up several minutes welcoming and praising the other speakers, part of the ritual is remembering to do so and finding a way to do so creatively. After honoring the ritual, Vilsack describes a statue in Marshalltown of a man holding a child, using it as a lead in to: “we have a responsibility to show our children a more hopeful America.” Sounds like the Theme for Vilsack 08 here. I notice a little more audience hubbub. Then he hits his stride with some trifecta trifecta trifecta and a litany of Republican policies and mistakes that takes a “doncha' think?” cadence. More conversational and less call and response than such repetitive language usually is.
He does the Victory Tableau (you know – hands clasped and raised over heads) with Chet and hands off. I just saw the Chet Speech last week and this sounds like the same basic one: the Nussle as Bush Clone line, the Fuel the World/Feed The World line. I notice that some of the shirts that say HARKIN STAFF have the same color and font as Hormel SPAM shirts.
Culver gets off a three V’s for Victory get out the vote alliterism (“Vote, Volunteer, Visibility”) and launches a basketball team metaphor (“I’ll play center because I’m the tallest and you get the ball a lot.”) The coach stops the jock metaphor just barely in the nick by starting Harkin at point guard; another Victory Tableau.
Harkin riffs on the trivia tidbit that he’s defeated more sitting GOP members of congress than anyone else in history and gives Yepsen a shoutout for printing this (OK, but Mike Glover showed up at least an hour and a half earlier today)
The preceding paragraph represents the opinion of Xavier the neglected cat who is wondering why I’m not giving him more attention after being gone all day.
After roughly ten minutes of shoutouts to Culver, Obama, Vilsack, the congressional candidates, and every Democrat in a three mile radius – and that was a lot of Democrats – Harkin gets to business. Over the years I’ve noticed he’s at his best in this type of setting: partisan crowds, longer speeches. There was a lot of Republican bashing through the day but Harkin’s was wittier and his timing was surer. “Folksy, yet reasoned,” say my notes. He notes pro-American rallies in Tehran – in IRAN! – in the days after 9/11 and “Bush has squandered all that good will.” He goes beyond the generic “Nussle Hustle” line and zooms in on Nussle’s role as budget chair. At that point I remember wondering: if the Republicans did not impose term limits on their chairs, would Nussle even be doing this? Why give up all that seniority and a leadership track career for a 50-50 shot at governor? Does he really WANT to be a governor? Or does he figure he can’t beat Harkin in `08 and this is the best rest stop until Chuck Grassley retires?
Harkin talks about brain injuries to troops and talk of fully funding vets’ health care gets biggest applause yet. A couple lines are slightly shopworn; I remember the one about the gut complaining about not getting any rain from trickle down economics and saying “I’d settle for a heavy dew” from back in the 1991 presidential speech. But maybe he retired it for the Clinton years and it became relevant again. Unfortunately.
The speech wraps with a Harkin self-portrait of Iowa values defined as “hard work… integrity… community…” a whole litany of the best of the small town America myth. He has the timing and the wistful tone just right. He’s a master of the form...
...compared to the previous speakers.
But then… then he gets to introduce Barack Obama. That’s in part three.
Back to the platform as Leonard Boswell introduces the down ballot folks one by one for their short speeches. I seem to have missed Dave Loebsack, who I have many an occasion to see, and Bruce Braley who I still haven’t seen. Met Chris of Political Forecast fame for the first time; he said uberblogger Jerome Armstrong wanted to meet us locals but I failed to make that happen.
Dave Loebsack with Linn County's Harvey Ross.
Denise O’Brien made one of the few specific mentions of winning votes from independents and Republicans. Mike Mauro, as I noted, seemed to hold audience attention and talking about how important it is for the Secretary of State to actually PROMOTE voting. He played the Ken Blackwell and Kathleen Harris cards to good effect for the partisan crowd.
Patty Judge seemed to hiave gotten bullet point duty:
Seemed like everyone mentioned stem cells. It must poll very, very well. Everybody also used the Nussle Hustle line (except Obama).
My photography skills and equipment stink but this is the basic view from the press box.
