tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192227732011-12-03T08:18:34.407-08:00After perusing the various periodicals in the great State of Iowa, we choose the ripest stories and pass them on to you, the informed Iowa voter, as quickly as possible to assure freshness. There may also be what we would consider "clever" commentary and musings, meant to produce grins, chuckles, guffaws, and possibly even sidesplitting laughter. (We readily admit to feedback of only grins and chuckles.) While reading, remember that politics never end in the Hawkeye State...IPWnoreply@blogger.comBlogger621100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1135115740342889822005-12-20T12:10:00.000-08:002005-12-20T13:55:40.450-08:00

Blogging in a Winter Wonderland...We, here at the Watch, have been perusing the periodicals of the Hawkeye State whilst listening to Bing Crosby croon and the Peanuts sing/play piano and we are now fully in the yuletide spirit. We are dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones we used to know. However, we realize that some are decidedly not. The Journal has Todd Dorman reporting that the

IPWnoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1135038928017248782005-12-19T15:00:00.000-08:002005-12-19T16:35:28.110-08:00

The Watch Returns...Kind of Like the Man of Steel (Whose Hometown We Visited)Yes, we have returned. Yes, it is late in the day, early Monday evening. Yes, much work piles up when you skip town for days on end. Yes, the trip was fun. Yes, the Appy State crowd was folksy. Yes, we are disappointed, but we are also proud of the Panthers. The 1974 Central College Flying Dutchmen continue to stand

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1134681549052584852005-12-15T13:15:00.000-08:002005-12-15T13:19:09.063-08:00

Gone to ChattanoogaNo, not *all* of us are gone. The research staff is still at home, waiting for the game on ESPN 2. But, the band of merry writers combined their funds and have set off for the UNI game. If UNI wins, they will be the second Iowa college to win a football title. The other? the 1974 Central College Flying Dutchmen.Updates depend on *free* WI-FI. Otherwise, look for an enormous,

IPWnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1134517193770807912005-12-13T14:56:00.000-08:002005-12-13T15:39:53.856-08:00

Kong is KingNo, "King Kong" is NOT Mentioned in the Blog, but...We are more than a little excited to see the giant ape return in his epic glory (at the command of Peter Jackson, no less). We have *all* been sidetracked with such intolerable boredoms as paperwork, casework, customer service, and, well, any other category of *work* not herein mentioned. (Yes, there are clues to our alternate,

IPWnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1134415525850842172005-12-12T11:15:00.000-08:002005-12-12T11:25:25.870-08:00

And Then There Were 4...In frontpage fashion, the Register trumpets that Iowa's shrinking population, coupled with the growth in the Sun Belt will mean that Iowa will lose a congressional seat after 2010 census.You should read this entire article whether Republican, Democrat, Conservative, Liberal, Independent, Libertarian, Green, or Bull Moose Progressive. Jane Norman fuels the fever (in a

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1134341564005587482005-12-11T14:21:00.000-08:002005-12-11T14:52:44.033-08:00

We're #1, But...Jane Norman (with some help from Mr. Beaumont) cures our Democratic primary schedule fever...for now.Lede (+1):"A Democratic commission voted Saturday to preserve the first-in-the-nation status of Iowa's presidential caucuses in 2008, turning aside a last-ditch attempt by opponents to shake Iowa's traditional spot at the front of the line."New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1134148289526144522005-12-09T08:36:00.000-08:002005-12-09T09:11:29.610-08:00

The Democratic Calendar:Pieces from Across the Nation Chime InFor those of you (we aren't naming names, but you know who you are) who find our coverage "liberal drivel" or "slanted liberal propaganda", we encourage you to begin a much ado movement to re-allign the Republican primary calendar. (Although, that will probably fuel the fire of "Pro-Conservatism" accusations via electronic

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1134142211567391772005-12-09T06:56:00.000-08:002005-12-09T08:28:37.463-08:00

Bush's Iowa Popularity Hits 'All-Time Low'According to the RegisterIn the biggest news of the day for all of you (like us) who druel over and dissect polls (despite the fact that polls don't mean anything).That news? The Register has released their latest polls numbers for President Bush here in Iowa and, despite their going up nation-wide, they have hit a new low.Margin of Error:+/- 3.5%Lede (+1

IPWnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1134081956070325782005-12-08T13:38:00.000-08:002005-12-08T14:45:56.276-08:00

Sen. Harkin 'Pleased' with JapanSen. Harkin is "...pleased Japan was moving to lift its ban on U.S. beef, but complained about how slow the process has been," according to Dow Jones, via cattlenetwork.com. Sen. Harkin is quoted thusly:"By all accounts, American beef is safe. Yet, the Japanese government has taken its sweet time over the last two years in reopening their borders to U.S. beef."(

IPWnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1134000455242394652005-12-07T15:25:00.000-08:002005-12-07T16:07:35.976-08:00

Boswell ReturnsOr So Trumpets the RegisterWe delayed in posting this one because we believe in saving the best until last. Yes, we eat our dessert last, at meals. No, we will not tell you when, in the day, we read Mr. Yepsen, Ms. Norman, the Journal, the QCT, the Register, Radio Iowa, the Courier, etc. We think you probably have a pretty good idea your own selves.Now, onto the big piece in the

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133987422149076382005-12-07T11:37:00.000-08:002005-12-07T12:30:38.383-08:00

Political Tidbits:We have some tasty morsels of political news of the Iowa-centric variety.The Hill on Machine Shed-GateThe Hill has picked up on the buzz over the Mike Whalen for Congress/Mike Whalen Iowa Machine Shed ads.Lede (+1):(Notice their acknowledgement of being a week late.)"The Republican primary to replace Rep. Jim Nussle (R-Iowa) took a contentious turn last week when candidate Brian

IPWnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133983184680743752005-12-07T11:09:00.000-08:002005-12-07T11:19:44.703-08:00

Democratic Caucus Update:Some National Periodicals Take Up the CalendarRonald Brownstein of the Los Angeles Times addresses the Democratic scheduling and what it all means. (Yes, how a change would affect the Republican primary schedule is included under the term "all".) We highly, highly encourage all politicos, partisan and nonpartisan alike to read this piece on what "...may be the most

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133973530200556212005-12-07T07:22:00.000-08:002005-12-07T08:38:50.346-08:00

Baby, It's Cold Outside...But the Political Wire is HotWe begin with a congratulations to Iowa State and UNI and condolences to Drake and Iowa.(Are you as excited as we are for the Iowa/Iowa State basketball showdown as we are?)(Are you as excited as we are for the I-AA National semi-final game in which UNI will play Texas State?)(Are you as excited as we are for the Houston Bowl?)(Are you as

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133909621875873022005-12-06T14:11:00.000-08:002005-12-06T14:54:43.623-08:00

Political Tid Bits:Gluba, Harkin, Cooking, Jenkins...We have a broad range of stories, only partially covered in the subheadline above. The Cynic and the Idealist have gone home. It is now just the staff of the Watch.Willard Jenkins, R-Waterloo, made known his intentions not to run for re-election. How this will affect the bipartisan health care push, is a matter of intrigue. (Yes, this piece is

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133899420449698002005-12-06T11:28:00.000-08:002005-12-06T12:03:40.513-08:00

The Cynic & the Idealist:A Theme for Today's Political NewsWe have seen from the beginning that their are trillions of political frames of minds, yet for today's blog we cite the predominant two, the two that can--if stretched--encompass all others: The Cynic and the Idealist--in a diaglogue.Charlotte Eby has the story for the Journal, entitled, "GOP Will Push Health Care Proposal".Lede:"

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133896892909332052005-12-06T11:04:00.000-08:002005-12-06T11:21:32.930-08:00

Bipartisan Health Care SolutionJournal's Eby Gives a More Detailed Account of the Vague PromiseWe don't mean to be doom and gloomers or cynnics. After all, nobody (in elected office or running for elected office) likes a cynnic. So please, do not misread our header.Charlotte Eby reports for the Sioux City Journal under the headline, "GOP Will Push Health Care Proposal".Quotes:(There are three

IPWnoreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133882286128984182005-12-06T07:11:00.000-08:002005-12-06T07:18:06.140-08:00

More on the Matt Paul Hiring:Register Supplements StoryThe Register issued another story concerning the hiring of Matt Paul by the Blouin for Governor campaign to manage it (again by Mr. Higgins).We provide the supplemental quotes that help to answer some questions...For those of you who asked, "Iowa Political Watch, what sort of campaign experience does Matt Paul have?""Paul worked as former

IPWnoreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133829372507875872005-12-05T15:55:00.000-08:002005-12-05T16:36:12.530-08:00

Culture of Corruption:Will Washington's Situation Affect Iowa?We have compiled numerous articles on numerous scandals (or scandals in incubation) and will proceed to share these articles with you. From them, you may or may not draw your own conclusions as we may or may not have already drawn ours.DukeAs this is the most recent juicy tid bit to reach our political plates, we have more (recent)

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133826601585485912005-12-05T14:36:00.000-08:002005-12-05T15:50:01.636-08:00

Odds & Ends:Yesterday & Today's Iowa-centric StoriesWhy did we take so long? We have eight-to-five's.Does that mean that we are in favor of the state Senate Democrats' push to raise the minimum wage by $1.00/hour this session?Quote(s) of Enticement:"They have not seen a wage increase in nine years," said House Minority Leader Pat Murphy of Dubuque. 'A person who earns the minimum wage, if they

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133813362383135222005-12-05T12:00:00.000-08:002005-12-05T12:09:22.413-08:00

Blouin Campaign Shake-Up:Matt Paul is Named New Campaign ManagerSince we are not reporters, merely bloggers, we did not "report" this story to you earlier today (when we received an anonymous email tip from an electronic Deepthroat) or last week when we heard rumors through backchannels that a shake-up was in the works (we did not know who the new campaign manager would be).Well, we waited for

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133801645624687132005-12-05T08:08:00.000-08:002005-12-05T08:54:05.690-08:00

New Gubernatorial PollNew Rasmussen Poll Tells Different Tales than Research 2000 PollLet us begin by saying that we are in the process of sorting through the vast number of Sunday Iowa-centric political stories and that you may have to wait until after clock out time today to get them. (They are that plentiful and everyone has to work today.) So, please check back.But, not wanting to leave you

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133642021159146002005-12-03T11:58:00.000-08:002005-12-03T12:33:41.180-08:00

'The Fort' Assessed:Millions of Dollars Needed, One Way or the OtherWe apologize, but we slept in and then were entranced by UNI's thrilling victory, on the road, over New Hampshire, the #1 team in Division I-AA, that moves the Panthers to the national semi-finals next week. (We ask you this question: Playoffs vs. Bowls? We are an advocate of neither/nor.)Now, onto the Register, and a staggering

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133568915765842932005-12-02T16:07:00.000-08:002005-12-02T16:15:15.770-08:00

Culture of Corruption?Should Candidate Nussle be Concerned?Whilst reading the Register's Editorial, entitled, "Stench of Sleaze Rises from Congress", we asked ourselves, "Iowa Political Watch, should the Nussle for Governor campaign be worried about editorials and sentiments like these?"We highly encourage you to read this piece and assess the level of the Nussle for Governor campaign's needed

IPWnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133568419027214712005-12-02T15:47:00.000-08:002005-12-02T16:06:59.036-08:00

Pre-Session Posturing Continues:Senate Democrats Come Out for 10% Ethanol Mandate,Senate Republicans Fall In Behind Candidate Nussle"A" O. Kay Henderson reports for Radio Iowa on the predictable proposal from the state Senate Democrats. We are giving you the Sen. Jack Kibbie quotes/paraphrases (which include the term "bunk") straight up:"'Every pump can pump it, so let's get with it.' Kibbie says

IPWnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133567269589529172005-12-02T15:30:00.000-08:002005-12-02T15:47:49.600-08:00

Tax Porn? Candidate Vander Plaats Plans To"A" O. Kay Henderson reports for Radio Iowa on Candidate Vander Plaats's new vice tax: pornography:"One of the Republican candidates for governor would impose new fees and taxes on the porn industry. Bob Vander Plaats says it's a 'booming' industry and some of the pornographers' profits should be used to off-set the costs of those who consume porn and

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133566233881487352005-12-02T15:11:00.000-08:002005-12-02T15:30:33.893-08:00

Nonpereil Sex Offender Editorial:No, It's Not About the Death PenaltyFor the freshest of the freshest of angles on the sex offender debate, we turn to the Council Bluffs Daily Nonpereil, the hometown paper of Senate Democratic Leader Mike Gronstal, and a paper heavily underrepresented here at the Watch (in terms of blogging).What is a "Nonpareil", you ask? We turn to Webster's Third New

