Vice President Joe Biden assured Iowans Saturday the nation’s battered economy was slowly turning the corner, and urged Democrats to keep faith amid declining approval in the state for President Barack Obama.
“He has the mind of a president who will take this country to the next level, and he has [...]
DES MOINES – Vice President Joe Biden took on critics of the Obama administration in a forceful speech to Democratic activists in Des Moines Saturday.
Appearing at a fundraising dinner for Iowa Democratic Party, Biden pointed to the economic challenges he and President Obama faced when they were sworn into [...]
Vice President Joe Biden took the offensive in defending the administration’s record, at a time when the Iowa Poll and other polls around the country show President Barack Obama’s job approval slipping.
He listed a number of accomplishments that appeal to various Democratic constituences, such as passage of a bill intended [...]
Vice President Joe Biden reminded an audience of Iowa Democrats tonight that change is not easy.
He said that President Barack Obama and he took office at a time when hundreds of thousands of Americans were losing their jobs and record numbers of homes were in foreclosure. Retirement savings were vanishing.
Beyond [...]
Vice President Joe Biden greeted Iowans at 8:21 p.m. with his familiar “folks” and thanked the crowd for pushing Barack Obama and Biden to the White House.
Of course, Iowans pushed Obama a bit harder than they pushed Biden, he acknowledged. Obama won the caucuses, but Biden came in fifth and [...]
The U.S. Senate tonight confirmed the nominations of Iowa’s two U.S. attorney nominees, Stephanie Rose for Iowa’s northern district in Cedar Rapids, and Nick Klinefeldt for Iowa’s southern district in Des Moines.
Below is the statement of Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, who recommended their nominations.
HARKIN CONGRATULATES IOWA’S NEWLY CONFIRMED U.S. ATTORNEYS [...]
U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin addressed the Hy-Vee Hall crowd via video, saying he expected Gov. Chet Culver to win re-election and praising congressional Democrats’ work on health-care reform.
He remained in Washington for a key procedural vote to move a health-care reform bill forward in the Senate. After he spoke, Iowa [...]
Democratic leaders in the Iowa Legislature, before competing in a pass-the-hat fundraiser at the Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner in Des Moines, jokingly lobbed insults at each other.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy to Iowa Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal: “What’s the difference between God and a state senator?” the Des Moines lawmaker [...]
Gov. Chet Culver spent the first part of his speech on thank yous and federal-level issues, noting that Congress nears passage of historic health-care reform.
But he soon turned to a list of accomplishments in Iowa: Expanding health care for children, lifting a ban on stem-cell research and helping veterans go [...]
Iowa Gov. Chet Culver took the stage at HyVee Hall to the Rolling Stones’ classic “Start Me Up.”
Here’s the list of tunes played for some of the other speakers as they approached the podium at the state Democratic Party’s Jefferson Jackson Day dinner in Des Moines.
Iowa Democratic Party Chairman, Michael [...]
Lt. Gov. Patty Judge repeatedly poked fun at former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, who is touring in support of her new book, “Going Rogue.”
Tongue in cheek, Judge said she plans to write a book, too, titled,”Going to Des Moines,” full of good stories that are actually true, she [...]
Democrats laughed nervously at the Iowa Democratic Party’s Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner in Des Moines tonight as periodic crashes of dishes hitting the cement floor interrupted the program.
At one point, a tray of dishes — packed with grilled pork, chicken, vegetables and potatoes — hit the floor, prompting Iowa Democratic Party [...]
U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell recalled a meeting in February with President Barack Obama in which he said he would no longer kick problems down the road.
So the president and Congress will not kick issues like health-care reform and energy policy down the road any longer, Boswell said.
The decorated Vietnam veteran [...]
Rep. Bruce Braley told the crowd it’s not the time for Iowa Democrats to be walking around and looking glum.
He recalled that when he first ran for office, in 2006, Democrats trailed Republicans in voter registrations. Now, Democrats far outnumber Republicans in registrations.
He also made mention of a favorite theme [...]
Michael Kiernan, chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party, just introduced the Democrats who lead the Iowa House and Senate, statewide elected officials such as Attorney General Tom Miller, U.S. House members and Gov. Chet Culver.
