Iowa's First

Whalen Still Dogged by NCPA Ethanol Stance

2006-10-03T08:20:00.000-07:00

Today's Quad Cities Times has an article about a new Democrat ad on the air that questions Whalen's credibility on ethanol.

Anyone who has been watching Whalen since the beginning of his bid for Congress knows that he is committed to Iowa agriculture (and has the endorsement of the Iowa Farm Bureau).

However, his time spent at the National Center for Policy Analysis, as POLICY CHAIR, is causing him problems once again. You may recall that this issue came up in the primary, and is now the topic once again.

Whalen's campaign is using the same old line, that as Policy Chair, he didn't actually have input on policy stances, and that the NCPA's stance on ethanol was actually just the views of one of it's members.

Braley's ad claims that President Bush and Mike Whalen don't get it and that Bruce Braley supports ethanol and Iowa farmers. I think claiming the owner of the Iowa Machine Shed doesn't support agriculture is a pretty tough argument to sell.

Whalen and Braley Debate Tonight

2006-10-03T08:12:00.000-07:00

After the spirited Nussle-Culver debate last night, it is important to note that the 1st District contenders will go head to head tonight in Davenport. Unfortunately, this debate will be viewable only by taped delay, airing on Thursday at 7 PM and Sunday at 5:30 on WQPT-TV in the Quad Cities.

From the Des Moines Register:

"There is a big contrast between the candidates that will become very apparent," said Russ Perisho, Whalen's campaign manager. "Sometimes you have debates when people walk away and scratch their heads because they can't tell the difference between the two candidates. This will be a clear contrast of issues, and I think that is why the voters need to hear it."

I certainly agree with Perisho here. These two candidates agree on almost nothing. This will be a great opportunity for voters to see the difference in the two men, and judge both on style and substance.

A second debate is scheduled to take place in Dubuque on Monday.

Braley Beating on Whalen

2006-09-07T14:53:00.000-07:00

Mike's getting ripped by Bruce on Immigration and Minimum Wage.

What's worse for Whalen, Braley isn't just beating him up...he's actually just plain beating him. In a poll conducted by RT Strategies, surveying 1014 individuals, Braley came out ahead of Whalen by 13 points...54 to 41. Though I haven't had time to check them out, the Braley campaign makes available the full results and crosstabs as well.

Braley Opposes Both Amnesty and Deportation

2006-09-02T07:35:00.000-07:00

In response to a public Congressional hearing on immigration that was held in Dubuque on Friday, Democratic candidate Bruce Braley issued a press release challenging opponent Mike Whalen to pledge that he has never hired an illegal immigrant.

Braley also got a good article in the Des Moines Register about his views on illegal immigration. He claims that he's against amnesty for illegals, but in the same breath says they should be allowed to stay here. He thinks they should have to pay a fine and back-Social Security payments covering their time of illegal employment.

"It has to be meaningful punishment and that is something Congress has to decide because the cost of deporting 12 million illegal immigrants would be over $200 billion," Braley said. "With rising deficits, taxpayers can't afford that, so we have to come up with a more creative way of addressing the problem."

Braley said, for example, that all illegal workers would be required to make back payments on Social Security and other taxes that they failed to pay while working illegally.

Whalen spokesman Brian Dumas does a good job of taking Braley to task for his contradictory viewpoints.

Dumas also took issue with Braley's statement that he opposes amnesty. "You can't have it both ways. Bruce Braley is not willing to deport illegal immigrants. That means he's in favor of amnesty."

I find it interesting that Braley is now trying to go on the attack on an issue that the Democrats wrote off as a Republican wedge issue during the primary. Immigration is a big issue, even in Iowa, so I think Braley can gain by doing this. I'm not sure though, that his stance is the right one to take. To "oppose" amnesty is the right thing to do, but to then say that their retribution (paying a fine rather than returning home) is not. How does Braley think the illegals working in Iowa are going to be able to afford to pay steep fines AND back payments to Social Security?

Braley called the Congressional hearings in Dubuque a political stunt. I think his false solution to the illegal immigration problem is no better.

Whalen Now Wants to Raise the Minimum Wage Too

2006-08-31T07:20:00.000-07:00

Well it looks like I was wrong in my post below regarding Whalen's stance on the minimum wage. See I remembered him saying previously in no confusing terms that he opposes an increase in the minimum wage. Now, however, he has changed his mind, apparently because he thinks it's going to happen despite his objections, so he might as well jump on the bandwagon.

From today's Des Moines Register:

Congressional candidate Mike Whalen insisted Wednesday that he would be an independent voice in a Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives, but he conceded he would vote for a Republican-approved bill to raise the federal minimum wage even though "it is a compromise I wouldn't have crafted."

Whalen, who is running in Iowa's 1st Congressional District against trial lawyer Bruce Braley, a Waterloo Democrat, said his support for a minimum wage increase was based on the "reality that something is going to be approved" and not recent criticism from Braley and a national Democratic congressional campaign who accused the Bettendorf hotel and restaurant chain owner of being against raising the minimum wage for the first time in nine years."

Frankly, it is a done deal in the House, and that has to be acknowledged," Whalen said.

Braley Calls for Minimum Wage Increase...Again

2006-08-22T07:06:00.000-07:00

From IowaPolitics.com, Democratic candidate Bruce Braley has once again called for an increase in the minimum wage. Is this his single issue? (This and Medicare D, I suppose. Oh yeah, and hating the President).

My guess is Whalen won't join Braley's call to "stand with working families and join me in this pledge." Honestly, my guess is Whalen won't say anything...about anything. He's been pretty quiet lately, from what I can tell.

Braley's family in Iowa for a long time...

2006-08-11T06:32:00.000-07:00

...and therefore Bruce should be Congressman.

That's the message Bruce Braley advocated at the State Fair's political soapbox, sponsored by the Des Moines Register.

Their article says Braley discussed family history, a vague idea about reducing our forces in Iraq, and of course Medicare Part D. He addressed a crowd of only about a dozen people, including, yes, Braley's family.

Yepsen: Braley must be considered favorite

2006-08-10T11:06:00.000-07:00

Bruce Braley and the Dems got a good article from David Yepsen in the Des Moines Register today.

Yepsen discusses the Democrat momentum at this piont, and declares Bruce Braley the favorite in the 1st District race.

Yepsen also points out the importance of Dubuque to this seat, reminding us that Dubuque is where the swing part of the swing district resides. Socially conservative Democrats...who will they favor?

Debate Challenge

2006-08-07T14:11:00.000-07:00

Bruce Braley sent a letter to Mike Whalen on Friday challenging Whalen to a series of four debates between now and the November 7th election.

A copy of the letter is as follows:

* * *
Dear Mike,

I believe the voters of the First Congressional District have a big responsibility and a big choice before them. For the first time in sixteen (16) years, voters will elect a new congressman from Eastern Iowa.

Although we will each campaign vigorously over the next thirteen (13) weeks, I believe voters deserve a chance to see us standing together, answering voters’ questions and describing our positions on the issues.

We have very different views on important issues that affect people across Eastern Iowa. For example, I support raising the minimum wage, but you don’t. I support fair trade policies that will help Iowa workers and the protection of social security from the uncertainties of the stock market. From what I have read, you have a different view.

Given that, I hope that you will join me in four debates that reach the widest possible audience of voters between now and the election. We should discuss a broad range of issues in each debate.

I have asked my campaign manager to contact your campaign to arrange a time to meet and agree on the venues and formats for the debates.

I hope that you agree and will join me in these debates.

Sincerely,

Bruce Braley

***

So far there has been no response issued from the Whalen campaign.

Braley calls for minimum wage increase, but won't compromise to get it

2006-08-02T09:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Bruce Braley issued a press release and did a small media tour campaigning on the minimum wage issue. Talk has been that Democrats will use this nationally as their attempt at a "wedge-issue" to keep favor with their working folk.

Braley's release calls for "an honest increase in the minimum wage," advocating for the minimum wage to go from the current $5.15 to $7.25 per hour in three increments.

This bill actually passed the House last week. Braley, though, isn't satisfied. Instead, he is complaining. Braley complains that while the bill passed the House it was attached to another bill to make permanent cuts in the "death tax". Braley complains that the elimination of the tax only benefits millionaires. Braley complains that this is fiscally irresponsible. Braley doesn't note that tax cuts have improved our economy in recent years, or that raising the minimum wage by 71% could negatively impact many small businesses.

Rather than see this bill which now awaits passage in the Senate as an opportunity for cooperation and bi-partisan discussion on the issue, Braley would rather demagogue the issue in an unwillingness to compromise. He wants the minimum wage increase, but won't even consider a tax cut.

Partisan politics at its finest, folks.

Frist in the First

2006-08-01T07:45:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend Sen. Bill Frist attended several small fundraiseres for candidates across Iowa's First District. Beneficiaries included Mike Whalen, Roby Smith, and Matt Reisetter.

While the list of hosts for the Smith event was impressive, I'm told attendance at the Reisetter event was better. I've highlighted the Smith/Lykam race previously, but now want to mention that as much as Smith is a good GOP candidate in Davenport, Reisetter is just as impressive for the Republicans in Cedar Falls. It's not surprising that these are two statehouse candidates Frist wanted to stump for...their popularity within their GOP communities is not restricted simply to their districts...both have the ability to draw support from a relatively wide area.

This article from the Courier recaps the Frist/Reisetter event.

While it's a good read, there is a bit of humor thrown in at the end...they call Frist a top candidate for the GOP presidential nomination! See the odds-maker HERE for the current handicap.

HD 85

2006-07-26T11:20:00.000-07:00

A few days ago a reader over at Krusty Konservative asked about an update from the 85th District in the Iowa House (Davenport). I offered up a quick synopsis then, but today's QC Times has a great article by Ed Tibbetts detailing the national attention this House race is getting.

As things heat up between incumbent Jim Lykam (D) and challenger Roby Smith (R), the race has been catching the eye of '08 presidential hopefuls. This weekend Smith will play host to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee (you may have seen a few weeks ago that former Congressional candidate Brian Kennedy is chairing his PAC here in Iowa) in a fundraising effort. This comes after Smith recieved a campaign contribution from Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's Commonwealth PAC.

I noted on Krusty, and I'll it again here: Smith is a credible candidate against this incumbent, and represents a good chance for a GOP pickup. He has energy, enthusiasm, intelligence, and ideas to possibly push him ahead in this race. This is one you can bet Scoop will continue to watch.

Courier 1st District Breakdown

2006-07-26T11:09:00.000-07:00

This past weekend the Waterloo Courier had a great article breaking down the competitive 1st District race. It is very comprehensive and talks about candidate strengths, weaknesses, lay of the land in the district, and issue stances. I recommend reading the entire piece.

One piece of the article that interested me was the "Moving Forward" section. It has been documented (on this blog even) that Bill Gluba is actively campaigning for Bruce Braley. Brian Kennedy says he is being helpful to Whalen however he can, and that the GOP primary was not so divisive that the party couldn't come together afterward. Dix and Dickinson either declined to comment or could not be reached, though it is noted that Dickenson offers a message of support on his website.

We all know the primaries on both sides were bruising, hard-fought battles. In this swing district, where winning hinges on who can pick up the most Independents, niether Braley or Whalen can afford to lose the support of what should be their party base moving into November. Hopefully all previous candidates will come together actively behind their party's nominee to make this a good fight through the General. I would hate to see the race won or lost based on bitterness/divisiveness amongst supporters.

Cheney Stumps for Whalen

2006-07-18T08:36:00.000-07:00

Vice President Dick Cheney was in town yesterday raising money for GOP candidate Mike Whalen. It is reportded that Cheney drew a crowd of about 100 to the $500-minimum event, raising about $125,000 during the stop.

Ed Tibbetts has a good article in the Times today regarding the stop, the protest, and both the Republican and Democrat responses to the event.

I do have a few initial thoughts to some of the items in the article though:

“He puts things into perspective,” said Carman Darland of Eldridge, Iowa.

I think this is just a strange quote...What does it even mean?

More importantly:

Cheney’s low approval ratings have had Democrats floating the idea that his presence might actually hurt Whalen with general election voters.

This is a silly argument for the Dems to be floating. It is mid-July. The election isn't for another 4 months. I don't think many Independents will go to the polls on Nov. 7th and vote against Whalen because he had the VP in to fundraise for him in July. To the contrary, I think events like this are good for Whalen...it seems to be the only way he can he can raise money in the district, and a cool $125,000 in one evening isn't doing to bad.

Overall, it sounds like this even has to be classified as a success for the Whalen campaign and VP Cheney.

Bayh Stumps for Braley with Gluba by his Side

2006-07-09T20:35:00.000-07:00

Democrat 1st District nominee Bruce Braley was the benficiary of a Davenport stop by '08 hopeful Sen. Evan Bayh Friday night.

From the QC Times:

“We have to stand on Democratic principles and stand on our values,” he said. “We’ve got to reach out to our fellow citizens to move forward. By appealing to the better instincts of the American people, by asking people to make the tough decisions to do more now, we can make a stronger America, a more decent and more just America,” to pass on to future generations.

“We’re all in this together,” Bayh said.

Aside from Bayh stumping for Braley, Braley's primary rival Bill Gluba (who carried Scott County and was once weighing a post-primary run at the seat as an Independent) has been seen by Braley's side a lot lately. In a show of great party unity, Gluba has been spotted driving the Braley entry in the Bettendorf 4th of July parade, was at this rally wearing a Braley sticker proudly, and was even reported in this article as to have been driving Braley around the district a lot lately. This is good for Gluba, and great for Braley, who realizes he has to shore up support in vote-heavy Scott County to carry this district in November.

Who's Coming to Eastern Iowa?

2006-07-05T07:37:00.000-07:00

As mentioned on this blog before, Mike Whalen will be bringing VP Cheney to Davenport for a fundraiser. Cost of attending this event for the candidate worth $100 million is a wallet-busting $500 per person. Or, you can spend $1000 and get your picture taken with the Vice President. This event will be July 17th.

Also scheduled to stump for Whalen in a small-time fundraiser in Black Hawk County is 2008 hopeful Sen. John McCain. McCain will be in town on July 14th, and cost for this event is only $25.