A couple noted random observations at this point: The stage d̩cor was hay bales, pumpkins and a Patton-sized flag. And I stumbled over a BETAMAX (!) tape labeled WGN, wonder what kind of equipment THAT goes in. The media scrum was in full effect РChicago stations, all of central Iowa (though no Eastern Iowa TV), CNN, etc.
Mark Warner was in town and got the same two minutes as everyone else. Just enough for a first impression: fiery, handsome, blatant name ID pitch (no, I’m not the Warner from Virginia who was married to Liz Taylor, but turns it around to praise JOHN Warner for coming out against administration). The short time seemed to focus him. He held attention better than Dodd did last week – of course, Dodd had a lot more time and was the main speaker. Hoping for a better look at Warner later in the week.
At this point they took an attention span break after a half hour of short speeches. The Obama scrum continued relentlessly; I made my first Culver sighting as well. Notice an abandoned Register on the press platform with a big write up on state senator Jack Hatch.
The speeching resumed with the national anthem. Just before that someone shouts “take your hats off.” I always feel awkward at rah-rah moments but I oblige; the network camera guys don’t. I eyeball the crowd and realize my crowd-estimating ability doesn’t go that high. The male speaker uniform appears to be khakis and identical blue shirts; amazingly no one else makes the joke and Obama gets to do it going last. Not even Harkin, on his home turf, is going to risk speaking after Obama.
The green and gold signs wave and I wonder how my Packers are doing (answer: badly.) Governors Old And New are announced with the oompah band plating the Iowa Corn Song; Harkin and Obama get Happy Days Are Here Again; my streak of waiting in vain for “New Day Rising” by Husker Du remains unbroken. It takes all of Happy Days and a whole Mellencamp song for Obama to push to the stage; I was beginning to think it would take the entire Scarecrow album.
Sally Pederson appears wearing more her party chair hat than her lt. Gov. hat. She brags up the Dems voter registration edge and I verbally scoff “it’s because we had a contested primary.” Then I realize that I just referred to the Dems as “we” on the press platform and I feel as good as I always do when I break a foolish rule.
The serious speeching begins with Vilsack. Each speaker has to eat up several minutes welcoming and praising the other speakers, part of the ritual is remembering to do so and finding a way to do so creatively. After honoring the ritual, Vilsack describes a statue in Marshalltown of a man holding a child, using it as a lead in to: “we have a responsibility to show our children a more hopeful America.” Sounds like the Theme for Vilsack 08 here. I notice a little more audience hubbub. Then he hits his stride with some trifecta trifecta trifecta and a litany of Republican policies and mistakes that takes a “doncha' think?” cadence. More conversational and less call and response than such repetitive language usually is.
He does the Victory Tableau (you know – hands clasped and raised over heads) with Chet and hands off. I just saw the Chet Speech last week and this sounds like the same basic one: the Nussle as Bush Clone line, the Fuel the World/Feed The World line. I notice that some of the shirts that say HARKIN STAFF have the same color and font as Hormel SPAM shirts.
Culver gets off a three V’s for Victory get out the vote alliterism (“Vote, Volunteer, Visibility”) and launches a basketball team metaphor (“I’ll play center because I’m the tallest and you get the ball a lot.”) The coach stops the jock metaphor just barely in the nick by starting Harkin at point guard; another Victory Tableau.
Harkin riffs on the trivia tidbit that he’s defeated more sitting GOP members of congress than anyone else in history and gives Yepsen a shoutout for printing this (OK, but Mike Glover showed up at least an hour and a half earlier today)
Ioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioio
ioioioioioioio88888888455555555555555555555555555555455555555555555555555555555555
The preceding paragraph represents the opinion of Xavier the neglected cat who is wondering why I’m not giving him more attention after being gone all day.