Most, including Culver, are running for election in 2010. When the introductions culminated with Culver’s welcome [...]
The first in a long line of speakers at the Iowa Democratic Party’s 2009 Jefferson-Jackson Dinner will soon take the stage at Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines.
At this point, attendees are still milling about, and organizers are urging those in attendance to take their seats. Speakers include U.S. Reps. Bruce [...]
Des Moines trial lawyer Roxanne Conlin portrayed Republican Sen. Charles Grassley this evening as beholden to special interests and appealed to a crowd of about 200 party activists to lend their time and dollars to her campaign to oust him.
She noted that Grassley, a five-term senator, has served in public [...]
Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley opposed the procedural measure in the Senate to allow a health care proposal to advance, although the position mattered little in light of majority Democrats’ unified stance.
Grassley, a senior Republican and ranking member of the finance committee, said he opposed the Senate bill that combines his [...]
Congressman Steve King Friday said terrorists would get a foothold in the U.S. if Sept. 11 suspects or suspected terrorists being held at Guantanamo Bay Cuba were tried in the United States, as Attorney General Eric Holder has signaled.
Here is the key passage from the Iowa Republican’s comments during a [...]
ABC’s “This Week” — Sens. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and Ben Nelson, D-Neb.; Reps. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla.
CBS’ “Face the Nation” — Sens. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
NBC’s “Meet the Press” — Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, and Joe [...]
Instead of just telling Iowans not to shake a baby in frustration over the infant’s crying, child abuse experts are now stressing that crying is normal.
When babies are born in the metro area, parents will soon get an instruction booklet and a video that explains that healthy babies can cry [...]
Iowa taxpayers are still bailing out Postville...again. Chris Rants and Jonathan Narcisse mix it up on some Iowa issues. Open line Friday
[...]
Gitmo prisoners headed to a prison on the edge of Iowa. Good idea? "Who Turned Out the Lights?" Jean Johnson with guided tour of our energy future. Congressman Tom Latham has a law to prevent the incarceration of Gitmo terrorists in the Midwest.
[...]Gov. Chet Culver ordered a review Thursday of the state’s tax credits in the wake of Iowa’s film fiasco, a dire budget forecast and an explosion in the cost of tax breaks.
The credits are projected this fiscal year to cost the state $489 million in refunds or uncollected taxes, which [...]
Gov. Chet Culver said today that Iowa will go after up to $175 million in federal money for schools, but there are strings attached: Schools in Iowa must change.
“One thing is for certain: Iowa’s school system will not look the same a year from now as it does today,” Culver [...]
Former Gov. Terry Branstad said Iowa voters’ early preference of him over Gov. Chet Culver is helping his fundraising as the longtime Republican governor begins cranking up his campaign operation.
“It doesn’t hurt,” Branstad said today in his first Des Moines Register interview since forming a campaign organization to seek the [...]
Timothy Egan recalls "The Big Burn"...the largest forest fire in history. How Markets Fail...John Cassidy. How Iowa can pay its bills...Ed Failor from Iowans for Tax Relief with practical solutions. Banning Everclear?
[...]
TCR - You have to check out this video of Jonathan Swenson getting his head shaved so he can play Daddy Warbucks in Annie. Then check out Annie this weekend!Iowa’s low-income families pay a higher percent of their incomes in taxes than the state’s rich residents, a report released today shows.
“No one would ever design an income tax with lower tax rates for the best-off taxpayers,” said Matthew Gardner, the lead author of the report and the executive director [...]
Veteran Democratic operative Mark Daley will manage Roxanne Conlin’s U.S. Senate campaign, Daley told The Des Moines Register today.
Daley, an Urbandale political consultant since 2004, had been helping Conlin, a Des Moines lawyer and former nominee for governor, get her bid for the Senate underway.
Daley, 32, is a former congressional [...]
Former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad is firing up the campaign car and heading out to meet with Republican and civic groups in the coming weeks.
The onetime four-term governor now exploring a 2010 bid has announced a string of public appearances, as he begins to meet with Iowans around the state.
Branstad [...]
Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley said today Iowans would be afraid to have terrorism suspects housed in a federal prison in Illinois across the Mississippie River from Clinton, Iowa.
“I oppose them even coming to the United States,” the Iowa Republican said during a conference call with Iowa reporters.
