Mumps and Republicans: two things the state of Iowa doesn’t need

It seems these days that as candidates begin to gear up for 2008, Iowa becomes a revolving door for those with aspirations of presidential glory. To wit, just today our fine state was graced with the presence of none other than Bill Frist, everyone’s favorite ultra-conversative surgeon and part-time senate majority leader. Apparently, Frist is in town to tout health care legislature to be proposed in Congress, which though it isn’t “the complete answer,” will “shrink the number of uninsured Americans.” One might surmise that when a medically trained doctor attains the leadership of the senate, we might see more aggressive health care legislation, but it seems Dr. Frist is more preoccupied with pandering to the religious right.

In keeping with Iowa’s status as a revolving door for 2008 candidates, the Washington Post reports that in a week none other than Rudy Giuliani will be in Iowa raising money for republican gubernatorial candidate, Jim Nussle. Does this mean Rudy has a huge affinity for Nussle and just wants to see a local boy do good, or does Rudy have machinations on sitting pretty in the oval office one day soon? Giuliani recently went through Pennsylvania and raised money for Rick Santorum, and given Santorum’s sparkling personality and credentials, one might postulate that the only reason for Giuliani’s visits is to broaden his visibility nation-wide? Rudy in ‘08? We shall see.

Next, on this page on The Post’s website, called The Fix, one can find blog style entries about national politics. Of interest is that Friday’s entry handicaps Iowa as the number 3 most contested gubernatorial election happening in ‘06. Also of interest is the fact that while the blurb on Iowa mentions that Ed Fallon is polling equal to Mike Blouin with a laughable fraction of the money, Fallon has no candidate profile on the Post’s page regarding Iowa.

A couple more things of note. Today Jim Nussle proposed an energy bill in congress featuring a mandate to increase renewable energy. This sure seems like convenient timing after virtually every democratic candidate Nussle is likely to face in November has already come out strongly for renewable energy. As well, this bill doesn’t cover renewable energy for electricity, but only renewable energy as a gasoline replacement. Iowa has the ability to be energy independent, and it’s perhaps time to realize that ethanol85 may not be the answer. Nussle is trying to turn E85 into what amounts to a hotbutton issue for Iowa, not recognizing the fact that E85 is still dependent upon gasoline, and that Iowans are abroad and dying in a misguided war to secure the future of our gasoline-dependent state. Renewable for Iowa does not mean just ethanol, and this legislation is a smoke-screen to get Iowans to think that Nussle is an energy responsible candidate.

In local legislature, the budget talks remain deadlocked, the contentious issues being pay raises for teaches (how in anyone’s right mind can they oppose this?) and tax cuts for seniors.

Finally: All Iowans between 18 and 22 are now eligible for Mumps vaccinations, regardless of whether they are enrolled in college. If you don’t have it, I’d recommend looking into getting vaccinated.

1 comment April 24th, 2006

Republican ‘Coup’

Mary Lundby became one of the most powerful Republicans in Iowa yesterday, as Yepsen babbles. Republicans want us to think that this means they’re “not your father’s Oldsmobile anymore.” I never thought that to begin with; but still, this isn’t going to change my mind about them. If Yepsen is to be believed, we do have something to look forward to:

This is no guarantee of GOP success in November. While replacing a floor leader in the midst of a session is a big deal in the political community, it’s doubtful anyone about to vote for a Democrat in an Iowa Senate race this November will change their minds as a result of Lundby’s coup.

And if you think she’s going to be better at campaigning around the state, think about it: this is seen as a coup precisely because of how different she — a city slicker — is compared to the typical Iowa Republican model of rural conservatism. She’s going to get to the one restaurant in Barnes City (it’s across from the grain elevator, if you want to go) and balk. Republicans are trying to cast her as a McCain. Making this woman their mouthpiece for the elections won’t necessarily make their powerful grassroots base (i.e. religious conservatives) happy.

Update: LyingAroundIowa reports that there has already been a staff resignation in connection with this (and that there will be more).  Although they also erroneously claimed that Iverson was going to quit the legislature completely, and they are sometimes narrowminded.

2 comments April 12th, 2006

Update: Touchplay

Looks like the Senate voted to ban Touchplay, with a 45 day grace period for the removal of the machines.

The Register quotes Republican Larry McKibben sounding strangely (albeit over the top) Democratic:

McKibben called the gambling “the worst form of child abuse” because people who could least afford it were feeding money into the machines.

Rather than economic development, “this is simply a transfer of money from one pocket to another — money that won’t be spent on food, gas, clothing and other consumer goods that help to drive our economy,” he said.

Add comment March 14th, 2006