For the Democrats, 2008 hopeful Sen. Evan Bayh will be in Clinton and the QC stumping for several Dem. candidates. In Clinton, at 5:15 on Friday, he will be bashing the President (read the first paragraph of this article and you'll see what I mean) on behalf of Rep. Polly Bukta and Sen. Roger Stewart. Both incumbents have a battle on their hands with two good GOP challengers, and bringing Bayh in signifies that the Dems are having to fight to keep both these seats. Stewart's challenger, Clinton Mayor LaMetta Wynn, was the beneficiary of a stop by Gov. Pataki earlier this year.

While in Eastern Iowa, Bayh will also be rallying the troops for Bruce Braley at an event in Davenport. This gathering will take place at the Scott County Democrat HQ at 7:30 PM on Friday.

Whalen Fundraising Ability Called into Question

2006-07-03T09:48:00.000-07:00

According to the Quad Cities Times, Mike Whalen is worth somewhere between $40 and $110 Million.

A Bruce Braley spokesman seems to look forward to the moment when Whalen breaks the $350,000 contribution threshold triggering the Millionaire's Amendment. At that point, Braley can hit up his donors for three times the current contribution limit.

Whalen spokesman Brian Dumas says that won't happen, and the article does point out that Whalen starts with a clean slate for the general election (after dumping in over $340,000 of his own cash for his primary election victory).

My question is this: After the newspaper prints that the guy is worth $100 Million, just who is going to donate to him so that he doens't have to spend his own money? If I were solicited by their campaign for a donation, my answer to him would be to go sell another hamburger.

Perhaps it's best summed up by this comment to the QC Times article online:

Suzi Q wrote on July 02, 2006 9:34 AM:"Well, Mr. Whalen we now know you don't need any contributions. You can certainly fund your campaign again for the general election as you did in the primary."

Rove met with protesters

2006-06-27T13:49:00.000-07:00

At yesterday's exlusive $250 per plate Republican luncheon fundraiser for Mike Whalen, Bush strategist Karl Rove was greeted by a small group of protesters. The picture above was taken by the Courier, and made the front page of the Times as well.

This QC Times article, titled "Rove catches grief during Iowa stop", details the event through interviews with protesters and attendees, as the media was shut out of the Sunnyside Country Club, where the luncheon was held. Since the media was not allowed in the event, they obviously focused on the protesters.

Reportedly, signs read:

“Rove fiddles while working families burn.”

“Health care is a right, not a privilege.”

“Karl Rove, congratulations on not getting indicted!” Signed, “Concerned Iowans.”

Between the, headline, picture, and the article, I'd say the net gain for Whalen on this event was a few thousand dollars and a lot of negative connotation in the press.

In response to the Rove visit, Bruce Braley held a press conference of his own at a local senior center.

Braley discussed Medicare Part D, social security, and minimum wage.

The next Whalen campaign event is to feature VP Cheney.

Again, I find it interesting that the candidate in the GOP primary that ran as the "outsider" to the Washington establishment chooses to bring in people that couldn't possibly belong any more to the Washington establishment.

Hopefully Whalen will get better press for the Cheney visit, which will be in Davenport on a date to be announced.

Rove Headlines Whalen Fundraiser

2006-06-22T07:23:00.000-07:00

With the nominees decided two weeks ago, the respective campaigns are now getting back to work publicly.

Shortly after the primary, John Edwards made a campaign stop for Democrat Bruce Braley.

Late yesterday it was announced that Karl Rove would make two appearances in Iowa to raise money. First, an event for Mike Whalen in Waterloo, the second for Jeff Lamberti in Des Moines. Tickets are a hefty $250 for the Whalen lunch.

This could be a great event for Whalen. Rove is a very smart man, and the best when it comes to winning elections. And, it's great to see the Whalen campaign hard at work right after the primary. Clearly, neither candidate is wasting time running up to November, and I'm sure it will only serve to make this race all the more interesting.

I wonder if there will be any response to the Rove event from the Dems? Rove is not a popular guy in their world, and has been blamed for many of the country's policy 'misteps' in recent years. There may be an opportunity for Braley to note that while in the primary Whalen was running as an outsider, his first move is to be joined by someone who couldn't be more tied to the current (unpopular) administration.

PRIMARY DAY

2006-06-06T10:41:00.000-07:00

GO VOTE!

Dix Calls Whalen a Liar...But is he?

2006-05-31T10:12:00.000-07:00

In this press release made available sometime late yesterday, Bill Dix calls Mike Whalen a liar.

Dix says:

“Mike Whalen is flat out lying, misleading voters, and misrepresenting Auditor Vaudt,” said Dix. “He tried to mislead my wife two weeks ago and now he is trying to mislead the voters.” Whalen’s campaign push-polled Dix’s wife, Gerri, two weeks prior to the airing these false advertisements.

Whalen’s advertisements state: “Bill Dix was in charge of the budget at the Statehouse, but our Republican State Auditor said Dix’s budget was a disappointment.”

Review of a press release sent out by the Auditor’s office, March 28, 2005, found that the Auditor said: “Unlike the Governor’s proposal, the House Republicans’ budget proposal does not tap the larger than expected Fiscal Year 2005 surplus to pay for Fiscal Year 2006 program costs.” The release went on to say: “The House Republicans’ plan also takes a positive step toward replenishing the Senior Living Trust Fund.”

Interesting.

While may Dix may have a legitimate gripe that Vaudt never actually called the budget a "disappointment", I think Dix is doing about as much selective quoting here as Whalen is.

It has been said in the recent past that if Dix wants to run on his record, he should run on his whole record. A review of the Auditor's release on which Dix stakes his claim shows that it isn't all roses for Bill and the Republican legislators.

You can find the document Dix references HERE.

Even the title, "State Auditor Vaudt Reviews House Republicans’Fiscal Year 2006 Budget Proposal - Comparison to Governor’s Proposal; Some Unsound Financial Practices Continued; Some Steps in Right Direction" is shaky at best.

A further review finds that "The House Republicans’ proposed level of spending equates to a 5.1% increase over Fiscal Year 2005" (higher than inflation).

Vaudt also says, "Despite some positive steps taken by the House, this Fiscal Year 2006 budget proposal—just like the Governor’s budget proposal—carries forward some of the same unsound financial practices of prior years." These unsound practices are highlighted in sections of the document called, "Lack of Clarity" and "Spending Exceeds Revenues".

Keep in mind that this is all just what Dix WANTED to do. In reality, after all the deals were made he ended up increasing spending by 7.1% over FY 2005, allowed spending to once again exceed revenues, etc.

You can see this for yourself HERE.

Perhaps this is the quote Whalen was looking for: Auditor Vaudt said, “It is extremely disappointing to see this continued reliance on other funds.”

It's all right there for you to read, folks. Form your own opinions.

Here's mine: All this taken into consideration, my thoughts on the latest Dix release is that while Whalen may have twisted the Auditor's words a bit, I think for Dix to complain about it is a bit like the pot calling the kettle black. It seems to me that Bill Dix is misrepresenting his record with the budget a tad too.

Candidate Surveys

2006-05-28T20:12:00.000-07:00

While some internet Klowns will only give you profile pieces on their favorite candidates, I'll give you links to all candidate info that I can find. These candidate questionnaires ran in the QC Times in the last few days:

Bill Dix - Dix pretty much speaks in generalities and tows the party line. He notes he is the only candidate standing with the President on Iraq. Most interesting of this whole survey, he sings praises to Senator Grassley in his "favorite politician" question, but completely lambasts his favorite politician's (Chuck Grassley) most favorite pet project, the Iowa Rainforest. Also, his answer to #1 is interesting when considering Mike Whalen's current attack advertising. Who's telling the truth here?

Brian Kennedy - Kennedy offers more specifics than Dix, which I like. He points out that he is the only candidate with experience on Capitol Hill. I'm not sure how he arrived at exaclty $1.51 as the reasonable price for a gallon of gasoline in the energy question, but at least it's an answer, and I'll take that price over the current $2.75 any day! Lastly, Kennedy differed from Dix and Whalen on the question of earmark reform, and took an interesting approach of referencing readers to his website on a couple occasions.

Mike Whalen - Nothing new from this guy. He offers more specifics than usual it seems on the surface, but upon closer consideration it becomes clear that he is just putting a little more verbage on top of his common one-liners for every answer. See:"Today’s gas prices are the result of a government problem, not an energy problem."..."Congress has to learn to push themselves away from the table."..."If we stop the jobs, we stop the flow", etc. Still, to the average voter, I think his Q&A may hit home. He did a good job of being short and to the point.

Bruce Braley - Braley provides very well-written though long-winded answers that give pretty good detail. Braley cites examples of earmarks working well and providing services for people in Iowa's First District. Braley gives a good Iowa answer on energy. He hits the GOP on the issues of tax cuts, Iraq, and the immigration situation. Democrats have a good candidate in Bruce Braley. Also, I just might vote for him because he clearly knows a lot about John Quincy Adams (what's the deal with the history lesson, Bruce?).

Bill Gluba - He comes off better on paper than in his ranting speeches, that's for sure. His answers, though long, seemed well thought-out. He stands with Bill Dix in his mockery of Senator Grassley's Coralville Rainforest. Interesting points: a very specific answer to #1, his statement that we obviously need to increase government spending in #9, and his riding the fence on the issue of life in #5.

Denny Heath - Denny Heath is my hero in this field. I may not agree with his stance on every issue, but I like that fact that he isn't an out-of-touch idealist or a demagogue like some other Dems out there. He thinks for himself and doesn't simply follow his party like a sheep in the flock on every issue.

Rick Dickinson - It must be a Democrat thing to write very long answers. Aside from talking himself up plenty in the experience question, Dickinson takes great care in explaining his stance on the abortion issue. Rick also thinks everything is a "wedge" issue. That is, to Dickinson, if it's tough for Democrats, it is probably the Republicans' fault for making a big deal about it. Lastly, I must be nice and say that I do really like his plan for a pay-as-you-go federal budget, not the borrow and spend that we have seen at federal and state levels lately. Dickinson also notes in that answer that there was no Halliburton in Jackson County. No kidding, Rick...I think you guys just got your first Wal-Mart, there didn't you?

$$$$ Ten Days Left

2006-05-28T14:25:00.000-07:00

Ed Tibbetts has a decent article in Saturday's QC Times on the state of the candidates' campaign coffers ten days before the June 6th primary.

A few interesting figures to note:

Mike Whalen has already spent over half a million dollars.

Mike Whalen gave another $75,000 to his campaign from his own pocket.

Bill Dix outspent Brian Kennedy during the last six weeks more than 3 to1.

Bill Dix and Brian Kennedy have nearly even bank balances as of the filing deadline. Whalen had $40,000 less than them, but Tibbetts noted that he has the ability to self-finance (Whalen has given roughly $275,000 to his own campaign).

Bruce Braley spent $50,000 more than Rick Dickinson in the last six weeks.

Bill Gluba only spent $20,000 in that same time. Braley outspent him 7 to1!

Bruce Braley sits on a $130,000 difference between him and Dickinson in cash on hand.

What's it all mean?

On the Dem side the race is Bruce Braley's to lose. Dickinson had an opportunity given to him by Bruce Braley on Iowa Press, but doesn't seem to be capitalizing on it. On the GOP side, we know that Whalen will try to win at any cost, but I think he could possibly be toppled in the closing days.

Tuesday's Fun Point to Ponder: Dix's "Secure" Commercial

2006-05-22T21:01:00.000-07:00

I know I've been a bit remiss lately about disucussing each candidate's commercials. Braley, Dix, and Whalen all have multiple commercials on the air right now, and Dickinson began airing one last week too. Gluba doesn't have one on that I've seen, and Kennedy has been sticking to his same old Cowboy ad.

However, I did take a peek recently at Dix's commercial page. He has now had four different TV spots on the air. While I hear the latest is a pretty good attack on Mike Whalen, I can't seem to view it, though I wait with great anticipation.

Dix did have one ad that did pique my interest, however. His third ad, titled "Secure" provides some humor, if you've been following the race closely.

See, this ad is about illegal immigration and border security. Now there are many points of contention that Dix's opponents may have with the content of this ad. I though, found just one small bit of the visuals they used to be entertaining. Perhaps this goes back to the competence of Dix and his advisors (yeah yeah yeah maybe it was the reporter...come on guys, lighten up).

If you've been following the illegal immigration saga driving the GOP primary, you know that Bill Dix's great plan to stop illegal immigration from Day 1 of the campaign, aside from "doing whatever it takes" of course, is to build a fence or a wall along our border.

Now, remember that and watch the "Secure" ad closely. About halfway through the ad, Dix shows a full-screen shot of footage of illegals doing what to get into America?

Yes, that's right...climbing the fence and entering illegally.

Who's in charge of the message over there anyway?

REPUBLICAN Culture of Corruption?

2006-05-22T20:50:00.000-07:00

Looks like it's not just the GOP getting caught in scandal these days. Democrats now face a story of corruption of their own. See this New York Times story for details, or find one of your own...it's been all over the place.

It isn't often that I put news on here that is not directly from Iowa's 1st District, but I thought this was blogworthy because in previous threads commenters talked about the Dems' heavyweight election-winner this fall being their outspoken cry for change from the Republican culture of corruption.

So much for that strategy.

“I think, unfortunately, Mr. Braley may have just cost himself the election."

2006-05-20T17:53:00.000-07:00

That was a quote by Bill Gluba at the taping of Iowa Press on Friday. The Iowa politics talk show is featuring the 1st District candidates in a special hour-long program this week.

Gluba made that statement in response to a call from Bruce Braley to cut funding for our troops in Iraq as a way to force the administration to end the war there.

From Saturday's Quad Cities Times:

Braley said Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld should be fired, and expressed disappointment that troops would not be coming home this year. Braley said he would vote to cut funding in order to bring troops home.

“That’s what Congress does. They appropriate the money. If the administration is not carrying out the wishes of the people of this country, Congress has to start making choices,” Braley said.

Dickinson replied:

But Sabula Democrat Rick Dickinson, who’s running against Braley in the June 6 primary, said Braley has taken drastically different positions on Iraq during the campaign. “These are exactly the kind of positions that cause you to lose general elections,” Dickinson said.

“I respect differences of opinion on Iraq, but we have to pick one. Any candidate that tries to be all things to all people can be nothing to anyone.”

Dickinson said he wouldn’t have supported going into Iraq initially but thinks a timeline for withdrawal is “dangerous.”