Grassley opposes closing the [...]
Andrew Chavez will be liveblogging my seminar on the Complete Community connection today at Texas Christian University, my alma mater. Follow along if you’re interested. Or check out the slides. [...] 
ITAC - The Iowa Theatre Artists Company opens their first holiday production in their new Amana home (the former Barn Restaurant) on Thursday, November 19. This original play with music written by Tom Johnson and the ITAC Ensemble will have a three week run over a [...] Dozens of state troopers or gaming enforcement offices would be kept on the state’s payrolls, according to a tentative agreement with Gov. Chet Culver.
In exchange, about 640 members of the State Police Officers Council would be required to take five unpaid days for the remaining seven months of the fiscal [...]
Jeri Corsi talks about the dollar, about the economy and "America For Sale". Joe Volk is a Quaker peace organizer...give peace a chance. Then, if I had a hammer...will I soon need a license?
[...]Pictures of the triathlon that Gov. Chet Culver participated in last weekend have been posted online.
While the pictures do not include detailed descriptions, it appears that Culver wore a yellow cap while swimming. In another picture, he’s standing shirtless before the bike portion.
Culver completed the Boy Ranch Triathlon in Florida [...]
Forget furloughs and pay cuts. The best way to save taxpayer money at the three state-run universities is to merge them, according to Ed Failor Jr., president of Iowans for Tax Relief.
Failor suggests one public university system, like Wisconsin has. Fewer presidents, fewer vice presidents and a “simpler less complicated [...]
"We're" [...]
Former U.S. Rep. Dick Gephardt is coming back to Iowa Friday to make a policy announcement about medical research, event planners said.
Gephardt plans to hold an 11:30 a.m. press conference at the Pappajohn Higher Education Center in Des Moines, as part of the longtime former Missouri congressman’s role with the [...]
Staff in the state auditor’s office must each take six furlough days to meet a 10 percent across-the-board cut ordered by Iowa Gov. Chet Culver.
Auditor David Vaudt told staff that starting in January, each employee will be required to take one day of furlough per month for the remainder of [...]
The results are in on Iowa Gov. Chet Culver’s first triathlon: 3:03:27 for an “intermediate distance” triathlon. According to a Des Moines Register analysis, his swim time was very good, his bike time wasn’t bad, and his run time was, frankly, somewhat turtle-like.
But he had a great [...]
About 55 state employees who are members of the Iowa United Professionals will be laid off because leaders of the labor union chose not to accept cuts in pay or benefits.
“We are disappointed that the union chose not to work with us and help save these jobs,” Erin Seidler, a [...]
Four of Iowa’s top political leaders will battle to win a “supermarket sweep” contest Wednesday.
Teams will be asked to fill their cars with food from Walmart in five minutes. All the food in the cars will be donated to the Food Bank of Iowa Teams will also receive a donation [...]
Steve Kirby is the Iowa Chapter President of ACT...warns of the influence of radical Islam in Iowa. Earl Taylor and Jim Carley with Save Our American Republic...an upcoming "Making of America" seminar on the Constitution. jcarley104@msn.com or 515-423-4131. Congressman Steve King defends a controversial assessment [...]
The Democratic National Committee announced today it will begin airing radio advertisements criticizing 32 Republicans in the U.S. House for voting against health care legislation this month, and Iowa’s Tom Latham is on the list.
Latham, an eight-term member from Ames, voted against the bill on Nov. 7 because, he said, [...]
Democrat Ed O’Neill of Clinton, an economic development leader and community volunteer, intends to run for the Iowa Senate.
O’Neill hopes to replace Sen. Roger Stewart, D-Preston, who decided last week not to pursue re-election in District 13 in November 2010.
The district covers all of' [...]
Iowa utility companies should install more solar electric generating systems and create new jobs here, a state senator says.
Sen. Rob Hogg, D-Cedar Rapids, set a goal: install at least 7,000 kilowatts of solar electric generating systems over the next five years.
The Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center in Hiawatha is getting 17 [...]
Former Gov. Terry Branstad named former state Rep. Carmine Boal state chairwoman today, the Republican exploring a 2010 campaign announced.
Boal, an Ankeny Republican, served in the Iowa House from 1999 to 2007, and was ranking member of the state government committee.
