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Wednesday, September 29
Iowa: Confusion, Bad Ballots Hinder First Voting Days
by
Linda Thieman
on Wed 29 Sep 2004 04:38 AM CDT
 Iowa: Confusion, Bad Ballots Hinder First Voting Days
by Lynn Campbell, Des Moines Register
The
first few days of early voting in Iowa were marked by complaints and
confusion as Republicans tried to turn the state's absentee-ballot
efforts to their advantage, and a costly mistake in northwest Iowa
caused hundreds of spoiled ballots.
...In
Plymouth County, the auditor's office sent a letter Monday to hundreds
of voters, informing them that about half the 758 absentee ballots sent
out Thursday inadvertently omitted the race for U.S. House District 5.
"They
made a fairly gross, glaring error not proofreading the damn thing,"
said David Rogers, a spokesman for Democrat Joyce Schulte, who's
challenging Republican U.S. Rep. Steve King. "They might want to bend
over backwards to make things right."
The
mistake is expected to cost Plymouth County hundreds of dollars. Voters
who received the incorrect ballot should mark it "spoiled" and return
it to receive a correct one, said Jan Beck of the Plymouth County
auditor's office. However, voters who decide to use the wrong ballot
will still have their votes counted.
(Click here to read the complete article, which includes information about a new Grassley/absentee ballot controversy.)
**Click here
to download your Iowa absentee ballot request form. You then send
it in to your county auditor's office at the courthouse.
**Click here to get the address of your county auditor.
Just find your county on the map of Iowa and click on the map.
Iowa's DEADLINE to Register: Mailed By October 18th or Delivered by October 23rd. Click here to download an Iowa voter registration form.
Monday, September 27
Connie Wilson: John Edwards Holds A Conversation with Women and Families
by
Linda Thieman
on Mon 27 Sep 2004 04:22 AM CDT
 Connie Wilson: John Edwards Holds “A Conversation with Women and Families”
Thursday, September 23, 2004, Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds, Davenport, Iowa
By Connie Wilson
First Lady Christie Vilsack introduced a pinch-hitting John Edwards, who filled in for the vocally-challenged John Kerry (impending laryngitis) at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds building in Davenport on Thursday afternoon, September 23, as Edwards hit the ground running hard, challenging the current administration on Iraq and the much-vaunted “war on terror” in front of a standing-room only crowd of over 1,000 partisan supporters. The gloves are finally off!
With Edwards, in addition to Iowa’s First Lady, were four other female supporters of the Kerry/Edwards ticket: Lt. General Claudia J. Kennedy, the nation’s highest-ranking woman officer (now retired); Kristen Breitweiser, a founding member of September 11th Advocates and a founding member of the 9/11 Commission’s ‘Family Steering Committee;’ Gwen Waltz, a teacher from Mankato, Minnesota; and Cammie Pohl, a Democratic candidate for state office.
Young Democrat: 4-year-old
Caeleisheal Kurylo from Davenport
When Edwards begins speaking, he announces that his topics will be the war in Iraq and the war on terror. I am delighted to hear this….finally! I feel like I am ten years old at one of those old westerns where the cavalry is riding in (Noise of cavalry bugle here) to help the soldiers isolated in the fort, which is being circled by blood-thirsty Indians. (In this case, make that blood-thirsty Republicans.)
To quote Matthew Brzezinski’s new book Fortress America: An Inside Look at the Coming Surveillance State (Bantam Dell Publishing Group), “In the game of smoke and mirrors that is otherwise known as national politics, Americans will go to the polls in November to choose a leader who they think can best protect them from terrorist attack. Other issues will be important in the presidential election--Iraq, the economy, taxes--but none will be as central as which candidate can keep us safe.”
more »
Saturday, September 25
AL FRANKEN TO HEADLINE 2004 JJ DINNER
by
Linda Thieman
on Sat 25 Sep 2004 11:45 AM CDT
 AL FRANKEN TO HEADLINE 2004 JJ DINNER
Comedian and best selling author Al Franken
will headline the annual Iowa Democratic Party Jefferson-Jackson
Dinner on Saturday, October 16th, 2004. The Dinner will be hosted
by Gerald McEntee, the President of the American Federation of State,
County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and will feature other
surprise special guests.
ORDER YOUR TICKETS at www.iowademocrats.org
“This
year will be one of the biggest JJs ever,” promised Iowa Democratic
Party Chair Gordon Fischer. “This will be the election kickoff
party, marking the final days of the Bush Administration." [I can certainly get behind that, Gordo. Sort of like the end of the evil empire.]
Fischer continues, "Al
Franken has been at past JJs, but this year he’ll take it to a whole
new level. Gerry McEntee is a great speaker who is sure to fire up the
crowd, and we have some other surprise special guests on tap who will
add excitement."