Even Bill Gluba was level-headed on this one:

“I think, unfortunately, Mr. Braley may have just cost himself the election. No American, no Democrat wants to see us not fund our troops in Iraq. We all want to bring them home, but you would never, never cut off funding to fighting forces over there,” he said.

Sorry Bruce, but even I agree with Bill on this one. You may have just cost yourself the election. Even if Braley wins the primary, as Dickinson says, it's going to be tough to win the general with a statement like this hanging over your head.

To see coverage of the Republican portion of the show, visit this story in the Times.

Dems Go Negative Too

2006-05-18T13:10:00.000-07:00

In this brief article in today's Waterloo Courier, we see that the Dems are up to the same tricks as mentioned about the GOP in the post below.

Last night Rick Dickinson accused Bruce Braley of push polling against him, on an array of issues.

Braley denied it (much like Whalen), and countered that Dickinson was being negative by even suggesting such a thing ever took place. Braley came out the clear winner in this article.

Negative Polling in the GOP: Who's Doing it and Who Cares?

2006-05-18T11:16:00.000-07:00

There's a lot of chatter today over on Krusty's blog by Dix folks about a "push poll" that was reportedly conducted by Mike Whalen over recent days.

Today, however, Mike Whalen fights back. It seems Bill Dix has been less than forthcoming (according to Whalen) about his own negative campaigning activities. In this release issued by Whalen today, his campaign cites evidence that Dix did a poll of his own (Note: Whalen claims it to be a negative-issue poll, though I'm not sure on what basis he makes that claim). Whalen also points out that Dix has been "attacking Mike Whalen relentlessly for the last 30 days," through negative press releases and emails, which led to harrassment of some Whalen supporters. To view the negative Dix releases, go HERE, HERE, and HERE.

In the Whalen campaign's first show of true public disclosure (Note: Still waiting for public response to FEC investigation) the release also shows the two questions on the poll that were related to Bill Dix, as well as statistics of the responses gathered.

If these truly were the only two questions relating to Bill Dix and his record, then I think Dix is making a mountain out of a mole hill, as they say. As Whalen notes, if Dix wants to talk about his record, he can't pick and choose which part of his record he wants to talk about. If Whalen doesn't make light of it now, you can bet the Dems will in the fall.

Still, I see Dix's point. If you want to debate Dix's record, do it to his face, Mike, don't whisper about it under the guise of a poll.

Gluba Supporter Sounds Just Like Gluba!

2006-05-17T06:10:00.000-07:00

This may not be newsworthy, but I found it humorous. You know how sometimes a candidate's supporter is just like the candidate? Or how if you know someone's personality you can usually guess who they support? Well here is a perfect examply of a guy whose friends I'm sure could easily guess would support Bill Gluba.

Letter to the Editor in QC Times:

Gluba is candidate of change

By Gerald Neff,Pleasant Valley

The June 6 primary election is fast approaching. Bill Gluba is the candidate to change our ethically bankrupt Congress and inept administration. During this off-year election, Americans have plenty of reasons to be outraged: the unjust war, the massive national debt, a failed attempt to meddle with Social Security, the ongoing scandals of the Republican Party, the unwillingness of the administration to recognize and address environmental problems, the outrageous idea of selling our national parks to raise money to balance the budget and an energy policy that benefits the oil companies and hurts everyone else. It is no wonder that this administration has been called the worst ever.

I am angry that Iowa ranks 42nd in teacher salaries, that the state is losing jobs at a terrifying rate, that tuition at our three state universities has risen more than 50 percent in the last four years.

Change has never been more necessary than right now. Start that change June 6 by voting for Bill Gluba for Congress. He will work to change the process of getting the best government money can buy, to limits on spending campaigns.

An "angry" letter bashing the administration. If you hear Gluba in a debate, you'll hear the same thing time and time again.

Check out the comments to the letter on the Times website. Someone raises a good poing about the disjointedness of this entire letter by pointing out that as much as this guy likes to demagogue (just like Gluba), our state's tuition rates aren't even a federal issue.

Dix Picks up Endorsement

2006-05-17T05:30:00.000-07:00

As seen on Krusty the second the press release was issued by the Dix campaign (Coincidence? I think not.), this story by Ed Tibbetts appeared around the 1st District yesterday.

Not much to say here on this story that hasn't been said already. Dix is proud of his record on illegal immigration. Whalen and Kennedy say Dix shouldn't be, because his record is bad.

Ethanol: Candidates Stick to Party Lines

2006-05-17T05:06:00.000-07:00

Today's QC Times has this story by Ed Tibbetts, discussing the prices we are paying at the pumps.

All 1st District candidates, being Iowa politicians, now call for increasing renewable fuel usage (even Mike Whalen).

The difference between the GOP and Democrat candidates though, seems to be the need for a mandate on car companies to produce vehicles that can use E85 and forcing filling stations operated by oil companies to sell E85, which was proposed by Tom Harkin recently.

Kennedy and Whalen campaigns say a this mandate is not necessary. The Democrats stand by Harkin. Nothing too interesting there.

Tibbetts, though, does include a couple quotes from industry experts and local filling station owners disputing the ability to fulfill the Democrats' demands. Harkin and the Democrats says oil companies should foot the bill.

Dix has Competence

2006-05-15T07:26:00.000-07:00

Bill Dix made a stop in Davenport on Saturday. It was reported in the QC Times that along with Dix's family a few supporters turned out. One was Tom Tauke who said among other things that Dix has competence.

One must ask, is this a noteworthy attribute? If you have to defend your favorite candidate's competence, is he really that great of a candidate? These are just questions I throw out, because in GOP circles there is great mockery of the competence of a Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Chet Culver. See Chet Not Stupid blog for more detail. Seems to me the GOP shouldn't have it both ways.

This question really comes into play in this article, because showing great competence, Dix is quoted at the end as discriminating against poor regions of our country:

Dix also would “continue to stay focused on protecting us from our enemies,” saying he supports the troops and their efforts in Iraq. He also wants to protect the country from enemies coming in along “our poorest borders,” he said.

Commonly, our politicians are seen discussing how to lock our borders, but even the GOP hasn't yet segregated it into wealthy and poor regions.

I think the word Dix was looking for was really "porous". See, Bill, "poorest" means the lowest rank; "bottom member of the class". "Porous" means easily crossed or penetrated. Porous, Bill, porous.

Tom Tauke, you are right. Bill Dix sure is competent.

Democrats Bicker (with each other) Over Iraq

2006-05-15T07:12:00.000-07:00

Here's a story from Friday's QC Times in which Rick Dickinson accuses Bruce Braley of having three different positions on the war in Iraq, comparing Braley to the flip-flopping John Kerry.

In response, Braley says Dickinson shares the same view on Iraq as President Bush and other top Republicans, obviously a terrible insult to any true Democrat.

Dickinson took issue with Braley's new TV ad, which was discussed here previsously in THIS POST. Braley's ad can be viewed HERE.

Read the QC Times article. Tibbetts does a good job of detailing Dickinson's complaint, pointing out three different Braley stances. Also, as with all Times articles, the reader comments at the bottom are worth a peek.

More Controversy in GOP Primary

2006-05-11T09:11:00.000-07:00

While Bill Dix has been trying his hardest to make news during the last week with a flurry of press releases, he was unfortunately largely ignored by the media (lucky for Whalen).

That is, until today. Much to Camp Dix's dismay though, it wasn't Dix's story that was written. Rather, the 1st District press picked up on a release by the Kennedy campaign yesterday highlighting the fact that while Dix may try to be tough on illegal immigration now that he's running for Congress, just two years ago he voted to give illegal immigrants discounted tuition to Iowa's public universities at you, Joe Taxpayer's, expense. Awesome job, Bill.

Even more interesting to me though, was the resonse from the Dix Campaign. In this article from the Quad City Times, Dix's spokesman calls the vote "a mistake that he wouldn't repeat."

So, my questions are: Does Dix, who, keep in mind is running on his record not rhetoric, flip-flop on issues often, depending on public opinion at the time? Does he not understand what he's voting for when he's casting his AYES and NAYS? Or, is he simply pandering now in this tough-on-illegal-immigration GOP primary?

Dix Hits Whalen on Iraq, Tibbetts Covers Dem Views Instead

2006-05-11T08:44:00.000-07:00

On Monday Bill Dix released a statement bashing opponent Mike Whalen, questioning his stance on the war in Iraq. Dix said that he stands firmly with President Bush.

Dix noted that Sen. Tom Harkin has introduced legislation that calls for the complete withdrawal of troops by the end of 2006. He then asked, “Will Mike Whalen join me in standing with our President or will he join other liberals in support of Harkin’s legislation."

Dix's campaign manager reminded GOP voters of Whalen's liberal tendancies. “Sen. Harkin is wrong and voters should know if Whalen stands with the President or with the liberals,” said Dix’s campaign manager Matt Gronewald. “Whalen has supported liberals like Dave Nagle in the past, has contributed to the Democrat party, and is open to raising our taxes. Will Whalen continue to support the liberal agenda by supporting Harkin’s cut-and-run policy in Iraq?”

All in all I think this was a good release aimed at discrediting Whalen with Republican's, which seems to be the name of the game when it comes to "Mod Mike". Unfortunately, Quad City Times reporter Ed Tibbetts didn't include any of this in his story yesterday on the campaigns' stances on the war.

It turns out that the Democrats trumped Dix's release with some Iraq news of their own. On Tuesday, Bill Gluba picked up an endorsement from Stop the Arms Race Political Action Committee. Gluba's mantra all along has been that we need to get out of Iraq.

Gluba's opponent Bruce Braley began airing a new commercial the same day, aimed at the war in Iraq. This commercial is not interesting in the same way that his first one was, but rather it is quite impactful. Braley takes a serious tone and says that if he's elected to Congress he'll push for the Iraqis to take over the fighting right now, saying our troops have done their job.

Although I'm not a big fan of a congressional candidate calling our President a liar, which Braley does in this commercial, I do think this commercial was well made and does a good job of showing some sincerity rather than simple demagoguery on this issue.

Rick Dickinson responded with a level-headed approach, saying that Braley's commercial promotes a policy that isn't possible to make happen. He notes that he'd like the U.S. to be out of Iraq too, but that he doesn't believe that most people see that seriously as a possible solution at this time.

Nussle Campaign Hits Eastern Iowa Hard This Week

2006-05-03T09:37:00.000-07:00

On Monday night Davenport played host to former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. The Nussle campaign entertained a crowd of about 400 that night. Krusty offered an only mildly criticized review of the event, so for his report, read HERE. Or go HERE for the QC Times article. Gotta love the comments section on the news site.

Today, the Nussle campaign tours the 1st District again with Speaker Newt Gingrich. The day began with a breakfast in Dubuque, and moves on to lunch in Waterloo. I'll post some news clippings as soon as their available.

You've got to hand it to these guys...they're working hard and building a warchest of both money and GOP involvement while the Dems are still battling it out in their primary. Nussle/VP is going to be hard to beat both here in the 1st and throughout the rest of the state.

Dare to Compare

2006-05-03T09:26:00.000-07:00

I found this today in the Quad Cities Times.

The Davenport Education Association is sponsoring a 1st District Congressional forum tomorrow night from 7:00 to 8:30 to discuss education issues. Republican and Democrat candidates will be featured, and it will be moderated by Mark Ridolfi, editor of the Quad Cities Times.

I have also seen information about a Scott County Republican Party-hosted forum for the GOP candidates on May 16th from 7:00 to 9:00 at Pleasant Valley High School.

Does anyone have info on any other upcoming debates throughout the district?

Chauffeur Bruce

2006-05-02T13:16:00.000-07:00

Well folks the latest Congressional television advertisement has begun airing in the 1st District.

Bruce Braley sent out this press release this morning drawing attention to his ad.

Like Kennedy's and Dix's, this ad is a bit odd in it's own way too. The ad, titled "Bringing us to Congress" features Bruce Braley driving a giant van around town leaving his family on their doorstep, but picking up his mother, some factory workers, a group of seniors, and a gaggle of children on his way to Congress. It is clever, but the fast-motion between stops irritates me.

Also, his "hey guys" line sounds a bit "feminine".

The ad can be viewed HERE.

The really interesting part of the ad, however, is at the end. As Bruce is leaving Iowa behind to head off to Congress in his sweet van, he passes a man in a suit with a soft-sided briefcase standing on the side of the road, presumably thumbing a ride. As Braley leaves this man in the dust, he can be heard shouting out the window, "Sorry fella, no room for lobbyists". This must have been a late addition to the commercial, as it failed even to make the official transcript of the ad which was included with the release.

So, the question is, what prompted the Braley campaign to throw the lobbyist part in at the end of the ad? It plays no part in the theme of the commercial, as the ad is not about Congressional reform or scandals in Washington.

It is apparent that Democrat Bruce Braley is taking a shot across party lines at Republican Brian Kennedy.

The question is "Why?" Well, there are two options as far as I can tell.

1) Braley does not want to/is afraid to face Kennedy in the general, and so is spreading implied negativity through this ad to keep Kennedy down in hopes that Dix and/or Whalen will keep it up now that Braley has taken a stand and put it out there.

2) Braley foresees Kennedy as the likely victor and (as he is widely considered the likely victor for the Dems) is taking it upon himself to start the heat that will become the General Election.

Both those options seem a bit farfetched to me, but it's Braley's strategy, not mine. On the other hand, I guess it wouldn't make sense for him to say "Sorry fella, no room for pumpkin farmers."

Furthermore, the part where he talks about "his record of fighting for working people" seems to open the door for criticisms of his career as a trial lawyer. I suppose he figures those are going to come anyway so he might as well try to get some positive spin on the airwaves before too much negative spin gets out there.

We'll see how effective his ad will be.

At least we can find it on his website. Mike Whalen, who has been called on by myself and Krusty Konservative to post his ad on his website now has this to offer instead. They have been dubbed "home movies" by another blogger. Visit THIS PAGE to see Whalen recording himself on a slow afternoon at the Machine Shed.

Krusty Kalled to Karpet for Krappy Komentary...

2006-04-27T09:01:00.000-07:00

...and forced to change his tune a bit.

Well folks, our favorite Klown has taken a real beating this week. You bloggers on the "Konservative" side may have seen this shaping up.