Her role with Branstad will be to organize the state’s [...]
Iowa Governor Chet Culver has been falling and he can't get up. At least not yet. Culver's popularity, according to the Des Moines Register Iowa Poll ,has dropped 20 points during the year and 10 points just since September. It's doubtful the budget mess or filmgate has' [...]
Guest lineup for the Sunday TV news shows:
ABC’s “This Week” — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton; former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
CBS’ “Face the Nation” — Rep. Peter Hoekstra, R-Mich.; Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.
NBC’s “Meet the Press” — Clinton; Education Secretary Arne Duncan; former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga.; [...]
Emily Klinefelter is an up and coming MMA fighter...big fight night! Will Tracey with The Onion's anthology celebration. More PC nonsense. Kevin Hammond is coming to town to play. Suzy!
[...]JOHNSTON – Congressman Bruce Braley called criticisms that the federal Cash for Clunkers program did not significantly affect the fuel-efficiency of vehicles on America’s roads “absurd.”
An analysis of data by the Associated Press found that the most common deals replaced old pickups with new ones that got only marginally [...]
Bruce Braley has had his congressional seat rated “likely Democratic,” down from “solid Democratic,” by the Cook Political Report. That doesn’t mean Cook views Braley as in trouble. The rating means: “These seats are not considered competitive at this point but have the potential to become engaged.”
Curious [...]
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley urged President Obama to act soon to grant Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s request for roughly 40,000 additional troops to the war in Afghanistan.
The Iowa Republican also noted that U.S. troops were dying as Obama deliberated and met with military advisers before making a decision.
“Based on the president’s [...]
Iowa has successfully forced recovery of $4.3 million that pharmaceutical companies have overcharged taxpayers for medications, the attorney general said today. About $1.2 million of that will come directly back to the state.
Eight of 78 companies the state sued in federal court have settled, Attorney General Tom Miller said.
After lawyer [...]
The Iowa Family Policy Center issued the statement below today as former Gov. Terry Branstad today noted he personally supports banning same-sex marriage in Iowa.
Branstad, a Republican exploring a 2010 campaign for governor, made the position statement through staff to TheIowaRepublican.
The issue has become a potentially thorny one in [...]
Iowa’s judicial branch will lay off 105 employees and cut another 100 vacant positions in addition to reducing hours of 58 employees, officials announced this afternoon.
However, the court will not abide by Gov. Chet Culver’s 10 percent across-the-board request.
Instead, the cuts amount to 7.1 percent of the court system’s $160 [...]
JOHNSTON – Two Iowa casinos have agreed to fines for admitting people who should not have been allowed inside.
The Catfish Bend Casino in Burlington was fined $20,000 for admitting an underage female who played a slot machine and was served an alcoholic beverage. A security supervisor questioned her identification [...]
Scott Paul from Alliance for American Manufacturing says we are still exporting jobs...even with bailout money. Congressman Ron Paul says the medical reform package is legislative and economic malpractice. Plus the travail of educators trying to keep the lid on.
[...]
It's your last chance to see From the Homefront and Shady Business. Reviews are here and here. A projected $184 million drop in federal stimulus cash for Iowa’s Medicaid program next year spells trouble to Iowa’s most vulnerable residents, economists warned today.
Medicaid is a state and federal program that provides health care to nearly 411,000 Iowans. The majority of participants – 54 percent – are children while [...]
Talking about a nearly fatal drinking episode... then a money guy says the dollar is dying...good? Makes room for a new, kinder and more fair currency....
[...]Charles Grassley thinks the White House pulled the trigger too quickly when it fired inspector general Gerald Walpin over allegations involving misuse of federal funds, according to Politico.
A federal investigation has cleared Walpin. Grassley has spent a good deal of his time in the Senate on investigations of federal [...]
Open-line discussion...healthcare: right or privilege? Then a Ft Hood General says the motivation of the Jihadist murderer wasn't religious. Huh?
' [...]Congressman Steve King seldom minces his words in critiquing the Obama administration.
In the latest chapter, the Kiron Republican said today Obama’s closest advisers, including Rahm Emanuel and senior adviser Valerie Jarrett are part of Chicago’s “gangster government,” and linked Jarrett to former radical William Ayers “and other nefarious characters.”