I hope good ol' Gerry reprises the
"Howard Dean is insane" line because, gosh, we really ARE so much safer
now that Saddam has been removed from that spider hole. And
speaking of spider holes, I wonder what Joe "Jomentum" Lieberman is up
to these days?
The 2003
JJ Dinner was attended by over 7000 people, attracted seven
presidential candidates, including Howard Dean, and was televised live
by C-Span.
2004 Jefferson-Jackson Dinner
Saturday, October 16th
Veterans Auditorium in Des Moines
Doors open at 5:30.
Dinner at 6:30
Receptions with special guests for IDP Club Members will begin at 4 p.m.
Order your tickets online at www.iowademocrats.org, or call Donna at 515-558-9580.
Thursday, September 23
Iowa Absentee Ballot Chase This Weekend
by
Linda Thieman
on Thu 23 Sep 2004 07:39 AM CDT
Iowa Absentee Ballot Chase This Weekend
This was forwarded to Blog for Iowa from Marcia Nichols at AFSCME Iowa and Mark L. Smith at the Iowa Federation of Labor.
Participate in the Absentee Ballot Chase Weekend this week!
For more on the importance of voting by absentee ballot, click here.
The scheduling is as follows in each of the headquarters:
Friday, September 24th - 10:00 am - 8:30 pm
Saturday, September 25th - 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Sunday, September 26th - Noon - 9:00 pm
If volunteers need absentee ballot pickup training, they should show up at 9:30 am on Friday and Saturday.
Ames office - 319 Clark Ave - 515-268-0313
Burlington office - 100 N 4th St. - 319-752-3071
Carroll office - 511 N Main
Cedar Rapids office - 120 3rd Ave SW - 319-363-5078
Clinton office - 224 22nd Place - 563-242-9064
Council Bluffs office - 500 W. Broadway - 712-388-1009
Davenport office - 1416 W 16th St. Suite 103 - 563-322-1693
Des Moines office - 1408 Locust St. - 515-558-9580
Des Moines office - 5661 Fluer Drive - 515-244-7292
Dubuque office - 1198 White Street - 563-557-1007
Ft. Dodge office - 1026 Central Ave. - 515-576-3145
Fort Madison office - 738 G Ave - 319-372-7483
Grinnell office - 926 Main St. - 641-236-3533
Iowa City office - Old Capitol Mall, 201 S Clinton St. -319-337-8683
Independence Office - 118 1st St. East - 319-334-2152
Ottumwa office - 205 East Main St. - 641-683-1372
Mason City office - Bldg. 9, 2nd St. NW - 641-424-5519
Marshalltown office - 12 W Main St. - 641-752-2172
Muscatine office - 208 Pine St. - 563-264-1964
Newton office - 108 W 3rd St S - 641-787-0316
Sioux City office - 617 Douglas St. - 712-258-6581
Waterloo office - 501 Sycamore - 319-236-9989"
Kerry Leads in 11 of 16 Swing States In New Zogby Poll
by
Linda Thieman
on Thu 23 Sep 2004 04:01 AM CDT
Kerry Leads in 11 of 16 Swing States In New Zogby Poll
Ruy Teixeira, Emerging Democratic Majority
The Zogby Interactive Poll of LV's (likely voters) was conducted for the Wall St. Journal Sept. 13-17.
Kerry's leads (%):
Arkansas 0.1
Florida 0.5
Iowa 3.0
Michigan 6.0
Minnesota 9.7
New Hampshire 3.6
New Mexico 12.7
Oregon 12.0
Pennsylvania 3.1
Washington 8.7
Wisconsin 2.4
Bush's leads (%):
Missouri 5.4
Nevada 2.2
Ohio 3.3
Tennessee 5.5
West Virginia 12.4
Ruy Teixeira is a Senior Fellow at The Century Foundation and the Center for American Progress
 The "Price/Hightower Election Analysis"
by Dr. Alta Price, MD, and ok, Jim Hightower, too
As for what is happening on the ground, DFIA Co-founder, Dr. Alta Price
has a theory that she calls the "Price/Hightower election
analysis."
I'll let Alta continue in her own words:
I thought this [Price/Hightower election analysis] was mine, but Jim
Hightower said the same thing in my living room, so I'll give him
credit, too - LOL.
Just look at the 2000 election,
which Gore won by 500,000 votes. Here's who will vote for Kerry: all
the Gore voters, most of the Nader voters, a number of
Republicans/Independents who voted for Bush last time, people in the
military, I.T. workers with no more high-paying jobs who voted for
Bush, Log Cabin Republicans, 18-22 year olds (more than 50% of whom are
going to vote this year), every Muslim American, my secretary, who must
be nearly 60, and wants to vote this year for the first time in her
life and asked me for help getting registered, and I'm sure I'm
forgetting some groups.