Fortunately for those of us who look to Krusty's daily kolumns for guidance and insight, he has toned down the rhetoric a notch today, and supplied us with a great post on what's behind the candidate's TV ads.

What did it take for the public to get a quality post from the disgruntled blogger? Read on as I kronicle Krusty's nosedive this week.

The saga began when his report from the 1st District GOP Convention trickled in ever-so-slowly, and then was scoffed at by everyone who seems to have actually attended. Note his post was so Krappy that the report right here at Iowa's First actually made it verbatum into the comments section of that post on Krusty's blog. Don't worry, Klown, you can send me the royalties check later.

Then on Tuesday, Krusty put up a softie posting about Bill Dix's new TV commercial as an attempt to distract from Dix's underperformance at Convention and Krusty's BS post about it a day earlier. Unfortunately, Krusty's post included almost as much fluff as Dix's commercial! Within the comment section, a curious blogger (who I assume is a Kennedy suppporter) questioned Krusty about Dix's support for the Values Fund. Krusty, a statehouse employee, claimed to have no recollection of the vote, or even knowledge of how to find out, but was able to say this, "Even if he did vote for it, it doesn't mean I'll stop supporting him. "

Krusty was humiliated that day when Maverick cleared the air and posted the truth about the vote.

Seems to me that aside from the vote, the real question proudiowan was getting at was who was telling the truth about the vote. Krusty, now that it's known that Dix did vote for it (no thanks to any help from you, I might add), will you continue supporting him knowing that he LIED about his vote?

Wednesday though, my question was answered, when it became clear that he still stands with his boy in the Statehouse. Posting a rant about Brian Kennedy's support for the FairTax, Krusty tried to paint the proposal as a smart political move rather than true belief in the idea.The Krust says that Kennedy isn't serious about the FairTax because he's never mentioned it until this month.

Lucky for us, proudiowan (I think this guy lives to be a pain in Krusty's ass) called him out on it and chronicled all the appearances of the FairTax on the Kennedy website.

It seems though that today is shaping up well for Krusty, and Fridays are usually pretty slow, so maybe the Klown will make it through the week with only a few bumps and bruises. Hopefully he'll be back next week with the same objective viewpoint we see today.

Farmer Bill

2006-04-26T20:06:00.000-07:00

Bill Dix released his campaign's first television commercial earlier this week.

Just as much as we were not surprised when Brian Kennedy's first spot featured immigration, I also had a sinking feeling that Dix would start out with farming.

To it's credit, the ad does do a good job of promoting Dix's theme, which is that he is a good guy, conservative farmer, hard-working, Average Joe. And, it hits a little bit of his statehouse experience, though nothing substantial.

This ad is a lot like Bill. It is nice. It is put together well. But there just isn't much in it. It looks good on the outside, but when it comes down to substance, it's a bit lacking. I can watch this ad over and over (because the woman's voice is just so soothing) but still not find any substance to it.

So, I guess, taking Dix's warchest into consideration, perhaps his plan is to build the image now and get to the message/issues/substance in later ads?

The ad can be viewed HERE.

Just as with Kennedy's ad, the question is, is this an effective ad for the 1st District of Iowa? The ad is heavy on the rural, in a district that is far more heavily urban. Also, at a time when there appears to be much voter apathy (particularly on the GOP side), those that do come out to vote are going to be the ones that care about the issues, not the fluff.

PS - Mike Whalen: I know you're running a TV ad...please join the technology revolution and put it on your website!

First District Convention Post Game

2006-04-24T10:31:00.000-07:00

This past weekend party die-hards from across Iowa's First District (though Scott County had a dismal turnout) attended their District Convention.

Krusty may have taken a while to post because he couldn't find a believable way to spin the convention into a victory for his statehouse buddy Bill Dix, but I'll give you the complete rundown here and now, spin freee, based on first-hand observation from someone who lives in the District, not some unnamed correspondent.

The convention started off with a well attended breakfast hosted by Congressman Jim Nussle. The crowd gathered early, at 8:00 and heard lengthy but lively remarks from Nussle. He touched on several issues, as well as the importance of electing a Republican to replace him in his Congressional seat.

Entering the convention hall, delegates were greeted by a plethora of Brian Kennedy and Bill Dix signs, including several giant posters on stand-alone easles of Brian Kennedy's plan to defend the border with a huge (probably life-size) picture Kennedy standing over the banks of the Rio Grande. Mike Whalen was severely under-represented in the sign war. He had a few big barnsigns sitting on the floor along the wall, but that was basically it.

Sign war: Winner: Kennedy, closely followed by Dix

Before entering the Convention, delegates were bombarded with opportunities to wear candidate stickers. It's hard to say how many delegates displayed a preference for each candidate, but there seemed to be a lot of red and yellow for Kennedy, and a lot of red white and blue for Dix. Again, little support for Whalen.

Sticker war: Tie, Dix and Kennedy

Once seated, delegates were greeted by about a pound of literature on their chairs. They found material for central committe races, Secretary of Ag races, etc., but the only handout from the Congressional race was Whalen's year-old recipe card. NOTE: The cinammon rolls Whalen was giving away courtesy the Machine Shed tasted like they were a year old also. Dix had no literature that I saw aside from that on his lit table, and Kennedy had what appeared to be college student delegates decked out in Kennedy attire passing out an immigration flyer similar to what he distributed at County Conventions at the entrance.

Lit war: Draw

Finally the convention got underway. First, SOA candidates spoke, minus Mark Leonard who failed to make it to the 1st CD that day. Then, Bob Dopf gave a talk about his candidacy. None of these speeches were really anything worth listening too. Also note Chuck Allison did not make it to the 1st on Saturday either.

Around 11:00 the crowd was able to hear the Congressional candidates...all but Mike Whalen that is. In true Whalen fasion, he was predictably late and did not have to appear with Dix and Kennedy.

Kennedy spoke first. He had the most energy of any candidate. He gave a very brief bio, then hit on several key issues. He seemed impassioned and at home among the party activists, like a true leader of this crowd, probably leftover from his party chair days. Interestingly, he was the only candidate to touch on most of the conservative issues; pro-life, immigration, etc. He delievered his usual theme of principle over politics. Kennedy was interrupted by applause on several occasions, and at the end of his talk received a bit of a standing applause from a few delegates. Great speech.

Dix spoke immediately after Kennedy. After the first speech, I fully expected Dix to have something interesting to offer, or at least off it with a little energy. Dix, however, was disappointingly predictable. He spoke very unenthusiasticly about his family and his farm for the majority of his time, then touched on a few issues like tax cuts, but didn't really offer much substance. I was quite surprised to see Dix, while he and Kennedy seem to be in a battle for the Conservative title since Whalen is out of the running for that, didn't even mention the right to life and didn't hit hard on immigration. Overall not a bad speech, but he offered nothing new to these people, all of whom I'm sure he's met before (except the Scott County folks), and he failed to inspire the crowd.

Whalen appeared a while later. He didn't have the benefit of hearing the other two, and so had no idea what their speeches were like. Consequently, I caught him reading notes for his prepared speech, and he did the worst. He mentioned his father and Ronald Reagan. He wheezed some anecdotes, as usual, but failed to connect with the grassroots conservatives in the room, in my humble opinion. Also, he didn't look at ease. Something was bugging him...perhaps the criticizm of his leftover rolls.

Speech: Winner: Kennedy with Dix in second. Whalen again a distant third.

Overall impressions are as follows. Kennedy was hurt by a poor showing of delegates from Scott and Clinton Counties, though probably not as much as Whalen. Still, for the convention being held in the rural northwest part of the district (read: Dix's natural home turf) he did a great job. Dix wasn't on his best game on Saturday, though his staffers did a good job with his "presence". That is, signage and stickering. A large (proportionally, of course, to the other counties) turnout from Bremer County helped his cause. Still, I saw a lot of Dix yard signs walking out the door with the delegates at the end of the day. Whalen doesn't seem to be at home with a crowd like this. Half the delegates are pissed at him for donating to Dave Nagle, the other half for offering shitty cinamon rolls. He definitely did not win the day. The worst part for him was when he was seen being dragged out of the building during platform discussion by his staffer, because they needed to leave and he was too engrossed in discussion/harassment of the Kennedy staffers and state central committee members.

Taking into account the location, contents of speech, stickers/t-shirt support, and general conversation with other delegates, I think Kennedy was the winner of the day. Dix underperformed considering the locale, but still had a lot of support. Whalen can tout his polls all he wants, but is losing ground fast among this crowd.

Dix's Only Accomplishment this Session May go Down in Flames

2006-04-20T19:11:00.000-07:00

A couple months back, Bill Dix was pretty darn proud of his eminent domain bill. That can be seen in this press release, where he does, however, accept fault for not getting the job done nearly ten years ago when he was "road-blocked by powerful special interest groups" (kind of like what he let happen this year with his no-home-loans-for-illegals bill).

While I gave him great credit for his seemingly popular eminent domain bill in an earlier post this week, it now seems to face a snag in the Senate. The Waterloo Courier reports in this article that two Senators, the Democratic leader and the Republican leader used procedural moves to stop the bill from returning to the House for final consideration after the Senate had previously revised it.

Senator Bob Brunkhorst, also from within the 1st District and a close friend of Rep. Dix, came to Bill's rescue (the bill, that is), questioning the Democratic leader on the floor of the Senate about his motives.

The Courier reports:

In the midst of these complicated maneuvers, backers of the bill feel powerless. Sen. Bob Brunkhorst, R-Waverly, said he would like to meet with senators who have concerns about the bill, but they have refused to meet.

Brunkhorst brought his concerns to the Senate floor Tuesday, asking Gronstal to explain his actions."So this bill could die because of you?" Brunkhorst asked the Democratic leader.

Gronstal said if the bill dies it will be because Brunkhorst and others "refused to be reasonable" in considering alternatives.

On Wednesday, Brunkhorst said he still expects the bill to pass in some form, but is concerned that it may be watered down.

City leaders across the state have raised concerns about the measure, arguing that it would make redevelopment prohibitively expensive and time consuming. The bill makes it much more difficult for local governments to seize private property.

Property-rights advocates say the bill creates a fair balance between the needs of cities and the rights of property owners.

I don't spend enough time in Des Moines to know what's going to happen to this bill, but I'm sure Dix is watching it closely, as he is running on his "record not rhetoric". If this bill dies or gets severely watered down, Dix's "record" will be 0 and 2 on his major legislation this session.

Whalen Wants to Curb Spending...Ducks Tough Issue in the Process

2006-04-20T18:52:00.000-07:00

Thursday's Quad-Cities Times included this article about Mike Whalen's plan to curb deficit spending. The three points of his plan include limiting increases in spending to little more than inflation, requiring a super-majority vote to raise taxes, and giving line-item veto power to the president.

As expected, Whalen made restaurant analogies and spouted regular Republican rhetoric about the Bush tax cuts working.

Interestingly, however, Whalen painted himself into a corner. He attacked "pork-barrel spending", but dodged tough questions about the real issue concerning the budget, which is entitlement spending...Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Tibbetts reports that these three programs account for about half the federal budget and are growing faster than inflation. Whalen declined to comment on whether he would support proposals to reduce funding or even cut projected growth.

By doing this, we see Whalen once again talk the talk on the surface, but fail to follow through on the tough stuff. He has done come out weak on immigration, flip-flopped on ethanol, embarrassed himself on abortion, and now even half-assed the spending issue.

While talking about curbing spending, to combat his lackluster campaign performance he is currently spending campaign cash at a rate of 2:1 over some of his opponents. And, he continues to spend, as he is the latest candidate to partake in the paid media wars. Whalen currently airs one or two different radio spots, as well as a new commercial on cable television. Keep writing those big checks Mike.

Earlier This Week...

2006-04-19T21:02:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was a busy day around the First District.

Ed Tibbetts finally got around to putting out a story on the candidates' recent fundraising figures (just a few days behind is all). Read the full story here to get his take.

Also Wednesday Bruce Braley released a call for Donald Rumsfeld's resignation. Braley included himself in the company of six retired Generals from across the country. He also called on the other candidates in the 1st District, both Republican and Democrat to join him. “I challenge all candidates in the 1st District Congressional race to take a public stand on this important issue,” said Braley. Appropriately, none responded. While this story about a tour of the Barn Foundation made the papers on Thursday, Braley's tough stand did not.

The Democrat that did make the paper this week was Rick Dickinson. He got mention Wednesday in the Quad-Cities Times for a stop on his "No Town Left Behind" tour. Showcasing economic development as his strength, he said he would make it a priority, but left out any major details regarding the substance of his plan. Only about six people came for his gathering, but he did take questions from the tiny audience on other issues. This was reported on his immigration stance:

Dickinson also took questions on other issues, such as education and immigration. On the latter, he said he supports a bi-partisan bill offered by U.S. Sens. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and John McCain, R-Arizona, that would provide a path to citizenship for 11 million illegal immigrants if they did such things as pay a fine and hold a job.

A House-approved bill would not allow for that and would criminalize being in the country illegally. Now, it’s only a civil violation.

Some of the Republicans seeking the 1st District seat have made dealing with illegal immigration a key issue. Dickinson, though, said the emphasis was more about appeasing a political base, and he said the relatively small number of Hispanics living in eastern Iowa made them an easy target. “There’s nobody to push back,” he said.

Personally I disagree with Dickinson on the immigration bit. The issue may play to the GOP (though I don't think so because they can't seem to agree on it either), but regardless of who may benefit from it's discussion, it is a problem that needs to be talked about nation-wide (including Iowa and the 1st District), not just in the border states.

Comments posted by readers to the article are intersting. Some are pro-Dickinson. One is pro-Whalen on business, one is pro-Kennedy on immigration, and one is just anti-Whalen altogether.

$$$$$$$$$$$$ - - - - - First District Style

2006-04-17T19:00:00.000-07:00

For a complete breakdown of the fundraising/expenditures please visit this post by Krusty Konservative. For a complete breakdown of what it all means to the candidates, their supporters, and the 1st District, read on...

Democrats

Bruce Braley seems to continue to pull ahead. Granted I'm not as in tune to the Dem race as I am the GOP, but word on the street is that this race is all but sewn up.

