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Tom Vilsack raised 1.1 million dollars in the last quarter of 2006 (and spent nearly $750,000 of it). Where did the money come from? Iowa Progress examined his campaign finance report and has the answers.
Vilsack received donations from five members of the state legislature. House Speaker Pro Tem Polly Bukta contributed $500 as did State Senators Mike Connolly,Tom Rielly and Roger Stewart. State Senate President Jack Kibbie donated $1050. Vilsack also received a $2100 contribution from his Lieutenant Governor and former IDP Chair, Sally Pedersen. Retired Iowa politicians also gave to Vilsack. David Osterberg, a former state representative and Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in 1998, donated $250, Patrick Deluhery, a former state senator and 2002 Democratic nominee for state auditor contributed $1050, Paul Johnson, the 2004 Democratic nominee for U.S. House donated $2100 and Bill Gannon, former Democratic Minority Leader in the IA House and unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for Governor in 1970, donated $500. In addition, Dave Neil, former President of UAW’s State CAP, gave $2100 to Vilsack.
Vilsack also received money from national players in Democratic politics. Vernon Jordan contributed $2000. James Johnson, former Chair of Fannie Mae and Walter Mondale’s campaign manager donated $2100 as did Lou Susman, one of John Kerry’s top fundraisers in 2004. Gary Hirschberg, another major Democratic donor who is the CEO of Stoneyfield Farms yogurt company and a possible Democratic candidate for Senate from New Hampshire, gave $2100 as well. The campaign also received $2100 from the second richest man in the world, Warren Buffett. In addition, Vilsack also received a $250 donation from Kyle DeBeer, executive director of the Wyoming Democratic Party, which means Vilsack is sure to have an advantage in Wyoming’s primary.
Finally, Vilsack cleaned up among the Des Moines’s elite. Jerry Crawford, former State Chair for John Kerry, contributed $2100 as did former IDP chair Gordon Fischer. Vilsack also received $2100 contributions from other wealthy Des Moines residents like John Pappajohn and Dwayne McAnnich. However, Vilsack was most successful raising money from the Knapp family. In the last quarter, Tom Vilsack raised $18,900 from people with the last name Knapp.
The question is where will the rest of Vilsack’s money come from? Judging by his fundraising report, he raised all of his easy dollars in the last quarter. Now his dilemma is how he will raise enough money to remain viable for the next year. After all, it doesn’t matter if you’re rock solid if you’re flat broke.
February 1st, 2007
Sorry again for the collective hiatus from here, but we’re working hard to keep our coverage up during this recovery week after the end of school. In particular, we hope to have some coverage of Governor Vilsack’s (generally unpopular) commencement address at Grinnell earlier this week, in which he reportedly spent most of his time on US Foreign Policy.
But before we hop back on the train, it’s worth noting that Jim Nussle has redesigned his web site and general online presence — probably with the help of some very expensive (out-of-state) consultants. I’m comfortable admitting that his site is, with a few flaws, the best-looking of the gubernatorial candidates (and he’s using his email list more than the other candidates are), but that doesn’t mean he actually knows anything about the internet himself.
In addition, the top story on his site repeats what seems to be his new talking point, about “Iowa’s Energy Stool.” It’s actually a Cedar Rapids Gazette article, but Nussle is really using the stool “metaphor.” Further reinforcing the idea that Nussle talks talks out of his ass?
And, in light of this news story, here’s a photo the Nussle campaign might wish wasn’t on the Nussle family web site.
May 25th, 2006
Nussle is often mentioned in the context of large sums of money, but this time we’re not talking about the unprecedented national deficit. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reported today that Nussle has made the first TV ad buy of the 2006 gubernatorial election:
The 30-second ads tout his agenda and his role as chairman of the House Budget Committee. The commercials, scheduled to begin airing this weekend, will try to show Nussle as “a leader in the fight to control spending and clean up the House Ethics scandal.”
Campaign aides said the commercials will run on both cable and broadcast stations statewide. The cost of the ads is $500,000.
Well, that’s an interesting angle for these ads to play. Maybe Nussle’s staff is making these claims about Nussle’s supposed success in controlling spending (something he has actually failed miserably at) on TV at a time when they know that (1) Democrats are too focused on each other to put many resources towards fighting this and (2) the Democratic candidates just can’t afford this widespread a TV buy this early in the year. We need to make sure this story doesn’t go away, so here are the facts:
Before Nussle (according to the CBO in 2000): $236 Billion Surplus
After Nussle (according to the CBO in 2004): $412 Billion Deficit
It’s that simple. Nussle sucked at managing the budget.
April 21st, 2006
AP reports that Iowa’s casino industry is booming, and the figures they offer are pretty astounding. Over $740 million is being invested in casinos in Iowa right now:
Iowa’s casino industry is in the midst of a multi-million dollar expansion boom. Four new riverboat casinos will open in the next 14 months, while ten existing casinos are adding more space. The total is about $742 million.
About 18 million people visit Iowa’s existing riverboat and racetrack casinos each year, leaving behind more than one billion dollars. The new casinos are expected to generate an additional $200 million a year in gambling revenue.
And then there’s TouchPlay, that political football that has gotten more attention than really anything else in the Iowa media (check today’s Des Moines Register for a decent summary of the issue up to now). Political Forecast quotes the Cedar Rapids Gazette:
Blouin said that although he wished the games hadn’t been installed in about 2,900 Iowa businesses, “”it’s kind of hard to pull the plug.”
Culver urged the Legislature to move quickly to enact the safeguards recommended by Vilsack’s TouchPlay task force. He’s concerned that banning the games would negatively affect small businesses that have invested in the machines.
Nussle, who participated through a previously videotaped interview, has said he prefers the machines be banned.
Fallon said he would vote to ban the machines when the Iowa House debates the issue Tuesday.
March 13th, 2006
