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Jul 03, 2008 at 15:28 PM
At least 20 employees of the Iowa Democratic Party have been demoted or fired and a coordinated state-wide campaign was essentially disbanded, replaced by a focus on the presidential bid of Sen. Barack Obama. Details are sketchy, but the changes could have an impact on November's legislative races, with field staff that was previously working for down-ticket races now being placed on the payroll of Obama's presidential campaign and working almost entirely on its behalf. |
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Jul 03, 2008 at 13:46 PM
In the wake of multiple deployments to war theaters in Iraq and Afghanistan, officials have been concerned about the Iowa National Guard's readiness at home. These concerns were met head-on with the recent flooding in Iowa, which Gov. Chet Culver claimed was the biggest natural disaster in Iowa's history.
"The response to the floods was a very visible example of the readiness level we maintain," Iowa National Guard Public Affairs Officer Lt. Col. Greg Hapgood told the Iowa Independent during a phone interview. "The way we think about it is that readiness is our No. 1 job in the Iowa National Guard. If we are ready to go do a federal mission, which means going in to combat, we feel that we can respond to whatever is asked of us in the state of Iowa." |
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Jul 02, 2008 at 08:26 AM
Governor Chet Culver left Saturday's Iowa Democratic Party convention quickly after his speech Saturday, with a good excuse. The governor was traveling to the town that has been harder hit than any other in the state. Oakville, where the Iowa River joins the Mississippi, is 100 percent evacuated, and there's open discussion about whether the community should be completely bought out and abandoned.
Oakville is, or was, the most Democratic town in Louisa County, where Columbus Junction also saw levee breaks and evacuations. Those may affect the House District 87 race, where Democrat Frank Best is challenging GOP incumbent Tom Sands.
In Cedar Rapids, entire precincts have been flooded. |
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Jul 03, 2008 at 14:24 PM
Despite the threat its Super Wal-Mart posed to its downtown shopping district, one Iowa town's smart planning and resourcefulness has kept its local businesses alive.
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Jul 03, 2008 at 14:44 PM
Linn County voters flooded out of their homes find themselves in the same legal waters as students, with some discretion about their registration address, according to the Linn County Auditor's Office.
State law defines a voter's residence as the place to which they intend to return. College students can register at the dorm or at their parents' houses. Likewise, flooded voters may either maintain their voting address at their damaged home while it is being repaired, or re-register at their temporary address. |
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Jul 03, 2008 at 14:04 PM
The Cook Political Report newsletter today changed its ratings in 27 U.S. House races, with every change being in the Democratic Party's favor.
One switch was in Iowa's 4th Congressional District. The seat had been ranked as "Solid Republican" for incumbent Tom Latham. Cook has upgraded Democratic challenger Becky Greenwald's chances, and now lists the seat as "Likely Republican." |
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Jul 02, 2008 at 08:45 AM
Opponents of ethanol are seeking to exploit an opportunity to relax the federal renewable fuels standard, but drew a strong reaction from Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley on Tuesday.
A request for a waiver from the renewable fuels standard (RFS) is gaining support, just as Midwest farmers struggle to pick up the pieces following months of devastating weather. Fears of a less-than-adequate crop this year have driven corn prices to record levels this spring, and many are blaming the ethanol industry for gobbling up too much corn.
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Jul 02, 2008 at 14:41 PM
Kenneth Macke's astronomical ascension from teenage shoe salesman in Carroll to Drake University quarterback to the upper echelon of American business as the top Target executive during that chain's high-jumping years ranks him among the most successful people from Carroll County in its history.
When Macke retired in 1994, Dayton Hudson, the parent company of Target, had annual revenue of more than $19 billion. |
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Jul 01, 2008 at 12:15 PM
Iowa's largest third parties, the Greens and Libertarians, won a big victory last year when they earned a place on the state's voter registration forms. But few voters have exercised that option, and few of their candidates will appear on ballots below the presidential level.
The Libertarian Party, which has run nearly full slates for state offices in recent years, does not have candidates in the top-tier races this year, other than the presidential race. The Green Party, likewise, does not expect to have down-ballot candidates.
But both parties have more prominent than usual presidential candidates, who could have an impact in a close election. |
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