I'm not sure if I buy into that line though. Braley may have lots of money, but where does it come from? Taking a look at his disclosure is like reading an atlas. A large proportion of his donations range in geographical origins from California to New York. In this case, money does not necessarily equal support. The question is, will Bruce Braley use it efficiently to translate dollar signs into true supporters on June 6th.

Rick Dickinson is still very much in the race. He certainly has an uphill battle ahead of him, with a $106K cash on hand disadvantage to Braley. However, having $142K in the bank is definitely enough to compete. Also notable, he is largely financing his campaign right out of Dubuque County. Those people can actually vote for him, and they very much believe in their "home-town boy."

Bill Gluba...what can ya say? The guy has $22K in the bank and expects to win. I admire his optimism. We'll see if his left-over name ID from previous races will pay off. To his credit, his are the only Democratic yard signs I've seen in my neighborhood so far.

Much to the detriment of Bill Gluba, I think the Dem primary is going to shape up to be a battle of media buys moreso than the GOP race. There hasn't been as much real news in the media regarding the Dem race as there has been on the Republican side, meaning they will need to do a better job with their paid media. This is where Brailey steps up and takes it away. He can use his money effectively to make Gluba an afterthought, and really put some hurt to Dickinson. Rick, on the other hand, may have a better local ground game. Your thoughts?

Republicans

Here's the race I've been focused on lately. Aside from the candidates and their staffs, I don't think you'll hear anyone declaring there to be a true frontrunner in this race.

Bill Dix has without a doubt shown his fundraising prowess. Out-raising even the Dems' Bruce Braley, Dix has pulled in over half a million dollars to date. Not too bad for a Congressional primary in Iowa. Also to Dix's credit, he has been pretty frugal with his campaign checkbook. He still has 301K in the bank.

The trick for Dix, though, is going to be turning all that cash into actual votes on June 6th. Whereas I mentioned this as a must-do for Brailey, I think it will be an honest struggle to accomplish for Dix. I think his success with the money has been due largely to a great fundraising consultant on his team, and his ties in the statehouse, though let's not forget that Dix truly is a genuinely trustworthy guy.

I worry for Bill Dix that his time spent this spring in Des Moines has done more harm than good for his campaign. He has been able to fundraise for sure (a donor is only a phone call away), but has he been able to put together a good ground game during that same period? Also, while he uses his prior experience in the legislature as a positive for his campaign, I question what he actually was able to accomplish during this session. His no-home-loans-for-illegal-immigrants bill didn't even make it out of committee in the Senate, and he was embarassingly shot down by pesky House rules when he later tried to sneak it in as an amendment to another bill. To his credit, however, I do believe his bill restricting the use of eminent domain was passed, and has proven to be quite popular. So, maybe this session was a wash for Dix. That being the case, the question is, is his past record in the statehouse (which is really all he has to run on) something worth boasting about? We'll let the campaigns and the voters sort that one out in the next two months.

Brian Kennedy is far behind Bill Dix in the money war, but claims that isn't the game he's playing anyway. Kennedy still has a respectable $165 in the bank, which is more than two of the Dems and the GOP's Mike Whalen. Taking this into account, as well as my comments about Dickinson's cash disadvantage, I also think Brian Kennedy is very much a contender.

This is where Krusty and I differ. He has dismissed Kennedy as a candidate because he didn't raise much last quarter. I think that it's the COH number that really matters in the final two months though, coupled with a good ground game. This is where Kennedy makes up lost ground on Bill Dix. From what I've seen (trying to bar all the propaganda from the Kennedy campaign on this issue), I do believe he is ahead in this respect. The problem for Kennedy is going to be how to make the most of the money he does have. He clearly can't fundraise like Bill Dix, and while he released a memo showing he and Whalen's willingness to combat Dix with their own funds, I don't think he can go checkbook to checkbook with Mike Whalen even if he wants to.

The key for Kennedy is going to be to convince people that the money really doesn't matter. I think he has a shot if he uses his money wisely and takes his grassroots movement to the next level in these last two months. I think the Dix and Whalen people really mock this approach, but what they are discounting is that this has been Kennedy's strategy since Day 1. Do you think Brian Kennedy is sitting around fretting because Bill Dix raised half a million dollars? I don't for one second. To him, his grassroots campaign is more than just feel-good Republican talk. He actually DOES it. To my knowledge, he is the only candidate of the six to go door to door so far, and I believe he started doing that last fall. I think it is also uncontested that he had the strongest show of support at the County Convention level too. Kennedy's supporters seem to be the most passionate about their candidate...The question to him is, are there enough of them to win? Also, to his advantave/detriment (only time will tell), he has cast himself as the leader on the immigration issue. How will this play in June?

Mike Whalen sits comfortably with $130K in the bank. While it is less than his two opponents, everyone knows he can change that with the stroke of a pen if he chooses. Because of this, he is the real wildcard in the race. On the finance issue, it is interesting to note how much cash candidate Whalen has blown through so far. While Dix and Kennedy have spent around $200K or less, Whalen has spent over $360,000. This has to absolutely be eating this guy up inside, because aside from a few polls he paid for, and A LOT of barnsigns, I am not sure what he really has to show for it. I think he is very much in the running, but I don't think he's "I've outspent Kennedy 2 to 1 in-the-running" unless he's got some secret up his sleeve that I can't discern from his FEC report.

Whalen does benefit, however, from a name ID advantage he's had from the beginning. Whalen has been a longstanding member of the business community in Iowa with his hotels and restaurants, and he knows a lot of people. The question for him is, "Do the people I know actually LIKE me?" I have heard some Mike Whalen horror stories. But, much as Kennedy's plan was never to win with big money, I don't think Whalen's plan was ever to win with true grassroots support. Whalen is into the raise-and-spend model of campaigning. Unfortunately for true conservatives, I'm scared that his plan may actually work for him.

Quick GOP summary: Dix has raised the most, but hasn't translated it into real support. However, most of his money still sits in his bank account, so how he spends it will be a deciding factor in this race. Kennedy is focusing on the party faithful, not worrying about his short-stacked situation. How he spends what he does have is going to be even more critical than with Dix, because he's got less of it, though, and he may be up against a wall if he has to wage a battle on two fronts. Whalen has unlimited funding if he chooses to exercise it, but I think he's losing favor quickly with true conservatives in the district. He needs to make up for that somehow if he's to win this race.

All candidates have strengths to showcase, and weaknesses to overcome between now and June 6th. Let the real fun begin!!!

Cowboy Kennedy

2006-04-13T07:29:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week the Brian Kennedy campaign began airing the District's first television commercial. Not surprisingly, his first ad is about illegal immigration, featuring his trip to the border.

Kennedy's ad, creatively titled "Border" highlights his plan to station 10,000 additional border patrol agents at the border, as he strolls along the banks of the Rio Grande.

Though the illegal immigration issue is a serious problem, this ad is a bit funny too. I would challenge anyone who's ever met Brian Kennedy to tell me that the first word they would use to discribe him is "cowboy".

Somehow it just doesn't really fit in with the rest of his career experience. If we add this to his resume, it would read something like:

Brian Kennedy

Experience:

Lawyer
Campaign Manager of local, state, and national races
Chairman, Republican Party of Iowa
Lobbyist
Republican Strategist
Cowboy

The ad can be viewed HERE.

The question is, is this an effective ad for the 1st District of Iowa, or the 28th District of Texas? Do the Fox News watchers in Iowa see this as a big problem here, or is Brian Kennedy blowing his already limited resources on a short-lived or irrelevant-to-Iowa issue?

Whalen Picks up Endorsement

2006-04-10T05:59:00.000-07:00

In a shocking twist late last week, the Mike Whalen campaign released a letter from former Governor Terry Branstad describing why he supports Mike.

In the letter, Brastad says he thinks Mike can win in November, and that he is a personal friend who has worked to promote Iowa through business who cares about our state and nation, as well as his emphasis on the issue of Social Security (apparently Branstad favors the tax increase too).

The only bit of press I could find over the weekend covering the endorsement is this article from the Quad Cities Times.

I think Matt Gronewald (Dix's campaign manager) and Brian Kennedy have it right, when they say in the article that the endorsement isn't going to mean much to voters in June.

Gronewald says, "This race isn't about one endorsement. Mike Whalen endorses tax increases and Bill Dix endorses tax cuts."

Kennedy asserts "I don’t think this race will be settled by endorsements by party elders in Des Moines. It will be settled at the grassroots."

Braley Fires on Dix

2006-04-07T12:22:00.000-07:00

In a bout across party lines, Bruce Braley took aim at Bill Dix and his crusade to make the Bush tax cuts permanent today.

The release begins:

Today Iowa 1st District Democratic Congressional candidate Bruce Braley criticized Republican candidate Bill Dix’s blatant disregard for the budget deficit in supporting the permanent extension of an irresponsible Bush administration tax windfall for the wealthy. The plan decreases the tax rate on investment income.

and continues...

“Bill claims to be ‘fiscally responsible,’ yet he supports permanently extending a tax giveaway that effectively benefits only the wealthy,” Braley said. “His support of this policy is tantamount to supporting a $500,000 per year tax windfall for the wealthiest 6,100 Americans. That is irresponsible, considering that we are facing the largest federal budget deficit in our nation’s history while in the midst of a war. I think it’s time Bill looks at responsible, common-sense tax plans that benefit middle class Iowans instead of billionaires.”

Braley does a good job of riling all the Bush-hating Democrats against Bill Dix and the GOP with this one. My post below details Dix's counter-punch to Braley. Basically, he offered more partisan rhetoric, but took great advantage of the circumstance allowing Dix to cast Republican opponent Mike Whalen and Democrat Bruce Braley as cut from the same mold, further distancing Mike Whalen from GOP conservatives in the 1st District.

Dix Blasts Whalen for Liberal Leanings

2006-04-07T09:30:00.000-07:00

UPDATE:

Just moments after this post was written, a new release came from the Dix campaign titled Dix: I won’t raise taxes like Braley and Whalen.

In it, Dix likens Mike Whalen to Democrat Bruce Braley, saying, “We now have two candidates on record who want to raise our taxes and stifle job growth, Mike Whalen and Bruce Braley. Raising the taxes on hard working Iowans is not an option.”

Good for him for sticking to his guns and running Whalen down with this one.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Original Post:

Representative Bill Dix has taken aim at opponent Mike Whalen for his plan to raise taxes to pay for the coming expenses of Social Security.

"When I first ran for Iowa House in 1996, I made a no tax increase pledge that I stand by today.

The same cannot be said for my opponent in the Republican Primary, Mike Whalen. Last February, Mr. Whalen told the Quad City Times he would be willing to raise taxes as part of a reform package for Social Security.

Mike Whalen's proposal would cost taxpayers $100 billion dollars each year!

Mr. Whalen reaffirmed his position this week and opened the door to new questions, telling the Dubuque Telegraph Herald that everything has to be on the table. "

Dix takes pride in the fact that he is finally engaging his primary opponent in a press release titled "Blasts Primary Opponent Mike Whalen who says Everything has to be on the table".

The release begins:

(WATERLOO) Rep. Bill Dix (R-Shell Rock), a candidate for Congress in Iowa's 1st District, said unlike his Primary Election opponent, Mike Whalen, "tax increases are off the table. I'll fight those like Mike Whalen who leave the door open to a tax increase on workers and families. "

"Republicans have a clear choice in this primary," Dix continued. "I will fight tax increases, Mike Whalen has issued an invitation to all the liberals who want to raise our taxes to do so. He's dead wrong to not take a strong stand against raising taxes. His position would fit in with the Democrats in Congress who are eager to raise taxes, I'll stand firm on my conservative principles as I always have for Iowa families."

It's good to see some fight coming from Bill Dix's camp. Till now I think everyone wondered if they had any fight in them. Let's see if he can now fend off the onslaught that is sure to come from Mike Whalen.

1st Quarter Fundraising

2006-04-04T12:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's Des Moines Register ran a story on IA-01. The focus was on fundraising.

While most candidates were not inclined to divulge their figures, Bill Dix had no problem sharing that he was able to add another 120K to his growing warchest. Bruce Braley, the field's top fundraiser to date pulled in another 100K.

When the full disclosures come out mid-month, expect a full break-down here at Iowa's First.

Braley 10, Dickinson 1

2006-03-30T19:08:00.000-08:00

A week or so ago there was a flap in the Quad Cities Times when Rick Dickinson brought up a case his trial lawyer opponent took over a decade ago in which Braley represented a woman suing a labor union. Dickinson used this as a way to try to discredit Braley with the unions.

I said then (as did everyone else), and I say now, that this was a useless, poorly planned, and perhaps last-ditch effort by Dickinson. At the time though, a commenter asked me to do a post on just how wrong Dickinson was, pointing out that Braley got the Iowa Federation of Labor Endorsement, among others.

This commenter is right. A quick glance at the candidates' websites will show you that Bruce Braley has accumulated 10 labor endorsements compared to Dickinson's 1.

I'm not sure what gives Braley all this momentum among labor, but that coupled with Dickinson's inability to raise money last quarter (we'll soon see what this quarter brought in) has got to be killing the Dickinson campaign. My perspective on that primary, unlike the GOP primary, is that there is a clear favorite, and he is pulling away quickly.

INVASION!

2006-03-30T15:30:00.000-08:00

In treasonous acts across our great nation this week, traitors have begun flying the Mexican flag above our own stars and stripes.

Old Glory has been desecrated in Texas, Florida, and Oregon, as well as many other places.

One may say that people have the right to do what they want in their own homes; so be it. However, this act of war has been taking places at schools (at the encouragement of the Principal), entrances to housing developments, and even government agencies.

Some say that these folks are simply exercising their rights to display their heritage. To the contrary, this anti-Americanism is as blatantly illegal as the immigrants for whom these people are advocating.

United States Code, Title 36, Chapter 10: Â§175:

Position and manner of display:(c) No other flag or pennant should be placed above or, if on the same level, to the right of the flag of the United States of America, except during church services conducted by naval chaplains at sea, when the church pennant may be flown above the flag during church services for the personnel of the Navy. No person shall display the flag of the United Nations or any other national or international flag equal, above, or in a position of superior prominence or honor to, or in place of, the flag of the United States at any place within the United States or any Territory or possession thereof:

A flag is a symbol of a sovereign nation. A nation flies a flag to declare it's authority over all territory within it. This disloyalty should be treated as an invasion. How are we to pledge allegiance to our flag when it is submissively placed below that of another, or worse yet, completely banished from the pole on which it used to be flown with pride?