After roughly ten minutes of shoutouts to Culver, Obama, Vilsack, the congressional candidates, and every Democrat in a three mile radius – and that was a lot of Democrats – Harkin gets to business. Over the years I’ve noticed he’s at his best in this type of setting: partisan crowds, longer speeches. There was a lot of Republican bashing through the day but Harkin’s was wittier and his timing was surer. “Folksy, yet reasoned,” say my notes. He notes pro-American rallies in Tehran – in IRAN! – in the days after 9/11 and “Bush has squandered all that good will.” He goes beyond the generic “Nussle Hustle” line and zooms in on Nussle’s role as budget chair. At that point I remember wondering: if the Republicans did not impose term limits on their chairs, would Nussle even be doing this? Why give up all that seniority and a leadership track career for a 50-50 shot at governor? Does he really WANT to be a governor? Or does he figure he can’t beat Harkin in `08 and this is the best rest stop until Chuck Grassley retires?
Harkin talks about brain injuries to troops and talk of fully funding vets’ health care gets biggest applause yet. A couple lines are slightly shopworn; I remember the one about the gut complaining about not getting any rain from trickle down economics and saying “I’d settle for a heavy dew” from back in the 1991 presidential speech. But maybe he retired it for the Clinton years and it became relevant again. Unfortunately.
The speech wraps with a Harkin self-portrait of Iowa values defined as “hard work… integrity… community…” a whole litany of the best of the small town America myth. He has the timing and the wistful tone just right. He’s a master of the form...
...compared to the previous speakers.
But then… then he gets to introduce Barack Obama. That’s in part three.
Obama at Harkin Steak Fry: 1
Obama at Harkin Steak Fry: 1
Obama in The Scrum.
So today was the 29th Annual Harkin Steak Fry, long enough that Harkin joked bout the years. He’s also gearing up for the re-elect and has been doing some nice blogger outreach, and thus, there I was invited and press-credentialed. It was my first time on a press platform in about 14 years, since my lifetime ago career as a local NPR reporter, and I marveled at my ability to have it both ways as a citizen journalist who still gets to have bumper stickers on my car. I was next to Fox News, which I delighted in.
They were without wifi though I’ll bet they shoot for it next year with al 372 Democratic presidential candidates likely to attend. I heard a rumor that there was a hotspot at the CNN bus but I’d already committed to a plan: pen and paper, written up after the fact, which I’m now executing.
Roadtripped up on back roads through town full of grand old buildings that were outsized for what little town was left. One town billed itself as “quietly progressive” (with a couple letters missing and I thought the day was likely to be progressive, but certainly not quiet.
The morning Register greeted us with a dead heat 44-44 governor poll but surprisingly I never heard that mentioned the entire day. First friendly faces I recognized were a couple Linn County folks I’ve been on a bazillion campaigns with – Rep. Todd Taylor and labor star Norm Sterzenbach – both think the legislative seat outlook in Linn is good, look for gains there.
Strolled the midway of campaign tables - “midway” seems like the right word. The atmosphere at the Harkin Steak Fry is old-timey, harkening (ha) back to a bygone era where political matters were a major source of public entertainment and social life. The music was mostly of the oompah-band variety playing hot hits like the Marine Corps theme. When they took breaks we got Mellencamp. Lots and lots of John Mellencamp.
Had a nice chat with Susan Radke of Nevada, running for a suddenly open House seat. She sounds sharp and has a good human services type background, and we compared notes on trying to doorknock on football game days. Sometimes dodging the issues is a good thing – if the issue is Hawks vs. Clones.
The Evan Bayh table made the case with maps: Bayh making Indiana blue county by county and winning by about 20 in `04 while W was likewise winning by 20. Chris Hayler took some time to talk and just barely added the obligatory “if,” I’d be surprised if he even leaves the state for Thanksgiving. Notes that his cell phone number spells out BAYH even though he got it 4 years ago – must be destiny.
Holy Shiite, I was so anxious to write that I just started and forgot to plug in; started getting the Dying Battery Beep.
Mike Mauro works the crowd before the speeches.
Mike Mauro spotted me and grabbed me for a moment; I asked about his missing in action opponent and he says he hasn’t seen or heard much; very quickly turned my attention back to how his own side of things is going. Later Mike made a speech that seemed to hold the audience more than most of the downballot folks.