King made [...]
Iowa’s judicial branch staff – including all judges and magistrates – has been ordered to close office and take 10 days of unpaid leave between Dec. 4 and June 18, 2010, according t a notice posted on the court’s Web site today.
The reduction will save $4.1 million, according to the [...]
Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin said today the House-passed health care bill “goes too far” in restricting insurance providers from covering abortions.
The Democrat said he supported the status quo, which prohibits federal funding for abortions except in cases of rape, incest or to save the woman’s life.
“I fear that the House-passed [...]
Catching up on last weekend’s health care drama in Congress, I point out that Iowa 1st District Congressman Bruce Braley was treated with less than cordiality by some of his GOP peers during the evening’s debate.
Braley, a Waterloo Democrat who made his career as a courtroom lawyer before his 2006 [...]
Sarah Palin is scheduled to make her first appearance in Iowa since the 2008 presidential campaign with a stop in Sioux City Dec. 6 aimed at promoting her new book, according to the bookstore promoting the visit.
However, Republican Party officials were unaware of any political plans in the works Monday, [...]
A new Iowa social media company...Catchfire Media...Katie Miller-Smith with the story... then more reaction to the Fort Hood Jihadist. Congressman Steve King with post health vote reaction.
[...]A Republican-leaning political action committee that operates in Iowa is asking federal regulators to override state laws around the country that regulate automated telephone calls.
The American Future Fund Political Action has asked the Federal Election Commission for an advisory opinion about whether federal law preempts laws like that in Minnesota.
In [...]
DES MOINES – Gov. Chet Culver and the union representing the largest group of Iowa’s state employees announced an agreement to save nearly 500 state jobs by imposing furloughs and benefit reductions.
The deal with the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees Iowa Council 61 must still be [...]
If state workers in the AFSCME labor union vote to take five unpaid days off within the next seven months, they would save 479 jobs across all state departments, including in human services, the revenue department, prisons, state patrol and other agencies.
All AFSCME members would be safe from layoffs until [...]
A tentative agreement between the state and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees has been reached, a spokesman for the union said this morning.
AFSCME, which represents more than 13,000 state employees, will hold a press conference today at 1 p.m.
At least 180 state workers will be laid [...]
DES MOINES – Des Moines lawyer and Democrat Roxanne Conlin officially filed papers today to run for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Chuck Grassley.
Conlin, 65, is a well-known Democratic activist who was the party’s nominee for governor in 1982. That year she became the first woman [...]
Des Moines lawyer Roxanne Conlin today filed papers with the Federal Election Commission to run for U.S. Senate.
The Democrat and former nominee for governor’s move was expected. But she did so with an Internet video on her campaign Web site: roxanneforiowa.com.
Conlin is among three Democrats running to challenge five-term [...]
Former New York Gov. George Pataki is scheduled to headline the Scott County GOP Ronald Reagan dinner Tuesday in Bettendorf, Scott County Republicans said.
Pataki, who once considered seeking the 2008 presidential nomination, has visited Iowa once already this year, speaking at Drake University in April as part of the American [...]
Ben Smith of Politico spent some time with 2008 Iowa Republican caucuses winner Mike Huckabee on a bus in Pennsylvania recently during his book-signing tour. The tour brought Huckabee to Davenport, Cedar Rapids and West Des Moines on Sunday.
In his story, Smith notes that in a recent Gallup poll, [...]
Appel to Seek Re-election to Iowa State Senate
State Senator Staci Appel of Warren County announced today that she is running for re-election to the Iowa Senate in 2010 and will continue to listen and represent our district.
“I am running for re-election to the State Senate so that I can continue [...]
On the heels of Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s debut as an Iowa headliner, The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza said the Republican has made some recent errors that need attention should he continue to take steps toward a 2012 presidential campaign.
Cillizza says nothing about Pawlenty’s performance as the featured speaker for [...]
© 2009, Des Moines Register and Tribune Co.
Iowa has hired 752 people since Gov. Chet Culver called for a hiring freeze 11 months ago, records obtained by The Des Moines Register show.
That’s nearly the number of state workers initially pegged for layoffs to meet Culver’s order of a 10 percent [...]