I realize this blog is about Iowa's First District, but immigration has been a hot topic in the GOP primary, and some have dismissed it as irrelevant to Iowa. If the Mexican flag is taking prominence in Oregon today, will it be in Iowa tomorrow?

Democrats, let me ask you this: Is illegal immigration still a "wedge issue" we shouldn't be talking about here in the 1st District? You say Republicans use it to rile their base, but the GOP can't even come together on this issue. I am an Iowan who wants answers, results, and patriotism, not partisanship.

UPDATE: Marshalltown, Iowa:

From the Des Moines Register 3/31/06:

The protesters carried signs and flagpoles with the Mexican flag flown above the United States flag. Walker said he didn't know what the signs said because they were in Spanish and he has no Spanish-speaking officers. He said Marshalltown citizens were upset by how the flags were flown.

Republicrat Whalen

2006-03-29T13:26:00.000-08:00

Quad Cities Backstage blog finally picked up (nearly a week late) my post about Whalen hosting Al Gore for lunch at the Iowa Machine Shed.

Liberal Lion asserts that I did no research in questioning Whalen's Republican credentials, and sites FEC contribution reports as my downfall.

I comented on that blog that there is no question that Whalen has supported Republicans along the way too, but that the underlying problem with his back and forth is that his GOP primary voters aren't sure they can trust him to always put their Republican values above his personal gains.

Here is what I commented to The Lion:

Scoop Iowa said...

Mike Whalen may be a Republican, but the question before GOP voters in the primary is, "How true is Mike Whalen to his Republican principles?"

The point of the post at Iowa's First was to raise this question. While Liberal Lion is correct that Whalen's contributions to Republicans far outnumber his donations to Dems, if you do an FEC search for the other two candidates in the primary (Bill Dix and Brian Kennedy) you will not find a single contribution to a Democrat. Not one...and Kennedy has made a lot of political contributions.

So, you have to ask yourself what motivated Whalen to donate to the Dems. The only logical conclusion in this case, just like in the cases where he hosted Gore and Edwards during their campaigns, is that it made good business sense. He put profits over his supposedly Republican principles.

The problem for Mike is that voters in a primary for either party want someone they know they can count on to represent them and their core beliefs. Primary voters don't want to elect someone like Duke Cunningham who puts their personal interests ahead of thier principles.

The word is out among real conservatives, and while Mike Whalen may be a Republican, they know he is not truly one of them.
7:33 AM

No doubt there are people out there with more complete knowledge of the Iowa's First District than me. Am I way off base here, or is Whalen losing ground because the word is out on his questionable practices for personal profits?

Finally Some Rough and Tumble for the Dems

2006-03-24T12:49:00.000-08:00

The Liberal Lion has a great post analyzing the consequences of this article from today's Quad Cities Times over on the Quad Cities Back Stage blog.

While LL offers critique into what this may mean for the Dem primary in IA-01, I just want to make my point that I am simply happy something is happening at all in that race. This blog has been completely dominated by Republican infighting until now, so to see some of their liberal counterparts going at it in the mainstream media is refreshing to me. Until today, all that's been covered by the accredited press on the Democratic side of the contest is the candidates' stances on snoozer issues like Medicare Part D.

Though I am glad some controversy is developing to give a little flavor to the race, I have to agree with Liberal Lion that Dickinson's technique here was a bit lacking. If the GOP bloggers on this site criticize the Brian Kennedy backers for being harsh on Whalen for donating to Democrats and hosting Al Gore at his restaurant, I think this attack by Dickinson could be seen in the same light. According to the article the case in question, in which trial lawyer Braley unsuccessfully represented a woman in a sexual harrassment suit against a labor union, took place 12 years ago in 1994. Dickinson posits that because he argued against the labor union in '94 on behalf of the woman, Braley is obviously not as pro-union as he would have the Democrats believe.

This seems like a bit of a reach to me. This case was twelve years ago and Braley was advocating for a woman which the article even graphically describes to have been harrassed. I don't think a logical connection can be made to say that because of this Braley was anti-union then, let alone now.

I hope the Dems keep going after each other to provide us with some liberal entertainment, but Rick, please pick your fights better. How long has your campaign been sitting on this information thinking that it is a goldmine, just waiting for the right moment to release it, when in reality it is nothing but a misguided stretching of illogical reasoning. As I see it, the only valid point to come out of this for the Dems to consider is discussed in the last paragraph of the Lion's post:

"In the event Dickinson wins, Dickinson will need the financial support of trial lawyers like Braley to take on whoever the Republican candidate is. Rather than taking on Braley's entire record, he is trying to narrow his attack to questioning Braley's commitment to unions. Republicans won't be as generous."

All Quiet on the Eastern Front

2006-03-24T12:02:00.000-08:00

As you may have noticed, the last week has been pretty quiet, for both Iowa’s First and the real newsmakers. It seems that not much activity has been taking place on the ground here in Eastern Iowa. While bloggers for the various campaigns have remained almost as active as usual, I have noticed that they are mostly just recycling previous comments, adding nothing new of any substance.

So, the question must be asked, where are our candidates? Let’s venture to guess. I’ll start with the Republican candidates first, because they are the ones usually in the news. If you have any thoughts on the Democrats, please leave a comment.

Bill Dix: Representative Dix has undoubtedly been spending his time in Des Moines representing the constituents of his legislative district. While he hasn’t made the news with any bogus bills lately, I’m sure he’s trying to do “whatever it takes” to keep on top of his game. Reportedly, he’s been keeping his handlers busy asking them “Hey guys, what do you think we should do today?” Lucky for them, it’s not pumpkin season.

Brian Kennedy: Lawyer/lobbyist Brian Kennedy will probably claim he’s been off “fact-finding” in the tundra of Alaska, looking to prove that there is in fact oil in ANWR suitable for drilling. While this fact is already obvious to the rest of us, just like his Texas border stunt, his opponents will dismiss his adventure as a vacation. Ironically, everybody involved will all be lying, because Kennedy is probably in DC making a living.

Mike Whalen: Illinois restaurant mogul Mike Whalen surely has been in non-stop meetings with a crack team of corporate/campaign lawyers trying to come up with a plausible excuse for his FEC violations so that he can stay out of prison, let alone win an election. Rumor has it that their solution is to run more commercials to boost his ego, then take a poll to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the illegal ads are indeed effective.

Those are my presumptions. Where do you think they have been hiding?

Comments of No Value Go Here Please

2006-03-17T21:41:00.000-08:00

First of all, let me say I post on what I read/see/hear in the news, on TV, on other blogs, or in comments. As I noted earlier, commenters have been feeding Scoop some stuff on Mike Whalen...see for yourself in posts below. If someone gives me a tip on Dix, I'd follow up. If someone gives me a tip on Kennedy, I'd follow up. If someone would give me a tip on any Democrat, I'd follow up. It is all part of being fair. I can't help it if I get more anti-Whalen tips than anything else. Apparently the guy has a past worth investigating. Get off my back.

Now, I have noticed on the blog a lot of comments that speak nothing to the issue at hand in my original post.

Examples would be the anonymous comments claiming that the person commenting before them has a preferance for a candidate, and therefor is a staffer of that candidate. I have seen people calling out both Kennedy and Dix supporters recently. This is pointless. There are actual Americans, unpaid by political campaigns that have opinions. Get over it.

Also in the "worthless" category are comments where the only thing achieved is petty name calling, i.e. "Brian Kennedy is an evil Washington lobbyist," or "Bill Dix is a dumb pumpkin farmer." Both widely known and undisputed facts. Stop being childish.

So, I say that from now on all rediculously stupid comments should be put in posts titled "Comments of No Value" which I will post occasionally.

Please keep comments in real posts issue-related.

Thank you,

Scoop

PS - You may notice a deleted comment by me in the post below...it was basically this, but I then decided it was important enough to garner it's own post.

Whalen Hosted Al Gore in 2000

2006-03-17T11:07:00.000-08:00

A reader has broken this story: Mike Whalen played host to Al Gore during his 2000 Presidention campaign.

On January 24, 2000, the Cedar Rapids Gazette reports:

From charging down a gantlet of glitter-painted pompom girls, to turning his fire on the Republicans, Gore was in general election spirits even before the final verdict of Iowa's Democratic caucuses.

"I'm a fighter," he said when asked Monday at lunch what sets him apart. "For 23 years I have been unafraid to take on special interests." Questioned by reporters as he ate at the Iowa Machine Shed diner in Davenport, Gore said his experience also was important.

On January 25, 2000, a Boston Globe correspondent covering the race reported:

Gore, whose campaign was widely portrayed as being in disarray just a few months ago, held a consistent lead in the polls during the last several weeks. But he headed into caucus day insisting he was taking nothing for granted.

''I'm not counting my chickens before they're hatched,'' he said yesterday morning in Davenport, where he shook hands with diners and ate fried chicken at the Iowa Machine Shed, a restaurant known for its pork.

Mike Whalen:

Donated to Dave Nagle
Donated to Iowa Democratic Party
Hosted Al Gore
WHAT'S NEXT???

CQ Politics.com: Braley Leads the Pack

2006-03-15T09:55:00.000-08:00

While the GOP candidates are fighting about immigration and gambling problems, Waterloo Democrat Bruce Braley is plowing ahead with a steady bid to win his Primary to make him the D's candidate in November.

Last night Congressional Quarterly's online outlet CQPolitics.com posted an article and interview with Braley. The issue front in the Dem primary is different from what we've seen in the papers for the GOP'ers. Braley has his focus on health care, and he and Rick Dickinson have been promoting countering plans to improve Medicare Part D.

The article notes that Braley leads all six candidates in the field in fundraising and cash on hand coming into 2006, and Braley does a great job of describing some of the differences between him and his opponents. He varies from Dickinson in his stance on lowering the cost of prescription drugs (Braley thinks we should import them from Canada while Dickinson writes off that notion). He is different from Bill Gluba in that Gluba is running as a pro-life Dem, while Braley says "I believe that Roe v. Wade is the law of the land, and that there are certain decisions that the government should not interfere with between a woman and her doctor."

CQ rates this as one of six US House districts with "no clear favorite".

How Much Does Mike Whalen Love Gambling?....A LOT

2006-03-13T13:08:00.000-08:00

So much so that he went to the Iowa Supreme Court three times in to try to collect on revenues he thought he was entitled to that were generated by a riverboat casino - the first in Davenport - in which he was part owner.

An astute reader dug up this information on Whalen's economic opportunity. I wonder how long it will be before we see one of these for FEC v. Whalen:

------------------------------------------

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF IOWA

No. 218 / 98-2070

Filed December 20, 2000

MICHAEL L. WHALEN,
Appellant,

vs.

JOHN E. CONNELLY, J. EDWARD CONNELLY ASSOCIATES, INC., Successor to DELLA III, INC., PRESIDENT CASINOS, INC., and PRC-IOWA, INC.,Appellees.

_________________________________________________

Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Scott County, James E. Kelley, Judge.

Appeal from order granting summary judgment on issue of conversion in favor of the defendants. Cross-appeal from order granting summary judgment on issue of malicious prosecution in favor of the plaintiff. REVERSED ON APPEAL AND REMANDED; AFFIRMED ON CROSS-APPEAL.

Mark McCormick of Belin Lamson McCormick Zumbach Flynn, P.L.C., Des Moines, and Martha L. Shaff and Jean Dickson Feeney of Betty, Neuman & McMahon, Davenport, for appellant.

R. Richard Bittner and Jeffrey S. Bittner of Carlin, Hellstrom & Bittner, Davenport, and Lawrence C. Friedman and Fernando Bermudez of Thompson Coburn L.L.P., St. Louis, Missouri, for appellees.

Considered en banc.

SNELL, Justice.

This is the third time these parties have been to the Iowa Supreme Court. This appeal involves enforcing the judgment from the first decision made by this court. Whalen v. Connelly, 545 N.W.2d 284 (Iowa 1996) (Whalen I). The judgment of the district court on the appeal is reversed. The judgment of the district court on the cross-appeal is affirmed.

I. Factual Background and Proceedings

Whalen I involved a dispute over how much Michael L. Whalen should be paid for his share of the riverboat gambling partnership with the defendants, collectively referred to as The Connelly Group, L.P. (TCG). Id. at 290Â92. The district court held in a declaratory judgment that Whalen was entitled only to what TCG had originally offered to tender to him in 1993Â$61,531.45 and 55,904 shares of stock. Id. at 292. Whalen appealed the judgment to our court arguing he was entitled to a more favorable buyout under the partnership agreement. We affirmed the declaratory judgment on March 20, 1996. Id. at 292, 296.

While the appeal was pending, Whalen sought the money and shares from TCG. In a letter of demand, Whalen informed TCG no appeal was pending. TCG knew this to be incorrect because it had already received notice of the appeal. TCG refused to surrender the money and stock because of the pendency of the appeal. WhalenÂs appeal to this court in Whalen I was unsuccessful. By the time WhalenÂs stock was delivered to him in May 1996, it had depreciated substantially. For this reason, Whalen filed the present and third appeal, which we will refer to as Whalen III, claiming a division of TCG illegally converted his property under the Iowa tender law, Iowa Code chapter 538, by keeping it until the appeal was resolved.

In the interest of providing a complete background we mention WhalenÂs second appeal briefly. Whalen v. Connelly, 593 N.W.2d 147 (Iowa 1999) (Whalen II). This was a derivative claim. Whalen was again unsuccessful. Whalen II has no relation to the present facts or suit.

Whalen III revolves around WhalenÂs assertion that John E. Connelly and J. Edward Connelly Associates, Incorporated (Connelly), a division of TCG, committed the tort of conversion by refusing to deliver the judicially determined buyout to Whalen pending his appeal in Whalen I. Connelly filed a counterclaim which charged Whalen with malicious prosecution for his suit in Whalen I. This appeal involves Whalen as the Appellant/Cross-Appellee and Connelly as the Appellee/Cross-Appellant.

-------------------------------------

Usually conservatives seem to oppose the spread of gambling, but not Mike Whalen...he started the spread of it here in Eastern Iowa. Then again, time and time again we see that Mike Whalen just isn't your usual conservative. How long are Republicans going to let this guy run under their banner?