The Denise O’Brien campaign was also on the midway. Their opponent seems to be working western Iowa which indicates a play to the base strategy. Meanwhile Denise and the green bus are covering the state; I later inadvertently cut the green bus off trying to get out of the fairgrounds. Oops…
After rain on the way it turned into one of those nice fall days – a little warm, a little cool, all at once. Leonard Boswell walked by and I had to do a double take because I barely recognized him; he really has dropped the weight. Also walking by was a stunning redhead waaay below my age line who appeared to be with some sort of Nebraska young Dems bunch, and she seemed to keep popping up wherever I went. Or maybe I just noticed her more because of my personal tastes. I’m sure paid journalists think like that too but they don’t get to write about it.
Also on the midway are the 21st Century Forums, aimed at young folks. I joke that I no longer qualify; the staffer responds that while voting membership is limited to under 40, we (ahem) older folks are still welcome. I note that’s a better option than Logan’s Run. In any case it was a good hit on a day that saw more young folks at a political event than usual.
The crowd started to get tighter a bit before 2 which was also my first Yepsen sighting; he spent the speeches hanging behind the press riser. He caught sight of me and I hope my laptop bad which I’d festooned with sever stickers in open contempt of objectivity.
Shortly after 2 the downballot and congressional folks started speaking, but the crowd’s attention was still all over the place – food, conversations, logistics. Ran into an Iowa City friend who’d been at the “heavy hitter” event with Obama and was giving rave reviews; no one was able to speak after Obama as he was mobbed by folks wantiong to meet him.
Caught a couple riff of Selden Spencer’s speech: he noted that as a neurologist, people say that most of the people who see him have something wrong with their brain. He set it up better in a self deprecating way that I failed to record; anyway he turned it into “under Bush and the GOP there’s something wrong with the country.”
Right around this time Obama arrived and he was easy to spot: follow the rugby scrum of TV cameras and folks wanting their Moment. (I no longer seek The Moment; I had my share of Moments long ago and prefer to step back and defer to other folks to whom a Moment would mean more.
I’ve decided to chunk this up and post part 1. As they say in Old Journalism:
-more-
Obama in The Scrum.
So today was the 29th Annual Harkin Steak Fry, long enough that Harkin joked bout the years. He’s also gearing up for the re-elect and has been doing some nice blogger outreach, and thus, there I was invited and press-credentialed. It was my first time on a press platform in about 14 years, since my lifetime ago career as a local NPR reporter, and I marveled at my ability to have it both ways as a citizen journalist who still gets to have bumper stickers on my car. I was next to Fox News, which I delighted in.
They were without wifi though I’ll bet they shoot for it next year with al 372 Democratic presidential candidates likely to attend. I heard a rumor that there was a hotspot at the CNN bus but I’d already committed to a plan: pen and paper, written up after the fact, which I’m now executing.
Roadtripped up on back roads through town full of grand old buildings that were outsized for what little town was left. One town billed itself as “quietly progressive” (with a couple letters missing and I thought the day was likely to be progressive, but certainly not quiet.
The morning Register greeted us with a dead heat 44-44 governor poll but surprisingly I never heard that mentioned the entire day. First friendly faces I recognized were a couple Linn County folks I’ve been on a bazillion campaigns with – Rep. Todd Taylor and labor star Norm Sterzenbach – both think the legislative seat outlook in Linn is good, look for gains there.
Strolled the midway of campaign tables - “midway” seems like the right word. The atmosphere at the Harkin Steak Fry is old-timey, harkening (ha) back to a bygone era where political matters were a major source of public entertainment and social life. The music was mostly of the oompah-band variety playing hot hits like the Marine Corps theme. When they took breaks we got Mellencamp. Lots and lots of John Mellencamp.
Had a nice chat with Susan Radke of Nevada, running for a suddenly open House seat. She sounds sharp and has a good human services type background, and we compared notes on trying to doorknock on football game days. Sometimes dodging the issues is a good thing – if the issue is Hawks vs. Clones.
The Evan Bayh table made the case with maps: Bayh making Indiana blue county by county and winning by about 20 in `04 while W was likewise winning by 20. Chris Hayler took some time to talk and just barely added the obligatory “if,” I’d be surprised if he even leaves the state for Thanksgiving. Notes that his cell phone number spells out BAYH even though he got it 4 years ago – must be destiny.