Bush maxed out in 2000. Unless
someone has run into a lot of Gore voters who have told them, "Oh, this
time I'm definitely voting for Bush"...? Have any of you? Do you
possibly know LOTS of people - Republicans perhaps? - who have told you
they'll be voting for Kerry? I do.
I predict Kerry wins in a landslide (which we need to counter any
October surprise or touch-screen voting machine hanky panky - I admit,
those things may make the election "close"). And Kerry has Iowa in the
bag.
And if you're STILL worried and scared, this letter from Michael Moore may be just the thing for you....
 Put Away Your Hankies: A Message from Michael Moore
by Michael Moore, of course
The Republicans Never Give Up, and Neither Will We
Dear Friends,
Enough of the handwringing! Enough
of the doomsaying! Do I have to come there and personally calm you
down? Stop with all the defeatism, OK? Bush IS a goner
- IF we all just quit our whining and bellyaching and stop shaking like
a bunch of nervous ninnies. Geez, this is embarrassing! The Republicans
are laughing at us. Do you ever see them cry, "Oh, it's all over! We
are finished! Bush can't win! Waaaaaa!"
Hell no. It's never over for them
until the last ballot is shredded. They are never finished - they just
keep moving forward like sharks that never sleep, always pushing,
pulling, kicking, blocking, lying.
They are relentless and that is why
we secretly admire them - they just simply never, ever give up. Only
30% of the country calls itself "Republican," yet the Republicans own
it all - the White House, both houses of Congress, the Supreme Court
and the majority of the governorships. How do you think they've been
able to pull that off considering they are a minority? It's because
they eat you and me and every other liberal for breakfast and then
spend the rest of the day wreaking havoc on the planet.
...Kerry has brought in the Clinton A-team. Instead of shunning Clinton
(as Gore did), Kerry has decided to not make that mistake.
Traveling around the country, as I've been doing, I gotta tell ya,
there is a hell of a lot of unrest out there. Much of it is not being
captured by the mainstream press. But it is simmering and it is real.
Do not let those well-produced Bush rallies of angry white people scare
you. Turn off the TV! (Except Jon Stewart and Bill Moyers - everything
else is just a sugar-coated lie).
(To read moore of the Moore missive, click here.)
Wednesday, September 22
Top Economists Endorse Art Small for U.S. Senate
by
Linda Thieman
on Wed 22 Sep 2004 04:39 PM CDT
 Top Economists Endorse Art Small for U.S. Senate
Des Moines Register
In an unprecedented move, top economists take sides in U.S. Senate race
Washington, D.C.
- Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa has done "serious harm" to
the nation's economic future during his tenure as chairman of the
Senate Finance Committee, a group of economists said Monday in
endorsing Grassley's political opponent, Art Small.
The
economists - including the University of Iowa economics department
chairwoman and three Nobel prize winners - said that it is unusual for
leading economists to take a position in a race for the U.S. Senate,
but that they were compelled by the rising deficit and a half-trillion
in new U.S. debt.
"Iowans
may be only dimly aware of the pivotal role that their senior senator,
Charles Grassley, played in these events," said the economists in a
printed statement. They said they blamed deep tax cuts advocated by
Grassley, enacted by Congress and signed into law by Bush for boosting
the deficit. Those cuts also benefited the wealthy too much, the group
said.
The economists said Iowans should back Iowa City Democrat Art Small, a former state lawmaker running an uphill battle against Grassley. Small has a "genuine" commitment to fiscal responsibility, they said.
(Click here to read the complete article.)
Dont' forget to vote for Art Small right now over at Democracy for America.
This week Democracy for America is hosting an online vote to see which US Senate candidates have generated the most people-powered appeal.
The prize: Howard Dean will
send a special message to the Democracy for America grassroots about
the winner, raising awareness (and badly-needed funds) for that candidate and his or her race.
Show your support for Art Small now by
hopping over to DFA and giving him your vote.
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/senatevote
MoveOn Calls on Bush to Release Intelligence Report
by
Linda Thieman
on Wed 22 Sep 2004 01:41 PM CDT
 MoveOn Calls on Bush to Release Intelligence Report
Bush Should Release Intelligence Report on Iraq, So Americans Learn the Truth Before they Vote in November
WASHINGTON
- MoveOn PAC Friday called on the Bush Administration to release the
full text of the National Intelligence Estimate, which Bush has had
since July, so that Americans can better understand how he and his top
officials have consistently misled them about developments in Iraq.
The
demand came as MoveOn PAC's latest TV ad, "Quagmire," is running in
Iowa, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Ohio and nationally on CNN. The ad
claims "George Bush misled us into war with Iraq, sending poorly
equipped soldiers into battle."