Whalen Inflates Role at National Center for Policy Analysis, Caught in Catch-22

2006-03-10T11:24:00.000-08:00

Today's QC Times tells yet another tale of Mike Whalen's apparent confusion.

This article, titled "Ethanol Plans Stir Debate", gives us an insight into Mike Whalen's real role at the National Center for Policy Analysis.

As Whalen tours the District, he has been known to mention his position as Policy Chair at the Center.

Though the point of the article is that Kennedy thinks Whalen has flip-flopped his stance on ethanol (read the article, or Kennedy's press release if you care about this), the more interesting element brought to light is seen in this excerpt from Tibbetts' writing:

Sean Tuffnell, the center’s communications director, said its president and scholars determine policy direction, not the policy chair or board of directors. “That would not be something he had direct input on,” Tuffnell said. He said the board’s role is more a financial one.

While I find it interesting that Tuffnell claims the policy chair has no say in the direction of policy, the conclusion that must be drawn from this statement is that Whalen was given this title for some other reason, probably because he made a sizable donation. That is the board's role..."a financial one".

Whalen seems to be caught in a catch-22 here. Either he is now forced to quit exploiting and inflating his role at the Center, or he has to admit a drastic flip-flop on ethanol, and be seen as pandering to farmers though there would always be a suspicion he is not sincere in his comments to them.

Unfortunately, we have no clue as to what will happen, because Whalen's handlers declined to let him comment on the situation. Instead, spokesman Brian Dumas issued a response. This appears to be the trend when Whalen gets in a bind.

“Mike’s spent three decades working to promote Iowa agriculture,” Dumas said, referring to Whalen’s founding of Heart of America Restaurants & Inns. “While Brian’s been living in Tennessee and Washington, Mike’s been in Iowa.”

While I'm not sure how long Kennedy spent out-of-state, I don't for a second think it is right for Dumas to claim that Mike has spent decades promoting Iowa agriculture. Nobody will ever convince me that Whalen's decision to start a restaurant and hotel chain was done as a courtesy to struggling farmers. Whalen founded the Machine Shed and Heart of America for his own personal financial gain, just as any business owner or entrepeneur does. Anyone who believes otherwise is being played for a fool.

Whalen's My Favorite

2006-03-08T06:28:00.000-08:00

Krusty is an idiot. He's not even considering all the great attributes of Mike Whalen for the GOP nomination in his recent post where he declares his love for Bill Dix.

Here's why I like Mike Whalen:

Mike has a business. He has grown that business from a "failed 100 seat coffee shop". What a guy. He has now been so good at business that he's had to move his multi-state conglomerate's headquarters to Moline to avoid paying taxes in Iowa. Most criticize this move, but I think it's smart business. Now, since he's had a wonderful career in the private sector, it's only logical that he deserves to be our next Congressman.

I like Mike Whalen because he's not your run of the mill Republican. Nope. Mike Whalen offers something that no other GOP candidate in this race does, and that is donations to Democrats. This simply shows that Mike has been on every team, and that he now knows he wants to be a Republican. If you mix the fact that he's now Republican with the fact the he donated to such a liberal guy as Dave Nagle, and that he helped defeat George H.W. Bush, I think Whalen averages out to be a pretty good moderate, which is probably what this seat needs to win in November. He may say he doesn't remember the donations, but I know he's just finally the candidate in the Republican primary that's genius enough to know he doesn't want all those conservative votes out there that most others think they need to win.

I like Mike because he's chubby and jolly. Always excitable, and darn it, he's downright entertaining. All the joking and fidgeting will without a doubt make him a great Congressman.

Also, his arrogance is certainly paying off. Everyone who meets him knows that he is a great guy...If you don't already, he'll tell you. And, he's not in it for the money or the pension. Since he's such a good restaurantuer that he is destined to be a great Congressman, he has millions already.

That's the other thing I like about Mike. I know that if he wants to he can pretty much buy the seat. And, knowing about his arrogance and his oversized ego, I think he just might try to win at whatever the cost. Therefore, if I back Mike I think I might be backing a winner. I like that too.

And there's proof. If you didn't know he's winning, just ask him. He'll tell you. He'll show you his poll he paid for. I am right, just like Mike. Whalen '06!

Candidate Collage...

2006-03-06T07:28:00.000-08:00

...In the Quad Cities Times this weekend. This Article by Ed Tibbetts has news from all three Republican candidates.

Rightfully it should be Mike Whalen's article. The lead section is about his renewable fuel goals, which he calls "achievable", and most would call "silly". I'm glad he's out there talking about renewable fuels which benefit Iowa (this issue has not been mentioned lately, until now), but I wish he would give realistic goals, not just numbers that sound good while campaigning.

The entire second half of the article is given to the escalating brawl between Kennedy and Dix and the "who's tougher on immigration" contest. While I'm sure this bugs Whalen, since half of his story was stolen by these two jokers and their battle to see who's more exclusive, it brought up a few good points.

It seems that Dix's bill which he's so proud (you know, the one that will keep illegals from enjoying that proud moment when they first become homeowners, thus keeping them from coming here at all...because down in Mexico they know that in Iowa they might not get a loan), was substantially watered down in committee. Apparently, it no longer requires bankers to ascertain whether an applicant is here legally, thus defeating the whole purpose of the bill...or so says Kennedy.

Dix's campaign manager countered that it is simply "Washington double-talk" from Kennedy. This retort is nothing more than name-calling. However he does claim that the bill DOES require "banks to seek out an applicant's status and maintain those records".

So, apparently somebody here is lying. Kennedy says the bill doesn't demand proof of lawful entry into the country. The Dix camp says it does. Kennedy is a lawyer, well suited to read the law. Dix sponsored the bill. Both should be able to read the bill and clearly tell what it means. Therefore I don't think it is a mistake on someone's part here. Simply, someone is not telling the truth.

Krusty Nearly Outed by Own Haiku Kontest

2006-03-04T07:37:00.000-08:00

Krusty Konservative was nearly outed yesterday by a clever haiku artist.

The detective, who goes by "anonymous", caught Krusty in a klever web of 5 and 7 syllable phrases.

Using klue words like "dome" and "fire alarm" it was easy to decipher that the kapitol is where Krusty spends his days (as if anybody wasn't yet sure of that).

Though the true identity of Krusty Konservative has not yet been published (or Krusty was outed and deleted it before I spotted the posting), perhaps now his boss will understand his lackadaisical work ethic during the past week. Being in the House past 4:30 on a Friday is a rarity (probably trying to catch up on work time lost while blogging). I'm sure at that point it was not difficult to spot the mystery blogger.

While there are several humorous entries in the haiku dialogue that took place between Krusty and the detective, the contest dies off with an ominous threat to the Konservative blogger:

so close yet so far
no Kongress for this young staff
you are so busted

Will Krusty be forced to kome klean before his identity is divulged? Will we ever know who this lazy statehouse employee really is? Only time will tell.

Disappearance of the Democrats

2006-03-02T21:23:00.000-08:00

So there has obviously been a lot going on with the GOP this week. Has anyone heard even a peep out of the 1st District Democrats? Braley, Dickinson, Gluba...you guys still out there?

Bloggers for Hire?

2006-03-02T21:14:00.000-08:00

Apparently there is a conspiracy theory zooming through the blogosphere. A commenter to one of my recent posts today accused me of working for a campaign. "Anonymous" also called out another commenter, using nearly the exact same verbiage, on the Krusty Konservative blog.

See, Anon thinks politicians are now paying people to blog. I must say that if that is what campaigns of today have come to, simply paying people to fight with one another online all day, our political system is in much more trouble than anyone (yes even the Democrats) would have guessed.

Hey Anon the Accuser, who are YOU? My guess is that you are throwing stones in a glass house if the truth be told. Do us a favor, and quit assaulting bona fide bloggers with your insults...get a 'handle' so you can at least own up to your own comments.

Dix Takes Aim

2006-03-01T13:35:00.000-08:00

An interesting development was brought to my attention by a commenter to the post below.

At issue is a radio ad which begins airing today for the Kennedy campaign. The ad can be found on his website.

Despite Kennedy's tough stance on immigration, and his trip to the border last week to see first-hand the situation and show how serious he is about this issue, Dix thinks he has nothing to back up his tough-guy attitude.

Dix says in a release, “I’m proud to have a real record, not a campaign of empty rhetoric,” Dix said. “Brian Kennedy has never taken a vote as an elected official or written a bill or passed a law. Just this week I voted for legislation that will curb illegal immigration. I am proud to be the author of a tough bill to curb illegal immigration that is moving through the Iowa legislature.”

His campaign manager also calls Kennedy a "...Washington lobbyist playing Washington games."

In response to the Dix attack, Kennedy returned fire with a release of his own.

Kennedy calls Dix's immigration proposal goofy, saying, "For Bill Dix to suggest he has a record of doing something about illegal immigration is laughable. For ten years he has sat in the Iowa House and failed to lead on this issue. Now, three months before a congressional primary, he is pushing a goofy idea his political consultants suggested about illegal immigrants and home mortgages."

We'll see how this shapes up. Today has been a big day for the GOP attacking itself. Will Dix join Kennedy on the attack against Whalen? Will Whalen join Dix on the attack against Kennedy? Right now it looks like every man for themself!

UPDATE on Whalen's Political Confusion...

2006-03-01T07:07:00.000-08:00

...OR IS IT?

Today Ed Tibbetts reports for the Quad Cities Times on Republican candidate Mike Whalen's past donations to Democratic candidates and causes. The story first broke on Brian Kennedy's website where he posted in response to a question that Whalen donated to liberal Dave Nagle's 1992 campaign against Republican Jim Nussle. The following year, Whalen also made a contribution to the Democratic Party of Iowa. Both donations are documented and verifiable, with links from Kennedy's site for all to view.

In response to the news of his donations, Whalen says he doesn't remember doing it.

Apparently he is even more politically confused than I first thought.

Whalen: Republican or Democrat?

2006-02-28T19:48:00.000-08:00

A recent addition to Kennedy's Asked and Answered section of his website seems to be garnering much attention on a "Konservative" blog.

It seems that Republican (?) candidate Mike Whalen has been known to donate to Democrats in the past, has worked to see George Bush defeated, and may have even tried to run for Congress as a Democrat in the past!

It isn't often that you will see me take a harsh tone for or against a candidate, but COME ON! How can this guy expect to run for Congress (on either side) with such a "meandering" political tendency. Republicans are fired up for this race because they know that the Dems have a good chance to steal the seat. With this latest information on Whalen, coupled with his lenient stance on immigration, vague Contract for American jobs that is shorter than this post, and questionable stance on the life issue, how could any true conservative support this guy?

I think the GOP electorate is smart enough to realize that no matter how many times Whalen invokes Ronald Reagan in a speech or tries to emulate Newt Gingrich on paper, he is simply pandering to them by saying what he thinks they want to hear, not what he really believes in.

Knowing that he donated to get Jim Nussle defeated, while running as a Republican in the district currently held by Nussle will not play well.

Whalen has lost some respect as a candidate in my book. Not for actually donating to one party or another, but for simply being so arrogant as to believe that after he worked against the Republican Party as he has, that it would be acceptable to try to be their Representative. He simply thought nobody would find out. It has been said that he is known to play fast and loose in business and in politics...now I see what they mean.

New Polling Numbers

2006-02-22T20:17:00.000-08:00

Two candidates for Congress sited polling data this week to claim that they are leading in their respective primaries.

Bill Gluba announced on Monday that he is officially running for Congress. In this QC Times story titled "Gluba declares he’s front-runner", Gluba mentions a Zogby poll that shows him 19 points ahead of Democratic rivals Bruce Braley and Rick Dickinson.

In a similar fashion, Bettendorf Republican Mike Whalen released a poll this week which he himself commissioned that shows him 27 points or more ahead of his Republican rivals Brian Kennedy and Bill Dix.

I'm not sure if these numbers seem all too convincing. Gluba is clearly having trouble raising money for his Primary. And knowing that Whalen shelled out another $10,000 or more to get a poll showing he's in the lead as he's simultaneously running campaign ads on the radio to boost name ID somehow doesn't make me a believer either. I'm not commenting on whether either of these guys actually are leading their races...Mike Whalen for example, is undoubtedly better known than his opponents... just that their polls seem a little bogus to me.

Kennedy Visits Mexican Border

2006-02-22T19:03:00.000-08:00

"If a picture is supposed to be worth a thousand words . . . it is definitely true of this photo. Today, while surveying the Mexican border near Zapata, Texas, I witnessed this boat crossing the Rio Grande with not a single border patrol officer in site. Isn’t it time we Do Something about Illegal Immigration?" wrote Republican Brian Kennedy in his blog this week, accompanied by the photo to the right.

Kennedy has spent the last few days in Laredo, TX visiting America's border with Mexico.

While Mike Whalen criticizes Kennedy for taking a vacation and Democrat Rick Dickinson claims "We have enough division in this country" and declines to talk about immigration, Kennedy poked at Bill Dix, saying he should take some time to get out of the Statehouse. He added that “Iowans should share that outrage because it’s our national security and our economic security that’s being put in jeopardy as well,” he said. “I left with a better sense of the scale we’re looking at.”

Check out this article by Ed Tibbetts from the Quad City Times for the full story.

Outlook for the Governor's Mansion

2006-02-20T15:03:00.000-08:00

The race for Terrace Hill seems to be shaping up now, four months before the primaries. Last week you may recall that Democrat Chet Culver, your current Secretary of State, picked up the endorsement of now-running mate Patty Judge, who dropped out amidst fundraising troubles.

Today news sources are reporting that GOP Congressman Jim Nussle has beaten his Republican opponent Bob Vander Plaats a couple months earlier than Vander Plaats had hoped. Vander Plaats will now be Nussle's running mate.

While Democrats still have two heavy-weights pitted against each other (Culver/Judge and Mike Blouin) and a somewhat credible third candidate, Ed Fallon, in the race, the GOP is now without any primary competition in this year's largest race. Will this new endorsement help unify the Republican Party and lead to a victory in November, or will the Dems be able to mobilize their party throughout the primary and come together in June to rumble into the Governor's mansion on Election Day?

