News Roundup

Mike Gronstal and Mary Lundby are calling for a vote on anti-bullying legislation to protect gay students. Pat Murphy spoke to this issue when he came to our Campus Dems meeting last week, and Advocate.com notes the same pesky roadblock to which he alluded: Chris Rants. What does Rants find wrong with protecting GLBT students from verbal and physical harassment in school, you might ask? Here’s a charming quote: “We need to protect fat kids, kids with glasses, kids who are too smart, kids who aren’t too smart…. Schools should be a safe place regardless of whatever sets you apart.”

New York Governor George Pataki is opening an office in Des Moines this week, making him the first presidential hopeful to do so. New York Public Radio even calls it a “campaign office,” and doesn’t mention Freedom PAC, to whom the headquarters technically belongs.

The Register leads with both Culver and Nussle encountering a skeptical crowd at a VFW meeting Saturday, but based on the article, it sounds like Nussle had a harder time of it. Culver was asked where he would get the money to fund his proposals to help veterans, and responded with concrete plans to streamline the state budget and utilize the tax surplus. Nussle, on the other hand, was confronted with his anti-veteran congressional voting record, and replied, “My grandmother always taught me growing up that actions speak louder than words. Every opportunity I’ve had, when I’ve been chairman, I’ve increased the budget over what the president, over what the budget … recommended.” I’ll let you insert something snarky of your own here.

A new Register poll shows Hillary Clinton losing Iowa to four Republican potentials. It also finds that 57% of respondents think it is a bad idea for Vilsack to run for president.

Oh, and CIETC is thinking of changing its name.

Add comment September 25th, 2006

Five Days to Go

Fallon is in Marshalltown today, campaigning there for the last time before the election.  He commented on his opponents’ endorsements saying,

My campaign has never been about media endorsements,” he said. “Even though I don’t have many endorsements from the labor unions, but many rank-and-file members supporting me.

It’s sort of funny that that’s the first quote in the Times-Republican article, since Fallon received his first batch of legislative endorsements yesterday.   

Reflecting on the campaign at this point, Fallon said “I can’t say I’m going to win, but I’m confident it will be competitive.” On his supporters, he added, “I’m giving them a reason to vote,” he said. “I feel a lot of people have lost hope in the political process. I’m giving them a reason to hope.”

If the Fallon campaign has toyed with the idea of endorsing Blouin, I would imagine that sort of quote indicates where Fallon stands.  (Just speculation.) 

On an unrelated note, George Pataki visited Iowa yesterday and agreed to hold a fundraiser for Jeff Lamberti in New York next month.  Here’s where the Boswell-Lamberti thermometer stands as of May 17. (Boxer money yet to come.)

2 comments June 1st, 2006