The top stories of ’08 that will shape Iowa in ’09

Barack Obama speaks at Carroll High School just before the Iowa Caucuses.

Some of 2008′s best stories are not finished yet.  The Iowa Independent has been following the stories below over the past year, and we expect them to help shape the news again as we enter the new year.

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama is victorious in Iowa Caucus

Everyone, of course, knows the headline: Obama Wins Caucuses by Unexpected Margin. Iowa — the state long derided by national media as the “Wonder Bread Basket of the Midwest” and unworthy of its hard-fought first-in-the-nation status — saw fit to catapult not only a young man, but a young African-American man further into the national spotlight and well on his way to capturing the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.

While we all now know that Obama reigned victorious in much more than the Iowa contests, and will be taking at least two Iowa politicos with him to the beltway, it is unclear if Iowa’s early endorsement of the unlikely candidate will be enough to protect the state’s first in the nation status in eight years.

Iowa becomes focus of national immigration debate

There was a possibility, early in the presidential primaries, for the Republican Party to choose a candidate who would happily place the immigration pawn onto the national chess board. But when Republicans selected Arizona Sen. John McCain, a lawmaker known for backing immigration reform, as their nominee, hopes of using the issue as a primary focus were dashed. Perhaps it was partly because of that climate — one where immigration worries and reform discussions were regulated to whispers — that the unprecedented Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid on May 12 at the Agriprocessors plant in Postville became such a quick national focus.

Campaign contributions, racial disparities, the blind eye of Lady Justice, civil liberties and, yes, even anti-Semitism were placed on daily display as news reports rocked out of Postville and onto the national stage. Even as local and national media may have yearned to move onto other stories, Postville kept calling. Three members of the U.S. House of Representatives Hispanic Caucus traveled to Postville. Thousands of protesters and counter-protesters marched on local streets. Management at Agriprocessors, a kosher meatpacking plant, either fled the country or were arrested. At least one state lawmaker lost his bid for re-election under scrutiny that he had not taken a hard enough stance against what became known as the ongoing saga of Postville.

Natural disasters, economic downtown prompt state budget cuts

Flooding on June 12 in downtown Cedar Rapids.

There are some who say they have no interest in politics. After suffering through June’s tornadoes and massive flooding, and now being greeted by across-the-board state budget cuts, very few Iowans fall into that category.

In the immediate wake of the natural disasters, lawmakers went to bat on behalf of victims. Republicans looked for ways to help businesses who had been impacted; Democrats allowed Gov. Chet Culver, amid promises that he could most effectively route money to victims, call the shots.

As task forces delivered recommendations, and state officials became more vocal in their calls for fiscal restraint, several state agencies began to view the flood as a potential savior in upcoming budget debates. While state and federal money has been allocated into the devastated areas of Iowa, much remains to be done. It remains to be seen how  lawmakers will maintain a balanced budget while providing additional assistance.

Iowa Supreme Court hears oral arguments in same-sex marriage case

Kate and Trish Varnum, lead plaintiffs in Iowa's same-sex marriage case

The 2008 general election was a heartbreaking day for those who believe marriage should be opened to same-sex couples. Voters in Florida, Arizona and California passed ballot measures denying gay and lesbian couples the right to marry. Because a judge ruled in 2007 that the portion of the Iowa Code defining marriage as between one man and one woman was unconstitutional, the nation’s eyes turned to Iowa as the next battleground state in the same-sex marriage debate.

The Iowa Supreme Court, while allowing unprecedented media coverage into its courtroom, heard oral arguments in the case this December. Both sides of the battle agree that the court could take months to render its opinion and are now battling before the court of public opinion.

Iowa Democrats saved once again by early voting

Iowa absentee ballot with outer envelope and secrecy envelope

With each presidential campaign, state parties are required to shift their focus. This is because the person at the top of the national ticket is provided the ultimate decision-making authority. If a candidate wants to buy into the plan put in place by the state party, then all goes without much grumbling. When a candidate seeks to change the playbook at halftime, however, there can be discontent — or at least a wide target for last-minute blame games.

As election night ticked down this November, and celebrations began for the Democratic White House victory, a few Iowans still watching Iowa House races began to panic. Their thoughts immediately turned to the disbanding of the Iowa Democratic Party’s coordinated campaign, which was replaced by the Obama team.

There is one thing Iowa Democrats do much better than their Republican counterparts: They get early votes in the can via Iowa’s liberal absentee voting program. This year, however, the Obama campaign as the new head of the state’s coordinated effort, chose to put time and effort into satellite voting locations instead of absentee ballot chasing. State lawmakers or candidates who wished to continue chasing absentee ballots were, for the first time in recent Iowa history, on their own.

The result was victory, but not by nearly the margin that had been predicted. Early election results showed at least three incumbent Democratic state reps losing their seats. It was not until the absentee ballots were counted that Democrats could issue a sigh — and place the blame game on hold.

Iowa GOP hunkers down in face of losses, implodes

Photo Credit: Nick Brandt

One of the few political stories of 2008 that has drawn the interest of traditional media and citizen journalists has been the ongoing bickering and restructuring within the Republican Party of Iowa.

This isn’t the first time state politicos have been in an uproar. In 1992, when Republicans launched a successful take-over of the Iowa House, local Democrats went through reassessment of their vision, message and impact. The current conflict, however, is on a new level.

Republican operatives, some fiscal conservatives and others social conservatives, are having difficulty finding common ground. The conflict has been brewing for several years as social conservatives struggled for and seemingly won more party influence. But it came to head even before the November election when Iowa’s female representative for the Republican National Committee, while acting in her role as executive director of Iowa Right to Life, approved a hit piece against the Republican candidate for U.S. House District 2. It continues as members of the Republican Party of Iowa debate who will serve as the group’s next chairman (no women are being openly considered).

Culver vetoes labor legislation

Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, left, and Gov. Chet Culver shake hands

While the actual veto was a news draw, the real story is what the veto represented: a persistent and sometimes ugly power struggle between the governor and the Democratic leadership in the legislature. Blame the veto on the leadership’s refusal to move on Culver’s bottle bill. Blame it on Culver’s apparent focus on who supported whom in the 2006 gubernatorial primary. Blame the actual bill that the legislature passed, or blame the governor’s staff for not warning legislators of the governor’s opposition in advance.  Blame whatever you’d like because it makes no difference in the end.

For another two years, Iowa Democrats have the majority in both legislative houses and control of Terrace Hill. There will be party advocacy groups — labor unions, environmental watchdogs, civil rights hopefuls — who will watch closely to see if campaign promises are kept. If they aren’t, and if Democrats can’t successfully continue to convince constituents that “the other guy” is responsible for dropping the ball, these next two years of complete Democratic government could be Iowa’s last.