Long Time No See

The next couple of days are particularly packed with visits from presidential hopefuls, including Bayh, Vilsack, Edwards, and Warner.  Kerry is also dropping by at the end of the month.  Now for a mere $50,000 (a discount) the candidates can purchase access to the VAN, the Iowa Democratic Party’s voter database.  Though the Register points out that this fee comes with the added bonus of endearing oneself to the party, for $45,000 I bet I could find a password lying around somewhere.

Grinnell isn’t getting the rainforest museum.  Poweshiek Iowa Development executive director Bill Menner said “We did not think we could reach the ($25 million) threshold in a timely manner, We just decided that rather than belabor things, we’d allow them to make a quick decision.”  I was so looking forward to having the world’s largest indoor rainforest down the block (courtesy of Ted Townsend and a cool 50 million federal tax dollas- see Citizens Against Government Waste), but now I guess we’ll have to drive to Pella, Tiffen, or Riverside to see some monkeys.  There will be monkeys, right?   

Add comment July 6th, 2006

Vilsack in DC

Despite his claim to be focused on his duties as governor, the Register reports that Vilsack travelled to DC this week to court a union conference. Jane Norman writes that Vilsack’s overtures are important to any future presidential bid:

[Vilsack’s] relations with some Iowa trade unions have at times been strained. Vilsack has been the target of criticism by labor groups because of pro-business legislation he has signed in order to compromise with Statehouse Republicans.

During his I’m-not-running-for-anything-I’m-just-here-to-chat speech he also uttered the words Democratic hopefuls are starting to rally around:

The strongest applause came when he called for less reliance on foreign oil and vowed that “we should never, ever send any young man or woman anywhere in the world to defend our oil supply.”

You just keep telling yourself we believe you haven’t thought about it, Tom.

3 comments April 4th, 2006