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133564937700531232005-12-02T13:45:00.000-08:002005-12-02T15:08:57.770-08:00

Prison Break Back-and-Forth(Yes, We are Growing Tired of It, Too)Questions:Do Iowans still care? Will they care more now or in one year's time? Does Candidate Nussle see this as the state-wide issue that exactly parallels national security at the the federal level?Does the Nussle for Governor campaign having polling data on all voters, just Republican voters, or no polling data at all?Will

IPWnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133559048140929872005-12-02T12:31:00.000-08:002005-12-02T13:30:48.196-08:00

Gov. Vilsack Round-Up:The Journal on the Primary Schedule,Radio Iowa has the Governor on the Death PenaltyIt has been a fairly slow news day, and a fairly budy work day. We have two enticing morsels of Iowa-centric political news for you that continue the storylines of yore.We begin with the Sioux City Journal's follow-up editorial on Gov. Vilsack fighting/not fighting for Iowa's

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133479426283856842005-12-01T14:46:00.000-08:002005-12-01T15:23:46.300-08:00

The Distracting Democratic Schedule:Mr. Yepsen Yet Again Pontificates on the Primary SeasonFor those of who think "our headlines are too big", you should know that we are going for a late 19th century New York World look. (Yes, that is the paper of Joseph Pulitzer. Yes, that Pulitzer. No, we do not think we are anywhere near his level or those who have won the trophy that bears his name.)Now,

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133476856117315532005-12-01T14:16:00.000-08:002005-12-01T14:40:56.140-08:00

Register's Second Death Penalty PieceMr. Beaumont shows why we love himWhat is Mr. Beaumont's article in this piece? The same as ours: Politics. If we were critics, we would give this article two thums...way up. We could continue to gush, but then we would further hinder your reading the story. "GOP Proposes Death Penalty Law"(Yes, the headline sounds boring, but it is misleading.)The lede gives

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133471435471406762005-12-01T11:33:00.000-08:002005-12-01T13:34:35.100-08:00

Death PenaltyMore from Sen. McKibbenYes, the Register had it first, but did they have it best? No, this is not a knock on Thomas Beaumont. We love Thomas Beaumont. We religiously read Thomas Beaumont. But, the Register has yet to add this death penalty piece from the Zeus of political journalism, Associated Press, as the Sioux City Journal did.(We, like you, would be interested to see a death

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133465584376980232005-12-01T11:18:00.000-08:002005-12-01T11:33:04.386-08:00

Nussle Calls for Energy SummitGreen Sign, Green Website, Green Policy (?)Candidate Nussle and Rep. Nussle uniting as one? The Register has the (three paragraph) story:"Republican candidate for Iowa governor Jim Nussle on Wednesday proposed hosting a national energy summit in Iowa to draw attention to the state's potential as a renewable energy producer. Nussle campaign aides said there was no

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133463350146763292005-12-01T10:04:00.000-08:002005-12-01T11:08:48.603-08:00

Follow-Up:Iowans Respond to the President's SpeechThe Register, we feel, did this very well and they have some very interesting critiques (largely positive) of President Bush's speech from yesterday. We will include the elected officials' responses (with commentary, analysis, and jokes), but we highly, highly recommend reading the citizen opinions. We here at the Watch are big fans of this

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133450359783310392005-12-01T07:02:00.000-08:002005-12-01T07:21:15.656-08:00

Tom Vilsack's Policy Workshop:Mr. Cilliza Blogs on it for the PostMr. Cilliza shows why he is making the big bucks as a political guru in today's Iowa-centric post on Gov. Tom Vilsack's "online policy shop" or, as we call it here at the Watch, Gov. Vilsack's Heartleand PAC.We advise reading Mr. Cilliza's piece in its entirety and then take our quiz...Quiz:True or False. Gov. Vilsack is running

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133449304142454472005-12-01T06:24:00.000-08:002005-12-01T07:01:44.163-08:00

Fever Assuaged (For Now)Norman Tackles 1st District Republican Primary BattleIt's beginning to look a lot like Christmas and we hope that you, like us, enjoyed a morning of shoveling, scraping, and caroling. Not only have our dreams of a Bing-esque white Christmas been answered, but our prescription has arrived. Whatever Jane Norman is getting paid, the Register should raise it. Here is her piece