Dix on Immigration, Dickinson on Medicare

2006-02-16T19:18:00.000-08:00

Today Bill Dix released news of a part of his immigration plan. Dix has filed legislation in the Iowa statehouse which would require mortgage brokers and bankers who service home loans to refuse financing to a person who is not a citizen of the United States.

He also, like Republican opponent Brian Kennedy, calls for tougher employer sanctions for those employers who knowingly hire illegals.

With this new addition to the Dix immigration plan, Mike Whalen is the sole GOP candidate to reject the notion of stricter employer sanctions, opting instead for the implementation of a national ID card of sorts, that would allow employers to immediately determine if an applicant is legal or not (supposing the ID card never gets counterfeited as the current forms of documentation do).

Dix goes on to note that similar legislation was filed by Democrats in the Iowa Senate last week.

This is an interesting addition to the Democratic agenda, and a surprise here in Eastern Iowa, as Democratic Congressional candidate Rick Dickinson has been known to call illegal immigration a "wedge issue" and decline to discuss it.

What Dickinson has been discussing lately is Medicare Part D. He is on a tour of the mid-size towns along the HWY 20 corridor. Dickinson points out that seniors seem to be confused by the new system, and that our families deserve better. He puts health care reform at the top of his priority list if elected to Congress.

Dickinson will be making stops in Dyersville and Independence on Saturday to talk about Medicare Part D.

Week(s) in Review

2006-02-12T19:42:00.000-08:00

As I have been away, it seems that much is abrew in the 1st District. Here is a rundown:

As noted below, Mike Whalen announced a new "Contract for American Jobs". Whalen called for a flatter tax system, cuts in entitlement programs, and tax breaks to businesses and corporations. The article from the Times is posted on his website.

Also detailed a few posts down, Bill Dix called for less health care red tape. Article on his website as well.

Brian Kennedy tried something new to the District in his campaign. Last week he aired a live webcast. A recording can be found on his homepage.

Also, while scouring candidate websites I found that a few debates have been taking place around the District. All three Republican candidates also appeared side-by-side at a debate held in Manchester a couple weekends ago. Audio can be found on this page at Brian Kennedy's website. At a previous debate held about a week before that at Wartburg College candidates from both parties went at it...All but Mike Whalen that is. It was a three-on-two debate. The GOP seems to hold it's own, but the Dems get some good shots in as well. A recording can be found here.

On the left side of the race, Bruce Braley has been busy collecting Union endorsements. Visit his newspage to see everyone jumping on the Braley Bandwagon.

Rick Dickinson released that he announced his candidacy in January and has opened a new headquarters in Dubuque. You can find this release, and listen to audio from his announcement tour here on his website.

Bill Gluba released results from a poll purporting him to be in the lead in the Democratic Primary at the end of January. Unfortunately, his fundraising numbers came out three days later...look a few posts down for that. Since then he has challenged Congress to crack down on oil companies and sent out a newsletter asking constituents for ideas for a Democratic agenda.

Lost Post!

2006-02-12T19:28:00.000-08:00

I seem to have lost a previous post regarding the 1st District candidates 4th Quarter fundraising numbers from the FEC. It was up briefly a few weeks ago, and has since disappeared. Here is an incomplete version I had saved as a draft while I was working on it. Rather than re-write the entire piece, I will just post this since it is now old news. Also, let me apologize to the visitor who left a comment in the short time the post was on the site. In fairness, I have reposted that in the comments section.

-----------------------------

The previously written Draft:

I know I recently posted about my thoughts regarding handicapping frontrunners based solely on fundraising numbers, but the latest round of FEC reports are out, the newspapers are reporting it, and it seemst that Bruce Braley and Bill Dix are still in the lead within their parties.

Check out this AP article taken from the Waterloo Courier. It details that Braley, the top Democrat, has amassed over $289,000 in cash on hand at the end of 2005. Bill Dix also had a consistently strong 4th Quarter, bringing in over $112,000 to give him an account balance of almost $257,000.

Second in his party, Rick Dickinson seems to have had a tough 4th Quarter, bringing in a little over $25,000, which was barely enough to top Bill Gluba who had a $21,000 Quarter. Dickinson however, has substantially more cash on hand than Gluba, at $118,000 to $28,000, which is still substantially less than the previously mentioned Bruce Braley.

On the Republican side, Brian Kennedy came in second, with 4th Quarter receipts totalling about $150,000, giving him a year-end balance of $164,000. Mike Whalen came finishes out the GOP, raising only $54,000 in the 4th Quarter, with $84,000 in the bank.

----------------------------

Predictions, Anyone?

2006-01-31T09:16:00.000-08:00

I noticed this post during the weekend over at Quad Cities Back Stage.

Liberal Lion cites The Fix:

"2. Iowa's 1st District -- OPEN: All eyes in this race are on the June 6 primaries, the results of which should give us a better sense of where this contest is headed. On its face, the district should be a Democratic takeover -- John Kerry won it by seven points in 2004. Former Iowa Trial Lawyers Association head Bruce Braley (D) and state Rep. Bill Dix (R) seem like the frontrunners at the moment. Incumbent Rep. Jim Nussle (R) is running for governor. (Previous ranking: 2)"

The Lion then goes on to say:

I disagree with the notion that Bill Dix is the front runner for the GOP nod. He's raised the most money, but his GOP star power is dim. The fact that he isn't from Scott County might help him somewhat. While Kennedy and Whalin fight over the Scott County GOPers Dix can be out winning the rest of the district. Even if that is the case, its hard to see how he wins without strong support in our neck of the woods.

I agree with Liberal Lion. I concur that Dix is not the frontrunner. It seems that The Fix simply looked at the fundraising numbers and drew a conclusion based solely on that. I think anyone here would agree that the GOP race seemed wide open at the end of 2005. That said though, if the Dix strategy is to blow off Scott County and plan on winning the rest of the district, it seems risky. Scott is the biggest county in the district, and I sure don't get the impression that he is way ahead anywhere else.

On the Dem side of the race, LL said:

While I would personally like to see someone other than Braley on the ticket (do we really need another trial lawyer in the mold of Bob Rush?) he is looking mighty strong. He has a crack team. Jeff Link Braley's paid consultant. No one is better in Iowa than Link. It would be great to see Link and Grubbs square off. My money would be on Link. Throw in Tim Kaine's field director as campaign manager and Dickinson is going to have his hands full.

I don't know much about their consultants, but I have seen all the candidates. Bruce Braley certainly is formidable. Bill Gluba seems to be a bit off of center (to put it mildly). Rick Dickinson has an edge to him. I think that the money game is easy for Braley with his trial lawyer buddies, but Dickinson may be the one to watch for. Of course, none of them have received as much press as the GOP candidates, so it is hard to tell anything beyond the initial impressions and their websites.

A Busy Day for 1st District GOP Candidates

2006-01-31T07:41:00.000-08:00

Today's Quad Cities Times has two articles detailing proposals made by two Republican Candidates for the 1st District Congressional seat yesterday.

Bill Dix puts forth health care reform ideas HERE, while Mike Whalen held a press conference to unveil a much less substantive contract for American jobs, which can be found HERE.

Dix suggests that health care should be universal. “It is the responsibility of government to provide health care to those who cannot get it themselves,” Dix said. He also wants workers to be able to carry their health plan from one job to another, and to put an end to "frivolous lawsuits".

Covering Whalen, the Times reports: Calling it the “Contract for American Jobs,” Republican congressional candidate Mike Whalen outlined Monday a series of steps that he says are necessary to keep the country’s economy on track.

Unfortunately it seems after reading the article that Whalen's "series of steps" were little more than echoing the usual Republican rhetoric about permanent tax cuts. With a snazzy title like "Contract for American Jobs" I expected more hard-hitting reform proposals.

To my recollection, it is Bill Dix that has usually been the vague GOP candidate. Specifically on illegal immigration, he has vowed to do "whatever it takes" while Whalen and Brian Kennedy have put forth specific proposals for a national ID card and securing the border/employer sanctions, respectively. With this round of coverage though, I have to give the lead to Dix, as Whalen did little more than get his name in the paper (and his ads on the radio).

I noticed in the second article that Kennedy took another good shot at Whalen's proposals. I wonder what Kennedy will come out with next? We haven't heard from him on the topic of either health care or jobs. And, when will the Democratic candidates start putting forth some of their ideas?

Clinton Mayor Runs for State Senate; Clinton Resident gets Selfish

2006-01-23T17:10:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed last week that Clinton Mayor LaMetta Wynn declared her candidacy for a seat in the State Senate. She is trying to unseat incumbent Democrat Roger Stewart. Details of her announcement can be found in this article from the Clinton Hearld publisned last Friday. I have never met the woman, but it seems she is well liked, perfectly capable, and very ambitious about taking the seat.

That is why I was disturbed today to read this letter from a concerned citizen. First the writer sings her praises, then questions the Mayor's motives. I hate it when people do this. It reminds me of our recent past when Congressman Nussle said he would be leaving his seat in Congress to run for Governor. Even though no one dusputes Nussle would be a fully capable Governor, so many complain about his choice out of their own selfishness. Never mind that it is the candidates' lives that are effected by their own choices. Just as Jim Nussle does, Mayor Wynn understands the pros and cons of her contest if she is as wise and capable as the writer leads us to believe in the opening paragraphs.

Please let our good public servants make their own decisions...don't hold back good talent and ambition by expecting these people to remain in the same positions forever.

Candidiates getting equal time from the press, but are issues getting equal time from the candidates?

2006-01-22T16:13:00.000-08:00

So what issues are important to the voters of the 1st District? Well, according to two articles by Quad-City Times writer Ed Tibbets, Republicans and Democrats may not agree.

In an article a week ago regarding a forum for Republican candidates hosted by a Rotary club in Davenport, Tibbets says the GOP hopefuls debate on their differing opinions on the hot-topic issues of illegal immigration and the war. Brian Kennedy seems to have different views than the other two on both topics. "Still, Kennedy and Dix staked out separate spots with respect to the war in Iraq while Whalen and Kennedy were somewhat at odds on immigration," reports Tibbetts.

It seems that immigration has dominated the issue-front recently on the Republican side of the race. To my knowledge, it is the only issue which all three candidates have addressed with specific policy proposals (though Dix still seems a bit fuzzy on the actual specifics, he has at least addressed it).

The Democrats, however, seem relunctant to talk about illegal immigration as an issue important to the 1st District. In Saturday's edition of the Times, Tibbetts reported on a similar forum, again hosted by a local Rotary club, this time for the D's. The headline reads: "Democrats: Immigration proposals shouldn’t divide".

The second paragraph of the article reads, "Bruce Braley, Rick Dickinson and Bill Gluba all said that while the problem of illegal immigration must be confronted, they strongly warned against using the issue to create racial divisions." Perhaps it is my own ignorance toward the areas of the district I am unfamiliar with, but it seems to me that most of Iowa on the whole is fairly homogenous. I am not sure what "racial divisions" the Dems are concerned about.

The article goes on to say, "Dickinson, though, said there are other more important issues to the district than immigration. “Let’s have this race be about what’s important to the 1st District of Iowa,” he said."

Apparently the Democrats decided that the issues we should concern ourselves with are education, health care, economy, jobs, etc. Basically, the usual mantra.

Well, whatever the issue, come June the winners of each primary will begin debating each other. At that point, those competitors will need to have an answer for ALL issues. I am a 1st District voter, and illegal immigration is a concern to me. Democrats, I think you are wrong to blow this one off.

Inaugural Post

2006-01-20T20:43:00.000-08:00

As I try to keep up to date on the news of Eastern Iowa, I have noticed, as other bloggers have noted, that while the Quad Cities Area seems to be full of blogging activity, the rest of the region is largely void of good writing. There is plenty of talk of local politics and initiatives in the Quad Cities, so this blog will be dedicated to something bigger. Anything happening in Iowa's First Congressional District is welcome here. That covers anything from Parkersburg to Guttenburg, and Dubuque to Davenport. Anything local, regional, or statewide that has an impact in this area is news at Iowa's First.

I have noticed, however, that while local politics dominate the scene, news (and yes, gossip too) about the hotly contested Congressional seat is not well covered in the blogosphere (besides the decidedly anti-Dumas/Whalen conversations taking place at Quad Cities Backstage in the last few months, and even that seemed to have local flavor to it). Here is your new outlet! I will update as often as I am able as I scour for news and gossip from around the region. Feel free to post comments, but, as every blogger begs, PLEASE be respectful!

First, a quick rundown of the candidates:

Republican:

Mike Whalen: www.MikeWhalen.com

Owner of Heart of America, known largely for his Machine Shed restaurants, and recently their comercials of questionable legality. Currently residing in Bettendorf, Iowa, with business headquartered across the river in Moline, Mike's website still claims he's campaigning in October if you visit the "Events" link.

Brian Kennedy: www.BrianKennedy.com

An attorney from Bettendorf, Kennedy has a very detailed website, where we see that he too is in fact a blogger. Clever for an Iowa politician. Word has it that this former state Party Chairman was spending his days in Washington until recently when he decided to run for Congress, though his Iowa qualifications are plentiful. Visit his website and you'll find that he has plenty to say about the issues, as well as audio links to recent debates, though he seems to be trailing the other R's in the money game.

Bill Dix: www.BillDix.com

A state legislator from little-known Shell Rock, Iowa, Bill Dix has not been seen as much in the news as Kennedy and Whalen in the southern part of the District. A farmer by trade, Dix has been in the Iowa House for about 10 years now, and until he resigned this year, was the Appropriations Chairman there. Though claiming to be a fiscal conservative, if I'm not mistaken it was reported this summer that state spending jumped something like 7% on his watch last year.

Democrats:

Bill Gluba: www.GlubaforCongress.com

Relying on name recognition from past failed races for the same seat, word has it that fundraising has been slow for Gluba this time around. He is, however, barnstorming the internet, as he seems to send out email newsletters continuously.

Rick Dickinson: www.RickDickinson.org

A resident of Jackson County, Dickinson hangs his hat on his accomplishments as Director of the Greater Dubuque Development Corporation. He is a past state legislator, who recently stepped down from his post in Dubuque to campaign full-time.

Bruce Braley: www.BruceBraley.com

Mr. Braley is a trial lawyer from Waterloo. A typical Democrat, taking a few shots at President Bush on his website, Braley is having no trouble raising money. At the end of the 3rd Quarter of 2005, I believe he was leading the pack of six candidates in this race.