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Friday, October 29
Connie Wilson: Kerry and Company (Bon Jovi et al.) Pack U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids on Oct. 27th
by
Linda Thieman
on Fri 29 Oct 2004 05:02 PM CDT
 Kerry and Company (Bon Jovi et al.) Pack U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids on Oct. 27th
by Connie Wilson
When Tom Harkin spoke to the assembled crowd of close to 8,000 cheering Democrats at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Wednesday, October 27th, he came with some “good news.”
Harkin noted that 50,000 new Democratic registrations have been processed in Iowa. 20,000 new independent voters have registered in Iowa for the 2004 election. And new registered Republicans? Why, only 9,400 of them.
These statistics add to the news (reported in Tuesday’s Quad City Times) that a record 2.1 million Iowans were registered to vote by Saturday’s registration deadline. That is 6% more than the number registered in the 2000 election. 95% of eligible Iowans are registered to vote and the total number, for 2004, is 2,106,658, compared to 1,969,199 Iowans registered to vote in the 2000 general election.
Jon Bon Jovi performs at the Kerry rally
in Cedar Rapids on Wednesday
The Quad City Times also reported that there were 604,277 registered Republicans, versus 598,296 Democrats, and 736,007 registered with neither party.
Supporting Harkin’s announcement at this rally, however, was the Quad City Times’ contention that Democrats have gained 66,409, while Republicans have added only 21,903 new voters.
more »
The Final Push is On: What You Can Do!
by
Linda Thieman
on Fri 29 Oct 2004 09:58 AM CDT
 The Final Push is On: What You Can Do!
by Andrew Smith, Candidate for Iowa House District 40, Tama and Grundy Counties
I know
everyone is tired. I know that we are all sick of the campaign, sick of
the lies, sick of the distortions and sick of the rhetoric. But now is
gut check time, and when the going gets tough the tough get going.
You must
always remember that you have the power to take our country back. You
have the power to make a difference right now in these closing days for
progressive candidates. Log off your computer right now and go help. Go
to the nearest headquarters of a candidate you support. You have the
power and you can make a difference these final days.
You have to believe. We can win! We will win!
Andrew Smith
What You Can Do!
1) As Andrew said, contact a local progressive you support and
help out. Even three hours will make a big difference. On
the right sidebar of Blog for Iowa, you will find links to the websites
(with contact information) of a number of Iowa progressives.
2) No local progressives? Get in touch with the Dem HQ for
your county and volunteer to make phone calls. You will find some
of the Dem county websites with contact info listed here.
3) Go to New Jersey Congressman Rush Holt's Count Every Vote website to see
how you can help out on Election Day. Stop election fraud in its
tracks.
4) Go to the ACT website to see if they are still taking people.
5) Check out this great resource from MoveOn - Election Protection Card - print it and take it with you to hand out.
6) Help turn out voters in Iowa with AmericaVotes.org.
Iowa Farmers Union PAC Endorses John Drury, Reveals Gaskill Exercising "Local Control" Over Hog Production
by
Linda Thieman
on Fri 29 Oct 2004 04:08 AM CDT
 Iowa Farmers Union PAC Endorses John Drury, Reveals Gaskill Exercising "Local Control" Over Hog Production
The following annoucement will be made today at noon at the Cerro Gordo County Courthouse.
STANHOPE - The Iowa Farmers Union Political Action Committee will announce today its endorsement of John Drury,
6th District Democratic candidate for the Iowa Senate. Drury is
campaigning for the seat of Senator Thurman Gaskill of Corwith.
“John
Drury is a friend to the family farmer, and a proponent of local
control over siting of animal factories,” said Kevin Miskell, a
Stanhope farmer and chair of the IFU PAC. “He’s the right candidate for
the 6th District.”
Miskell
noted that public records from the Hancock County Courthouse reveal
that Gaskill sold an acreage there and required the new owner to sign
an affidavit swearing he would not keep more than 500 hogs on the
property for longer than 10 days or the property would revert to
Gaskill.
“It’s clear that Mr. Gaskill is in favor of local control of factory farms but only in his own neighborhood,” Miskell said.
Earlier this month, the Iowa Farmers Union endorsed Paul Johnson for Congress
from Iowa's 4th Congressional District, citing Johnson's call for a 10
percent renewable fuels standard by the year 2010, and his support for
full funding of the Conservation Security Program, issues also fully
supported by Farmers Union.
"Johnson also proposes a Private Lands Stewardship Act which would
reward farmers for practicing careful conservation," Petersen said.
"Farmers Union members already are recognized for their good land
stewardship. Unlike with large corporate farms, they live on their land
and realize how important conservation and care for the environment are
for their own children and their communities."
Petersen also pointed out Johnson's support for a single-payer health
care system which would benefit rural Americans with little or no
health insurance. Johnson also has stated that concentration in animal
agriculture is reaching "unhealthy levels," and that large confined
animal feeding operations (CAFOs) should be regulated as industries and
held to strict environmental standards.
Iowa
Farmers Union is a non-profit advocacy group representing family
farmers across the state. IFU is affiliated with National Farmers
Union, a general farm organization representing a quarter of a million
family farmers and ranchers nationwide. NFU serves its membership by
providing educational opportunities, supporting farmer-owned
cooperative development, and presenting the organization's policies to
lawmakers at the local, state and national levels.
And, in case you missed it, Paul Johnson was recently endorsed by the Des Moines Register.
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