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133389974337008682005-11-30T14:19:00.000-08:002005-11-30T14:32:54.346-08:00

An Interesting Feature in the Register:Iowans React to President Bush's Iraq PlanOn the Des Moines Register's website, one can view what Iowans think of the president's speech outlining his strategy for a victory in Iraq. You can send them your thoughts as well at this email address: feedback@dmreg.com from which they "...[wi]ll add the most thoughtful responses to this file. Include your name

IPWnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133383386685671702005-11-30T11:33:00.000-08:002005-11-30T12:43:06.750-08:00

Points of Interest:Various News on Various Topics (Including Both New Info. & New Analysis)Rep. King's WallWe previously discussed Rep. King's proposed wall on the U.S./Mexico border, but we are not highly educated economic/labor/immigration/sociology scholars (or, in this case, professors). Douglas S. Massey, professor of sociology and public affairs at Princeton University and co-author of the

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133374175833987142005-11-30T09:33:00.000-08:002005-11-30T10:15:17.640-08:00

Iowa Senate Republicans Proposal:Death Penalty for Kidnapping, Sexually Assaulting, & Murdering a ChildThose of you up to speed on the death penalty debate under the dome, will not even need to guess which Iowa Senate Republican is at the fore of this proposal. (We did not need to guess.)Thomas Beaumont of the Des Moines Register reports:"Republicans in the Iowa Senate said today they plan to

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133371601183912292005-11-30T08:17:00.000-08:002005-11-30T09:32:49.863-08:00

Iowa Democratic CaucusesFirst the Nation, but How Prominent?Whilst on our morning perusal of the various Iowa newspaper websites, and other sources for all political news Iowan, we were convinced that it was going to be a slow news day. We were wrong. Charlotte Eby of the Sioux City Journal Des Moines Bureau has an incredible piece on the status of the Iowa Democratic Caucuses:"An Iowa Democrat

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133306720244842632005-11-29T14:52:00.000-08:002005-11-29T15:34:15.663-08:00

'A Growing Wariness About Money in Politics'Part II: IDP Assails Candidate NussleIn a late afternoon online posting (that nearly perfectly coincided with our clocking out times), the Des Moines Register brings us another gift of political news for those of us attempting to prognosticate the relationship between scandal in Washington D.C. and Iowa's races.Self Praise and Aggrandizement:Yes, we did

IPWnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133302910154900092005-11-29T14:01:00.000-08:002005-11-29T14:21:50.166-08:00

Grassley 'Embarassed'At 'Key Legislators'Why is Sen. Grassley embarased, you ask? (Keep reading to find out.)And who are these "key legislators?" (We don't know. But we have some ideas.)Matt Kelley reports for Radio Iowa:"U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley says he's "embarrassed" by key state legislators who say they would oppose a plan to require only ethanol-blended fuels be pumped at all gas stations

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133300861882796332005-11-29T13:38:00.000-08:002005-11-29T13:47:41.890-08:00

'Leadership'Now Non-Western Iowans Can View Nussle's First AdFor those of you who have not been introduced, you can now view Candidate Nussle's first campaign ad in streaming video at jimnussle.com.View oh ye faithful readers, view!Questions:Do you prefer the mustached or non-mustached Jim Nussle?How many Congressman are mustached? (We ask only because it seems both Mr. Nussle and Mr. Lamberti

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133297455368572052005-11-29T10:54:00.000-08:002005-11-29T12:59:00.620-08:00

Yepsen Dissects KCCI PollRegister Ace Political Columnist Smells "Anointing Oil"Days and days late, but dollars and dollars in surplus when it comes to prognostication, David Yepsen writes about the KCCI polls and does not hold back on what it all means. (Finally.)Straight to the whirlwind piece of "horserace journalism," which, in its title, proclaims, "Poll Shows Culver, Nussle As Clear

IPWnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133283394887221602005-11-29T07:47:00.000-08:002005-11-29T09:17:43.206-08:00

Border Security'Congressman (Blank) Still Wants Fence on the Border'How many congressman could have the above headline and not be at all concerned? At least in Iowa, we can think of one. That one? Rep. Steve King.O. Kay Henderson for Radio Iowa reports:The report began as Rep. King's take on President Bush's proposed immigration reform plan:"'Well, I'm glad and encouraged that the president is