Holy Shiite, I was so anxious to write that I just started and forgot to plug in; started getting the Dying Battery Beep.
Mike Mauro works the crowd before the speeches.
Mike Mauro spotted me and grabbed me for a moment; I asked about his missing in action opponent and he says he hasn’t seen or heard much; very quickly turned my attention back to how his own side of things is going. Later Mike made a speech that seemed to hold the audience more than most of the downballot folks.
The Denise O’Brien campaign was also on the midway. Their opponent seems to be working western Iowa which indicates a play to the base strategy. Meanwhile Denise and the green bus are covering the state; I later inadvertently cut the green bus off trying to get out of the fairgrounds. Oops…
After rain on the way it turned into one of those nice fall days – a little warm, a little cool, all at once. Leonard Boswell walked by and I had to do a double take because I barely recognized him; he really has dropped the weight. Also walking by was a stunning redhead waaay below my age line who appeared to be with some sort of Nebraska young Dems bunch, and she seemed to keep popping up wherever I went. Or maybe I just noticed her more because of my personal tastes. I’m sure paid journalists think like that too but they don’t get to write about it.
Also on the midway are the 21st Century Forums, aimed at young folks. I joke that I no longer qualify; the staffer responds that while voting membership is limited to under 40, we (ahem) older folks are still welcome. I note that’s a better option than Logan’s Run. In any case it was a good hit on a day that saw more young folks at a political event than usual.
The crowd started to get tighter a bit before 2 which was also my first Yepsen sighting; he spent the speeches hanging behind the press riser. He caught sight of me and I hope my laptop bad which I’d festooned with sever stickers in open contempt of objectivity.
Shortly after 2 the downballot and congressional folks started speaking, but the crowd’s attention was still all over the place – food, conversations, logistics. Ran into an Iowa City friend who’d been at the “heavy hitter” event with Obama and was giving rave reviews; no one was able to speak after Obama as he was mobbed by folks wantiong to meet him.
Caught a couple riff of Selden Spencer’s speech: he noted that as a neurologist, people say that most of the people who see him have something wrong with their brain. He set it up better in a self deprecating way that I failed to record; anyway he turned it into “under Bush and the GOP there’s something wrong with the country.”
Right around this time Obama arrived and he was easy to spot: follow the rugby scrum of TV cameras and folks wanting their Moment. (I no longer seek The Moment; I had my share of Moments long ago and prefer to step back and defer to other folks to whom a Moment would mean more.
I’ve decided to chunk this up and post part 1. As they say in Old Journalism:
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Obama Comes to Iowa
Obama Comes to Iowa
Heard this through the rumor mill, now official.
Barack Obama, Harkin Steak Fry.
Obama is very smart about his superstar status. Yes, I think he'd like to be president. He's like it bad enough that he's being smart about it. He could jump in now, zip to frontrunner status, and then crash before a single vote is cast. Instead he waits and leaves us wanting more. And that's what this trip is - just a teaser. The county chairs, courthouse candidates, and midlevel donors will be there, yearning. Then when the mere mortal nominee falters, they'll remember and say "GOD I wish Obama had run!"
2008? Nah. Groundwork for the future? Yep.
Heard this through the rumor mill, now official.
"Basically, my rule has been that if I can help in the 06 cycle, then I'm going to do it,” Obama said in an interview. “The only reason not to do it would be the symbolism of Iowa, which probably wasn't a good reason for us not to help out."
Barack Obama, Harkin Steak Fry.
Obama is very smart about his superstar status. Yes, I think he'd like to be president. He's like it bad enough that he's being smart about it. He could jump in now, zip to frontrunner status, and then crash before a single vote is cast. Instead he waits and leaves us wanting more. And that's what this trip is - just a teaser. The county chairs, courthouse candidates, and midlevel donors will be there, yearning. Then when the mere mortal nominee falters, they'll remember and say "GOD I wish Obama had run!"
2008? Nah. Groundwork for the future? Yep.
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