Bush
surrogates, including campaign chairman Marc Racicot and former Sen.
Bob Dole, sought to distract attention from news reports yesterday that
the consensus of the US intelligence community, contained in the
classified intelligence report, directly contradicts recent Bush,
Cheney and Rumsfeld public statements about prospects for US success in
Iraq. Both Bush spokespeople attacked MoveOn PAC's ad without noting
the obvious conflict between the Administration's rosy scenarios and
the intelligence community's dire warnings that corroborated the
central message of the ad.
As it
began running, new evidence emerged of Bush's failure to tell the truth
about Iraq. On August 5, Bush told us, "(Iraq is) on the path to
lasting democracy and liberty," at the White House as he signed the
Defense bill.
Then on Aug 24, Vice President Cheney told voters in Iowa: "We're moving in the right direction (in Iraq)."
"So we
have a pResident who has misled the American people on Weapons of Mass
Destruction and the likelihood of nuclear weapons development in Iraq -
claims that were refuted again in a draft report written by the top
American weapons inspector in Iraq, made public in the media today,"
said Eli Pariser, executive director of MoveOn PAC.
"They
told us our troops would be welcomed as liberators; now over 1,000 are
dead. They told us the war would pay for itself, and now we've spent
$150 billion. Americans deserve to see the N.I.E. in its entirety, so
they can judge for themselves how truthful this pResident has been
about the adequacy of his leadership on Iraq," Pariser said
View the new ad at http://www.moveonpac.org
Tuesday, September 21
Family Farms, Rural Communities Threatened by Craig Amendment
by
Linda Thieman
on Tue 21 Sep 2004 11:45 AM CDT
 Family Farms, Rural Communities Threatened by Craig Amendment
Environmental Integrity Project
WASHINGTON,
D.C. (September 21, 2004) - The air and drinking water, lakes and streams in and near family
farms and rural communities across the United States would be
jeopardized by a U.S. Senate amendment that would allow the undisclosed release of hazardous chemicals and other pollution from factory farm operations, according to the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) and 32 leading farm, environmental and community groups.
The
controversial amendment in question is expected to be offered today by
Idaho Sen. Larry Craig in a Senate committee markup of the appropriations bill.
A joint letter to U.S. Senators on the topic has been sent by a
coalition of national and local organizations across the country,
including EIP.
The
groups are opposing the behind-the-scenes bid to exempt agricultural
operations from existing laws that require reporting of releases of
toxic chemicals. The amendment would change the definition of "release"
in the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation Liability Act
(CERCLA, or Superfund) and the definition of "hazardous chemical" in
the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA).
According to the letter: "Large
livestock operations, confining thousands and even hundreds of
thousands of animals, routinely emit large quantities of hazardous
chemicals such as ammonia and hydrogen sulfide into the environment and
nearby communities. Chemical releases from these operations are
anything but diffuse and low-level. Because of the concentration of
large numbers of animals and their waste, chemical releases are also
concentrated."
Data
show that the livestock sector is the largest ammonia polluter
nationwide, producing nearly three-quarters of all ammonia emissions.
The
joint letter points to mounting evidence "correlating Concentrated
Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) air emissions with detrimental public
health and environmental impacts."
According to the letter: "Peer-reviewed studies show air emissions from
a 6,000-head hog operation in North Carolina caused increased
headaches, sore throats, excessive coughing, diarrhea, burning eyes,
and reduced quality of life for nearby residents. Another study shows
increased eye and upper respiratory symptoms in residents within two
miles of a large hog operation in Iowa."
The letter continues:
"Stories abound of the horrific impacts from these types of facilities;
witness the recent, nuisance judgments against CAFOs rendered by courts
in Iowa against Iowa Select and in Ohio against Buckeye Egg. These
verdicts helped bring relief to communities plagued by noxious
emissions from facilities that had operated outside the law for far too
long. Serious questions have also been raised in the San Joaquin Valley
- an area heavily polluted by agricultural operations - with respect to
CAFOs' contribution to total air pollution and the corresponding health
effects associated with smog and particulate matter pollution. Seven
people have died in Minnesota since 1992 from exposure to toxic
hydrogen sulfide fumes released during the pumping of animal waste from
pits. Two California dairy workers died this year from hydrogen sulfide
exposure."
EIP Senior Counsel Michele Merkel said: "In
addition to our concerns about public health, we find it completely
inappropriate to use appropriations bills to make substantive
amendments to longstanding environmental protection laws. The groups are asking the Senate to keep this bill (and all other appropriations bills) free of anti-environmental riders."
The full text of the joint letter is available online at http://www.environmentalintegrity.org.
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