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133276737825817442005-11-29T06:49:00.000-08:002005-11-29T07:27:56.013-08:00

Corruption Backlash?Washington Post Says, 'Yes'No, this is not Iowa politics (per se), but it could have ramifications on Congressional races as well as possibly the gubernatorial race.Yes, we could be grossly mistaken. At any rate, if you find politics of the highest interest (which you surely must, if you are reading the clever (according to some), liberal (according to others), Republican

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133275540496989882005-11-29T06:21:00.000-08:002005-11-29T06:45:40.510-08:00

Keep 'Em Comin'Another resume/legacy builderWe know it is a little late (but we had engagements last evening). Yes, many see Gov. Vilsack following a Clintonian path to the White House, but we wonder if he has looked at (what was previously) successful for President Bush: bold proposals.Ah, Associated Press, where have you been? Via the Des Moines Register:"Vilsack: $50 Million for Water Quality"

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133212658751519262005-11-28T15:39:00.000-08:002005-11-28T14:27:38.253-08:00

MoneyThe Lifeblood of PoliticsThis particular installation of the Watch is belated in many regards (of which we list two) and we are ashamed for each one.1) It is a long overdue analysis of what is one of (if not the) hottest contested congressional seats in all of America this (2006) election cycle: Iowa's 1st Congressional.2) It allows us to give a long overdue introduction (to those who have

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133218278348540652005-11-28T14:27:00.000-08:002005-11-28T14:54:03.926-08:00

Keep On Keepin' OnWho Gov. Vilsack, a lame duck?Despite having his salary relative to many state employees go down, Gov. Vilsack seems envirorated at the thought of only one more session on which to cultivate a legacy (and a curriculum vitae). Radio Iowa (for our money, one of the best straight news agencies in the state) has the story of the governor's plans for his last hurrah in office. Stella

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133205408999897472005-11-28T12:32:00.000-08:002005-11-28T11:16:49.010-08:00

Medicare ReimbursementQCT on Sen. Grassley & Rep. Nussle's ResponsesEd Tibbetts of the Quad City Times, hands in a very important piece of reporting concerning Medicare reimbursement cuts, what they mean to rural doctors and rural patients, as well as what Sen Grassley is doing and the meetings Rep. Jim Nussle has had (although, as of this article, apparently, Rep. Nussle has not done anything

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133204064994723932005-11-28T09:18:00.000-08:002005-11-28T12:08:57.483-08:00

Blog-to-Blog(Only the blog to which we link is far more important than the Watch)For those of you who do not (and you know who you are) read washingtonpost.com in general and "The Fix" in particular, we are scolding you. But, because Chris Cilliza's washingtonpost.com blog, "The Fix," does not always deal with Iowa politics, we will give a one-time reprieve (from what, we admit, we do not know).

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1133194379811073822005-11-28T07:25:00.000-08:002005-11-28T09:18:54.020-08:00

High Marks and ExorbitanceSioux City Journal Prison Break EditorialRole-Play: You are a candidate for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. Your main competition for the nomination calls The Western Fourth (this is our new "name" for the 5th District...Approve/Disapprove?) of the state home. President Bush won Sioux County 14,229 votes to John Kerry's 2,259 votes on Election Day 2004. Knowing

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1132974786566826332005-11-25T17:11:00.000-08:002005-11-25T19:32:32.770-08:00

Gubernatorial Candidate WebsitesFor You, the Soon-to-be Informed Primary VoterIn order that we may save you, our faithful readers, the time of Googling the various would-be State of Iowa chief executives' websites, we have done it for you. (Yes, Googling is our search method of choice. No, we don't know if it is officially a word. The kids are using it these days and that is good enough for us.)

