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Tuesday, February 21
Iowa Democrats File Ethics Complaint Against Nussle
by
Linda Thieman
on Tue 21 Feb 2006 11:17 AM CST
 Iowa Democrats File Ethics Complaint Against Nussle
Iowa Democratic Party
Today, the Iowa Democratic Party filed a complaint with the Iowa Ethics Board against Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Nussle.
After careful review of both his January state and federal campaign
filings, it appears that Congressman Nussle has made expenditures from
his federal account that clearly benefit his gubernatorial race, and he
has failed to report these expenditures as in-kind contributions.
The specific complaints (taken from the letter submitted by Mike Milligan, Executive Director of the Iowa Democratic Party, to the Ethics Board):
1) Mr.
Nussle’s state finance report fails to show any in-kind donations from
the federal “Nussle for Congress Committee,” while six individuals were
simultaneously paid out of both accounts. Since there is
no campaign for Congress, the staff and consulting paid by the federal
committee was supplementing the salary and consulting fees paid by the
gubernatorial campaign.
2) The development costs of Nussle’s gubernatorial campaign website may have been paid for by the congressional campaign account, with no record of an in- kind donation to the gubernatorial campaign account.
3) Three
congressional campaign expenditures, totaling $33,839.69 for
media-production, were made to McCarthy Marcus Hennings in 2005.
Particularly of interest is the $26,500.00 expenditure made on 4/4/05,
less than one and half months before the congressman officially
announced that he was running for governor. The official
announcement tour of his bid for Governor was accompanied by a video,
which can be found on his website. However, in the gubernatorial
campaign state report there is no report of video or media production
expenses to McCarthy Marcus Hennings until two months after his
announcement. It seems clear that the congressional campaign paid for
the initial video on 4/4/05, which was then used by the gubernatorial
campaign with no acknowledgement of the contribution in the state
report.
Nussle is not running for Congress and had not been running for re-election to Congress throughout 2005.
Hey! The Dems FINALLY Get Behind Withdrawing from Bush's Unpopular War - Sort of
by
Linda Thieman
on Tue 21 Feb 2006 04:00 AM CST
 Hey! The Dems FINALLY Get Behind Withdrawing from Bush's Unpopular War - Sort of
by Rick Klein, Boston Globe
[Blog for Iowa comments are between brackets.]
WASHINGTON - After months [um, YEARS?] of trying unsuccessfully to
develop a common message on [Bush's War], Democratic Party "leaders"
are beginning to coalesce around a broad plan to begin a "quick"
withdrawal of US troops and install them elsewhere in the region, where
they could respond to emergencies in Iraq and help fight terrorism in
other countries. [Can we just get away from this GOP meme that our ARMY
or even ANY army can "fight terrorism?" It's like saying we don't
have a plan to "win the peace." What peace, for heaven's sake?]
The concept, dubbed ''strategic redeployment," is outlined in a slim,
nine-page report coauthored by a former Reagan administration assistant
Defense secretary, Lawrence J. Korb, in the fall. It sets a goal of a
phased troop withdrawal that would take nearly all US troops out of
Iraq by the end of 2007 [and this is considered quick?] ...
Howard Dean, Democratic National Committee chairman, has endorsed
Korb's paper and begun mentioning it in meetings with local Democratic
groups. In addition, the study's concepts have been touted by the
senator assigned to bring Democrats together on Iraq - Jack Reed of
Rhode Island - and the report has been circulated among all senators
by Senator Dianne Feinstein, an influential moderate Democrat from
California. [Well, at least they are trying to look like they're
organized.] ...
Many leading Democrats say the Korb plan represents an answer to
Republicans' oft-repeated charge that Democrats aren't offering a way
forward on Iraq [because, if Democrats DO offer a way to get out of
Iraq, the Republicans call them disloyal and unpatriotic and
traitors. Go figure....]
''We're not going to cut and run - that's just Republican propaganda,"
Dean said in a speech Feb. 10 in Boston. ''But we are going to redeploy
our troops so they don't have targets on their backs, and they're not
breaking down doors and putting themselves in the line of fire all the
time. . . . It's a sensible plan. It's a thoughtful plan. I think
Democrats can coalesce around it."
[For heaven's sake, Howard - CUT AND RUN! What are we doing there
in the first place? How many more of our loved ones have to
die? How many more Iraqis do we have to murder in their beds?]
(Click here to read the complete article. Free registration may be required.)
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