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1132961194130031162005-11-25T14:27:00.000-08:002005-11-25T16:51:02.276-08:00

Can One Support the Troops without Supporting the Mission?Move.On vs. Rep. KingThose meddling 527's are at it again, in particular, the bohemoth of the Left, Move.On.Org. Question: Is the ".Org" a necessary part of their title?In a veritiable whirlwind of intrigue, Bret (with one "t") Hayworth, of the Sioux City Journal, reports on the Iraq war debate "spilling into western Iowa":"A liberal

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1132950021769187392005-11-25T11:37:00.000-08:002005-11-25T14:27:17.586-08:00

Political Hot Potato:Immigration PolicyQuestion: Do Dan Quayle P-O-T-A-T-O (without an "E") jokes ever get old? Follow-up question: Did anyone else catch his Fox News interview some weeks ago where he looked astonishingly old? Please forgive a holiday of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes (there is an "e" in the plural spelling), chocolate and pumpkin pie, jell-o, football, "Smallville," and "

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1132967440522707832005-11-23T16:53:00.000-08:002005-11-25T17:10:40.530-08:00

Verdict: Prison Break Has LegsAt Least in Jim Nussle's ViewThe official Jim Nussle for Governor website has launched an online petition concerning the investigation into the Fort Madison prison break, because, "Iowans Deserve A Full Explanation From Their Governor."Questions: Does the Jim Nussle campaign braintrust have some polling that we do not?Does Jim Nussle feel that a 57% pre-prison break

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1132760354421539292005-11-23T07:29:00.000-08:002005-11-23T08:39:57.780-08:00

Shout, Shout, Let It All OutReference: Yes, that is a Tears for Fears lyric used in reference to our Sec. of State.As we pointed out a couple of weeks ago, David Yepsen, ace political columnist for the Des Moines Register declared Chester Culver a "winner" after the Democrats' annual Jefferson/Jackson Day Dinner, writing: "Chet Culver read a good speech. He's getting better on the stump although

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1132699690329315572005-11-22T14:19:00.000-08:002005-11-23T13:49:44.440-08:00

Political Cornucopia:What does it all mean?In a bold and daring move that could result in my getting far less work done today, “The Gubernatorial Update” has expanded in a maneuver meant to honor the excess of the upcoming weeks—turkey, potatoes, pie, presents, greenery, ribbons, bows, lights, tackle football and, now, Iowa politics. God bless America, my (and our) home, sweet home.Excuse the

IPWnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1132779158238565332005-11-21T12:25:00.000-08:002005-11-23T12:52:38.246-08:00

The Exchanging of the BarbsThe Cedar Rapids Gazette relays a story by Mike Glover via the LaSalle NewsTribune:(We, naturally, skip right to the juicy stuff.)'''An independent investigation by a third party like the attorney general's office will help ensure the findings are untainted by the possibility of impropriety, cover-up or partisan motivation,' said Nussle, who is seeking the Republican

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1132765687760892052005-11-19T08:46:00.000-08:002005-11-23T09:08:07.773-08:00

The Gubernatorial UpdateAlito’s Abortion Stance Doesn’t Matter(If You Live in Iowa and Any Democrat is Elected Gov.)The media behemoth has done it again. Associated Press, how all-powerful your political journalism skills are. How we covet thee in the quest to get answers from those who wish never to give any. Someday, perhaps in the distance future, we should like to meet you and bask in the

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1132769915698279452005-11-16T09:28:00.000-08:002005-11-23T10:18:35.746-08:00

The Gubernatorial Update:Neutrality Times ThreeHo, ho, ho and a very early (unless you go by the retail caldendar) Christmas present to us all. Lets instead call it an early reason to give thanks. It seems that those of us who were hoping for Gov. Tom Vilsack or Sen. Tom Harkin to give us their input in who should be governor will get coal in their stocking (or tofu in place of turkey, ick). Is

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1132766472241524622005-11-16T09:11:00.000-08:002005-11-23T09:21:12.246-08:00

The Gubernatorial Update:Meanwhile, on the Right…I Have More Intellectual Firepower Than You Do!It seems as if the gloves have at least been loosened, if they have not been pulled off. (For my money, they’ll be off when the sin of adultery is brought up or, more specifically, when a hard line Rightwinger asks, “You support parental and spousal consent on abortion, Mr. Nussle, but what about a

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19222773.post-1132776553335300002005-11-07T10:19:00.000-08:002005-11-23T12:19:51.040-08:00

The Gubernatorial Update:Invasion! Jim Nussle: An IntroductionPerhaps (and this is a pure guesstimate on our part, mind you) Candidate Jim Nussle's name recognition in colleague, Rep. Steve King's home of western Iowa was not what was hoped for or expected in the Nussle camp. Perhaps Bob Vander Plaats is proving more formidable than hoped. Perhaps the Nussle camp likes their name recognition just

IPWnoreply@blogger.com0